*The Other Side Of The Padang*

This Padang (a field) had become infamously known though out the decades. She had claim her fame and status amongst us the Penangites. This place is well know for generations, I remembered my granddaddy used to bring me there.. then my father... and now I stopped by whenever I feel like it.. and I have a gutsy feeling that her legacy will continue for many years to come... Going Strong! This place is none other than... ten ten ten ten!!! Padang Brown off Jalan Dato Kramat (hahaha... you thought i'm going to say Old Trafford huh... nah.. Penang only la!!!) If you're still at blank of where this place is.. ask somebody from Penang. Or.. Go ASK your parents. They'd know...So, what will you think of when other people brought up this place??? Uh huh.. are you thinking what i'm thinking??? hehehe... FOOD!!! OMG.. have you ever tried the Yong Tau fu?? Delicious rite.. And the Ais Kacang, Cuttle Fish with Kang Kong.. mouth watering huh... what about the Fried Tau Guah, Mee Goreng, erm.. summo the Lok Lok.. authentic rite. Food that's genuine creation from the harbor of all FOOD - Penang, all in 1 menu. Ok!OK! This is only one side of the Padang... Read on!!Frankly speaking. Have you ever wander off to the other side of the Padang?? (For those who are familiar with this place, you ought to know what i mean.) YOU ARE RITE!!! You can actually hunt down yummy chows on both ends of the Padang. Theres the side next to a tennis court and theres the other which by the name Johor Road. hehehe... and last weekend, I've been raving one side of the Padang...Food can be found serving hot from the wok here at tea-time hours at this particular place, since zaman nenek moyang, decades. So next time when you feel hungry around 3pm, you know where you should be heading to. Left turn at the junction of a police station and left turn again before the Esso station. You'd not missed this whole stretch of food stalls, lots of cars, lots of foodie on weekends. (unless you drop by on their off days and see no ppl.. then sorry bout tht la.. not ur day!!!)You can most certainly find your favorite afternoon snacks here under one roof.
When we got there the stinkin smell came from the asam laksa really tempted our senses.(Lost in Laksa Land for awhile there.. hehehe) You can definitely smell the 'heh ko' (prawn paste) a few stalls away, the taste is not the usual sour bit type, more like what be found in Farlim, with thick fishy texture, combines with the springy laksa noodle is just fine.
Next up, we tried the char koay teow (CKT). Erm, I'm not much of a CKT fan... But it taste just "OK-nya" to me. It has the usual standardized taste of Penang CKT, nice but not really Spectacular.
For snacks, of course we tried the Lok Lok.. I tell ya.. its really CHEAP.. And the sause, i think is satay sause, fantastically compliment the lok lok. mmmm... you can taste the crunchiness of peanut in the sause. Not forgetting the Malay Pohpiah, (the history of this stall goes back... way... back) its Poh piah basah, not those fried ones. The poh piah came really hot and 'basah'.. hehehe.. you can see the stim. With just one bite, you ought to taste the sweetness of the fragrentful mengkuangl when it burst in your mouth.oh oh oh.. and the Cucur Udang, sells by a pak cik behind the poh piah stall. Dont let the daunting presense of the cucur udang scared u away, it may be a lil bit burnt but scrapped it off and u'd enjoy every mouthful of cucur udang that came with their special made sause. Make sure you 'banjiri' the fritters in the sause and let it sink in your mouth.. hahaha.. nice!!! The most important thing is.. Its really cheap!!!Read me right!!! this is a place that offers you not only Luxcious 'native' Penang appitizing snacks also at very very reasonable price!!! but talk about cleaniness of this place.. what the heck!! Its hawker stall what do you expect??? !!!??!! as long as there are no strayed dogs, strayed cats, and vulturing crows around... I'm fine...

Nuts about Coconutzz..

