The 3 bedroom apartment below is only RM300/apartment per night. It can fit a minimum of 5 pax, as there are 2 queen sized beds; one in each of the master room – ensuite & the 2nd room while the last room has a single bed.

Watch the video for an ideal of the apartment. (Click to watch on youtube for bigger view).

The apartments are significantly more spacious than conventional hotel rooms; & the standard and deluxe apartments provides you with more room to work & relax. Comfortable, CLEAN, with en suite bathroom for the master bedroom and  air-conditioning in all rooms. A laundry machine is provided too, in every unit.

The washroom that is shared by the 2nd & smallest room.

The 7kg Panasonic top loading washing machine.

Spacious balcony for laundry drying and also to sit outside & have a coffee, if you so wish.

FACILITIES AND SERVICES – in a nutshell:

• Complimentary tea and coffee making facilities
• Individually controlled air-conditioning
• Private balconies
• Private laundry machines
• Swimming pool
• 24-hour security
* Astro
* Iron, iron board
* Cooking facilities – Stove, FRIDGE, Electric kettle, dining sets
* Writing Table, balcony coffee table and chairs
* Clean sheets, pillows for the rooms

NOTE:
Each unit is different in rates, according to the ‘type’ of unit you choose.

For more info: The website is HERE

Reservations:

Desa Pelangi Condominium
11, Logan Road
Tel: +604 – 2299 532
Office hours – 9am – 6pm.

A firm favourite of mine, this unassuming (& thank god, still a non-commercialised & pretty well kept secret in Penang) restaurant is as ole school as one can get.

Located next to the Magnum 4D shop along China Street, just off Pitt Street/Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, one does have to be familiar in Penang to know of its existence.
(China Street is just opposite the famous Goddess of Mercy Temple (Kuan Yin Teng)).

The cooks & wait staff are the aunties, who’s been around for probably since the time the shop started. I don’t know about you, but it is always reassuring to see my meals prepared by the old & experienced.

Our typical lunch here would rarely, if ever, vary from the dishes below. Taste-wise, most of the dishes are ‘lighter’ on the palate, and I would forewarn those with a heavier tastebuds to visit at their own risk, since they might find it bland.

The Braised Fish with Bean Curd is a firm favourite of mine.
To be honest, it is more bean curd than fish but that is the standard here. Do let them know if you would like more fish fillets, and prices will be adjusted accordingly of course.

A close contender is this Pak Poh Chicken Drumstick. The gravy is the best, infused with all the herbs and good even if you were to drink it on its own.
I normally doused my rice liberally with it and pick at the meat since it is quite bland (not surprisingly, since its probably braised for hours). It is however, great eaten paired with chilli padi (birds eye chillies) .

I was accustomed to these cuts of siew yuk before I was introduced to KL’s prime cuts of crackly skin & soft gelatinous fatty – layered pork.
This was good enough for me then, and still is now. Look at the silver plate it is served in, there’s such a nostalgic feel to it no?

Even the boiled chinese herbs drinks here (barley, chrysanthemum, etc) is strong in taste & fresh.

Another customary order is this blanched kangkung topped with some sort of paste with salted fish and deep fried garlic .
It is oily yes, but acceptable once it coats each stalk of veg, for the topping is the one that lends the flavour to the dish.

Tummy space permitting, we would add an order of scrambled eggs with big onions, carrots & spring onions; again, another simple good old dish of yesteryears..

The old lamps, the ceiling mounted fan, chinese painting/pictures, the cane chairs, round tables & the mosaic flooring.. such charm don’t you think?

I can’t remember the exact amount but it was approximately RM50+- for all the above.
Very reasonable & I have always left feeling satisfied and happy.

Sometimes, simplicity is best.

Restaurant Hing Kee
Lebuh China
Business Hour: 10am-3pm & 6-10pm

Note: They do sell smooth tasty congee, but only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Alternating layers of tender marinated lean pork & fat, grilled over charcoal, and eaten dipped in a special mix of potato and some secret spices sauce, this was worth the thrice weekly stalking I had to do back then when I was in Pg.

While grilling, these skewers of meat were constantly brushed with oil to enhance the flavor. The same ‘oil’ were dabbed on the bread as well.

Both meat & bread goes really well with the special creamy sauce concocted out from potato, chili and sour plum.
Starchy from the blended potatoes, and sweetish sour with a very very slight chilli kick, I normally mop my plate clean with the bread.

For RM0.50 a stick, just do yourself a favour & get 10.
The corner coffeeshop, Seng Lee Cafe (where the famous Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng is), is opposite his stall & allows the satay to be served inside. Just order a drink & enjoy your satay there. Or do what other foodies would, add an order of Mee Goreng or Hokkien mee, both of which is famous here.

Address:
Seng Lee Cafe,
Bangkok Lane, Jalan Burma,
Penang.

So far I have only found 2 stalls selling this type of satay in Penang, the other one is at Chulia Street, & operates daily except Sunday.
Address:
Sai Lam Coffee Shop
Junction of Chulia & Carnavon Street, Penang
Business Hour : 12pm – 9pm
GPS Coordinates : N 05′ 2506.2 E 100′ 2011.5

It is almost a ritual, and the stall owners would most likely greet me with “Ahh…you back di ahh..what are you doing in KL worr? Why soooo thin?? Come back Penang laa..”. *roll eyes*

One of the things I miss most in Penang is “heng jin thng”(almonds in hokkien), Chinese Almond Soup, a type of “tong shui” – aka sweet dessert soup.
The 2 famous stalls that sells this are at New Lane & another at Kimberly Street.

