As it claims, 1881 Chong Tian Lou is Malaysia’s only heritage hotel. Like a time warp, it allows diners and hotel guests alike to experience the past with the refurbishment meticulously conducted using vintage furniture and selected fittings. Housed in a 13 decades old concrete work, this new establishment was previously a hotel for rich traders and merchants back in the 1800s hence its name 1881 Chong Tian Lou. For me, this was my first proper meal in Penang. The last two days that was filled with hawker fare has left my stomach craving something better and perhaps less hawker-ish. Mind you, my choice of coming here was based on a Penang lass’s recommendations of what Penang folks would have.
My pictures of the interior were really horrible but I think I managed to salvage one I took from a sitting position! Some of the vintage mirrors hung on a wall.
Being an upper class Chinese restaurant, the service was prompt and the manager was outmost helpful. I immediately felt welcomed as I stepped in. The menu was presented to us and the tea service was always there although in the end we preferred to serve the tea by ourselves. For tonight’s meal I was to follow the recommendations of the chef as well as a few Penang bloggers.
We started with the sharks fin soup which is an age long delicacy in my culture and something which my parents enjoy having.
For me, sharks fin typically meant meaningless luxury as this tough strands of protein like other Chinese delicacies such as abalone are typically tasteless. However, it was the broth and other ingredients that typically makes the dish stunning. In the case of 1881 Chong Tian Lou, the flavours in the soup were simply amazing. The long list of ingredients included dried scallops from its unmistakable sweetness as well as a rich bone broth with generous amount of crab meat and roe. Among ourselves, we agreed that this is probably one of the best sharks fin soup we have ever eaten with generous clumps of fin present. Its nearest competitor would be the one at Overseas Restaurant @ Imbi, KL which cost RM20 per bowl. Here we paid RM80 for a medium serve which scooped up 8 bowls similar to the one in the picture. Smashing value IMHO.
Our next dish was the chef’s specialty bean curd dish @ RM15 (small serve).
As good as it looks, it actually tasted great. The bean curd itself was no stunner but by all means meet the standard of being sufficiently smooth and soft on the side. Its sauce though was yummy-liciously Malaysian. Salty with a slight hint of sweetness and chilli, it was meaty with generous amounts of mince and diced prawns. Topped with scallions, it was fragrant and down right tasty. Something that goes perfectly with rice! Definitely a thumbs up dish!
The next dish to hit the table was the Sambal Fried Four Heavenly King @ ~ RM15 (small serve). 
Where appetizing vegetables are concerned, little can fault with a sambal stir-fry. The sambal for this dish at 1881 Chong Tian Lou is fragrant with a Nyonya influence which means it has a mild sour-sweet flavour. Vegetables were cooked right! It was soft with a slight crunch! At this point, I was rather happy be eating here. All was going well and the price was rather affordable by KL standards.
Our next dish were King Prawns in Soya King Sauce for RM22 (small serve)
This was another chef’s specialty. It is a rather basic fry up but sometimes simplicity is key to perfection. Very little to hide but it has got to be spot on. Fortunately this was the case. It was nice, sticky and well caramelised. This made the prawn shells finger licking good and once it was peeled, a revisit to the plate to mop up the sauce was necessary :)! While 4 prawns seems rather little, its large size more than made up for it.
Our last dish was the braised duck in preserved mustard sauce @ RM30 (half a duck)
Braised dishes with preserved vegetables and melt in your mouth meats is a match made in heaven. In fact, slow-cooked pork belly in preserved mustard has got to be one of my favourite dishes of all time! When I pricked the duck with my fork I knew I was in for a treat. It easily went right through and this means that the duck was braised sufficiently! True it enough it was very soft and smooth. Definitely a benefit of braising under low instead of rapid cooking. But the disappointing bit of this dish was the preserved mustard sauce. It did not have the flavour I was looking for. It was not salty or sweet enough to complement the duck. In fact, the vegetable was not as soft and as fragrant as I expected it to be. As a result I was forced to use some soy sauce to salvage what would have been a great dish if it was seasoned well enough.
After a progressive meal of well-prepared dishes, I was gutted that the experience did not flow through to the end. The bill came to a total of RM190-ish with a bulk of the bill coming from the soup as well as Malaysia’s terribly dated 10% and 5% taxes. For three people, it felt terribly worth it especially when you consider the ambience, service and ultimately the food we had today. 1881 Chong Tian Lou has put some memorable flavours on the table today. The tofu was delicious and the Sambal Fried Four Heavenly King was spot on. The soy prawns despite its very basic cooking felt complete. So, it broils down to how bad the duck was. In practice, seasoning is always crucial but technique is equally important too. To say that many places have perfected their braised meat with preserved vegetables would be an absolutely lie as I know deep down, that most only achieve mediocre outcomes. Hence, I am forgiving enough to rate this dish decently as an OK.
Tonight’s eat at 1881 Chong Tian Lou was extremely satisfying. In fact, it even best most of the restaurants in KL without a doubt. No wonder my Penang friends in Perth are always homesick when it comes to food! Definitely worth a revisit!
38 Jalan Pintal Tali, 10100 George Town, Penang Malaysia
+60 4-263 1881
http://www.1881chongtian.com/
WenY
