CRIZ BON APPETITE

Savoring The Best All Over Town…

BE SPOILED FOR CHOICE AT US PIZZA GREEN LANE PENANG

Posted by crizlai On October - 19 - 2015

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.

USPIZZA01 photo USPIZZA01_zpsajxrtpav.jpg

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.

USPIZZA02 photo USPIZZA02_zpsmekdr4te.jpg

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”)

USPIZZA03 photo USPIZZA03_zpsldjzx3g9.jpg

USPIZZA04 photo USPIZZA04_zpsu7kmzvqu.jpg

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).

USPIZZA05 photo USPIZZA05_zpsglnxng2e.jpg

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)

USPIZZA06 photo USPIZZA06_zpsmfrfirpq.jpg

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).

USPIZZA07 photo USPIZZA07_zpsagirook0.jpg

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.

Flyer 1 photo Flyer 1_zpsmx8rdlmx.jpg

Flyer 2 photo Flyer 2_zpsilgyxb5y.jpg

Flyer 3 photo US Tuesday_zpshyxjf44d.jpg

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!

USPIZZAMAP photo USPIZZAMAP_zpss524qdef.jpg

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)

 

AFFORDABLE MEALS AT TAIPEI 101 @ BAYAN INDAH PENANG

Posted by crizlai On August - 6 - 2012

Taipei 101 – Taiwan Cuisine Restaurant has been in operation for almost 3 years and I had just managed to pay them a visit recently. The restaurant would serve quite a number of Taiwanese dishes but tweaked to suit the locals’ taste buds. The food here could be real economical for all consumptions as prices would be in nett.

TAIPEI10101

The restaurant practically served quite a variety of bento sets just like the one I had at Kim Tavern @ Sunway Carnival, Bandar Sunway, Penang. One of the sets was the Sweet & Sour Garlic Pork Bento (蒜泥白肉便當 – RM9.90nett). The bento set came with some stir fried sweet and sour garlic pork, a bowl of rice, half a braised egg, some vegetables and some bean curd stick and seaweed soup. The deep fried eggplants were somehow rather hardy and the stir fried mixed vegetables were somewhat overcooked, thus losing the crunchiness. The dishes were just some simple home cooked dishes which was nothing much to brag about. It would be better if they could give those pork slices a touch of batter and presented it in a semi dry sauce just like how Kim Tavern mentioned above did.

TAIPEI10102

The next bento set was the Deep Fried Lemongrass Chicken Rice (檸檬香茅雞腿排飯 – RM9.90nett). The crispy chicken drumstick portion was humongous but somehow the taste was not up to my expectation as it lacked the taste of the lemon and lemon grass marinates as the said name. Maybe some finely chopped lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves added in the batter would have given the chicken choice piece a better flavor. Alternatively, some thick lemongrass gravy on the crispy chicken would be another good solution. This dish also came with some steamed rice with braised pork sauce, spicy chili tofu and half a braised egg. Unfortunately, the sauce did not have the fragrance as in the traditionally served Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice just like the one I had at my favorite Formosa Restaurant. It lacked the lard flavors.

TAIPEI10103

They do also serve claypot dishes sets which would come with a bowl of rice, some spicy chili tofu and some egg. One of the dishes would be the Spicy Pork Ribs Claypot (辛辣排骨 – RM11.50nett/set or RM9.50nett ala carte). This dish was somewhat like the dim sum version of Steamed Pork Ribs with some fermented black soy beans (黑豆豆豉/tao see) and some spicy spices but with more gravy. Though the pork ribs were tender and packed with flavors, the gravy was rather diluted. The kitchen should simmer the gravy more to thicken it or use less water in the process of cooking. Else, the gravy was quite nice to go with hot steaming rice.

TAIPEI10104

We were also served with the Braised Pork Trotter Claypot (滷豬手 – RM12.50nett/set or RM10.50nett ala carte). Obviously, some pork belly meat had been added into the dish to create more bulk as pork trotters usually would not contain much meat. The sweet black vinegar based dish had some mushrooms added in too. I personally prefer more old ginger added in to pep up the flavor but overall the dish was still great enough to go with a hot steaming bowl of rice.

TAIPEI10105

Another claypot dish that you would hardly get at any Taiwanese fast food restaurant chain would be duck dishes. Taipei 101 do serve Braised Ginger Duck Claypot (子姜鴨砂煲 – RM11.50nett/set or RM9.50nett ala carte). The dish had some choice duck pieces braised in ginger and Chinese wine with some wood ear fungus added in. Not a bad dish but the flavors from the Chinese wine might be overpowering for some diners.