This almond dessert is pretty much an acquired taste, for it has been described by its non-fans as foul smelling (mostly described as medicinal smelling or like cockroaches!) & unappetizing.

In KL, most dessert house does the Almond CREAM versions, which is really different from this .
I thought I hit jackpot when I saw it sold by a mobile stall in SS2 Monday night market but
each visits has been futile, for it was always sold out by the time I got there!

Anyhow, it was absolutely satisfying (for me at least) to dunk some “you tiao / you cha kway/ yew char kuay” (chinese fried crullers) into my steaming fresh almond soup & slowly savour the slight saltiness & chewy texture from the chinese crullers soaked with the bitter yet sweet almond soup.
This was a light dinner by itself for me.

The almonds for making this Heng Jin Thng is the chinese almonds which differs from the ones used to make almond biscuits.
The owner once told me that he grinds the almonds mixture with rice using traditional granite/stone grinder. That probably explains the fresh & slightly grainy taste of the soup.
Recently, I’ve heard rumours that it is now powder mixed, diluted & wasn’t as good as before & I sincerely hope that I will still find it as enjoyable this coming trip.

In Chinese coffee shops, I will order it for breakfast, and this is typically the powder form.

Not that I mind, cos with a bit of condensed milk stirred in, it was a healthy breakfast drink for me. Again, it doesn’t seem to be served in KL coffee shops.
Still, nothing beats the freshly grinded and cooked almond soup.

I love my red bean soup and Lian Chee Kang too.

And only these 2 stalls does my red beans the way I like it.
Not broken up & starchy soup-wise but still in whole kernels yet soft to the core when eaten.
The skin is not “rough” & the skin wouldn’t scratch your throat as you swallow it.
The gingko nuts are commendable too, soft, sweet and cooked through thoroughly.

Ahhhh…Penang may not hold the fondest memories, but at least I got fond memories of the food!

Such quaint interior and cosy cottage charm! Traditional artsy craft work and memorabilias dotted the walls, giving one a flitting glimpse into the cultural facade of Bulgaria, a country not much known by the world.

The mural on the wall by our table took my breath away. So beautiful and in such vivid gay colours too!

Bulgaria is a country of 110,993 sq km, which is apprx 1/3 of Malaysia & boasted of the population number of 7.5mil.
Located in the Balkan Peninsular, it borders Romania which is at its north, Serbia and Montenegro and Macedonia to the west and Greece and Turkey at the south.

Here, in our little Penang island, the owner’s efforts to recreate and revive the bucolic feel of a cosy Bulgarian home back in her home country is deeply reflected in the outlet.

The woodwork, the bricks, the layout and the setting is painstakingly designed and leaves one in no doubt of the authenticity of the place. You do feel as if you have been teleported into a cosy Bulgarian home back in time and in Bulgaria itself.

Rustic style interior rekindling the feel and vibes of an old Bulgarian home.

Bulgarians, alike its European counterparts, customarily indulge in wine with their meals. Here in Vintage Bulgaria, a wide selection of wine is stocked in their wine cellar for your drinking pleasure.
Have your wine with your meal, or opt for a relaxing time sitting at the bar either upstairs or downstairs (they got two!) if you are here just for a drink. Your choice.

Geographically, Bulgaria has large mountainous areas, fertile valleys, plains and a coastline of the Black Sea.
However, in a short conversation with the owner, my initial self-formed opinion that seafood would feature dominantly in Bulgarian cuisine was corrected. The sea, Silviya Georgieva explained, is too cold to provide much produce.
Their climate includes mild summers and cold, snowy winters. Its temperate climate provides the right growth conditions for a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits.

Its cuisine, is eastern European with Mediterrenean influence, and salads are predominant. Every meal customarily starts with greens. As it is a cuisine influenced with the Greek & Mediterranean, their salads consists of typical key ingredients of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese and light dressings.

Meats are mostly roasted, grilled or oven baked. Their starch is provided for by the sides of potatoes & bread.

So one fine evening, we lucky group of Penang foodies congregate here for a night of gluttony, fun and comradeship.

Our 4th Penang Food Bloggers Gathering spurred into momentum with the first course of the most decadent seafood soup. (Not that the mushroom version were any less stellar, mind you)

An interesting mix of flaky fish meat and creamy based stock, it was very fresh and tasted of the sea. A must order, as it’s totally different from the common seafood bisque dished out at literally all western joints here!
If there’s a better seafood soup in our vicinity, I haven’t heard about it.

Their cream of mushroom is no wilt flower either.
Robust & wholesome, the chunky bits of mixed funghi with its smooth blend of well ratio-ed cream and stock was marvelous with the signature crusty ‘Vintage’ bread.

Almost 70% of us gluttons zeroed in on the Pork Knuckle (Bulgarian Pork Djolan) as our choice of main.
Rightfully so too, for the roasted arm was huge, with the mandatory gelatinous layer of fat, tender meat and crispy skin. What’s not to like??
One small vibe though, I personally felt that the flavour of the marination lacked full permeation into the inner parts of the meat & the accompanying gravy too sweet.
Nevertheless, I’m hard to please, so do ignore me

This is how we foodies eat. Watch and learn.

