CRIZ BON APPETITE

Make this Valentine’s Day your soulful journey towards greatest love by sharing what’s the best for both parties. Nothing can turn out as romantic as a candlelight dinner. Let the experts serve both of you as king and queen on this special day. Let yourself enjoy all the romantic and precious moments you have together. Let Swez Brasserie @ Eastin Hotel Penang, offer you the ultimate ardent indulgence of a delectable Valentine’s Day Set Dinner at RM198++ per couple while being serenaded by sentimental music on this romantic evening.

Other than getting a beautiful and fluffy pair of imported teddy bears, you would be complimented with either a glass of red wine or mocktail. You have the option to choose the Argentina produced Merlot 2010 red wine or Lover’s Isle mocktail. The mocktail would consist of a concoction of pineapple juice, orange juice, mango juice with grenadine syrup.

As for Appetizer, you would be served with Chilled Ocean Tartar with Pickled Mushroom, Asparagus and Beetroot Dressing. The freshly peeled crab meat, chopped prawns, onions, parsley with a hint of chopped red chilies all mixed up in some tartar sauce was a great seafood experience. This concoction was topped on some vinegar picked button mushroom slices and blanched asparagus, garnished with some black colored sturgeon caviars and served with some beetroot dressing. The beetroot dressing had a hint of chopped onions, vinegar and sugar. The taste was simply refreshing when combining a bit of everything in the mouth. This appetizer with a tad of creaminess, sweetness and sourness sure boosted up my appetite for more dishes to come.

As for Soup, we were served with the Oven Baked Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Pumpkin Seeds. One sip and you would realize that it was not simply done. The soup had that sweetness not only from the baked pumpkin but also from some thick vegetable stock. Combined with the creaminess from the whipped butter cream and coarsely crushed roasted pumpkin seeds, it was indeed my perfect kind of soup. You can get the waiter to grind in some black pepper for that extra peppery flavor.

As for the Main Course, it was either fish or chicken. We were first served with Pan Fried Cod Fish on Sweet Potato Puree with Carrot Mustard Sauce. For fish lovers, this dish would indeed suit you well. It was a thick slab of cod fish, mildly herbed, salted and pan fried to perfection with the juiciness still locked within the fillet. With a little twist of some lemon juice, a small scoop of the sweet potato puree and a little dab on the carrot mustard sauce, it was a mouthful of freshness.

The next main course option was the Baked Chicken Wellington with Spinach and Gravy. Well, I did fell in love with the Baked Beef Wellington dish once at the Swez Brasserie and this dish was done just as good as the other. The preparation of this poultry dish was somewhat quite similar to the chicken cordon bleu with rolled up chicken fillet. Instead of having ham and cheese rolled up and coated with breadcrumbs prior to deep frying, this dish had a sprinkle or two of paprika, chopped onions and mushroom rolled up and wrapped in puff pastry prior to baking. It went well with the accompanied brown sauce and sautéed baby spinach with chopped garlic.

The Dessert truly would express your love for each other significantly with the Endless Love being served. It had a chocolate fenced up heart shaped strawberry mousse served with two mini jackfruit filo pastry wraps with clear vanilla sauce, a strawberry and a chocolate stick. You would also get a Valentine’s Day Mocha Praline on that day. It was a simple dessert to me but was very well presented.

The Swez Brasserie is located at the ring wing of Eastin Hotel, Penang (next to Queensbay Mall). If you are coming from Georgetown towards Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone via Bayan Lepas Expressway, do watch out for the Pulau Jerejak signboard (leading to Pulau Jerejak jetty). Ignore the turning and drive on to the next left junction. Turn left into Jalan Aziz Ibrahim and drive on until you a roundabout. Turn 3 o’ clock and drive on until you see a big Eastin Hotel signboard at the first right junction. Turn right and drive on. Park your car at the basement car park. Take a lift to the first floor lobby and you would see the restaurant there.

Name: SWEZ BRASSERIE @ EASTIN HOTEL
Address: 1 Solok Bayan Indah, Queens Bay, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-612 1128
Business Hours: 6.30pm-10.00pm (Valentine’s Day only)
GPS: 5.33643, 100.306345

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

Quite a number of F&B outlets are taking this opportunity to have their Grand Opening today since it’s a nice date~ 11-11-11 (11 November 2011). One such outlet is the Tea Secret, an outlet specialized in producing tea and fruit based beverages with the concept originating from Taiwan. Thanks to the management for inviting a few of us to grace the auspicious occasion. There are quite a few choices to choose from, starting from Milky Tea Premium Tea, Around The World, Nutrilicious Yoghurt, Natural Fruit Tea, Latte Series, Milik Cream Tea, Frozen Indulgence, Delicious Chewy Tea, Yakult Tea and Smoothie Delights. The Tea Latte Series has a special and imported machine just like the coffee version and may require a slightly longer waiting time.

All the beverages would come in two sizes – 500cc and 700cc. There would be options to top up these beverages with either Pearl, Aloe Vera, Grass Jelly (Leong Fun), Pudding, Ai-Yu Jelly, Coconut Jelly or Konjac (a colorful jelly having the al dente similar to that of Nato de Coco) at RM1.00nett. On top of that, you have the option to adjust the sugar level to your liking from 0% (no sugar), 30% (slight sugar), 50% (half sugar), 70% (less suagr) and 100% (normal sugar). Moreover, you can also request the ice to be 0% (no ice), 70% (less ice) and 100% (normal ice). You can click on the photo below to have a clearer view of the options.

Here are the 700cc of beverages provided to us by the management. It sure was a large and filling one at that size.

There were also some catered snacks for our appetite such as different flavors of Cheese Tarts, Chocolate Tarts, Fruit Tarts, Cream Puffs and some Chocolate Brownies. It was indeed a sweet over sweet temptation for those sweet toothed guests.

Here are some of the bloggers and friends who attended the grand opening.

Overall, I find that some of the beverages were a bit too sweet to my liking. Maybe I should have requested for one with lesser sweetness instead of having ordered the normal ones (100%). Well, it might take some tweaking before one would get the right taste for his/her preferences. As for the top-up ingredients, I somehow like the natural aloe vera, and ai-yu jelly due to the fact that they went well with the more fruity teas. It was a waste that the coconut jelly and pudding were out of stock before we could even try them.

