CRIZ BON APPETITE

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)

Everyday could be a pizza day if you know where to get the freshest made pizzas in town. There’s one specific brand that caught my attention ever since its first establishment in 1997 and has ever since became one of my preferred choice of pizzerias in Penang – US PIZZA~ 🙂 Their hand tossed pizzas ruled over many of those pizzas in the same industry as they have their unique baking process that produces oil-free pizzas with crispy crusts and softer bites within. You would know how good a pizzeria is by the amount of years it has been in operation and US Pizza has been in the industry for almost 2 decades. Orders from US Pizza is FREE of taxes with any purchase for takeaways or call-in delivery (minimum order of RM25). However, a 10% service fee would be incurred for dine-ins.

Though pizzas are their main expertise, there are also some starters and snacks that would get the appetite of diners rolling. You can always start with their Italian Grilled Chicken Salad (RM12.50) which has a generous amount of fragrantly grilled herbed chicken cubes on a bed of fresh greens with a light drizzle of their homemade dressing. Moreover, their Mushroom Soup (RM5.95) was filled with lots of chopped mushrooms and creamy enough to your satisfaction. The Americans loved chicken wings and so do I, thus we had ordered their New York Wings (RM12.95 – 8pcs) and Florida Honey Wings (RM13.95 -8pcs). I was amazed by the nicely marinated Florida Honey Wings. After over a decade of patronizing US Pizza and the recipe was still as great as ever, giving that flavorful mild honey sweetness on each juicy bite of the chicken wings. For more fun snacks, you could always try out their Crazi Garlic Twist (RM3.95 – 5 sticks) and Cinnamon Twisty Bread (RM3.95 – 5 sticks). Both of the snacks were equally good.

To start off our main course, we had their 9” Original Hand Tossed Pizza (US Classic – RM23.95 / US Special – RM25.95). However, we chose their US Special with the “Half n Half” option (only for 9” pizza) which came with an additional RM2 charges. It was worth it as we could chance upon having 2 flavors on a pizza. Our selection was Jumbo Special (chicken or beef pepperoni, minced chicken or ground beef, green pepper, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms & pineapple) and Ocean Delite (shrimps, crab sticks, green pepper, mayonnaise & fresh herbs). You can also opt for their Italiano Chicken (Italiano herbed chicken chunks, onions, mushrooms, creamy carbonara sauce, mayonnaise & Italian mixed herbs) or Macho Meat Lover (chicken or beef pepperoni, chunky chicken, chicken meat loaf & ground beef) under this category.

Crust selection:
Original Hand Tossed: Regular (9”) – RM23.95/RM25.95, Large (13”) – RM32.95/34.95 – no additional charges
Thin N Crunchy or Garlic Cheese: Add on RM1.50 for Regular (9”) and RM2.50 for Large (13”)

Alternatively, you could try out their All New 6″ Crunchy Pizza (RM12.95 each) or their Fantastic 4 offer (RM32.95 – set of 4 Crunchy Pizza of your choice) on all existing flavors (17 choices). The crust will be crunchier than the existing “thin & crunchy” pizza with a longer baking process. Here are 9 of the recommended flavors such as Tuna Delite (green pepper, onions, tuna, pineapple, double cheese & mayonnaise), Italian Way (chicken or beef pepperoni, mushrooms, green pepper, onions, chicken meat loaf & oregano), New Yorker (chicken or beef pepperoni, mushrooms, chicken meat loaf or ground beef), US Favorite (chicken or beef pepperoni & double cheese), Aloha Pizza (chicken meat loaf, pineapple & double cheese), Spicy Chicken Delite (green pepper, onions, mushrooms, chicken, pineapple & cayenne pepper), Penang Special (green pepper, onions, tuna, spicy anchovies & cayenne pepper), Tom Yam Chicken Delite (tom yam chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, pineapple & onions) & Italiano Chicken (Italiano herbed chicken chunks, onions, mushrooms, creamy carbonara sauce, mayonnaise & Italian mixed herbs).

