Penang Eats

This is my most frequently requested list, from friends who know that Penang is my Malaysian home.  Here's a list of places that I have personally dined at and enjoyed.  It may not match many of the known foodie blog posts out there, and that's because this is where locals (not tourists) dine :)

• Cecil Street Hawker Centre | Also known as Chit Teow Lor Ban San (in Hokkien) or Seventh Street Market | A list of my personal favourite dishes are listed in detail here including curry mee, koay teow thng, char koay teow, pasembur, popiah, nyonya kueh...seriously the list is endless
• Winn's Cafe | Authentic northern Nyonya cuisine.  I highly recommend the nasi ulam, otak-otak, salted fish curry and sambal belachan. Be sure to check out the art gallery upstairs as well.
  
• Double Good Restaurant | Chinese restaurant where I host monthly dinners for my extended family.  Skip their set menus and order a la carte instead.  I recommend the Indonesian prawns claypot, steamed garoupa fish HK style, salted egg mantis prawn, braised pork trotters, sweet & sour pork, kailan double style, fuyong omelette
  
• Pitt St Koay Teow Thng | Michelin street food is now a thing in Penang so if you must indulge, this noodle soup dish is a good place to start.  The fishballs and meatballs are all made in-house and the taste and texture is uniquely delicious.  Be warned : the ladies who run this place are loud, really loud. 
• Joo Leong Cafe | Butter toast and half-boiled eggs with local coffee & tea for breakfast.  My family has been coming to this local village shop for decades.  Was surprised when it was discovered by bloggers.  The owners were my dad's mahjong buddies.  It's conveniently located on the way to the Penang International Airport.  
  
• China House | This is my one nod to tourists' favourites. It's worthy of mention for the novelty of having 4 dining concepts under one roof: cafe with delicious cakes, upscale dining, outdoor beer garden and cocktail lounge.  I love sitting in the Chinese garden section of the house complete with it's it moon gate and koi ponds.  A welcome respite from the hot and hectic world outside.

Walking with Daddy

I've always been Daddy's girl.  Since his passing in May 2022, I've tried many ways to keep his memory alive for myself.  One of my favourite pilgrimages is to go for a walk in Georgetown, Penang. Drawing on his stories, I love re-tracing the steps he would have taken from home to school.

The walk starts at Beach Road Fire Station, where my dad lived with his family.  My grandfather was the chief mechanic and driver of the longest fire engine in Penang in the 1950's.  He was a dedicated fireman who died in his uniform, from a heart attack at the prime age of 50.

Kapitan Kling mosque street is lined with money changers and nasi kandar stalls.  This is where my dad used to stop for his daily breakfast. Ten cents for a plate of nasi kandar and fish curry.  If the mamak was feeling generous, he would throw in a piece of beef for free.  Which my dad technically was not allowed to eat, coming from a Buddhist family.  But he whacked it anyway!

The Goddess of Mercy temple is where my grandmother offered prayers on festival days.  Built in 1728, this 300-year old temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in Penang.  The centuries-old tree in the courtyard of the temple would have rustled its leaves as my dad ran past it every day on the way to and from school.

The back of Assumption Church hosted many of my dad's infamous fights, including one which almost got him expelled from school.  The losing opponent reported my dad to his brother who was a teacher.  When called to the Principal's office, my dad produced a signed contract with two signatures stating that both boys had agreed to a friendly match to test their boxing skills.  Case closed.  

St Xavier's Institution is the seat of my dad's happiest childhood memories and achievements.  The street urchin found his calling in the athletic fields as a 110-yard hurdle champion training under Jimmy Boyle, one of Malaysia's most beloved composers, who also happened to be dad's athletics teacher.  He also spent many happy days as a Boy Scout, which provided an excellent foundation for his career as a soldier in the Malaysian Army. He was a proud Xavieran till his dying day.

Singapore Eats

Sharing a list of my favourite Singapore eats.  Curated for my colleagues visiting our Singapore hub and I thought why not update this blog as well since it's been a while :)

• Smith St Taps | Craft beer on tap from local and international breweries located in Chinatown hawker centre | 335 Smith St, #02-062, Singapore 050335 | $$
• National Kitchen Violet Oon | Peranakan heritage cuisine at the National Art Gallery of Singapore - historical building previous venue for City Hall & Supreme Court | 1 St Andrew’s Road, National Gallery #02-01 | $$$
• Fatty Wing Seong | Best Cantonese food in town: sweet & sour pork, kung pao chicken, ginger beef, roast duck, chilli crab, steamed fish | 175 Bencoolen St | $$
• Killiney Kopitiam | Home of traditional Singaporean breakfast of kaya toast, soft boiled eggs and local coffee/tea. Established in 1919 | Various outlet : 67 Killiney Road outlet is the original location | $
• British Hainan | The Hainanese are a Chinese dialect group who worked as cooks for the British during the colonial era and created a unique style of western dishes with a Hainanese twist. | Various outlets: 23 Purvis St is nearest city centre | $$
• Warung M Nasir | Indonesian Malay dishes: Beef rendang, ayam masak merah (chicken in spicy tomato sauce), tahu goreng (stir fried tofu), sayur lodeh (veg in coconut curry) are must tries | 69 Killiney Road  | $
• Murugan’s Idli Shop | South Indian steamed rice cakes with chutney and dhal curry. In the heart of Little India. Vegetarian | 76 Syed Alwi Road | $
• Delhi6 | North Indian : Butter chicken, Chicken tikka masala, lamb rogan josh, dhal makhni, tandoor brocolli are highly recommended | 22 Race Course Road | $$
• Le Bistrot du Sommelier | Country-style French : Rillete, terrine, pate, saucisson are all made in-house. Tucked away in a lovely old shophouse in the historic civic district | 53 Armenian St | $$
• Braci | Contemporary Italian Michelin star degustation menu. Foie gras semi freddo is a must try | 52 Boat Quay #05-01 | $$$$
• Jade | Weekend dim sum brunch is a wonderful deal for only SGD55. Advance booking required | Fullerton Hotel - 1 Fullerton Square | $$$

Gyeongbukgong Palace

Re-enacting a scene from my favourite sageuk Korean dramas at the beautiful Gyeongbukgong Palace in Seoul

Tall, strong and silent.  Exactly how I like my men. 

Enjoying the historical sights of Bukchon Village with Hanoks (traditional Korean houses) dating from the Joseon era.

Big thank you to Yong Jin for showing us around Seoul. It was fantastic to see the city through the eyes of a local.  We especially enjoyed the Gangnam plastic surgery district, Hang Gang park and the super-authentic jajjangmyeon and tangsuyuk from your favourite Chinese restaurant in Jongno.

Kdrama filming sites

 

Nami Island - where the mother of all Korean dramas "Winter Sonata"- was filmed

Film site for Park Bo Gum's highly successful "Love in the Moonlight" kdrama

Garden of the Morning Calm is really a beautiful place to visit.  This arboretum located in Gyeonggi province houses 5000 species of plants.  It's a popular location for filming of kdramas.

London Walks

This trip to London felt like a homecoming and I spent many hours walking the streets, soaking up familiar sights and discovering new ones.

Big Ben & Houses of Parliament - my all time favourite 

The London Eye was new to me as it was built after my last visit to the UK

Piccadilly Circus - another iconic London sight

Sunny day at Buckingham Palace

St Paul's Cathedral

Fortnum & Mason's, the royal grocers at Piccadilly, was another first for me. The shop assistants and cashiers wore coat tails and gloves! And all this while I thought Marks & Spencer's was posh. Brought home some tea, biscuits and shortbread so that I can pretend to be royal too over an afternoon tea...hehe...

Sunset Symphony

Watching the sun set over the Pacific. So beautiful.

Spiritual Home on the Pacific

After so many visits to California since Julie moved there in 2006, I think I finally found my spiritual home - Pacific Grove.  This beautiful piece of coastline is so inspiring that I find myself completely drawn to its charms.  Been here twice already this year - winter and spring. Perhaps I'll own a home here one day.  Where I can finally settle down to write.  After all, it worked for John Steinbeck who called Pacific Grove home and set many of his novels here.

Julie and I stayed at a cottage close to the beach and enjoyed daily walks, in the mornings and evenings. Loved the springtime blossoms that sprang up to delight the senses at every turn.

Kaiseki

"Kaiseki" is a traditional Japanese multi-course dinner, which Kyoto is well-known for.  This is the highest form of food art, with perfection on every plate - both in terms of sight and taste. Words will add nothing to this highly sensory experience, so please just sit back and enjoy the pictures.

Our beautiful hostess and ryokan owner, Mrs Yoshimura, dressed in a traditional kimono, presented each kaiseki dish.  She explained the use of seasonal ingredients as well as the sequence in which the dishes were to be eaten.  I was (and still am) in total awe of her grace, feminine manners and ability to kneel and bow with perfect precision!

Dish 1 (Clockwise): Radish in sesame sauce, anchovy, fish jelly, fish paste, snail

Dish 2: Sashimi

Dish 3:  Grilled prawn with yuba (Japanese yam)

Dish 4: Sawara (Spanish mackerel) with pickled ginger shoot

Dish 5: Tempura of fish, lotus root, okra and shitake mushroom

Dish 6: Sliced conger eel and pickled cucumber salad

Dish 7: Rice & miso soup 

Dish 8: Dessert of peeled Kyoto grapes and kiwi fruit

Southern Cookin'

No trip to New Orleans is complete without mentioning the delicious food found in the South, and as a self-respecting blogger, I just have to come up with my own personal list of favourites. This list is purely based on a personal measure called "satisfaction per calorie" so, here goes...

 

 

No.1  Fried Green Tomatoes with Grilled Shrimp from The Creole Grille & Bar  -  This is the first time I've ever had fried green tomatoes and it was to die for!  The crispy battered tomatoes topped with spicy grilled shrimp, egg salad and tartare sauce really made my tastebuds sing for joy.  If this is Southern cookin', I'm happy to do more Southern eatin'  :)



No. 2. Catfish Platter and Potato Salad from The Creole Grille & Bar - I used to laugh when I heard Southern chefs on the Food Channel say, "If we're not sure what an ingredient is, we just fry it!".  Now, I realise why.  They sure know how to fry up a delicious plate of anything.  Including this catfish platter.  It was so good, especially when paired with home-style potato salad. 

No. 3 Duck Po' Boys from Crabby Jacks - When a local waitress tells you that the po' boys from another joint is better than her own restaurant, you don't ask questions.  You just punch in the address into your GPS and head there straight away.  That's how we discovered the best po'boys in New Orleans.  The soft french bread was just the right consistency to soak up all the duck jus, while the pickles and mayonnaise added just the right contrast to the shredded duck meat that was bursting out of this sandwich.  Yumm...

No. 4  Shrimp & Grits from Mother's Restaurant - This place came highly recommended by our hotel concierge and tour bus guide, so we should have known better.  The decor was rather antiquated which I suppose added to the historical cache of the restaurant.  The shrimp and grits were tasty but not as earth-shattering as I had hoped.  In fact, I thought the turnip greens cooked in bacon was the most flavourful item on the plate, although it didn't look very appealing at first sight.  My sister had the Ferdi Po-Boy, which was filled with roast beef, pulled pork and ham.  The one bite she shared with me was very tasty.

 

No. 5 Coffee and beignets from Cafe du Monde - Given the number of times I've heard this place reviewed on the Travel Channel, I really had higher expectations.  The coffee tasted rather watered down, and although the beignets (French doughnuts) were hot and fresh, they tasted quite ordinary.  Much like "you tiao" (Chinese crullers).  Still, the powdered sugar added some fun to the eating experience as I managed to get a lot of it on my face and jacket, much to my sister's amusement!

 

Puppy Love

There he stood, just a mere 10 feet away from me, the first boy I ever fell in love with, singing "Puppy Love" while I screamed in delight and swooned unabashedly.  Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to to present the one and only Donny Osmond! 

Tuesday, 12 February 2013.  Another dream come true.  Watching the Donny and Marie show live at the Flamingo Showroom in Las Vegas.

The dynamic duo are really world-class entertainers.  From the moment they entered the stage, they filled the atmosphere with such dynamism, it literally took my breath away.  The show highlighted musical hits spanning their careers from the 70's right up to their latest work on Broadway.  Marie's renditions of Requiem, Sound of Music and Getting to Know You in soft soprano was amazing and really showcased how much she has continued to grow as an artiste.

Meanwhile, I was pleasantly surprised at how well Donny can dance.  His "Soldier of Love" act contained some really cool hip-hop and even "Gangnam Style" moves!  Amazing how a 56-year old man can rock my world even more than the Chippendales :)

More than anything, I walked out of the theatre that night as happy and hopeful about "tomorrow being a perfect day" as I was as an eight year old at the end of my favourite TV show.

Photo borrowed from Donny & Marie Vegas website

Memories of Fort Canning

Ever since I moved to Singapore, dad has been regaling me with stories of Fort Canning where he was stationed in 1963-64 when Singapore was part of Malaysia. He was among the first cohort of army signals technicians sent from KL to set up the communications centre in Singapore.

As a surprise treat, I decided to check mum and dad into Hotel Fort Canning on their recent visit.  The historic building was converted into a hotel, which opened to the public last year and I also arranged for the hotel to take us on a tour of the premises and park.  Dad was beside himself with excitement checking out his former barracks, workshop and battery store etc. He almost took over the tour at one point, with his trademark exuberance and extroversion!  Like father, like daughter.

Top 5 Tasty Treats

I can hardly believe that I've made it to the end of my vacation with nary a mention of food that I've had on this trip! To remedy that immediately, here are some of my favourite finds for this 2011 trip to the US.

No. 1 Shrimp and Hot Links Pasta at Johnny Garlic's at Rocklin, California

I love watching Guy Fieri's "Diners, Dive Ins and Dives"on the Food Network and have been wanting to try his restaurant in Northern California for the longest time. The spicy pasta cream sauce was "MONEY!" as Guy would say. Absolutely delicious and highly recommended. And it's not just because I'm a groupie :-)

No. 2 Country Fried Steak and Pies at Marie Callender's

This restaurant chain serves excellent down home Southern style cooking. The very first thing that greets you when you walk in is rows of pies - apple, blueberry, custard, lemon meringue, pecan and everything in between. Went there for breakfast and had my first country fried steak with eggs and hash browns too. All 1350 calories of it. Gulp!

No. 3 Onion Steak at Logan's Roadhouse, Citrus Heights CA

I was carrying a steak craving from Singapore, and the satisfaction factor was met at Logan's Roadhouse. The juicy 6 oz steak was sandwiched between a layer of caramelized onions at the bottom, and topped with deep fried onion rings. That grin on my face says it all!

No. 4 Deep-fried zuchinni at Paul's Diner, Los Angeles

Here's a perfect way to make your vegetables tasty...coat with breading, deep fry to golden perfection, top with parmesan cheese and dip in ranch dressing! Super yummy and highly recommended anytime you find yourself at Paul's Diner located at Buena Park near Disneyland.

No. 5 The Green Room at Chelsea Market, New York City

A rustic yet chic farm-to-table restaurant at the heart of Food Network's HQ in New York. I enjoyed a deliciously healthy spicy sausage and lentil stew for lunch. I'm sure any of the Iron Chefs would have approved of this hearty dish.