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Cintra Street, Penang.... best Yao Char Kwai!

Penang is my favourite destination for a short trip in Peninsula Malaysia, mostly because of its food. The drive is is approx 3.5 hours though recently in 2010, I've managed one way in 2.5 hours in a 1.5litre 4 door saloon car.

I suppose many Malaysians have tried this before, judging by the number of posts you see in other blogs, but no harm in spreading the word around. It's just the best.

I guess coconut oil is added into the frying oil, as the aroma of the former was recognised, thankfully in a controlled dosage. Great texture, crispy and that coconut oil just wraps this piece of Chinese delicacy to another level.

Superb. Tummy rating of 9.6 / 10

Fu Gua Thong Restaurant, Kuchai Enterpreneur's Park.

I grew up not liking a lot of things, food included. In no particular order, brinjal, bitter gourd, petai, ladies' fingers and DURIANS. Recently though, bitter gourd and petai have slowly made its way into my tastebuds' acceptance list. At a ripe old age of 34, it's still not too late i hope, since we've received numerous e-mails from doctors and professors who swear by the benefits these 2 possess.

This restaurant is a branch from the one you've been to in Bandar Puteri, Puchong with its origins from Johor. Being first timers here, my wife and i ordered signature dishes recommended by the captain - bitter gourd soup, sweet potato leaves in belacan and fried pork belly.

This soup is definitely one of the better ones I’ve had, appearing very close to the “Bah Kao” soup you can order in most Hokkien noodle places. The bitter gourd was flavorsome, bitter (of course) and has a slight crunch to it. Quite clearly, the bitter gourd was not left to boil in the soup thus retaining its flavor and texture. The pork slices were thinly sliced with a lil’ fat left on top for that ideal balance in every bite.

The potato leaves stir fried with belacan was also up to par. Spicy and finished with tiny pieces of fried pork lard for that impeccable balance of sweetness, spiciness and smoothness. Serves up a great dish to go with the bitter gourd soup.

The fried pork belly was good, though the serving was not as much as I’d expect for a “small” bowl. It wasn’t even a bowl to begin with, more like a bigger saucer that you use in dim sum restaurants. Still, the pork was crispy and tender with no excessive fat. The aroma of the fermented bean curd isn't that strong, but just nice to most tastes.

This meal cost RM27, which I think is pretty good value considering that they use only small bitter gourds which are better in taste and texture and more expensive.

My tummy rating: 7.9/10

Pan Mee at Jln Beremi, behind HSBC Jln Sultan Ismail.

I was introduced to soup noodles pretty late I'd say, because when i was young, i dislike food being served "temperature" hot. Nasi Lemak however, was fine. Growing up in United Garden, Old Klang Road, Pan Mee was more of an alternative since the fish and pork ball noodles were very good. In came the infamous fried pan mee just after Jalan Sepadu, United Garden which made headlines around town, so much so that during its heyday, the pan mee would've been sold out just before 8pm.

Fast forward to my working days here in Kuala Lumpur and i was introduced to a very special pan mee stall just at the back of HSBC Menara Genesis along Jln Sultan Ismail. It operated from a stall just behind the shophouses with approx 5 to 6 tables back then. It then moved into proper shophouse just around the vicinity, bearing the name Restoran Jangan Ketawa. It's now further up the road, just next to Fortuna Hotel, off Jln Beremi as per the picture here.

I love the pan mee served here. It's a close one this, as Jalan Raja Laut's famous chilli pan mee has also garnered a cult status for itself. You have loyal followers who'd swear by the pan mee served. Like most places, you can have your pan mee served in 2 different styles, dry or soup. Dry's my style as it's easier to eat, without my head dripping sweat like a running tap. Mind you, this place is not air-conditioned. Here's a picture of the noodles served dry.

As you can see, the noodles is served with fried anchovies, sliced mushrooms and minced pork. The gravy is slightly on the sweet side, but i can assure you, you'll like it. It's not overly sweet but balanced enough to bring the best out of everything served. Vegetable, in the form of potato leaves is served in a bowl of soup. Fish and pork balls are extra add-ons at cost. More on that later.

Next up, for soup lovers. I quite like it served in soup but as mentioned, having the soup version is best done when the weather is cold, or when it rains. We did however, run into a short period of approx 3 to 4 months this year of rain almost everytime we came here for pan mee, so long as our Ms Drama Queen colleague came with us. She brings rain and requests for an egg in the soup.

Aside from the usual chilli paste, you could also add chilli flakes for that extra zest. Caution though, the chilli flakes are very potent. Those with weaker digestive systems might be in for a ride.

The aftermath.... usually the case.

You could however, have a "set", a bit like their version of a Happy Meal. You get the noodles, soup, fish and pork balls, a drink and a pack of Premier Tissue Paper. The banner below no longer applies, as the price has been revised upwards a couple of months ago.

My tummy rating: 9.2 / 10.

Zul Satay, Kuantan Pahang

Yup. Another post on my weekend trip to Kuantan. What's a good holiday to a food blogger if no food is introduced?

The hotel package (http://tummythoz.blogspot.com/2010/08/weekend-at-kuantan-pahang.html) we took covered breakfasts and pre-dinner cocktails. So our routine was late breakfast, prolonged cocktails and did late supper in town.

Ist night we did everybody's, no matter you are 1, 2, 5001 or whatever numbered Malaysian favourite meat dish - Satay!The shop is super famous & popular in Kuantan because at such late hour, the whole townsfolk seemed to be there.

