Nibong Tebal Day Market

Continuing the "Day Market" Series of Blog post, The Nibong Tebal Day Market, {a town in Seberang Prai Selatan, (Penang State Main Land South) which have the distinction of being the south most town of Penang} is located not in the town center but located in a housing estate near other housing estates along the road to the Changkat village. This make sense as the market is located where most of people are staying. Thus for their convenience and sparing the town center from a traffic jam. .

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The Market is split into 4 separate sections, Mainly the Wet Section, The Dry Section, Pork Section and The Hawkers complex. There is no shaded walkway between the sections.

The Wet section is where you will get your greens, fish, chicken, and other wet stuffs. A closer view of the Wet Market area, set up in typical market style. A view of the Dry Good area, The Household, dry items, etc are found here View from the other end of the Block.

The Hawker center, which to me is a disappointment, set up half hazard, no seating, no stalls, no organization at all. Urg I will not eat here again. and the Fly's, which is understandable as due to the number of Animal Farms in the area. The Food, well let just say I do not wish to comment but there is one item which is outstanding.

The Pork Section. For Fresh Pork. Well what unique here? Roast pork is good, Picture of RM5/- portion.

The Chye Koey, done fresh right infront of you. In My opinion better then Sg Bakap.

A Chinese delicacy which i have not seen before, starchy

And "Dry Honey cubes" at least what i call them. Mix them with water you get a honey drink.

Chye Koey at Sungai Bakap

What is Chye Koey?

Chey Koey is basically cook jullian turnips encase in rice dough which is similar to those use in Har Kau a type of shrimp tim sum, another variation is with Ku Chai, a type of green vege similar to spring onions.

In a small town of Sungai Bakap (a 2 street town) on Penang Mainland (Seberang Prai Selatan), there are two restaurants where this simple dish is serve. So well know is this dish here that patrons from Bukit Mertajam and Butterworth (a distance of 50km one way) will travel here to have this dish for breakfast.

Well due to this recommendation, I have to give this dish a try. As inform there are two restaurant. On Wednesday one of them was close as such which restaurant i am to try was already chosen for me.

On the Northern end of the Old Town, along the Main road, (Note : if you see the hospital, reverse to the other end of the town. is the area where the Chye Koey is Located. The Restaurant is Named : Soon Lee Hou. Picture provided, and can be easily identified by the extra tables put out. The other Restaurant is located opposite this one and seen not to have a name.

As it was a wednesday morning, it was quite and my family was quickly attended to on our arrival. Our Tea order was taken, and we were ask if we wanted to order any soup, fish, noodles or not. Mind you this is a 8am in the morning. Looking around we realise that most of the table have indeed order this items along with some tim sum.

I ordered a Hokkian Char, the Penang version, not the KL version and ask them to bring out the Tim Sum, and the chye koey. What came out were not what you will get in big city restaurant. The tim sum here is not dainty pieces. What you get however are tasty pieces of food and limited to only a few dishes.

First off there is the stuff crab, we took 2 plates as my eldest daughter love it.

The there were the Chye Koey, we ended with 4 plates, 2 plates the Ku Chye type of chye koey, 2 plates of siew mai, and 2 plates of fried tim sum.

and one plate of Hokkian Char,

Interior shot of the Restaurant, the cooks were busy preparing more chye koey.

The Food is fresh and tasty. Total bill came up to RM27 for the 3 of us + one baby. The Chye Koey, well It is nice, especially the "Ku Chye" Chye Koey, which to me was excellent and aromatic. My wife prefer the standard chye koey, But I find it too mushy (soft).

Would i want to travel 50km one way for this only? Well no.

Would i want to drop in if i am travelling this way? Yes I would.

Who come here for Breakfast? Well i was inform that businessman from Bukit Mertajam, Butterworth, Local, and Golfers (Playing at Krystal Golf, and Bukit Jawi Golf Resort) will have their breakfast here.

In addition I notice one thing here at Sungai Bakap, of the 10 chinese base restaurant / coffeeshop in the area, 5 were selling roast duck at 8am in the morning. I am sure that there is a story behind that as well.