Nestled in the Korean clothing section of Pavilion, Zang Toi Cafe has moved from its previous spot and undergone a slight downsize but food quality is still good as ever. You'll find it easily when you enter Parkson's entrance near Padini & Snowflake.
Nothing has changed much though. It's still bright and elegant, befitting of Zang Toi's classy image with ornate mirrors for sale.
The decor transports you to Alice in Wonderland's grand tea party set for a little while, over lunch or dinner.
Zang Toi has value for money, set menus that comes with a refillable drink, a main dish and a dessert. The full menu can be found here. I was here on multiple occasions, once for lunch, another for dinner. Be sure to book a table as they have very limited space - at full capacity, they have about 10 tables that cater up to 40 people at a time.
The Zang Toi Tea Punch is a signature drink that has been on the menu all this while (its name has changed though). I'm glad that it tastes better than the last time I had it. The citrus medley of lime, lemon and orange plus fresh mint is refreshing and strong tasting - a lovely palette cleanser that enhances your appetite. It's refillable during certain times of the day.
For the RM21.90+ set, the Original Hainanese Chicken Chop is one of the options for the main. The chicken portion is really large - you get the entire chicken breast + chicken wing and a huge side of curly fries. I was not fond of the stale-tasting coleslaw with cabbage that wasn't too fresh drenched in a tasteless mayo.
The chicken had a rather thick batter but it was well seasoned and moist. Overall a decent dish but not very Hainanese as they claim.
The Banana Chocolate Cake is another of Zang Toi's signature. I remember having this cake and the chocolate was so thick that it coated my entire mouth right down to my throat. It's now a bit lighter and more palatable but still a rich and creamy chocolate.
On another occasion, I had the chance to try their Nasi Lemak which comes with a choice of chicken or beef rendang in their RM18.90+ set. This was their Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang which comes with cucumber acar. The rice had enough lemak and the rendang was fragrant but the meat was a bit tough. I had to ask for 2 additional saucers of sambal to fulfill my sambal quota.
The Lemon Tea Cake which came with the set was surprisingly moist. It was a nice, light end to the meal.
The Pandan Cream Cheese cake is still around albeit the size reduced. To make up for it, a scoop of vanilla ice-cream accompanies it.
Cakes are also available for takeaway. Sadly, this time around there was no chocolate banana cake left for me to bring home.
For those who'd like a classy dining experience at an affordable price, Zang Toi West 57th Street Cafe fulfills both criteria. It's also a good place to belanja makan for farewells - not shabby nor too expensive.