We found a pretty interesting place to eat in Penang, slightly hidden away in Macalister  Lane which is somewhere behind Penang Road…

The cafe is located at the corner of a row of those old heritage terrace houses, which have mostly now converted to shops and you cannot miss the cafe, since it has been painted in teal or dark turquoise and has a painting of a man chilling on a hammock on its side.. as well as the unmissable signage of the mermaid and her tail…

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Step into the cafe, and you will find yourself in a pretty clean and cosy dining area  and how can you miss the mermaid’s tail painstakingly designed and made out from hundreds of white plates. I really love the interior which my team mates found interesting and also insta worthy…

The cafe is owned by Alex who is also a very hands on chef ..

Being a cafe specializing in grilled fish or ikan bakar, you can also find a selection of other side dishes, like vegetables, boxing chicken, basil leaves omelette, salad as well as desserts jack1984, fruity lemon grass jelly….

We had some boxing chicken (Rm8), but I did not get to try it as there was not enough to go around… it looked nice though…

For vegetables, I would recommend the petai (Rm 15) for its health benefits as well as the taste… it is definitely so yummy… and a must for Malaysians.. if you are a foreigner, this is a stink bean and can make your mouth stink, but if you do not mind it, it is a must try….

We had the Silver Black Pomfret with Garlic Butter (Rm 35/ 350-380 grams) – yup, the fish was lovingly smothered in finely chopped fresh garlic and salted butter before grilling… and it was served with some salad and potato wedges . It is yummy and perfect for those who cannot eat spicy food…

The Mermaid’s Signature Stingray (Rm 22 for 180-200 grams/ Rm44 for 450-500 grams) comes with a generous slice of Stingray with their Signature Sambal Chili Paste served on banana leaf and ladies fingers on top… and yes, it is really good… you have to eat this with some White Rice (Rm 1) …. and yes, it came with some dipping sauce too….

We then had some Indian Mackerel (Rm 20/ 2 fishes per serving ) also prepared with the Signature Sambal Chili Paste.. and served on a bed of white rice and garnished with ladies fingers…

The fishes are pretty good… and really painstakingly and carefully grilled so that you can enjoy some crispy outside/sides while the inner flesh remains moist and juicy…

This is a Pork-Free restaurant…

https://www.facebook.com/TheMermaidPenang/

Address-No. 86 B&C, Lorong Macalister, 10400, Georgetown, Penang.
Opening Hours- 12 pm to 9 pm. Closed on Mondays.
Tel- 604- 227 0139