The Tea Secret kiosk is located right next to the Lower Ground car park at the South Zone of Queensbay Mall. Alternatively, if you enter the Central Zone of the mall, just turn left and walk towards Dome Café. Use the escalator down to the lower ground and you will see the kiosk right under the escalator. It’s just next to Nippon Yataimura Japanese Restaurant and nearby Jusco Supermarket.

Name: TEA SECRET @ QUEENSBAY MALL PENANG
Address:
LG-K1, Queensbay Mall, Persiaran Bayan Indah, Sungai Nibong, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Malaysia.
Business Hours: 11.00am – 10.00pm
GPS: 5.332499, 100.306417

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: 6.5/10 (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)

Unless you are a hard knocked angler, you might not even be aware that such a seafood restaurant as the Gertak Sanggul Fishing Stage existed at the far south-east end of the Penang island. A paradise amongst anglers who prefer to relax under the shady areas next to the man-made fishing pond rather than heading up the hilly path of the Gertak Sanggul’s secondary jungle to the jackpot angling destination, this place would always be their favorite fishing spot. You can try your angling luck by paying RM40 for 3 hours of hooking up fishes such as the red snapper (ang cho), sea bass (siakap) or mangrove jack (ang ka tia). Presently, there’s an ongoing jackpot of over RM3,000 for whomever that can capture the sole goliath grouper (long tan). An additional RM200 would be given for the return of the prize fish. Business hours would be from 9.00am until 1.00am.

The setting up of the restaurant is simple with just a few tables by the pond and a few more along the patio area which could’ve been planned by companies like Gold Coast Patio Concepts. It was amazing that you can’t find any menu here as they would just cook up anything upon your request, even with the fish that you had just landed. Dishes could include any fried rice or noodles, ala carte dishes to preordered course dinner with cold plate (RM80) as starter.

As the few of us just dropped by impromptu, we tried out their ala carte dishes with rice. The first dish that arrived was their Steamed Thai Style Red Snapper (RM28). The fish was barely 500gms, thus we did not get much meat on this skinny fellow. Fortunately, the gravy with traces of onions, chopped garlic, button mushrooms, green pepper, tomatoes, tamarind and lemongrass was quite appetizing. It had the mild sourness and saltiness that could be just as good as the Wong Chau Jun sour fish vermicelli noodles down at Jalan Rangoon, Penang.

The next dish that was presented was the Marmite Chicken (RM10). All the crispy meat pieces were from a drumstick. The yeast extract, a by-product of beer brewing, combined with some sprinkle of sugar, caramelized and stir fried with some chopped onions and curry leaves blended in real well with the deep fried chicken pieces. They were rather tasty except that I would prefer to have deboned ones instead.

Frankly speaking, the next dish which was the Kung Po Mantis Prawns (RM10), tasted quite similar to the Marmite Chicken as it also had some sugar added in rather than having the savory flavors as I had expected it to be. The dish had some chopped onions and dried chilies added in but there was not much spiciness in it as it lacked the more usage of dried chilies. Overall, the dish tasted quite nice with the crispiness from the batter infused mantis prawns but somehow this process drained the juiciness within the mantis prawns. I would recommend that you order either the former or the latter but not both due to the close similarity in taste.

You should try out the Sambal Asparagus (RM10). It was palatable as the dish had that nice fragrance from some toasted prawn paste (belacan). Not only was the dish less oily, the crunch from the asparagus and the freshness from the prawns were just right. I only wished the portion was a bit bigger.

The main highlight of the night was the Spicy Salted Egg Crabs (RM48). We had two huge and really fresh meat crabs stir fried in some curry based concoction together with salted duck eggs. The added curry leaves made the flavors from the dish even more irresistible. It had all the nice flavors but I found something missing from the dish. It was the significant amount of salted egg yolk bits. I guessed the chef would have used his bowl of pre-prepared salted eggs instead of providing one whole duck egg. What a joke! Moreover, the price of the dish had increased tremendously over a few months. It used to be around RM36 sometime last year. I actually don’t mind paying that amount if the crabs were filled with delicious but high cholesterol egg yolk~ 😛

Overall, this restaurant could be quite nice for a family outing after an evening stroll along the beautiful beaches of Gertak Sanggul. Price wise, it could be a bit high considering that I can get quite similar quality dishes nearer to the town area without driving all the way through the dark corners of the beach stretches. Moreover, the brewed beverages here were too diluted for my liking.

If you are coming from the Bayan Lepas FTZ area along Jalan Bayan Lepas towards the Penang International Airport, drive over the overhead bridge towards Teluk Kumbar. Drive on for around 6-7km and watch out for a big “Hai Boey Seafood” direction signboard on your left at a junction. Turn left into the junction which would also lead you towards Gertak Sanggul. Drive on until you see the “Hai Boey Seafood” signboard on your left. Drive all the way until the end of the road and watch out for the old signboard (Pusat Makanan Laut dan Memancing Ikan Gertak Sanggul Fishing Stage) on your right which is just before to a bus stop (Bus Route #308). Turn right into the sandy road and you would see the restaurant on the left. Make sure you visit this restaurant as early as possible (as at 6.00pm) or you might have to drive back under quite dimly lighted stretch of road home.

Name: GERTAK SANGGUL FISHING STAGE
Address: 388, MK 8, Gertak Sanggul, Teluk Kumbar, 11910 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Business Hours: 6.00pm-12.00am (Closed Wednesday)
Contact: 604-649 1812, 012-494 7322, 012-470 8989, 016-480 9109
GPS: 5.283129, 100.191296

RATING:
Ambience: 6/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7.5/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

A trip up Teluk Kumbar today proved fruitful for Chef Chen Hong (陳鴻) and his entourage as they finally get to visit the durian orchard that had named one of their native durians (土榴蓮) as “鴻榴槤/Hong Durian”. Even before the chef’s arrival, this species of durians which has been in existence for over 2 decades and was nicknamed as “crocodile skin durian” were already selling like hotcakes amongst the locals.

