888 Hokkien Mee, Sar Tiao Lor ( NH )

In the morning,there are a few great hokkien mee stalls on Penang island. Far less though at night.

This place ranks in my acceptable category when I'm looking for a decent bowl of Hokkien Mee after 8

There is a silly new rule in force now.

If you sit inside this shophouse where 888 is housed , you may order food from other operators.

But should you decide to sit elsewhere in other kopitiams, you can forget about trying it out because the others apparently won't allow you to call this hokkien mee over to their side.

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.

Padang Brown hawker food ( NH )

It's been years since I last came here . Think there are less hawkers these days .However unlike ten years ago,today, there's rubbish all over the ground, discarded by couldn't care less customers.

Ordered wantan mee because it seemed to be a crowd favourite here.

At $3 per bowl (crazy cheap),I think they're actually doing everyone a great service . The dumpling has more meat than other places and the whole dish provides a substantial meal.

Eng Lee Grilled fish stall- Song River cafe ( PF )

This stall is actually more reknowned for whipping up the most spicy small shellfish (lala) on Penang island, but you have to come later due to some agreement he has with another stall owner not to sell this bestseller earlier

Not to worry, his ikan bakar is just as crazily addictive.
It's nicely charred, tender, moist,sweey and spicy with tons of garlic slices encased in banana leaf.

The more you eat, the more water you'll need,yet you just can't stop.

Know what I mean?

Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Wongkok ( NH )

Never expected this corner kopitiam to bear some nice hawker food.

but it did.

Hawker made Chai Kueh ( PF )

The kitchen is not state of the art, in fact it's just a makeshift table top at the corner of a kopitiam.
I'm intrigued as I've never seen these increasingly rare dumplings being made before right in front of my eyes . 
The price per piece costs just 60 sen with two stuffings to choose from.... turnip or chives .

Start with these essential ingredients below. The bowl of extra flour is to prevent it from sticking to your hands.

Hakka mee,Restoran Xin Feng ( NH )

My first introduction to Hakka mee was at a hawker stall underneath the Kenanga flats in KL. The noodles were fantastic ! Handmade on the spot .
I still salivate at the thought of the red stewed pork belly dish that one could order, to put on top of the noodles .

I don't know if it is still around today but this is where I come if I want something close .

 Dry hakka noodles $3. Yum yum..very nice.

Asked them to leave out the char siew because I didn't want any sweet and smoky flavour to seep in and spoil the sauce.

Price is ridiculously low if you ask me.

Kedai Kopi Soon Yuen ( NH )

What's there to eat here for breakfast?

Believe me....a lot ....

Start with the best game textured duck meat dish you'll ever come across.

 Garnished with fried garlic, sawi and beansprouts.

Make sure you order this early or they'll only have the kampung chicken left ( which is way tougher ).

Ang Hoay Loh ( NH )

If it gets too late for lunch or it's still too early for dinner, you can rely on this place to tend to your hunger pangs.

In the mood for fish today, the standard offering here is Kerapu or Garoupa.

Nicely deep fried, crispy on the outside, juicy inside,doused with sauce that is not too salty.

The fish tasted even better when we started on the underside as the fish had absorbed all the flavour from the sauce by then.

How Ji Roaster Rice Noodle, Restoran Hup Kee ( NH )

The thought of coming to this coffee shop gives me quite a headache, as it is one of those places that attracts smokers.

Usually nobody dares to light up until the first one does. Then it sparks a chain reaction which makes us non smokers wanna get up and give them a hard swat.

However, the lure of How Ji's roasted duck paired with dry wantan noodles was far too great for me to abstain for too long.

I march in hoping for an invisible screen against the bunch of light upers who don't seem to understand that we DO mind inhaling second hand smoke.

Nasir Pasembor Edgecumbe Road ( U )

This is the only Penang Pasembor stall which I will ever patronise.

They have one small shop in Gurney Drive, but it is located near Bali Hai seafood restaurant which is so far away from the popular hawker centre at the roundabout.

It's puasa month and he is now located at the Tg Tokong Param

His variety may not be vast but it is certainly fresh. 

Satisfaction guaranteed .

Tanjung Tokong Ramadhan Bazaar ( New Location)

This once a year bazaar used to be held in a small lane next to the Tanjung Tokong police station quarters.

This is their new location now. Bigger, brighter,better organised and in an empty field annex to this mosque

Quite easy to find, along a small road inside the kampung that runs parallel to Tesco Tg Pinang

The bazaar is a little different these days.

There's even one stall selling Kek Lapis Sarawak.

So colourful !

Lots of work went into this.

 Also, it is highly reassuring to know that the police are making their presence felt by parking themselves right smack in the centre.

Snatch thief deterrent No.1

While it's a comparatively small bazaar, nevertheless it is still interesting enough to tempt with a selection that is not overwhelmingly repetitive.

