Penang Hawker Food Blog

Leng Chee Kang Dessert

2011-08-04T22:28:00.001+08:00

I am at Trengganu road having dessert. A hot gingko nut, Longan, lotus seed in a sweet rock sugar soup. You can also have it as a refreshing cold dessert.

Location:Jalan Trengganu,George Town,Malaysia

Durian Durian

2011-07-31T11:40:00.001+08:00

Ah you can never miss a durian stall as the pungent aroma makes it known to everyone within 20 meters. Even if you drive past it you can smell it wafting through the air conditioning. To some it may smell worse than rotten eggs. To others, it is the perfume of the Gods!

I had some this morning and I feel hot and sweaty as I write this. There are too many kinds of durians to choose from. They can be cheap or very expensive. I prefer the ones with a small seed (chew hoot) as it gives me more of the yummy flesh. So if you buy one ask for the ones with small seeds.

Nowadays the durian seller will open and pack the durians for you. Expect to pay anything from rm7 to rm50 per durian depending on the quality of the durians.

Putu Mayom

2011-07-31T11:28:00.001+08:00

I enjoyed this sweet Indian dish this morning at Pulau Tikus Market. The rice net vermicelli is steamed over a rattan base. It's green as it has some pandan(screwpine) flavoring. The main taste comes from the freshly grated coconut and brown sugar. Mix this all together for a refreshingly light mouthful.

Breakfast at the Coffee shop

2011-07-26T07:54:00.001+08:00

A hot breakfast in the cool of the morning.

Duck Rice

2011-02-16T13:20:00.001+08:00

Hidden away in Pulau Tikus opposite Tan Mark bookstore is my favourite duck rice coffee shop.

It's a small cosy coffee shop with difficult parking. However if you are going to eat there you can park just in front of the shop.

They have special soups as side dishes which you have to try. My favorite is the Lau Ti Mun( old cucumber) and the watercress soup.

You can have a combination of roast pork, cha siew and duck of course.

Plus the fresh groin green chilly.

And duck drippings which give the rice a fragrant ducky aroma.

Location:Jalan Nunn,George Town,Malaysia

Koay Chiap

2011-02-09T10:11:00.001+08:00

Ah back in Penang again and time to update my blog. Sorry for the lapse. Having my favorite breakfast in Pulau Tikus. Duck soup noodles.

Teh Tarik

2010-09-13T09:49:00.001+08:00

Ahh yes a nice hot Teh Tarik is what you need for a break. It is usually diabetes inducingly sweet so you can ask for less sugar which is better for your health. Still a shot of that sweet Ceylon tea with condensed milk pulled and aerated between two mugs is something I miss.
This Teh Tarik in Geelong is at Rich Maha and I can say it is quite authentic.

Selamat Berpuasa

2010-08-11T10:57:00.001+08:00

Wishing all Muslims a special and meaningful fasting month. The fasting month is also a special month to sample Malay delicacies when the fast is broken each evening about 7pm. Temporary food markets open to cater for the break of fast usually from 5pm so that families can break fast with delicious food at 7pm.

Durian, king of Fruits

2010-08-10T20:19:00.001+08:00

I guess I had to gave some durian at some time. Nowadays you can buy them opened for you. More than enough for a taste. Like they say you either live it or hate it, nothing in between. Elephants love them so they must be good! Then again it is better to spend good money on one quality Durian rather than eat the low grade stuff. Try the ganja, d2 or d3 or black gold (oo kim). To just try one type does not do it justice.
After having a durian feast be prepared to have a hot sweaty night. It is very rich and considered a "heaty" fruit causing you to sweat it out.

Streetfood Penang Iphone App

2010-08-05T22:12:00.001+08:00

I was wondering if there was an app for Penang Hawker Food and yes, there is an app for that. Penang street food app is a pretty useful app for getting the locations and info on most of the common hawker foods in Penang. And did I mention it's free, well add supported anyway.

It has all the main hawker foods listed with pictures and a nice summary which is pretty accurate from a local point of view.

Best of all it uses the iphone's gps to show you how to get to the coffee shop to try out the delicasy. For example if you selected Char Koay Teow, it would give you the locations of the coffee shops that serve the dish on google maps.
Hats off to the makers of this app. You can download it free from the Apple AppStore. Well recommended by this humble blog site.

Location:Jalan Burma,George Town,Malaysia

Soya Bean Curd & Milk

2010-08-05T12:14:00.001+08:00

I always enjoyed a refreshing soya milk drink and a tau hua(soya milk curd) with palm sugar.

