CRIZ BON APPETITE

Savoring The Best All Over Town…

WHERE TO EAT? NO EYE DEER!

Posted by crizlai On August - 10 - 2009

I can still remember vividly more than a year ago when I was asking my friends what they would want to drink in a restaurant and they would reply “Anything” or “Whatever”. Those were what Out Of The Box Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) and Tongee (KL) Sdn. Bhd. stormed the market with in early 2008. One consisted of different flavored tea whereas the other consisted of different flavored fizzy drinks. The thrill lies in what you would get in the can. You would have to open up a can of “Anything” or “Whatever” to find out the flavor yourself. This is a genius way to promote a product right? Well, the same goes for our dinners after years of having the same type of food in Penang. Where to eat? No idea! Hey! That’s a great place to dine now – No Eye Deer! Let’s go! 🙂

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Since you now know you can only get your “Anything” or “Whatever” in any of the 7-Eleven outlets, why not head up to the first floor of Prima Tanjung to get your “No Eye Deer”? The restaurant has been there for many years serving a nice array of unique fusion meals that would tempt and spoil anyone’s desires to have a great dining experience. With a cozy ambience, soft background music and great artistic displays of the proprietor, Ken Low, this restaurant would be ideal for those who love to dine in style.

So, what’s cooking in the kitchen of No Eye Deer? What came out on our dining table was a surprise as all the time many of us had perceived that this was a total Western cuisine restaurant. We were served Beef and Chicken Laotian Laksa (RM12.80+/bowl). These two were their signature dishes. Each bowl would come with springy firmed rice noodles, richly flavored in the stock from the respective meat choices and topped with bean sprouts and basils. Of the two options, I loved the beef dish better as the tender beef slices gave the spicy and piquant soup base a richer taste. Thumbs up!

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This was followed by the Soup of the Day – Pumpkin Soup (RM7.80+). This was something unique as the sweetness of the blended pumpkin, herbs and cream, garnished with some croutons was good.

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The next dish which was the Pan Grilled Sea Bass with White Sauce (RM19.80+) was presented with tangy white sauce and served with fresh crisp salad and mashed potatoes. The fish was done perfectly as it had a bit of charred taste while maintaining its juiciness. The white sauce was wonderfully prepared too as it had just the right creaminess and blended in real well with the double scoops of homemade mash potatoes which were marvelous.

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We then had the Jumbo Vienna Sausage (RM15.80+) which consisted of two smoked cheddar stuffed chicken sausage served with mash potatoes and salad. The gravy for this dish was just right as it was not so salty when taken with the slightly salty cheese filled sausages.

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Chicken Parmigiana (RM18.80+) was next. This Italian styled chicken fillet was served with freshly stewed tomato and Mozarella cheese. It had mash potatoes and salad as side dressing. I would advise you to consume this chef’s recommended dish soonest possible as the moist from the stewed tomatoes would eventually soil it swiftly. With so many of us taking photos, it did turn soggy but the taste was still great for those who love the sweetness of fresh tomatoes.

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No Eye Deer has many surprises for its patrons daily as the Special of the Day was the Meaty Beef Pie (RM16.80+) which was served with golden French fries, fresh crisp lettuces and a cup of their specially prepared gravy. The crust was nicely baked and the gravy was delicious with the tender beef chunks. My only complain was that the ingredients used were a bit too strong and it overpowered the natural taste of the beef chunks within. Maybe the restaurant should consider looking into this by having the meat more towards the savory taste than being so sweet.

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Their Traditional Grilled Steak (RM29.80+) which had char-grilled tender beef steak, served with traditional rich brown gravy, homemade mashed potato, broccoli and carrots, looked so burned and was drowned in a pool of gravy but the look can be deceiving. It was darn delicious as the meat was tender and juicy. The only comment I had was that there were too much of diluted gravy on the meat. I hope the chef would thicken the gravy more as it tasted quite normal and it did kill the fragrance of the char-grilled steak a bit.