Place is clean, service efficient. Lurve it best that each gets his/her own plate of luscious peanut sauce. Freedom to mind own manners when dipping, spooning or outright slurping. Good!And so we had:-
This is DA BOMB! Even moi, a non mutton fan was scrambling for the last stick on the table.This bombed. It was tough.Except WABBIT meat. Okay, it's rabbit but a few friends just cannot fathom consuming such cute furry mammals. Hey, lambs not cute-meh? Nevertheless what stopped us from ordering was that cuteness come with a not so cute price-tag. RM1.40 per satay stick! That's what it says on the paper with the 'V' sign.Wash it all down with a piping hot fragrant Teh Tarik and we were ready to end another happy holi-day with ZzZzzzzz.Price per satay stick (chicken, mutton or beef) : RM0.60

Location : Err.. it's famous so just ask anyone in Kuantan for Zul Satay. Once within it's vicinity, it's a brightly lit double storey corner shop.OOPs.. almost missed to wish all celebrating a HAPPY HEALTHY RAYA!!

Continental Breakfast at Hyatt, Kuantan Pahang or Hoi Yin ..

And there we were. Checked in the luxurious Club Rooms (but no seaview since that would be additional charge of RM160. *Blek*).

Free Continental Breakfast, NOT International buffet spread. I do wonder why.

Continental brekkie makes up of quite boring stuff. Y'know, a variety of cereals, croissants, buns, dry cookies, gimme Asian anytime. Only excitable possible artery choking stuff would a variety of cheeses which this Cina-moi does not know how to appreciate. Close to that was the the thin slices of roast beef. Butter? Unsalted, ok. What is a Nasi Lemak fan to do?

Stack those up in between toasted brown bread with smoked turkey, smoked salmon, salad greens with a healthy dose of herbs and nuts then chomp chomp chomp. Oya, dip that in half boiled eggs .. sadly mine came lumpy. BUT shake some pepper and ... soya sauce,my 1st holiday breakfast of that trip was saved.

The following morning, an unanimous vote was to spend for our breakfast. Walked out, cross a quiet street and there stood this.Yummy thick Curry Noodles Kuantan style! Generous portions of partially cooked cockles, slices of boiled chicken, fried beancurd, pieces of fish cakes and err.. fish balls (?). Price : RM4.50 per bowl (I think).

By the way, know what's the crowd like early morning around the beach and the unopened stalls? But of course that did not stop city folks from doing this!If only workdays start like this. *sigh*

Weekend at Kuantan, Pahang

Who needs friends?

I do!

I need friends with the capability to score discount vouchers for more than a couple-starred hotel getaways!

And being needy pays. *arms in pumping action*

Last weekend, 6 of us broke away from the concrete jungle to drive 3 hours to bask in some sun, sea and sleep(?).

Look at that. Ahhh smack right in Kuantan, the capital of Pahang, lies beautiful Teluk Chempedak. Ahhh..

What's your checklist for a rejuvenating weekend getaway?

Mine's simple. Just:-

1. Calm breezy ocean
2. Minimal human traffic (except for own friends, quiet or otherwise, of course)
3. Free flow of happy drinks (beer, wine of both colours, mean cocktails)
4. Full trays of a wide variety of prettily arranged finger food
5. A comfy room

Hard working people sure needs more of these. To maintain sanity.

Beef King Noodles, Pudu Kuala Lumpur

*sweeping cobwebs*

There you are. My much neglected blog. Now where do I begin. Again. No time to blog but got time to go holiday. *grins*

And there I was, accompanying 2 major Shopping Queens, morning landing in Hong Kong, night ferry to Macau (never the least, to meet up with another major Shopping Queen) and the next day, morning bus to Zhuhai, China for a day. *phew*

Our 4D3N vacation activities? Still need to ask? Obviously your spiders spun thicker cobwebs.

*clawing away your cobwebs with newly bought pitchforks*

We went with light shoulder bags, flew home with maximum weight trolley bags, maximum weight shoulder bags and not forgetting bulging handbags. Tummies did bulge a bit too, of course. And so did leg muscles .. and biceps .. and forthcoming credit card bills. Bliss never comes free.

Ahh that's a story for another day.. Today, let’s do another of Phitoy’s new favourite breakfast spot. And this my friends is one of my late food discoveries around KL Pudu area. I’ve stopped counting the numbers of impatient sighs, groans and rolled eyes from numerous numbers (why count?) of friends, acquaintances and even from people born with big ears and not quite tight mouths. Literally translated from Chinese, it has to be either Cow King or Bull King. Being food, let’s do Beef King instead. Since I may be the last to know, I’ll keep it short. Phitoy prefers noodles in soup. My usual is the dry version with slices of meat and innards being served in soup. If my fickleness acts up after ordering, I can always just pour the bowl of soup into my bowl of noodles. Our MUST order on every visit:-

1) Egg noodles. Forget the yellow noodles, vermicelli and what not. Just do the wantan noodles. Not a trace of alkaline taste just QQ all the way.

2) The bouncy beef balls and never the least,

3) More of that appetising chilli sauce dip for me!

Special note: The uncle manning the stall may look sour at times but he’s actually very friendly. Just smile and compliment the food. He’ll even refill the delicious soup in your bowl of noodles. Location: Aha. Now for the few, rare few, finding this place may prove challenging. No fear cause pictures are here. First you find the Caltex Petrol Station along Jalan Pudu. Turn left at the traffic lights junction in front of it. Right behind Caltex there’s this orange building on the left corner. This shop is opposite it (still left side of the road), hidden behind trees. Price: RM4.50 for a bowl of noodles in soup or dry.