This hawker has a mobile van in front of Rhb bank in Pulau Tikus. Nice and refreshing on a hot day.

Location:Jalan Burma,George Town,Malaysia

Dragon Fruit

2010-08-04T11:17:00.001+08:00

I wad at Swatau lane and had a fruit platter. Tried the dragon fruit which is intensely purplish red in colour. It has a bland slightly sweet taste. One thing to look out for is that it will turn your urine a nice purple colour which often causes some alarm. Just one whole dragon fruit will do it.

Location:Persiaran Midlands,George Town,Malaysia

Duku Langsat

2010-08-04T11:12:00.001+08:00

Exotic seasonal fruits are part of the food experience in Penang. At the moment the duku langsat is in season. It is a cross between the langsat and dokong fruit which makes it a nice sweet fruit. The exterior skin is peeled off revealing a translucent juicy segmented interior. There are small seeds which you can spit out or even swallow whole. I bought some from lorong Kulit for rm2 a kilo.

Location:Solok Midlands,George Town,Malaysia

Back in Penang : Roti Telur

2010-08-01T11:35:00.001+08:00

Roti Telur with a curry dip for breakfast. Not bad but certainly high on the calories.

Location:Jalan Burma,George Town,Malaysia

Sliced Pork (Bak Kua) Bun

2010-07-03T07:09:00.001+08:00

When I went to the movies, there wasn't much popcorn but you could buy buns stuffed with a freshly BBQ pork slice drizzles with a bit of sauce.

I had some today from a mobile hawker van in Pulau Tikus in front of the Hong Leong Bank. A nice soft bun with a warm slice of preserved meat. Nice.
iBlogged from my iPhone

Balitong

2010-03-08T22:35:00.003+08:00

One seafood delicacy I always miss is the humble Balitong. I had some for dinner just now at the roadside ikan panggang store along Ayer itam road just behind my apartment.

Now balitong are conical snails that live in the mud flats and can be found along mangrove swamps. They have to be cleaned throughly to get rid of the mud. Preferably soaked overnight in clean salty water then the conical tips clipped off. I only eat fresh ones and they should still be alive when they are prepared.

Fresh Balitong shells stir fried in garlic, shallots, dried prawn(hebi) and a bit of curry powder.

First you pop the whole shell in your mouth and suck off the yummy sauce. Then you take a deep breath and give a couple of fast strong sucks at the base of the shell. Shupp shupp shupp! Mmm the snail should pop out with a burst of flavour.

It may look a bit gross but the flavour is something I have not encountered elsewhere. I guess it does taste like escargot in a french restaurant, but only much yummier and cheaper! A plate costs about rm8.

Now remember to peel off the round bit of shell that the snail uses to cover the entrance. You should be left with a pile of empty shells and these round bits and the end of the tasty meal.

Roti Babi

2010-03-08T18:29:00.001+08:00

Roti Babi is basically French toast stuffed with minced pork. Very tasty.

It has to be eaten with a special sauce made of chilly, soy sauce and vineger. It really gives a nice bite to this special dish. Much more exciting than french toast!

Nonya Kueh : Kueh Talam

2010-03-08T18:25:00.001+08:00

I was priveledged to have lunch at my auntie's home who is a fantastic cook. She prepared traditional kueh talam which is a nonya cake made of pandan and coconut.

They are set in teacups.

And eaten with freshly scraped coconut flesh. A pinch of salt added to the coconut really brings out it's special taste.

I had to have anoher one!

Ham Chim Peng

2010-03-02T22:23:00.000+08:00

Deep fried bread in many ways. It may be just in long sticks like Yu char koay or smaller versions with crispy sugar.

Or in buns filled with glutinous rice or red bean paste.

Piping hot straight from the wok and has to be eaten fresh. This hawker is found in pulau tikus next to Ambank in the afternoon. At night the one along new lane is not bad either.

Location:Lengkok York,Georgetown,Malaysia

Nasi Kandar

2010-03-01T18:35:00.001+08:00

Nasi kandar is something you can't eat everyday as it is so rich and full of calories! Fried chicken and curried fish roe with some ochra is what I have selected today. You can choose from a variety of curries with steamed rice.
Wheni want a real feed, this is what I would have.

Location:Jalan Moulmein,Georgetown,Malaysia

BBQ Seafood / ikan Bakar

2010-02-27T15:14:00.001+08:00

Freshly BBQ seafood with chilly, spices and belacan is a very tasty dish. Firstly you select your fish, prawn, stingray etc. Then it will be grilled over a BBQ pit with spicy BBQ sauce. It tasted nothing like BBQ sauce but more like a good chilly, lime, onions and belacan which goes well with seafood.