BEFORE.

The meat ball was huge. Grinded not too finely, it packs the satisfaction of sinking one’s teeth into real meat, & promptly be rewarded with rich meat juices oozing into your mouth.
The 2 sausages was just as good, both different in taste, low in sodium and hearty with spices & herbs.
The boiled potatoes that came with the platter was deceivingly spicy (it sure didnt look it right?) and a fellow blogger claims his tongue felt numb after a bite! Hehe..

For the hell of me, I can’t fathom the reason I ordered chicken that night.
Anyhow, my Chicken Stroganov wasn’t as bad as it looks (hey, after the knuckle and the ribs, you would have second thoughts too ok!).

Boneless chicken drumstick cut into strips, cooked with mushrooms, wine, cream, herb and spices, this is a good choice for light dining. Not too creamy, the smooth and tasty sauce, fused very well with the chicken.
And from the picture above, you can see that I have given the side of mash potato utmost attention. That’s simply cos it was divine!
Smoky roasted potato, mashed with its jacket and blended with gravy.
So delicious!

Plovdiv Ribs.
Not unlike our local tai chow BBQ ribs, these marvellous ladders of sweet, caramelized outers and tender inners was nicely done.

Each of the sides for the mains deserves mention too. The ubiquitous steam broccoli, carrot and cauliflower was done right, soft (not overcooked) and buttery.

I noticed there were 2 different mash of potato, one which is moist, but minus any gravy, with rich buttery aroma and another (which I preferred) mashed with onions and gravy, with its jacket on, providing me the satisfaction of nibbling on roast-y potato skin.

The piquant side of chutney-like mix of cucumber, carrot and onions plus a small serving of sourish coleslaw with corn provides the palate a refreshing diversion from the savoury meats.

Of course, a break in between course are a must and I couldn’t help taking a picture of the doors to the wash area ;p

Fancy adding some Bulgarian words to your vocab??

We bloggers are a lucky lot.

Courtesy of Dennie Yeap, of Winter Butterfly Homemade Cakes, we polished off a Strawberry Mousse Cheesecake, which was sublime with its moist cheesy sponge and fresh cream,

an Oreo cheesecake which was REALLY rich and a Chocolate Brownie which I find to be a bit dry in texture but made up for its shortcoming with its decadent top layer of dark chocolate fudge.

And yes, I repeat, we bloggers are a lucky lot.

Courtesy of Gelatissimo, we licked clean 5 tubs of gelato even before our desserts were served.
Thank you Mr Hong! The matcha gelato was fabulous!

Bottom right pic above: Clockwise: Rum and Raisin, Matcha, Chocolate, Strawberry Cheesecake and Mango Sorbet.

After all that, our desserts were finally served.

Chocolate Soup.
This, to me was alike gourmet chocolate drink with ice cream. Think premier “milo” , as in richer, creamier and full bodied chocolate. Deliciously chilled & smooth.
My my my..even as a non-choc lover, I could have slurped up every drop of this!

I ordered the Chocolate Creme Brulee, since I was curious .. “eggs and chocolate??”

The crackly caramelized surface hides the smooth and sublime eggy custard underneath.
I’m glad to report that this surpassed my expectations. It’s got the ideal ratio of eggs to chocolate where the taste of eggs and cream remains prominent to ascertain that it is indeed a creme brulee and yet with the flavour of chocolate still intact.
Scrumptious stuff!

And then there were camwhoring sessions..

The guy bloggers.

Whose pics were taken by the girls photographers.

We girls bloggers, had our pic then taken by the guys of course. But sorry no pic for now. (Ok, could any of you guys forward me a pic of us gals please??? )

The cool and quiet Silviya Georgieva and her friendly outlet Manager of Vintage Bulgaria.

Hats off to the kitchen that night for the preparation of the food. More often than not, during such events, I get my food served lukewarm or cold, mainly due to the meals being mass produced and re-heated just before serving.
That night, service was a tad slow yes, but I do appreciate that the food served didn’t taste like it was prepared hours ago!

What we had above was a set dinner created especially for that night. At RM40/pax, it was a steal for such superb food.
But of course, this is NOT all that they have!
Vintage Bulgaria does an expansive menu, with some interesting dishes that includes “parts” eg, livers and onion, gizzards in butter and veal tripe with mushrooms.
Barbitarians rejoice!!

As with most European influenced meals, cheese, cream, wine, mushrooms, herbs are prominent in the preparation of the dishes here.

Location:
Vintage Bulgaria Restaurant & Bar
(next to Ingolf’s Kneipe German Restaurant)
1-E, Jalan Sg Kelian
Tanjung Bungah
Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +60-4-8981890

Business Hour : 12 pm to 12 midnight (last order at 10pm)

GPS Coordinates : N05 2753.9 E100 1732.8

Definitely worth a visit if you are in Penang..once you are done gorging yourself silly on Char Kuey Teow, Laksa and Chendol (& for some, Chee Cheong Fun) of course! ;p
I love the concept and the place is gorgeous!