TAIPEI10106

A visit to any Taiwanese restaurant won’t be complete if you did not try out their mee suah (麵線/wheat grass noodles). Taipei 101 has the options for ingredients such as oyster, mushroom, squid, mock abalone, mussel and scallop. We had their Neptune Mian Xian (海皇麵線- RM7.80nett/1 ingredient, RM10.80nett/2 ingredients or RM12.80nett/3 ingredients) with mock abalone (貴妃鮑魚/processed calamari slices). Instead of using the Taiwan imported noodles, Taipei 101 was using a local version which had been deep fried. Thus, the noodles had more al dente than the Taiwanese’s but still flavorful for the dish. The almost miso taste-like soup has a distinctive bonito flakes flavor with additional omelette slices, crabstick slices and some spring onions added as garnishing on top of the mock abalone slices.

TAIPEI10107

The noodle dish would go well with some dry chilies in oil from the table.

TAIPEI10108

Snacks most probably play an important part in the lives of any Taiwanese. One of the snacks that I like most was their Deep Fried Kumara Potatoes with Plum Powder (甘梅地瓜 – RM4.80nett). The sweet red potatoes were done with the perfect crispiness and they were generous with the plum powder too.

TAIPEI10109

Another of their snack was the Popcorn Chicken (鹽酥雞 – RM5.00nett). Great chunks of chicken were used but the batter was not up to my expectation as there were some parts of the coating which were rather hardy. Moreover, the juiciness of the meat seemed not to be in presence as drumstick meat pieces were not used in the preparation. Some seasoning powder with high hints of salt and pepper were tossed into the chicken chunks but it lacked the slight spiciness from some finely grinded chili flakes. I wish they could have done up the dish as great as Formosa Restaurant.

TAIPEI10110

We were also served with their Taiwanese Sausage (臺灣香腸 – RM5.00nett). There were two sausages given compared to other places with only single serving. It was a great bargain. However, the lightly grilled sausage slices were obviously not handmade as the meat within was rather finely minced. Taste wise, they were still acceptable except for the missing chunky bites.

TAIPEI10111

As for beverages, the options were rather standard except for some with a slight twist. We tried out their Winter Melon Lemon Tea (檸檬冬瓜茶 – RM3.90nett), Chocolate Pearl Milk Tea (朱古力珍珠奶茶 – RM3.90nett), Mango Smoothie (芒果沙冰 – RM5.90), Ice Blended Red Bean (紅豆冰沙 – RM4.90nett) and Papaya Milk Shake (木瓜牛奶 – RM4.50nett). The own created recipe of Winter Melon Lemon Tea was rather unique.

TAIPEI10112

Overall, Taipei 101 could be quite an ideal place for a quick and simple meal without worrying much on your budget. Food wise, they are not much into the authentic Taiwanese cuisine but a bit more towards fusion food. There are still rooms for improvements as some of the dishes were a bit out of track with more localized flavors. I also hope the kitchen would improve on their balance in flavors as I found a large amount of their dishes lacked the required usage of ingredients. Let’s hope they could revamp a better menu in the future with the help of some qualified professionals in the industry. Free delivery services would be available for purchase over RM25.

Taipei 101 Taiwan is located just opposite 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 traffic lights. Drive on until you see a stretch of shop houses before the open space car park opposite Queensbay Mall. Taipei 101 is at this stretch of shop houses. The entrance is just before the open car park. Turn left and drive one round to find your parking space.

TAIPEI101MAP

Name: TAIPEI 101 TAIWAN CUISINE RESTAURANT
Address: 35G Persiaran Bayan Indah, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-642 1339
Business Hours:
11.00am-3.00pm (Lunch), 5.30pm-10.00pm (Dinner), 11.00am-10.00pm (Weekends)
GPS: 5.334662, 100.307305

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

 

FANCY HAVING FRIED CHEE CHEONG FUN FOR SUPPER?

Posted by crizlai On January - 11 - 2010

Note: I was rather surprised that this outlet was closed within a short period of time. You could still try them out at Kuta Bali Food Court, Paya Terubong, Air Itam, Penang or sometimes at some night markets.

Visitors to Penang would often go for the authentic type of Chee Cheong Fun where there would be some generous topping of sweet sauce, fragrant prawn paste (heko), chili paste and toasted sesame seeds such as the famous stall at Genting Café, Green Lane, Penang. In the era of fusion food, a new breed has emerged at Star City Food Court, located at the outskirt of Georgetown area.

How would you fancy a plate of Seafood Fried Chee Cheong Fun (RM2.50 for 3 rolls)? Basically the Chee Cheong Fun looked like any normal ones you can get from the streets but this version had some surimi crab sticks and fresh prawns wrapped in them. Upon each order, these pre-prepared rolls would be dipped into batter and deep fried until golden brown. Prior to serving, you have an option of two sauces such as mayonnaise and KL rojak sauce. I opted for mayonnaise sauce on these cut pieces of fried chee cheong fun and had some crushed toasted peanuts sprinkled on them. I’m sure children would love this version well although I did not find much attraction in them compared to my favorite authentic ones.