Over at Kota Bali in Paya Terubong you can choose scallops and oysters but it can cost a bomb. But worth the tasty experience.

Oyster omelette

2010-02-24T23:03:00.001+08:00

Over at Bee Hooi coffee shop at night I had a nice oyster omellette ie. Orr Chien.

A simple but very tasty dish eaten together with a nice chilly and garlic sauce.

Location:Jalan Langkawi,Georgetown,Malaysia

Chicken Feet

2010-02-22T01:31:00.001+08:00

One of my favourites. I could eat a whole plateful of these yummy chicken feet stewed till soft in dark soy sauce and shitake mushrooms.
I remember being grossed out the first time I was introduced to them as a kid but have been a fan ever since.
Pop one in your mouth and the flesh and skin just melts away leaving a pile of small metatarsals which you can spit out in a neat little pile!
Also eaten at New Lane, sold by the wan tan mee hawker.
Trust me it's really nice.

Chee Cheong Chook

2010-02-22T01:24:00.001+08:00

Over at the New Lane Hawker center there is just too much choice of tantalizing food. One of my favourites is the humble rice porridge with fried pork entrails. Yum yum. It may sound gross but it's crunchy and tasty.

The hawker stall is located at the front of the hawker center and they open at about 5pm and are sold out by 8pm usually. As you can see you can choose from fried, boiled intestines and tripe and char siew pork. I like the fried ones better.

Stir it up and dig into the nutritious broth. Ah to die for on a cold winters day!

Char Koay Teow @ Newlane

2010-02-21T21:24:00.001+08:00

If I were to choose one hawker dish that signified Penang food it would be CKT. Char(stir fried) Koay Teow(flat rice noodles) is a famous Penang dish but it's hard to get a good CKT. There are many famous places for CKT such as lorong Selamat and the 3 sisters at Macalister road.

This ckt was at the new lane coffee shop along macalister road just in front of the Sunway Hotel.

It wasn't bad but cost rm4.50 for the extra prawns and crab meat. The noodles are typically stif fried in a hot wok with bean sprouts, Chinese chives, eggs, soya sauce, chilly paste and seafood. The seafood consists of sea cockles and prawns usually.
Very nice tasty dish, a must to try.

Wan Tan mee

2010-02-19T12:01:00.001+08:00

In Pulau Tikus having. Quick Wan Tan Noodles.

I like the home made wan tan in a clear soup. Still costs rm2.50(2010).

Location:Lorong Leandros,Georgetown,Malaysia

Happy New Year Yee Sang

2010-02-16T19:18:00.001+08:00

A Chinese new year tradition with a special salad with raw fish. Everybody has a hand in stirring it up with chopsticks. The higher the better for more luck for the new year!

Mee Goreng

2010-02-13T06:14:00.001+08:00

Just survived the dentist and treated myself to my favourite mee goreng opposite the police station in Pulau Tikus.

The cook has changed but the mee goreng is still nit bad. He doesn't fry it as noisily in his wok as the previous guy.

A plate of mee goreng costs 3.50 and if you want an extra egg or cuttlefish(sotong) it will cost 4.50.
Enjoyed it lots.

Wan Tan Mee @ Penang

2010-02-11T14:02:00.001+08:00

A sample of wan tan noodles at Bee Hooi Coffee Shop this afternoon.

Back in Penang

2010-02-11T12:19:00.001+08:00

Ahh back in Penang for a month! Each meal is amazingly tasty.

Starting off with a bak kua sandwhich and 3 in 1 nescafe.

Chicken rice for lunch in Pulau Tikus.

And a wan tan mee too!

Washed down with a nice cool iced coffee ( kopi peng )
Yes it's good to be back!

Vietnamese Noodles

2010-02-08T17:52:00.001+08:00

One thing I enjoy in Melbourne is good Vietnamese noodles. I just had some today at PHO.

I had their special beef combination with tender slices of beef, brisket and tripe.

Served with fresh basil, bean sprouts, chilly and a slice of lemon.

And here is a short video clip of it.

Location:Ruhamah Ave,Bell Post Hill,Australia

Vegemite

2010-01-22T21:18:00.000+08:00

Whenever I have Vegemite on toast I miss my wan tan mee, hokkiem mee and roti canai for breakfast!

