Plan b. - no prawn behind The Big stone

There is a Malay idiom that goes something like this 

" Ada udang di sebalik batu "

Literally translated , it means 

" There's a prawn behind the stone "

What that means is that one should be wary and expect a motive or trick preceeding an act or offer of goodwill or in this case a fat bait cast outwards that seems to good to be true .

Yep , when I saw this offer on facebook just now , I stared at it for quite a while before I starting scanning the comments section for some spirit sterilising input .

There was none .

So I called up the outlet and enquired about the timing . Oh boy we had to rush . Last call was around 9ish and we had half an hour to battle the jam in Gurney Drive and get there .

Dinner at Bella Italia

Long , long time ago , there was this Italian who asked me if I had any favourite Italian dishes .

Naive as I was , I mentioned Pizza Hut . He roared so loud with laughter and then proceeded to admonish and correct me very gently that Pizza Hut was Americano then in the next breath , insisted that I when I had the means , I had to go visit Italy one day ( which I did eventually ) , as they had the best food in the world . 

Sardinia was mentioned but I never got round to doing that as I am and always will prefer the megacity loop. 

One day maybe I will get round to doing just that .

Anyway , it took the last trip for me to finally "get it" .

That real Italian cooking is indeed delicious , not plain or odd .

After learning how to appreciate their cuisine , that in itself presents another problem . I am no gazillionaire so thank gawd there are expats who can whip up something close to that, near my tramping ground .

In that retrospect , I find myself growing more and more fond of what is dished out at Bella Italia down in Bellisa Row , the reason for this post .

Tonight is the first time we're enjoying dinner here and I notice that there is at least one diner who took pains to dress up .

We ask for the customary pizza . Not the usual Quatro but a Pepperoni pizza this time . The base is so scrumptious I find myself slowly turning my nose up at American pizzas nowadays .

Because he was more in the mood for something different , we did exactly that and ordered an Antipasto .

Buttery button mushrooms , lightly smoked generous slices of salmon wrapped around lettuce with a wedge of lemon dangling on top , two very fresh and juicy mussels baked in cheese and mouthwatering tomato paste , ham , baked eggplant layers , more vegies and chicken ....I tell you what , if you love their Quatro Pizza as much as I do , this is like having part of it on a plate . 

Delightful sample pieces yet won't burn a big hole in your pocket .

Restoran Riverbank - black pomfret claypot curry

Riverbank is just a few doors away from the old Hupsa .

From the outside , it looks all quiet with no action ....

Midnight disciple of the Ikan Bakar man

Some Penangites pop cili padi like kacang puteh .

We go for our fix after midnight at Song River Cafe . Strange timing right ? Not really when you check out how many disciples are willing to make a beeline here and wait with the patience of a saint just to pay homage to this fiendish dish .

The rojak fellow only opens after 9pm

Update :  If there are too many customers or you have arrived very late , kindly avoid . The taste and hygiene standards will be vastly different . This hawker can only handle a small queue . If you must , come just as they are about to open. Otherwise even the sauce will taste watered down and many ingredients will be compromised or omitted .

There's a difference between food served on the mainland and Penang island . 

On the mainland , rojak could come skewered like below .

Some of the ingredients used on the island are ( L-R ) cuttlefish that's been presoaked in alkaline water , very sour young mango , cucumber with skin on ,turnip , cut cruellers , pineapple , gooseberry ( not in the picture ) the obligatory helping of hae ko , a black fermented shrimp paste mixed with sugar, lime skin , pounded chillies  and fine roasted peanuts to top it off  .

Uncle Jang , Vantage - bibs and tissues needed

A lot of mothers were dragged in here for Mother's Day and while I needed no persuasion  , I was rather surprised by the communal pojangmacha feel to the restaurant.

There is one stark difference other than the foreign workforce and that's the bright, half bibbed aprons hung on every chair

Ban Khun Mae - Siam Square

Ban Khun Mae's biggest asset may be the lovely Thai maidens in traditional dress who give solo musical performances on a rotating basis. However their biggest downer is the hordes of noisy Malaysian and Singaporean diners who don't give two hoots about the music , the culture, nor the performer.

They speak Manglish and Singlish at the top of their lungs like they were bartering in Baghdad while their kids run wild like banshees at the playground. 

Of course if the management were to tell them to tone down, they would be so outraged, they would go on tripadvisor and tell the whole world how they've been mistreated .

In contrast, this musician is an absolute trooper, she can still smile for the camera , regardless of the wholesale market around her. 

What 70 ringgit can get you at East Coast Grill - Red Garden

Did you see the headlines in the papers today ? 

Yes we're all getting fed up with hawkers giving us nothing in our RM4 bowl or plate of noodles.

Sometimes I feel like it's more worth it to eat at restaurants since you now need 4 bowls to feel full which is ridiculous really. Work that out by 4 pax and I'm sure you'll agree with me.

 There are many grill joints in Penang named East Coast, on the island but not all of them serve good food.

