CRIZ BON APPETITE

Poon Choi (盆菜) or also known as Big Bowl Feast/Big Basin Feast, is a traditional dish which originated from the village of Hong Kong. This multi layer of ingredients dish is usually served during special occasions such as wedding, reunion, festivals and so on. Choice layers and layers of precooked ingredients such as vegetables, meat, seafood, mushrooms and meat/fish balls are slowly arranged until the brim of the bowl/basin with a mixture of sauces from each individual ingredient. The art of eating Poon Choi is by tackling the layer by layer of the ingredient from the top until the bottom. Cost wise, it could range between tens of ringgits until thousands, depending on what quality of ingredients you put into the bowl/basin. There was a time when urban restaurants decided to introduce this dish to their up-class diners at a rate which would be quite impossible for the budget of an average income diner. Today, Zi Zai Restaurant had changed that perception by providing quality Poon Choi at an affordable price with two size options. The bigger size at RM400nett (RM418nett effective February 2013) could fill up the appetite of 10 persons but could feed up to 12 or more persons (especially with a mixture of ladies and children), whereas the smaller size at RM258nett (RM268nett effective February 2013) could accommodate the stomachs of 4-6 persons. Both sets would come with free flow of steamed rice and herbal teas. (Note: Make sure you call in 1-2 days earlier to book your table as it would take tedious hours of preparation for such a dish.)

Recently, we had a small gathering amongst 13 friends and we opted for the Big Basin Feast (RM400nett). The basin came with 14 ingredients which consisted of (from base) Chinese Cabbages, Braised Pork Belly in Red Fermented Bean Curd (Tao Joo/Nam Joo), Yam, Yam Bean (Sengkuang/Jicama), Sea Cucumbers, Chinese Mushrooms, Fish Maws, One Whole Charcoal Roasted Duck, One Whole Chicken in Sesame Oil, Broccoli, Deep Fried Snapper Fillets, Deep Fried Homemade Hock Chew Fish Balls (Fish Ball with Minced Meat Filling), Sweet n Sour Prawns and One Whole New Zealand Abalone Slices (on the top). It came heated up on a portable gas stove with a low-medium fire to avoid the base being burned. Well, the cabbages which were laced at the base for this purpose were indeed slightly burned but due to the long period of maintaining the heat. Alternatively to avoid burned items at the base, the kitchen could consider using a shallow based metal or porcelain plate to avoid this issue. As for taste, the whole combination was just right to my liking. The gravy had the taste of high soup stock combined with the individual seasonings and sweetness from all the ingredients within… not too thick and can be easily taken as a soup.

They do also have “takeaway package” for both sizes of Poon Choi but the free flow of rice and herbal drinks would not be included.

I ordered the RM258 package home recently for a small family reunion. This smaller size would have half the portion of the ingredients served as above but with one whole abalone. I managed to have the abalone replaced with Kooi Fa Abalone (actually they are evenly cut calamari slices) and Fresh Scallops. Yup, you can have additional ingredients or replace one or two ingredients for your Poon Choi if the boss agrees to it but the price would be based on market rate.

Other than Poon Choi, Zi Zai Restaurant also serves other stir fry dishes. One of their signature dishes would be their Assam Prawns (RM32 – about 16 prawns). Good sized prawns were marinated with tamarind juice, sugar and salt prior to being fried to perfection. This easy to cook Nyonya cuisine would get many yearning for more as the tamarind infused prawns had that slightly acidic sourness on top of the briny sweet taste.

Another of their signature dishes would be their Belacan Chicken Wings (RM16). Belacan or commonly known as shrimp paste would be something some foreigners would dread coming near to one. Due to the long fermentation of grounded and sundried shrimps, they indeed omit an intruding smell to the nose but belacan remains one of the most sought after ingredients throughout South East Asia. Alternatively, some would use belacan granules to avoid the overpowering smell floating around the air. The restaurant sure had mastered their recipe well here as each bite onto the succulent and yet crispy meat would surely boost up your appetite for more.

A simple dish such as the Stir Fried Bean Sprout with Salted Fish (RM12) would go well with any meal, especially with the meat and seafood enriched Poon Choi. I admired the commitment of the restaurant staff in peeling off the roots of the bean sprouts to give the dish a clearly look. The chef did a real job here in maintaining the crunch on each sprout.