On top of the above as well as the plain version which would cost you RM2 for 3 rolls, there was also something else to bite on – Toasted Stuffed Bean Curd Puff (RM1.80 each). Each piece of the large bean curd puff would be stuffed with shredded jicama and cucumber prior to being toasted in an oven. Again, there would be two options. This time, I opted for the KL rojak sauce. The surface of the puff was crisp while the interior confined the moist from the shredded vegetables. The slices of the bean curd puff were then topped with the KL rojak sauce and garnished with crushed toasted peanuts as well. This combination tasted not bad, except that I found that the KL rojak sauce to be a bit milder in spiciness and rich prawn paste flavor as those found in some of the famous rojak stalls we have in Penang.

Overall, I found only one unique food that ought to be mentioned here from this food court. The rest of the food from the hawker stalls were just average and nothing to brag about. If you are adventurous to try them out, drive all the way from the Penang Ferry Terminal along Pengkalan Weld until you have reach the Pengkalan Weld/Gat Lebuh Macallum traffic lights. Turn left into Gat Lebuh Macallum and drive all the way until you see Harbour Trade Centre on you left. Turn right and drive on and you would see the food court at the junction of Gat Lebuh Macallum/Gat Lebuh Cecil 1 on your right. Parking space would be quite ample here except on Thursday night when there would be a pasar malam (night market) there.

Name: FRIED CHEE CHEONG FUN @ STAR CITY FOOD COURT
Address: Gat Lebuh Cecil 1, 10300 Penang, West Malaysia.
Business Hours: 5.30pm-11.30pm (Closed on Alternate Tuesday)
GPS: 5.404303, 100.334164

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

UNCLE BOB TAIWAN STYLED SNACKS

Posted by crizlai On February - 23 - 2009

UNCLEBOB01

When you mention about Uncle Bob’s Taiwan Styled Fried Chicken (RM5), most frequent night market (pasar malam) goers would surely heard about them. Being the first to bring in this Taiwanese snack concept to Malaysia, Uncle Bob has been operating this business since 2002, spreading its mobile snack vans all over peninsular and east Malaysia. Well, being a successful pioneer in this food industry has always a drawback. More and more competitors have mushroomed all over the country plagiarizing this successful story. In fact, I had noticed that some competitors even offered more flavors than the existing original and spicy recipes Uncle Bob has.

UNCLEBOB02

What made Uncle Bob so successful in this business? All you can see is just a piece of chicken breast meat or boneless drumstick coated with some bread crumbs, deep fried and sprinkle with some flavoring. That’s nothing special right? What many did not notice is that those chicken meat pieces have their skins and fat removed prior to the frying process. This is a healthier version? Maybe not but at least the consumption of fat would be lesser than most of the existing fried chicken stalls around. Uncle Bob has just two flavors to their bite sized crunchy chicken cutlets, namely original and spicy. The spicy ones were the most sought after.

UNCLEBOB03

On top of the smooth selling product stated above, Uncle Bob has its Research & Development (R&D) group based in Taiwan to find out more products that would the local market. One of the products that launched not long ago was the Sweet Batter Coated Cheese Hot Dog Stick (RM2). It has a jumbo sized cheese filled sausage coated with a specially formulated batter and deep fried to golden brown. The end product has a sweet tasting crispy crust that tasted a bit sweeter than our local pancake (ban chang kuih) base.

UNCLEBOB04

The combination of the sweet and salty taste of the product complimented each other well. The best part would be squirting out some existing juice from the sausages as well as some melted cheese oozing out of your mouth. This is such a cool to snack while exploring more bargains in the night markets!

UNCLEBOB05

As the vans would be on the move each day, I could not provide a specific location map or GPS reading for you to track them down. Maybe a detailed venue of the night markets each day (Penang Island and Mainland) would ease you more in your food hunting expedition. Gook Luck!

Name: UNCLE BOB TAIWAN STYLED SNACKS
Penang Area Contact: 013-4316868 (Mr. David Yong)
Penang Mobile Van Whereabouts: 016-459 4433 (Nee), 016-481 6963 (Wei)

PENANG – ISLAND (NIGHT MARKETS)
Monday– McCallum Street (Opposite Li Tek School entrance)
Tuesday -Tanjung Bungah Market (Next to Bus Station/Market)
Wednesday– Farlim Padang, Air Itam
Thursday-Paya Terubong, Air Itam & McCallum Street (opposite market)
Friday-Taman Kheng Tian (off Van Pragh Road/Hamilton Road)
Saturday-Sungai Dua (opposite Tesco Extra)

PENANG – MAINLAND (NIGHT MARKETS)
Wednesday-Kampung Juru
Thursday-Kampung Valdor
Friday-Taman Permata
Saturday-Mega Mall Food Court (Pacific Shopping Centre) & Kuan Nam Coffee Shop (Chai Leng Park)

OTHER STATES IN PENINSULAR & EAST MALAYSIA
Please check out here for the whereabouts of the mobile vans for each state in Malaysia.

