Agua
3AG18-19 Straits Quays,
E&O Marina, Penang.
Tel: 04-8908668
I RECENTLY took a short holiday to Penang and while I was there, I had the exciting opportunity to indulge in the culinary offerings of Agua, a restaurant that promises a Mediterranean journey to its patrons.
Agua is a quaint restaurant located on the waterfront of the Straits Quays.
The sea-facing restaurant mimics the feel and look of the Mediterranean and along with the excellent food, the restaurant serves a unique ambiance that gives a delightful dining experience.
Prior to this, I have had tapas at some of the international buffets in Kuala Lumpur but overall I was a stranger to the Mediterranean cuisine.
As I sat down to dinner with owner Karen Tan, I not only enjoyed some of the signature dishes but she gave some valuable insights to dining habits of the Spanish people.
Essentially, they graze and eat all day, never rushing and thus enjoying their food to the maximum. I was given an in depth understanding of the food at Agua as well as the concept behind it.
The restaurant places high importance on fresh and quality ingredients and I could definitely taste this in the food.
ALA DIM SUM: The Bar Tapas has tiny portions of everything.The signature dishes are the Paella, the Agua Platter and the Bar Tapas. Paella is a rice dish from Valencia served with seafood, chicken and pork.
The Agua Platter is a selection of cold cuts such as iberico ham, serrano ham with slices of manchego cheese, served with olives and hummus. I have heard so many good things about hummus and was eager to try it. I definitely loved the taste and texture of it.
The Bar Tapas is something like the Dim Sum. Tiny portions of everything so that you can enjoy the variety without feeling like your stomach walls are about to explode. It consists of a selection of agua-marinated green and black olives, zanahorias ilanades and chicken liver terrine with toast.
RICH: The Lemon Meringue Pie.For dessert, we had a lovely Lemon Meringue Pie and a Pear Belle Helene. I have had Lemon Meringue Pie before but the Pear Belle Helene was another first for me. It is vanilla poached pear served with vanilla ice cream and with rich chocolate sauce. Yummy!
The food was all cooked in a healthy grilling style with fresh herbs and it is rich in flavor.
The restaurant has Paella making workshop every third Wednesday of the month and there is a Sunday brunch promo every week.
TABLE DES AMIS: Strangers can sit together, enjoy great food and hopefully leave as friends.Karen is even trying to introduce the concept of the Table des Amis (table of friends). This is a long table where strangers sit together, enjoy great food and hopefully leave as friends.
The restaurant is great place to hang out with your family and friends.
Some may find it pricey but for the quality delicious food you get, it’s well worth every ringgit spent. So do give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.