Another nice vegetable dish would be the Stir Fry Yao Mak in Garlic (RM10). It’s simple and yet delicious. The chef again did a great job in maintaining the freshly crunch on the vegetables. Yao Mak is also known as Baby Romaine Lettuce.

Occasionally, there will be some species of clams available at the restaurant. What we had was the Stir Fried Sambal Lala (RM12). The mildly spiced up dish had that gingery taste from some shredded ginger and spring onion garnishing. Unfortunately the supply on that day was rather small, thus leaving the Lala without much flesh. Overall, it was still an acceptable dish for our palate.

Don’t you think our lunch for that day was impressively delicious?

Yours truly also did sponsor 2 cans of New Zealand abalones to make the occasion more joyous. The chef had abalones cooked with some fresh mini Chinese cabbages.

Finding this restaurant won’t be hard as it’s located along the main road of Paya Terubong, Air Itam, Penang. The easiest way would be driving through Farlim, Air Itam via the Thean Teik Highway. If you are coming from town along Jalan Air Itam into Lorong Batu Lancang, just drive all the way until you have reached a traffic light (Lorong Batu Lancang/Thean Teik Highway). Turn right into Thean Teik Highway (Lebuhraya Thean Teik) and drive all the way pass 4 traffic lights until the end. At the last T-junction traffic lights (Lebuhraya Thean Teik/Jalan Paya Terubong), turn right into the main road of Jalan Paya Terubong. Drive about 400m and you would see the restaurant on your left along a stretch of shop houses.

Name: ZI ZAI RESTAURANT (自在飯店)
Address: 1239-G, Ground Floor, Jalan Paya Terubong, 11600 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-826 5173 (Mr. Tan Hock Chai)
Business Hours: 4.00pm – 10.30pm (Closed Tuesday)
GPS: 5.387212, 100.274013

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: 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)

NOTE: Effective May 2012, Bon Appetit Western Deli has relocated to Golden City Restaurant (GPS: 5.404561, 100.286574), 10K Jalan Air Putih air Itam, 11500 Penang. Business Hours: 12.00noon until 9.00pm (Closed Alternate Tuesday). It’s behind the Keat Seng Restaurant in Reservoir Garden.The outlet here has ceased it’s operation end of 2012.

Penang has always been the best destination for food lovers from all over the world as there would never be an end to any kind of cuisine at any time of the day. Other than the famous local hawker fares, there’s also the availability of street Western food at any nooks and corners of the beautiful state. One such Western food stall has popped up recently at the newly constructed area of Paya Terubong, namely the Bon Appetit Western Deli within the premises of EQ Kopitiam. The existence of the stall has no doubt given the residence there a new taste of great grilled Western dishes at an affordable price.

Most people would think that having Western food quite often might cause a burn in the pocket. Well, this perception has to be changed as Bon Appetit Western Deli has its way to promote its dishes at an unbelievable price that would make dining a total different experience, thus by combining Western food with our local staple food, namely steamed rice. There would be 3 types of SET LUNCHES available daily which consist of either chicken, fish or pork, with an option to choose your preferred sauce such as brown sauce, sweet & sour sauce or black pepper sauce. We tried out the Chicken Chop Rice (RM5.00). The dish came with rice, an omelette, a generous amount of greens dressed with some mayonnaise and grilled chicken with brown sauce. The grilled chicken chunks were well marinated and cooked until perfection while maintaining the tenderness of the meat. The brown sauce on the other hand has only managed a mild herb taste and was not as thick and flavorful as I would have expected. I would think a bit more of rosemary and plain/potato flour added in would have a better outcome. Nevertheless, the grilled chicken was awesome on its own.

The next set lunch meal with was the Fish Fritter Rice (RM5.00) also consisted of rice, an omelette, a generous amount of greens dressed with some mayonnaise but with deep fried breadcrumbed dory fish fillet, topped with sweet and sour sauce. The chef did a great job as the fish had just the right crispiness while maintaining the moist within. The sweet and sour sauce which basically used some chili sauce with some sautéed chopped garlic, onions and a sprinkle of herbs, complemented the fillet well.

The third set lunch meal was the Pork Cutlet Rice (RM5.00). Most Western food stalls nowadays do not serve pork as they are also targeting at those non pork takers. At Bon Appetit Western Deli, this was an exception as their pork chop which also came with rice, an omelette, a generous amount of greens dressed with some mayonnaise but with grilled pork cutlet with black pepper sauce was superb. The well marinated and grilled pork cutlet went well with the slightly pungent tasting sauce.