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I thought those were all since I was not the one who ordered the dishes when a gigantic Caveman Platter (RM68.00+) was presented right in front of me. Gosh! It was meant to serve 3-5 persons! The dish had a mixed platter of char-grilled lamb, chicken kebabs, chicken sausages, chicken wings and pepper lamb sausages. Although served with some gravy, I found most of the items rather dry to my liking. Maybe I’m not a fan of barbeque stuff. But the pepper lamb sausages kept me eating more. They were unique as I had not seen them being served anywhere around town before. Anyway, this dish would be great for those who love lots of meat in their diet.

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The meal finally ended with a dessert – Coffee Jelly (RM5.80+). This dessert was voted as the Best Jelly in Malaysia by readers of ‘The Star’ Newspaper dated 23rd March 2008. The Japanese jelly was mildly flavored with coffee and was served chilled in some mixture of fresh cream and syrup with some sprinkles of cocoa powder. It was remarkably wonderful for coffee lovers like me.

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The restaurant also had a unique way to serve scoopful of ice creams in a cone – the Upside Down Ice Cream (RM4.80+). It had two scoopful of Vanilla ice creams served on a plate with a cone upside down and sprinkled with a generous amount of chopped roasted peanuts and glazed with some melted chocolate. This dessert would surely be great amongst kids.

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Choosing your beverages here can be real interesting as the beverage would come in many unique names. We had Drama Queen (RM8.80+) – glamarous smoothie of pink guava and pineapple with sour plum, Wacky Wizard (RM8.80+) – delicious & wacky smoothie of mango yoghurt and pineapple and also Chunky Monkey (RM8.80+) – rich and delicious banana smoothie with ice cream and chunky peanuts. All the beverages had their own specific uniqueness in taste and presentation.

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Please take note that all prices would be subjected with a 10% service charge. The restaurant would be easy to spot as it’s located at level one above the 7-Eleven Prima Tanjung outlet, facing the direction of Island Plaza along Jalan Tanjung Tokong. There would be ample parking space surrounding the multi-level shop houses.

NEDMAP

Name: NO EYE DEER RESTAURANT
Address: 98-1-26, Prima Tanjung, Jalan Fettes, Tanjung Tokong, 11200 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-899 0488
Business Hours:
6.00pm-11.00pm (weekdays), 12.00noon-11.00pm (weekends), (Closed Tuesdays)
GPS: 5.450906, 100.305169

RATING:
Ambience: 8.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8.5/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

SPICY POMELO MANGO SALAD

Posted by crizlai On May - 20 - 2009

Malaysia is a country with an abundant variety of tropical fruits such as durians, rambutans, mangoes, guavas, papayas, pineapples, coconuts, pomelos and many more. At any time of the year, you can get many different spread of fruits on your dining table without much hassle. Other than having the fruits as desserts or as a source of fiber for better bowel system, what would you do with them especially when you have some delicious mangoes from the plantation in Alor Setar and some juicy sweet pomelos from Tambun, Ipoh, Perak, both major exporter of their respective fruit in Malaysia? Most people would just take them as they are but for me, I’m a bit more adventurous. I made them into SPICY POMELO MANGO SALAD.

If you are in an Asia Pacific region, getting the fresh ingredients would be quite easy. In the case of foreign countries, the best alternative would be from Chinatown or any of the Chinese grocery stores. Let us now look at the required ingredients and how easy it is to prepare this delicious salad. I have attached an animated view of the ingredients below to let you have a look on how they are cut.

MAIN INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pomelo (about 6-7 segments – use flesh only and slightly peel apart)
1 big unripe mango (about 300gm – cut into strips)
5 shallots (slice thinly)
5 kaffir lime leaves (slice thinly)
100gms water chestnut (dice)
50gms dried shrimps (soak, dice and slightly pound)
10 bird’s eye chili pepper (cut thinly)
25gms peanuts (roasted and crushed)
10gms sesame seeds (toasted)
2 stalks coriander (pluck the leaves)

DRESSING:
4 Tbsp lime juice
4 Tbsp plum sauce
2-3 Tbsp fish sauce
3-4 Tbsp fine sugar

GARNISHING:
Leave a bit of the roasted and crushed peanuts, toasted sesame and coriander leaves as garnishes.