It was amazing how the owner knew how to differentiate the dozens species of native durians here. One thing for sure, they chose the ideal one to name it after Chef Chen Hong. The dark yellow colored flesh of this durian has that smooth custard creamy sweetness with a hint of fermented wine after taste. The fruit was almost all meaty with small seed. The quality can be compared to the second hottest selling durian, Hor Lor (Calabash/葫蘆), just right after the hottest selling Ang Hae (Red Prawn/紅蝦). What an honor for Chef Chen Hong to have that fruit under his name. This durian would surely do well if exported to Taiwan.

An expert in his culinary skills as always, Chef Chen Hong opened up a durian with ease. He charmingly remarked that the durians should be sold overseas not as a fruit but something exotic and unique that can be created in many forms of delicacies. He had even thought up of a few recipes which durian would be the main ingredient impromptu. They don’t address him as the Culinary Prince (美食王子) in Taiwan for no reasons, right? 🙂

Chef Park (from Korea) and Chef Billy Ng (runner-up of 8TV’s Hot Chef Season One) also had their try outs in opening durians. I wonder if the owner was serious enough to name their two durians as “Korea” and “Billy Boy”. Chef Park who was not a lover for durians eventually took to a liking for them.

The up the hill durian orchard was still untarnished with man-made pollution. The stream was so clean that you can still drink from it. Many fishes and prawns were sighted swimming about happily without the intrusion of human kind. The atmosphere was fresh and clean with abundant flora and fauna blossoming everywhere. Even a rare species of butterfly flew over and landed on my hand. What a beautiful sight that was. The orchard which spanned from Teluk Kumbar to Tanjung Asam (“chui cheang” where angling trips to the nearby Pulau Kendi was often planned) had many other famous branded durians such as the Ang Hae (Red Prawn/紅蝦), Hor Lor (Calabash/葫蘆), XO, Kapili Susu, Lipan, D2, D24, 604, Ooi Keong Ong (Turmeric King/Kunyit King/黄姜王), Xiao Hong (Small Red/小紅), Ganja (Cannabis), Chneh Poay Kia (Green Skin Boy/青皮仔), Bakuli (Marbles), Phua Cincu (Half Pearl) and many more. Other local fruits such as rambutans, mangosteens, cempedak, etc are also available here.

The evening event was also attended by the entourage of Chef Chen Hong, Chef Park, Chef Billy Ng, Food Digest crew members, FoodTok, family members and friends of the owner, food bloggers and reporters. It was indeed a fun-filled outing for everyone after some hectic weeks of planning, organizing and food hunting for the best food in Penang.

If you are coming from the Bayan Lepas FTZ area along Jalan Bayan Lepas towards the Penang International Airport, drive over the overhead bridge towards Teluk Kumbar. Drive on for around 6-7km and watch out for a big “Hai Boey Seafood” direction signboard on your left at a junction. Turn left into the junction which would also lead you towards Gertak Sanggul. Drive on until you see the “Hai Boey Seafood” signboard on your left. Slow down. Drive on for another 400m and watch out for a small slope on your right (GPS: 5.283556, 100.209471). Drive up the slope and you would see a small temple on your right. Just follow the sign boards available and you would reach your destination within 5 minutes.

Name: SONG HAI’S DURIAN ORCHARD
Address: Teluk Kumbar until Tanjung Asam, 11910, Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Business Hours: To call up
Contact: 016-467 5233 (Mr. Tang Song Hai)
GPS: 5.292088, 100.211914
Sales Office: 26 Lintang Merak, Sg. Dua, 11700 Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia. (Opp. Tesco Extra)
FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Song-Hais-Durian/129590123727593

RATING:
Ambience: 5/10 (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: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

With the success of Hammer Bay Seafood next to the Gold Coast Resort Condominium, Bayan Lepas, Penang, more and more of such beachside seafood sheds wannabes have started to mushroom along the coastal highway nearby the inhabited beach areas of Bayan Mutiara near to the jetty to Pulau Jerejak, Penang. How successful are those “I donno if it’s legal to set up there” stalls? One such place would be the Bahtera Santai Seafood & Ikan Bakar stall, with romantic settings, dim lights and under the canopy type of dining ambience with a panoramic view of the Penang Bridge.

The stall would serve lots of fresh seafood obtained from fresh daily catches of the local fishermen.

Now come to the part of taste, price and attitude of the staff. I have been quite lenient and frank about food quality of the Penang’s food industry, regardless of whichever type of cuisine, but whatever being served here were way beyond my expectation. On top of that, the serving system was rather chaotic with our second order of drinks never came at all. Let’s just have a look at the Mee Hailam (RM4.00). As for price wise, it was at normal market rate. As for taste wise, I would advise you to get some health insurance, just in case you have kidney problem resulting from too much of the food here. The “lye water” enriched yellow noodles with some vegetables combined with the barely traceable small chunks of chicken meat were practically swimming in a pool of fishy stench salt water. What pondered me was the presence of the fishy taste when there were not even any traces of seafood inside the dish. The Fried Salted Fish Rice (RM4.00) was another disastrous dish. They were using the cheapest salted fish (mackerel/ikan kembong), without even deep frying the flesh. The whole plate of fried rice was overpowered by the salty and fishy salted fish chunks. The Deep Fried Squids in Batter (RM23) tasted quite fine although they were a bit “over-battered”. Well, you’ll never get them wrong with the easily available “KFC frying flour” and Thai chili sauce. However, I was fumed over the price! How could 3 six inches squids cost as much as RM23? Even those famous Malay seafood places, such as the Hammer Bay Seafood is charging merely RM5 per plate. Are they trying to slash our throat just because we were not locals there? I did asked the cashier if the price charged was for the whole list of items ordered and she just ignored me and continuing calculating the bill. What an attitude! After passing me the bill, I kept asking at least 3 times if the amount charged was right and she nodded. Well, all the proof of the squid sizes and bills are displayed below. Do I need to say more?

It would be easier to reach the restaurant if use the Jelutong/Bayan Lepas Expressway. Just follow the direction towards Queensbay Mall. Drive on until you see an overhead pass when nearing the mall. Watch out for a signboard (as shown below) to Pulau Jererak Resort & Spa. Turn left into the road and drive until the T-junction. Just turn left and drive a bit more and you will see the beach stall on your right.

