Tai Tong Tim Sum

Fancy having Tim Sum at Night? Usually Tim Sum is consume in the Morning for Breakfast with a few Upmarket Restaurant serving it for Lunch. Tim Sum at night can be usually found at certain food courts, It is rare to find a restaurant serving Tim Sum at Night As such This Tai Tong Restaurant in Penang (Nothing to do with the Giant Restaurant Chain base in KL) is pretty unique.

Name of Restaurant : Tai Tong Restaurant.

Location: 45 Leboh Cintra, Just a few steps from Campbell Street.

Type of Food : Tim Sum, and Restaurant Food

Category: Non Air Con Restaurant

Price : ($$)

Parking : Available

Time : 6am - 3pm, 6.30pm till 12pm)

Non Halal Food

A typical Olden Days Chinese Restaurant (non aircon) that does pretty good tim sum, fried noodles & Restaurant Chinese Food. Tim Sum here are serve in heated trolleys in metal baskets. You will find all the usual verity of tim sum here fried, steam etc

As it is a small shop, the trolley's come around quite frequently, so you do not need to order a lot of item at a go.

In the above picture, you have (Clock wise from top left), Pork Legs in Vinegar - very good taste but small pieces of pork legs only, Siew Mai - OK , Prawn Roll - OK , Fried Beancurd Prawns - Crispy (upper left) Shark Fin Har Kow - OK, Prawns with Century Egg - OK , stew chicken legs - well 50 - 50, a seaweed roll - well can be better, and Har Kow - OK.

In this picture from lower left, you have egg tart, excellent the best dish in the restaurant, the egg is silky soft, yam dumplings - OK.

Hor fun here, is the old style Hor fun, with Pork Liver, which is quite difficult to find. The Pork liver is cut thick, as such it is not overcook. - Excellent dish to order.

They also have a very good longan jelly, see photo below,

As usual in restaurants where tim sum is serve in trolleys, you will have the order chit on the table.

Items range from RM0.60 to RM6.00, with majority of items in the RM2.00 to RM3.00 range total damage for dinner of 2 adults, 1 child and toddler came up to RM42/- inclusive of Chinese Tea. Pretty Fair Price for a Non Air Con Restaurant.

Must Have dish in the restaurant is the Hor Fun, Egg tart, and the Longan Jelly.

Petaling Street in Penang, What Happening

On the Opening day of Petaling Street in Penang, there were street dance, A good start so I thought when reading the News paper report. One fine Tuesday nite, i decided to drop by at Campbell street to take a look at what was happening at Penang "Petaling Street"

It was very quite, with not all the lots occupied, not many people was walking around, but there were 2 policeman on duty(that good). Talking to some of the nearby traders, this is the typical daily crowd, the weekend crowds is not much better either. Well MPPP, better do some thing about it and fast.

What is available here? Just your typical Pasar Malam stuffs, Infact the Pasar Malam at Val D'or in Seberang Prai Selatan is much better. Any way MPPP, just look at the Pasar Malam at Batu Ferringhi. It has the stuffs the tourist wants and appreciate. At Campbell street, at this rate it is going........ it may well be gone soon.

The Street Food here, well the only well know food is the Penang Laksa, of the 6 food stalls there. The rest you have taiwan sausage ..... you get the picture.

The Stalls are place in a manner they block the "Shops", There is No Tourist Attraction, the lights are too few and not impressive, Just the Normal Stuffs for a small time pasar malam being traded, again nothing to attract tourists, and a few stall was occupying 5 lots, as the lots size are too small. Of course there are a few lots that were interesting but they are just too few, too small to be notice.

I hope for the traders sake, business will improve, as i am sure some of them are trying their best, Just that there are no tourist coming here. Why? Are promotional effort being done in the individual Travel Agencies, the State Penang Tourist PPL?

Will i come back here again. Well no when there are better pasar malam all over Penang, or I can drop in to KL Petaling Street. (note: last two photo's from a stall at cintra street)

Char Koey Teow Malay Style

Char Koey Teow Malay Style definitely means one thing, no pork, However up North here Malays Char Koey Teow can mean another thing. (Picture Below is another thing). Normal Char Koey Teow is usually found in Coffee Shops, food court and so on. Malay Char Koey Teow is usually found is Open Air Warongs (Small Road Side Coffee Shacks), and in mainly malay areas.

Needing A Fix of Char Koey Teow one night lead me to this Warong located opposite the South Masjid of Sungai Bakap, Near the hospital. This warong operates at night and charge RM2.50 for a plate for Fried Koey Teow (Not fried to me) that was swimming in a Prawn, Chillies and Egg gravy (Like Hor fun), but surprisingly tasty, Good enough for me to have 2 . When I was around in KL and in the south, I cannot find this version of Malay Char Koey Teow.

