CRIZ BON APPETITE

Yesterday marked an unforgettable day as I got to meet up with some of the food bloggers in Penang. Finally, I get to see those real faces behind the virtual food blogs. Those who attended the mini gathering included the three brains behind PenangTuaPui, Lingzie, CK Lam, Buzzing Bee, Carrie, Gill & hubby Jason and me. I wanted to arrive earlier to take some snap shots of the vicinity but ended up quite late at 7.45pm due to some unexpected delay. Why? Because my little gift packs only came out from the oven only at 7.20pm. LOL!

Anyway, the gathering started with us guessing who and who were Tam Jiak, Huat Koay and Fei Fei from the PenangTuaPui trio. We all were in stitches after knowing the story behind this trio. In fact the whole group of floggers who gathered there last night was a bunch of jokers. Not only do they know their taste buds well, they also know how to make everyone felt at home. Not long later, the food was served. Here were the dishes we had ordered.

The food served that night was just average and nothing to fuss about. What really got us excited was when BuzzingBee brought out her homemade fruit tarts. Everybody was like busy shooting those 20 pieces of tarts being nicely arranged on the lazy susan. The tarts were amazing. Bee had the tarts baked to perfection with some not-so-sweet chocolate glazed at the base. She then topped the tarts with freshly sliced banana, kiwi fruit, orange and lychee. What a nice dessert for all of us.

Finally, a beautiful and moist Green Tea Cake bought by Lingzie came in. Coincidentally it was Carrie’s Birthday. How old was she? We dare not ask. As you know most ladies would not like to disclose their age, especially when they get a year older on their birthday. LOL! Anyway, we had lots of fun fooling around with her cake as who should get the strawberries and so on. In the end, they ended up on Carrie’s plate. Here was what she had on her plate.

Somehow, something made my mind go wild when she made her birthday wish. Is this what she had in her mind? We won’t know for sure… hahaha!

Finding the restaurant won’t be hard as it is located within the vicinity of Penang’s Inshore Marina, Church Street Pier and QEII along Pengkalan Weld (Weld Quay). It’s a great place for gathering and to have a drink while enjoying the scenic view of the seaside.

Maybe you are not aware but Penang has another new shop selling nice and oven fresh pastries to keep your mouth nibbling at all time. Originated from Teluk Intan, this shop provides one of the best egg tarts and puffs around Penang. The business started as early as 1975 in a small bungalow in Teluk Intan. By 1979, they started using trishaw to sell the delicacies in trays. That’s the reason you can see the trishaw as part of their logo. What made the pastry so irresistible is that they are handmade until today and the recipes are of the original for the past 30 years. Even the fillings for the pastries are of selected choice pieces of meat and ingredients.

The pastries come in different sizes. Some of them are bite sizes and are great for parties and office meetings. If you plan to have functions or intend to make them as gifts, do try to call up and make your orders. The oven fresh pastries get snatched up real fast. Here are some of the pastries which you can get from the shop.

To find the shop is rather easy as there is a big signboard in front that shows an elderly lady on a trishaw. If you are coming from Komtar into Jalan Burmah, just drive further up until you reach a traffic light in front of Telekom. The shop is just after Lorong Madras on your left. Chew Thean Yeang Aquarium is just diagonally opposite this shop.

If you like to have lots of seafood dishes at an affordable price, you should make a visit to this small restaurant along Weld Quay area. The food served here are quite nice as they are neither too oily nor over flavored as most of the restaurant along that area. I visited that place not long ago with a friend of mine.

We ordered a bowl of Seaweed Soup (RM4) with lots of fish balls and meat in it. Not bad for the taste except that I find it a bit oily on the surface.

Next on the list was my personal request to the chef – Fried Bean Sprouts (Taugeh) and Pea Sprouts (Dou Miao) with Salted Fish (RM5). The chef did even better than I expected as he added some juicy mushroom slices in the dish. The dish was just nice with the correct amount of crunchy salted fish added.