Just make sure you come early or you'll be faced with a wipe out zone.

Tai Lok Mee stall, Chai Leng Park ( NH )

If you love KL Hokkien Mee, this is the only place in Penang that makes the cut .

Have tried one stall in Datok Keramat Road (nowadays fail already) and another in Kimberley Street but both are just too dirty for me to stomach. The rest are just plain ugh ! Totally terrible.

One thing you must remember is that in Penang, the dish is called Tai Lok Mee and not Hokkien Mee.
If you insist on ordering Hokkien Mee, you will end up with a bowl of Har Mee instead .

 

These two handsome chefs are part of the 5 man tag team who run this perpetually busy stall

Economy Rice Stall, Perak Road ( NH )

Heartbreaking development is slowly choking the life out of this once upon a time ,nice little enclave.

Wonder how long this old shoplot can withstand the forward march in all it's startling barenness.

Lean Huat for 6am Hokkien Mee ( NH )

Everyone refers to this famous stall as Swee Kong hokkien mee .

So did I until I snapped this picture and realised that they DO have a name after all ! 

Din Ikan Bakar, Kepala Batas ( U )

This ikan bakar place is something you'll have to see for yourself because the spread is so crazy massive for such a small sleepy hollow such as this.

My pictures simply do it no justice as they're about to close for the day, thus you won't be able to spot the amazing rows of heaving grilled buffets  .

Alila, Red Garden Food Paradise ( NH )

When I want cheap,good and authentic Thai food cooked by real Thai people , this is where you will find me.

Walk all the way to the back and look for this counter.

Sotong Boat - Gurney Drive ( U )

There I was in Gurney Drive. About to start on this yummy sotong bakar below

When all of a sudden .... whoooshhh......the wind came. "Lai liao lai liao !" the hawkers yelled as they looked in the direction of the roundabout

Things went helter skelter when the sky opened up.

My boat almost overturned, the filmsy sauces spilled blood red ketchups and bits of pounded peanuts onto the rickety plastic table.

Drat ! Had to sprint for cover.By the time I was in the car the sotong was limpish and not as crisp as when it would have been when it was hot. Damn it.

Village Coffeeshop - World's Deadliest Tomyam

When we heard another patron holler for a Pink Lady today, we followed suit.  This ended up in front of us.

Stirred the leong fun jelly, syrup, evap milk, canned sweetcorn together.

It's basically an icey cold hybrid between air bandung and a rich ice kacang drink.

Super cold,super nice refreshment for a super hot day.

The drink acts as a kind of tongue extinguisher,in case you go ahead and order the world's deadliest Tom yam served here.

Seriously, if cannot stand chillies , this is NOT advisable.

Even if you do, Village's tom yam will give you a reeducation on what HOT really means. 

The spiciness of this dish is on a pyscho scale, meant only for the suicidal.

But I still like to get a little risky and put my life on the line, every now and then.

Cooked with instant noodles, quails eggs, meatballs, mushrooms .

Of course, you can always opt for the plain soupy version with fish meat and other 'safehouse' ingredients.

Not to worry.

Most Penangites will be too busy manouvering around their volcanic bowl of death , and will turn a blind eye to your sheer cowardice.

The deep fried sandpiper is another must order here.

Good if you need to catch your breath.

As eating the Tomyam is like running like the wind away from a man eating tiger, on the edge of a jagged cliff.

Total : no more cheap nowdays. Cost us $34 for 3 bowls of noodles and 4 small sandpipers. Not inclusive of drinks

Location : Weld Quay

Chowtime : Lunch to 10pm

Directions : Turn left from the ferry terminal, go straight.  Towards the end of the clan jetty area, keep a lookout on your left for a green signboard.

Bee Hooi, supper time

It's 10pm and business is still going full swing 

The assam laksa is my favourite.

I think they use a certain amount of sardines here, but I don't mind because they're extremely generous with the vegies such as mint, cucumber,lettuce, bunga kantan and onions.

Yum !

Popiah sold by the same seller has a fantabulously thin membrane for the skin .

Filled to the brim with sweet turnips, chopped omelette, carrots and very tasty filletted small prawns.

Never dunk mine in sauce. The operator obliges.

A bowl of Loh Mee.

Doesn't really need introduction as this stall is already famous.

Hardly draws a huge crowd because the opening hours are reliable, supplies never run out and fans pour in slow and steady from evening till night.

In case you don't fancy such sticky noodles, you can try out the tender Chicken feet that are also sold by the same person.

Something different for a change.

Location : Pulau Tikus

Directions : from Berjaya Midlands hotel, go towards the direction of town. Pass by a church on your left. Look out for a Hong Leong bank on your right. The coffeeshop is on your right

Chowtime : 6pm to 11pm