Eighty Eight Restaurant Reviewed

Articles and posts from Trip Advisors and Facebook generally has an excellent review for this restaurant run by a young chef aged 26. From the pictures i've seen i agree the type of dishes and the presentation offered is rather rare in Penang thus i decided to give it a try as my Bday Dinner. 

The restaurant is named after the birth year of the chef cum owner. 

The restaurant is easy to find as it is just located right next to Kelawai Road and with a bright orange colour signboard, it is hard to miss. Carpark is limited, advise to come before 6:45pm. The girl asked if we have made reservation and were politely seated after we said no. Changed 2 tables (arrangement mistake and faulty light) but i think these small problem until i read the menu. 

4 lots available in front of the restaurant

I mean i knew this will be a pricey restaurant but now reading the full menu and seat inside i feel something wrong. The price is definitely on high side but the environment is rather cheapo. The wooden dining chairs are at the lowest range. So i made a new expectation: The foods must be outstanding to compensate with the interior decoration. Don't judge the book by its cover right?

Very minimum setting and simple furniture. 

We ordered Assorted Veg Soup, Vongole Al Pepe (boiled clam), Iberico Belly (pork belly), Chicken Paprika and 2 glasses filtered water. within 5 minutes, we were served a pcs of bread each side with caramelised butter as spread and a pcs of watermelon with some kind of topping. 

Clockwise from top left: The watermelon 'opener'; rocket leafs;
backed potato and shallots; mixed greens

The bread was good alone but the butter spread was just so so. Combining the hot bread in oily spread, it was just a big contrast when chewing the cold juicy watermelon. A plus point :P Soon after we finished this refreshing combo, the soup was served. 

Assorted Veg Soup. A blended soup good in flavour but ruined by the oil.

I particularly like the depth of flavour of this soup. Blended with variety of veg, the texture is equally good. Extra care must be taken when blending and maybe they filtered the soup too. However, the good flavour was messed up by the olive oil drizzled on top as garnish. Upon mixing up the olive oil, the taste is murky to me.  

Vongole Al Pepe. Like the freshness of the clam and the cherry tomato really add points to the broth. Thumbs up. 

The clam was served almost immediately after we finished the soup. Boiled in broth and wine and garnished with chopped parsley and chilli flakes. The clam was good and we actually finished this dish to the its last drop with happy face. And that left us a high expectation for the upcoming main course. 

Iberico Belly. Very pleasant looking dish but too bad. Its like a hot appetiser for me. 

I was told the pork belly was replaced from Germany's (RM 50) to Spain's (RM 78) for an unknown reason but i think it is worth to try so i ordered and i was immediately stunned when it was served! The dish was beautifully presented, a very elegant dish. But i think you also see the problem, RM 78 for 5 pcs of pork belly?!?!   More that 80% of each pcs was FAT ??  Are you serious ?!?!?!  I seriously think this is an appetiser because this has nothing to fill up my stomach even though 2 side dishes were served together.  Sous Vide can only save the texture/moisture by not overcooking the belly but because those were almost all fat, thus it is i think it is used in wrong place. In lay man term, the belly melted in mouth, great !!  (well, it is all fat what do you expect?)

Chicken Paprika. Nothing special to be highlighted except it is
being cook Sous Vide (i suppose)

Another main course we ordered was Chicken Paprika. I believe it was cooked by the same method so the texture is rather special compare to other's in the market. Garnished with drizzled olive oil and sprinklers of paprika, this chicken breast dish was sided with rocket leaf in oil and balsamic vinegar. The inside of the meat was somehow moist but it is obvious the outside was overcooked. Dried. Not too bad, chew with the accompanied salad will be ok. 

Gnocchi is originated from Italy. This one is just disappointing.

Finished everything ordered but i felt like i havent eaten anything. Thus i topped up with Gnocchi in pesto sauce (if my memory serves well). And i can only say that this was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Heavily salted and i think the same too for the MSG. By the time i finished it, i too finished 2 full glass of water.....  :S

So below is the rating:

(-1 = no good; 0 = neutral; 1 = good)

Food Presentation = 1

Taste/Texture = 0

Service = 0

Price/Value = -1

Overall Atmosphere = 0

TOTAL SCORE = 0, WILL NOT BE BACK AGAIN. 

The Verdict: Like i mentioned in my earlier post (here), cooking is not only ingredient and technique, the most important part is the 'heart'. It is ok to charge pricey and nothing wrong to present in a beautiful way but a 5 pcs of pork belly (more than 80% is fat) cannot be treated as main course. Every ingredients put onto the plate must be complimenting each other but not vice versa. Lastly, before everything out from the kitchen, the chef in charge must taste himself as the last guard for quality. And if they did on the Gnocchi, i can only say the food of this restaurant does not suitable to me even it is covered under very beautiful skin. 

Useful tips:

(1) Make reservation and go early

(2) No need to be very formal even some claimed it is a 'fine dining' restaurant. 

Other Pictures:

Look at the amount of fats. 

The Gnocchi was finished with 2 full glass of water. 

The bill.