Happy Cafe - Economy Rice , Jln Sungai Dua

You know how hard it is to find a cheap and good economy rice stall in Penang these days ? This fella deserves a mention.

 

Presumably, he's relocated from the now defunct Bali-Bali 77 down the road near USM. Nice humble chap, this owner. He speaks Hakka by the way.



Because I whacked whatever was on my plate so fast, you'll have to settle for snapshots of the dishes on offer.

Ever since I saw the Bentong taufupok on Fish Sze Hui's blog, I've been craving for a bite. While obviously not the same item, the tofu stuffed with minced pork and preserved veg below, managed to satiate me instantly. Tofu is perfect, deep fried and rough on the outside, slightly fermented and soft on the inside. Can't get this anywhere else on the island. Stuffing though not up to my standard nevertheless contained the obligatory salted minced fish inside.

Chicken wine stew .
Made me wanna pack the whole dish wholesale ! Very tasty , very fragrant, market fresh, with a little cornflour added , to give it a sticky texture.

Seriously, I don't know any hawker who is kind enough to give you good peanut oil , but that's exactly what he used in this dish. I'm really, really surprised !

Spicy Kapah clams.
His curry dishes are so nasty hot, they can blow a hole in your eardrums. Done Kedahan/ Penang mainland style, which is heavily influenced by Indian cuisine .
Forgot to snap the curry chicken but, it's just as addictive and can blow a hole in your esophagus.
Yum !

If you're not from Penang and are wondering why the heck Penang people consume so much black pomfret, it's because the fish is extremely fresh here. There's no funny smell and it tastes akin to Red Snapper. No joke.

Another fish dish ( siakap or snapper, I'm not sure )
Notice that they come in small batches, meaning the taste will resemble home cooked goodness.

Even have pork chops here. Didn't try it, maybe next time.

Vegie lovers who're sick of Myanmar and Nepalese foreign workers screwing them up, should make that drive here.
They don't stinge on garlic, siew yoke nor minced pork. Every single dish is lovingly cooked not carelessly thrown together to feed a human cow.
Mighty impressed !
Clockwise : Brinjals with minced pork, spinach, cauliflower florets, bittergourd cooked with egg.

Location : diagonally across Tesco Extra ( formerly Makro ) along Jalan Sungai Dua

Opening hours : 10.30am till 2.30pm