Other that the above Set Lunches, there are also some delicious items available in their Ala Carte Menu for both meals. As starter, you can always order the Soup of the Day (RM3.00) which happened to be Mushroom Soup on that day, accompanied by a slice of crunchy toasted Garlic Bread. The soup was normal but at least it was creamier than others.

They do also serve the rural Canada originated Poutine (RM4.50), which traditionally consisted of French fries, brown sauce and cheese curds. Somehow, the chef created his own version by replacing the cheese curds with mayonnaise. No doubt the whole concoction was creamy but it was too sour to my liking due to that fact that Mayonnaise has that sourness from either the usage of lemon juice or vinegar in the recipe. It would be better if the orange colored cheesy mayonnaise or ranch dressing be used here. Alternatively, some grated cheese sprinkled over the dish would have provided a different taste altogether. There are actually many variations to this dish. The Italians love to replace the gravy with Bolognese sauce with some sprinkles of grated cheese. The Mexicans love them in some dipping sauce such as blended avocado with sour cream, topped with grated cheese. Other variation might add in items such as turkey, chicken, bacon, ham, sausages, crab meat, chopped onions and more. There’s actually no right or wrong method in preparing poutine but one thing for sure is that cheese (mostly from the Cheddar cheese family) would never be left out. As for presentation, some sprinkles of paprika and chopped spring onions would make the dish more flavorful and colorful.

One of the hot selling items here would be their Grilled Chicken Chop (RM7.00), topped with the gravy of your choice. The dish would come with some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread. I simply love the caramelized texture on the chicken. It was flavorful even without the gravy.

As for the fish section, many diners would go for their Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce (RM7.00), which would also come with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread. The Dory fish fillet was well grilled but I personally felt that it lacked that buttery taste as well as some herbs. A small cube of butter on the grilled fillet before serving plus some sprinkles of mixed herbs or even capers would provide the dish with a better justice.

The Grilled Salmon Steak (14.00) was something to crave for as it was the star of the day. I quite like the natural taste of the fish without the heavy usage of marinates and sauces. The only worry I had was the cut. The steak has bones in it. It would be a disadvantage for those elderly or kids to savor such a beautifully done dish without worrying about being choked by the small bones within. It would be great if a fillet version being served here. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

As I had mentioned earlier, Western food stalls serving pork would quite hard to come by. Do try out the Grilled Pork Chop (RM8.00). This is one dish not to miss out too. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

Grilled Pork Chop might be rare but the next dish which was the Pork Cordon Bleu was even scarce in Penang. The golden fried breadcrumb coated Pork Cordon Bleu (RM9.50) was heaven. One cut and you would see the melted cheese oozing out to welcome my presence. The dish was done perfectly to my liking with the flavors from the stuffed ham and cheese seeping right into the pork fillet. I think I would go without the gravy next time as it did soil the crispiness on the awesomely prepared dish. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

The chef has always been a lamb chop lover, thus you would know how enthusiastic he would be in preparing his favorite Grilled Lamb Chop (RM9.50). At such a price with such a big portion, this is another dish you should not miss out. By having the patience to watch over the meat over slow fire, the chef did a great job in providing a nicely flavored lamb chop, served with some tasty mint sauce. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

Finally, there was the Grilled Rib-Eye Steak (RM16.00) which was grilled just as tasty as the lamb chop. It was grilled medium-rare to maintain the tenderness and juiciness of the choice piece. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

Overall, the dishes served here, especially those grilled items are delicious. The chef sure knows how to handle his grills well… just as good as Robert Rainford, the AFC’s License to Grill’s host. As for the sauces as well as presentation, he would need to explore more into the styles served by others to further improvements. My most frequent western food stall with the best sauce in town would be the first one he should look into. Here is the full menu in case you are interested in other available dishes. Please click on the menu for a clearer look.

It’s not hard to locate the shop as it’s just a unit off the newly constructed Pine Valley Business Centre along Jalan Paya Terubong. If you are coming from the Air Itam district along Jalan Paya Terubong towards Relau/Balik Pulau, drive on until you see the second traffic lights (Lebuhraya Thean Teik/Jalan Paya Terubong – Shell petrol kiosk is on your right). Drive on for about 500m and you would see the Pine Valley Business Centre sign on your left. Turn left into the service road and drive on until the end of the shop houses. Bon Appetit Western Deli is at the last third unit along the row of shop houses.