Name: BAHTERA SANTAI SEAFOOD & IKAN BAKAR
Address: Bayan Mutiara, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Business Hours: 5.30pm – 1.00am
GPS: 5.344851, 100.312126

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: 4/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 9/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 7/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

สวัสดีครับ. Sa wat dee krap! Welcome to another Thai food adventure within the month. LOL! Ever since the day I set foot on Tree Monkey @ Tropical Spice Garden, Terrace Bay Restaurant (Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang), here I was at another Thai restaurant outlet at Krystal Point, Penang – Maa Roy Thai Seafood Restaurant. The outlet is managed by another partner from the existing Maa Roy Thai Food Restaurant (6A, Lorong Abu Siti, 10400 Penang. Tel: 604-227 8616), Ms. Patricia Phannluck Lim. The halal-certified restaurant served up to almost 50 types of authentic Thai dishes daily.

Since the restaurant is located within the vicinity of many offices and factories, you would expect to see a few interesting set meals for lunch and dinner. You can have a single pax lunch meal on weekday at RM6.90+. There would be 8 sets to choose from with a free ice lemon tea. There would also be the 2 pax lunch set meal (with different set dishes daily), which would come with 3 dishes, 2 rice and 2 lemongrass drinks (weekdays: RM25.90+, weekends: RM29.90+). As for dinner, there would be 2 different family set meals available – Set A: 3 dishes + 2 rice + 2 Chinese tea (RM37.00+) and Set B: 4 dishes + 4 rice (RM55.00+).

As there were only two of us, I tried out the RM37.00+ set which came with Green Curry, Stir Fry Mixed Vegetables and Deep Fried Chicken with Lemongrass, 2 rice and 2 Chinese Tea. The Green Curry with chunks of chicken slices was good. The dish was flavorfully prepared with a strong hint of Thai basil and red chili slices as garnish. The color may look mild for many but it did give a good punch of spiciness. The Stir Fry Mixed Vegetables (other than the other option of Thai Kangkung which my friend would not take) tasted normal in some light gravy but there were lots of abalone mushroom slices added in. The Deep Fried Chicken with Lemongrass was normal too as it was a bit dry to my liking. Slices of mildly marinated and deep fried batter coated chicken were stirred together with some deep fried batter coated lemongrass slices. Somehow, the fragrance from the lemongrass did not seep into the meat. It tasted just like plain batter coated chicken slices. I would rather have some lemongrass slices stir fried in some butter and then mixed with the chicken slices to get the moist in the dish and the necessary flavors. Luckily, there was the Thai chili sauce to save the day. The Chinese Tea might taste foreign to some as there was a strong hint of screwpine leaves (pandan) added in.

As we have two guys here with big appetite, we also ordered some additional dishes. The Pineapple Fried Rice (RM7.00+) which came in the shape of a heart was rather mild. It came with turmeric flavored rice fried with some prawns, mixed vegetables, pineapple, chicken and egg. As for taste wise, it was fine, except that I would prefer a spicier version with more signs of riper pineapple cubes. Next was the Pandan Chicken (RM7.50+ for 3 pcs). The spices used on the chunky pieces of chicken meat and the pandan emitted fragrance were just nice except that it was a bit too salty to be taken alone. I suspected that too much salt has been added into the coconut milk used in the preparation. Lastly, we had Tub Tim Krob (RM3.90+) as dessert. We had two bowls with lesser ice, served with red jelly coated water chestnut cubes, jackfruits in creamy coconut milk. Although the chef was careless enough to miss out the syrup, the sweetness from the water chestnuts and jackfruits blended in well with the creamy coconut milk.

There would be a 5% service tax included in all orders. Psss… That was not the end of the story. I had more craving for Thai food. The following day, I had visited Lang Sae Lee Thai Restaurant at Tan Jetty, Weld Quay, Penang, which had gone through a beautiful facelift with more than 15 tables now, more choice of dishes and more friendly service staff to handle the increasing multi-national patrons. The Thai dishes here are still as delicious, cheap and traditionally cooked as ever even with a bit of price increase.

If you are driving from town towards Bayan Lepas, upon seeing Queensbay Mall, keep to your left and go over the flyover leading to Bayan Baru (Lebuhraya Sungai Nibong). Drive until you reach the traffic lights at the roundabout and make a U-turn back to the other side of Lebuhraya Sungai Nibong. Turn left into the first junction you see and drive a bit further and you would see the restaurant on your right, between TCE Tackles Sdn. Bhd., a vacant lot and Chin Dental Surgery.

Name: MAA ROY THAI SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Address:
B303-1-27, Krystal Point, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-643 0752
Opening Hours: 11.00am– 3.00pm, 6.00pm-10.00pm
GPS: 5.331544, 100.297069

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: 7.5/10 (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)

For more information, please visit <http://www.tourdirections.com.my/directory/>. Planning your Penang food tour? TourDirections Penang helps you discover Penang cafes and restaurants, Penang hawker food, Penang budget hotel and Penang homestay at TourDirections.com.my.

NOTE: This restaurant has ceased its operation in 2011.

If you need a casual dining place or even for a business meet up place, where would you go? You can start with Caffe Strada, a nice pork free restaurant at Krystal Point, Bayan Baru, where all your indoor and al fresco dining needs would always be served well. Upon entering, the simple yet sophisticated setup, which may include pieces like that vintage rug, would give you that homely feel.

Thanks to Alan Choong, a group of the Penang bloggers managed to pay this restaurant a visit.

We started with some appetizers, namely the Green Garden Salad (RM8.90). It was a refreshing start as the dish had all the crunchy vegetables such as iceberg lettuce, onion rings, capsicum and glazed with some smoked chicken slices and eggs, followed by a garnish of sunflower seeds and croutons and some of their in-house special salad dressing. This was indeed a healthy dish.

The next appetizer was the Seafood Chowder in Bread Bowl (RM15.90). The presentation was unique. There were hints of seafood chunks such as prawns, squids and fish combined with the sweetness from the mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, heavy cream and a touch of butter. Maybe it was just my preference, but I would rather have more bites in the soup. A touch of evaporated milk might make the soup a bit creamier. The bread was also a bit on the hard side as it tasted more like biscuit than bread. I guessed the chef would need to lessen the baking time in future.