April 18th, 2009. Marks a very hot day on my calender. Heatwaves had definitely hit the bays, to mark the rainy days are about to say good bye!!! Anyways the heat is drivin me nuts... yearning for something cooling like Coconuts.. LOL!!!While on my way back from the PC fair held in PISA... sudden thirst lead me to Perak Road (the locals calls it Tua Lor Aw- the road behind the big road). Well of course have to stop for my favorite Coconut stall to quench my thirst and cools the heat. You could spot the Indian fella selling coconut under a big umbrella with his cart. You'd not missed him, because you'd certainly spot a whole pile of coconut husks by the road side. And he's selling the normal coconut at RM2 each, and he also sells Pandan Coconut RM2.50 each.. and occasionally he sells freshly harvest sea coconut (RM3 each). Cheap right!!! (Pss..I'm sharing this with you.. and keep it to yourself..hehehe). Yummmmy... the coconut juice sure works wonders... hahaha..its like they got this magical spell on thist issue. Check them out!!!After the drink we set foot out in search of the Penang Coconut Jelly, where had create a craze amongst a bunch of foodie around town. Looks like everybody is going gaga over it.. what so special?? I was thinking.. its only Jelly ('cai ean'). What so great about them?? First, we have to locate this shop along Jln dato Kramat. Not easy to stop your car though, as it is just by the road side of a very busy street, near impossible to stop!!! The shop is just next to a TOTO shop. You'd find it.. no worries. As seen in the reference, this shop sells a whole lot of coconut as well.. They are like the wholesaler, they even have a whole truck load of coconuts to unload when we got there. Business must be good huh.. okok.. getting back to the jelly. According to the guy attending to me.. they are selling like hot cakes.. well in this case.. Hot coconutzz!!!!! If you have any intentions to purchase in tens for functions, PLEASE CALL to order. Or else... you'd not get your hands on it... (seriously!) **Pointers, it had to be refrigerated to maintain it freshness, so for those who are travelling out of town with it make sure its kept in a cooler bag. The jelly was not really sweet, the coconuty flava is still intact, you can really taste the 100% no preservative dessert. Has one of its kind taste, something different for a change, coz the jelly serves in the coconut. Add:Penang Coconut Jelly201, Jalan Dato Kramat10150 PenangPls Contact Mr.Joe at 016-4409049Email : joezcoco@yahoo.comReference:Penang Coconut Jelly

"This is how you sell coconut!!"

Nuts about Coconutzz..

50 years... and still going STRONG!!!

More than 50 years and still going.. This place had been standing handsomely, (and i must say aged gracefully as well... hehehe..) in the heart of Kimberly Street. Had been a household name among Penangnites who had been living here for a few decades. Seems like there are a lot of old shops around this area.. Well, what do u know.. Old is Gold!!!Hmm.. yeap. I'm talking about Goh Huat Seng..Famously knows for their TeowChew Cuisine.. Well you mustn't confused it with Goh Swee Kee, or Goh Teo Kee.. Its not the same shop.. i repeat.. It's NOT the same SHOP!!!


Just Mention the name "Goh Huat Seng" to a local and you'll definitely get a reply- "Steamboat", hehehe.. this is how well-known they are for their steamboat, this dish is one of their many specialties. This wok of hot boiling soup are not just a pot of water.. nonono.. you're be surprise with what had been served. Goh Huat Seng had preserved this traditional style of 'steambot'ing, their decision to go on with serving this dish in the most traditional Steamboat Pot with piping in the middle(which i call them chimney), and theirs were so tall that you cant even see the person sitting opposite you.. (I'm not Exaggerating!), and yet all this years they only serve this with plain but tasty clear base soup..(no tomyam.. no kimchi..). And surely, with this kind of pot.. you'd have to wait.. and wait.. and wait.. for the soup to boil and the ingredient to be cooked.. For ingredients they have package of RM50, RM60, and RM70, and of coz seperate billings for add-ons. There will be seafood and lots of veg compliments of the package deal making ur dining experience a colourful one.. hehe.. and the eating part.. of coz.. u'd be sweating like nobody's business... and the thing is with pipes pot.. u cannot control the heat.. it will keep on boiling.. hahaha.. so imagine tht... Anyways, steamboat is not the only thing tht is sold here... There are plenty more other delightful dishes that are main attraction of the shop.. I've introduce the Bride earlier, so now its time to let the bridemaids shine..
First up... there is Miss Bean-Curd-fried-wit-Chives (Gu Chai Char Tau Gua). When I first glance at the dish when its served.. I was like totally ignoring it..coz it looked like the girl next door.. nothing special. But once the aromatic fragrant glides through my nostril, I'm convinced that i've found the best Gu Chai char Tau Gua in town. The Chives were still juicy, you can taste the freshness in your mouth, with the bean curd nicely fried, together with the tasteful gravy... hmmmm.. Supperb!! Old is Gold point#1.

