Neighbourwood Restaurant Bukit Mertajam

Masterclass in Balanced, Flavor-Driven Fine Dining. Our dinner yesterday for three at Neighbourwood was an exceptional experience from start to finish. This isn't just a meal; it's a carefully curated journey of textures and tastes where every ingredient sings. We began with a trio of appetizers that set a high bar: the Burrata and Bang Kuang salad was a fresh, vibrant revelation, the Anchovy Bruschetta delivered a powerful, savory punch, and the sourdough with butter was simplicity perfected. For mains, the shared plates were stellar. The Half Chicken was succulent and richly flavored, paired beautifully with earthy truffle purée. The Tiger Prawn Spaghetti was a standout—al dente pasta wrapped in a fragrant, savory sauce that highlighted the prawns' sweetness. The Fish en Papillote was a delicate, herb-steamed masterpiece, light and incredibly fresh. A side of Fork-Crushed Potatoes provided the perfect creamy, herbed comfort. Despite being full, we couldn't resist dessert. The Flourless Chocolate Cake was decadently rich, the Crème Brûlée impeccably classic with its perfect caramelized top, and the Tiramisu (dessert of the day) was a lovely, balanced finish. The lady staff down stairs was attentive and friendly, adding to the warm ambiance. A note for diners: as with many fine dining kitchens focused on craft, courses arrive thoughtfully paced, especially when the restaurant is busy—it’s part of the experience. Overall, this ranks among the best fine dining we've experienced. The ingredients are palpably fresh, and the meticulous attention to detail shines through in every bite. Dishes are cleverly composed, never feeling heavy or greasy, just harmoniously balanced. Highly recommended dishes: The Tiger Prawn Spaghetti, Fish en Papillote, and the Burrata and Bang Kuang salad are absolute must-tries. Will definitely return.

The average check depends how much you can eat. The Chef simply understands the food cultures and the usage of local produces. Portions size can be for individual or sharing. A great place for friends to meet and gather, serving dishes at the best values n quality. Pork belly, squid, chicken wing n etc are recommended.

Ordered the anchovy, fish and pork belly pasta and they were all very well done. There was finesse in every dish served.

Great service from the friendly and professional team there. As first time customers, I appreciated the time, effort, and patience from the server to explain to us the dishes and the recommendations based on detailed observation of us. They knew what would be ideal and gave us the right expectation. The pricing was also very reasonable for the quality of food and service. Would definitely return during special occasions.

Cosy restaurant to dine. Food was served fast and scrumptious. A worthy Michelin Bib Gourmand holder.

A most improbable location for an attempt in fine dining within a nondescript blue collar neighbourhood in BM - but I’m sure discerning mainland diners very much welcomed this outpost. Bib Gourmand did and inscribed it into their listing. It was nice that they didn’t make a fuss when I showed up an hour early for my reservation. After all it wasn’t that busy on a mid-week evening. While the decor is intended to convey an upmarket vibe, it manages to feel quite relaxed, homey and casual, populated with Hokkien-speaking locals and families. The manager who took my orders capably made some good recommendations, providing essential details about the preparation and key ingredients. She did advise that some dishes would require more preparation time and asked if it was alright with me. I wasn’t in a rush. The sizeable tomato salad (7/10) arrived first. I liked that the tomatoes were peeled, cured and had a very unique tasting dressing. Because the oysters needed more time to marinate, the lamb rack (9/10) was served first. Beautifully chargrilled to perfection, it was smoky, very umami and still moist. Kudos to the chef for pairing the strong meaty flavours with an aromatic turmeric curry leaf sauce. It went very well together. The cold oysters (7/10) were last to arrive and although they were plump, sweet and appetising, the sequencing was very odd and not complementary to the meal on the whole. Picked the strawberry sabayon (7/10) to end the meal. Found the berries to be unripe and quite sour although the sabayon made with XiaoXing wine was excellent. While I thought the food was uniformly good and of high quality, the service level was uneven. Aside from the manager, the rest of the service team was not very observant and neglected to clear my table promptly after each course. Rather annoying. Prices are very premium for this location but deemed reasonable given the quality.

This is one dammmmmn good Michelin Star Restaurant. The Sourdough and Butter including the Mackerel with avocado is fantastic 👍 Also the Berkshire Pork Belly are simply awesome and mouthwatering… dammmmmmmmn good 👍👍👍👍👍👍 #neighbourwoodbukitmertajam #neighborwood

The service was good, but you’ll need to be patient while waiting for the food. The quality definitely lives up to its Michelin recognition. Recommended dishes: 1. Jumbo squid 2. Burnt tomato bruschetta 3. Half chicken 4. Pasta alla gricia 5. Allspice chicken