Gurney Drive, Penang.

1. This pictures was taken when I made a weekend trip to Penang a few months ago. Was staying near at a place where they didn't have anything appealing to eat so decided to take a drive to the all famous Gurney Drive for some dinner.
2. True to the fact of it being popular, the place was packed with people mainly tourist. Coupled with the rain, it was difficult to get a place to sit. When we did, it was difficult to decide what to eat.So decide to order from stalls closes to where we were sitting.
3. There was this place that had a long queue for fried oysters. So i joined in the queue. The proprietor makes a batch of the fired oysters and sells them so the waiting time for each batch was about 5 minutes.
4. Then it started to rain, the queue did not relent. One of the customers (must be a tourist like me too) in the queue commented that "is it that good?"
5. Anyway got my plate and it wasn't cheap and the servings was also not too generous.
6. Then proceed to ordering the smoked squid next door.
7. All in all, the food was just above average but after travelling a long way and the reputation of the place one can't help but giving this place a try when you are in Penang even if its not that worth while.
   
   
   

Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa, Puchong.

1. Was around Puchong Jaya to pay some bills and I saw this place at the newly contructed office mall. I heard so much about Kampung Baru's Nasi Lemak but I never had the opportunity to try it. What better not than this place.
2. First impression was that there were not many people patronising it. Not a good sign. However when I went in, it turn out to be a self service style restaurant. I place my order and payment and took a seat. Numerous customers walk in and out immediately after thier meals. That why I did not see many customers at one time. The environment did not cater for lepaking...
3. As for the nasi lemak, there was various traditional fare and side orders available at reasonably inflated prices compared to the sidewalk stalls. Pretty tasty but I got no comparison as I never tried the original nasi lemak at Kampung Baru itself.
4. The rice was served at room temperture. I prefered that they had a choice of hot rice. Somehow hot steaming rice goes well with the sambal.

Tianjin Day 2, China.

1. Day 2, looking for dinner, decide to venture out towards the pedesdrian mall near the hotel. Boy!!! Everything seem to be big in China. its about the longest and widest pededrian mall I had seen. Anyway found this place at one of the off streets. Looked quite decent and most importantly they had a few places to sit outside, away from all the in door smoke.
2. I notice the table I sat on had this chinese chess set printed on it which was knee high. It was like something out from yester years even though it look almost new. I was wondering why the table was so low and it was almost like squat level. But I must admit it was fairly comfortable.
3. Anyway had a look at the menu, everything was in Chinese. I could read it but it had pictures. I ask what meat they had. Pork ribs and chicken steak came to mind. I decide to have the pork rib noodle. The noodle which I later found out was made from rice. It was the thickest rice noodles I had ever seen.
4. As usual the bowl of pork rib rice noodle came too much for one person. Seem to have all the food groups in it too, protien, carbohidrates, fibre and fat...I fairly manage what I can and I had to leave the rest. I must say it was good.
5. The thing about this large serving, I think seem to compensate for the fact that even if the food is just mediore, one then to forget about it due to its enormous size.
6. Unfortuantely it was my last night stay in China for this trip. Maybe next time when I go back I be having a feast.

Tianjin, China.

1. Had a trip to Tianjin, China last October. As this is my first trip to China and I didn't do any homework prior to me going in terms of looking for food. I hear a few things about the food in China but if you have not seen it it didn't mean much to me. I was expecting it to be very similar to Taiwan.
2. One noticeable difference is the huge potions of servings they give when you order. I had notice this when I walked into the restaurants in the afternoon for some halal food wih my collegues. Unfortuantely I didn't take any photos of the Xinjiang halal as we were so hungry after a long journey taking photos were the furthest thing from my mind. However I did manage to take a phot of the guys outside barbequeing the meat skewers.
3. For dinner, I was roaming around for some local food. I was looking around for a local place that had lots of customers. Saw this place behind the hotel Niiko that I was staying in. Walked in and knowing the portions I had to deal with, I told the waiter specifically that noodles for only one person and a bottle of beer. The noodles came enough for two people. It seems that if you serve a small portion, no one will come to the place anymore.
4. Few things I despice about eating in a local place here is that the allow indoor smoking. And the Chinese really are chain smokers. The restaurant was so full of smoke that when I came out I thought I just had a pack myself.
5. The other thing I found unappealing was that customers spit on the floor in the restaurant knowing other are having their dinner there. After a few of this incidences, I could finish my noodles and only had the beer and left the place.
6. Well not that I was not warned.

Mee goreng, Pulau Tikus Penang.

1. To whom who had gone to Penang knows that it is famous for its good food. I was recently enlighten by a Penagite that Penange is not known for its good food but to be more precise known for its good hawker food. It seems restaurant food in Penang in serve so so food only.


2. I guess this was only further reinforced when I was in Penang a few months ago. Had a drive to Penang so had the freedom to roam around to look around. Stumbled into Pulau Tikus one morning. It had a morning market and found this corner coffee shop with lots of people in it.
3. There was this stall that had a sign with says "Jones Road Famous Mee Goreng". When you see a sign like that well you got to try it. Ordered a plate and of course Char Kuey Teow also. .
4. I must say both tasted good but I like the Mee Goreng better. But somehow the mee goreng gave me the feeling of not eating it after half a plate. I can't describe it in English. It tasted good but this feeling just comes to me after that.
5. Well after this short trip to Penang, I guess Penang hawker food is still the best.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Restoran Kim Hoe, Pulau Ketam.

1. Happy New Year 2010!!!! Boy! How time flies... I not been blogging for 11 months now. What suppose to be a short break turned out to be multiple short breaks which accumulated to almost a year. The good news is that this is one of my New Years resolution to continue with this blog. The other thing is that I had been taking frequent photos of the places I had been for my gastronomic appetite.
2. A few week during the year end school holidays, I took a weekend trip to Pulau Ketam for a look around. The boat trip takes about half and hour depending if you on the fast or slow boat.
3. This place came to sight as it was one of the first few eating place on the main street. A typical looking chinese restaurant, it ws packed with people during lunch. Ordered seafood and there was a fried oyster stall next door to this place. Ordered two large plates of fried oyster cakes, some crabs, vegetables, prawn and soup. It tasted reasonable but I found the trip and surrounding of the Island more memorable than the lunch I had.
4. Would I return... maybe but maybe on a bigger occasion and in another restaurant. However eating on shops and house built on stilts over the mangrove swamp on an island off the mainland is an experience where on should try at least once in a life time.