CRIZ BON APPETITE

When you think about convenience, Pacific West’s products would be the first brand which come into your mind. Pacific West has become a caring household seafood brand name throughout the Asia Pacific Region, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and the Middle East. In conjunction with the holy month of Ramadan as well as the celebration of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, the company has launched a “Taste-At-Home” Contest, where you could share your creative Ramadan recipes and stand a chance to win some attractive prizes. The contest would be ongoing from 1 May 2020 until 15 June 2020. Hurry up to submit your entries. Terms and conditions apply.

Just follow the easy steps below and you are on your way to your eligibility for the contest.

With Ramadan as the stated theme, all my creations are of curry based, with herbs and spices packed fresh ingredients to make Sahur, Iftar as well as your festive celebration simple, easy to pep up with some slight twists to impress your family members and guests, with recipes included below too.

Pacific West’s products have always been great for convenience to pep up dishes within the shortest time, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims would break fast during Sahur and Iftar~ Here a great dish idea – THAI-STYLE SWEET CHILI FISH COCKTAILS WITH CHOO CHEE CURRY~ 🙂

Pacific West’s products are simple to cook, especially when you have some guests around~ It’s as easy as taking them out from the freezer and right into your frying pan~ However, I would always like to impress my guests with something local, right from Penang~ Thus, here’s my tweaked version of BELACAN PANKO COATED SQUID STRIPS WITH SWEET SAMBAL TUMIS DIP~ They could be rather addictive too~ 🙂

As a Penangite, I always appreciate the Nyonya/Peranakan heritage by trying to keep its cuisine alive~ However, time has changed and everyone barely has much time in the kitchen~ Thus, I’ve created something fast and tasty with one of Pacific West’s convenient products~ Now I wished I had cooked more~ 😛 Here’s my TEMPURA PRAWNS IN NYONYA-STYLE CREAMY CURRY WITH WILD BETEL LEAVES~ 🙂

Do check out the latest products by Pacific West at your nearest supermarkets.

#TasteAtHome #PacificWest #PacificWestMY

This is the first time Potatoes USA with its Malaysian partner, has organized this consumer cooking demonstration workshop in Penang to emphasize on the versatility and health benefits of consuming U.S. potatoes. The workshop was held recently at The Wembley, Penang, with cooking demonstrations by two established Japanese master chefs, namely Chef Yukichi Matsubara and Chef Hideaki Nakajima, whom both have vast experiences in understanding the Malaysians’ taste buds.

The workshop started with Mr. Eddie Saw, Potatoes USA Country Representative, briefing the audience on the background of US Potatoes and their nutritional benefits, which included Vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber. He also clarified on the myth behind the misperception of using potatoes as controversially, potatoes are healthy to consume but it’s the cooking methods and ingredients used that matter most. In fact, potatoes have a more favorable overall nutrient-to-price ratio than many other vegetables and are an important staple worldwide.

The first cooking demonstration was presented by Chef Yukichi Matsubara with 2 recipes, namely U.S. Potato Curry Bun and U.S. Potato Pizza with Gorgonzola.

You can check out his recipes below:

The session of the cooking demonstration was presented by Chef Hideaki Nakajima with 2 recipes as well, namely Nikujaga (Chicken and U.S. Potato Stew) and U.S. Potato Buns with Seafood Sauce, which is basically Pan-Fried Mashed U.S. Potatoes with Prawns & Clams in Gravy.

You can check out his recipes below:

There are actually 5 categories of US Potatoes products offered, namely Fresh/Table-stock Potatoes (Russet Potatoes, White Potatoes, Round Red Potatoes, Yellow Flesh Potatoes, Blue Purple Potatoes, Fingerling Potatoes & Petite Potatoes), Frozen Potatoes (Whole Frozen Baked Potatoes, Frozen Half Shells, Frozen Wedges, Frozen Mashed Potatoes, Individually Quick Frozen aka IQF Shreds, IQF Dices, Frozen Straight Cut Fries, Frozen Crinkle Cut Fries, Loop/Curly Fries, Lattice/Basket Weave Cuts, Tater Drums & IQF Hash Brown Patties), Chipping Potatoes (There are 15 US chip-stock varieties available throughout the year for your potato chip products’ needs), Dehydrated Potatoes (Standard Flakes, Low Peel/Low Leech Potato Flakes, Standard Granules, Mashed Potatoes Mixes, Slices/Dices/Shreds, Granular & Fine Flour) and Seed Potatoes (All seed that is exported also meets U.S. seed potato export standards established by the United States Department of Agriculture). You can see some of the samples and brands as displayed on the table here. These ingredients can be easily bought off the shelves of major retail stores throughout Malaysia.

