Gala House Restaurant & Cafe

Gala House (1 June 2016)


Gala House (GPS: 5.42061, 100.33413) is a retro-themed restaurant in George Town, Penang. It started in 2013, where it occupied 102, Muntri Street. A year later it expanded to include the adjoining property, an Arts & Craft building at the corner of Muntri and Leith Streets. The original outlet as well as the upstair level house the retro restaurant, while the corner unit houses a bar.

Gala House signage, complete with light bulbs, gives the cafe a retro feel. (1 June 2016)


Gala House interior. (1 June 2016)


Front shell of a VW van, retrofitted as a pastry station at Gala House (1 June 2016)


The upstairs of Gala House has splendid views of Muntri and Leith Streets. (1 June 2016)


Upstairs, the old window shutters of the corner premises are reused as a wall art (1 June 2016)

My visits to Gala House

19 August, 2016
My wife and I enjoyed a lovely lunch at Gala House today. We have been invited by its owner Monsak Ja Singh to try out their the dishes that the restaurant has newly introduced.

We kicked off our meal with Clams In Wine & Fresh Herbs Broth. This is a essentially clam soup, with the clams cooked in Sauvignon Blanc together with cilantro, chillies, onions, cherry tomatoes and a hint of fresh lime juice. The clams, or siput, are tasty. Served with toasted garlic bread, it was a good start to our meal.

Even before we could finish demolishing the clams, our second dish has appeared. It was Creamy Chicken. It comprises a piece of perfectly grilled (yet juicy, not dry) chicken fillet sitting on a bed of homemade mash potatoes and creamy sauce that has been cooked with mushrooms and smoked duck breast poured over it. Monsak explained to me afterwards that they were able to preserve the crispiness of the chicken by grilling it separately from the sauce, which is of course a good idea, for it tastes much better this way.

Next, we tried the Crab-Stuffed Seabass. Wow, I love this. The fish is baked and then stuffed with a stuffing the comprises crabmeat and onions. This nests on a bed of mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. We love this dish, though we did point out to Monsak that we would appreciate a little more sauce to this dish, if possible. But other than that, the seabass is nicely cooked and not at all dry.

It was a delicious and filling meal. We concluded it with yogurt served on platters beautifully painted with syrup. It was entirely a most satisfying meal, and we thank Gala House for having invited us.

Enjoying my lunch at Gala House (19 August 2017)


Clams in Wine & Fresh Herbs Broth at Gala House (19 August 2017)


Creamy Chicken at Gala House (19 August 2017)


Another view of the Creamy Chicken (19 August 2017)


Crab-stuffed Seabass at Gala House (19 August 2017)


Monsak and I at Gala House (19 August 2017)


1 June, 2016
My wife and I had a visit with Gala House on 1 June, 2016. We were met by its owner Monsak Ja Singh, who took us around. Monsak has done up Gala House to appeal to the younger crowd. A recurring theme seems to be the Volkswagen Beetle, which rears itself all over the place. On the wall upstairs is a handdrawn mural celebrating its location on Muntri and Leith.

The corner unit at Gala House has historic significance, for that was where world-renowned shoemaker and fashion designer Jimmy Choo once ran a shoe-making stall. The spot where that stall was located is just a stone's throw from Hong Kong Shoe Store, where Choo apprenticed.

Jack Daniels Chocolate Cake, GalaHouse (1 June 2016)


The bar occupying the ground floor of the corner unit. (1 June 2016)


The barkeep at Gala House (1 June 2016)


Gala House signage overlooking Muntri Street (1 June 2016)


Leith Street façade of Gala House, with the Jimmy Choo Sculpture (1 June 2016)


Monsak Ja Singh showing the Jimmy Choo Sculpture which adorns the wall of his restaurant (1 June 2016)


Tim receiving shoes from Jimmy Choo (1 June 2016)

Address

Gala House
102, Muntri Street
10200 George Town, Penang.
Phone: +60 4 261 3118
Operation hours: 11:00 am to 12:00 midnight daily

Gala House is on the Map of Lebuh Muntri, Penang

Gala House Menu

Here's the menu at Gala House, as of 1 June, 2016.

Salads
- Mango Salad
- Potato Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Gala Salad

Soups
- Gala's Roasted Tomato Soup
- Homemade Mushroom Soup
- Veggie Chowder
- Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Local Delights
- Malaysian Rendang
- Penang Curry

Breads
- The Mint Chicks
- Classic Hot Dog
- Grilled Chicken Wrap
- Salmon Wrap

Buns
- The Fisherman Burger
- Teriyaki Chicken Burger
- Crispy Chicken Burger
- Beef Burger

Pastas
- Spaghetti Aglio Olio
- Pesto Linguine
- Gala's Rendang Spaghetti
- Penang Curry Pasta
- Spicy Teriyaki Chicken Pasta
- Smoked Duck Spaghetti
- Kimchi Salmon Spaghetti
- Linguine Carbonara
- Vegetarian Spaghetti
- Linguine Napolitana with Prawns

Main Dishes
- Beer Batter Fish & Chips
- Tropical Grilled Fish
- Grilled Salmon Brochettes
- Shao Hsing Salmon
- Chicken Normandy
- Creamy Chicken
- Lemon Grass Chicken Skewers
- Grilled Pesto Chicken
- Chicken Martini
- House Roast Chicken

Steaks
- New Zealand Lamb Rack
- Australian Ribeye Steak

My wife and I join Monsak Ja Singh and social media consultant Alen Yeoh with a bunch of Instagrammers at Gala House (1 June 2016)

List of Restaurants in Penang and Restaurants in Malaysia