That being said, it didn’t diminish my memories of that day though; good food, loud laughter, friendly banter and great company. Definitely worth the trip back to Penang

So thanks Criz, for inviting me. It’s nice to be kept in the loop though I was 240km away.

My appreciation also to Mr. Ng Boon Tong the chairman and MD of the restaurant, the main chef Edwin Teo and their friendly staff who gave really impeccable service.

Those who attended:

Funny Allen
Food Critic Jason & Gill
Amiable CK Lam
Fellow Penang- lang Cariso (She and I shares almost the same thoughts on food (saltiness -meter, expensive/worthiness-meter and oiliness -meter). She can really complain too! Haaahha)
Sweet Bee
Glutton Steven Goh
Serious Mary
Smiley Allie
Lingzie
Nicholas Chan from http://nickchan.net/
Ken Chan
BBO
PTP

And of course, Mr Criz Lai himself.

Food-wise, their main forte is combination of cuisines from Japan, Korea, Shanghai and Hong Kong with a fusion twist.
Creative use of ingredients and adventurously matched items makes up dishes un-heard of and flavours un- savored before.

Ambience, Decor, Class – all check.

The curtain raiser for the night was The Hotzz Abalone and Unagi Tofu Combo.

The unagi was great, sweet with a smoky flavour; as the resultant of being grilled.
Eaten together with the creamy cold tofu, it was a combination that works well.

As for the abalone, indeed it was very out-of -the ordinary, to have plain abalone, eaten with strong chilli paste (akin to our local sambal).
I have always been of opinion that delicate flavoured items like scallop, fishes and abalone should be cooked with care, preserving its unique mild sweetness and freshness; hence should not be covered in heavy sauces.
So personally, I enjoyed the abalone more with the simple pairing of the fragrant garlic bits and oil rather than with the spicy sambal.

Chicken Ban Ban (RM10)

There are two elements to this dish; one being the egg omelette fried to crisp which is underneath the chickens cuts and another the chicken pieces itself. While the chicken was unappealing being rather oily, the combination of the 3 different sauces was good.
One gets a sting from the wasabi mayo -based one, and a nice sweetness from the Jap sweet sauce and lastly, plain old mayo which is good with any fried item.

Red Dragon Prawn with Jammy Sauce (RM20)
Innovative is the word for this creation.
Mid sized deep fried prawns drenched in citrusy- fruity sauce thicken with starch (think SunQuick and you’ll get the idea), this is a dish with a myriad of very ‘playful’ flavours, good to try at least once.
My tongue detected a hint of spice too, which turns out to be turmeric and that probably explained the yellow hue of the dish.

Motoyaki Scallop (RM14 for 5pcs).
Simply put, the thick sauce overwhelmed the delicate scallops. The sauce which was a mix of creamy Thousand Island-like concoction & cheese with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds, chilli flakes and black pepper has such strong tones!
In the end, I resorted to scrapping off the sauce to enjoy my scallop. Nevertheless, I’m sure there are diners who knows how to appreciate this dish for what it is.
Korean Beef Kimchi (RM16).
This deserves a thumbs-up. There was a very well balance of heat and pungency. The meat tears apart easily and even a non- kimchi eater like myself was a converted fan for while there!

The Lamb Teriyaki (RM18 for 2 cuts) had a sweet glaze and was slightly grill-singed at some parts.
The cuts served was lean, which might explain why the meat wasn’t as tender as expected. Taste-wise; it can best be described as very minimalistic, for it was just blasted with some marinate before it was cooked, so what you will get is pretty much the natural flavour of the lamb.

The remarkable Homemade Spicy Chicken (RM15).
My vote for the BEST dish of the night.
The fried chicken pieces tossed with chopped fermented black beans, bird eyes chilies, garlic, spring onions, curry leaves and sesame seeds were cooked in thick, sweet and fiery gravy and each ingredients complimented one another wonderfully.
We have spice, we have fragrance and we have heat. This dish really packs a punch!

Nicely done no? Not the stringy dry texture that denotes “chewy” and “overcooked“.Shanghai Honey Spare Ribs (RM18) . I took a bite and couldn’t swallow even that one bite as the full force of SALTINESS hit me in the face. Enough said.

Japanese Yaki Udon (RM12).
Most of us found the dish to be a tad too wet and the “wok hei” (charred taste as the result of high heat frying) overpowering. The revised version served later was drier and tasted better.

Tempura Cheese Maki
The mid bit you see here in the roll is an ebi (prawn); which was rolled with a layer of grilled eel, with the next layer being the sushi rice. Most outer layer is a batter layer which was pan-fried, hence the mildly burnt taste. Topping of cheesy mayo sauce made this a delightful one mouth-morsel.
Me dissecting the piece trying to figure out what’s inside.
Next is one of the Chef’s Specials served that night was impressive in presentation but not in taste.
Creatively named Chicken Bom, it was actually fillet of chicken encasing generous filling of shredded salmon (of which many of us mistaken for tuna) with thyme (which was overwhelming), onions and pepper.

At this point, I started to wonder if the chef is trying too hard in his attempt to create new fusionized dishes. He seems to favour the idea of throwing a lot of ingredients together and most doesn’t seem to have paired off well. ..
HK Style Wan Than Mee (RM22).
1st snag was the price, which most of us opined that it was a bit on the high side. After all this Penang, not KL.

