Raya Trip to Penang

Ya...joining the crowd but lucky no jam when I head towards north Saturday....easy drive just a few slow down area along PLUS highway.

Made a stop in Ipoh to buy some Salted Chicken. Bought this shop many times but never had a chance to introduce it. Often people would just go to famous  Aun Kheng Lim which I personally find them too salty. And when u steam the chicken, the paper that they used to wrap the chicken stick on to the chicken as you tear.

ooohhh..here the shop that I wanna recommend besides the famous one
 49-71 Jalan Theatre, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Cost about RM17 per bird. The shop is directly located behind the famous Ipoh Lou Wong Bean Sprout Chicken. You won't miss. I love it cos is not too salty and can just eat it like that and when you unwrap the chicken, the paper won't stick on the chicken.There are several shops selling the salted chicken. But I personally find this best. The other one is called Wan li Xiang which I find even saltier.

Next stop ,opposite See Hiong is KAcang Soya Lai Kee.Well I don't know whether they are famous or not, I just ppoped for a bowl of "Tau Fu Fah" with Soya milk and ginger syrup....ummm good ah...however I still can't find bean curd that is soft n tender like what I had in China or HK which taste like steam egg. M'sia's tau fu fah still so so only  if u have tasted the one in HOng Kong or China.

It was a non stop makan event for me while in Penang. This trip to Penang was quite of dissapointment. Being Penangite, I m very proud of the food and always brag about it to my friends in Penang

It has now loseit's essence of having good hawkers food. Hawkers food are getting expensive but the portion remain unchanged. At least u see portion in KL is bigger than in Penang although they charge may be of a RM1 difference. I guess nowadays hawkers hired maids to cook and they just laid back and watch (may be sometimes they are away or sleepng) And they really want wanna be towkay only, not hands on anymore. Unlike their grandparents or parents , they personally look into everything including the cooking and selling.

I heard that Balik Pulau has got good assam laksa and I wanted to go there to buy fresh nutmeg to make nutmeg syrup.

This coffeeshop is just beside the market. Apparently, people say it is the famous one. So I hear, so I go.

Look at the crowd and u got que for the table .BIG DEAL!

Everytime I eat assam laksa. The first thing I do, taste the soup.....oooohhhhhh....where's the sourish taste, got spicy ah, why no salt ah. So...needless for me to  express any further....Just look at the presentation....all vege....where's the "ong lai" (pineapple)...why so diluted...No fish ahhh....!!! Are these patrons has no taste bud or what....desperate for assam laksa....???!!!!

I ordered a nutmeg juice.I always had in mine that is like the one I homemade. But, this is fresh nutmeg blend juice with sour plum. .....ohhh lala..RM1.60 per glass. Luckily got sour plum otherwise taste numb on your tongue, sour & sort dry your tongue.

On the way down from Balik Pulau to Air Itam, I stopped over at a look out point. U get awesome view of the other side of Penang.And there's a Thai restaurant here. Very beautiful, food wise I have no clue.

Then went to downtown thinking of getting "tau sar pheah"...yea...Him Heang will be the top of my list. Went to Burmah Road....jammmmmmm...fuyoh...cos by WHO...the cars are all heading to Him Heang lor causing the jammmmm. N the jam not only confine to the road...but the shop too. The que to buy the biscuits is from the kitchen till the entrance.

Here's what the owner has to say...if you want to buy, pay first and que up. Waiting time 1 hr...crazy isn't it. The those who pre-order...here's what I hear."I told you  d to come and take before 3pm"...that's is how they do biz when they are in demand.

Well 1 hr waiting time forget abt it .I went to another shop whom my uncle recommended.It is call Ban Heang.Located at Mc Calister Road.Next to Little Red Rock Hotel. They were used to be at Melaka Street. No jam. No que. Everything freshly bake too. Price is so much cheaper. Taste not bad too. Can consider this shop

Hungry for food again...went down to Carnavan Street (lot's of shop selling coffin here).There's a famous fried oyster. Uncle warn me not to go cos no good.Didn't hear his advise, I went ahead.Yewww.....it was oily.And the taste was...well u can imagine yourself. Cost RM8.00...it wasn't that great at all.

Later in the evening, I went to Air Itam for dinner.Mostly locals will know this place .It is called Choong Nam . Packed of people. Love to go there since I was very young. But more happening at night as more hawkers would be selling on the street at night. If u heading the Bt Bendera you will pass by this place.It is on the right, after the Kg Melayu cross junction traffic light. There's a Shell petrol station near the hawkers.