Promoting Malaysian Food

2010-01-11T08:46:00.001+08:00

I read in the news that the Malaysian Government is going to spend 2.5million pounds to promote Malaysian cuisine in he UK.
Actually it's hard to pinpoint what exactly is Malaysian food. One thing is constant, that is it's variety. A true mixing pot of Malay, Indian, Chinese, Indonesian sprinkled with history and culture.
Here I am eating honey chicken while dreaming of a nice curry mee, char koay yeow, Nasi lemak or satay.

Or Nasi kandar with curried fish roe.

Or wanton mee.

Or a nice steaming hot bah kut teh with some yew char kuih.
Anyway give Malaysian food a try, it's variety will captivate you.

Bak Hoo ( Meat Floss)

2009-12-21T20:07:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite snacks is a Bak Hoo sandwhich with some mayonaise. Bak Hoo is really versatile and goes with bread, porridge or rice and can be sprinkled on just about anything. It is usually made of finely shredded dried meat. It is usually pork, chicken or even fish.
In the old cinemas you could buy a hot bun with BBQ pork( Bak Kua) or bak hoo with some gravy. Beats pop corn anytime.

Sambal Petai

2009-09-18T17:05:00.000+08:00

Poh cooked up a sambal petai dish for Master
Chef Australia. I just love a good petai dish.

It has that special flavour and aroma that goes so well with chilly. A warning though, when you pass water later it gives your urine a very strong smell. Hence the belief it is good for your kidneys

The Great Malaysian Hijack

2009-09-18T16:57:00.000+08:00

Spot the Malaysian dish. In fact the uniqueness of our Malaysian cuisine is the amazing variety of a cooking pot of cultures. I don't think it is easy to rebrand all our dishes but certainly they are super tasty.

I love a goo Nasi Lemak, a fantastic takeaway food.

Bah Kut Teh remains a favourite of mine.

And the other day my friend made me a wonderful Hainanese chicken rice in Geelong.
Great now I am hungry again.

Meat Pie

2009-09-03T09:38:00.000+08:00

Not a local delicasy but I am in Australia for a while and I apologise for the infrequent postings. But I will be back in Penang soon and will continue to update my blog. The food in Australia has not inspired me much compared to Penang hawker food. To me still the best food in the world!

Bah Kut Teh

2009-05-26T17:26:00.001+08:00

Once in a while when I have a meat craving, I prefer a good bah kut teh instead of a steak.

You can have a side order of tofu and Yu char koey dipped into the hot herbal soup.

I also like lots of fresh chopped garlic and chilly drowned in thick sweet black soya sauce.

Yu char koeh is a favourite addition. Don't forget to ask for some yam rice instead of just plain rice.

Chai Koay

2009-05-13T15:19:00.001+08:00

A unique vegetarian side dish eaten with tasty chilly sauce. Shredded turnip, stewed and wrapped. The green one is ku chye a kind of vegetable found in char koay teow.

Fish Roe Curry

2009-05-04T23:09:00.001+08:00

No wonder I keep putting on weight in Penang. Just had a billion calories plus cholesterol for supper at a nasi kansar shop in Pulau Tikus, opposite the police station. Fish roe curry is something I can't find in Australia and so I could not resist. I probably have it 2x a year and enjoy it. Ahh I can feel my coronary arteries filling up.

Chillies

2009-04-30T21:38:00.001+08:00

As a side dish it adds a kick and some colour to any hawker dish. Big red chillies like these are not that hot. Watch out for the small chilli padi.

Roti Telor

2009-04-30T21:28:00.001+08:00

Ah the real stuff made by the roadside with sweat and ghee. This is with an egg thrown in and eaten with fish curry.

Nasi Lemak

2009-04-28T13:55:00.001+08:00

I must be back in Malaysia as I had nasi lemak for breakfast. Forgot my weetbix and had a high cholesterol spicy rice cooked in coconut milk. A boiled egg and fried anchovies to accompany it.

Madras Coffee at Ananda Bahwam

2009-02-21T21:13:00.003+08:00

Ananda Bahwam is an Indian restaurant along Tanjung Bungah and they serve a special Madras Coffee which comes in 2 parts. The coffee is in the main cup and the milk is in the saucer below to enjoy as you please. Picture Credit : Hooi Keat (Thanks!)

From Wikipedia :

South Indian Coffee, also known as Filter Coffee is a sweet milky coffee made from dark roasted coffee beans (70%-80%) and chicory (20%-30%), especially popular in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The most commonly used coffee beans are Peaberry (preferred), Arabica, Malabar and Robusta grown in the hills of Kerala (Malabar region), Karnataka (Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru) and Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris District,Yercaud and Kodaikanal).