Next was the supposedly piece de resistance – 4 gargantuan dumplings filled with prawns. While it was not inedible, the use of blended squid paste to bind the fillings resulted in the dumplings to be mushy, which contradicts the freshness one expects from dumplings, after being accustomed to crunchy waterchestnuts as one of the ingredients.

Anyhow, the saving grace comes in the form of the soup broth; which was thick and suited the noodles well.
At the point of bursting at the seams from sampling so many varieties of dishes with such generous portions, we were finally served desserts. Of course, all of us somewhat managed to make room for that!

Macha Ice Cream (RM8)
The green tea ice cream was definitely authentic. Very strong green tea flavour present and it tasted more bitter than sweet. Improvement is still required for the red bean paste though, for it was rough in texture due to the presence of the skin which wasn’t blended enough. The mochi was lumpy and hard in the mid-section.

Kuru Goma Ice Cream (RM8) which had a ratio of 3:7 of grinded black sesame seeds to peanut; naturally tasted more like peanut ice cream than sesame ice cream.
Most of us enjoyed this; myself included

NOTE: The above items were the food specially arranged for us to review.

Apart from the A la Carte dishes, Haven Delights also serves buffet lunch and dinner. Cost is RM49.90++ per person with 50% off for children.
You can order as many items as you like in their buffet menu list which has over 90 dishes within the allocated two hours duration from as early as 10.30am until 11.00pm daily.
Do take note that wastage above 100gms would be charged accordingly.

You think so syiok eat free?
Got homework one you know!
For me the session was alike embarking on a windwhirl culinary rendezvous; for each dish that was served incorporated vast differences in aromas, flavours and textures.
My criticism aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the session and was impressed with the Chef’s creativity and boldness in the creation of the dishes.
Haven Delights would undoubtedly be an interesting addition to the Penang food scene with its innovative fusioned dishes, challenging the norm of where street hawker food predominates.

Location: Penang Times Square, 77-L1-34, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 Penang, Malaysia.
Tel: 604-210 8855, 604-210 8856
Business Hours: 10.30am -11.00pm

What, you may ask??

THIS!
You would have thought we would be stuffed from all that hawker indulgence…yet en route to our homes, the 4 of us stopped at this stall.
Where?
Easy, at the Air Itam market. Just right opposite the famous AIR ITAM LAKSA.
Only open at night.

As usual, it’s Ken, the food master’s (or monster) hehehe.. recommendation. Trust him to find all the hide y-holes of superb old-school favourites.

Frothy, rich, creamy, fragrant, smooth and tummy warming fresh, fresh, fresh nutritious elixir!
See the heavy bronze pot used? No cheap alum or stainless steel here. It is said that the bronze retains the flavour better..
I was wayyyy too stuffed to order one of my own, but if I do, I’ll definitely add an egg! (Better than egg with Stout I tell you!)

Choices: Just milk or milk with milo.

Here the 3 of them ordered the milo version.
So he starts with the milo, then the milk.

Next is the sugar. DO opt to add an egg for extra booster …adds to the aroma too!

Stir baby, stir! Vigorously too..
Puuulllllllllllll………… (masuk angin a bit/trap some air) .. LOL.
I mean, that’s where the “lightness” comes from no?

Concentrate sikit.. angle must be right you see…symmetrical as well..
Tariikkkkkkkkkk………….
Allocate into the glasses.. see the nice froth on top?
This stall sells nasi lemak too. Imagine, a steaming hot glass of milo with FULL cream milk and fragrant nasi lemak…sighh..

Since I was so stuffed, I didn’t order & instead took a sip from Ken’s glass.
Ohhhh….REALLY wished I hadn’t eaten sooooo much just now!!. A most satisfying glass of brew…wished I could have had a whole glass to myself..but alas..my stomach doesn’t expand as well at night. Day time yes.

Finally satiated, we literally crawled back to the car….

Ahh… what is Penang if not for her hawker food….

Each one of us forked out RM30, left it in the middle of the table & all food was paid from the pile. We left the ordering to Ken at first, as he had certain favourites that he wanted us to try.

After patiently waiting for the cam-whoring to be over, I dug into the first dish that arrived.

Fried Spicy Rice – RM3.00

Darn good stuff~ nice and spicy. Served with clear tom yam soup (additional RM2.00) with a mid-sized prawn and cuts of squids.

And.. of course we ordered seafood..
Fried “tan” kam heong style , with curry leaves, onions and dried shrimps. RM10.00
Grilled Stingray – RM10.50

Soft and juicy clams…
Deep fried Mackerel with soy sauce, coarsely chopped garlic and bird eye chillies – RM3.50 each

The fish was first sliced into half, but still in one piece, and deep fried till crisp. Simple, yet just perfect with the bird eyes chillies and soy sauce.

Belacan fried rice – RM3.50

This dish was actually complimentary. (Shows how influential Ken of FoodPOI.com is!) The stall owner remembers him by name and even remembers his favourites!

As for the rice, it was very aromatic indeed..and to me, the best part!
Sides includes tender slices of beef in dry curry, julliened green mangoes (sour and adds a twist to the dish), chopped peanuts for crunch, sweet boiled prawns and fried scrambled eggs.
Mix it all up and each mouthful was most satisfying! Savoury, sweet, crunchy and sour. A medley of flavours & textures that left us craving for more.

