118 Cafe - Chinese take on western food

When it comes to Chinese Western fare , I only patronise 5 6 operators on the island .

1. James Foo .

Used to .

However , I've just about had it with them ever since they upgraded at Precinct 10 . Stopped going for a few months already .

2. Green Island .

Near Sunshine Square .

Cordon bleu chicken . Touch and go depending on the chef and his mood .

Bit too far . Inconvenient parking 

( sometimes none )

3. Goodall cafe at Bagan Jermal . Used to be known as Godfather Italian now is just known as Italian .

Cheap but oily and the portion is very small . Love the cheap pasta though .

4. The fella in Sin Kim San ( near the wood fire pizza ) .  Chicken chop done Hainanese style !

Updated : 5 . Top secret new western place only locals know . Steakhouse standard , priced below 10 ringgit for this grilled chicken set below .

Sooooooooooooooooo good . Super excited , sorry can't share the location .

Curry mee , Jalan Air Itam - an old world recipe

We went for curry mee in Air Itam earlier .

First time we're trying out this popular place . The crowd at the assam laksa stall has thinned down tremendously  to cater to just tourists nowadays , but this curry mee stall which opens for business during the hottest time of the day , is fervently supported by local kapcai riding folks .

Update : new picture of the stall . Can't find this via foursquare . Women who regularly eat Penang curry mee acquire a snow white skin tone . Think it is the combo of spices and pig blood cubes that does the trick . I don't eat this so often but it's my favourite so far . Anyway , I prefer to look more tanned .

I swear the broth tastes almost like the instant noodle soup which Chef Ismail concocted for Mamee Chef .

The exception is that , the former is cook-it-yourself and completely halal , while this dish served here is absolutely non halal , as they throw in fresh ingredients such as coagulated pig's blood , brown squid soaked in alkaline water , taufu pok , mint leaves , very thin coconut milk and a spice mix that is burns you so bad , your lips will still throb after your feeble attempt at nursing them via a bowl of ice kacang .

Temple of the Batcave - not Batman ' s hideout

Well I didn't exactly go in. This is just a picture of the sign towards the property.

No relevance to the subject but if you must know , some old timers in Penang actually have consumed bat soup before and according to them these fruit bats are very tasty but no , I am never having any thank you . 

Anyway , this is a temple. Not Batman's hideout. 

If you're near Penang Hill , you might wanna check this out. A lot of legends exist and the Tua Pek Kong is a Malay spirit whom the Chinese here worship.

( NH ) Midnight queue- Air Itam Duck Rice

Update 16th August : 
this is why Penangites are reluctant to recommend their favourite haunts to outsiders. There are too many customers now. It makes the traders head grow very big. Quality is compromised. Standards have dropped. The other night I was here, the pork was not fresh, the meat very salty, I got a hard boiled egg that already went bad, plus the rice was too soggy.

---------

And so, I finally went and did it. Joined the queue for the famous midnight duck rice in Air Itam, that is.

Look carefully at the picture and try to spot the 3 boys in pyjamas. Nothing unusual except for the fact that they're full grown Teenagers !

Have always been very fond of Air Itam because of all it's quirky familiarness but this stall certainly takes the cake.

There are just so many patient people , united in the still of the night , awaiting their turn like a congregation of confessioners at a chapel of food.

Capati Stall - Kedai Kopi Bee San (PF)

Stumbled upon this Capati Stall when I came here looking for pau. The steady stream of customers, got the better of me , thus I ended up ordering one set.

Guess what ? I've been coming back here ever since.

Great views from All Seasons Place

To tell you the truth, I've never liked coming to this area, as both sides of the road are surrounded by large tracts of cemeteries.

The most stunning part after passing those grounds, is this opening .

What you should look out for.
 Go straight when you see this sign. Only turn left at the furthest end.

The Manhattan Fish Market - All Seasons Place

Update Nov 2014  : sadly the place has closed down. One of the reasons from my own observation is that the locals here treat this long walkway like an airconditioned Gurney Drive 

---------------
Sit in the afternoon sun and soak in the hills in the distant. The view here is just gorgeous !

Been open for some time, but it was the buy one free one coupon, featured on a flyer that brought us here.

Fried chinese pastry van outside Lye Lye ( NH )

Didn't take much notice of this white mobile van on the left hand side of the building, until today.

Because, I had initially come to this kopitiam for some loh bak .

Don't know what happened, only the tofu and century egg was edible this time around.

It was good last time but now beh chiak already.

The fishball was sour, the small popiah like getah.

Why oh why ?

Pasar Air Itam Laksa ( PF )

This famous stall needs no introduction

Apparently it's their prawn paste which makes them famous

Ah Leng CKT - Zoo Road ( NH )

Finally found where he operates his night time business ! It's at Zoo Road in Air Itam

Funny.

You know how it's been raining like crazy the past few days ?

Char Koay Teow doesn't taste so good during cold weather. I think it tastes better when we have to sweat it out.

Restoran Cheng Heong Bah Kut Teh ( NH )

It has been some years ever since my last visit. Don't know if  the same people are running this place or not. But it's raining miserably tonight in Air Itam and I didn't want to get my feet wet eating by the roadside

Awfully quiet in here. More like a neighbourhood restaurant in some small town.

As I recall, a husband and wife team used to run the place, they couldn't have grown THAT old overnight could they ?

Keeping my fingers crossed right now

( NH ) Tapioca Fried Fish Noodles,Min Jiang, Air Itam

When the rare tourist comes here, they tend to take locals word for it, that the tomyam stall is the best there is.

I beg to differ.

Most locals are enraptured by the tomyam because the level of spiciness is on a psycho scale of a gazillion sweat beads and a paralysed tongue .

This you can savour in one of the many small mom and pop stalls in Prangin Mall.

However, nobody on the island has been able to replicate what these men have been churning out night after night.

Po Po Champion CKT, Asia Cafe ( NH )

Update : 7th April 2013

They have shifted to a new premise inside a shoplot around 2 km down the road.

--------------------------------------

Today we decided to try out the char koay teow at this stall near the first roundabout leading to the foot of Penang Hill.

If you look at the banner,it proudly proclaims that they have been awarded the 1st prize for"Best Char Koay Teow" category at the Penang Battle of The Hawkers Masters competition,Penang Times Square,on the 25th of December 2011.

This goggle wearing uncle, has been frying non stop ever since that day.