Kena Katok at 747 Cafe Penang....

[Sentinel]

There is this little restaurant only known to local Penangites located right in the Penang YMCA Building. Its signature dishes included its Yam Duck Soup, its Assam Fish Curry and its Inchi Kabin chicken... I have been eating here (the 747 Cafe) since my first posting to Penang as a young Nestle executive way back in 1988.

Two nights ago, 23 December 2008, I took my sister's family (altogether 4 adults and 3 very grown-up kids (average 6 footers) for dinner and we ordered, amongst other dishes, these 3 signature dishes. Instead of the normal fish, we decided the assam fish head should use pomfret.

The dish alone cost us RM72! In all my 20 years eating there, we have never paid this much for the assam fish dish. This was daylight robbery and since we had guests, wifey and I kept quiet about it. We enjoyed the food tremendously, that was the only consolation, but until today I still feel the bitter taste in the mouth of being "KATOK" by the restaurant that we have patronised for 20 years. A normal meal in 747 Cafe like what we ordered is normally about RM120-130 for about 8-10 persons. That night, with 8 of us we got slaughtered bigtime RM200 for our dinner....

Maybe I will switch to Starview Restaurant which serves the same type of food but in a better environment... it is located at the New World Park along Swatow Lane (at the site of the old Swatow Lane Cinema cum indoor stadium) amidst many other bistros and eateries.

[bslee]

I think its come to a time where every customer play smart and well aware of the prices during the ordering process. Just like McD or Pizza Hut or a well organized restaurant, everyone will be aware of the price on the menu. I think Malaysians are generally still very lackadaisical, too trusting or taking for granted the moment we sit down in some restaurant where there's no menu or price list. I think its come to a time customers should now standup and ensure agreement on the price during the ordering process, otherwise there's every possibility you'd kena ketuk!
"Tak suka boleh keluar" applies well in that situation. I will do just that!.. believe me!.
Sad to hear you kena katok.

[MasterQ]

Talk about kena katok. Last Monday, my brother invited me for dinner and there were 8 of us eating at a corner coffee shop in Paramount Gardens next to Giant which is famous for his roasted duck.

He ordered 6 dishes comprising of two type of fish, one prawn, yam, mixed vege etc etc. And the bill came up to a shocking RM 434.00. I just couldn't believe my eyes. It works out to be about RM 55 per head. That 2 star restaurant issued a one liner bill saying Total RM 434. Eventhough I was not paying and I didn't care whether it is politically correct, I asked for the break down. Imagine kena charged for RM 98 for Fish Type 1 and RM 87 for Fish Type 2. For that stupied so called roast duck which my brother had to pre order via phone call, it cost RM 68. But the item that take the cake is the so called Miscellaneous which when I asked for what it consisted of, the guy said - Rice and drink whick actually is a pot of normal Chrysanthemum Tea and 3 cans of Pepsi. Guess how much it cost? RM 48.00. The amount is derived mathematically - RM 434 less all those major itemised. I just told the guy that if you could rip me off for the drinks, I guessed you also did it for each and everyone of your dishes. We are definitely not coming back.

[Sentinel]

You're right BS. We normally know the prices of the dishes in this restaurant and that was why I got a little shocked when I saw the bill this time. I mean, we have been patronizing this restaurant for 20 years already... I don't think I will ever go back to this 747 Cafe again. I hope it becomes the 2-sisters Char Koay Teow shop at MacAlister Road... now hardly patronised by locals because of their arrogance and their obscene pricing.... RM1.80 for Nescafe Ping 10 years ago already... ahead of Starbuck pricing man!

[Sugarfree]

thanks for the heads up, sentinel/masterq. i'll make a point NOT to go to these places.

[blurrman]

may i know how many pieces of pomfret in there? roughly what size?

[tupai]

unless u know that the pomfret is from our shore (so best local kopitiam kinda restorans like in simpang empat, taiping, sepetang etc) u best don wanna eat pomfret ..most came form LOS...they stay 'fresh' with lotsa use of formalye (lazi to check spelling) and also kinda preservative by the spadefull...i saw with my own 4eyes!

anyway, the best locally caught pomfret is about my palm size...anything the size of my dinner plate is not 'wat'...the flesh is hard like rigor mortis aleady set in!

Yang Banyak makan ikan pomfret di utara latotupai

p/s u wanna know the size of my palm? u best buy me dinner lah...in simpang empat!.

