Amazing Vegan Food In Penang!! Pinxin Vegan Cuisine

As most of you know, I am plant-based 95% of the time. So when I was thinking what should I focus on in my second episode of Eat What Leh? series on Youtube in Penang, I thought it would be really cool to have a full day of eating as a vegan in Penang. 

Finding vegetarian or vegan food in Malaysia is not a big of a problem because us Chinese and Indian are mostly vegetarians. There are many vegetarian economic rice shops that can be found in the streets of Penang and it is also most people's preferred choice as it is really cheap. But I wanted to try something different so I searched up for some vegan restaurants and here are two that I went to. 

I really love the baroque inspired interior design in Pin Xin that had definitely been thought through really well. 

There are also motivational quotes around the restaurant that definitely did not failed to motivate me to being 100% plant-based.  It worked guys. 

L-R: PinXin Nasi Lemak (RM18) , Prosperous Hokkien Noodle (RM16)

If there is one dish that I would highly recommend, it would be their nasi lemak! Hands down the best nasi lemak that I've had and it's completely plant-based. It comes with virgin coconut oil rice with sides of acar, curry hericium mushrooms, roasted cashew nuts, tempeh, papadam and homemade sambal. My favourite part is definitely the curry mushrooms that are packed with the curry flavour that will make you keep wanting more! I don't mind paying RM18 for this!

I don't really know how Hokkien noodle tastes like so I can't comment much on this but overall, I don't mind eating this. The 'minced mushroom'  are nicely fried that adds a little crunchy texture to the whole dish. 

Their Signature Asam Laksa (RM15) was one of the favourite on the table the other day. You can't leave Penang without a bowl of laksa! If you're vegan/vegetarian, you should try this and trust me, you won't feel left out because it is equally as good and, it's cruelty-free! *winks* It is topped with mint leaves, zucchini, pineapples, red chilli and torched ginger flower. The fact that the soup is not as oily (at all) as the ones out there deserves a plus point from me. The soup has a nice balance of tangy, sour-y, spicy, and sweet flavour.

L-R: Lion's Mane Steak , Organic Spaghetti Bolognese

I was there in December so I also got to try some of their Christmas dishes. Let me talk about the spaghetti first because that was honestly the best spaghetti that I've had! I couldn't quite believe it as well because I normally am not a pasta person. The meatballs that are made from oats, chickpeas, mushrooms and all the good goods were very addictive. It kinda crumbles apart as you bite in to it. I was literally guzzling down the bowl and I can't recall much of the taste. They do have a spaghetti bolognese on the menu though but I'm not sure whether is it the similar one.

Fun fact, the only steak that I've ever had is a mushroom steak and it's this one right here (not complaining hehe) The organic mushroom is nicely fried till crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside. It's paired with a black pepper-y tasting sauce and comes with sides of cherry tomatoes, arugula, and potato salad. This is a dish that you'll eat and get very addicted to it. Pretty sure it's the texture of the mushroom x

This Mushroom soup is also from their X'mas menu. Best mushroom soup everrrrrrrr!!!!! It comes with a side of bruschetta I believe (i'm not familiar with breads) and topped with some truffle oil which I think is extremely genius! The soup itself has a thick consistency and there are still bits of mushroom to chew on. I really wish that they'll keep this on the menu :(

I just had to order a burger. There were quite a few to choose from but I ended up getting the Pinxin Healthy Burger (RM26) because it's the only one that has bagel buns! Lettuce, tomatoes, organic frisee, zuchinni slice, chickpea beetroot patty sandwiched between two crispy bagels served with air fried sweet potato fries and vegan mayo. Now that's a hefty burger made for champions aka me. ok lame. To be honest, I thought the zuchinni slices are avocadoes because it looked and tasted like one! 

The bagel is really crunchy that it became the star of the whole dish (well at least for me) Overall, it's a decent buger and I've got nothing much to say about it besides that I think all burgers should just have bagels as the bun!

Also had my first ever Matcha latte x 

PinXin is now my favourite restaurant out there but it's a shame that they are only available in Penang. I must admit that the price is definitely pricey but the quality that you're getting is incomparable. As I've mentioned, some of the dishes here were one of the best versions that I've had! 

There are a few dishes that I did not include in this post but you watch the full review + LIVE eating here 

OVERALL VERDICT

Food: 9/10 

Ambience: 8.5/10

Price: 7/10 (Worth the price)

Would I return?: Heck Yes! I'll make sure to stop by each time I visit Penang