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

COFFEE ISLAND IN PENANG

Posted by Criz Lai On January - 3 - 2009

COFFEEISLAND01

The latest happening in town other than the New World Park would be the newly open Coffee Island situated along the promenade of Gurney Drive. It has the buzzing crowd ranging from families, YUPpies (Young Urban Professionals), college and school students. Moving into the premises was like being greeted by a mini party of giggles and laughs, setting the mood of the environment to happy and lively modes.

Coffee Island could be a great place for those who love to drop in for late breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, supper or even early breakfast in a relax environment as they would be open for business as early as 10.00am until 3.00am. I was there for a late dinner. The menu was rather impressive as it has more than 160 types of food and beverages to choose from. There was also a section for those late owls.

It was a surprise that with such a packed crowd that night, service was still up to par. Waiters and waitresses would check on the provided chit upon serving and supervisors would double check on the orders per table. Meals were served within few minutes too.

The first order that came was the Chicken Maryland (RM11.50nett). It was just a normal presentation with side dishes such as salads, mashed potatoes and some greens. As usual, the dish would also have sausage, pineapple and banana fritters on top of the usual breaded chicken. I would think that the sausage could be improved as it tasted “cheap” and the breaded chicken had a hard outer batter while the meat was extremely dry. It tasted as though it was double fried and lost its juiciness. Somehow this dish was not up to my expectation.

COFFEEISLAND02

The next one was the Traditional Chicken Curry served with Roti Jala (Net Egg Crepe – RM9.50nett). The dish has only three piece of roti jala, two with pandan (screw pine flavored) and one plain, served with spicy chicken slices curry (8 small slices in fact). The taste was great but the amount could hardly fill my tummy, considering that the dish was served with only 4 thin slices of cucumber. Great taste but too pricey.

COFFEEISLAND03

To fill up my tummy, I had to order the Ham & Cheese Toast (RM4.60nett). I was expecting something fragrant and crunchy but in the end I had 3 thick but springy slices of white breads stuffed with a semi fried ham and a piece of cheese. Moreover, there were no vegetables inside, except for some over lime juice taste mayonnaise. I would rather have non toasted bread with butter spread as the whole combination was too dry to my liking.

COFFEEISLAND04

There was nothing special in the drinks too. The Iced Cappuccino (RM5.90nett) was really ‘ice filled” and not to my liking as it tasted so “thin”. The Pink Holiday (RM6.90) was a laugh. It tasted like a sugarless Ais Manis (red syrup iced drink) with some fizzy soda. It was nothing special at all.

COFFEEISLAND05

Maybe it was just due to my wrong timing to dine there when the place was so packed or my expectation could be too high. Anyway, I was not quite happy with the RM43 paid (plus tips) to have these types of food served. If I were to visit there again, I would surely choose other dishes to test them out again. Let me share with you what they have in their menu.

COFFEEISLAND07

Overall, the place would be ideal for meet-ups if the taste of food is not your main concern. The pricing might be a bit high though for the amount of food served and the drink could be a bit “thin”. I would advise can drinks instead. You can opt to dine indoor rather than the al fresco area. There would be two free 1MB WIFI line available, namely Coffee Island 1 and Coffee Island 2. Downloading could be quite fast but uploading is rather slow. There are other “unsecured lines” such as MyBroadband and Gurney67 available but I’m not sure about the speed.

COFFEEISLAND06

The shop is strategically located along the sea front of the famous Gurney Drive (next to Crepe Cottage). If you are coming from town center towards Gurney Drive into Jalan Kelawei, turn right at the first junction (Jalan Lim Chin Guan) where Gurney Tower is. Drive towards the end and turn left. You would pass through Evergreen Laurel Hotel and a stretch of hawker centers on your left. Slow down as Crepe Cottage is immediately after the last hawker center (Song River Café). You can park your car next to the café. The car park is in fact behind Crepe Cottage. If you visit this place during weekends, I would advise you to park your car in the Jalan Birch Car Park (the road after Song River Café) and walk up to the cafe.

COFFEEISLANDMAP

Name: COFFEE ISLAND
Address: 77 Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Opening Hours: 10.00am – 3.00am
Contact: 604-2272378
GPS: 5.432556, 100.316592

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: 5.5/10 (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)

LinkWithin Related Stories Widget for Blogs