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Solo Travel Part 7 - Penang (Day 2)

>> Saturday, November 27, 2010

My 2nd day in Penang didn't kick-off as yummy as I hoped it to be :( I unfortunately had the worse char kuey teow ever in my life!! Can you believe it? Penang + BAD char kuey teow?? Quite impossible, right? If the PerutBesi says it's bad, it is realllllllly bad :S This is the result of not doing my homework before I set off for my solo trip. I relied VERY much on my friends to bring me around & introduce me to the load of good food!

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KK & I went to Lorong Selamat for breakfast. He's not from Penang (my schoolmate back in PJ!), so I won't expect him to be an expert with Penang food....hahaha...

Since the char kuey teow stall is not opened yet, we ended up at the coffeeshop next door for some fried oysters ("or chein"). It's not the best "or chien", but it's good enough to be finished up. The cendol made me cry though :( Not nice! *boohoohoo*


The ONLY cendol in Lorong Selamat
I was tricked. It didn't claim itself as the best. Sigh. KK said the ice-kacang was not too bad, but I decided to go for the cendol instead & oh, it was such a disappointment. I can't believe that there's "eeeuuuww" food in Penang! *wergh*


Looks ok, but erm...I MISS MALACCA....(RM2.50/bowl of cendol)
I'm all the way up north, but heck, Malacca's cendol rocks!!

Fried Oysters from Chuan Kee coffeeshop @ Lorong Selamat (RM8.00/medium)

This was the so-called famous char kuey teow place - DISAPPOINTMENT!
I didn't know that most people have boycotted this stall 'til I met my Penang friends after this horrible breakfast...sigh...I must remember to do my home-work!

Penang Lo Bak
KK's crazy about Lo Bak. He orders lo bak wherever he goes in Penang! :S

Horrible-Morrible Char Kuey Teow (RM7.00/plate)
Can you believe it? RM7.00 for a plate of lousy fried kuey teow? What is so nice about it?? Some people have complained that the lady who fries the noodles is very rude, but I didn't order, thus I didn't realize. KK brought me there cos it was "well-known" & that's about it. I won't go back to this stall again...sigh...mine was too salty & er...'nuff said. I might get sued for this post! :P It must be a bad day for the lady or for the PerutBesi!

Thankfully, the evening made up for all the bad food that I had during breakfast. I had a restaurant review for lunch, which I will post it up later. I was munching here & there & was really stuffed!! Believe it or not, after that heavy "lunch", I had dinner! *faints*

You must try this place though. Moo Kata @ Lorong Burma beside the Siamese Temple!

Note: Non-Halal

Moo Kata
Simple place for good Thai steamboat + BBQ :) Lovely!!


Lemongrass Drink (RM1.00/glass)
This is their house specialty. It's the common Thai lemongrass drink, a very refreshing drink to go with the sizzling hot & "heaty" barbecue ;)

Moo Kata's Special Chilli Dip
It's pretty spicy & slightly sweet. I actually prefer to have my food by itself since the chilli dips will over-power the natural taste of the food :)

 
Ingredients for the steamboat/BBQ (RM25.00/set for 2-3 persons)
I thought the price was very reasonable. We wanted to order their delicious "snacks", so we decided to order the smaller portion of steamboat/BBQ stuff.  It was a GREAT decision made! :D



Pork Lard as the Source of Oil
Sizzling hot goodness on the top, flowing into the soup! Oooo....yums!

Must try: Nine-Flavour Fish  (RM20.00/serving)
Seabass is used as the fish for frying. The dressing is the chef's specialty of spicy, salty, sweet, & sour taste, all in 1 dish! You'll find peanuts, chilli, garlic, ginger, spring onions, parsley, & Romaine leaves with the fried fish fillet. Words just don't suffice in telling you how yummy this dish is :)


Pork Salad (RM12.00/serving)
Another one of our favourites. If you're a pork-lover, this is a must for you. It tastes quite similar to the fish dish, but it's the yummilicious pork!


Thai Dessert: Tab Tim Koob (RM2.00/cup)
Water chestnut wrapped in red rubbies + jackfruit + sweet coconut milk. It's fragrant, "crispy" - water chestnut, & not too sweet! I loved it...