There would also be the soon-to-be-launch San Francisco Fabulous 4 (RM52.95 – DINE-IN ONLY) up for grab soon. The promotional price would be at RM38 only (until further notice). This is truly a great bargain as you could savor 4 different flavors on one rectangular 10” x 14.5” Thin & Crunchy Crust Pizza all day long. The flavors are as stated below.
– US Pizza Made Carbonara Sauce, Tempura Prawn, Chunky Crabmeat stick, Capsicum, Mayonnaise, Mix Herbs, Onion
– US Pizza Made Carbonara Sauce, Spicy Chicken, Capsicum, Onion, Mushroom, Pineapple, Cayenne Pepper
– US PIZZA Made Duncan Sauce, BBQ Smoked Duck, Onion, Pineapple
– US PIZZA Made Duncan Sauce, Chicken and Beef Pepperoni, Pineapple, Onion)

For pasta lovers, you won’t be left out as they do have quite a number of tasty options for you such as their US Pizza Chicken Lagsana (RM19.50), Ocean Carbonara (RM17.50) and Italiano Spaghetti (RM17.00).

Overall, some of the pizza flavors have been in existence since the birth of US Pizza and they still do maintain their quality well ever since. US Pizza is surely one place to be spoiled for choice and I hope they will come out with new creations in the near future.

You can check out their menu and promotion as below by clicking on it for a clearer view.

US Pizza is located at the corner unit of a row of shophouses just next to Gembira Parade at Green Lane, Penang. Since it’s not visible at any main road, there are a few ways to reach the shop. (ROUTE 1): If you are coming from Penang Bridge via Jalan Mesjid Negeri, look out for the first Shell Petrol Kiosk on your left, turn into the service road and use the side lane on the left of the kiosk into Lorong Delima 1. Turn right and you’ll see the shop at the junction of Lorong Delima 5 and Lorong Delima 1. (ROUTE 2): Alternatively, if you are coming from Jalan Delima via Jalan Yeap Chor Ee, drive on until the traffic lights at the second community field. From there onwards, count the 8th road (after 2A Jalan Delima) on your left and turn left into Lorong Delima 1. You won’t miss the turning as there’s a road sign stating Lorong Delima 1 with lots of orange colored PVC divider sticks there. Drive further in and you can see the shop at the junction of Lorong Delima 5 and Lorong Delima 1. (ROUTE 3): The third way of going to the shop can be a bit tricky if you are coming from Jalan Mesjid Negeri into Jalan Delima. As the first right turning into Lorong Delima 1 is blocked by sticks of orange-colored PVC dividers, you have to drive on and turn right into the next road which is Lintang Delima 1. Drive on until you see an open car park on your left in front of Hong Sun Seah Clan Temple. Opposite the temple is Lorong Delima 5. Turn right into Lorong Delima 5 and drive until the end. You’ll see the US Pizza on our left at the junction of Lorong Delima 5 and Lorong Delima 1. Good Luck!

Name: US PIZZA MALAYSIA
Address: 3D Lorong Delima 1, Green Lane, 11700 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-655 2828 / 1300-22-3838
Business Hours: 11.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.385733, 100.304276

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: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Recently, more and more restaurants and cafes had opened up in Penang with bombastic names that would attract the curiosities of diners. One such restaurant would be the Hao Shiang – House of Nasi Lemak in the vicinity of Green Lane, Penang. Sophisticated as the name may suggest, it was just another restaurant that is targeting the school children opposite its shop. The menu was simple with not only nasi lemak being served but other breakfast meals.

To show the Nasi Lemak options available here, I went for a Basic Nasi Lemak Set A (RM2.90). The dish came with a bowl of rice, topped with two spicy sauces, some deep fried anchovies, halved hard boiled egg, pieces of deep fried sardine fish and a slice of cucumber. The rice came cold when I expected it to be at least warm, coming from a shop rather than a roadside stall with prepacked ones. Taste wise, it was rather hard and did not have those fragrant flavors from the usage of coconut milk with some help from some bunches of pandan (screwpine) leaves. The anchovies were barely cleaned well with a strong fishy taste. Moreover, they were rather hard for those with dentures. The halved hard boiled egg was like it was prepared too early as it was rather tough. Though the spicy sauces were reasonably prepared, they did not have that properly sauteed fragrance.

