Thursday, January 21, 2010

Sweet Treats for two @ Honeymoon Desserts

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The name of the shop just caught my attention and is just so relevant to their products.
Honeymoon usually brings us to associate with something nice, sweet, romantic and of course, relaxation for two people (a couple) in love.
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Therefore, you do not need to be Einstein to guess that this is definitely a place that serves something sweet and when we talk about sweet, the typical Malaysians will think of desserts!

The welcoming sign of the entrance just makes you drift dreamily into the shop where you will feel relaxed by the comfortable settings and the dimly lighted environment to create that romantic and soothing environment for the patrons.
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Even the menu makes you feel like you are a newly wed couple; with its red colored front (usually the color red is an auspicious color for all Chinese celebrations)
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There were so many choices in the menu to choose from that we took a really long time flipping through page by page before deciding!
It was not easy, mind you, and I felt like ordering almost everything =P

Water chestnut with toddy palm (RM7.90)
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This was really nice, and despite the price, I found the serving really generous with all the huge chunks of juicy water chestnuts and also the endless scoops of toddy palms in my spoon!
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I LOVED this, the combo of water chestnut and toddy palm...just suits me =)
Cooling, refreshing...and just CRUNCHY!!!! =D
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They also serve a variety of pearls; sago or black ones

Sago pearls with Toddy Palm (RM8.90)
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Yeahhh, we are fans of toddy palm...lovely
This was with milk and the pearls were just so huge and yummy!
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Prices are definitely on the higher side compared to other dessert stalls but the choices and the servings plus the environment are definitely the additional advantages, don't you think?

I can't wait for my next visit....and one note though, I hope their staffs would improve with a smile on their face rather than dragging their feet behind them with a dull and bored look...

Honeymoon for you or two?
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Monday, January 18, 2010

Juicy side of the Queen of Fruits

On one of those rare occasions where my mummy buys pineapples (it IS really rare), we get to enjoy the wonders of this Queen of the Fruits =D

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I love pineapples; seriously....I just realized that most of my favorite fruits have that citrusy scent/taste and of course, the sourish side of it as well =P

This is ONE yellow yellow pineapple!
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I am proud that our country is one of the main producers in the world for this fruit; and there are so many benefits from this fruit as well.
Of course, I am sure we have heard of the acidity level of this fruit and how we were told not to take it on a empty stomach, etc.
However, all the bad aside, this is one delicious and appetizing fruit and if you get the Bali version or the crystal version, Yummylicious!

I do not like the KING of Fruits...NO NO....I could run a mile away if I were to spot it within the second I spot it...make that micro/nano second...

But this, I like...Hail the Queen of Fruits =D
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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Hawker fare with a view

One of the most celebrated hawker food courts on Penang island has to be Northam Beach cafe.

Facing the Northam Hotel/Tower, this place is popular among tourists and even locals alike with the varieties of local delights offered here; and there is no hassle of parking as there is ample parking space and the best part of it, it's free of charge!

Another interesting bit which makes this place stands out would be the fact that it is located just beside the sea, and you can even enjoy the sea breeze in your hair while you sample the local Malaysian hawker fare.

Fried oysters (RM6)
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Huge and juicy oysters, this is one delicacy you should not miss as Penang is famous for her abundance of seafood due to its location surrounded by the big sea.
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Seafood Popiah (RM3.60)
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This is one popiah which is priced on the high side; perhaps due to the seafood ingredients included in this local fare.
However, my personal opinion is that there is not much of the mantis prawn's bits/prawns in it to hike up the price to that, and the popiah is slightly smaller than the standard ones.
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The stall is operated by two ladies and they only start after 630pm.
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Satay is yet another interesting Malaysian delights.
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Placing chunks of meat (chicken/pork/beef) on a skewer stick, this is then grilled or barbecued and then served with the signature peanut sauce.
You will find onion slices and cucumbers served alongside this dish as well, and sometimes, you may even find the sticky rice.
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Grilled Stingray can be found at the Panggang stall; offering you a selection of fresh seafood on the rocks to grill to your choice.
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Served with a slightly sourish sauce, this compliments the texture of the fish.
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Taking a break from the local food?
There's even international cuisines available; one of them is this French stall operated by a foreign chef as well.
They serve pretty interesting fares; including this Chicken Pie
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This has garnered praises from my friends who have tried it
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Drinks are also aplenty here; to satisfy your thirst while you enjoy your little vacation by the beach or the seafront.
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Isn't this just ideal for a little imagined vacation as well; as you relax with these food after a hard day's work?
Be ready for slightly pricey hawker fare compared to the rest, but with a view and the relaxation, it is entirely up to you to decide ;)

Friday, January 08, 2010

Claypot Cat Fish @ Soon Heong

Soon Heong restaurant is a corner-lot shophouse-restaurant located in the quiet neighborhood of Menjalara and I have blogged about it before; if you still remember the unique double-flavored pork ribs.
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At RM12, this is one of their recommended dishes which can be found on the front page of the menu itself!~
Well, I have more dishes tried which I would like to share =)
This is after all one of the family haunts and their cooking style is influenced by the Teochew gourmet style.

