Invited Review @ Dragon-i, Queensbay Mall
Not long ago, I was invited, together with some other bloggers to join Big Boys Oven (BBO) to a gathering and review at Dragon-i @ Queensbay Mall, Penang. It was my first time meeting the well-known bakers (Sunny & Sidney) and they are really friendly and approachable. With a table for almost 10 bloggers, we had a good time sharing tips and ideas regarding various issues in blogging.
But the main purpose was of course to try out the dishes that Dragon-i have prepared for us.
Slogan: Dragon-i - The Start of a Culinary Experience
The waitress were very attentive and we were quick shown to our seat when most of us arrived at the entrance. A large table at the end of the restaurant is reserved for the group.
Appetizer
A combo photo of what we had that night. Details below. (Price shown are taken from the menu but portion might differ as this was a meal specially prepared for a table of 10 pax)
First to be served was Chilled Chicken Marinated with "Hua Diao" Wine (RM15)
This dish was, as the name suggest, served chilled. We were all attracted to the fragrant smell of the wine when the dish arrived. The steamed chicken meat was very tender and the sweetness of the wine absorbed throughly into the meat, making it a very appetizing opening dish for the night.
Groundnuts in soy sauce. We did not know the actual name of this dish as it was not shown in the menu. I guess it is a new dish which is yet to be out. We were lucky to have tasted it. The groundnuts remains crunchy and sweet even after cooking. The soy sauce was not overwhelming or in other words, did not steal the limelight of this dish’s main focus, which is the groundnuts. It is a simple dish but it caught my attention as it goes well with steaming white rice.
Then came the Jelly Fish with Sesame Oil (RM 14). There’s no strong taste to this dish. Only sesame oil, cut red chillies and chopped spring onions were present. The jelly fish felt very much like eating squid….very chewable!!
Later on, more dish arrived. This is the Shanghainese Smoked Fish (RM 15). At first look, we thought it was Pai Kut Ong (Pork Ribs) but it turned out to be slices of fish meat coated with sweet and sour sauce. The fish meat was quite tough (I couldn’t even tear it apart using chopstick or soup spoon). There are bits of fish bones attached, so for those who have children dining together should be careful.
Then came their famous dish, which needs no introduction, Shanghainese Steamed Meat Dumplings - xiao long pau (RM 9). Three baskets were served and all of us truely enjoyed slurping away the soup inside the dumpling.
To get the best taste out of this dumpling, shredded ginger dipped in vinegar is to be eaten together, like the photo below. And make sure you sip up the soup before you have a bite on the meat. The soup was really sweet, while the skin was soft and smooth. Munching on the meat gives a fitting end to this lovely dish. They have a reason to be proud of their signature dish you know…and from the cover of the menu, you know how famous this dish is!!!
Prawns was also on the list. We guessed this is Sauteed Shrimps in Sichuan Style (RM 32) since the menu shows a photo of this dish with the prawns peeled and then only sauteed in the sweet, sour and spicy sauce. But the one that was served to us had the shells intact. Still this dish was very appetizing with the right combination of the three different taste.
We also had the Deep Fried Crispy Duck (RM 32) which was served together with skin akin to popiah type, cucumbers and spring onions.
The spring onions were beautifully cut and decorated with a ring of red chilly.
Popiah skin
The steps to prepare this dish for consumption.
- A special sauce is spreaded on the skin.
- Then duck meat is added, together with cucumber and spring onions.
- It is then wrapped like a spring roll, and…
- Ready to be eaten.
The crispy duck was very good when dipped in the special sauce and can be eaten just like that, without wrapping in the popiah skin. Me and Lingzie can’t stop ourselves from getting second helpings of this crispy dish!!
We also had the Shanghainese Braised Pork Belly with Beancurd Leaves (RM 23). I was initially reluctant to take this dish but the fragrant smell and the luring of fellow dinner mates was enough to make me sink my teeth into this dish. The pork belly was stewed for long hours until very soft and tender. I of course took away the fatty part but according to others, it is real yummy (imagine the fats melting in your mouth, they commented). The gravy does not taste significantly well though.
The braised pork belly is to be eaten together with this Deep Fried Mantau. I find eating this mantau alone was nice, because of the crunchy outer skin and the soft inner side. The two types of sesame sprinkled on top added a nice texture to the mantau.
Braised Mushroom with Mixed Vegetable (RM 18) was also part of this wide variety of dishes served. Just like a typical vege dish, the mixed vegetables were boiled and a very thick gravy filled with scallops are poured in it and then big mushrooms are nicely placed on top. Simple dish, not much to comment about.
Other than rice, we also had their famous handmade la mian, Fried La Mian with Black Pepper Chicken (RM 15). I love anything peppery and this dish was perfect. The la mian was fried with button mushrooms, red and green capsicum, onions, carrots and chicken cubes. It has wok hei and the black papper plus capsicums gives a nice stimulant to our tastebuds.
"La Mian" or hand pulled noodles was first introduced in China over 400 years ago during the Ming Dynasty. Masterful chefs stretched and pulled the noodles repeatly until they achieve a unique that is soft, smooth and yet springy. People were so facinated by the art behind preparing these noodles that it was soon presented to the Emperor. The Emperor loved it and bestowed upon it an imperial name, "Dragon Beard Noodles".
taken from Dragon-i menu cover
We were stuffed by then and we were yet to be served desserts. Dragon-i has prepared two kinds of dessert. The first one was Souffle Egg White Ball with Red Bean Paste & Banana (RM 10). This is by far the longest name of dish we had here.
And what is souffle (pronouced as soo-fley/sōō-flā’), you may ask? It is a light, fluffy baked dish made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients and served as a main dish or sweetened as a dessert.
[French, from past participle of souffler, to puff up, from Old French soffler, from Latin sufflāre : sub-, sub- + flāre, to blow]
(source)
It has red bean paste and sliced banana pieces as its filling. The taste of banana is also tasted on the skin. It is indeed fluffy but was a little too sweet for me.
Another dessert was the Mixed Fruit Sago with Mango Ice (RM 10). Each of us were generously served a cup each and it really filled us to the brim with this finale of sweet, cold and flavourful dish.
When we thought it was all over, BBO surprised us with a box of macarons and another dessert. I never thought I would have the chance to taste this BBO’s specialty.
"A macaron - two airy, tender almond domes skirted with an iconic little ruffle and sandwiched together with a luxe filling - is a simple cookie and not especially difficult to make" Paris Gourmet the magazine of good living
quoted from BBO’s blog
The macarons has two flavours, almond and hazelnut. I only had the space to try the hazelnut type, so I’m not sure how the almond ones (green) are like. The macarons was like soft cookies with filling in it. It’s a sweet delicacy and is best eaten with a cup of black coffee!!!
The bread dessert was not as sweet as the macarons and is very soft. The cream filling compliments well with the outer layer.
Some random shots:
The waitress was demonstrating to us how to wrap the crispy duck in the popiah skin. And of course, how could other bloggers resist snapping photos!! Seen here is CK @ What2See. 
Overall, we were served 12 dishes, including desserts. It was really a good meal and the service was nothing to complain about. Although the prices here are a little high, the quality of food is up to mark and that is why you always see many patrons queuing up to dine here. Do remember to order their signature dishes if you decide to give this place a try!!
Dragon-i Restaurant
Lot 2F-77, 78, 79, 81
2nd Floor, Centre Court
Queensbay Mall
Penang
Tel : 04-646 6888
Website : http://dragon-i.com.my/