The total damage for 5 plates, 3 drinks came up to RM14.50. Give it a Try, Halal

Tanjung Bunga Night Market

As mention in my previous post on Night Market, each individual Night Market have its own character, and even individual items sold there. At Tanjong Bungah, an Important Town in Penang (the Chief Minister Constituency for the past 8 elections i think) with 4 International class hotels, the TAR college, the Pasar Malam here have a more international flavour.

Located at all around Tanjung Bungah Market, along its service roads and carpark, This Night Market operates from 7pm till 10pm on Tuesday Nights only, and offer different selection of Stalls and better quality of product from my earlier post of Night Market at Val D'or. Below are a few snapshots of food products found here.

At the Market Food Court, you can find Hong Kong Chee Chong Fun, prepared fresh and right in front of you. A difficult dish to prepared as we have to steam the dough in a steamer together with its stuffing of Prawns or Char Siew (BBQ pork), and then transferred to a marble slap for it to be rolled. It is then Cut and plated, and topped with a soya sauce dressing with Chillie paste. Normally found where tim sum is serve in restaurant, this dish cost just a affordable RM2 per plate here. It may not be the best, but it is close to the best.

Frankie Pizza, a top Penang Base Franchise Pizza, from way back, started around 1990, now have a few outlets in Coffee Shops as well as in Night Market. This is Pizza Malaysian Style, with Mayonnaise. At this night market here Pizza comes in a Van with a built in Oven and it is bake fresh (from prebake pizza base, to cut down the preparation time)

Penang is know for its Poh Piah, or unfried Spring Roll, (same ingredients as fried spring roll but with a "fresh" wrapper. Here in the above Picture we have the Malays Version of this dish. Quite High Fiber / Healthy as it incorporates steam vegetables with turnips, cucumber, carrots with various flavoring ingredients such as chillies paste, or fried mini shrimps.

Here we also have a Pet "Shop" with various assorted pets for sale.

a Upmarket KL franchise pow, have also open up, cannot remember the name, but it start with B. This stall have various special pows such as Ocean Delight and as such. Other Stalls like VCD, Sunglasses, Vegetables, Fruits, and other Food Stalls are available here as well. Parking is terrible, as the Night Market is located on the Parking lots, and the early birds park at the unused bus station. I usually have to park on the main road, and walk in to the Market. May be our Chief Minister can look into this problem.

BM Street Food

BM Street Food.

Finding Good Street Food at Penang Mainland, is always a big problem, So find a place with quite reasonable food in a big event by it self.

Located Near the Saint Ann Church in Bukit Mertajam near the turn off to BM Country Club (Caltax Station is your landmark) is a collection of "Food Shacks" which is clasified as Street Food, With among the Best Char Koey Teow, Laksa, Pasembore, and Mee Goreng Mamak style on the Penang Main Land. It wont be easy to find, but if you are in the area and looking for food, you wont be disappointed.

Name of Restaurant : No Name.

Location: Main Road out of Bukit Mertajam towards Kulim at the turn off to the BM Country Club. Caltax Petrol Station.

Type of Food : Char Koey Teow, Laksa, Mee Goreng (mamak style), Pasembore, Rojak, Coconut Water

Category: Street Food

Price : Cheep Penang Price ($)

Parking : Just don't park on the Main Road

Time : Afternoon Only

Non Halal Food (Char Koey Teow)

Halal Food (Mee Goreng, Pasembore)

The Pasembore and the Mee Goreng is located at the 2nd "Shack", run by malays, and is popular enough for you to have wait for your mee goreng. What special here is the Special Kuah which contains Dry Sotong, Aromatic to me, but Bitter in taste to my wife. I enjoy the Kuah, which is use for both Mee Goreng tambah (add) sotong (cutter fish) and the Pasembore, A type of Indian Origin Salad of Jullian Turnips, Carrots, Cucumber with various Fritters, with boil potato and egg added. RM2.50 (see picture above)

Laksa, (Rice Noodles in Spicy Sour Fish Gravy, topped with Prawn Paste) available here is good enough to fight it with the Penang Laksa Hawkers. In Fact a number of Laksa Stall in Penang Island loose out to this stall.

Char Koey Teow here, well i would rate it at in the 65%, which is far better then most char koey teow on the Main land, but below average on the Island. Edible to cure my addiction to char koey teow in an emergency situation.

Warning !!!!!! for City Folks.

As Mention this foods are located in 2 Food shacks, along the Main Road, Do not expect any amanities such as wash basin, toilet, fans etc. It is a Shack, with Plastic Table and Chair on earth floor, real street food at the purest.

For Drinks here you have a choice of Coconut Water Ice in Glass, or Coconut Water with out Ice in Glass or Coconut Water in Coconut. The Real MaCoy not the fake coconut water nowadays in preprepared coconut. The Nuts are unloaded and cut here, on your order.

