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

Just across the street (Jalan Hutton) from New World Park is a little Japanese Fusion place called Kiss A Koyotei Cafe.  I was there with a friend last week and tried out some of their food.  We had their set lunch which I would say is quite alright for a Japanese Fusion.  Their food is tasty and portion is big. The only comment I would have is it’s a little pricey for a such as place.  However, if you’re looking for Japanese that is not too Japanese, then you can check out this Kiss A Koyotei then ….

I was at hanging out at UUM for the D’Graduate.com project recently and came across a number of nice food within 50km of Sintok, Kedah. One of the notable one is the Nasi Lemak An.  We will get up at 5:30 am and be at this Nasi Lemak stall by 6:30 am for their Nasi Lemak Ayam Panas.  You will be surprise to see how many people already having their breakfast there at such wee hours. 

The rice is wonderfully fragrant, you can just eat it by itself, however, if you add on the sambal which has a sweet-spicy taste, it is incredible. The fried chicken at 6:30 am is just hot from the deep-fryer – making it a perfect mix.

If you’re a student at UUM or happened to be around Sintok or is on the way to Hatyai or Bukit Kayu Hitam, you should drop by this outlet.  The stall is on your left as you head out from the UUM campus (about 3km from the campus).  You can also call them at 012-467-5439 if you are unable to find its location.

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.

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 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).

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.

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.

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

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