There was also an addon of Dry Chicken Curry (RM2.50) available of which was not stated in the menu or I being informed by the waitress. It was not bad and the price was reasonable for such a huge piece. There was an offer of RM4.80 for this piece of chicken combined with the Basic Nasi Lemak Set A, a saving of RM0.60.

Another set named Nasi Lemak “Yuan Yang” (RM5.90), came with a combination two types of flavored coconut milk infused rice. One would be the plain one and the other would be infused with pandan extracts. This set has a different side sides which consisted of some deep fried anchovies, a whole deep fried sardine fish, 2 large tamarind prawns, halved hard boiled egg and 2 slices of cucumber. Again, both there rice were rather cold and hard plus did not have the fragrance required for nasi lemak. The same problem with the hard deep fried anchovies, the fish tasted like salted fish with that overpowering saltiness. The tamarind prawns were fresh but were like marinated in soy sauce and sugar only. The egg was like overnight egg texture. Another failed nasi lemak to me.

Other than just nasi lemak as the name suggested, they do have breakfast sets to cater to the school children. One such set would be their Breakfast Set B (RM4.90). It came with a set of buttered toasted bread, an omelette, a ham, two sausages and some gigantic baked beans. The only thing I enjoyed here was the baked beans which were superb. The sausages were rather tough to my liking and were not even pan grilled properly.

You would know how experienced the chef is by just trying out how they prepare their Half Boiled Eggs (RM1.40). The yolk was overcooked and barely oozy as it should be. It should be called three quarter done egg instead.

There are many selections of hot and cold beverages available here. I managed to try out 2 of the most unique ones in the menu. One of it was the Iced Blended Yam Oreo (RM3.50). Cheap as it may sound, it was definitely not my type of flavors. Combination wise was rather bland with chunks of ice not properly blended. On the other hand, the Iced Orange Coconut Jelly Green Tea (RM3.00) was also quite disappointing. It would be great for kids to quench their thirst with a small amount of coconut jelly but the taste just did not appeal to my liking as it was rather diluted.

Overall, the food here can be quite mediocre. The food served here would suit school children and elderly more than diners who are looking for a nice hot steaming plate of meal. Though they have been in operation for barely a week, the quality of service could be rather bad, considering that mostly elderly people are handling the kitchen while the waitress barely have knowledge of entertaining all sorts of diners. Please ensure that they repeat what you have ordered as I had my orders missed twice in one dining. All prices are nett here.

Hao Shiang – House of Nasi Lemak is located at a corner unit of a row of shop houses just opposite SMJK Chung Hwa Confucian School along Tingkat Tembaga. You won’t miss it but parking can be quite limited during school/work days.

Name: HAO SHIANG – HOUSE OF NASI LEMAK
Address: 2 Tingkat Tembaga, 11600 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 016-491 2820, 017-771 4218 (Irene Lee)
Business Hours: 6.30am-4.00pm (Closed Sunday)
GPS: 5.391164, 100.301431

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

More and more diners in Penang are beginning to appreciate the wonders of Thai cuisine, which has an unquestionable harmonious balance of Yin and Yang. Thus, a new restaurant by the name of Thai Food Restaurant has recently opened its door within the vicinity of Green Lane, Penang to enable diners to enjoy the coexistence of all the major flavor characteristics, namely sweetness, sourness, spiciness and saltiness”. The provincial style of cooking basically came from Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, almost similar to those dishes served at Aroy Chang Moo Kata in Pulau Tikus, Penang.

Instead of starting off with the commonly available Mieng Kam aka One Mouthful, we started with Nam Prik Kapi (น้ำพริกกะปิ/Thai Style Ulam aka Fresh Green Salad – RM9.00nett). I always have phobia having the hot sauce as in the Nam Prik as different provinces in Thailand have their own different level of spiciness. Surprisingly, I felt in love with the version here as the hot sauce has just the balance of sweetness, sourness, spiciness and saltiness to my liking. The vegetables consisted of long beans, cucumbers, carrots and cauliflower.