Outside India, a coffee drink prepared using a filter may be known as Filter Coffee or as Drip Coffee as the water passes through the grounds solely by gravity and not under pressure or in longer-term contact.

Preparation

Metal South Indian coffee filter disassembled

South Indian coffee is brewed with a metal device that resembles two cylindrical cups, one of which has a pierced bottom that nests into the top of the "tumbler" cup, leaving ample room underneath to receive the brewed coffee. The upper cup has two removable parts: a pierced pressing disc with a central stem handle, and a covering lid.

The upper cup is loaded with fresh ground coffee mixed with chicory (~2 tablespooons of mixture per serving). The grounds are gently compressed with the stemmed disc into a uniform layer across the cup's pierced bottom. With the press disc left in place, the upper cup is nested into the top of the tumbler and boiling water is poured inside. The lid is placed on top, and the device is left to slowly drip the brewed coffee into the bottom.

Traditional Madras-style Dabarah (or) Davarah and tumbler placed with the open end facing down as customary

The resulting brew is very potent, and is traditionally consumed by adding 1-2 tablespoons to a cup of boiling milk with the preferred amount of sugar. The coffee is drunk from the tumbler (although a word of English origin, it seems to be the most commonly used name for this vessel), but is often cooled first with a dabarah - "daBbarah" (also pronounced in some regions as 'davarah'): a wide metal saucer with lipped walls.

Coffee is typically served after pouring back and forth between the dabarah and the tumbler in huge arc-like motions of the hand. This cools down the very hot coffee and leaves a thick layer of froth on top. Less dramatically, the coffee can be swirled around gently inside the dabarah to cool it.

Economy Rice

2009-02-21T21:05:00.002+08:00

My friend Hooi Keat shot this nice picture of his lunch...economy rice. It is basically rice with your choice of meats and vegetables, a sort of cheap fast food. It's very common in Penang and quite tasty!

Carrot Milk Drink

2009-02-18T15:51:00.001+08:00

Carrot Milk Drink, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Carrot juice with milk and ice...very refreshing on a hot day. I like the Jumbo sized one which is served at Gossip Corner, which is the drink stall at the Pulau Tikus wet market at night. It's the little hawker drink stall to the far right.

Soupy Wantan Mee

2009-02-18T15:28:00.001+08:00

Soupy Wantan Mee, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Here is the Wan Tan mee in a soup. Very nice on a rainy day.

Kwan Lo Mee

2009-02-18T15:27:00.001+08:00

Kwan Lo Mee, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Or dry wantan mee at Pulau Tikus for breakfast.

Hokkien Prawn Mee

2009-02-04T21:25:00.001+08:00

Hokkien Prawn Mee, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

A tasty noodle dish in a prawn based soup with lots of chilly, fried shallots, pork and prawns of course. This as also at Bee Hooi.

Oyster Omelete at Bee Hooi

2009-02-04T21:22:00.001+08:00

Oyster Omelete at Bee Hooi, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

My second day home and is off to Bee Hooi in Pulau Tikus to have my favourite Orr Chien aka Oyster Omelete. Costs RM6 a plate of freshly cooked eggs and omelete eaten with chilly sauce.

Stir Fried Young Snow Pea Leaves

2009-01-28T17:24:00.000+08:00

Hi guys, sorry for the long break as I have been working in Australia. In fact this dish is what I had for Chinese New Year over at Springvale. Shoots of the snow pea plant stir fried with oyster sauce. The shoots are very sweet and taste a bit like snow peas. Excellent.

Mee Goreng

2008-11-04T20:29:00.000+08:00

Mmm, I could do with a plate of mee goreng from my farourite stall in Pulau Tikus, opposite the police station. "Chang, Chang, Chang!" is the sound he makes as he "gorengs" the mee in his black wok. I like my mee goreng dry and with a squeeze of lime and extra sotong(cuttlefish). I can almost taste it, even when I am a thousand miles away in Geelong!

Hokkien Prawn Mee

2008-10-31T18:11:00.001+08:00

Hokkien Prawn Mee, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Ah how I miss a good Hokkien Mee or Wan Tan Mee. For me its toast and coffee in the morning, or cereal. How bland!

Asam Curry Flathead

2008-10-31T14:08:00.001+08:00

Asam Curry Flathead, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

I've really been starved of good food in Geelong where I am working at the moment. Had to make my own Assam curry fish with a flathead my sis caught. Very nice on a cold day.