The attendees were also served with many U.S. Potatoes based dishes during the workshop breaks. One of the notable dishes was the individual serving of the specially concocted Miso Soup, infused with prawn flavor and with added U.S. Potatoes.

About Potatoes USA: Potatoes USA is the marketing organization for the 2,500 commercial potato growers operating in the United States. The organization promotes five main potato products, namely fresh table-stock potatoes, fresh chipping potatoes, seed potatoes, frozen potato products and dehydrated potato products. They do not directly sell potatoes and potato products but offers services that help their customers all around the world to increase demand for potatoes. Potatoes USA has invested heavily in marketing and product management research to bring you information that grows your business.

Under the artistic and creative helm of Ixora Hotel Penang’s Executive Chef Ong, the hotel has launched an exclusive cake collection of delicious and premium cakes for any occasion. Options include cake slices as displayed at the chiller next to Straits Café & Lounge as well as 1/2kg whole cake which requires an advance order of 3 days. Do drop by to make your order or call in +604-382 8888 for more enquiries.

Currently, there are 8 options, namely Rose Truffle, Gorgeous Lavender, Carrot & Walnut Torte, Pick Me Up Tiramisu, Miracle Berries Chilled Cheese, Mangolicious Cheese Cake, Lecious Banana and Cioccolato, as shown in the slides below.

My verdict? Every single cake mentioned were delicious, especially the Miracle Berries Chilled Cheese, Mangolicious Cheese Cake, and Cioccolato, which remained my favorite. On the other hand, the Rose Truffle and Gorgeous Lavender had quality floral extracts being used and they could be acquired flavors for some.

Getting to the Straits Café & Lounge @ Ixora Hotel won’t be hard as it’s just located next to the Megamall Shopping Complex at Bandar Perai Jaya. If you are coming from the island via the 1st Penang Bridge, just look out for the second exit on your left upon reaching the mainland. Drive all the way via Jalan Baru until you reach the 1st traffic lights. Turn left into Jalan Perai Jaya 1 and you can see Ixora Hotel at the junction of Jalan Baru/Jalan Perai Jaya 1. Drive straight for about 10m and you can see the basement car park on your left. Park your car and go up Level 1 and you can see the café & lounge there.

Name: IXORA HOTEL PENANG
Address: Jalan Baru, Bandar Perai Jaya, 13600 Perai, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-382 8888
Business Hours: 6.00am-10.00am (breakfast), 12.00pm-2.30pm (Lunch), 6.00pm-10.00pm (Dinner)
GPS: 5.378357, 100.398322

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Since its inception in Australia in 1995, Pacific West’s product range has become a family’s choice. Its products have graced major international events such as the Sydney Olympic Games, Wimbledon Tennis Tournaments, Manchester United Football Club, and World Rugby among many others. Pacific West’s products are available in over 20 countries worldwide and most recently; in Disneyland (Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai). In conjunction with the FIFA World Cup 2018, Pacific West is committed to bringing people of all cultures together to celebrate the world event and share their delicious food with the people while fostering healthy and binding relationships. Thus, Pacific West has launched its “FOODball Fever” campaign from 16 April 2018 until 15 July 2018. Yup, you read it right. It’s FOODball, meaning enjoying some great Pacific West products while watching your favorite football team in action.

During this campaign period, customers who purchase any packet of Pacific West value-added seafood products in a single receipt at any retail stores will stand a chance to Win a Fantabulous Trip to Your Favourite Football Country worth RM10,000. There are also 100 Pacific West FOODball Fever Merchandises to be won too! As for the receipt, it was made possible thanks to services similar to quittung online.