Name: BON APPETIT WESTERN DELI @ EQ KOPITIAM
Address:
Pine Valley Business Centre, 1049 Jalan Paya Terubong, 11060 Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 012-452 5311 (Mr. Pierre Choo)
Business Hours: 11.00am-3.00pm, 6.00pm-10.00pm (Closed Monday)
GPS: 5.381342, 100.275470

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

Well, don’t get me wrong with what I had mentioned above. It was indeed the longest – the longest in terms of a Chinese Cruller or Fried Bread Stick (You Tiao) from Te Chang You Tiao Wang (Extra Long Chinese Cruller King). Ever since I had discovered this 14” crunchy golden brown and deep fried delicacy along the road side of Jalan Paya Terubong at the end of last year, many people, especially those from the local temples had supported this humble establishment. They had considered this product as a good omen as in the local direct “qin tiao – 金條” means gold chain, a sign of prosperity. Some of the Penang floggers had the opportunity to try them out on last Saturday evening. Thanks to the down to earth boss, Mr. TH Tan, who was ever willing to share his success story with us.

Originally started in a small town in Kuala Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia, the business had expanded to Penang, giving Penangites the opportunity to try out what has been described as fusion-styled crullers. On top of being one and the half times the length of a normal You Tiao, the crullers came plain as well as stuffed with savory and sweets. The secret behind the crunchiness of the crullers lies in the usage of clean oil as well as this specially designed aluminum stove to ensure the evenly spread heat to cook the crullers.

Other than the stuffed crullers, one of my favorites would be the Black & White Sesame Twins (3 for RM2). The Black & White Sesame Twins is quite similar to Ma Keok (Horse Shoe Shaped Sweetened Crullers) except that they were kneaded differently with black and white sesame seeds. The outer layer of this cruller remained crispy (due to the sugar coating) while the inner part has a softer bite.

You would be surprised to know that both the different shaped crullers actually came from the same dough but with a different biting experience. Both depended on the different proofing time of the following dough.

Here are the crullers we had tried out. Let’s start with the Plain Cruller (RM1). It was long and crispy and one piece would be more than enough for my consumption unless I have something to dip in. LOL!

The Tuna with Mayonnaise (RM2.50) was my favorite. At least some moisture within the filling did make each mouthful smoother without much dryness. It had tuna flakes mixed with mayonnaise, chopped onions, cabbages and carrots. Simply crunchy and delicious!

They also do have Stuffed Cruller with Meat Floss and Mayonnaise (RM2.50). For those meat floss lovers, this cruller would be ideal as it has a generous amount of meat floss stuffed inside.

Children would love the next cruller which was the Stuffed Cruller with Sausage and Mayonnaise (RM3). It has two sausages stuffed inside and topped with lots of mayonnaise and chili sauce. You can opt out the chili sauce for those who cannot take much chili.

“Roti Bakar satu set!” meaning one set of toasted bread would be the last thing you would hear from this stall. Instead, they have a few other sweeter combinations of crullers for you to choose from such as Peanut & Butter, Kaya & Butter, Honey & Butter. Each set would cost you only RM2.

On top of that, they have warm Black Soy Bean Milk at only RM1. The crullers would be best taken when they are fresh and crispy. Leaving them too long with the mayonnaise stuffing would not ensure their crispiness. Moreover, they would become too oily and soggy. I had some problems at this stall due to the dryness from the crullers. In fact, I would think most of us there were also quite careful about our deep fried food intake as everything seemed to be rather dry. I would have expected at least some soup based products such as peanut soup, red bean soup or even congee to be served with the crullers. According to the boss, those were not in demand. I wondered what was the reason behind the lack of customers’ demands? I guessed most people would have had takeaways. The stall also lacked choices for beverage. Some Chinese tea would make a great compliment after so much of deep fried food. Thick and black local coffee would be another good option for those who like to dip their crullers, like myself. Worst still, not even a sign of any ice products on such a humid weather. I hope they would improve further on these few suggestions for dine-in customers.