[Sentinel]

unless u know that the pomfret is from our shore (so best local kopitiam kinda restorans like in simpang empat, taiping, sepetang etc) u best don wanna eat pomfret ..most came form LOS...they stay 'fresh' with lotsa use of formalye (lazi to check spelling) and also kinda preservative by the spadefull...i saw with my own 4eyes!

anyway, the best locally caught pomfret is about my palm size...anything the size of my dinner plate is not 'wat'...the flesh is hard like rigor mortis aleady set in!

Yang Banyak makan ikan pomfret di utara latotupai

p/s u wanna know the size of my palm? u best buy me dinner lah...in simpang empat!.

Dinner is Simpang Empat is on me if you let me know you're pasing by... its only an hour drive from the island for me.

[jasonbhlee]

The food at 747 can be described as well above average. For RM200 for the food for 8 persons, its a steal! If you have ordered fish, belacan chicken, etc, etc......its not that expensive. It works out to about RM25 per head. And mind you...you are not eating in a foodcourt.

There is this little restaurant only known to local Penangites located right in the Penang YMCA Building. Its signature dishes included its Yam Duck Soup, its Assam Fish Curry and its Inchi Kabin chicken... I have been eating here (the 747 Cafe) since my first posting to Penang as a young Nestle executive way back in 1988.

Two nights ago, 23 December 2008, I took my sister's family (altogether 4 adults and 3 very grown-up kids (average 6 footers) for dinner and we ordered, amongst other dishes, these 3 signature dishes. Instead of the normal fish, we decided the assam fish head should use pomfret.

The dish alone cost us RM72! In all my 20 years eating there, we have never paid this much for the assam fish dish. This was daylight robbery and since we had guests, wifey and I kept quiet about it. We enjoyed the food tremendously, that was the only consolation, but until today I still feel the bitter taste in the mouth of being "KATOK" by the restaurant that we have patronised for 20 years. A normal meal in 747 Cafe like what we ordered is normally about RM120-130 for about 8-10 persons. That night, with 8 of us we got slaughtered bigtime RM200 for our dinner....

Maybe I will switch to Starview Restaurant which serves the same type of food but in a better environment... it is located at the New World Park along Swatow Lane (at the site of the old Swatow Lane Cinema cum indoor stadium) amidst many other bistros and eateries.

[QuietStorm]

The food at 747 can be described as well above average. For RM200 for the food for 8 persons, its a steal! If you have ordered fish, belacan chicken, etc, etc......its not that expensive. It works out to about RM25 per head. And mind you...you are not eating in a foodcourt.

Jason, do you have pics of the restaurant? And pics of their servings?

[Sentinel]

The food at 747 can be described as well above average. For RM200 for the food for 8 persons, its a steal! If you have ordered fish, belacan chicken, etc, etc......its not that expensive. It works out to about RM25 per head. And mind you...you are not eating in a foodcourt.

Jason, I have been eating here for 20 years, man! I have also eaten in most if not all, restaurants and food courts and hawker centres around this island. Hey I live here....

I am complaining about the assam fish at RM72 man, I am not complaining about other things.

[lly]

Hi sentinel, the fish promfret as in "tau tay" or "peh chneoh"? Tau tay is the expensive one. At the famous shop Sin Kheng Aun off Chulia street - they charge their tau tay assam curry by the piece but I can't remember how much per piece.

[Sentinel]

Hi sentinel, the fish promfret as in "tau tay" or "peh chneoh"? Tau tay is the expensive one. At the famous shop Sin Kheng Aun off Chulia street - they charge their tau tay assam curry by the piece but I can't remember how much per piece.

I know lly. Its the same at Bayu at Batu Ferringhi. They charge the 'tau tay' by the piece but the one we had was 6 pieces for RM72... and the fish wasn't fresh either.

[PJS]

RM72 for a pomphret (tau tay) is cheap by KL standards. We can hardly get a tau tay for less than Rm100 - 120 in a restaurant these days.

Once I went to Batu Maung and bought from a fisherman direct a couple of good sized tau tay for about RM75, so with the restaurant markup, RM72 is not unusual price for a cooked tau tay these days. But if you still think 747 should be dirt cheap, well, then.... looks like they ain't no cheap anymore.

I think their YMCA outlet probably follows same pricing as their more upscale outlet near the Gurney Drive area, the one in a bangalow house. I dunno, I find their prices at the other outlet still reasonable for an air conditioned restaurant in a prime area.

No comments about the YMCA outlet as I've not been to that restaurant for at least 30 years.

[Sentinel]

Well, I found one restaurant serving similiar food but seems to taste much better. It is called BAYU and is located at a small lane after Holiday Inn, here at Batu Ferringhi. I am not sure if this is the same one Racheljanz recommended but the price was reasonable.

The signature dish - yam duck soup - was really delicious, much like the one at 747 Cafe years ago....