Steamed Otak otak @ RM2.00.Love this better than Muar Otak otak.It has got Daun kadok and kaffir lime leave that makes them different from Muar Otak2.

Ju Hoo Eng Chai .The prawn paste sauce play very important role. If too diluted,it will not give you the kick of it.

 

Char Koay KaK ...Yummmy.......May be they use pork oil...I dunno ler but taste good

Look at the big oyster.This is definatly better than what I had at carnavon street. And their chilly sauce taste so good with some garlic. That's how it should be. However I prefer it to be drier as I find the tapioca flour is too much.Cost RM6.00

Overall, hawkers food in Choong Nam was not bad. They still maintain the quality.

I didn't have the chance to try good laksa, Hokkien mee (prawn mee) and Char Koay teow. I hear from uncle said the one at Lrg Aboo Siti Lane cost RM11 per plate, and people still que up for it. Well, never had the chance to try and dunno whether will pay for that kind of price .

And was in Kedah for a few days too. And eat alot. This trip was like just makan trip for me and ate non stop. Will introduce good food there next time around.

Back to d Pearl of Orient

Pearl of the Orient...where?...Well..it is the other name for Penang. M Penagites myself.Will travel back a few times in a year.Only have time to go there during the long weekend. Jamming together with holiday makers...ummm..luckily I departed on Friday afternoon...JAM Free.

Was in Penang Island itself on Saturday afternoon...first thing came to our mind was to eat chee cheong fun..and where to? To Genting Kopitiam (not in Genting but Island Glades).Unfortunately, chee cheong fun "bo liao". The reason the "chee cheong fun" is good cos the chili sauce make a difference from the rest.It has got dried shrimp inside.

Genting was packed of people but then I saw patrons were in a shop that soya drink ordering food from Genting..and that is a good idea cos Genting was quite humid & hot. The other shop has less people but one got to order the soya drink or "tau hu hua". The drink is very tasty compare to the one I had in KL which is watery & diluted.This is good.

soya drink (either brown sugar or plain sugar syrup) @ RM1.10 per glass




We have ordered the following food.

Assam Laksa @ RM2.50

Char Hor fun@ RM3.50

Kuih Talam -3pcs @ RM1.40 (d above picture consider 2 pcs)

After makan we went downtown to buy some famous biscuits. Guess none of you will know this shop Ban Heang Biscuits shop at Melaka St . Recommended by my aunty and a friend that their Heong Phneah is so good. The inside filling is soft unlike some others which is hard when u bite. And so true.I have already finished a packet before coming back to KL. It costs abt RM3.00 a packet. Then I also bought "pua kiam tee tau sar phneah"@ RM1.80 per packet









Then drove into Burma Rd...alamak so jam.Just wanna check out Him Heang Biscuits.Didn't expect this road to be so bad.And a few metres before the famous Him Heang biscuits shop we turned right to park our car. Walk to Him Heang..wau lau eh! So long que..right to the kitchem waiting to buy tar sar pneah....!well forget it.I just turn back.Not going to wait.Just before I leave the shop I checked out the Heong Pneah price -Guess how much....???RM6.20. Fuuyohhh!

The que is right to the kitchen

After Him Heang ,I wanted to look for some Kongsi however I missed a turn. I end up at the Sleeping Buddha and Burmese Temple.

Then I bump into my cousin who is deaf. He has been earning his own living for many years outside the Burmese temple by selling souvernirs. Well, if u are unable to communicate with him via sign language, you may write down your messages & show it to him (either English or BM).

Cousin Brother

Later that night, met up with my brother & uncle.We went to Bukit Dumbar to have seafood dinner - Hai Boey Seafood Restaurant. Packed of diners from 8pm onwards.Must go early.Service bad- hard to get them to take orders.I guess if you get up & walk away, they don't even bother or felt the loss of business..Yup...to that extend!I guess.How good it is.....umm..not really up to my expectation. Total damage was Rm138.00 plus drink. Here's the menu.There's one more dish that I dun have a picture - Steamed pomfret in Claypot (cost RM30 - very small only - damn expensive).

Honey Chicken


Tofu with seaweed & Enorki mushroom



Sizzling Plate sotong & prawn @ RM30




Stir fried Kai Lan with Salted Fish

Calamari - not so good as u can see the batter is not sticking well to the squid.I guess they forgot to dip in the egg before the flour or only use egg....dunno lar