Vietnamese Noodles

2008-10-06T18:45:00.001+08:00

Vietnamese Noodles, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

One thing you can't get in Penang is good Vietnamese noodles and broken rice. Something like Koay Teow Th'ng but with a sweeter twist. The dash of fish sauce and squeeze of lemon giving it a tangy sweet flavour amidst the crunchy bean sprouts. A bowl costs about AUD8.

Sausages & Eggs

2008-08-24T22:25:00.001+08:00

Sausages & Eggs, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Hiya guys sorry the updates have been slow. I am at Geelong, Australia working for a year and sadly missing Penang food. This was my lunch today, I have almost forgotten how Wan Tan Mee tastes like.

Ais Kacang

2008-07-14T11:58:00.001+08:00

Ais Kacang, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Over at Datuk Keramat, the ABC is nice,cool and light. I like the sarsi syrup and rose syrup, very authentic.

Fresh Lime Juice with Preserved Plum

2008-07-14T11:32:00.001+08:00

Fresh Lime Juice with Preserved Plum, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Of course if you sAid that nobody would know what u were talking about. U have to say "Keh Lah Sim Boi"
This was also enjoyed at Datuk Keramat. Very tangy and refreshing.

Yong Tow Foo @ Datuk Keramat

2008-07-13T16:26:00.001+08:00

Yong Tow Foo @ Datuk Keramat, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Ah tea at Datuk Keramat food court, a hot bowl of Yon Tow Foo. This is the real stuff.

Pulut Inti

2008-07-13T13:31:00.001+08:00

Pulut Inti, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Here is a special nonya dessert which is made of glutinous rice and coconu with brown sugar. Very delicious!

Nasi Padang

2008-07-08T21:30:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite meals is a small corner shop selling authentic indonesion food. Their chilly chicken really is fantastic with rice, really to die for. It is located on transfer road, opposite the Caltex station. I will post a map soon.

Tambun Seafood : Steamed Siput with Garlic and Chilly

2008-07-06T00:13:00.000+08:00

Ah the sauce is so sweet once the shells are steamed with diced ginger, green chilly, lime and garlic. The shells open up when they are cooked.

Tambun Seafood : Spiky Shells

2008-07-06T00:07:00.000+08:00

I had a very nice seafood dinner at Tambun today. Here are sPeome of the dishes I had. Tambun is quite famous for good seafood and is located about 30 minutes from Penang island. Here are spiky shells. You use a toothpick to pry them out and eat it with chilly sauce. Yummy!

Roti Bom

2008-07-05T02:09:00.001+08:00

Roti Bom, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Another variant of the roti canai. Roti bom is more compact and sweet, oftEn served with condensed milk on top.

Penang Hokkien Mee

2008-07-03T15:55:00.001+08:00

Penang Hokkien Mee, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Prawn noodles with lots of chilly, fried onions and prawns. This was at New Cathay coffee shop in Pulau Tikus.

Penang Sar Hor Fun

2008-07-03T15:52:00.001+08:00

Penang Sar Hor Fun, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

After some hokkien mee I had another Sar Hor Fun for lunch.

Ciku Fruit

2008-07-03T14:27:00.001+08:00

Ciku Fruit, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

I had some sweet ciku for dessert just now. Very sweet and unique. I used to have a ciku tree that was infested with squirrels and bats.

Soupy Wan Tan Mee

2008-06-28T16:13:00.001+08:00

Soupy Wan Tan Mee, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Breakfast in Penang

Satay at Bee Hooi

2008-06-25T20:41:00.001+08:00

Satay at Bee Hooi, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Having some satay tonight.

Indian Mee Goreng

2008-06-12T00:51:00.000+08:00

Opposite the Pulau Tikus station is my favourite mee goreng stall. I like the dry type of mee goreng versus the wet kind.

Koay Chiap Up Close

2008-06-12T00:46:00.000+08:00

Up close and personally delicious!

Koay Chiap

2008-06-12T00:44:00.000+08:00

Once again a favourite dish of mine at New Cathay Coffee shop in Pulau Tikus.

Penang Hawker Food Blog Going International

2008-05-31T14:30:00.002+08:00

Well in a way. It's funny but when I started this blog I thought I would only be in Penang. But life is full of changes. For the next 3 weeks I will be in Thailand, and I will be blogging a bit about Thai food. Then after that I will be working in Australia for a year, so it's like "Penang Hawker Food Down Under!" I will continue to maintain my site and will still be busy eating wherever I am!

Map of Penang from Google Maps

2008-05-27T20:37:00.001+08:00

View Larger Map

I thought that I will link put this map on the side column for those who want a good map of Penang.

