CRIZ BON APPETITE

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)

Penang Times Square has been a mall that has been lacking in retail shops but has many new eateries and bistros opening up there. In no time, it would be more of a food mall than a shopping mall. Do not underestimate those little eateries around there as some of them would surely blow you away with their simple and yet mouth watering cuisine. One such eatery would be the Get’em Smack Café. It’s small but yet the interior had that little touch of coziness that would be great for a casual dining for just any age group of diners. The hospitality there is great with lots of regular expatriates. Don’t feel surprise if their staff suddenly communicated with their diners in Japanese. It’s quite normal for them. 🙂 The café do serve quite a few types of cuisine but their pastas and desserts excel amongst other dishes.

As for starter, there’s the Soup of the Day which happened to be Mushroom Soup (RM5.90nett). It may look like a normal bowl of soup with a slice of toasted garlic bread displayed but it definitely would give the required punch. The soup has just the right creaminess with hints of fragrance and sweetness coming from the chef’s secret recipe of combining different types of fresh mushrooms and carrot. It was indeed a touch of difference done tactfully compared to the ones I’ve tried before.

As for main dishes, there were about 9 dishes ranging from pasta, fish and poultry. We started off with the Roast Chicken (RM13.90nett) which in fact was pan-grilled to perfection. The usage of a boneless drumstick combined with the right usage of herbs and spices made this dish remarkably palatable. The outer layer of the chicken maintained a bit of crisp while the inner part was still as tender and juicy. Not a bad choice for a meal. This was served with their unique homemade mash potatoes and some greens, topped with some brown sauce. Their mashed potatoes side dish was unique in the sense that it had kyuri (Japanese cucumber) and carrot slices added in, something that you won’t get from elsewhere. As for size wise, it was just adequate for a normal diner. It would be great if one or two slices of garlic bread being added in for those with bigger appetite.

Their pastas had that wonderful buttery yet fragrant aroma floating about the surrounding. One such pasta would be their Mascarpone Cheese Walnut Spaghetti (RM13.90) with the cheese being one of the main ingredients for making modern styled Tiramisu. With the milky-white coagulated crème cheese skillfully folded into the sautéed chopped garlic in olive oil, prior to being stir mixed with the spaghetti, it would be a great dish for those carbonara pasta lovers. This pasta came with some chopped walnuts and parsley as garnishes and topped with some slices of nicely herbed roasted chicken. The portion was also just right with approximately 180g of pasta being given.

Two new pastas were added in recently. One of the new ones not stated in their menu was the Aglio Olio with Prawns (RM13.90nett). This dish would be one of my favorite pastas served here. The mildly spiced pasta with the fragrance coming from some dried chilies, combined with the briny taste of fresh prawns, sautéed with some chopped garlic and parsley, made this dish remarkably appetizing. Do not leave the café without trying out this perfectly concocted dish.

Another new pasta dish would be their Eryngii Spaghetti (RM13.90nett). For those healthy and meatless diners, this would be my most recommended pasta dish. The usage of eryngii mushrooms (king trumpet mushroom/エリンギ/杏鮑菇) was indeed delicious. The meaty bite from the slightly toasted mushroom slices, combined with the nicely sautéed chopped garlic, parsley and pasta made this dish remarkably tasty. The earthly flavor was one flavor which I would not forget for a long time. Superb dish indeed!

On a lighter side, they do have some nice finger food available. One of them would be the Smoked Duck (RM18nett for 8 skews). This dish would come with some fresh lettuce all wrapped with a slice of smoked duck, dressed with some homemade dressing and herbs. Another dish would be their Greek Pie (RM6.90nett for 3 pieces). This would be another meatless dish as the pies do not contain any meat such as the Kotopoulokopita (Greek Chicken Pie) or Kreatopita (Greek Meat Pie). In fact, it was not even near to the Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie). The café do serve their version as there are a thousand and one ways for filling up the pita based pies but each would definitely has some cheese on them. The Greek pies served here had some freshly made tomato puree, topped with some yoghurt and herbs prior to baking.

As for desserts, Get’em Smack do serves some great crepe related desserts on top of their occasionally available Chocolate Brownie, Tiramisu and so on. One of the more notable ones which you won’t get easily from elsewhere in Penang would be their Crepe Cake (RM6.90nett per slice). Since the cake which would not last for too long in the chiller due to the moist from the fresh crème and fruits, the Café is proud to serve them as theirs are made fresh daily. Each slice has multiple layers of freshly buttered pan-made crepes filled with fresh crème and fruits. The taste was simply refreshing. There also have Mango Crepe (RM6.90), Banana Crepe (RM6.90), Kiwi Crepe (RM7.90) and Strawberry Crepe (RM7.90). The more recommended one would be the Banana Crepe as the fruity and creamy flavors of the ripened fruit complement well with the fresh crème and Vanilla ice cream.