For more information, please contact Pacific West careline at 1800 888 389 or log on to their Official Website and Facebook Page. To try to win some attractive prizes, please visit their Official FOODball Fever Campaign Website.

Most recent, Pacific West brand has won the Best Innovative Seafood Product in Asia Halal Brand Awards 2017. This award is judged by representatives from JAKIM, HDC, MITTI, MATRADE and ENTREPRENEUR INSIGHT respectively. With our continuous improvement and best practices to quality and innovation, Pacific West offers you EVER THE BEST! Pacific West range of products are carefully developed by our team of Culinary Chefs and Food Technologists to add value and enrich consumer lifestyles with their C.I.Q. the concept of Convenience, Innovative & Quality. It’s as convenient as to get their existing and innovatively created products served from freezer to table with quality assured. Other than being HALAL certified, their premium choice of seafood and ingredients complied with international food safety and process standards with BRC, IFS, HACCP and YUM! accreditation. Their products are available at all major and independent retail outlets in Malaysia such as Cold Storage, Sam’s Groceria, AEON, AEON Big, Tesco, Giant, Sunshine, Village Grocer and many more.

Recently, a group of us had the opportunity to try out some of their skillfully pepped up dishes in their Get-Together Dinner in collaboration with More by Arang Coffee in Penang. The café had prepared Crumb Fish Fingers, Tempura Natural Calamari Rings, Popcorn Fish and Tempura Prawns with their homemade dipping sauce for the salad bar.

On top of that, we were also presented with a 5-course meal which included Charcoal Croissant Burger with Cheezy Fish Fillet and Dusted Baby Squids & Torpedo Prawns with Green Curry Pasta as the main course. As I had always told my group of friends, if you put on your thinking hat, Pacific West’s products can be extremely flexible for your every meal.

We were also introduced to two great products for exports to Europe, Australia and USA – The Red Velvet Prawns (Beetroot Breadcrumbs Coated) and the Seafood Excellence Global 2017’s “Innovative Product of the Year” – the Kuro Prawns (Charcoal Breadcrumbs Coated). Both were product-perfect with the sweetness of the Argentine Red Shrimps used.

There were also some new products which we were asked to give our feedbacks prior to their launch such as the Southern Fried Fish Cocktail, Firecracker Fish Cocktail and Peri-Peri Fish Cocktail. All of them had their different level of spiciness to suit the consumers.

It was an enlightening experience during the Get-Together Dinner and thank you Pacific West for sharing with us “the taste the world loves”.

As a consumer, we have to be aware on whatever we put onto our plate. However, most people tend to take their food for granted without knowing the source behind each ingredient and how beneficial it is to our health. One such ingredient is the potatoes. Potatoes are the third most important food crop in the world, just after rice and wheat and the leading vegetable crop in the United States. They are also grown in over 125 countries in the world at different sea level, from lowlands to highlands. Many consumers, especially those calorie-sensitive ones had always deemed potatoes as the main culprit behind their failed diet plans. Controversially, potatoes are healthy to consume but it’s the cooking methods and ingredients used that matter most. To clear the myths behind the consumption of potatoes, Potatoes USA (formerly known as US Potato Board) had recently on 26 August 2017, launched an awareness program at The Wembley, Penang, to highlight the nutrients found in potatoes with hands-on live shows on cooking potatoes in healthy ways. Guests speakers included Mr. William Tan, Marcom Manager of Penang Chef Association, Mr. Richard Lieu, Trade Promotions Director of US Potatoes, Ms. Khoo An Jo, practicing dietitian from a leading hospital and none other than our Celebrity Chef of the Day, Chef Audee Cheah, President of Penang Chef Association. It was an enjoyable, fun-filled and knowledgeable program for many bloggers and guests.