OPTIONAL:
50gms cuttlefish strips (oil fry and drain well – to replace dried shrimps)
1 inch lemon grass stalk (chopped finely)
1 red chillies (dice finely for the extra color)
1 tsp ginger flower bud (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)

PREPARATION:
1. Mix the dressing thoroughly and adjust according to your taste as some may like the salad to be a bit salty (fish sauce) or sweet (sugar). Please note that some brands of plum sauce are already sweetened.
2. Mix the first 7 ingredients in a salad bowl, occasionally adding in a spoonful of the dressing to taste. Lastly, add in the last 3 ingredients. Please do not over stir the ingredients as it might cause the dish to be watery.
3. Garnish with the reserved items mention above.
4. Best serve while the fruits and vegetables are chilled prior to mixing.
5. Serve immediately to maintain the crunchiness of the ingredients.

(Serves: 6-8)

Note: It is not necessary to add in all the optional items but you can do so if you prefer a more spicy concoction. The bird’s eye chili (cili padi) can be replaced by any other chili pepper you would prefer as not many people can stand the hotness from this small sized fella. You can use mangoes that are slightly ripe (as I did) if you are not in for so much of sourness.

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

Spicy Pomelo Mango Salad on FoodistaSpicy Pomelo Mango Salad

 

BEACH BLANKET BABYLON

Posted by Criz Lai On October - 6 - 2008

Note: This restaurant had relocated and merged with The Mansion, 32 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Penang.

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If you are a fan of the former 68 Kelawei which has relocated to Batu Ferringhi area under the name The Eclectic, you would surely love the fusion style of food prepared by Beach Blanket Babylon. In fact, Beach Blanket Babylon, The Eclectic, Thirty Two At The Mansion and Bagan 18 are all members of the Penang’s premier group of restaurants. Beach Blanket Babylon is a great relaxation place for food and beverages after a hectic day of work. Located at Penang’s trendiest and most happening Upper Penang Road, it offers great dining areas inside with an English styled ambience, Al Fresco for outdoor diners who prefer to enjoy the light breeze from the Straits of Malacca and a dimly lighted but romantic upper level with mattresses and pillows to cuddle.

Other than the wine and cigars which the café is promoting, they have an interesting menu which comprised of soups, salads, house specialties, main courses, sandwiches, snacks and desserts. The most interesting part is that they do change their menu weekly. Having enjoyed their food ever since they were in different locations in Pulau Tikus and Georgetown before, I was more than eager to find out what they have in store for us. Having all eyes and concentrating deeply onto the menu, we chose a soup and a main course each. We have to skip the desserts as we were still having hangovers from having too much of Jenni’s yummy Tiramisu Cake earlier. LOL!

The soup came first. The Cream of Mushroom Soup (RM8) was way ahead in quality compared to those I have taken before. A few types of mushrooms (fresh ones too I presume) were blended and cooked with barley/rice until broth-like. I love this dish a lot and I do not even have to add in more pepper or salt. The taste was just perfect.

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The Sweet Potato and Coriander Soup (RM8) was also great. You can practically get the sweetness of the potato and at the same time the fragrant aroma from the blended coriander.

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Immediately after we have finished our soup, the main course was served – Chargrilled Rosemary Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce (RM21) with plentiful of French fries and boiled vegetables. To my surprise, this dish was served on a sizzling plate although it was not stated in the menu. The chicken was well marinated and the taste of the black pepper sauce blended in real well.

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Next dish was another surprise as I was expecting just a piece of roasted chicken with some salads but it came with a large bowl of steamed rice. The Quarter Roast Chicken with Mushroom Sauce (RM18) was truly amazing. The sauce itself was a compliment to the overall taste of the roasted chicken. Instead of the usual white sauce mushroom gravy, it came with a touch of tomato puree, herbs and some sliced Chinese mushrooms. This dish is truly magnificent.

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Since we were having late dinner, we only ordered Chilled Grapefruit Juice (RM8) and Ice Lemon Tea (RM7.50). Overall, we spent RM77.55, inclusive of a 10% Service Charge. To some, the food might be considered pricy but it was worth every cents to be there dining, using the WIFI service and at the same time watching all the party goers walking by to some of the pubs and discos surrounding there.

