Char Kuey Teow, Assam Laksa & Curry Mee @ Penang

Penang is home to quite a few of Malaysia's famous Hawker Dishes. We sampled 3 Dishes this trip beginning with Char Kuey Teow, Assam Laksa and Curry Laksa.

Ah Leng Char Koay Teow


This was our first time visiting Ah Leng's Char Kuey Teow. We visited his Air Itam stall which opens during the evenings with Ah Leng manning the wok himself. We ordered his Char Kuey Teow special which included heaps of Mantis Prawn. The combination of Pork Fat, Mantis Prawns, Garlic and other ingredients made it such a flavorful and aromatic dish. We really enjoyed it!


Air Itam Market Assam Laksa



The Assam Laksa on Air Itam Market is probably the most blogged about in Penang. Arriving at the stall we were greeted with a strong whiff of Assam Broth goodness! I really enjoyed the Assam Broth which had a nice balance of sour, sweet, salty and spicy. One could really taste the flavor of the Mackeral/Ikan Kembong and the Noodles were really soft and smooth.


Sister's Curry Mee



Just a 10 minute walk from the Assam Laksa store is Sister's Curry Laksa. The friendly sisters have been selling their version of Curry Laksa for decades. Their Curry Laksa broth is lighter than most Curry Laksa's I've had but I preferred their version which has a really strong and sweet flavor from the use of a lot of Prawn Shells and Head.


Contact Information:
Ah Leng Char Koay Teow
Address: Lorong Zoo 6, 11500 Air Itam, Penang

Air Itam Assam Laksa
Address: Jalan Pasar, Air Itam, Penang

Sister's Curry Laksa
Address: Alley off Jalan Paya Terubong, Air Itam, Penang

Steam Red Snapper @ Ong Cheng Huat, Butterworth

We had lunch at Ong Cheng Huat after reading a number of positive from other Blogs about its excellent Steam Red Snapper and Deep Fried Spring Chicken. We arrived a little earlier than noon and were one of the first diners in the house. We ordered quite a few dishes all of which were recommended by our waitress.


House Prawn Crackers

This was one of my favorites. It was more like a Deep Fried Wonton than a Prawn Cracker. The Skin was crisp and the filling was pretty good.


Signature Steam Red Snapper

The Snapper was good especially the Gravy which tasted like Teochew Steam but with extra Garlic and Chili. The flesh was soft and smooth.


Steam Clams

The Clams we're also pretty good. It had a nice Shao Hsing Wine Flavor and the Clams were washed clean without any sandy flavor.


Deep-Fried Spring Chicken

The Chicken had a nice crisp skin but the meat was a little dry for our liking.


Stir-Fried Mee Hoon

The Mee-Hoon was another signature dish of theirs but we found it to be pretty average.


Stir-Fried Kangkung Belachan



Food:3.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 2/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $15 per person)


Contact Information
Overview:
We visited Ong Cheng Huat for their signature Steamed Red Snapper and we enjoyed it. The Sauce used for a Teochew Steamed Gravy but with more garlic. Other dishes we liked were also their Prawn Crackers and Steam Clams. The other dishes were so-so in our opinion.

Contact Information:
Address: 2004, Bagan Lallang, Butterworth, 13400, Butterworth, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia ‎
Tel: +60 4-331 4782
Map:

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Live Seafood @ Bali Hai, Seafood Market

We had our first Dinner in Penang at Bali Hai Seafood Market on Gurney Drive. The Restaurant is known for serving a wide variety of Live Seafood and has also opened a second branch in Kota Damansara. The prices of the Live Seafood was a little steep for us and so we decided to order some cheaper dishes that were on the menu.


Boiled Octopus



O-Chien



Deep Fried Snapper in House BBQ Sauce



Stir-Fried Clams with Ginger and Green Onion



Stir-Fried Dao Miu



Stir-Fried Seafood Noodles



We enjoyed most of the dishes we had especially their Boiled Octopus and Seafood Noodles. The O-Chien was the only thing we didn't really like. It was little too dry and lacked Oysters. Overall, if you're looking for a good seafood restaurant in Penang that serves live seafood Bali Hai is good place to try.