There are actually 5 categories of US Potatoes products offered, namely Fresh/Table-stock Potatoes (Russet Potatoes, White Potatoes, Round Red Potatoes, Yellow Flesh Potatoes, Blue Purple Potatoes, Fingerling Potatoes & Petite Potatoes), Frozen Potatoes (Whole Frozen Baked Potatoes, Frozen Half Shells, Frozen Wedges, Frozen Mashed Potatoes, Individually Quick Frozen aka IQF Shreds, IQF Dices, Frozen Straight Cut Fries, Frozen Crinkle Cut Fries, Loop/Curly Fries, Lattice/Basket Weave Cuts, Tater Drums & IQF Hash Brown Patties), Chipping Potatoes (There are 15 US chip-stock varieties available throughout the year for your potato chip products’ needs), Dehydrated Potatoes (Standard Flakes, Low Peel/Low Leech Potato Flakes, Standard Granules, Mashed Potatoes Mixes, Slices/Dices/Shreds, Granular & Fine Flour) and Seed Potatoes (All seed that is exported also meets U.S. seed potato export standards established by the United States Department of Agriculture). You can see some of the samples and brands as displayed on the table here. These ingredients can be easily bought off the shelves of major retail stores throughout Malaysia. To find out more, do check out the Potatoes USA website.

After a short introductory message by Mr. William Tan, a welcoming message by Mr. Richard Lieu, and a short presentation by Ms. Khoo An Jo on the myths and nutritional benefits of potatoes where we finally found out that potatoes contribute key nutrients to our diet, in which included Vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber. In fact, potatoes have a more favorable overall nutrient-to-price ratio than many other vegetables and are an important staple worldwide. We then adjourned to watch the live cooking demonstration by Chef Audee Cheah. Some of the bloggers were chosen to participate in the cooking as well.

Chef Audee Cheah churned out 4 simple and incredible dishes for us to try out, namely U.S. Potatoes and Prawn Kerabu, Curry Chicken Stuff U.S. Potatoes, Kimchi Seaweed U.S. Lattice Cut Fries and Chili Flavoured U.S. Potatoes Wedges in Lettuce Cups. We also had the opportunity to try out some of the potato products pepped up by the hotel, together with some beautifully concocted dipping sauces.

You can click to view or download the recipes below.

On top of that, I also managed to pep up a recipe by using US Russet potatoes. It’s Spicy Tamarind Russet Potatoes with Whitebaits. It can be real addictive. You can also download the recipe below.

It was indeed a great experience for all the attendees. Not only did they gain more knowledge in the awareness program, everyone went home with some Russet potato samples and gift pack. Thank you Potatoes USA for a great evening~ 🙂

About Potatoes USA: Potatoes USA is the marketing organization for the 2,500 commercial potato growers operating in the United States. The organization promotes five main potato products, namely fresh table-stock potatoes, fresh chipping potatoes, seed potatoes, frozen potato products and dehydrated potato products. They do not directly sell potatoes and potato products but offers services that help their customers all around the world to increase demand for potatoes. Potatoes USA has invested heavily in marketing and product management research to bring you information that grows your business.

For those who had travelled to Taipei, Taiwan and visited the Danshui Old Street (淡水老街) in search of great food, the aromatic scent of the freshly baked old school style egg sponge cake (Ji Dan Gao/雞蛋糕) from one specific shop might still be in your memory vividly. That would indeed be the reminiscence of our childhood days when we enjoyed the fragrance and flavorful egg cake in its most basic form before the pastry industry had gone through years of creative evolutions. Penangites would be in luck now as one such shop by the name on Tam Sui Old Taste Cake of Taiwan (淡水現烤古早味雞蛋糕) had set its foot on the shore of Penang with its maiden operation today.

Unlike many of the bakeries out there, the shop utilized the basic concept of open kitchen where all the processes of cakes can be seen and each of the freshly baked cake would be immediately cut in a thick slab of 4”x8” pieces and sold right in front of your eyes.

Compared to those sold in Taipei, the bakery here has 3 different flavors available, namely Original (原味古早味雞蛋糕 – RM14nett), Cheese (雙層芝士古早味雞蛋糕 – RM18nett) and Chocolate (暴漿朱古力古早味雞蛋糕 – RM20 – only available effectively 1 April 2017 onwards at 12.00noon and 6.00pm daily except on closed days on Tuesdays).