Next, we started off with some appetizers. A simple and nutritious Yam Hed (ยามเห็ด -Black & White Fungus/เห็ดหูหนู & เห็ดหูหนูขาว – RM9.00nett/RM12.00nett) would be a great appetizer to start off a meal. The flavors were quite similar to that of Lab Moo Sub (ลาบหมู/Spicy Minced Pork Salad) but minced chicken was used instead. I love the crunch on both the black and white fungus used as well as the well balanced flavors from the onions, chopped chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, spring onions and coriander. This combination would also go well with chicken feet in place of the fungus.

Another appetizer we had was the Yam Abpen (ยำแอปเปิ้ล/Spicy Green Apple Salad – RM9.00nett/RM12.00nett). The crunchiness of the Granny Smith green apples used combined with chopped chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, fried dried shrimps and garnished with some cashew nuts was nice. Again, the level of spiciness was just right for everyone.

Another nice dish to start off a proper meal would be the Pak Boong Krob (ปากบุ้งกรอบ/Batter Fried Crispy Morning Glory aka Kangkung – RM8.00nett). It went well with some Thai chili sauce. Instead of serving it just this way, I have seen a few restaurants tossed these vegetables with some sauce and served as a salad.

The next dish which was the Tod Man Goong (ทอดมันกุ้ง/Shrimp Nugget/Shrimp Cake – RM3.00nett each) was my favorite amongst all those that I had tried elsewhere. The dish was quite simple to make but required the right balance between the usages of minced meat to prawns. The balance here was 1:2 and the patties were coated with breadcrumbs prior to being deep fried until golden brown. These delicious shrimp cakes would be a must order item.

The Pik Gai Yat Sai (ปีกไก่ญาติซ้าย/Stuffed Otak Chicken Wings – RM3.50 each) is another of the restaurant’s signature dishes. The spicy egg paste or so called otak otak was stuffed into the partially boneless and marinated chicken wings and deep fried to perfection. The combination was great and it could be even better if a bit more of chili paste and sliced kaffir lime leaves were added in to pep up the flavors more.

Other than the Germans, the Thais are also great cooks for pork knuckles. Instead of having the stewed version, we opted for the Kha Moo Krob (ขาหมูกรอบ/Crispy Pork Knuckle – RM18.00nett). Each bite was amazing crispy and flavorful. Moreover, it was convenient for everyone as they had removed the bones too.

Sometimes, a simple Thai dish such as the common household dish of Khai Jiu Cha Om (ขายจิ๋วจะออม/Cha Om Omelette – RM8) would please me most. The feathery young shoots of the food plant (also known as climbing wattle/Acacia pennata) are commonly used in omelettes, soups, curries or simply by stir frying in mild sauce in Thai cuisine. The shoots have a unique smell similar to that of the stink beans (buah petai) but with a subtle flavor. It was great to have it with some hot sauce as served with the green salad.

The Thais loved squids as well and we were also served with Pla Mek Sam Rot (ปลาหมึกสามรส/Squids in 3 Flavors Sauce). The boiled squids were tossed in chopped garlic, chilies/bird’s eye chilies, fish sauce, palm sugar and coriander and served on a hot plate. Even though this was another version of the wetter version with some added stock, it was real appetizing.

We also tried out their Gaeng Som Pla Grapong (แกงส้มปลากะพง/Gaeng Som Sea Bass – RM25nett-RM45.00nett). The sour and spicy curry may differ in different parts of Thailand but I love this clearer version with just the right amount of sourness from the tamarind as well as a generous portion of vegetables used. However, I would prefer to have fresh fish rather than deep fried ones for my Gaeng Som.

Their Green Curry Chicken (แกงเขียวหวานไก่/Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai – RM14.00nett/RM20.00nett) was reasonably tasty. The dish was not as spicy as expected as they were using a light amount of sliced red chilies instead of bird eye chilies. There were some bigger version of mini Thai eggplants being used here plus a generous amount of fresh Thai basil leaves. The gravy had a strong hint of coconut milk being used but was a bit less concentrated than I expected due to the chef’s method of cutting down on the level of spiciness from the pre-prepared green curry paste. Alternatively, some long beans could be added in to reduce the spiciness rather than diluting the gravy too much.