Miss Crab Roll coming up!!!.. This dish is call "Chim Zho",Its also one of their black sheep, look kinda ah lian, but its a very true taste thigy. Its made from crab meat mix with pork and whole lot of other ingredent (sorry ar...how would i know?? ppl already say its family secret what... ). This chim zho still has it's original taste of the dish. Freshness of the ingredient, makes each mouthful satisfies my growling taste buds..Old is Gold point#2.

Also not forgetting the lovely Miss Fried Oyster( Ou Jian)... Yes.. you heard me right! Fried oyster.. when you dunno where to find fried oyster in anytime of the day.. when u're in Penang. And If you're so happen to be in town.. you can definitely drop by Goh Huat Seng(its just around the corner)... and help yourself to a serve of warm welcoming plste of fried oyster, fresh from the reef and hot from the wok. One of the best i've tried.. so far...Old is Gold point#3.
Oh.. and not forgetting the attention grabbing twins... Miss Fried-Thang-Hoon And Miss Fried-Oyster-Mee (Char Tang Hoon and Ou Mee). They are surely one heck of miraculous combination and makes your two cents worth. If you ought to have something light, i would personally suggest this two dishes, the portion was just nice. I have to praise the cook for the fried thang hoon, you'd have to had a whole lot of grueling training and skills/talent to produce such plate of art. The glass noddle was not too soft nor its sticky or its too watery... no sign of overcooked. The most important thing about this dish is the color and texture of the thang-hoon, this will reflect how skillful the cook masters and controls his foyer in chinese cooking - the wok. The other half would be, the all time favorite among regulars, the Ou mee... I was told that this typical teowchew noddle dish symblolized longevity.. like the 'shang mee' tht ppl normally eat them during birthdays. And this sure taste good, with the oyster and prawns complimenting the yellow noddles... was just a beautiful sight. Old is Gold point#4.


There was also their typical little Miss Braised-Duck (Lor Ak). This dish was so typical tht its not written in the menu.. only their regulars knows about this dish. (I missed tht out because of this..). I was browsing and saw the table besides me sinking their teeth into the yummy juicy flesh of the braised duck.. sure is nice to watch. Well, according to them, its also one of their signature dish, and its not very dry nor is too watery. The fragrant of five spice was just nice, will not scare you off the trail. Old is Gold point#5.
Finally, welcome Miss Sour-plum-Fish-Soup (Kiam Chai Hu Th'ng). This Sexy Senorita will definitely turn up the notch of your dining experience. This soury soup mainly comes from the Kiam Chai and sour-plum, was a very pleasant appetizer. Not very sour or salty, this dish will certaily give you a very gentle kickstart for the scrumptious meal to come. Very nicely done... Bravo!!! Old is Gold point#6.

Other than what i had mentioned, there are a vast of delicious dishes inked on their menu. Surely, there would be something that will suit your tastebuds... no worries.And surprisingly, the price to pay for such an amazing dining experience was quite reasonable. Paying for time travel of going back in time... just in time, to enjoy the most customary, original, yet unique savor before it is lost in time of Heritance in generations to come; was something worth more than my old rusty two cents. Hopefully this art of teow chew cuisine will not fade in time to come... ~~Enjoy your meal~~

~* Strictly.....Food!!!! *~

The Buffet outing at one of the Hotel in Teluk Bahang had left me quite dissatisfied. At first, the idea of experiencing a feast of Mongolian Barbecue was much anticipated. Well, maybe it was just our imagination running wild.. having too much expectations on it... Because we're hoping it was actually a complete barbecue experience; with a BBQ station - Mongolian style..we're hoping that its blazing fire, skewer, meat, accompanied with a starry starry night.. never had we expected it to be none of those, a short supply of food, and gloomy rainy evening.., and the food actually turns out to be Japanese Teppanyaki style... the teppanyaki taste quite oknya la.. quite a let down!!!
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Food is an essential for Living. Not only it eases your hunger, soothes your pain, calms your anger, brightens up your day, its a Ecstasy for your soul. To have food served on your table is a blessing; to be spoiled by the good things that comes with it does worth a King's ransom. That is why a scrumptious meal is often describe as Meal that Fit for A King. Finishing off with a satisfactionary smile on your face is the best dessert there is for your appetite! Moreover, Food creates affiliation, nurtures relationship, and unites the bond between one and another... Food is a significant piece of the cultural puzzle; taste good when you eat it, tasted the best when its passed on for generations...To me, Food often replicates a woman, as feminine and foxy, allures your attention, you keep coming back for more... or just irresistibly enchanting that you couldn't keep your eyes off her... Sometimes she is just timid and shy, but sometimes shes just hot and spicy. Shes got charisma, shes got character, shes eccentric!! oh.. maybe that is why most of the best cook around are Men..!!!

