A mini reunion at the Book Sandwich Café 

“When it comes to crafting a dish, each mouthful is meant to be savoured, like how it is when one reads a book. There are many layers to be explored and with every bite, we hope to bring you a surprising burst of flavour.” – The Book Sandwich Cafe

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

We started our dinner with the arrival of the BBQ roasted pork salad. The delicious "siew bak" (Chinese roasted pork) was tossed with some fresh garden greens, cherry tomatoes, croutons and a sesame seed dressing. It had the right combination of texture and flavours to whet our appetite.  

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

The classic homemade mushroom soup was made up of a mixture of wild mushrooms. The soup was more like a pottage – thick and full-bodied. It was topped with croutons and drizzle with cream. 

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

We also had the Book Signature Soup. This popular soup had a light creamy base flavoured with saffron and lemongrass. Bountiful seafood treasures lay within including salmon chunks, scallops, clams, prawns and squids. The crispy garlic toast complemented the soup well.

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

For our main courses, my daughter ordered the sous vide chicken breast encasing a mushroom filling. Roasted cauliflower, broccoli, vine cherry tomatoes and mashed potatoes made this a winsome choice.

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

One of my friends selected the braised barbecue lamb shank which sat on a serving of mashed potatoes, surrounded by green peas and broccoli, topped with deep-fried Enoki mushrooms. He enjoyed the generous portion of the greens or it would have been a rather meaty dish. The lovely fresh mint pesto accentuated the flavours in this dish making it a winner as well.

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

I opted for Hokkaido scallop risotto. The bright yellow saffron-infused colour of the al dente rice was flavoured with good stock, cream and Parmesan cheese. It was topped with caviar, microgreens and diced crispy bacon. The pan-fried scallops were tender, sweet and simply delicious. I enjoyed the risotto immensely!

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

The lobster marinara was a real showstopper. The uncomplicated pasta was flavoured with traditional tomato concasse and cheese, served with broccoli. This was a deceptively simple but satisfying main course that should be top on your list of must-try items at the Book Sandwich Café. 

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

The tender grilled French cut lamb rack was equally impressive. It was served with vine cherry tomatoes, asparagus, baby carrots, Portobello mushrooms and mashed potatoes. If you love lamb, you will absolutely enjoy this offering.

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

Tiger prawns Aglio Olio was another satisfying dish. The spaghetti was firm to the bite and flavoured with crispy minced bacon, roasted garlic, chilli flakes and sautéed mushrooms. It was topped with Parmesan cheese and ebiko (shrimp roe).

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

We also ordered both the grilled fish items on the menu – salmon and barramundi. The 200g grilled salmon fillet was served with mashed potatoes and a serving of mixed greens on the side. For the grilled barramundi, roasted asparagus and potatoes accompanied the dish.

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

It was an ideal venue for a small class reunion – the food was good, the friendly staff attentive and the festive-looking deco charming. It provided us with a conducive environment to feast on scrumptious delights, reminisce about our schooling days while enjoying each other's company. 

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

How quickly time flies and it was indeed wonderful to be able to come together to celebrate life and good friendships.

Book Sandwich Café © Adrian Cheah

The Book Sandwich Cafe is located at Beach Street and has been opened since the year 2015.

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Written and photographed by Adrian Cheah 
© All rights reserved
29 January 2020

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205 Lebuh Pantai, George Town, 10300 Penang.
GPS Coordinate: 5.413929, 100.337877
T: +604 261 3445

Opens daily except Mondays.
Tuesday – Saturday: 12:00 noon – 10:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm