Chicken Drumstick Mee Suah @ Kafe Mandarin

One of the delights of Penang is the abundance of coffee shops around the whole island that they seem to be popping out at you everywhere you go.

I was once told that Chinese-populated places are always, or almost always associated with food and food!
How true's that, but seems to be there's some truth since Penang and Ipoh are about the most famous places in Malaysia for their local food and delicacies.

People from the earlier generation; read, our parents and grandparents, uncles and aunties are all ardent fans of hawker stalls and dining in coffee shops where one meal costs less than RM5 or RM10; inclusive of drinks and they would hear nothing of paying more than that, let alone RM10 for a cup of coffee!

I guess that is one of the reasons that Penang seems to have no end of these hawker haunts; be it stalls or coffee shops.

Kafe Mandarin is a bustling coffee shop located in the midst of Island Glades; and is open for both morning and night business (unlike some coffee shops which are specific to either morning of night).


On one occasion when I just came back from KL and wanting something light and simple, I was here for lunch.
View of stalls available during lunch hour


Wantan Mee

It was nothing much to rave about; as it was just a simple plate of dry wantan mee, although it tends to be slightly bland in taste.


Fish Ball with glass noodles


I still prefer the version in Cecil road better =)

Come night time, and the place seems even more alive; or perhaps it was due to the bright lighting which makes the place so visible!
Variety of stalls available at night



A plate of Nasi Kandar like this could be a staple choice for dinner for most Malaysians; especially when you are in Penang, the haven for Nasi Kandar.



Now come another interesting hawker food; which was one of my Dad's favorite.
Duck Drumstick Mee Suah (Ark Tui Mee Suah pronounced in Hokkien) which costs at RM4.50 per bowl.
However, being health-conscious and perhaps also due to his sudden craving, he opted for a change; and chose Chicken Drumstick instead which only costs RM3.50

Duck is definitely more expensive than chicken, huh?

It was also not as oily as duck drumstick and was definitely a wiser option for them, says Dad




Wantan Mee in soup



Popiah


It was a slightly less tasty and lack of ingredients version; and the lady almost forgot to collect payment from us, but we went to her and paid our dues.
Honesty is the best policy, as she was surprised and beamed, thanking us continuously for remembering =)

Lor Bak




The lor bak was quite good, and also the fried prawn fritters; and the only drawback was the less-than-good sauce which did not complement the plate of fried stuffs that well.

Now I understand why there is such a crowd every night at this coffee shop; with so many varieties to choose from, one need not argue about what to have for dinner anymore, right?