This Claypot Cat fish is one of their recommended items on the menu (RM16)
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The cat fish was cut up into fillets in the claypot with a very thick brownish gravy with lots of ginger slices and garlic.
The sauce had a hint of soy beancurd taste in it.

My verdict?
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Well, I have to admit, much as I love having fish for my meals, this is somehow not my cup of tea.
I was a little overwhelmed by the gravy and also the slimy texture of the fish's flesh which was rather, ermm, unappetizing for my taste buds.
Sorry to those cat-fish fans, it happens to disagree with me on the taste, that's all.
However, if you are game to try anything new or adventurous, or better still, if you are a cat fish fan, you might want to try this.

As usual, double flavored pork ribs as mentioned above is ordered (my family just loves this)
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For veggies, their stir-fried potato leaves with sambal belacan (RM8) was not too bad either.
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I love the aromatic scent of this dish and also the fact that it is less oily compared to some other places serving this very dish too.
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Mixed vegetables for those who do not want to have anything spicy for their greens (RM8)
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The best part about this place; besides its location with ample parking space and their unique cooking style, is the fact that they serve complimentary desserts...Jelly (or fresh fruits of the day sometimes)
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I love the jelly!~ =P

For 4-5 people, the bill would usually approximate to ~RM50 for 4 dishes?
Not a bad place, right? =D

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Talapia fish @ Chan Chan Man (Desa Aman Puri)

My very first post for the new year and after such a long break is to share with you on this particular “Tai Chow” Chinese restaurant tucked away in the vicinities of Desa Aman Puri.

Judging from the physique of the place, there does not seem to be anything unique or attractive about this place which can make it to one of my family’s list of places to eat.
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I have to admit, we were not impressed the first time we passed by but I guess it was that first "chance-upon-this-place" which made it on our family list of places to eat =)

That was what I had in mind during my first visit here anyway; and we were just game to try it out and break away from those usual places which spell boredom on those lazy days.

So, what’s so special about this place?
Perhaps I should say the name itself is rather interesting; “Chan Chan Man” which means “Full House everyday” or literally also “Full house every meal”
I would say that is a pretty intelligent choice to have such a meaningful and auspicious name for a place operating for business and I am sure most of the Chinese readers agree with me.

Besides the name, there is nothing much special about their menu as they offer almost all the dishes which can be found in most of the Tai Chow restaurants.
However, one smart move they made was also the special promotional price for their Talapia fish (somehow a lot of restaurants are also doing the same thing) which was on for only RM9 per fish.
That was also one of the reasons which brought us here to sample for ourselves their dishes and as mentioned, add one more ‘makan’ place to the family list =)

Assam Talapia (RM9)
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Despite being on promotion, you can see that the size of the fish served was not small either.
The fish was also really fresh as the owners rear it in their own aquariums.
Furthermore, this is one dish which is truly enticing to the appetite, I must say!

Another thing I observed about their fish is the unique way they cut up the fish’s body into half to spread it around the fish’s head in a fan-like shape.
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Wonder how they did that, but I’d rather not know if I want to have my appetite left for the nice gravy.
Another style which is recommended would be their Tomyam fish =)

Claypot tofu (RM10)
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I love how it was served piping hot in the claypot; smokin’ hot and with loads of veggies in it!
The beancurd was just so soft on the inside; and they were pretty generous with the thick slices of shitake mushrooms cut up in quarters.
It also came with lots of gravy and is definitely favored by children =)

This is one must-order for my family; the Spinach with egg white batter (RM8)
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If you like Wat Tan Hor (thick flat rice noodles or Hor Fun fried with a starchy egg batter broth), you can expect to like this as well.
The best part of it is the broth is not too starchy or murky; it was actually quite clear and tasty with the light batter of egg white covering Popeye’s favorite vegetable.

Overall, you can see most of the dishes were quite reasonably priced and the portion were quite generous as well.
I like that it is not too oily or heavily loaded with MSG or extra food additives as well.
By the way, I don’t think they are still offering the fish at a promotional price anymore; but it is still worth a try as the price is not exorbitantly high either.

Don’t worry about the portions, they are pretty wise and honest about the estimation and you will not be loaded with huge dishes with a huge price as well.

Not a bad place and you can definitely expect to see more of this place in my blog from now onwards with more dishes sampled with my family!~