The Iron Plate Tofu with Minced Pork (RM6) followed. This restaurant presented it in a different way as they laid the base of the hot plate with eggs before putting in the tofu and minced meat on top. Most restaurants would just knock an egg on top of the hot steaming dish before serving.

The best of the rest came last. We were served seven juicy and big Spicy Buttered Egg Prawns (RM19) and that got our appetite to boost up further. What I like about this dish is that the prawns were real fresh and the slightly sweet buttered egg was real crunchy. Most of all, the dish was not too oily and the amount of curry leaves and butter used in the dish were combined well.

Overall we spent RM40.20 on the food which was inclusive of rice (RM2.40) and drinks (RM3.80). If you are driving from the ferry terminal towards the Jelutong Expressway, the restaurant is just before the Shell petrol kiosk on your left. Do watch out carefully as they have yet to replace their signboard after it was spoiled by a heavy and windy rainfall.

I just read about What2See’s review on the all the nice places to eat along Lebuh Cintra but he missed out one nice hawker shop along the way. He was not the first one too as the shop which sells Fried Hor Fun looked just like any other hawker stalls in Penang. Unless the person resides within the town area, he or she would have overlooked the small stall hidden at the corner of the old coffee shop.

My friend and I paid a visit to the shop not long ago, although I had frequent the stall for takeaways all the time. We ordered a large Fried Hor Fun (RM6) with lots of freshly fried grouper meat and also a normal sized Fried Ee Foo Mee (RM4) with big fresh succulent prawns. Although the portions served were quite small, the tastes were wonderful. What mattered most was the freshness of the seafood used at the stall. In fact, majority of the patrons there would order their Snakehead Fish Rice Vermicelli Soup (Lay Hoo Bee Hoon Th’ng). If you happen to be around that area, do drop by to try them out. Here are the two dishes which we had ordered.

You won’t miss the shop as it is at the junction of Lorong Kampung Malabar and Lebuh Cintra. In fact the stall is the row as the famous Rice Dumpling (Bak Chang) shop. Although the shop is located at the heavy traffic area, you can easily find ample parking space along Lorong Kampung Malabar.

With barely few hours left in Ipoh, I had a quick breakfast in one of the coffee shop along Jalan Bandar Timah upon the suggestion of my non-food blogging friend. How unfortunate… haha. Where was J2KFM when I needed him around most? LOL! Anyway the shop we went to was called Kong Heng. It used to house one of the good Ipoh Nga Choi Kai (Chicken with Beansprouts) but they original stall had moved somewhere else.

I ordered the Beef Noodles (RM6) which was supposed to be one of the best around but it did not suit my taste bud as I personally felt that there was no sweetness at all in the soup. All I get was the taste from the lots of ginger-filled meat ball and pepper taste. I would think those from Penang such as the stalls at New Lane/Macalister junction, Chulia Street/Beach Street junction, Lorong Kampung Malabar or the one at GoodAll Café, Gottlieb Road tasted even better.

Next on my list was their famous Poh Piah (RM1.70 each). I ordered the wet one as well as the fried one each to try out. Not bad as the filling was full of fried dried flounder (Phnee Hoo). I can taste the crunchiness of the flounder in every single bite. The wet Poh Piah looked somewhat like our Penang Mamak Poh Piah as the sauce is spread on top. The fried one looked like the Penang Choon Phneah but the filling was not with any crab meat or any sauce to accompany. Although the Poh Piah tasted great, I somehow still love the one in Penang along Jalan Anson (Padang Brown opposite Convent Datuk Kramat) as the Poh Piah is filled with lots of crab meat at only RM2 each.

We also ordered the Ee Mee Soup (RM3) and Shui Kow Noodle (RM3.30) but those are just normal and nothing to brag about.

To get to the shop, just drive along Jalan Bandar Timah and you will see the shop on your left between Jalan Market and Jalan Panglima.

