华仔河鲜楼Hwa Zai BM Restaurant in Penang

"I had a wonderful time at this restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious, especially the minced pork eggplant, which was truly impressive. Not to forget to order the lemongrass lime drinks as well. What made the experience even better was the service. The lady boss was incredibly friendly and went out of her way to suggest dishes that were just right for our small party, not the most expensive ones. It's rare to find that level of genuine care. Highly recommend and I will definitely be returning."

"Brought a group of my friends here for lunch during our visit to Penang. We arrived late for our booking due to bad traffic but owners were very polite and welcoming. We were given a private room. Everyone loved the food here especially the claypot rice and the patin fish. The lemon grass drink here is unique as lime were added in it. Service was quick and efficient."

"The restaurant is ok like the old kopitiam but is air condition. The service is good as they are friendly and will intro their popular dish and tell you the fish they had. The restaurant is popular with river fish and not the sea type. Even the prawns are also river type not the sea. The food are indeed delicious. I recommend this restaurant."

"We were a bit hesitant to try this place initially as we were concerned that it would be expensive. However, we decided to give it a go and were happy that we did. There were no other customers on a Friday evening when we were there much to our surprise. We ordered a Patin fish Teochew steamed and also a salted egg calamari (sotong). We asked if both dishes were enough for 2 and were told that that should suffice. The dishes took a while to prepare, most likely because the fish needs to be steamed. The steamed patin was much bigger than we had expected. Usually when we order fish for two people, we would be given a smaller fish, but this is a good sized fish. Even the salted egg calamari portion was quite large for a 'small' serving. Hwa Zai is popular for its fresh water fish and the steamed patin did not disappoint. It was tender and fresh. The meat fell off the bones easily. Even though I was not particularly fond of fish, I could appreciate why this fish is so popular with fish lovers. We finished every single bit of the fish and only left the bones (see photos). The calamari was very crispy and meaty. Each bite has the right amount of chew unlike some eateries which coat the calamari with a thick layer of batter. The salted egg sauce did not drown the deep fried calamari, which was also very fresh. The price for the 2 dishes, and one rice came to slightly over RM110, which we thought was very fair. We enjoyed the meal tremendously and are happy to return. The owner told us that their fish came from Pahang and delivered fresh. We can certainly attest to the freshness of the fish. A good satisfying meal. By the way, parking is aplenty in front of the restaurant and convenient. The restaurant is air conditioned and you can opt to eat at some of the private rooms if so desired. We only sat at a table at the common area as there were no other patronns at that time."

"Came here for the steamed fish, but we were a bit disappointed because it was overcooked and the soy sauce was quite ordinary. However, the green curry mutton and golden rice were recommended and worth trying."

"I was informed that this is one of the few places to serve river fish. River fish tend to smell less fishy and the meat taste milder. It's obviously a personal choice but variety is a spice of life. As for the fish, we chose the steamed style of cooking. The fish was fresh, the meat was firm and the steaming sauce complimented the fish well. The ginseng chicken soup was surprisingly light yet delicious without the heavy overbearing herbal aroma. The chicken was also deliciously boiled and not tough to chew. To me the eggplant was the most surprisingly. At first glance it looked like meat. Taste wise, impressive. Soft sweet 'flesh' with a hint of bitterness from the charred surface mixing well with the overall flavour. The veggie and pork rib was tasty but fairly average. The egg with otak otak is another must try dish. It looks deceptively simple till you break it up. The otak otak is wrapped within the egg but I must say it feels a lot firmer and less creamy that the version I am used to. Nonetheless, it's an interesting presentation and you should try it once and make your own assumptions. I had the fried ice cream for dessert and I felt that the skin is a smidgen too thick. In the end, taking all of it together, it was a great meal with great flavours and I would come again for another meal."

"Hidden gem in BM for excellent choice of fresh fish dishes. Many authentic local dishes and freshly selected ingredients. Great service and good quality local favors."

"Nice relaxing place to eat. Probably today not crowded. Fish taste above average . Gave a rating of 4 stars cos the sweet potato leaves too old. Taste of sambal needs ti be improved."