The Friendly Neighborhood Restaurant

One of my favorite “neighborhood” restaurant is really one at my ‘hood’.  Its a place called Hwa Choon (at Jalan Raja Uda) in Butterworth, just next to the Petronas.  This is a very family friendly place that serves pretty good food at a resonable price.

Some of my favorite items on their menu are Sambal Shrimp, Sweet and Sour Pork, Claypot Tofu, Fried Chicken, and Three-Flavor Fish Fillet. If you’re not looking for rice dishes, then you can check out their tomyam fried beehoon.

So, if you’re around Jalan Raja Uda and looking for some decent food, do drop by Hwa Choon Restaurant

Big Giant Pau (Dumpling)

If you are hungry for tim sum at night in Butterworth, do head out to Restaurant Orient Precious at Tingkat Bagan Baru Dua (it is off Jalan Heng Choon Thian).  The tim sum is here is the best (for night dining in Butterworth) but what they are famous for here is their “Giant” Tua Pau.  You will probably not find any pau bigger than what you find here, however they only make a limited amount of them every night and I find the best time to get your hands on one of it is at about 7:30 pm.  It usually take them about 15-30 minutes to sell them off. 

This tim sum place is closed on Monday.

A Nyonya Delight

One of my favorite food is Nyonya food – like how my grandma used to cook .. and I am extremely lucky that my momma today still cook my favorites.  However, if I were to eat out, or if I have overseas guests with me in Penang, and I would like to share my favorite food, I will surely take them out to Hainan Restaurant.  There’s two of them in Penang – one in Bayan Baru (next to Kayu Nasi Kandar near the Vistana Hotel) and the other is at Tanjung Marina (nearby QE2).  They serve one of the best sambal tumis and their assam prawn is just super delicious.  Other items that you might wanna consider include Spring Roll and Inche Kabin. However, do not overeat because you sure wanna have their Bee-Koh-Moi (black glutonous rice dessert).  The only thing about Hainan is that it is a little pricey – if you gonna have their sambal tumis and assam prawn, be prepared for a RM 25-35 per pax!

Flame Steamboat Restaurant

Flame Steamboat Restaurant recently started a lunch buffet promotion and I would say that it was of great value.  There’s usually at least 10 different dishes (including chicken, pork, fish, shrimp, tofu, vegetables, rice, and noodles), soup, salad, deserts, ice-cream and Nestle drinks.  They only charges RM 15 nett per person and if you would like to add on a steamboat buffet, it only cost an additional RM 8 nett per person.  However for those who can wait till at least 2pm, you can enjoy a 30% off the RM 23 nett per person for the complete buffet. I would say that their food is pretty tasty and nice.

They serve this buffet daily (including holidays and weekend).

iFOODex 2008

Calling all food lovers – iFOODex, Malaysia’s Largest Consumer Food Exhibition will return to PISA, Penang, Malaysia this June 27-29, 2008.  More than 100 companies will be showcasing their latest products, giving out samples and goodies along the way and visitors to the event usually leaves with bag load of food, because items are usually price below what you can find in the market.  There’s also lots of audience interactive games throughout the days and the event will also feature celebrity chefs too.

This year, the Penang Chef Challenge will be co-located with the iFOODex, where it will feature 32 international and local teams battling it out in a “IronChef-styled” competition.

For more details, visit www.ifoodex.com or contact the organizers Intrenasionale @ 604.6467866.

Butterworth Tim Sum

If you are in Butterworth, Penang and are looking for a great tim sum place in the morning do head out to Chau Chun. It is located at along Jalan Ong Yi How (off Jalan Raja Uda).  This place is usually quite crowded in the morning and if it is a public holiday, I would advice you go head out there early.  Do not expect the tim sum to “come around” during the weekends or holidays because their business is just overwhelming.  Their basic tim sum is excellent, pau, shu mai, har gow, fish ball, but what I love best here in this place is their hong kong chee cheong fun.  I have travelled the world and had tim sum in lots of places, but never had I had one this good, and more so, its only RM 1.50 per plate (as of June 1)!