This one's different.

This whole feast cost us a grand total of RM70. Here's what we enjoyed. Some of these shellfish dishes were featured in a post before this.

Veloo Villas - no fork and spoon

Update January 2015 : today, they do provide forks and spoons. Only the nonchalant couldn't care damn rude service remains.

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The Veloo Villas of today, is far flung from days of yore. 

The premise has undergone a revamp minus the dothi wearing waiters and cooks. Foodwise, they too have succumbed to the easy , addictive fix of monosodium glutamate and soy sauce for almost all of their dishes. 

Curry Fish head - Hainan Orkid Tropica

Most curry fish head lovers, will know this place.

Under a block of dowdy flats...alllllll the way in Alor Setar.

 We Malaysians, this is how we keep on driving the food industry. Nothing is too far. No zinc roof to lowly,when duty calls for a good eat.

Fuel Shack - KL Convention Centre

 

 

Though burger places seem to be all the rage in the capital city these days , being firmly entrenched in Penang,I've so far,missed out on checking out what the fuss was all about....until today.

While I may not have picked the most reknowned of the lot, it was more out of necessity since all the other F&B outlets at the KL Convention Centre seemed so boringly blah...

 

 

 

 

Compared to most fastfood giants, these new burger joints certainly give you more value for money. What I can't understand is, how they do it. Since you know, minced meat costs quite a bit and the patty they serve you is a huge mouthful. Cheaper cut ? More parts mixed in ?

Anyway, the downside to this outlet was, our order took forever to arrive . With the clock ticking , I badgered them for a refund.

" We can't do that " the foreign worker lady said.

" You've already taken half an hour , I can't wait anymore , I've got a show to attend upstairs " I huffed.

After sticking to my guns she gave me someone else's order.

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.

Kheng nyonya kueh stall - Batu Lanchang

Surprisingly , there aren't many good Nyonya kueh stalls in Penang these days .With the emphasis placed more on profit and mass quantity, these morsels have lost the all important intrinsic gourmet appeal.

However , inside this foodcourt area of an afternoon wetmarket, there still exists a stall which is a throwback to the time when kueh makers still had pride in the final product.

And because the locals know it, my gawd, you could feel the excitement in the air when tons of aunties converged here and practically wiped out the stall like a typhoon had swept through ! Fact is, their quantities are limited...hence, the urgency of the mission.
This photo below is the aftermath....almost nothing left walaueh. As if it were all for F.O.C.

Green Island Western ( PF )

1-world is an upcoming area filled with eateries and restaurants and this is my first foray into this charming little enclave .

Drove round twice, before deciding on this one as it seemed to be a crowd puller.

Sakae Sushi - Gurney Plaza ( PF )

Today, let's compare the pictures of dishes from the menu, to the actual item sent to your table.

Fire Engine kids meal ( RM $9.90 )

Chicken Nugget, Golden Fish Cake, Panda Fish Cake, fries, assorted vegies

Reality : almost the same in terms of presentation.

Cab Western Food, Bagan Jermal ( PF )

Kindly take note that I no longer recommend this place.
However you are most welcome to try it out for yourself and see why I have done an about turn 

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If you've sworn allegiance to James Foo Western and you're only coming in here to give it a try, partially because it resembles their customer clogged outlet in Fettes Park, it's best you turn back.

The food they serve here is to my utter surprise.... hotel standard fare, going back to the good old days when hotel food used to be good ... never lousy. 

At half the prices, of course, expect to see customers of this kind sitting with one leg tucked up on the chair

Scallop - Q - Gurney Plaza ( PF )

Had my first taste of Hokkaido scallops while in Japan....omg, while that was a revelation, it just doesn't taste the same outside of the country.

Still, let's try this Taiwan franchise out today.

Besides the very attractive kiosk, the owner's bubbly face is one of the draw factors.

 

Check out the prices.

 At $5.80 per stick, it's definitely cheaper than other street vendors in Taiwan itself.

Chicken Curry - Teluk Intan style ( PF )

Was seated near the entrance, when the aroma whaffed over and drove me half mad

 " Who's cooking chicken curry ?" 

Someone seated one table behind me was the culprit who ordered this

Kerabu Tomyam Bee Hoon - forgotten by tourism brochures

This vermicelli dish is a living testament of the extent of Thai and Nyonya influence on Penang cuisine. 
Most will serve it plain, with some chopped mint leaves and tiny pieces of vegetarian fritters on top.
 

Offered at most hawker centres reknowned for cheap food, there is no fixed rule to finding the exact stall that hawks it, as it is normally sold alongside other dishes such as chinese pasembor.

Real homecooked meal at Chew Jetty Cafe ( PF )

The shop isn't very wonderful to look at, in fact it's very cramped, but it does hold a small secret

Take a look at this signboard.

Call the number on your mobile ( bear in mind that you have to be able to converse in Penang Hokkien with the person on the other end of the line ) and within minutes ......