It’s Penang, we are in Penang, Penang food is good.. it was as if there was some kind of chant going on in our minds..

So we ordered….
Otak-otak – Nyonya – RM2.00

and ordered….
Chee Cheong Fun – 2 rolls for a small portion – RM1.60
and ordered…
Chai koay – RM0.80 each. Yam cake – RM1.00 each.

And a slight variation of the Oh Chien (oyster pancake), this is fried with small lala, instead of the standard juicy oysters.

With barely any room left in our stomachs, we added an order of Curry Mee, we just couldn’t resist it as the stall was just right in front of our table!
We also told her “Ka liow ai” meaning “All want”! ;p

For RM5.60, we got a huge bowl overflowing with tau pok (beancurd puffs), fishcakes, chicken kidneys, 1 piece of curry chicken, cockles, chewy squids, long beans, potatoes and beansprouts.
Not the best I have tasted but still good. The coconut milk stock was just lacking in “ooopmmmhh”!

Tom yam fried bihun with seafood – RM3.00This one was also sadly not up to mark, somehow lacking in body and aroma, with nary a taste of tom yam flavour. Too mild for our preferance. BUT for RM3.00, there was an abundance of seafood in there! Still worth the $!

Stomachs bulging, and definitely more than satisfied with dinner; put us all in a good mood. All thoughts of disappointing paus forgotten, we headed to our respective homes for a good night sleep, with plans for breakfast already made and confirmed! ;p

To be continued..

Thanks to Ken of foodpoi.com,(read about his take here) I was given his “seat” for this session. Organised by Lingzie and sponsored by Mdm Teoh, Proprietor of Louis Cafe, the group of us had a whale of a time yesterday!

Us, the “Penang-standard tastebuds” team..! Don’t play-play!

Note : Oh..yes, not forgetting an invited journalist from the Kwong Wah Yit Poh newspaper as well. I think he was very amused by our antics ;p

The curtain raiser for the session was the Classic Caesar Salad w Smoked Salmon. RM18.

Obligatory romaine leaves, cherry tomatoes and croutons. It was topped generously with strips of smoked salmon, crispy bacon bits and fresh chives. Extremely tasty, for a salad. The chef’s caesar dressing was creamy and sharp, probably due to the parmesan.
On the menu, it says “..garnished with anchovies fillet..” so I asked the chef about that. Apparently it is imported Morrocan anchovies fillet, and was already blended and mixed into the dish, hence it was really miniscule; for we couldn’t detect any.
Anyhow, it was a very positive start and got us geared for more.

Our House Rules Organic Garden Greens. RM15.

After the Caesar, this differs greatly. Very sour & sharp, the lemongrass balsamic vinegar dressing took some getting used to. We couldn’t detect the lemongrass scent nor the taste for it was overpowered by the vinegar. Ideal for those who like their vinaigrette, but since I’m not a fan, I enjoyed the crisp, fresh greens instead. Rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes, carrots and purple cabbage are super-foods after all, no?

The sexy Scallops with Apple Salsa. RM20.

Everyone loved this. Perfectly seared yet retaining the natural sweetness of the scallops, it was fresh and the apple salsa (consisting of chopped green apple, tomatoes & chives) provided the necessary tang to the dish. A refreshing change from the routine mango-variety. Kudos to the chef.

Zuppas are next.
The Pumpkin lead the way, followed by the Funghi family, then the broccoli, after that its cousin; the mild Cauliflower and last but not least the fiery Tomato.

Cream of Tomato – RM9. Not a standard item, do call in advance to request.

Not fiery in taste mind you, but in colour. It was very bold, sharp and acerbic. Got Lingzie’s heart, but for most, it was too sour and strong enough to hold its own as a pasta sauce. Nevertheless, we deduced that it still beats canned ones anytime!

My fav.. Cream of Pumpkin. RM9.

Sweet. Smooth. Glides easily down the throat . Pleasant comforting tummy-warming soup.
My only gripe was the rancid slices of almonds. While I’m all for the match of almonds and pumpkin, stale nuts are a no- no. But hey, shoving the offending almonds aside, I could lick this bowl clean! ;p

Wild Mushroom Soup. RM10.

Most of the floggers commented that they preferred chunkier bites of mushroom in this, to provide some texture to the otherwise perfect funghi soup. Earthy and fragrant, one of the best mushroom soup I have had. Another good one was Continental Bakery’s version at Nagore Rd.

Cream of Broccoli. RM9.

I absolutely love broccoli! And this one achieved the right notch of strong – enough broccoli taste, yet maintained a harmony between the creaminess and broccoli puree. Well done.

Cream of Cauliflower. Rm9

Not a common one, Cream of Cauliflower requires dexterity in obtaining the right balance of taste. Too light & it would be lacking the cauliflower essence, too much of cauliflowers, you’ll have a disaster where the strong cauliflower smell would be overpowering and right down unappetizing. This one, however, hit the right note. Nice!

Complimentary bread “basket”. No, it was not served as such. I think it was Steven Goh’s or Allen’s itchy hands who arranged the butter on top of the buns ;p

All in all, the soups were non-overly creamy, thus one wouldn’t feel nauseated (jelak) after finishing a portion.
Each were served garnished with freshly chopped parsley with trails of design using cream.
Just rightly balanced in richness with full robust flavour of the vegetable used shining through, it was definitely freshly prepared from scratch.