Finally, Give the Rojak Here a Miss.

Breakfast at Pulau Tikus

Where can you go for a breakfast that include Eggs and Ham? A Hotel? Just drop by at New Garden Coffee Shop, Just opposite the Pulau Tikus Catholic Church / Convent School, along Burma Road.

You will have a large choice for breakfast only as the Coffee Shop operates principally in the Morning, In fact this is the Coffee Shop I come to if I bring Outstation Friends for Breakfast, as it offers one of the widest range and good food. For me, My first choice here is the curry mee here.

This Coffee Shop is one of the Best in Town for.

Char Hor Fun

Curry Mee

Wantan Mee And it seems to be the Only Place for

Banana Pancake

Name of Restaurant : New Garden Coffee Shop

Location: Burma Road, Pulau Tikus, towards Tg Bunga

Type of Food : Breakfast Western Food, Wan Ton Noodles, Curry Noodles, Hokkian Mee, Banana Pancake, Apom, and many others

Category: Typical Pg Coffee Shop

Price : Penang Price ($)

Parking : Limited but can find, Note Park in Parking Bay and slot in Money, MPPP visit this place frequently, during breakfast.

Time : Breakfast Only

Non Halal Food

A Plate of Ham (real Ham) with Fried Egg, Toast which my eldest daughter have for breakfast

One of the Best Sor Hor Fun in Town can be found in this Coffee shop, My wife say it is the number 1 for Hor Fun. Sor Hor Fun is a dish of Fried Rice Noodles, which is top with a Seafood, Vegetable and Egg(optional) gravy.

One of the Best Curry Mee in Town, (to me this is the Place for Curry Mee) , Yellow Noodles, and Thin Rice Noodles (Bee Hoon) in Curry Gravy topped with cockles, brown cuttle fish, Pig Blood Pudding, Vegetables, Fish Ball, and dont forget the Thick Chillies Sauce.

A Bowl of Hokkian Noodles (Penang Prawn Noodles Soup for those not from Penang), with a Mix of Hokkian / Loh gravy. Rating In the top 80%. Well in this Coffee Shop most of the items are good with the exception of Char Koey Teow.

Apom, Sold in a Roadside Stall just next to the Coffee Shop. Pretty Decent Apom for those who eat it. I don't usually consume this stuff.

Other Special Items at this Coffee Shop,

Rasa Rasa Penang rate the Wan Ton Mee Here as the top in Penang, I agree, but the couple selling the mee do not customise your order, Just order the standard version.

About the only place that sell Banana Pancake that i know off.

Note: This coffee shop is Busy, Expect to share a table, or come early before 8pm, after that it will get pack and after 11pm, well items will be sold out.

Fatty Loh Chicken Rice

What so good about Fatty Loh Chicken Rice?

At one time around 20 years back, they use to sell 400 chicken in a day. At that is operating during lunch only, and in a coffee "shack" the size of 10 cars park side by side. That how good it is, or shell i say it use to be.

History of Fatty Loh Chicken Rice

I was first introduce to Fatty Loh Chicken Rice way back 30 years ago, when my father purchase our family house in Tanjong Bungah. During our weekly visit (my father was working in Alor Star at that time) to the house for gardening work, we will have our lunch here, and when my father was transferred back to Penang Island, we will have lunch here twice or even three times in a week.

Fatty Loh Chicken Rice at that time was in a coffee "shack", the size of 3 cars park side by side. and from there on grew in size to 10 car park side by side as mention above. It was Located at the Junction of Fetty Park Road, with the Main Tanjong Tokong Road, till Ivory Group purchase the land and started to build their complex.

That was the time where Fatty Loh Chicken Rice Split in to a few place with each of them claiming to the Original Fatty Loh Chicken Rice, all of them operated by the one of the Children of Mr Fatty Loh.

One of them move to a place at Tanjong Tokong before going back to Fatty Park, The other move to Pulau Tikus and now to Nagore Road. And if i am not mistaken there is one in Falim, Ayer Itam.

This Post is about the Nagore Road outlet. Open not to long ago, this is a upmarket outlet serving slightly pricy ($$) chicken rice in a newly refurbish shop house. Cost for a Chicken Rice here is RM3.80+ thigh meat (Service charge applicable) , which you can get in other place around RM2.80.

Photo of Nagore Road, Refurbish Shop House, housing food outlets. A Food Street! all in Restaurants.

Name of Restaurant : Fatty Loh Chicken Rice

Location: Nagore Road off Burma Road, Near Giant Supermarket / Penang Plaza

Type of Food : Chicken Rice

Category: Upmarket Coffee Shop / Air con

Price : Slightly Pricey (but if you factor in the Air Con) ($$)

Parking : Limited but can find

Non Halal Food

What Special Here?