Finding your way to Beach Blanket Babylon would not be hard at all as it is situated at a corner lot just directly opposite E&O Hotel (Eastern & Oriental Hotel) along Lebuh Farquhar. Parking can be quite chaotic on weekends. You can opt to park your car in the Penang Bowl car park or a not so far away Red Garden car park (opposite Cititel) and take a stroll to Upper Penang Road entertainment area.

BBBMAP

Name: BEACH BLANKET BABYLON @ THE GARAGE
Address: Lot B1, The Garage, 2 Penang Road, 10000 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-261 0289
Opening Hours:
Weekdays: 11.00am – 1.00am
Weekend & Eve of Public Holiday: 11.00am – 2.00am
GPS: 5.422942, 100.335549

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

CAFÉ CANTINA

Posted by Criz Lai On September - 20 - 2008

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A lot of people, even the Penangites themselves, were not aware that there is this little paradise hidden at the foot of Penang Hill. Located at the entrance to the Jade Emperor’s Pavilion (Thnee Kong Tua) in Air Itam, this small scout camp like restaurant has been in operation since early 2008. Even the entrance itself reminded me of my school days when the scouts would build bamboo arches to greet attendees to their campfire events.


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Café Cantina’s customers include many people of different ages, races and nationalities. It is a hangout place where old friends and families would gather to share news of their latest updates. Speaking of old school mates, the layout itself made me moved back into time when I was having my meals in the school canteen. I really missed all the actions then. But one thing which is better than my school canteen would be their Free Wifi facilities. I have never thought that I can bring my laptop over to a school canteen now. LOL!

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Even the smartly decorated so called blackboards were decorated with chalked designs. This one really caught my attention and it was drawn by some school kids. What? “Don’t eat too much abo can fat?” I was laughing hysterically at that message as I was there for my dinner. One of the ever friendly partners cum boss, Lawrence gave me a smile while explaining to me that the graffiti was for health conscious individuals. He even has a disclaimer in his menu stating that most of his dishes had coconut milk (santan) in it and he would not be held responsible for any health implications. Thanks Lawrence. That’s something new for me too… Haha!

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The food served at Café Cantina is totally different compared to what you get out there. Those dishes are a fusion of Malaysian Chinese, Malay-Chinese Baba Nyonya, Eurasion (Serani) and Thai (southern Thai dishes). Here are some of the dishes you can order. Please do inform the chef on your chili preferences as it might be too spicy for you.

The Green Curry (RM8) is one of my favorite dishes because it has that special fragrant and unique taste. You can opt for seafood, chicken or beef. I ordered the chicken and the dish came with a creamy green look. OK! I must admit, I love Martian food. LOL! The dish has a strong Thai sweet basil leaves flavor and also some Thai apple eggplants. The taste would be great for those who love the sweet taste from the basils.

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You can even order the Seafood Otak Otak (RM15-RM18). It has a mixture of seafood, eggs, coconut milk and spices all in a foil and steamed to perfection. It is something Nyonya but with a touch of Thai ingredients.

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If you have children around who could not take spicy food, you can opt for their Belacan Chicken Wings (RM2 each) or their Pandan Chicken (RM2.50 per piece). My recommendation would be the Pandan Chicken as the size is big and the taste is great.

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You can even order their Thai Omelette (RM8). It has some minced meat with a tasty sweet and sour sauce wrapped in an omelette. This is also suitable for children.

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We should also have some fiber in our meals. Do try out their Beansprout Salad (Kerabu Taugeh) (RM6-RM9). This is quite healthy as it has lots of fresh raw beansprouts mixed with some spicy Thai sauce. You can even order Mieng Kam (One Mouthful), Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad) or just get the chef to stir up some green vegetables of your choice.

