How time flies - 5 years had passed since Blue Chang opened its doors. And it’s still up there as one of Penang’s top Thai spots.
We were back again recently. Their Thai iced tea, and the matcha (green tea) versions are still around, although I noticed that the jasmine scent - which would appeal more to Thais than to Malaysians - have largely disappeared. That’s what localisation of a foreign cuisine does, and not sure if I completely agree to that.
Thankfully, they did not tinker too much with the other dishes, which still retained a respectable semblance to authentic Thai cuisine.
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𝘛𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘶𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘨. One of the best renditions in town, without a doubt - fresh prawns, and very fresh herbs and spices used.
Explosive small red chili peppers floated underneath the surface of the soup like mini-sea mines. Not exactly my cup of tea - as I don’t take too spicy - but my dining companions all loved it.
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𝘒𝘩𝘢𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘶 (crabmeat fried rice) with 𝘬𝘢𝘪 𝘧𝘶 𝘱𝘶 (crab omelette) and 𝘱𝘰 𝘱𝘪𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘥 (spring rolls). This was the dish that brought us back here this evening - Blue Chang’s social media pages touted its rendition of legendary Bangkok Michelin-starred eatery, Jay Fai’s famous crabmeat omelette.
Whilst the Bangkok one was a gargantuan work of edible art, Blue Chang’s more humble version looked more akin to a fat Cuban cigar, rather than Jay Fai’s mini-football. But it was all-crabmeat, with just enough egg to hold the whole thing together.
It was also served with crabmeat fried rice, which was absolutely delish.
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Crisp-fried 𝘨𝘢𝘪-𝘭𝘢𝘯 leaves with blanched 𝘨𝘢𝘪-𝘭𝘢𝘯 stems, topped with oyster sauce. This was one of my fave orders at Blue Chang: the confetti-like deep-fried 𝘨𝘢𝘪-𝘭𝘢𝘯 leaves went well with practically anything.
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Spicy garlic lime scallops - this was the surprise of the evening, as the fat, orange-roed scallops were very fresh, and the light, sharp chili-spiked garlic-lime dressing lifted the shellfish to another level in terms of flavours.
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𝘚𝘢-𝘵𝘰𝘳 (stink beans/petai) with prawns. This dish was heavily-spiced with chili paste and fermented shrimp-paste. The combination was literally marriage-made-in-heaven, as the heavy spices complemented the strong-smelling beans perfectly.
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𝘗𝘢𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘰 - “drunken” spicy seafood 𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘯. We thought of ordering this dish, since we came for the Jay Fai-inspired crab omelette, and to Bangkokians, Jay Fai was actually known for this noodle dish, before Western food writers and bloggers raved about the crab omelette.
Blue Chang’s pad kee mao was nice, but the necessary table condiments - chili flakes, lime juice, vinegar, sugar - were missing: another victim of “localisation”.
Overall, another good meal at Blue Chang, still a must-visit if one’s hankering for Thai food in Penang.
