Tori Deli, George Town

Tori Deli, George Town, Penang (18 December 2019)


Tori Deli (GPS: 5.41763, 100.34225) is a cafe in George Town, Penang. It is located within The Whiteaways Arcade on Beach Street. My wife and I were invited to a visit recently - the cafe has just opened a week at that time. It is on the ground floor of the arcade facing the main road, right smack in the heart of the banking district. Occupying to adjoining shoplots, it offers two ample-size dining halls.

Tori Deli, on busy Beach Street, in the banking district of George Town, Penang (18 December 2019)


The main section of Tori Deli faces Beach Street, in Penang's financial district. (18 December 2019)


Additional dining hall on the rear side. (18 December 2019)


Air-conditioned cosy corners like this, a welcome respite from the heat outside. (18 December 2019)


The signature item is the tori chicken, which is a Japanese-style fried chicken. This is often taken as a snack, but can also be served as a set. At Tori Deli, the tori chicken is available in various flavours including Original, Spicy Karaage, Savory Salted Egg, Tangy Fruity and Sweet Korean. A single order can comprise two different flavours. During my visit, I had the pleasure of trying out each of these.

Tori chicken, the signature item here, comes in various flavours including spicy karaage, tangy, salted egg and sweet Korean. (18 December 2019)


Tori Deli has enough space for those working in the banking district. During the lunch period on weekdays, the place becomes a frenzy of activities, as food has to be ordered and delivered speedily for the time-pressed lunch crowd. Items that can be ordered and delivered fast include the bento set and the ramen.

For those who need to eat in a hurry, there's the bento set. (18 December 2019)


This is the original soup-based ramen which both my wife and I enjoyed very much. (18 December 2019)


We also tried the Nyonya laksa, which is very filling and spicy. (18 December 2019)


The Bento set, with tori chicken original flavour, Japanese rice, vegetable and curry sauce. (18 December 2019)


If you come outside the lunch period, Tori Deli is more relaxed. It is a good place to meet up for a chat, over a cup of tea or coffee. Being within walking distance of the banks and businesses, it is a suitable place for businessmen to hold appointments. Saturdays are a good time to have a meal at Tori Deli. Without the banking crowd, parking space becomes easier to find, so it is an ideal place for meet-ups.

Tori Deli offers a selection of premium quality flower tea. It has 5 types of teas and 12 types of flowers to go with them. When a customer orders tea, the barista will try to figure out the right flower and tea mix, based on what dishes the customer is ordering, as well as his personal preference.

If the customer is ordering deep fried items, the barista would suggest balancing it with a lighter taste tea, which has less tea body and more flower. On the other hand, if the customer is ordering a few dishes, the barista will choose a more acidic combination, and a choice of flower such as the roselle, so that the resulting flower tea offers a mild acidity to stir the appetite.

Flower tea at Tori Deli, served in beautiful fine bone china. (18 December 2019)


A fragrant flower tea, ideal for tea time at Tori Deli. (18 December 2019)


In addition to flower tea, Tori Deli also serves premium-quality coffee from Frank Laurent, smoothies, cakes and desserts. On my visit, I had a hot caffe latte and an iced caffe americano.

Caffe Latte. (18 December 2019)


Caffe Americano. (18 December 2019)

Tori Deli is at The Whiteaways Arcade, which is on the Map of Beach Street, Penang