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So to make up for my disappointment. I've decided to indulge in some Actual Food!!!! I had been hooked on the recent Singaporean hit drama "the Little Nyonya" aired on AEC. Surely, this had definitely triggered my senses to wake up the wok... hahaha... I'm very fond of peranakan cooking, because it has this very unique flare to it, compromising the right pinch of flavor from the ppl who walks the land of Malaysia. Putting together a formula, just nice for the perfect blend of aromatic elegance... it's a ZEST!!! And also mainly because I grew up with them, and fell in love with them frm my first bite... I'm proud to say that "Its an Indulgence!!!" Here are some mouth-watering pictures for you to indulge your senses!!! Enjoy!!!!

From the show this dish was introduced as Ayam Masak Merah. I like it spicy, so i add in a lil more chili to make it more 'merah' hahaha.. This dish had strongly influence by Malay's cooking, with elements of using lots of spices such as Pandan Leaves, Lemon Grass, Kayu manis, black pepper, also with with a dash of Chinese elements by using bean paste and oyster sauce. This dish taste better with the right combination of spices, too much of something will kill the taste. And the freshness of ingredients plays the key role for this cooking, use fresh ingredient if you can, as it will brings out the fragrant in the dish.... Yummy... makes you wanna sink your teeth in it even before being served on the table.

Second Dish in the picture here is none other than The 'Jiu Hu Char'. I didn't see this in the show. Maybe it's a cuisine frm the Northern Nyonyas. I seldom seen it in the Food inductory shows as well.. maybe its just a simple dish that often present on the dining table of every household. A household dish. Yet not, according to my mama, she once told me, this dish is sort of a main character/ important role, a.k.a "tua chai" on the long table "teng tok". This is often served to Guest, especially during festivities. The first look at it reminds you of Fried Salad.. toss all the mixtures of veges in the wok.. and cooked it with lots of love and care,gentle stirs not only retain the textures, also slowly brings out the sweetness in the turnips, carrots, and lots more of ingredient... mmmm.. oh... and the fragrant smell of 'jiu hu' (cuttle fish). Typically served with lettuce and sambal, wrap like a spring roll. Sounds like a very odd combo, but heck... when the chemistry is right... who cares??? when it blends heavenly in your taste buds!!!

Here is another dish featured in the show, prepared by the 'Yu Chu' for Old Mdm Chen during the augrural match making session for her precious grandson. It's a vegetarian dish, various type of veges are tossed together to create a melodious crunch in every bite. Interestingly, it Carries a strong influence of Chinese Cuisine in the ingredients used, such as black fungus, glass noodles, chinese cabbage, red fermented taufu, and etc. The end result of this dish is best to present as light, fresh, and crunchy, instead of being heavy and watery.

For the last introduction, will be the 'Loh Bak'... hehehe.. some ppl called it 'Ngo Hiang' because of the five spice powder used to prepare this dish. Yeap.. this tasty nib-bites was also featured in the drama, served by Mei Yu for the Chen's. The main ingredient for this dish is meat.. a tasty choice for meat lovers... The process of marinating the meat is the most vital art for preparing this dish, it's an art which is altered to perfection, and tasted differently from chef to heft, but one thing that will never changed is the fact that its still German Sausage with A Local Touch.

My Conclusion, after preparing this meal, is that I'm really agreeable to the quote in a scene saying that the Nyonyas dedicated their lifetime in the kitchen; the Kitchen is their Foyer, their performing stage; where sizzling sound from the hot wok, the clanking sound of saddle and wok are their musical symphony. Satisfying looks of their family and guests after a delightful meal, applauded their endeavor as conductor of the orchestra... Well its quite true, as preparing a meal can take up hours...like u'd never leave the kitchen.. my gosh!!!! A lot of hard work for a delicious meal, is an effort well done.Also to thank my mama... A lesson well taught!!! Did I turned out to be a good student? Well... I hope so..... **Fingers crossed**