As this is another new outlet opening in Penang, you would expect to encounter huge crowds forming and queueing within and outside the shop. Since everyone would be anxiously waiting to pick up their fresh bakes during each round of the baking time, do spend some time after paying your bills to indulge in their fresh coffee brews. There will be some tables setup to cater to your needs. I’ve tried their Hot Latte (RM8.90nett) and found it to have the right bitterness and creaminess to my liking.

Overall, the texture of this old school style egg sponge cake was not as cottony as what you would find in the Japanese style cheese sponge cake but it’s firmer, heavier with more bites. Personally, I quite like their signature cheese version with double layers of oozing cheese complemented well with the mild sweetness of the original eggy flavors.

For those who are from outstation, finding the road leading to the shop can be a bit tricky. Though the shop is located just along the service road of Jalan Mesjid Negeri, it would be quite tough especially when you are at the other side of the main road. If you are travelling via Jalan Mesjid Negeri towards Penang Bridge, immediately after you see the Petronas petrol kiosk, turn left into Lebuhraya Batu Lanchang. Drive on and keep to your right until you reach the traffic lights (KFC Batu Lanchang is on your left). Turn right into the road and drive on. Turn right at the second junction before the playground (Batu Green). Drive until the end and you can see the shop at the left corner unit.

Name: TAM SUI OLD TASTE CAKE OF TAIWAN (淡水現烤古早味雞蛋糕)
Address: 539 Jalan Mesjid Negeri, 11600 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-655 2242
Business Hours: 10.00am-8.00pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
GPS: 5.386796, 100.304940

Kulim HQ:
Address: 3287 Lorong Selasih 2a/1, Taman Selasih,09000 Kulim, Kedah.
Contact: +604- 491 3287
Business Hours: 6.00am-8.00pm
GPS: 5.376238, 100.537829

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

With the presence of Empire Sushi kiosks conveniently available in most of the major malls throughout Kedah, Penang and Selangor, Malaysians can now purchase a large varieties of halal-friendly sushi fuss-free and speedily. Recently, we paid a visit to one of these kiosks at Gurney Plaza, Penang, and found the texture of the sushi to be at its best quality with the freshest ingredients.

The kiosk here at Gurney Plaza has at least 78 varieties of hand-crafted sushi and maki, with more options for temaki and onigiri to tempt your Japanese finger food cravings. Just on Inari Sushi itself, there are altogether 17 versions and I can assure you that all of them passed my fussy taste bud. Some of my choices of these versions were Egg, Tuna Cheese, Ebiko, Salmon, Idako, Tempura Ebi, Salmon Mayo and Unagi.

The rest of the sushi which were out of this world delicious to watch out for would be their Tempura Ebi Roll (RM2.60), Unagi Cheese Roll (RM2.60, Spicy Roll (RM2.40), Chicken Meat Slice Roll (RM2.40), Salmon Roll (RM2.60), Cheese Roll (RM2.40), Tobikko Cheese Roll (RM2.40) and more.

On top of that, they do have many types of Futo Maki and Maki, each piece priced between RM1.20 and RM2.10 for your basic maki needs.

There are also at least 4 types of Temaki (RM4.20 each) and 5 types of Onigiri (octopus, crab, tuna, salmon & chicken floss) to choose from.

You can check out the full menu below by clicking to enlarge for a better view:

Overall, I do love the many choices of sushi not only due to its freshness but the firmness and juiciness of the vinegar infused Japanese rice. They are so flavorful that you can practically eat it without any additional condiments.

Empire Sushi @ Gurney Plaza is located at the basement of Gurney Plaza, Penang. Just use the escalator down to the basement and you can see the kiosk with a colorful array of sushi choices.

Name: EMPIRE SUSHI @ GURNEY PLAZA PENANG
Address: Lot No. 170-B1-K7, Plaza Gurney, Gurney Drive, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: N/A
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.437951, 100.309815

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

For almost 2 decades after landing in Malaysia, Nando’s has been grilling Malaysian’s taste buds and has since been the top purveyors of spice and flavor through its world-renowned flame grilled PERi-PERi chicken. Recently, we had a try on its latest Mango & Lime PERi-PERi at one of its outlets at Gurney Plaza, Penang. Since its tangy and zesty introduction, Mango & Lime has proven to be a hit in various countries across the globe including United Kingdom and Australia and is now a staple at all Nando’s Malaysia outlets as part of its permanent menu. Be it with the flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken, sides or appeteasers, it’s time to give your taste buds a tongue-tingling time with the Mango & Lime flavor.