I always love to bring back something nice and unique for my parents to try when I am somewhere out from my hometown Penang. Last week’s half day trip to Ipoh was a worthwhile one as I managed to get the famous salted chicken as well as some yummy biscuits for my family. Thanks to J2KFM for introducing me to this wonderful biscuit manufacturer’s shop down in Ipoh.

One step into Kedai Biskut Sin Eng Heong, you can practically smell the aroma of freshly baked biscuits everywhere. There were many types of biscuits laid on the tables as well as the shelves. Most of those biscuit would be sold out even before the owners have the time to pack them into individual boxes. Now you know how fresh those biscuits are. The most popular biscuit sold in the shop is their Fluffy Kaya Puff. I have not tasted any that are as delicious as those sold there. Now I am regretting not buying more back home. Here are the photos of the yummy Fluffy Kaya Puff at 50sen each and you can get them to pack for you in a box of 5’s or 10’s.

Other than the kaya puff, you can even try out their Lou Poh Peng, Salted Egg Biscuit, Spicy Biscuit, Tambun Biscuit (plain, orange, pandan flavored), mini mooncake (baked and snow skin) and many other confectionaries. There were just too many to name here.

On top of all these yummy freshly baked goodies, the shop does sell other products by other biscuit companies such as the thick and thin Chicken Biscuits (Kai Zai Peng) from Long Kee. Surprisingly, they do not have these goodies from Pun Chun which I felt tasted better. Upon checking and having a headache on what to choose from tens of different types of biscuits, I spotted a plastic canister filled with thin crispy Chicken Biscuits (RM12 for about 30pcs). The biscuit was extremely crispy thin and tasted even better than those I had mentioned above. Do watch out for the label under the name Genuine Taste Trading from Kampar (605-466 4803). I have not noticed this label before but they sure did produce the best Chicken Biscuit that I had tasted before. My advice is to buy more than one canister as I am still regretting now for not buying more. 😛

Getting to the shop would not be hard as Sin Eng Heong is just diagonally opposite the famous Foh San Restaurant along Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri (formerly Jalan Clare). One thing to take note is that please place your orders for the foodstuff, especially the Fluffy Kaya Puff during weekends as they are sold off very early.

My friends always described me as a nut when it comes to getting gifts for them. They always get food rather than something that they can keep and appreciate. Well, they were right and errr… isn’t a nut food too? 😛 I was down in Ipoh for just a few hours and I ended filling up my car with nothing but delicious food from Ipoh. What a typical me… haha! This time, it was Ipoh’s famous salted chicken. I have tried so many different shops in Ipoh as well as a few from Penang but I still like this shop the best.

The herbs (Dong Quai or Chinese Angelica of Female Ginseng) stuffed inside the chicken and under the wings made the chicken just nice for my taste bud. Moreover the salt used to bake the wrapped chicken does not make the meat over salty. The meat still remained juicy and yummy. I always have the problem not having enough of the delicious chicken as it’s rather small and not as meaty as some chicken meat. Maybe that’s the ideal size to get the best taste out of it.

Do you know what is so great about getting this salted chicken? It’s not only good to be served as one of the delicious dishes on your dining table, it can also be made into a delicious sandwich. Without fail, I would make some each time I get hold of a bird. The herb and slightly salted fragrance of the meat, together with some fresh lettuce, tomatoes and mushrooms always make great sandwiches. This is what I had for my lunch today. You should try that too! 🙂

The price per bird (not really that meaty but nice) is RM16 nett. You can ask them to pack for you individually in a box with a beautifully designed red plastic bag if you intend to make it a gift for someone. Finding the way to the shop is rather easy if you know the way well. Just move around the main road along Jalan Raja Musa Aziz until you see a corner shop with red, white and blue stripes on your right. That’s the shop.

Other than Northam Beach Café, there is another place called Breeze Café right up by the coastal area of Tanjung Tokong. The concept here is totally different compared to NBC as all the food and beverages are managed by only a restaurant there. They do serve Western food, noodles & rice dishes, finger food up to ice creams, coffee and hard liquors. Not a bad place to laze about on the easily available deck chairs while enjoying the cool breeze from the sea. This is quite an ideal place for love birds as well as for small groups of friends.