Most people would think that Thai food would always be spicy until the max but not at all as you can still order some oyster sauce based dishes such as the Phat Phak Naw Mai Goong (ผัดพักหน่อไม้กุ้ง/Stir Fry Asparagus with Prawns – RM12.00nett/RM16.00nett). this dish would be served with some prawns stir fried with young asparagus shoot and carrots in light oyster sauce.

The next dish was something that I almost would not miss out in my list of orders in a Thai restaurant. It’s the Tom Yam. I would normally order the clear version as the red version would only consist of added chili oil. We ordered the Tom Yam Nam Sai (ตมยามนามซ้าย/Clear Tom Yam with Mixed Seafood – RM18nett/RM28nett) instead. It had prawns, fish and squids. The soup was rather mild, considering that the chefs were quite careful in the usage of bird’s eyes chilies which would give a really powerful spicy punch. Although there were traces of fish sauce, lemongrass and galangal found within the soup, I found the soup to be too mild in sourness. It needed a tad bit more of tamarind/lime juice or even some added tomatoes to pep up the flavor more. Moreover, some added oyster mushrooms would be nice too.

Instead of steamed rice, you could also order their Khao Pad Sapparot (ข้าวผัดสับปะรด/ Pineapple Fried Rice – RM5.00nett/RM12.00nett). This was one of the best pineapple rice dishes I have tasted as the dish had the nice “wok hei” (high heat cooking) and flavors. Moreover, there was the bonus of having some meat floss and chopped coriander as garnishes. It would be great if some chopped spring onions and fried shallots being added in.

You can also order the Khao Krok Kapi (ขาวกรอกกะปิ/Belacan Fried Rice – RM5.00nett/RM12.00nett). The dish basically had shrimp paste (belacan) fried with rice and served with side dishes such as bird’s eye chilies, onions, egg, mango, cucumber, dried shrimps and meat. Compared to the Pineapple Fried Rice, the former had better flavors.

To end the meal, we had the Tub Tim Krob (ทับทิมกรอบ/Jellied Water Chestnut Rubies with Jackfruit in Coconut Milk – RM4.50/bowl). It was a decent dessert with added jellies. It would be even better if the coconut milk added was more concentrated.

Currently, the beverages served here were rather limited but they do serve freshly brewed Lemongrass Tea (RM1.50nett Hot/RM2.00nett Iced). They should consider importing Nam Daeng (red – sala flavored syrup) and Nam Kaew (green – cream soda flavored syrup) and add in some soaked sweet basil seeds in making the drinks. These two drinks have cooling effects for the burning sensation in your mouth whenever you have taken too high level of spiciness.

Overall, the dishes served here were quite fulfilling for a Thai cuisine hunter like me here. The wonderful thing is that they managed to control the level of spiciness well for the general local consumers. You could always get them to spice up the dishes if you find them to be too mild for you. However, they are not quite close to the homely style of cooking as I had at Annathai-Kitchen yet but some of their dishes served here surely exceeded my expectations.

The Thai Food Restaurant is located just at the back portion of the Batu Lanchang Market Food Court and won’t be hard to locate at all. If you are coming from Jalan Mesjid Negeri towards the Penang Bridge, you would pass by Lam Wah Ee Hospital. Just drive on until you see a Petronas petrol kiosk on your left. Drive on about 100m more and you would see a left turning. Turn left into Lebuhraya Batu Lanchang and drive on until you see CIMB Bank/KFC. Turn left into Medan Batu Lanchang and drive on until the other side of the shop houses and you will see the restaurant just at the back of the food court on your right. Try finding some legal parking spaces here. If you can’t, I would advise you to park your car within the Batu Lanchang Market car park compound as the local MPPP officers could be rather summons happy here. LOL!