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There are still many other tasty dishes such as the much recommended Cantina Beef, Tom Yam, Pad Ped (Yellow Curry) or Panang (Red Curry) and seafood of many kinds for you to choose from the menu. If you do not fancy having rice with the above dishes, you could even order some side dishes such as rice and noodles in many styles, namely Thai, Chinese, Cantonese and Hokkien. If you are in for a surprise, get the chef to cook up something unique for you at no extra charges. It may be fried or soup. What would you want to have then? A green curry fried noodles or Phad Thai? Well, it is only RM5 for a regular plate (too big for me in fact) or RM8 for a large plate to share around.

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As for drinks, the pricing is reasonable. Nothing will cost you more than RM2.50. A yummy bowl of Shaved Ice (Ais Kacang) is only RM2.50. You can even add one scoop of ice cream for an additional RM1. Selected can beers are only RM5/RM5.50 each. You can drink and chat until the wee hours of the morning. Remember not to drive when you are drunk as they would be a resting place for you to become sober. Haha! Although the place would be open until the last customer leaves the place, be polite enough to let the staff get some good rest before the start of yet another busy day.

I’m sure you won’t miss the place as Café Cantina is located just on your right on your way up to the Penang Hill Railway Station along Jalan Bukit Bendera. It is just at a junction where you would see a beautifully decorated Chinese Arch “Tien Kong Than”. You have ample parking spaces along the main road.

CANTINAMAP

Name: CAFÉ CANTINA
Address: 1 Jalan Bukit Bendera, Air Itam, 11500 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-827 1610, 019-380 6966 (Mr. Lawrence), 012-489 2247 (Mr. Thong), 016-488 7716 (Ms One)
Opening Hours: 6.00pm – Late (Daily)
Website: http://malaysian-cuisine.com/
GPS: 5.407510, 100.278611

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: 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)

FRANCIS FUSION WESTERN FOOD

Posted by Criz Lai On April - 28 - 2008

NOTE: Effective 19 December 2009, Francis Fusion Western Food will be relocated to Poly Cafe (opposite the present location, directly next to Bellisa Row/3rd shoplot after Lorong Leandros) GPS: 5.432602,100.310738)

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You do not have to go to steakhouse and pay exuberant prices just to have your Western Food. With Francis Fusion Western food in Pulau Tikus, you can anytime enjoy the taste and fusion style of Western dishes at a much lower price. You would not believe that a small stall in an old coffee shop could have provided with such extraordinary and delicious food.

What made Francis Western Food the ideal place to patron? Well, he was with the Western section of a 5-Star Hotel in Singapore before he moved back to Penang to be with his family. Moreover, his style of cooking and taste are totally different compared to any other normal Western food stalls around Penang. In fact, he is the only stall in Penang that provides fusion style of cooking combining many different herbs and cooked either as deep fried, sauté, grill, or baked. His love and personal touch in preparing his side dishes and salads are something that made him real proud. All his meals would come accompanied with pineapple salad, potato chicken ham salad, French fries, or baked potatoes and crunchy garlic bread.

I have personally tried almost 80% of all his food in the menu (more than 50 choices) and have never ever had any complaints. Everything in the menu has its unique taste. We had our dinner recently there and ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu as well as the Baked Black Pepper Chicken. Both dishes cost us only RM17.50. One look at the photos and I can assure you that you would be thinking of another visit there.

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Some of my personal recommendations are the Cheesy Spaghetti, Baked Tom Yam Fish, Baked Salmon with Orange Lemon Butter, Chef’s Spicy Chicken, Baked Black Pepper Chicken, Cordon Blue, Mixed Grill, Ham Omelette, etc. Well, just order what you think is nice and surely you will not regret.

Kedai Kopi Guan Hiang which housed the Western Food stall is just at the junction of Jalan Cantonment and Jalan Burmah in Pulau Tikus. Do also check out his special order during festive season as he would also specially prepare some rich moist Chocolate Cake, Mint Stuffed Turkey, etc and they are always the best around.

FRANCISMAP

Name: FRANCIS FUSION WESTERN FOOD @ Kedai Kopi Guan Hiang
Address: 38 Jalan Burmah, 10350 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 012-4930554 (Francis Cheah)
Opening Hours: 5.00pm -10.00pm (Closed on Monday)
GPS: 5.431613, 100.311613

RATING:
Ambience: 6/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 9/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 9/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 7/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

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