Curry Mee Again

2008-05-27T14:31:00.001+08:00

Curry Mee Again, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Here is a picture of the whole bowl.

Curry Mee at New World Park

2008-05-27T14:28:00.001+08:00

Curry Mee at New World Park, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

One of my favourite sea food curry mee stalls. It is the one opposite the ais kacang, not the one next to the pizza stall.

New World Park

2008-05-27T14:16:00.001+08:00

New World Park, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

All the old hawkers along swatau lane have moved to the hawker center in New World Park. Way back then it used to be an amusement park which my mum used to peek over the walls at the movies. Now it has been rejuvenated with a windmill theme. A good inner city hawker center.

Pan Mee Soup at Northern Cafe

2008-05-25T23:11:00.001+08:00

Pan Mee Soup at Northern Cafe, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Here are the flat noodles in a clear soup with egg, ikan bilis and vege. Very nice.

Penang Poh Piah @ Northern Cafe

2008-05-25T23:09:00.001+08:00

Penang Poh Piah @ Northern Cafe, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Poh Piah is a favourite healthy side dish. Basically it is a turnip salad rolled in a flour based skin. Ingredients differ but the standard ones are grated turnip, egg, lettuce, fried onions, prawns and a chilly paste. Much more ingenious than a caesar salad.

Pan Mee @ Northern Cafe

2008-05-25T23:06:00.001+08:00

Pan Mee @ Northern Cafe, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

I like the hand made noodles made from spinach and carrot. The dough is flattened through a roller and sliced into noodles.

Beef Ball Noodles Kampong Malabar

2008-05-25T18:55:00.002+08:00

Beef Ball Noodles Kampong Malabar, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Here is the map for the Ho Ping café for Beef Ball noodles. It is on a small road called Kampung Malabar, opposite the Kayu Nasi Kandar on Penang Road. The Beef Ball noodles are a must try, something you don't get anywhere else. The fried rice with salted fish is also not bad at all.

Koay Teow Th'ng

2008-05-21T23:28:00.001+08:00

Koay Teow Th'ng, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Over at Bee Hooi again tonight for a quick dinner.

Tandoori Chicken at Kassim Mustafa

2008-05-20T17:29:00.001+08:00

Tandoori Chicken at Kassim Mustafa, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

One of my favourite Tandoori Chicken meals is in this shop in Pulau Tikus. Excellent. Tasty and cheap!

Penang Smiley Char Koay Teow

2008-05-02T20:07:00.001+08:00

Penang Smiley Char Koay Teow, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

My happy meal!

Ban Chang Kueh

2008-04-27T09:09:00.001+08:00

Ban Chang Kueh, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

My breakfast. Bought at Pulau Tikus market.

Wrapping it up

2008-04-24T08:29:00.001+08:00

Wrapping it up, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

With savoury masala potatoes inside.

Wrapping it up

2008-04-23T23:41:00.001+08:00

Wrapping it up, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

With savoury masala potatoes inside.

Making Roti Jala

2008-04-23T23:38:00.001+08:00

Making Roti Jala, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

What an interesting way to make a pancake.

Roti Jala Masala

2008-04-23T05:19:00.001+08:00

Roti Jala Masala, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

In Pulau Tikus opposite the Belissa Row Cimb Bank.

Roti Jala

2008-04-21T13:06:00.001+08:00

Roti Jala, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

A special masala roti jala. A net like pancake stuffed with potatoes.

Penang Beef Koay Teow

2008-04-14T10:10:00.001+08:00

Penang Beef Koay Teow, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

At the corner of beach st and chulia st opposite the fire brigade. One of the best beef soup noodles in town.

Lebuh Pantai Beef Soup Koay Teow

2008-04-14T09:35:00.001+08:00

Lebuh Pantai Beef Soup Koay Teow, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

I was in the area so I decided to pop by to try this famous beef koay teow. It is on lebuh pantai opposite the fire brigade.

Penang Coffee Shops : Kong Bee Lee Cafe

2008-04-11T19:28:00.002+08:00

Penang Coffee Shops : Kong Bee Lee Cafe, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Just opposite the Pulau Tikus Police station. It is open only for lunch. Parking is almost non existent except for the extremely lucky.

What to eat

The Indian Mee Goreng here is one of the best I have tasted. The guy really sweats as he stir fries those noodles ...chang chang chang.
The Thai Lemak Laksa is also good, but sometimes she starts late and the service is slow.