Food: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $$$ (Approximately USD $30 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 90 Gurney Dr, 10250 Penang, Malaysia ‎
Tel: +60 4-228 8272 ‎
Web:www.balihaiseafood.com
Map:

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High-End Hawker Food @ Champ's Bistro, Bangsar Shopping Centre

Located inside the posh Bangsar Shopping Center Champ's menu serves up a number of KL Hawker Favorites and Western Dishes. It was introduced to me by a friend who claims their Char Siew was very good.


Pork Noodle Soup

This was one of my favorite. The Broth was full of Pork Flavor and the extra Pork Lard and Fried Garlic added a lot of depth to the overall dish.


Char Siew and Siew Yoke

Their Char Siew was excellent. The Pork had a deep caramelized flavor and had a good balance between fat and meat.


Fish Head Bee Hoon

Their Fish Head Bee Hoon is another favorite dish. The broth was milky and had a nice flavor from the use of Shao Xing Wine.


Beer Batter Pork Chop

Surprisingly good. This is probably the Beer Batter used for Fish and Chips. It has a very crisp texture and the Pork was moist inside.


Pork Chop

The Pork Chop was ok for me. The Meat was a little tender but the Sweet and Sour Sauce was little too sweet for my liking.


Chicken Rice

Not a favorite of mine.


Spaghetti Carbonara

Their Carbonara Sauce was not very creamy. The Bacon however was crispy and had a good flavor.


If you're looking for some really good Hawker Dishes that's loaded with Pork, Pork Lard and Pork Flavor Champ's is the place to go.


Food: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: USD $15 per person


Contact Information
Address: F136, Level 1 (behind Madam Kwan's),
Bangsar Shopping Center, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603-2288-1855
Map:

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Dinner @ Two Fatty Seafood Restaurant, SS2

We recently had dinner at Two Fatty Seafood Restaurant in SS2 after seeing their huge signboard showing two chefs with medals. The restaurant serves up your typical Malaysian Cantonese Fare with a special emphasis on seafood dishes. We ordered quite a few dishes to try.


Stean Grass Carp with Ginger

The Grass Carp was steamed just right and had no fishy smell that is usually associated with the Fish. The Ginger Sauce was very pungent and flavorful.

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

An alternative to Sweet and Sour Pork. The Pork Ribs had a light crisp exterior and the Sweet and Sour Sauce was quite well balanced.


Homemade Tofu

A favorite of mine. The Tofu was firm on the outside but soft on the inside. It was really good with the Gravy.


Stir Fried Yao Mak



Braised Yee Mee

Their noodles were really good. It had a nice springy texture and the combination of Pork Fat and Soy Sauce melded well together.


The food at Two Fatty Seafood Restaurant was actually really good. It's definitely better than some of the Dai Chow Restaurants around the SS2 Area.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 2.5/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $15 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 95 Jalan SS 2/6, Ss 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia ‎
Tel: +60 3-7873 1391 ‎
Web: www.twofattyseafood.com
Map:

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Pantai Seafood @ Kampung Kayu Ara

Pantai Seafood is popular among locals for its live Seafood ranging from Fish, Lobsters, King Crabs, Clams, Oysters, Geoduck and Prawns. Ordering is simple, pick your seafood and choose from a list of recommended cooking options. We came with eight people that night and ordered quite a number of dishes to try both meat and seafood.


Deep Fried Calamari with Garlic

The batter was very crisp and the squid was tender.


Steam Patin Fish

One of my favorite fishes. The meat has a firm texture and the soy-sauce dressing on the fish was not too salty.


Kailan two ways

A signature of Pantai Seafood. The Kailan Leaves were deep fried and the stems were stir-fried with Garlic.


Roast Chicken

This was so-so. The Chicken was crisp and moist but flavor wise it was a little salty.


Butter Prawns

The prawns were really good. The combination of Butter and Curry Leaves were really good with the plump prawns.


Deep-Fried Pork Knuckle

Another signature of Pantai Seafood. The Knuckle was really tender but it was a little too oily for my liking.