As for the main, we started with the Asian Delights section, where rice and noodles ruled. We had 3 rice dishes served with rice, omelette, greens and crackers. First was the Kung Pao Chicken (RM9.90) where chicken chunks were stir fried with onions, dried chilies, spring onion in kung pao sauce and garnished with some cashew nuts. This was quite a nice set. It would be even better if only the chef were to put in more high heat cooking style (wok hei) as I could not find the pungent taste from the dried chilies. Next on the list was the Kam Heong Seafood Combo (RM8.90) with prawns and squid rings in kam heong sauce. This again lacked the fragrance from the curry leaves. I hope the chef would look into this as the leaves had to be slightly fried in oil to get that unique fragrance prior to adding in the rest of the ingredients. Salted Fish with Chicken Fried Rice (RM8.90) was served next with a honey coated roasted chicken wing. Not bad but it still lacked the “wok hei” required. On top of the deep fried salted fish bits, maybe the chef might want to consider adding in some deep fried rice for that extra crunch.

We were then served with Bao Zhiang Mien (RM11.90), a combination of deep fried wonton noodles, garnished with shredded carrots, cucumber and purple cabbage and topped with their special minced chicken gravy. I would advise diners to consume this soonest possible as the moisture from the vegetable might just kill the crispiness of the noodles. The dish tasted just like the one I had at Restoran Esquire Kitchen at The Mines Shopping Fair in Selangor but the portion here can be a bit too big for my consumption.

Next on the list was the Tomyam Seafood (RM8.90) with a choice of either rice vermicelli (bee hoon) or instant noodles. Well, this did not taste like any Thai style tomyam at all but rather Malay style where it had more tomato taste rather than the usual Thai style spiciness. I would still prefer the Thai style here.

Before proceeding to the next set of dishes, we had a try out on the beverages. The management sure did invest quite well in this section as the beverages were quite uniquely presented except that some could be rather sweet to my liking. We were served with Fluffy Hot Chocolate (RM6.90) which came in many decorations, Strawberry Kiss Frappes (RM8.90), Choco Banana Frappes (RM8.90) and Chocolate Chip Frappes (RM8.90). I kind of like the Choco Banana Frappes as it was the least sweet amongst the rest and it had the unique creamy blended bananas that I love most.

The next round of beverages included Mango Frappes (RM8.90), Orange Jewel Milk Shake (RM7.90), Ice Bear (RM6.90) and Italian Lime Soda Float (RM6.90).

We then continued with some lighter Western Delights such as the Spaghetti Bolognese (RM9.90) with minced chicken sauce served with a slice of garlic bread. Although the al dente of the pasta was just right but the sauce was a bit too sweet to my liking. The sauce should be tame with just the natural sweetness from the tomatoes, garlic and herbs with hardly any sugar added just like the one I had at Kafe Soul Kitchen Trattoria.

If you prefer bread instead, you can try out their Club Sandwich (RM12.90). It had toasted bread slices stuffed with smoked chicken breast meat, cheese and vegetable. This would be served with fries and salad.

The next few dishes were chicken based. We were served with Caffe Strada Roast Chicken (RM13.90) complimented with mashed potatoes, corn and vegetables. The skin of the roast was perfect with the right flavors and the mashed potatoes was marvelous considering that it was made fresh with bits of potatoes remained. The only setback was the meat. It should either be marinated for a longer period (fork some holes into the meat would be ideal) or roasted with some stuffing. It was rather bland. Next was the Mongolian Chicken (RM15.90), served with mashed potatoes and coleslaw. This was good. The sweet and spicy sauce complimented well with the chicken and both the side dishes were gorgeous. Cheezy Grilled Chicken (RM17.90) was next in line. The melted cheese on the chicken with a dash of paprika did give that punch.

Grilled Butter Fish (RM19.90) was served next with steamed vegetables, corn and mash potatoes. I believed that salmon was used in this dish but it was a bit overcooked as the flesh was dry. The chef might have to take note on lowering the heat when grilling this to maintain the moist within.

At least the next dish which was the common Fish & Chips (RM8.90) did please me. The crispy batter coated fish was great while maintaining the juiciness of the flesh inside. The side dishes of coleslaw and fries with tartar sauce complimented each other real well.

You can also try out their Grilled Lamb Shoulder (RM19.90). Although it was well done, the taste with hints of butter and mints as marinates was great, especially the fatty parts. 😛 It went well with the mint sauce.

With such a great investment by the management, you can be assured that your next cup of coffee would be great. We were treated with Cappucino (RM6.90), Espresso (RM4.90) and Caffe Latte (RM6.90).

What amazed me most was the Iced Coffee Slush (RM9.90). It really brought back many fond childhood memories when I started having that concoction. It was just plain Espresso combined with a scope of Vanilla ice-cream. Each mouth was a different bitter sweet sensation. Nice!

What would be better to end a dinner with a cup of coffee and some nice cakes? We were also treated with 3 types of cakes, namely Marble Cheese Cake, Oreo Chillied Cheese Cake and Chocolate Mint Cake (RM6.90 each). They were mild as I liked it and delicious indeed.

If you think that all you need would be some snacks with your group of companies, then you should try out the Caffe Strada BBQ Chicken Wings (2pcs RM5.90, 4pcs RM9.90), served with house chicken wing sauce. Each wing was nicely marinated with the right texture for bites. The accompanied spicy sauce complimented real well.

Overall, this is a nice place to hang out with friends for a drink. As for food, some of the dishes can be quite appetizing and filling. If you are driving from town towards Bayan Lepas, upon seeing Queensbay Mall, keep to your left and go over the flyover leading to Bayan Baru (Lebuhraya Sungai Nibong). Drive until you reach the traffic lights at the roundabout and make a U-turn back to the other side of Lebuhraya Sungai Nibong. On your left now would be Krystal Point 1. Ignore the first turning and drive further up to the second left turning to Krystal Point 2. Turn left and left in Lebuh Bukit Kecil 6 and you would see the 3 shoplots restaurant on your right.