The new Mango & Lime flavor stays true to its Afro-Portuguese roots and brings a new dimension to its range of PERi-PERi flavors. Imported from South Africa, the PERi-PERi flavors currently comes in 4 flaming options, Lemon & Herb, Mild, Hot and Extra Hot Now, fans that are just beginning their spicy journey can enjoy Mango & Lime as it wiggles its way on to the Nando’s PERi-ometer. Mango & Lime’s mixture of flavors undoubtedly appeals to Malaysian’s love for all things sweet and spicy.

“Our flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken has proven to be a hit with our fans at home and abroad. With our new flavor, we hope to welcome new fans through our doors and ignite Nando’s lovers with sweet, tangy and zesty flavors but with the quirky Nando’s PERi-PERi twist. We are always on the look out to spice up the Nando’s experience while staying true to our identity and the fun combination of Mango & Lime fits the bill perfectly,” said Stephen Chew, CEO of Nando’s Malaysia.

Nando’s pairs Mango & Lime with a new designer drink, Tropical Fruitea, to complete the tantalizing experience. A thirst-quenching tropical medley of Mango & Lime infused with orange juice and lemon tea makes the perfect partner in crime to the Mango & Lime PERi-PERi flavored meal.

You can also try out their other main, side dishes and desserts too.

To find out more on the new addition to the family, log on to www.nandos.com.my or visit Nando’s Malaysia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nandosmy.

Nando’s @ Gurney Plaza is located at the new wing of Gurney Plaza, Penang. The easiest way to beat the maze is to use the al fresco area of McDonald’s and walk towards G Hotel Kelawai. You can easily spot the restaurant on the right.

Name: NANDO’S @ GURNEY PLAZA PENANG
Address: Lot No. 170-G-72, Plaza Gurney, Gurney Drive, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +60 1-300-88-6555
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm (10.00am-10.30pm on Weekends)
GPS: 5.436389, 100.309429

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About Nando’s Malaysia: The Nando’s cockerel landed on the tropical land of Malaysia in 1998 at Jalan Telawi, Bangsar – the 1st Nando’s restaurant in Malaysia officially opened on 29 June 1998. (The restaurant has since been relocated to Bangsar Village 1). It didn’t take long for the word to get around or for the people of Malaysia to get addicted to spicing things up with a fix of flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken. Thanks to their passion for PERi-PERi, Nando’s spread across the length and breadth of Malaysia, and today, there are more than 50 Nando’s restaurants serving succulent flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken with Afro-Portuguese inspired side dishes.

Nothing could be merrier than to be reunited with family members and friends during Chinese New Year over great food and company. One such place would be at Hakka Tree 客福家 (Tesco Tanjung Pinang & Gurney Plaza) where they would be promoting their Hakka Tree Poon Choi (RM328nett) and Hakka Tree Yee Sang (RM38nett for 1-2 pax/RM66nett for 6-8 pax). The promotion would last from 15 January 2017 until 6 February 2017. For any enquiries, please call +6016-229 6598 to make your booking. A minimum of 2 days advanced booking is required for the Poon Choi. Please also take note that in order to maintain the standard and quality, the Poon Choi is for dine-in only.

Let’s take a look at what’s in the Hakka Tree Poon Choi. The uniqueness in this Poon Phoi lies in the long simmering hours of plentiful bones with dried scallops and dried oysters to extract the concentrated stock which is rich in collagen. There would be more than a dozen of quality ingredients used to create this dish but the main attraction would be the generous amount of added pork knuckles, tender and melt in the mouth, on a bed of cabbages, yam, radish, slowly stacking up with deep fried bean sticks (fu chok), dried China-imported oysters, Australian sea cucumbers, New Zealand scallops, Chilean abalones, king prawns, Chinese mushrooms, broccoli, homemade pork tendon balls and topped with “golden” bags, a symbol of abundant wealth in the Chinese belief. The balance combination of meat, seafood and vegetables indeed made this a divine dish to savor during this festive season.