Deep-Fried Garlic Chicken Wings (RM6.00/serving)
You MUST NOT leave this place without trying their fried chicken. This was the BEST fried chicken that I have ever tasted. I loved the fragrance of the fried wings + the crispy-ness! The chef used 3 types of flour for the batter & he only marinates the wings for 2 hours (not more, not less). It's a revolutionary deep-fried chicken wings!

The Damage - Not THAT much! :)

Stay tuned for posts on Kampar & Ipoh!!


Yummy!

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Solo Travel Part 6 - Penang (Day 1)

>> Friday, November 26, 2010

I'm finally back from my trip!! Sorry for the delay in updates. I didn't have the internet access & I was busy with job applications! Anyway, here's more on my solo trip for all my readers out there ;) Enjoy!

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Penang, Malaysia's "land of good food up north"!

I felt that I did more than I have expected myself to do during the short trip up here. Firstly, I had a good catch up with my best friend, GN, who happened to be here to visit her sister. Then, I also had a much-awaited catch up with my high school friend, KK 'til the wee hours of the morning. I had lovely food & not-so-lovely food as well...and the bonus, I met up with a great bunch of Penang food bloggers for a restaurant review! *fwah* Syiok ar!

On the Penang bridge

Yam Cake at New World Park
This was my 1st meal. I followed 2 friends up north as they had to be in Penang for a function. Since they stayed at Tune Hotel, I thought some yummy yam cake would start-off my eating adventure in Penang!

The Yam Cake Stall

Yam Cake @ New World Park (RM1.00/piece)
What's so good about this yam cake is basically the toppings. I've had better yam cakes back here in PJ, specifically Subang SS19 :P The fried dried shrimps + fried shallots generously topped onto the yam cake makes the yam cake extra fragrant :) Try it & you'll know what I mean. I won't say that this is the best yam cake, but it is pretty good!


Yam Cake @ New World Park
Jalan Burma
George Town, Penang
GPS: N05 25.293' E100 19.611'
Note: Beside Tune Hotel, Penang

I basically didn't do much on my 1st day in Penang. KK brought me over to Sunset Bistro to catch the sunset in the evening. He knew I'm quite a fan of such natural beauty, so lazing at the beach with some drinks & a pizza sure suits well for a relaxing holiday!

Sunset Bistro @ Batu Ferringhi
As its name speaks, this is a place for some drinks & snacks. They have a small variety of western food too...

Soaking in the sun...or what's left of it...



Mojito & Sunset Delight Pizza (RM11.90/pizza)
I'm not a great fan of Mojito, but since KK ordered for me, I just gulped it down slowly...the pizza's nothing to shout about. Not the best, for sure!


Thus concludes my 1st day in Penang...no doubts, more food to come! It's Penang wei...


CHIAK!! (Hokkien for 'eat')


The Ruthless Eater,
 

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Have a break, Have some good food!

>> Sunday, November 21, 2010

Dearest readers,

Apologies for the the delay in updates! :( I'll only be able to get the updates done earliest late next week...I'm currently in Ipoh & I don't have my laptop to work on...just borrowing a friend's laptop for a while to get this announcement up.

Do stay tuned with PerutBesi! I've LOADS of posts to share; food & places that I've visited from Penang, Kampar, & Ipoh too!


Lotsa love (for food!),

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Solo Travel Part 5 - Kuantan (Char Kuey Teow & BURGER KAMBING!)

>> Thursday, November 11, 2010

Venue: Restoran Chean Li Shiang, Kampung Batu 11, Kuantan
Overall comment: AP said that the fried kuey teow here is quite delicious, but I felt that it was okay only. There was nothing very fantastic & I didn't feel hooked to it.

On our way back from Colmar Tropicale to Kuantan, we stopped by this coffeeshop for some decent "char kuey teow". The aunty who was frying the kuey teow is pretty hard-working, working everyday from morning 'til mid afternoon.


Char Kuey Teow (RM3.00 small/RM3.50 large)
The kuey teow was thin & still chewy, not too soft/over-cooked. I'm not sure if it's the timing, but by the time we were there, the fried kuey teow didn't have any prawns. The noodles were not too oily as well, which was to my delight...overall, because I was hungry, this plate of lunch was acceptable...I'm just looking forward to my trip to Penang this weekend for some AWESOME Penang fried kuey teow!