The management can even arrange for BBQ by the beach for a minimum of 4 persons (RM25+ each), a group of 25 persons (RM25+ each plus a free bungalow stay) and themed buffet dinner for a minimum of 20 persons (RM25+ each) by the beach. You can check out more information on the promotion through any of their other restaurants, Nyonya Café (i-Avenue) in Bayan Lepas, Penang or Nyonya Café (New World Park), Penang.

My friend and I paid a visit recently and found the place quite relaxing except that you might find some stray mosquitoes biting since the place is dimly lighted and with a lots of decorative plants around. Both of us ordered a Shirley Temple (RM8) and a Kickapoo (RM4) as our drinks.

As for starter, I ordered a bowl of Mushroom Soup (RM4.50). It came in a big soup bowl with a few largely cut crouton. Not bad for the pricing but the soup tasted ordinary.

As for the main, I ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu (RM10). The dish was presented in a simple way with the usual fries, salad, white plain bread (a quarter and non-toasted?) and the stuffed breaded chicken drumstick garnished with some mushroom sauce. Maybe it was my luck as the chicken was quite burn and dry and the stuffing has no taste of cheese at all. The mushroom sauce was rather bland too.

My friend ordered a Black Pepper Chicken (RM9). The garnishing was the same except that he got a larger piece of battered chicken drumstick with thigh. As for the black pepper sauce, I felt that it was rather diluted with not much of pepper taste in it. I still love the one at Yaw’s Roast & Grill.

My friend and I then ordered Love Boat (RM8) to share out as dessert. We were allowed to choose 3 flavors from the list of 6 flavors such as Vanilla, Coffee, Chocolate, Strawberry, Rum & Raisins and Mint Chocolate Chips. You can even order a scoop at RM3.50.

The total price came up to RM47.85 which included a 10% service charge. Overall, the place is not bad for drinkers. As for food, I would hope that the management would spice up the quality in order to gain more diners. I have not tried their other stir-fried dishes with rice or fried noodles yet. Maybe I might have other opinions of the taste and quality.

Most people, even the locals would miss this place as it is situated right inside the coastal area of Tanjung Tokong. If you are driving up from town area towards Tanjung Tokong / Tanjung Bungah / Batu Ferringhi, you will see the Penang Chinese Swimming Club on your right. Drive forward until you see a traffic light (Tanjung Bungah Hotel on your right). Make a U-Turn and drive towards the swimming club. Turn left into the road after the swimming club until you see Naza Hotel. The café is just next to the hotel. They do also provide budget motel here under the name Sea Wind Beach Motel. You can park right inside or just along the road. Parking spaces are rather limited within the compound.

Ever wonder where you would treat yourself or your guests to a sumptuous Peranakan (Straits Chinese) meal with great indoor and outdoor ambience? You should check out Hot Wok, a stunning Peranakan theme restaurant, which has just relocated right into the heart of Georgetown, Penang. Since the Nyonya restaurant started its operation in 1994, they have impressed many locals and foreigners with their quality food and great history on the Peranakan culture.

Walking into the restaurant is like walking back into time as the interior and exterior of the restaurant are beautifully decorated with intricate wooden carvings and fabricated windows of the heydays. The existence of beautiful marble top coffee tables, wooden chairs, hanging porcelain lamps and many unique artifacts adorning the walls within the restaurant will allow you to experience the feeling of dining as a Nyonya or Baba. If you are observant enough, you may find a few great museum pieces proudly being displayed along the walls. Some are originals as far back as the early 19th Century.

I revisited the place together with a friend of mine recently and found that the quality of the food served there has not change at all. Hot Wok has been one of the pioneers in Nyonya Cuisine in Penang. In fact, there are many other restaurants booming up to cater to the high demand on Nyonya food recently but what they lack in is the atmosphere and Peranakan experience that Hot Wok was able to provide.