If you are coming from Jalan Air Itam (near Kek Lok Si Temple) towards Jalan Paya Terubong, you would pass by SJK (Cina) Kong Ming 2 on your right and then East Coast Seafood Restaurant on your left. The stall is just a bit further up on your right before the Lintang Paya Terubong/Jalan Paya Terubong traffic lights. In fact, it is just next to the Paya Terubong Lao Foo Zhi Bak Kut Teh stall. This extra long Chinese cruller originated from Kuala Perlis. They are the main supplier of You Tiao to one of the famous seafood restaurants there. You could even try them out at their main branch in Kuala Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia.

Name: TE CHANG YOU TIAO WANG ENTERPRISE
Branch Address: 1250-A, Jalan Paya Terubong, 11060 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 016-433 7301 (Mr. TH Tan)
Main Branch Address: 76, Jalan Sarawak, 02000 Kuala Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia.
Opening Hours: 6.00am-5.00pm (Closed Alternate Tuesday)
GPS: 5.394278, 100.276451

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: 6/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Note: This restaurant has ceased its operation.

The concept of having little fish to treat your dead skins had boomed in the past few months with more and more fish spa shops mushrooming throughout the whole of Penang. What many might not know is that there’s another evolved kind of fish related business, the first ever concept, started in Penang barely a month ago. What do you think of the concept of dining with fish then? Let us look into this newly open café, brainstormed by a fish breeder cum Arowana Club Penang member, George Liew, who had named his shop as the Aquatic Café.

Even before you enter the café, you would see two tanks of his prized arowanas and mahseers (ikan kelah) being proudly displayed at the entrance. Don’t you think the golden arowana looks beautiful? A fish with these marking and color could fetch thousands in the aquarium fish market.

Upon entering the café, there were rows of aquariums on both sides of the dining area. Baby arowanas, baby mahseers can be seen swimming actively in the specially constructed build-in aquariums.

I was there to check out the food menu recently. The first dish that was served was the Aquatic Nasi Lemak (steamed coconut milk rice with side dishes – RM7). The set has two juicy pieces of curry chicken, some potatoes, half an egg, some crackers, peanuts and their specially prepared sambal ikan bilis (anchovy curry), presented with a few thinly sliced cucumber and tomato. This is not a bad dish actually as the curry chicken was not too spicy and the sambal ikan bilis blended in well with the steamed coconut milk rice. Even a kid would be able to consume this dish. The only problem is that the peanuts could be a bit hard for my consumption.

Next one the table was the Aquatic Cheese Baked Seashells Pasta (RM9). You can opt for chicken or beef. The dish was served with a large amount of seashells pasta, topped with the pasta gravy and garnished with some parmesan cheese. The dish had some sweet after taste. Maybe I’m used to consuming more fresh ingredients with minimum sugar intake. I hope the boss would add in some pasta carbonara recipes as there would be more choices for people who does not consume tomato puree.

They also serve Aquatic Home Made Pies (RM8.50) with a choice of Mushroom Chicken, Black Pepper Chicken and Curry Chicken gravy, all accompanied with some French fries and greens.

This is the amount of meat and gravy you would get for your Mushroom Chicken Pie (pastry not shown here).

Your Black Pepper Chicken Pie (pastry not shown here) won’t look much different as the above as it had some black pepper sprinkled on it. I prefer this than the above choice.

You could also savor the Aquatic Cheese Baked Dory Fish (RM9), served with French fries and greens as well.

There are more items in their menu which I did not try out such as the Aquatic Sandwiches/Toast (RM3.50), Aquatic Chicken Curry with Toast (RM5.50), Aquatic Tuna Cheese Melt (RM4.50), Aquatic Garlic Bread (RM3), Aquatic Home Made Pizza (RM4.50/RM8.50), Aquatic Fish & Chips (RM9), Aquatic Spaghetti Bolognaisse (RM9) and Aquatic Chicken Spaghetti (RM9).

There also have their own brand of coffee (The Only One) in their beverage menu such as Cappuccino, Latte, Vanilla Latte, Caramel Latte, Hazelnut Latte, Irish Cream Latte, Mocha, Flat White Coffee, White Coffee, Aquatic Black Coffee and Hot Chocolate. These all have low sugar content. Thus, quite suitable for diners who are healthy conscious and the pricing is cheap. Hot (RM2.50-RM4), Cold (RM3-RM3.50) and Blended (RM3.50-RM5). If you are not a coffee lover, you can opt for their Mango, Orange or Lychee Juices – Cold (RM2), Blended (RM2.50) Can drinks are at RM2.50 each. Prices for all the above are at net price.