Name: THAI FOOD RESTAURANT
Address: 19L, Medan Batu Lanchang, 11600 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 012-486 9191 (Mr. Christopher Choong)
Business Hours: 11.00am-3.00pm, 6.00pm-10.00pm
GPS: 5.389492, 100.305363

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: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

If you are a Curry Mee lover, you would have noticed that the price for a good bowl of the noodles can be rather costly now. Even with an average price of RM3.50 per bowl, you can hardly get substantial ingredients in it. If you were to add in more “fresh toppings”, a bowl might cost you more than RM5. Do you always face this problem while dining out? With the increasing cost of living in Penang, most of us would seek the next cheapest alternative which might not be to our likings. Well, you should pay this humble Curry Mee auntie along Jalan Delima a visit as she’s doing the business not for profit but to pass time and she has been doing this for almost a decade. A normal bowl of her Curry Mee with lots of ingredients would cost you only RM2.80 and her portion would be based on your body size WITHOUT additional charges. Amazing! You can always add on more ingredients as per your liking but just wait until you see her large bowl of Curry Mee at only RM3.20. The bowl would come with FIVE FRESH PRAWNS plus lots of seafood. This bowl would at least cost you RM5-RM6 elsewhere.

You can either choose yellow noodles, bee hoon (rice vermicelli) or a mix of both for your Curry Mee. Each bowl would come with bean sprouts, prawns, cuttlefish, cockles, pig’s blood jelly, tofu puff (tau hoo pok), garnished with fresh mint leaves and served with a spoonful of sautéed shallots chili paste. The chili paste here would not be as spicy hot as most stalls she did not add in dried chilies.

Overall, the Curry Mee served here was quite nice to my liking as it did not have that much coconut milk usage. The dish is more towards the clear soup version with a slight salty sweet taste. What attracted me most was the size and freshness of the prawns as she would only cook them when necessary. Now you know why I rather order a large bowl of the Curry Mee? It’s because I love fresh seafood~ Haha! There is one important note to those who wishes to dine in her humble little place. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN BEVERAGE as the old auntie here DOES NOT SERVE any drinks. Most of her patrons are workers and housewives, thus barely anyone would dine at her place. Another thing would be the operating hours. Most of the time, her Curry Mee would be sold out by 9.30am. So do try to go as early as possible. I’m sorry I can’t provide her contact here as she had requested for some privacy.

It’s not that hard to locate the place as the stall within a row of houses is just towards the end of Jalan Delima, leading to Jalan Yeap Chor Ee. If you are driving towards the Penang Bridge along Jalan Mesjid Negeri, keep to your right and watch out for the second traffic lights right after Lam Wah Ee Hospital. Turn right into Jalan Delima. You can see the former N.G. Lighting shop (on the left) and a car seller shop (on the right) of the junction. Drive all the way up until you have passed two large fields. Immediately after Field 2, slow down and keep to your left. The stall, within the compound of a house with BLUE awnings, is just 10 houses away from the second left junction.

Name: AUNTIE’S CURRY MEE
Address: 9B Jalan Delima, Island Glades, 11700 Penang, Malaysia.
Business Hours: 7.30am – 10.00am
GPS: 5.380291, 100.301852

RATING:
Ambience: 5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 5/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 3/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

NOTE: THIS STALL HAS CEASED ITS OPERATIONS

Nowadays, with the increased price of most raw ingredients, dining at a posh restaurant would not be the chosen choice for most families with kids. From my knowledge, more and more families are looking for places with reasonable priced servings and taste just to ease on the family’s monthly food expenses. Just as a comparison, I had a double Bratwurst Sausage served with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables at a prominent mall in Penang not long ago. With all the taxes added in, it cost even more than the 5 dishes I had ordered at a stall that I had stumbled upon recently. The only difference is that this place did not have air-conditioning. Let’s look at what Asian Whisper’s located within the Delima Mas Café has to offer.