What to drink

Nothing remarkable

Penang Coffee Shops : Polycafe

2008-04-11T19:24:00.002+08:00

Penang Coffee Shops : Polycafe, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Polycafe is located next to Baskin Robbins in Pulau Tikus. Open for breakfast and lunch and has seats upstairs and downstairs. I prefer downstairs as the service upstairs is inconsistent. Quite a nice place to eat if you can find a parking spot.

What to eat

The Curry Mee is not bad, good size serving with nice curry base.
Wan Tan Mee is also nice with the belacan chilly they serve it with.
Chicken Rice is probably the buziest, but is quite tasty
The Hokkien prawn mee is also above average.

What to drink

They have some home made herbal tea (leng teh) and soya which is quite tasty

Penang Coffee Shops : Bee Hooi

2008-04-11T19:20:00.003+08:00

Bee Hooi Coffee Shop, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Another favourite of mine. The Bee Hooi coffee shop is open mainly at night with a good variety of hawker fare. It is open for lunch with mainly just Chicken Rice. Located opposite Belissa Row, who wants a 15 ringgit coffee at Coffee Bean when you can get it for 1 ringgit opposite. Parking as usual is a tedious affair, but you can try parking in the parallel lanes near the coffee shop.

What to Eat

The Orr Chien (Oyster Omellet) has big oysters for 5 ringgit. Ok maybe not that big, but big by Penang standards.
Ah yes, the Char Koay Teow here is excellent and worth the wait. The old man is bent and works hard at the wok while his wife nags him incessantly. Be ready for a 15 minute wait when it gets busy.
Another dish you should try here is the Sar Hor Fan, which has just the right burnt taste to it.
The Chinese Pasembur is not bad as a side dish.
Try the octopus in the loh bak stall too.

What to Drink

Try the Keh Lah Sim Boi (Fresh lime with preserved plum)

Penang Coffee Shops : New Cathay

2008-04-11T19:16:00.003+08:00

Penang Coffee Shops : New Cathay, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

I am starting a series on my favourite coffee shops . I hope to include a map, what to eat and drink. If you have a favourite coffee shop please tell me and write a short review.Thanks!

Lets start off with one of my favourite coffee shops for breakfast, the new cathay coffee shop in Pulau Tikus. Now this coffee shop has a nice variety of hawkers and is only open in the morning till lunch time, about 7am to 2pm. They are closed on Sundays. Now that says a lot, any coffee shop that can afford to close on Sundays and nights means they have lots of business.

Location
As in the map above, this corner coffee shop is located opposite the Church of Imaculate Conception along Kuching lane. Parking is terrible, but you can try along the Plaza opposite. Please put money in the parking meter coz it's a hot place to get a parking ticket.

What to eat

I like the Koay Chiap which is not found in many other coffee shops. The special noodles normally is sold out by 12.30pm and you are left with bee hoon only!
The Curry Mee is quite good
Excellent Wan Tan Mee, but be ready to wait a long time, especially when the wife is bickering with the husband! Nice springy noodles served in a special plate.
The Koay Teoh Th'ng is tasty but in a very small bowl.
There is a Char Koay Kak stall there which is worth a try
Don't forget to buy some Bak Hu (Chicken Floss) from the auntie there. Very crispy and nice
The Banana Pancake is also a hot specialty that will take a long time. The young man selling it learnt it from a hotel, and now probably makes more money than me.

What to Drink

The standard hot tea and local coffee is not bad
Try the Keh Lah Sim Boi or Ampula Sim Boi

Durian Season

2008-04-11T18:06:00.001+08:00

Durian Season, originally uploaded by tidaknama.

Looks like durians are back again. A small season from the kampongs.

Kuih Bahalu / Sponge cake

2008-04-11T18:00:00.001+08:00

Often found near coffee shops, there will be some cakes for sale. This is just a common sponge cake. Very nice with a cup of coffee.

Penang Roti Bakar with Kaya

2008-04-10T15:56:00.002+08:00

Photo credit : Hko

Too much spicy food recently? How about a nice simple toast with kaya(coconut) jam or a half boiled egg, or even just butter and sugar. You can order this at any coffee shop. A nice refreshing change. Excellent with a cup of local brewed coffee.

Penang Ikan Panggang (BBQ Grilled Fish)

2008-04-10T15:45:00.004+08:00

Photo credit : Hko
In most of the larger hawker food centers, you will find a stall displaying fresh seafood which you can choose to be BBQed right there for you. Yup all the fantastic tastiness of a BBQ without having to get dirty. You can choose fresh fish and stingray (han gar hu ... mmm my favourite!) which will be grilled with a special chilly sauce.