Mains : Fish Cordon Bleu. RM25

Crispy breadcrumbs coating; covering the firm and sweet flesh of the Pacific Dory, stuffed with ham and cheese makes a really delicious piece of fish; even more so with the sweet creamy light tartar sauce, which ends on a slightly sour note due to the chopped gherkins in it. Hmmmm!

An interesting item; Vegetarian Cutlet. RM15.90

Mashed potatoes, smooth & buttery with dices of carrot, corn kernels, onions, soft pre-cooked cauliflower & broccoli, breaded and fried til golden. Light, crispy on the outside and velvety soft textured inside. Indeed, vegetarians are not left out either in Louis.

Close-up and personal shot. Really thick, with very evident generous fillings.

Beef Tenderloin with Peppercorn Sauce. RM38

Medium rare, air flown Australian chilled tenderloin.
Grilled to perfection, retaining its juices which was further complimented with the peppercorn sauce. A must for red-meat lovers. Louis Cafe will be offering wines soon in their outlet and I can’t think of a better way to compliment this other than a glass of red wine.

Sirloin Steak with Red Wine Sauce. RM28.

A must-try! I love the sauce… Subtle, yet with an unmistakenly tartness undertone due to the presence of red wine. The meat was oh-so-tender. Un-resistable!

Lamb Chops with Mushroom Sauce. RM22.

Needless to say, the meat was tender & grilled just right. The mushroom sauce, again, is richly flavourful and well permeated into the meat.

Black Pepper Lamb Chop. RM22.

Black pepper is a very strong spice and should be used in the right amount. Here, the sauce somewhat overpowered the natural flavour of the lamb. May still be alright for those who love their peppers, but as a personal preference, I like my black pepper sauce milder.

Red Snapper with Tomato Pulp (coulis). RM25

This was probably the piece -resistance of the session. The fish was fresh with firm and sweet flesh. The accompanying creamy sweet tomato coulis was marvellous. Right match of fish to the right sauce!

Pan Seared Salmon Steak. RM30.

This was with dijon mustard cream sauce, which lends a sharp tang to the otherwise mild sweet sauce. The well-seared generous thick salmon slab was not called a ‘steak’ for nothing. LOL.
Due to the thickness, I find that the inner layers of the fish retained its natural sweetness since whatever marinate used wasn’t able to infuse right through. Luckily it was so fresh, hence there was no fishy taste presence.

Spaghetti Cabonara. RM16.

It’s hard to get a plate of cabonara with the right balance of creaminess. This one was delightfully non-cloying. The linguine used instead of fettucine absorbs the sauce well. Ham, streaky bacon slices and the abundance of different kinds of mushrooms – abalone, shitake, button and chinese black mushrooms, makes this one hearty dish. Though a bit salty probably due to the amount of bacon added, I truly enjoyed this.

Spaghetti Arrabiatta. RM16.

A decently spicier version and a welcoming relief from the common marinara. The spaghetti was slightly over-cooked, but that is a very minor slip.
The sauce was great – very fresh tomato-ish taste and with more bacon what’s there not to like?

Baked Stuffed Chicken. RM20.


By now we were almost as stuffed as this piece as chicken! But we floggers don’t waste good food ;p
Well marinated, tender chicken thigh, carefully wrapped around a chicken cheese sausage, fried, and then baked to juicy perfection. Lip-smacking when eaten together with the rich flavourful brown mushroom sauce.

Madam Teoh or the chef must be feeling on the roll, for out of the blue we got Mexican Tortillas!

Another item which is not on the menu, it showcases the flexibility and experience of the chef. The thin crispy layer of tortilla remained crispy even after it cooled. The fillings are chicken pieces, marinated with spices, hence rendering the sauce slightly tangy and sweet. Besides that, it tasted very home-made. With capsicums, onions and melted mozzarella, it was superb really. Fresh coriander and basil leaves were added and this greatly enhances the taste.

Towards the end, we were treated to ice cream from the bar as well as their cooked desserts.
White Fungus with Gingko Nuts. RM5.

The white fungus retained the correct crunchiness and the gingkoes were firm and naturally sweet. The soup was not saccharine-ly sweet, for rock sugar and dates were used instead of ordinary white sugar.

Overall verdict? Louis Cafe scores 8/10.
The food tasted great and was esthetically pleasing as well. It was obvious that the cooks paid great attention to details. There was clever play of colours for each dish and the presentation really opens up a diner’s appetite.
Pains were clearly taken to prepare each dish, such as the sides for the mains; where items like the grilled tomato with cheese and velvety textured mashed potatoes shows good effort to break away from the norm.

Those who attended: Do visit their site for more saliva-inducing pics & write-up!
Criz Lai of Criz Bon Appetite
Lingzie of Lingzie’s Tummy Treats
CK Lam of What2See Online
Huat Koay of PenangTuaPui
Rebecca of thenomadGourmand
Steven Goh of Steven Goh dot com
Allen Ooi of Yummy Station
Gill & Jason of Gourmet Garden
Carrie of Cariso Delicacies Corner
Mary of Food Paradise
Bee of Buzzing Life
Mr. Lee of Kwong Wah Yit Poh

You can contact Mdm Lee in advance for reservations or for any special request of food. They serve Asian cuisine and finger food as well.
Daily Set Lunch is a steal at only RM16.90+ and set dinners at RM26.90+. The menu rotates daily.