Other than the Poon Choi, you could also try out their Hakka Tree Yee Sang, a must have dish which symbolizes abundance, prosperity and vigor. The thin slices of vegetable pickles, crackers and more were mixed together thoroughly with some added fresh salmon slices and was further enhanced by a specially concocted sauce with distinctive flavors. What I like most was the generous amount of sauce, coating each and every strand of the ingredients, giving the dish a well balance taste.

If you have some place left in your stomach, you could always try out their desserts such as Purple Yam (RM8.90) and Fu Chok Yee Mai (RM5.90).

Overall, I’m happy with all dishes that were served on our table. However, I would suggest that the restaurant should advise their patrons on how to consume the Poon Choi properly, especially when there were abalones served as the abalones might get rather tough after a longer period of simmering in the pot. Moreover, this might deter some elderly patrons from enjoying this wonderful pot of goodness.

Hakka Tree can be located at both Tesco Tanjung Pinang (1st Floor) and Gurney Plaza (Basement). You can check out the address below.

Name: HAKKA TREE @ TESCO TANJUNG PINANG
Address: F27, 1st Floor Tesco Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-899 3887
Business Hours: 9.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.458739, 100.308488

Name: HAKKA TREE @ GURNEY PLAZA
Address: 170-B1-06/07, Plaza Gurney, Solok Gurney 1, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-228 3887
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.437987, 100.309818

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

With more than 40 years of mooncake making experiences behind the name, Leong Yin Pastry had again impressed many with their innovations of flavors for their mooncakes this year. Their 2016 Mooncakes Series (RM19.93nett each) would consist of Gridelin Mellow (金芋满堂) – Custard Paste with Lotus Paste, Ardent Rhapsody (菊花台) – Chrysanthemum Pur Erh with Red Dates Paste, Aurulent Lavish (南洋风味) – Gula Melaka with Honey White Lotus Paste, Scarlet Missive (踏雪寻梅) – Cranberry Longan Paste and Wholesome Chocolate Macadamia with Chips (小巧玲珑).

Overall, Leong Yin Pastry’s mooncakes are to my liking as all the fillings had subtle sweetness which was quite suitable for all ages, especially over some unsweetened and non-dairy hot beverages.

On top of coming out with good old traditional and fusion mooncakes, Leong Yin Pastry is also the top supplier of mooncake paste to many branded companies locally and internationally. Who could resist the temptation of being spoiled with over 200 types of choices?

If you are not into mooncakes, you can also opt for their quality assured Moon Biscuits aka Doll Biscuit and Pineapple Biscuits during this Mid Autumn Festival 2016. Those 600g of Special Mixed Nuts Moon Biscuits (RM45.53) could be such a killer during tea breaks.

With the success in gaining HALAL standards accreditation and others such as HACCP, GMP, ISO22000:2005 Food Safety Management System certification as well as the MeSTI certification, the products are now sold worldwide which includes Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippine, USA, Australia, UK and Middle East. You can find their products being sold at some of the major malls throughout Malaysia such as at Gurney Plaza, Gurney Paragon, Gama, Sunshine Bayan Baru, Sunshine Farlim, M Mall O2O Penang, Sunway Carnival Mall, Pacific Megamall, Pacific Taiping Mall, Aeon Bukit Mertajam Alma, Aeon Kinta City, Aeon Queensbay Mall, Aeon Mall Taiping, CMart Aman Jaya Sungai Petani, CMart Simpang Empat Tambun, Sungai Petani Center Mall, Alor Setar Mall and The Store Kampar Road Ipoh. Do click on the photos below to check out the varieties available for this year.

Leong Yin Pastry would also produce around 200 different flavors and combinations of mooncake paste. If you are interested, you could always pay them a visit at their HQ at 71, 73 & 82 Jalan Patani in Penang or call in +604-229 2943. They are also the supplier for their established Sang Yoon brand of noodles.