Name: CAFFE STRADA
Address:
Block 1-01-12, 13 & 14, Krystal Point Corp Park, Lebuh Bukit Kecil 6,
Krystal Point II, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-643 6643
Opening Hours: 12.00 noon – 12.00 midnight (9pm onward happy hour)
GPS: 5.331159, 100.298164

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

Many of you may not be aware but there is this simple bakery by the name of Wahaha Bakery in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, which had been supplying some great bread and rolls to some of the major health food outlets in mainland as well as on the island for quite some time. What made this bakery outshine in the baking market are some of their unique and trendy creations.

The first thing that attracted me was their bamboo charcoal by-products. Bamboo charcoal has been used as early as in the Ming Dynasty in China for many purposes which include fueling, bedding products as it can emit far infra red rays to help in blood circulation, speed up the metabolism and encourage cell growth, the adjusting of humidity in the atmosphere, air and water purifier such as expelling bad odors, killing bacteria, dietary supplements in improving personal health as well as in beautifying the facial and body skin. Of course there are the bamboo charcoal powder and bamboo vinegar (pyroligneous acid) which had provided many benefits in the world of health and science.

From the above bamboo charcoal powder, you would get some nice and soft Bamboo Charcoal Wholemeal Rolls (RM2.60 for 3pcs) in the shapes of croissants from this bakery. This product has been a craze for some years now as a popular health product especially in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The product has cleansing properties that would help in blood circulation. The rolls here were lovely as they had the right ashy flavor to my liking. I could even consume them without any spreads of butter, fruity jam or even coconut jam (kaya). At least they do not taste as bitter and charcoal filled as some that I had tried in KL some years back.

The next thing that attracted me was their latest creation – Vegetarian Green Tea Sushi (RM1.50 for 3pcs). The sushi was real cool! It has high quality Japanese seaweed (nori) wrapped around a layer of soft and spongy green tea bread, filled with freshly cut cucumber, carrots and pumpkin floss, with some sushi sauce added in too. This was another unique experience but there’s a drawback. It would be better to consume when it is fresh or the moist from the vegetables might make it soggy.

There’s also the Green Tea Wholemeal Loaf (RM3.00) that was soft and fluffy. You can take it plain too as there were some sweetened red beans kneaded in them. You can also have the bread slices lightly toasted as an evening snack.

If you think that a loaf of bread would be too much for your consumption, do try out their Black Sesame Wholemeal Rolls (RM2.80 for 6 pcs). Black sesame seeds are high in calcium, iron, copper, magnesium and phosphorus. The copper would strengthen blood vessels, joints and bones, thus is good for relieving arthritis whereas magnesium would support vascular and respiratory health. The calcium would improve your bone health. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it’s believed that the seeds would promote kidney and liver health as well as to treat constipation and to regulate bowel movements.

Do you know red has a very high attractive power? I was also attracted by the natural color of the Red Dragon Fruit Cinnamon Roll (RM3.50 for 3 pcs). The red dragon fruit or pitaya is good for those with Type 2 Diabetes as it would help in lowering the blood glucose level. The grounded cinnamon on the other hand would lower the LDL cholesterol level. These fruity flavored soft and delicious rolls had some raisins and sesame seeds added. They were also glazed with some natural honey. I had a real nice tea time.

I also had a High Fibre Wholemeal Pumpkin Bun (RM1.80) for tea. The natural sweetness of the pure pumpkin puree within the bun was heaven. The moisture from the filling blended in real nice with the texture of the wholemeal bun.

There were also the Assorted Muffins (RM1.30 each or RM6.00 for 5 pcs – chocolate, blueberry, green tea & black sesame) and Carrot Walnut Muffin (RM1.50 each) that I almost did not have the opportunity to try out. My nieces gobbled them up immediately! Haha! They seemed to be a favorite amongst kids. Well, I love them too as they had the right moist to my liking compared to some that I had tried which were rather hard and dry.

There are also many other products available at this simple bakery which I alone could not cover all but you have to check them out yourself if you happen to be around that area. If you do not intend to go all the way to Bukit Mertajam just to get your healthy bread and rolls, you could always check up some of the outlets below to get some of the products. Make sure you call up first to check on the availability.

Healthy DIY
G-05 Pangsapuri Seri Melur, Jalan Raja Uda, 12300 Butterworth, Penang.
Contact: 012-503 7880 (Jessie)

Kedai Organik Olive Green (opposite Sunshine Bayan Baru)
34 Jalan Mayang Pasir,Bayan Baru, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang.
Contact: 604-645 2404

Kedai Minuman Nutrisi Healthy Life House (beside Eyewear Shop)
1-G-22, Suntech Penang Cyber City, Lintang Mayang Pasir 3,
Bayan Baru, 11950 Bayan Lepas,Penang.
Contact: 012-431 8805 (SK Tan)

Kafe JenxDan Lifestyle
21 Jalan Chow Thye, 10050 Penang, West Malaysia.
Contact: 604-226 8414, 019-471 9123

If you are coming from Penang Bridge towards Bandar Perda along Jalan Permatang Batu in Bukit Mertajam, keep a lookout for the beautifully designed TNB building within Bandar Perda on your left. Slow down when you reach the traffic lights and turn right into Jalan Padang Lalang. Drive over the railway track and move on until you see the second traffic lights (Mayban is on your right before the traffic lights). Turn right into Jalan Tembikai and drive on until you see another traffic lights (Jalan Tembikai/Lorong Tembikai Satu cross junction). You will see the famous night time Gaik Fong Bak Kut Teh shop on your right. Turn left into Lorong Tembikai Satu and drive on until almost the end and you would see the bakery on your right, third shoplot at the last row of shop houses.

Name: WAHAHA BAKERY
Address:
54 Lorong Tembikai Satu, Kawasan Perindustrian Sungai Rambai,
14000 Bukit Mertajam, Penang, West Malaysia.
Contact: 014-247 0018 (Hoyyee), 012-552 4118 (Mr. Chee)
Business Hours: 9.30am-9.30pm
GPS: 5.358054, 100.448329

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7.5/10 (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: 7.5/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

It’s the time of the year for fruit feasting as there are lots of fruits on sales just anywhere you go along the roads of Penang. From May until August each year, you would get to enjoy many of the seasonal fruits especially durians – the King of Fruits. The different species of the fruits can come in shapes such as oblong and round with yellow, green or brown husks and the flesh would either be in white, pale yellow, yellow, orange to red. These thorn covered fruits are famous for their large sizes and unique smell that made them the love and hate of many people. I don’t think anyone had created a name for its intruding odor but to some it may just well be the combination of pungent cat pee, musty gym shorts, smelly socks and gas leak. I even heard someone mentioning that his neighbors called in 911 to report a rotten corpse. LOL!

