It's all about Seafood at Bukit Tambun, a small fishing village famous amongst seafood lovers. While there are many seafood restaurants in the vicinity, not many offer Claypot Crab Rice and Cia Siang Seafood Restaurant (at the junction of Simpang Ampat and Bukit Tambun) claims to be the first to offer this specialty. It's hard to miss Cia Siang, the restaurant has a huge facade with gigantic signage and ample parking space. Though the restaurant is not air-conditioned, the high ceiling allows natural wind to flow in and the ventilation is good. There is no standard menu, once you entered the restaurant, you will be ushered and seated quickly. The cantankerous proprietor will then approach you in lightning speed and rush you for orders. While the food did not disappoint, they did not shine either; we thought the food was of standard-average quality but... with outrageous price tags.
Claypot Crab Rice (Rm 162/ by weight)
Claypot Fish Head with Yam (Rm 68)
Thai-styled Soup with Flower Clams (Rm 20)
Kerabu Chicken (Rm 30)
Oyster Omelette (Rm 20)
Stir Fried Qing Long Vegetable (Rm 15)
The signature Claypot Crab Rice was humongous and could easily fit up to 6-7 diners. While we were satisfied with the freshness of the Mud Crabs, some of us thought that the Rice was under-seasoned. The fragrance and flavor did not shine, it appeared to us as though we were having some ordinary Fried Rice sans the seafood essence. For Rm 162, we thought that was a rip-off. The server strongly recommended the Claypot Fish Head with Yam to us; we love the firm-smooth texture of the fish but were not quite convinced that the combination with Yam was good. It was an okay dish.
The Oyster Omelette was equally disappointing, it was extremely greasy and both the key ingredients did not blend well; as though Oysters and Omelette were served separately. It was quite miserable that the entire dish relied heavily on the Chili dip, it was rather bland on its own. The Kerabu Chicken on the other hand, was probably the best dish of the day. The Chicken was generously cut and served with refreshingly dressed Mango Salad with crunchy elements. The flavor combination was good and the texture was amazing. But then again, we thought the meal was over-priced; for all the above orders including drinks, the damage was close to Rm 370 for the 6 of us.
The Oyster Omelette was equally disappointing, it was extremely greasy and both the key ingredients did not blend well; as though Oysters and Omelette were served separately. It was quite miserable that the entire dish relied heavily on the Chili dip, it was rather bland on its own. The Kerabu Chicken on the other hand, was probably the best dish of the day. The Chicken was generously cut and served with refreshingly dressed Mango Salad with crunchy elements. The flavor combination was good and the texture was amazing. But then again, we thought the meal was over-priced; for all the above orders including drinks, the damage was close to Rm 370 for the 6 of us.
Ratings:
Taste: 7/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Service: 6.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Price: 6/10 (1-3 expensive, 4-7 average, 8-10 cheap)
Parking: 7/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Ambiance: 7/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Non-Halal
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: Yes 6%
Additional Information:
Address: Lot 7352, Jalan Paboi, Bukit Tambun, 14100, Simpang Ampat, Penang.
Business Hours: 11 am to 2:30 pm, 5 pm to 9:50 pm. Closed on Wednesdays.
Contact Number: 016- 504 1815