Overall, the food served here can still be improved, considering that they are only in the market for just a couple of weeks. Their beverages price could be a crowd puller. All the drinks are much cheaper than those franchise F&B Cafes around town. Moreover, it is not a bad place for anglers and fishing enthusiasts who would like to sit around, while admiring the beauty of the arowanas and mahseers swimming about. This cafe has WIFI access facility available too. It would also be an ideal place for families to bring their kids along to dine in here. Most of the fishes displayed are also up for sales. Some of the prized arowanas could fetch quite a high price too.

The café is just diagonally opposite the Te Chang You Tiao Wang stall which I wrote about earlier. If you are coming from Jalan Air Itam (near Kek Lok Si Temple) towards Jalan Paya Terubong, you would pass by SJK (Cina) Kong Ming 2 on your right and then East Coast Seafood Restaurant on your left. Keep to your left and drive on until you had reached the Lintang Paya Terubong/Jalan Paya Terubong traffic lights. Turn left and then left into the service road (which is a one way street). Try finding a parking space further up as the café is just on your right next to a Nasi Kandar shop.

Name: AQUATIC CAFE
Address: 1228-P, Jalan Paya Terubong, 11060 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact:
604-827 6973, 012-433 6724 (George Liew), 016-473 5129 (Seng Wei)
Opening Hours: 12.00pm-11.00pm (Closed Monday)
GPS: 5.393019, 100.276342

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: 7/10 (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)

Penang has quite a number of records in the Malaysian Book of Records and this yummy Chinese Cruller or Fried Bread Stick (You Tiao) from Te Chang You Tiao Wang (Extra Long Chinese Cruller King) could well fall into one of the category as being the longest (as I know) in Malaysia. This crunchy golden brown, deep fried strip of dough was about 14” long, one and the half times the length of a normal You Tiao selling elsewhere.

Even a specially designed aluminum stove had to be constructed to ensure evenly spread heat to cook this dessert.

At present, there are only two types of crullers available at the stall, the extra long cruller (RM1 each) and the Black & White Sesame Twins (3 for RM2). The Black & White Sesame Twins is quite similar to Ma Keok (Horse Shoe Shaped Sweetened Crullers) except that they were kneaded differently with black and white sesame seeds sprinkled on them.

It was not the extra long crullers that impressed me but the fusion of what it had become today. I could not have imagined that they can be stuffed with so many different combinations and yet tasted great. Would you love to try out Stuffed Cruller with Meat Floss and Mayonnaise (RM2.50)?

Stuffed Cruller with Tuna Mayonnaise was my favorite. Selling at RM2.50, it had tuna flakes mixed with mayonnaise, chopped onions, cabbages and carrots. Simply crunchy and delicious!

You can even have Stuffed Cruller with Sausage and Mayonnaise (RM3). This would be a favorite for children.

There were actually a few other sweeter combinations for you to choose. Each set would cost you only RM2. They are Kaya & Butter, Honey & Butter and Peanut & Butter. Instead of having one long cruller with one filling, I opted for the Mixed Cruller which has half meat floss and half tuna mayonnaise (RM2.50).

On top of that, they have Black Soy Bean Milk at only RM1. The crullers are best taken when they are fresh and crispy. Leaving them too long with the mayonnaise stuffing would not ensure their crispiness.

If you are coming from Jalan Air Itam (near Kek Lok Si Temple) towards Jalan Paya Terubong, you would pass by SJK (Cina) Kong Ming 2 on your right and then East Coast Seafood Restaurant on your left. The stall is just a bit further up on your right before the Lintang Paya Terubong/Jalan Paya Terubong traffic lights. In fact, it is just next to the Paya Terubong Lao Foo Zhi Bak Kut Teh stall. This extra long Chinese cruller originated from Kuala Perlis. They are the main supplier of You Tiao to one of the famous seafood restaurants there. You could even try them out at their main branch in Kuala Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia.

Name: TE CHANG YOU TIAO WANG ENTERPRISE
Branch Address: 1250-A, Jalan Paya Terubong, 11060 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 016-433 7301 (Mr. TH Tan)
Main Branch Address: 76, Jalan Sarawak, 02000 Kuala Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia.
Opening Hours: 6.00am-5.00pm (Closed Alternate Tuesday)
GPS: 5.394222, 100.276417

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: 7.5/10 (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)