So if you are thinking of tim sum in Butterworth, I would say this would be the best place to try.

Golden Claypot @ Chai Leng Park

If you are looking for some nice claypot-styled food, go check out Golden Claypot at Chai Leng Park (if you turn in from Pearl View Hotel, it will on your right.  I tried out the place last weekend and had the Indian Curry Fish and Too Kar Chor (Vinegar Pig’s Leg) and I would say that it’s pretty nice.  There are lots of other “nice” food around, but there were only two of us, so we only pick what we thought would be best, and indeed it was nice.  The price is also quite resonable, less than RM 40 for two person with drinks and they give quite a big portion – plenty for the two of us to share.  So if you are looking for something different and nice, go check out Golden Claypot at Chai Leng Park. To get more information, call them at 04-3983388

Raja Uda Curry Mee

One of the best curry mee in the Northern Region, I would say would be the one at Raja Uda.  The place only opens at night (around 630 pm to about midnight) and if you are travelling on Jalan Raja Uda from the Permatang Pauh-Jalan Raja Uda traffic light, this shed (it has grown by probably 300% from its original stall) can be found on the left hand side about 200m from the traffic lights. You will see lots of cars parked in its little parking compound.

The basic curry mee is great, but if you are in for more, you can always get the add-ons.  They best add-ons that I like is the curry chicken because I think it compliments the curry very well.  They also have wild hog, stingray, squid, shrimp, mantis prawn and a whole lot of others.  However, dont be surprise if you bowl of curry mee with add-ons come up to RM 10 a bowl.

 Anyway if there is only one bowl of curry mee you take in Penang, it should be this in Jalan Raja Uda, Butterworth

Penang Loh Bak

I have tried lots of loh bak (pork rolls) in Penang but my all time favorite is the one at Sri Bahari Road and Penang Road intersection.  Ah Choon is the husband in the husband and wife team that have been serving loh bak there since I was young and from what I gathered from them, its their family recipe. Ah Choon not only has great loh bak, but also probably the best heah kean (prawn fritters) I have ever tasted.  It has lots of succellent prawn (shrimp) in it but yet crispy.  The loh (gravy) is also very nice, and for those who likes chilly with their loh bak or heah kean, they serve wonderful chilly too.  Apart from their famous loh bak and heah kean, I would also recommend their fish and chim choe (crab balls).  Personally I dont like squid, so I have never tried it. So for those of you who are in Penang or will be visiting Penang, and is looking for great loh bak / heah kean, dont forget Ah Choon. 

David Brown’s @ Strawberry Hill

If you are really looking for a romantic place (excellent atmosphere) in Penang to eat, then you might want to consider to head up to Strawberry Hill (I guess it is small hill on Penang Hill). The best way to get up there (if you going for dinner) is on a jeep ride (to arrange for a Jeep ride, RM 60 for a round trip), you can contact Ah Teong at 012-4881643). David Brown’s Restaurant and Tea Terraces serves excellent English food – you can check out the menu at www.penanghillco.com.my.  I had French Onion Soup and Beef Wellington the last time I was there while my wife had the Roast Sirlion, which was so tender that you don’t even need a knife.  My Beef Wellington was something really new that I never had in my life before and it was great, although I am not a big chicken liver fan.  The portion is enough even for a big eater like me, but not overwhelming.

However, what I like best about David Brown’s is the atmosphere and the view.  We dined outside during Valentine’s Day, it was cooling under the stars and the view of Georgetown was splendid. The also spread the tables out at the courtyard and you have pretty good privacy. 

The only thing that I think they can improve on is the service staff, which I felt was a little lacking for such a place, although if was just for any other restaurants, I would have been very happy.

So if you would like to take your significant others to a nice, romantic place, do consider David Brown’s Restaurant.