Figo’s, Jalan Sungai Kelian, Tanjung Bunga Hillside, is rapidly becoming one of my favourite eateries.
I have always been a lover of Tex-Mex food, it dates back to my early days in London and the opening of the very first TGI Friday. Fajitas, Burritos, Chimichanga, not to mention frozen Margheritas, they just sound so darn good!
At Figo’s they offer an enticing menu that combines all of my Tex-Mex favourites, with Southern Creole cuisine at its best and rounded off with a Nyonya-Portuguese influenced Malaccan section. If you like spicy, flavourful food, these are great combinations!
In fact the menu is so good at Figo’s that the biggest problem I have is deciding what I’m going to eat.
I’ve already resigned myself to just keep coming back, trying something different every visit, but it’s still so hard to make that decision.
This time around I was accompanied by my wife and fellow food-lover. She hails from Thailand and likes her food spicy and full of flavours, so no surprise Figo’s is one of her favourites too.
We started with Tequilla Oysters, fresh oysters with chopped corianader, capsicum and chili in a shot of Tequilla, mixed with fresh lime juice. Add liberal amounts of Tabasco if you so desire, light blue touch paper and stand back!
We also had the Calamari (Deep Fried Battered Squid), just because we felt compelled to. Two starters at Figo’s usually means we won’t eat all our main course, but there’s always a doggie bag!
We have an unwritten rule to always choose different dishes so that we get to sample as many different tastes as possible on each visit.
So with a thinly disguised smile of triumph, my darling wife beat me to the punch and placed her order for the Ribs.
There are ribs and there are ribs. But at Figo’s the Ribs are to die for! Pork, not beef, meaty, juicy and oozing with a subtle, smoky flavour and coated in a barbecue sauce that’s neither too sweet nor too tangy. Just perfect!
I like the presentation at Figo’s, partitioned white china plates that keep your salad separate from the hot main meal and out of the sauce.
I like the portions, man-size, as in big! I know my better half will only manage to eat half of that mountain of meat and bones settling in front of her, and I’ll get to pick the other half clean at home tomorrow, watching the football and sipping a cold beer. I really like Figo’s!
My choice was for my old favourite the Chimichanga. Back in London at TGI Friday’s the Chimichanga was huge, deep-fried to a crisp and bursting with filling. Nothing subtle about that big fella!
At Figo’s the Chimichanga is a work of art. The minced beef filling, lightly flavoured with chili and cumin, is wrapped in a Tortilla (corn flour pancake), and pan fried to a slight crispiness. Served with a mixed salad and Guacamole, this is Tex-Mex food at its best.
Figo’s is a simple unpretentious place to eat. Nicely decorated, friendly but definitely simple. The crockery and cutlery have been well chosen and for a restaurant at the budget end of pricing, adds a nice substantial feel to the dining experience. Good enough to makeyou notice.
The service is excellent, attentive but not intrusive, as with most things at Figo’s, a nice balance.
The menu is a winner, and will keep me coming back again and again. At first glance I got the Tex-Mex mix with southern Creole cooking, but the Nyonya-Portuguese influenced Malaccan items seemed out of place.
They are not. They are in fact an inspired combination. The fiery Chicken Piri Piri and the beautifully flavoured but prickly Devil Curry for example, again offer a rather unique sense of balance to the choice of food on offer.
In summary, if you get a chance to visit Figo’s take it. Their reputation is growing and the high standard of cooking and presentation are being maintained.
I bet you’ll love the challenging flavours and I bet you’ll be another committing to returning to work your way through one of the more adventurous and enticing menus on the food scene in Penang at the moment.
So I’m sitting here quietly, reading through the menu one more time, planning my next visit. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll leave my other half at home this time to make sure I get the ribs! Viva la Figo!
Figo’s Restaurant
Address: 3 Jalan Sg Kelian
Tanjung Bunga Hillside
11200 P Pinang
Phone: 04-899-5091
012-626-5091
How to Get There:
Just around the corner from Ingolf and Vintage
Bulgaria. You turn at the lights opposite the
Cove Condo, head past the Petrol Station and
Figo’s is 20 metres up on your left.