The single Bratwurst Sausage (RM7.00 nett/set) served with a huge scoop of mashed potatoes plus delicious brown sauce was far better tasting than the one I had earlier at Straits Quay. Even with a double serving of the sausage, it would only cost me RM11.50 nett/set compared to the one I had at RM20.90 (excluding taxes), which of course came with some extra “discarded” mixed greens. The next dish was the Sausages with Onions (RM5.00 nett). The dish had 2 sliced honey chicken sausages plus one sliced chicken frankfurter sautéed with sliced onions in LP sauce and served with a huge scoop of mashed potatoes with brown sauce. This dish would be quite ideal for those light eaters.

The next dish was even lighter – Roti Ayam (RM3.00 nett/set – a poultry version of the normally minced pork version). The taste was average, considering that the chef changed her usual preparation methods to suit the taste buds of the local people there. I found the filling to be a bit too moist and there were only some “too finely minced” chicken plus “overcooked” onions in it. This dish lacked the textures and bites. The chef should have added some chopped cabbages and carrots for that extra crunch. Moreover, the minced chicken should be cooked more coarsely rather than having a sandy and no bite like texture. A bit more of the 5-spice powder would also do more justice to the overall taste. The Cordon Bleu de Roti (RM5.00 nett) was normal. It had a piece of chicken ham and cheese clamped between two slices of white bread, dipped in beaten eggs and fried to perfection. Both of the light meals were served with LP mixed with chili sauce.

I was curious on how the Thai Chicken Burger (RM3.50 nett) would taste like. Well, the preparation and presentation were exactly how you would get from the roadside burger stalls except that the patty was home prepared. It had some hints of turmeric powder with sliced kaffir lime leaves. It was really mild even for kids. I would have expected it to be more spice and herb enhanced but I guessed it was another local preferred taste. Moreover, the patty was a bit too thin for a prominent bite. I actually don’t mind paying a bit extra for a thicker patty but that would be over the budget of the locals here. The choice of bun was perfect. It was almost McD like with sesame seeds sprinkle above.

You can also get Crinkle Cut Fries (RM3.00 nett) and Hot Dog (from RM2.50 nett onwards) here. What surprised me most is the stinginess of certain district locals. Prices of raw ingredients had gone up crazily and yet they still expect to get the same size of food with the same amount they paid years ago. Thus, you would still have food as all the above mentioned, priced at RM23.50 nett, much cheaper compared to just a dish at a local mall (RM24.25 nett). So, as a household head, would you go for mediocre food that would feed more mouths in your family or one that would feed only yours?

Please take note that this is the place ONLY for early dinner. The shop will close slightly before 10.00pm. Other than this stall, there is a bakery there for fresh buns and cakes. (The mini chicken pie is not bad at RM1.20 each but only on weekends), economy rice, nasi Melayu, nasi kandar, roti jala, char hor fun, bak kut teh, sweet & sour pork rice and chicken rice/hor fun (not bad… all boneless chicken given).

If you know how to get to Genting Café where the famous peanut butter based chee cheong fun is, you would surely know how to get to this café as it’s situated right at the other end of the shop houses. Drive all the way up Jalan Mesjid Negeri towards Penang Bridge. Immediately after Lam Wah Ee Hospital, keep to your right and watch out for the last traffic lights before the underground tunnel to Penang Bridge. At the traffic lights, turn right into Jalan Delima. Keep to you left and turn left into the first junction (Lorong Delima 6). As this is a one way street, you have to make a left turn into Lorong Delima 3 then right turn into Lorong Delima 5 and another right turn into Lorong Delima 7. Delima Mas Café is just at the corner of Lorong Delima 7 and Lorong Delima 6. You can find some parking spaces along Lorong Delima 6.

Name: ASIAN WHISPER’S @ DELIMA MAS CAFE
Address: 2 Lorong Delima 6, 11700 Penang, Malaysia
Contact: 016-443 3304 (Ms. Michelle Tan)
Business Hours: 6.00am-10.00pm (Closed Thursday)
GPS: 5.382081, 100.304172

RATING:
Ambience: 6/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 5/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 6.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 6/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Name: CHEE CHEONG FUN @ KEDAI KOPI GENTING
Address: Lorong Delima 3, 11700 Penang, Malaysia.
Opening Hours: 7.00am – 7.00pm
GPS: 5.382960, 100.303996

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