The beverages served here can range from just a soda drink, tea & coffee, fresh fruit juices or just a cup of brewed tea. The Café would serve well-known brands such as the UK based Twinings products such as the English Breakfast Tea, Earl Grey Tea, Camomile Tea and Jasmine Green Tea. Each refillable pot of tea would cost RM8.90nett. You should try more of the Camomile Tea as it has the effect of relaxing the body and calming the mind after a hectic day of work.

The café is located at the exterior part of the mall. It’s actually at the ground floor below the biggest food court in Penang aka Penang Times Square Food Gallery, behind Soju Café and two shop lots away from the Roti Bakar branch. If you intend to park at the open car park at the entrance of Penang Times Square, just drive all the way towards the end where you would see a big “Entertainment City” signage and park your car there. It won’t be that hard to locate them from there on.

Name: GET’EM SMACK @ PENANG TIMES SQUARE
Address: 77-G-44, Penang Times Square, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 012- 401 6888 (Esther Chan) / 017- 478 4901 (Celynn Tan)
Business Hours: 12.00pm – 9.00pm
GPS: 5.411485, 100.32556

RATING:
Ambience: 7.5/10 (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: 8.5/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

“Hey Jon! Where’s my lasagna?” Hmm… Where have I heard this before? Yea… it’s me! Haha. I felt like I have a part of Garfield hidden inside me as I am always craving for lasagna. After searching in many Italian restaurants for lasagna that’s good and affordable, I ended up in Pasta & Pie at Northern Beach Café again and again. Why? It is because the dish can be ordered as ala carte or in a set which will cost you not more than RM16.90. I ordered the set as I can get an appetizer, a main and a dessert at a much lesser price.

You have a few choices to choose from and I chose the Mushroom Carrot Soup. The soup is thick and creamy and it comes with a breadstick. This is how I always love my soup to be. Yummy!

“Thou shalt not touch my lasagna!” Right! You got it! The lasagna is my favorite but the portion is too small to be shared with anyone else. The smell from the melted cheese and the smoothness of the meat and lasagna pasta has always sent me craving for more. It’s a must to try.

As for dessert, I chose the Pumpkin Cheese Pie as it was not too filling compared to the many varieties of chocolate cakes and apple pies the stall has. The top of the slice of Pumpkin Cheese Pie was baked with crunchy almonds slices and accompanied with yummy custard sauce.

There are many other pies which I have tasted before such as the Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, Mushroom Chicken Pie and many other sweet pies that are really good as well. In fact, you can even custom ordered your birthday cakes, wedding cakes, dessert & sweet for your tea party by contacting Tony days before your function.

To get there is real easy. Just drive along Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah where the Northam Hotel is and turn left into the Northam Beach Café. The stall is strategically located within the dining area.

Name: PASTA & PIE @ NORTHAM BEACH CAFE
Address: 58, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Penang, Malaysia.
Tel: 016-555 0317 (Tony Cheah)
Opening Hours: 6.00pm – 11.00pm
GPS: 5.427159, 100.323522

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)

MARINATE (15 MINS):
prawns – some soya sauce, sesame seed oil, pepper and pinch of sugar
squids – some soya sauce, pepper and sesame oil
fish – some soya sauce, pepper and sesame oil

METHOD OF COOKING:
1.Boil a big pot of water with a teaspoon of salt. Put in the pasta and cook until soft according to the instructions given on the packaging. Drain the water and then mixed with some margarine/olive oil.
2.Stir fry all the marinated seafood individually and put aside to be used later.
3.Put 3 Tablespoon oil into a wok. Put in the chopped onions. When it’s cooked, put in the tomatoes and stir fry for 5 minutes.
4.Put in the canned mushroom soups. Stir awhile and then add in the evaporated milk and water. Bring to boil.
5.Put in the boiled carrots, mushroom slices and celery. Bring to boil.
6.Sprinkle some mixed herbs and black pepper
7.Put in the cooked seafood and stir well.
8.Add in salt and sugar to taste
9.You are ready to serve.
10.Put the cooked pasta into a flat plate and put some sauce on it.
11.Garnish with some herbs and celery leaves.

(Serves: 8-10)

Note: Use a packet of pasta if you do not want to have so much. You can keep the rest of the sauce in the cooler to be reheated the next day.

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.