Invited Review : Edgecumbe Retreat

I'm not a big fan of organic food probably due to lack of understanding and how it can be 'fusionized' to be food which are not only appetizing but also tasty.

Because of this curiosity, an invitation by GourmetGarden and Edgecumbe Retreat came at the right timing, and it was well worth the trip as an eye-opener to the delicious organic delicacies as well as the informative elaboration on organic food.

The cafe which is hosted on the ground floor of the retreat was quiet, clean and serene. There's even a little outdoor corner with an air well where hanging plants can be seen. I suppose one can dine here if they wish?

We had continuous flow of Momo Oolong (RM 12.50 by pot) as our beverage to accompany our meal. Momo Oolong is a blend of Japanese white peach with Taiwanese Pouchong accented with pink rose petals. A sip of it proved that the tea was very fragrant and smooth indeed.

First up - we had an appetizer named Mushroom Salad (RM 18.90) which is a salad consisting of organically grown vegetables like cherry tomatoes and zucchini topped with warm yuzu seasoned mushrooms. Do note, however, that the portion illustrated here is just 1/3 of the original portion that you will be getting when you order this dish. I really liked the warm yuzu sauce as it not only was not salty, it also had a good naturally sweetened aftertaste.

Another appetizer which was the infamous local delicacy - Rojak (RM 8) was served. At the first glance, we could almost be fooled that this is just another local rojak affair, but we were pleasantly surprised at how juicy and crunchy the fruits were, and the intriguing home made organic rojak paste that is made from seaweed paste and organic groundnuts. There are up to 3 types of seaweed used to make the paste and Cayenne pepper was incorporated as well to give the paste a little 'fire'. I thoroughly enjoyed this simple yet flavorful and fresh rojak.
From the entrée menu, we had one of their homemade organic bun - Pandan bun (RM 10.50 for choices of 3) that was stuffed with natural Burdock floss. The bun was airy light in texture and aptly matched with the super crunchy Burdock floss which tastes almost like the texture of pork floss, minus the pork taste. Apart from pandan bun, Edgecumbe Cafe offers Matcha and Red Bean bun as well as Blue Flower bun as well, so do check with them for the availability.

Next up, we had another simple dish Popiah (RM 8.90) from the entrée menu, which may look ordinary but tastes fabulous. The Popiah is made of stir-fried turnip and wrapped with rice crepe, then served with organic sweet chilli sauce. Although the components of the popiah looks really basic, but the sweetness of the turnip really stands out amongst the crunchy vegetable; not forgetting the thin yet soft rice crepe holds them well. This popiah can be easily enjoyed with the organic chilli sauce to give it some 'oomph', or can be enjoyed as-is, which is equally tasty.
After all the appetizers and entree, we were served a main of Fish Claypot Noodle (RM 23.90), which was a pot full of goodness in its own right when we found out the ingredients used! First up, brown rice vermicilli was used, and deep sea Grouper fish was chosen for its size and texture. The fish soup was double boiled so we could imagine how nutritious this dish would be. For soup dish lovers, this is a must try indeed, I totally enjoyed the sweetness of the soup, the freshness of the fish and all the accompanying organic vegetables.

And that's not all, they even serve a totally ass-kicking 'concoction' for us to fully enjoy this fish noodle with - spring onions, shredded ginger and chilli in soy sauce. I kid you not, this baby is hot but is a match made in heaven with this fish noodle. Once again, you can enjoy the noodles on its own or have them with this concoction.

After such a hearty noodle main dish, we were toned down with a pleasant Pumpkin Kuih which is specially made for us to sample. It was a flavorful kuih that is light in texture and it was topped with the familiar Burdock floss once again, which, by the way, we could not get enough of :) This is like an alternative pumpkin version of Yam kuih but I reckon this is better.

Just when we thought we'd seen (or rather tasted) it all, we were served with a dessert I do not mind having seconds of - Berries Yogurt Sorbet! I was really excited and the taste did not disappoint me at all. This home made sorbet is made with berries (obviously) and soy-based yogurt, which is lactose-free and is suitable for those who are lactose-intolerant. This was definitely one good non-milk sorbet. I truly enjoyed every little spoonfuls of it, right up to the last drop.

We had a tour of Edgecumbe Retreat afterwhich and learnt that they not only have a nice cafe, the retreat houses a spa on the upper floor, which provides hair, manicure, pedicure, body massage, foot reflexology services all under one roof as well. The hair salon is the only salon that is authorized to use Simply Organic products.

Apart from cafe and spa, Edgecumbe Retreat retails Organic products as well since they are the true ambassadors of organic food and living. Many types of organic products can be found under this roof:-

What's more to say about this place? I'm already planning my next trip there with my friends to sample even more of their organic food varieties :D Now who wants to tag along?

Edgecumbe Retreat
Spa . Beauty . Cafe
64 Edgecumbe Lane
10250 Penang
Operating Hours : 11am - 8pm
Closed on Sundays

****** Please call for reservation and enquiry for daily specials ******