Penetrating odor as the nicknames have suggested above, the fruits have the same reputation as the Hong Kong Stinky Tofu – the scent of smell could be overpowering but the scent of taste would sent many floating in heaven. There are many species of durian available in the South East Asian regions of Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia but most of the durian lovers would still prefer those from Balik Pulau, Penang, Malaysia and its surrounding areas as the texture are finer with stronger acquired taste.

Thanks to Steven’s contact with the daughter of a durian seller, an entourage of the few of us was able to have the first hand experience in tasting the best of this stinky fruit. There are many species of durians available here such as Kor Teh (Bitter Herbal Tea), Kucing Tidur (Sleeping Cat), Susu (Milk), Capri, D15, D2, COB, Ganja (Cannabis), Seven Goddess (七仙女), Bak Ewe (Lard), Ang Hae (Red Prawn), Ooi Keong (Turmeric/Kunyit) and many more. We started by tasting the more common ones and later to those award-winning and branded ones.

We started with the so called Ooi Keong Ong (Turmeric/Kunyit/黄姜王 – approx. RM10). It was fibrous, custard creamy and sweet with a hint of fermented wine after taste. Although the fruit was filled with lots of meaty flesh, it was just average to my taste bud as it lacked the strong aromatic taste of durian. Even though so, it would still be ideal for general consumption as it was rather filling.

We were then given a test on our preferences for the following two branded durians of almost the same quality – Hor Lor versus Kim Poh. Comparing the colors of these two different species, Kim Poh (Golden Treasure/金寳 – approx. RM15) had a more inviting color of mixed orange and yellow. Taste wise, it had a smooth creamy and custard like flesh with slight bitterness. To me, it was a bit over ripe but that was the uniqueness that made the fruit having its strong fermented wine after taste and likeable by many.

The moment everyone tried the Hor Lor (Calabash/葫蘆 – approx. RM15), there was a moment of silence as everyone was enjoying the beauty of the taste. The flesh was so smooth that it just melted in our mouth like ice cream. The creamy sweetness and bitter end taste obviously showed which species won the contest. Thumbs up for Hor Lor!

The next durian which was the Chneh Poay (Green Skin/青皮 – RM8-RM20) tasted more like native durians as it did not have much of the durian flavor “strength”. More fibrous compared to the rest, it only taste sweet towards the end nearing the pulp with more obvious bitterness.

I thought the next durian served was the laugh of the day – That Kah Chui (Stuffed Buttock/塞屁股 – approx. RM10) but that was indeed the name given by Ah Joo for this native durian (durians from the older unnamed trees/土蓮). This was just another typical native durian with thinner flesh and larger seeds. Although sweet with fine texture, it definitely would not satisfy my craving for better and more fulfilling durians. I’ll need more meaty flesh, regardless of branded or native as some native durians could taste far better than branded ones.

Here are a shot of some native durians which you could get a large bagful for less than RM20.

The Man of Honor aka Ang Hae (Red Prawn/紅蝦 – RM10-RM30) came out last as we had had decided to save the best for last. The fruit was indeed the best as it has won many awards in the local durian scene. The flesh was the finest around with smooth custard like creaminess. There was the distinctive sweetness and wine taste with a slight touch of bitterness. I would recommend this species. There’s a secret when consuming Ang Hae. The fruit should not be eaten once collected from the plantation. It should be left aside for a few hours to enable it to gather that powerful “booster”!

On top of having durian fresh or having them with steamed white glutinous rice topped with thick and slightly salted coconut milk and fine sugar, there are many other by products available here such as the local durian paste cake (durian kuih), dried durian meat cracker, durian cream cake, coconut durian glutinous rice cake (dodol), durian ice cream, durian nian gao (glutinous rice cake available during Chinese New Year) served with shaved coconut, etc. Phew! There are just too many to mention here. For me, I love to have the seeds roasted or boiled until cooked. They tasted just like chestnuts. Wonderful!

However, when you have the King of Fruits, you would also have the Queen of Fruits during the season – Mangosteens (RM2/kg or RM5/3kg)! These proud looking tangy and peachy flavored ladies in deep purple dresses with Brazilian party like greenish headgears and white pinkish undergarments have been believed to be the antidote for those who had consumed too many of the “kings”. Its nutritious richness and antioxidant strength would surely compromise with the sugar level, carbohydrates, protein and fat that of durians. Isn’t it great to have the “cooling effect” of mangosteens versus the “bodily heatiness” of durians? But have a pair of watchful eyes when peeling as the purplish natural dye from the fruit might stain your attire terribly. The edible endocarp of the mangosteen would normally have few segments of so called wedges like flesh. The bigger ones would have seeds. At the bottom of the exocarp would be some embossed wheel spokes like ridges. That would determine the amount of “wedges” the fruit will have within.

Other than the kings and queens, we have the hairy like fruits called Rambutans (RM2/kg or RM5/3kg). These fruits may come in many colors such as red, yellow, reddish green, green (unripe) or maroon (shorter hair). The species sold here were from Balik Pulau, Penang. They have thinner skins with a much thicker coconut crunch like texture. The taste of rambutans would be somewhat different compared to other tropical fruit as it has a unique mild acidic sweetness. Some older generations might even pickle them in salt. It actually tasted real good as pickles. One advice for those with asthmatic or throat problems – Do not take the fruit with the skin from the seed intact. It would cause continuous irritation to the throat.

Another tropical fruit that would be quite famous, especially amongst the Malays would be the Buah Langsat (RM2/kg). These fruits are normally oval in shape and would come in bunch of 30 fruits or less. The yellow and leather like skin fruit has 5-6 peels of translucent juicy flesh inside. Just like the mangosteen, it has whitish like seed in bigger peels. As for taste, it has a sweet and slightly sour acidic flavor with a hint of bitterness if not fully ripened.