We ordered a few dishes such as the Lobak (RM8), Jiu Hoo Char (RM8) and Curry Chicken Kapitan (RM14) to be taken with rice.

The Lobak (meat roll) is made out of fresh pork marinated in 5-spice powder with other ingredients and wrapped in tofu skin. The end product would then be deep fried to get the crunchiness and golden color.

The Jiu Hoo Char is a combination of cuttlefish strips stir fried with stripped turnips, carrots, mushrooms, pork and at times big onions. This dish is best eaten when wrapped in a fresh lettuce leaves.

The Curry Chicken Kapitan was indeed good. Choice pieces of thighs and drumsticks were cooked in blended spices, lime juice, Kaffir lime leaves and thick coconut milk. This dish was good compared to the rest of the places I have taken as the gravy was thick and nice.

We ordered some great desserts such as the Chilled Sago with Jackfruit (RM3.50) and Chilled Sago with Honey Dew (RM3.50). Both were topped with creamy coconut milk.

Since the boss also recommended their famous Hokkien Mee (RM4), we tried out a bowl and the dish was great. The sweetness of the soup is incompatible to those I have taken before. I could imagine the amount of bones and long hours they have taken to get the thickness of the soup. You can even have addons such as pork ribs as well as their crunchy roasted pork. The price might come up to RM7 but you sure won’t regret ordering such a quality bowl of Hokkien Mee. Anyway, you do not have to worry too as they will also allow you to use your credit cards on Hokkien Mee purchases. Well, I don’t think I know any other hawker stalls in Penang that provides this sort of services, do you?

Overall, the total price came up to RM53.70 which included a 10% service charge (RM4.90) for the appetizer, food and drinks. I won’t consider this expensive as Nyonya cuisine required a lot of preparations. Moreover, the food was of quality.

You won’t miss the restaurant as it is situated within two shoplots just between Nagore Place and Giant Supermarket along Jalan Burmah. As for parking, you can always find ample parking spaces within the Giant Supermarket compound or along Jalan Nagore.

It really amazed me how an elderly couple could work almost without any rest practically every hour of the day for years without ever taking time off to relax for their old age. You got me right! They have been selling Wan Than Mee 24 hours a day for years, only taking a 10-hour break every Tuesday from 12.30am until 10.30am. Gosh! I won’t want my life to be this way when I get old. Surprisingly, they still get a lot of supporters going for their Wan Than Mee at odd time as the pricing is dirt cheap! But there’s a catch, you might have to serve yourself as the old man could be rather slow in serving as it’s a one-man business.

Out of curiosity, my friend and I went over to try out the noodles. It was cheap indeed but the taste was just average. I guessed this stall is catering to those lower income groups as well as the TAR College students staying around that area. We ordered a dry Wan Than Mee (RM2.50) each with barely a few pieces of char siew pork and a slice of fish cake. It is quite expensive for a plate of almost nothing noodles. Maybe the rest of garnishing were added into our side orders. I’m not sure about that as it was my first time there. The noodles appeared to be as below.

We ordered a bowl of Wan Than Soup (RM2). There are about 20 plus Wan Than. The soup based was fine but the filling for the Wan Than was little and a little lack of flavors.

We also ordered a plate of Fried Wan Than (RM2 for 24 pieces). Instead of waiting for the old man to serve us, we did the frying ourselves. I saw quite a few people did that.. I guessed that must be the trend there as everyone willingly helped out the old man. Well, the taste was the same. The Fried Wan Than also lack of flavors as the filling were little.

Next was the mixed vegetable (RM2) with some dark soy sauce added. As for the drinks (RM1 per glass), we made our own. You can have a choice of Chrysanthemum, Nutmeg, Rose or Keat Poh. Overall, the noodles were just average but considering the crowd and orders, I guessed there were still many compassionate people out there who loved to support this old couples.

Just drive into the Tanjung Bungah Market and you can see only one stall in the hawker centre opening up for business during the wee hours of the night. You sure won’t miss it as there will be continuous flow of people patronizing the stall each night.