The setting, decor and multiple dining areas are ideal for formal functions or cosy gatherings.
Food and drinks are customise-able to suit the occasion.

The floggers and the excellent team of Louis Cafe.

Louis cafe
+6 04 -228 7729
161-C Argyll Road, oppo Mingood Hotel
Email: louiscafe_161-c@hotmail.com

Got map!
NOte: It is a one-way street. Turn left after passing the infamous bakery Ismalia, which is right opposite the legendary Transfer Rd Roti Canai.

First up -Sushi by CK Lam.
Tastewise, can put Sushi King to shame ;o) …but seriously, if she opens a Jap restaurant and serve such sushi, sure go bankrupt! So generous laden with “liow”(not much rice but brimming with fillings) ;p



Spicy cantonese pork ribs – simmered and lovingly prepared for 4 hours by Ken of Foodpoi.com

He came bearing “gifts” like a Santa – packets and packets of premium meaty sausages and a whole chicken stuffed with a fat (what else?) sausage.

Creativity was the game that night for Criz Lai. My my my.. the amount of time that went into this masterpiece. The piece de resistance of the night!

It got the most attention and flashes of the camera.

Each of his 3 ‘seasons’ came with self identifying tags.
This is my fav. Tender pork strips, fruity and slightly sweet. What a palate pleaser!
Even the jackfruit strips itself tasted different as it has absorbed the sauce of the dish.

The spicy chic and abalone salad lived up to its description of spicy! I would think it would be more aptly described as fiery.
Do visit Criz’s post as he has kindly shared the ingredients he used for these dishes.

The salsa salad by Gill, for padding our conscience cos of all the meaty dishes.

Fruits, by yours truly. Hehe.. I have heard so much of the Australian mangoes; been fascinated by the skin colour as well as the size. So I thought that would make a bit of difference to the normal palate of fruits.

It was good alright, the flesh was firm, really sweet and juicy.

This was unexpected! The famous Hakka dish of abacus “seeds” with yam (Suan Pan Ji).
A savoury item with chinese dried cuttlefish strips, minced pork and wood fungus.

Kimchi fried rice by the all-famous Steven Goh. Nice balance of spiciness and sour from the kimchi; though mild. Rice was fluffy with well separated grains.

Lingzie’s late entrance, really rich and luscious cheese brownies. Hats off to her for the perfect balance of cheese and chocolate. It wasn’t cloying. It wasn’t sticky and hard. Top was the marbled effect of cheese and chocolate. Bottom is soft layer of rich choco brownie. Finger licking good!

Lemon/Lime Pie.
The first impact hit me face-on (or rather, should I say right in the mouth?) as the sourness shot through my tastebuds to my head akin the wasabi effect!). Really sour, top was a blend of lime juice, condensed milk and egg yolks. Great to give your sluggish system an electrifying jolt after the oily and heavy dishes we had!

Digestives lined the bottom. served chilled. Enjoy it with a good dollop of whipped cream for good measure!

Drinks was lemonade with Pomegranates by Jason and Gill. Another feeble attempt to wash off the oil lining up along our arteries.. LOL
They prepared the Cheese fondue as well. The taste of the kirsch in the fondue mix was very strong, even to the point of masking the cheese for me. I couldn’t attempt another morsel dipped into it.

The fondue, all the way from Europe..Quite an international affair we had yeah?

The others enjoyed the fondue, coating roasted pork,baguette, prawns (yup, prawns..), sausages with the thick gooey cheese.

Lilian of PenangFaces outdid herself with the homebaked focacia- like bread thins, spread with cream cheese and rolled fresh salmon, seasoned with lemon (I think) Nice..

Allen’s 1st attempt at making mashed potato. Many thanks to him for the effort. It came with a warning “Don’t complain ahhh” just as my spoon was about to descend to the dish.. Heh..
It was definitely creamy, with very rich buttery taste. Smooth too, I wonder how long it took him to make it so? ;p.
Too bad he omitted the salt..and the pepper..and the sour cream..

So sweet of Criz to give us each a souvenir – a pair of chopsticks nicely cocooned in a pretty case. Very apt for foodies like us!

Mine..

Roasted chic – courtesy of Ken of Foodpoi.com. Came frozen and grilled on location in Gill’s oven.

Enough la! Already dead somemore kena torture lagi!

One of the many variety of pork sausages by Ken. This one came completely raw. Didn’t managed to get a shot of the BBQ-ed version, it was that swiftly devoured! Very juicy, as Ken, Jason and myself can attest to, for our first bite got the liquid squirting out and it literally burned our tongues!

I truly enjoyed myself, for it was a night of great company, laughter, fun and absolutely fanta-licious food, (especially so since each dish was personally prepared by each of the flogger) and I’m already looking forward to the upcoming 4th Penang Floggers Gathering (tentatively) in Feb!

Thanks to Lingzie, the organiser, Jason and Gill for being the host and everyone else who came! Great knowing you guys!