Last but not least my so called Prince of the Fruits – Cempedak (RM3/kg). The sausage like fruit practically grows on the trunk of the tree. The unique South East Asia native fruit has red, orange and yellow arils and taste somewhat like a stronger jackfruit with a hint of durian (without the intruding smell of course). I actually wanted the stronger and sweeter fruit with red arils but it would take a month or two more before they would be available. We ended up with the yellow ones which tasted just as great. Although some people would love to have them fresh, my favorite teatime snack would still be the double batter fried ones. Why double batter fried? The first batter dip would be to get the flesh cook and the next batter dip would get the seed within cooked well and to give that extra crunch. Just like the durian seed, the cempedak seed has the unique chestnut flavor but a bit softer than the former.

I would surely archive Ah Joo’s contact for the remaining months and also for years to come as this has been one of the great fruit stalls around. Even their Buffet Durian Promotion (5-10pax at RM25/adult and RM15/child) shone out amongst the rest as there will be unlimited supplies of branded durians for your consumption. If you feel like having a durian fiesta right in the comfort of your home, delivery service can be arranged for an order of more than 10 fruits. Do check out the delivery time below.

Finding the stall would not be hard if you know how to get to the Penang International Airport by using Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah. As you reach the airport entrance “Y” junction, turn right and go over the flyover into Jalan Bayan Lepas. Drive on until you have reached the Jalan Permatang Damar Laut junction. Drive straight until next prominent landmark which would be the Emerald Park/Krystal Country Homes on your left. Drive further until you see the Teluk Kumbar Mosque, Kampung Sungai Batu. Slow down and watch out for Ah Joo’s Durian Stall just a few meters away on your right next to Forever Star Electrical and Plumber Trading.

Name: Ah Joo Durian Stall
Branch Address: 1238 Jalan Bayan Lepas, 11900 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 017-422 2248 (Ah Joo), 012-453 1812 (Delivery-Kelly)
Business Hours: 10.00am-12.00am (daily)
Delivery: After 5.00pm (weekdays), business hours (weekends)
GPS: 5.285736, 100.238872

RATING:
Ambience: 5/10 (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: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Invited Reviewers:
Criz, Cariso, Food Paradise, Steven Goh, Chan CW

Note: This restaurant has ceased its operations in Penang.

Basically this is not a food post but just an awareness post that there is a new outlet in Penang, Malaysia, that would cater for all your basic business and personal needs. Located near Queensbay Mall and within the newly constructed BayAvenue, there existed a little corner café like shop by the name of Steven’s Hotspot. It was a privilege for a few of us to be invited by the marketing team of STG Resources Sdn. Bhd. to witness the soft launching of the latest hotspot outlet and a briefing on the history of the company by the Marketing Director, Mr. Michael Ng. Thanks Mr. Edward Tan for the special arrangement.

Initially started as a mamak stall by the name of Steven’s Corner in OUG Garden in the late 70’s, the business has now expanded with the opening of another two outlets in Pandah Indah and Setapak in Kuala Lumpur. To provide Malaysians with the experience of dining freshly concocted ingredients imported directly from India in a more comfortable environment, Steven’s Tea Garden was formed with the state-of-the-art ambience in major shopping complexes, namely Sunway Pyramid, MidValley, Bukit Bintang, AEON Ampang, AEON Bukit Tinggi and Semenyih TESCO.

To provide further services to the community, Steven’s Hotspot was formed with the first outlet being officiated in Kuala Lumpur, followed by Penang on 9 May 2009. Ipoh and Johor Bahru hotspots would follow suit within the next few months. The concept behind Steven’s Hotspot is totally different compared to Steven’s Corner and Steven’s Tea Garden. The setting up of the hotspots in strategically located prime townships within Malaysia is to ease the community in their daily running of errands. It’s a one-stop centre for business appointments with the facilities of having WIFI services, printing, photocopying and faxing of documents. Moreover, it also served as a utility, telecommunication bill payment and purchasing of prepaid outlet for your personal need.

In case you might want to grab something a drink while waiting for the arrival of your clients, you could always try out their 1997 & 1999 Malaysian Tourism Board, Mix FM and The Sun ‘Best Teh Tarik Award’ winning beverage, the Teh Tarik (Malaysian style pulled tea with milk – RM2.50).

There are other options too such as canned drinks and flavored tea.

There are also light meals and snacks supplied by quality Halal certified local food vendors available here. You could always try out their local delicacies such as Nasi Lemak and kuih-muih or cakes and pastries from the counter.

We had tried out their Tuna and Seafood Croissants (RM8/set), Blueberry Cheese Pie (RM6), Lychee and Tiramisu Cakes (RM8.50/pc). There were nothing to shout about on the taste and quality as their main concentration was based on providing convenient services as a business centre.

The mission and vision of Steven’s restaurant chain of restaurants is to expand the business with the expectation of 100 outlets in Malaysia within the next few years as well as to expand aboard. This can only be made possible with their Customer Loyalty Program managed by STG Resources Sdn. Bhd. There are four types of memberships available such as the Classic, Silver, Gold and Platinum memberships. If you are interested in any of their memberships and want to know the benefits available, you can check them out. There is also opportunity for you to own your franchise restaurant through their partnership program.

It would be easier to reach Steven’s Hotspot if use the Jelutong/Bayan Lepas Expressway. Just follow the direction towards Queensbay Mall. Drive on until you see an overhead pass when nearing the mall. Watch out for a signboard leading to Pulau Jererak Resort & Spa. Turn left into the road and drive until the T-junction. Turn right and drive on until the roundabout. On the way, you would see JJ café on your left. Drive 12 o’clock after the roundabout until you see a junction on your right where Shanghai Ding – House of Dumpling is located. OXO Café would be at the next building. Opposite the café (on your right) would be the newly construction BayAvenue business centre. Drive through the parking meter, drive straight and make a left turn at the first junction and you would see Steven’s Hotspot at a corner shoplot.

Name: STEVEN’S HOTSPOT
Address: B-16-1, Lorong Bayan Indah 3, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Business Hours: 11.00am-11.00pm
GPS: 5.337456, 100.307114

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