Fried Crabs with Salted Egg Yolk

A favorite of mine. The creamy Salted Egg Yolk stuck on to the Crab really nicely and had a nice salty and mildly sweet flavor. The Crab also contained quite a bit of meat and wasn't overcooked.


Pancake with Lotus Paste



Fruit Platter



Food: 3.7/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $$$ (Approximately USD $30 per person


Contact Information
Address: Jalan Cempaka, Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: +603-7725 5099 ‎
Web: www.unique-seafood.com.my
Map:

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Steam Fish Head @ Rodney Wong Cooking Style

Ever since my parent company moved to Kundang Jaya, Rodney Wong has become our Restaurant of choice when taking out clients and suppliers for lunch. Seating no more than 50 people Rodney Wong serves up a number of Seafood and Malaysian Chinese Dishes.


Crab Meat and Fish Maw Soup

A favorite of everything we ordered. The Fish Maw Soup base was similar to that of Sharks Fin Soup and had a very smooth and velvety texture. The chef was very generous with the amount Fish Maw.


Steam Fish Head with Black Bean and Ginger Sauce

The Black Bean and Ginger does not overpower the fish head but actually gives it an added depth of flavor. The fish head is also steamed perfect and does not have any fishy smell.


Stir-Fried Spinach

Our most disappointing dish. Although the vegetables were not too oily and had a light crunch, the chefs did not wash the vegetables leaving some soil particles.


Tung Po Pork

The Pork was fork tender with the fat having a nice gelatnous texture. The Flavor however was a little on the mild side.


Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 2/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $10 per person)


Contact Information
Address: Rawang
Tel: N/A
Map:

KL Style Bak Kut Teh @ Chung Sun Bak Kut Teh

Chung Sun is one of two Bak Kut Teh restaurants in Kampung Baru, Sg Buloh that is popular among people working there.




Braised Pork Trotter

A favorite of my colleagues. The Pork Trotter meat was fork tender and the skin had a nice gelatinous texture.


Lettuce with Oyster Sauce



Mixed Bak Kut Teh

Chung Sun serves KL-Style Bak Kut Teh with the broth being on the light side. The natural flavor of the Pork was nicely drawn out by the broth and was very tender.


Overall the Bak Kut Teh in Chung Sun was quite good especially their Braised Pork Trotter.

Food: 3.7/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $5 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 224 Jalan Subang, Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: N/A

Hanging Roast Chicken @ LYJ Restaurant, Sungai Buloh

I've been to LYJ countless times because of it's proximity to my workplace. However time and time again we have never ordered their signature Roast Chicken which is seen hanging on so many tables with diners using plastic gloves tearing the meat apart. This time round we made sure we ordered the Chicken and a bunch of other dishes we have never tried.


LYJ's Signature Roast Chicken


The Skin of the chicken is super crispy and the meat was very tender. What I'm surprised was the seasoning which drew out the natural flavor of the chicken really well.


Char Siew

This is one of LYJ's signature dishes and rivals in my opinion Overseas. Their Char Siew has a nice caramelized crust that's not too sweet. The addition of Fried Garlic gives it a depth in flavor that surprisingly makes the Char Siew more aromatic.


Minced Pork and Eggplant Noodles

My first time having Fried Yee Mee cooked this way. I loved the myriad of textures coming from the soft Eggplant, Meaty minced Pork and Crispy Noodles.


Paku-Paki

A signature of their sister restaurant Jeff Lee's the Paku here is a little sweeter than their sister restaurant.


Stir-Fried Clams with Bitter Gourd

My first time having this dish. I'm not a fan of Bitter Gourd so it was ok in terms of flavor


Salt Baked Tilapia

The Tilapia is pretty good. It was very moist and the skin had a gelatin like texture. It went well with the green chili dipping sauce.


We definitely had a lot of first time dishes today. Their Roast Chicken is definitely a must to order together with their Char Siew and Egg Plant Noodles.


Food: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Price: $$$ (USD $10 per person)


Contact Information
Address: PT 11-12 & PT 16-17, Jalan Perkhidmatan, Kg Baru Sg Buloh, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: +603-6140 2678
Map:

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