One of the Few Chicken Rice Shop (from it original Days) to serve Chicken Blood Pudding, Chicken Intestine (particularly rare) with it chicken rice.

The day we were there, the Special is a Salted Fish Bone Curry which to my humble taste buds were superb, The item above the curry is the Blood Pudding. Soft and Nice

Portion of Steam & Roast Chicken, (soft and smooth - both types). Total Cost for lunch for 2 adults 1 Kid 1 toddler, came up to RM30. (4 portions of chicken, 1 blood pudding, 1 large curry salted fish, 3 rice, 3 drinks) The Meal came up to my expectation, but i was slightly disappointed that the chicken intestine was not available. We came for lunch at 12 noon.

Also available now a days are Roast Duck, Roast Meat, Chicken Koey Teow Soup which was not available during the old days. Give their chicken porridge a try, it's good.

Brunch at Hong Kong Tea Garden

Name of Restaurant : Hong Kong Tea Garden

Location: Macalister Road Penang, (Near Grand Paradise Hotel / Red Rock Hotel),

Type of Food : Tim Sum (Breakfast & Lunch), Hawker Stall (Dinner)

Category: Coffee Shop Restaurant / Air con

Price : Value for Money (within Category) ($)

Parking : Limited on Main Road, Can Find Parking at the Side Lanes, expect a short walk.

Non Halal Food.

As Payment for being a Driver for the Wesak Day celebration, i was instructed to drive to Macalister Road, near the Grand Paradise Hotel, for Brunch at the Hong Kong Tea Garden Restaurant.

We arrive around 11am, and after dropping of the passengers, in front of the Restaurant, it was time to look for a place for me to park my Proton Wira Aeroback. Knowing the parking situation i quickly turn in to the side lane (I know how to move around in Pg Island, but till now i cannot remember the road names) and after a 5 min search, i finally found a parking space.

By the time i got to the restaurant, the food have been order and they have already started. Tim Sum variety is large, with all the usual stuffs, including Egg Tart, Soya Bean Curd. Food is good and Sweet Give this place a try if you are in this sector of town. If you come in to the road from Komtar, go up this road for around 1km, the Restaurant is on your right just before Grand Paradise Hotel.

Service Was Fast, even it was a busy day, however you may have to "push" for some of the popular food.

With a extended family around it was difficult to take snapshots of the food. The Tim Sum just disappeared from the plate before i can take out my SE750i and before my arrival. For your information there is a large Collection of Hawker Stalls for dinner together with next door coffee shop. The Street Food here is good. Back to the Tim Sum, 4 Adults, 2 Kids, 2 Toddlers total damage was less then RM50.

Fried Yam Dumpling being Snatch! off

Various Tim Sum,

Hong Kong Chee Chong Fun.

Wesak Day in Penang, Part 2

After bathing the Buddha, it was time to proceed to the nearby Thai Wat (Temple) at perak road for more prayers. As it is a short distance for me, and expected parking problem we walk. At Burma road a few enterprising people charge RM3 per parking entry.

At this Thai Wat, the Float for the night procession was display, Here is a snapshot of it

The other Snapshots, taken during the time the rest of the family was busy praying is on happenings around the temple.

A Bird?

A Dragon!

A Monk.

By this time i was again hungry and waiting for the Tim Sum Lunch. Oh By the Way, this temple while near the Reclining Buddha at nearby Burma Lane, seem to be off the beaten path for tourist. It is a worth while place to visit to see a bit of the Thai Buddhist Culture.

Wesak Day in Penang, Part 1

Wesak Day in Penang, Buddha Birthday

First off, I am not a Buddhist, My Wife family are Buddhist, as such I was rope in as the driver for the family to the Wesak Day Celebration in Penang. My Reward for doing the driving will be a Tim Sum Brunch at near by Macalister Road. As food is in the equation, and it's family business and to keep the Home quite, what choice do i have?

First off, after a early morning snack of Char Koey Teow at the Tanjong Bungah Market, it was off to Batu Ferringhi to pick up the rest of the Family and then down to Burma Road, the Malaysian Buddhist Association Building for our first stop over for Prayers as well as to bath the Buddha statue.

Our Entourage consists of my self, my wife, my 2 kids, my mother in law, my sister in law, and sis in law 2 kids. Now that is quite a hands full.

First off is to Bath the Little Buddha, With a line of around 100 person, It took a around 20 minutes to get to the front of the statue, with the ladle provided, you are suppose to pour flowered water over the statue.

then it is time for prayers at the front of the hall.

And then to Place Candles

Out side the hall, you will find all sorts of vegetarian food being sold.

Then it is off to the next stop at the Thai Buddhist temple at nearby Perak Road.