Map to Chean Li Shiang

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Restoran Chean Li Shiang
Kampung Batu Sebelas
25000 Kuantan
Pahang Darul Makmur.
Business Hours: mid morning - mid afternoon daily
GPS: N03 44.409 E103 10.760


Ratings:

Presentation: * * *
Price: * *
Environment: * *
Taste: * *
Service: * * 1/2

Overall




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Another place that I would love to introduce to my readers is this burger stall at the Alor Akar area, near IKIP College. Their oblong burger kambing with black pepper sauce rocks!! For just RM4.80/burger, you'll get a mouth-watering mutton burger to die for!




The yummilicious Oblong Burger Kambing (RM4.80)
JUICY, FRAGRANT, simply lip-smacking!


Burger Ayam/Chicken (RM2.00/burger)
The simple Ramli chicken burger, also very delicious :)

Map to the burger stall
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If you're craving for burgers, either for dinner or supper, this road at Jalan Dato Bahaman at the Alor Akar area in Kuantan has everything that you could satisfy your cravings! :)


Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * * 1/2
Environment: * * 1/2
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * * 1/2


Overall:





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Up next, Penang, here I come!! I'll be up north for 4days starting from Friday!! Stay tuned ;)


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Solo Travel Part 4 - Bukit Tinggi (Eating Here)

>> Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Eating at Colmar Tropicale is certainly expensive. If you're fortunate, you'll get decent-tasting food. My friends told me that the food at Colmar Tropicale is almost non-edible. To my greatest surprise, my food was alright! It's not the best, but it was acceptable :) *phew* Thank God!

On our first night at Bukit Tinggi, we decided to treat ourselves to some delicious & cheap Chinese food at Kampung Bukit Tinggi (the village not too far from Colmar Tropicale), while on our 2nd night here, we just had  dinner at La Flamme, a pizza & pasta restaurant.

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Venue: Restoran Kampung, Kampung Bukit Tinggi
Overall comment: Cheap & delicious Chinese meal not too far from Colmar Tropicale (you've to drive downhill to the Karak highway, heading towards Kuala Lumpur)
Halal: No

This place is quite hidden from the highway. To get here, follow the general directions as below, & you should be able to locate this restaurant:
  1. As you approach Kampung Bukit Tinggi, you'll see a row of shops in front of you. Turn right, heading towards the village.
  2. Drive pass a wooden bridge.
  3. Once you pass the bridge, you'll see long, unkept grass/"lalang" on your left & right. You'll pass by 1 open-spaced restaurant on your left.
  4. Right after that 1st restaurant, look out for the restaurant's signboard on left. Turn left into the small un-tarred pathway.
  5. You'll see the restaurant on your left. There's a fish pond, a large parking area, & the restaurant itself.

The restaurant itself
This restaurant won't charge you the "tourist-price", so it's quite 'safe' to have a good meal here :)

Signature Dish - Claypot Fish (around RM33.00 - depending on weight)
We ordered the Red Talapia fish as it's cheaper than other fish, has less small bones (in fact, it only has large bones), & the flesh is smooth. The taste of this dish was really delicious. It's just simple soya/fish sauce with fried shallots, garlic, ginger, & parsley, all cooked in the sizzling claypot to perfection...oolala....

Crispy Deep-Fried Pork Slices served with dark soya sauce & onions (RM15.00/dish)
Great as a snack or as one of the main dishes, this dish is certainly appetizing! The sauce is slightly sweet, like honey, coating the crispy pork slices. *crunch* Ah....yums!

Sizzling Hot Plate Japanese Beancurd (RM8.00/dish)
Very much alike the common beancurd dish found at Chinese restaurants, but somehow this restaurant cooks the gravy slightly different. It's "nicely sweeter" instead of the usual salted fish taste (I think they added some plum sauce for the gravy). I kinda enjoyed this - something slightly different ;)

Stir-Fried "Tin Chat" Vegetable with Garlic (RM7.00/dish)
You'll rarely get this vegetable in PJ/KL. I just enjoy chewing on the thick, succulent leaves, which are slightly slimy. It's alike the lady's fingers & the "san choy", commonly used in soups with salted egg. This vegetable is also said to be good for health (what the Chinese call as "pou"). 

Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Leaves with Garlic (RM7.00/dish)
Vegetables are aplenty at Bukit Tinggi since there are tonnes of vegetable farms here. So, we just ordered another vegetable for a "healthier" dinner ;)

Map to Restoran Kampung

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Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * * 1/2
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * * 1/2


Overall:





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Venue: La Flamme, Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi
Overall comment: Acceptable pizza & pasta at prices that won't burn too large a hole on your pocket. Taste isn't all that great, but decent enough to fill your stomachs. Some friends told me that the food here is really terrible, but when I was here last weekend, it tasted alright. Perhaps they changed their chefs? This restaurant is also one of the many restaurants here that are packed with hungry tourists every lunch & dinner. Strange how some restaurants are SO quiet, while some have a queue!
Halal: Yes

La Flamme Sidewalk Deli
Out of all the many eateries at Colmar Tropicale i.e. La Boulangerie, La Cigogne, Ryo Zan Tei, & La Flamme, we decided to have our dinner at the La Flamme; mainly because of the price (it's somewhat more worth it to pay RM30+ for pizza & pasta than for 1/4 roast chicken, or paying more than RM40+ for some French fine-dining dish) & the aroma of freshly baked pizza just tempted us to drop by for a meal.
photo taken from Eating Pleasure

The Menu
Reasonable variety of pizza, pasta, salad, & soups. All prices are subject to 10% service charge & 5% Government tax.

La Flamme's Kitchen
AP told me, "That mak cik is cooking your pasta...." Eeee...hahahaha...I really lack faith at the 1st impression of the chefs in the kitchen.

Chef Pizza (RM38.00++ large/ RM29.00++ regular)
Cream cheese, pesto, chicken sausage, mussels, & mozzarella cheese
[Ruth] Reminds me of those pizzas sold at hypermarkets...hahaha...not too bad lah. At least the crust is crispy & the pizza with the abundance of ingredients is fragrant. Nothing much to complain. Perhaps we're just too hungry or I'm just being very gracious in commenting...haha...

A Slice of Pizza
Each regular/large pizza is divided into 8 portions.

Fettuccine Gamberoni e Funghi (RM32.00++/serving)
Pasta with prawn & button mushrooms in cream sauce
[Ruth] I didn't try this pasta, so I can't really comment. By the looks of it, it doesn't look very interesting...hahaha...but my friend who had this pasta said that it tasted alright.

Spaghetti Marinara in Garlic Butter Sauce (RM31.00++/serving)
Prawns, mussel, fish cubes, clams & squids with tomato concasse or garlic butter sauce
[Ruth] The pasta sauce lacks "umphh" & the seafood wasn't very fresh. This dish could afford more herbs though...really lacking in flavour (though still edible). I reckon I could cook a better pasta marinara...and spend less on getting all the ingredients too!

Lasagna (RM29.00++/serving)
Homemade layer pasta with minced beef & spinach over gratin cheese
[Ruth] I thought this was the best-tasting dish among all that we ordered although it was also the most expensive (as compared to their pizzas & pastas)! Some may even call this a rip-off, but thankfully the taste of the lasagna compensated for its price. You'll find a generous serving of minced beef in thick tomato concasse & rich-flavourful cheese, tucked within layers of flat pasta. Not too bad, really. It's quite filling too! :)

If you're planning to settle for a meal at Colmar Tropicale itself, be prepared to spend a little more than the usual. Don't expect too much from the taste of food there as well, lest you'll be greatly disappointed.

My friends & I actually saved a lot 'cause we bought loaves of bread & cans of tuna for our lunch. It sounds rather pathetic for a holiday, but hey, we actually enjoyed ourselves with our humble tuna sandwiches over a cup of coffee/Milo (brought there ourselves) in front of the T.V. We splurged on breakfast & dinner at Kampung Bukit Tinggi/Colmar Tropicale, & on the mount of junkfood too!

Oh, what a relaxing weekend get-away :)


Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * 1/2
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * 1/2
Service: * * *


Overall




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Stay tuned for one more post on my Kuantan trip ;) More food to come!!


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