Macrobiotic Diet in Penang Restaurant

After burning some calories at Botanic Garden, what else is better none other than fueling up with a healthy meal in a recent established Penang restaurant. Aplenty of eateries are conveniently nearby particularly along Gottlieb Road but Idealite - Malaysia’s 1st Macrobiotic Wellness Kitchen somehow struck us. Macrobiotic is not a new jargon, it had been used in food and health context as early as 1797 by Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland (a German Physician). Summarizing from Wikipedia, macro means 'large' and 'bios' means life hence 'macrobiotic' describes the practice of dietary regimen, consisting chiefly of whole grains and beans, supplemented with other foodstuff such as local vegetables besides avoiding highly processed/refined foods/extreme temperature during cooking and most of animal products.
Idealite Wellness - Bak Kut Teh served as Macrobiotic diet

Idealite Wellness - Bak Kut Teh served as Macrobiotic diet

Leveraging on a standard file folder, paper printed images and words, they describe all that are offered in this Penang restaurant's menu. Featuring mainly Penang Malaysian and Thai cuisine, you would be surprised to see Green Curry, Tomyam, Lo Mee, Curry Mee all listed on their menu. Inclusive are some twist from Japanese and Taiwanese kitchens as well, offering ramen and noodles to be served alongside mushroom and a variety of vegetables/lentils/tofu. Take note, not everything served here are prepared from organic produce or ingredients. For strict dieters, exercise your privilege and check with the waitstaff before placing your order.

As soon as we were seated, we asked for their five grain porridge at which is labeled 'available' for Sunday. Alas, it was not. Thus we asked for similar options and the waitstaff told us they agreed to make a bowl of porridge for our little one that's indeed to our delight. Then guess what we ordered for the big kids? Chee cheong fun, Popiah, Tomyam and Bak Kut Teh, all the big names from hawker's delights!

Idealite Penang Restaurant: Food Review

Chee Cheong Fun - presented in Penang's version, a serving that cost RM3.70 is not large. The 'sambal' (chili paste) and sweet sauce are amazingly great, surpassing the average flavor of Penang's hawker.
Penang restaurant - Idealite Wellness Kitchen at Jalan Gottlieb

Penang restaurant - Idealite Wellness Kitchen at Jalan Gottlieb

Popiah (RM4.70) - Unlike Padang Brown popiah with crab meat, this serving is offered mainly carrots and jicama wrapped loosely with popiah skin. The sambal is great and it would be better if there is more Shiitakee mushroom plus some finely chopped French beans.
Fresh spring rolls a.k.a. Popiah

Bak Kut Teh (RM9.70) - If you're longing for the soup of savory Bak Kut Teh minus the fatty pork and 'spare parts', guess a set of vegan style Bak Kut Teh can be a good choice. With a few variety of mushrooms, a halved hard boiled egg, dried bean curd, soft bean curd, wolfberries, iceberg lettuce and slices of unknown black 'stuff' (that I found them soft and lovely), it was a good choice for us. Served with a bowl of brown rice.

Organic Tom yum Ramen (RM11.70) - Featured in 3 options of noodles namely spinach, pumpkin and buckwheat, I picked the last to be soaked in this hot and spicy Thai soup. Included generously were slices of cabbage, Romaine lettuce, carrot, tofu and pumpkin. The soup is thin, good but somehow lacked of 'yummy'. Onions, tomatoes, Kaffir leaves, galangal, lime and lemon grass are all the basic ingredients to make a great Tom yum at which is crucial however I didn't find any of them in the soup. Mints leaves and bunga kantan are the plus - keep up Idealite!
Vegetarian Tom yum with Buckwheat noodles

Vegetarian Tom yum with Buckwheat noodles

Brown Rice Porridge (RM4.70)
A bowl of porridge our upon request, we appreciated that it was served with carrot, sweet potato, chopped lettuce, garlic and some red dates. All the ingredients were fantastic for kids but the red dates were not cored, and I wouldn't want to imagine if one went into the mouth of a toddler!!
Kid's brown rice porridge

Idealite Wellness Kitchen - Yellow facade

Service is friendly and courteous. A young dressed up 'boss' made a few rounds from tables to tables, greeting diners, asking feedback to make sure everything is okay. Food in a word is great since I have a vegan's blood running in me. This place sounds like my second kitchen. We were happy, we did until we found out about the seeded red dates in the porridge that was served in our little one's porridge. This is where a huge mark is deducted. And, they need a better signboard in English on its facade to assist a pie of Mandarin illiterate to locate this Penang eatery!

Address:
27-C Jalan Gottlieb
10350 Penang
Phone: +60 4 228 6650, 226 3650

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