An Afternoon Affair with Genting Cafe

Whenever my family is here for a visit, it means I will have to move into the local-tourist-guide mode and whip out my list of places which I have visited, and can't wait to share (proudly, sort of showing off ) while keeping their preferences in check. Of course, there are also places where we would love to explore together, away from the usual touristy crowds flocking to Penang during the holidays season.
My family is no stranger to the island, having visited them a few times a year ever since I was a child (I used to travel along with them before I ended up being a resident here, not that I am complaining ;-) and therefore, places which scream tourism and on the radar of the over-publicity are definitely known to them and perhaps less appealing following their visits in the past (with an exception of a few local favorites which still maintained their qualities and the owner's demeanor in the rising popularity of Penang as a tourism hub).

We have been wanting to check out the reputable Genting Chee Cheong Fun in Island Glades, but when we arrived (probably between 3-4pm on Saturday), it was already sold out, bummer.
The crowd at the coffee shop, however did beckon to us to check out the offerings from the resident stalls which were the usual display of the close to home hawker fare.

Popiah (MYR2.50) is a familiar wrap of stir-fried jicama with curd (tau kua) and french beans, with an occasional toss of fried shallots on the turf of fresh lettuce leaves.

A far more humble version here sans the seafood inclusion of crab meat or prawns, and with that the unmistakable tinge of sweetness from a dab of sweet sauce on the outer wrap.



Wantan Mee (MYR3.50); tossed egg noodles with black soy sauce served with shredded chicken, char siew (bbq pork slices) and vegetables. As its name suggests, it would typically come with a serving of the little wraps of wantons (dumplings) and this came with the fried version served along with the noodles; deviating from the usual soup dumplings.



Lor Bak, always refers to the familiar sight of minced pork roll wrapped with the brownish fried bean curd sheets (foo chook) which is a home favorite familiar to most Penangites (or at least, most of them).
However, the Lor Bak doesn't always come alone as it will always be accompanied by its co-stars offered by the stalls, providing more variety for that plateful of treat and the usual fare might include (though not limited to) fried prawn fritters, fried fish cakes, century eggs, or braised eggs (like the following) and lots of cucumber by the side (a remedy for the heat from all those fried stuffs maybe?)



Of course, the most important part of this platter is always the in the accompanying sauce; which comes in two variants, from the starchy and slightly sweet sauce (not too sweet, just a hint) and the usual spicy chili sauce.
Dip your pick from the platter into both sauce and then into your mouth.
Yes, that's how the locals do it!





Assam Laksa is the aromatic (or may be pungent to some) broth of tamarind pulp cooked with fish to create that sourish taste and then served with thin rice noodles and the famous shrimp paste (which is the culprit to the mixed response to its aroma, though generally most Penangites love and are proud of its tastes).






This version is unique; where it came with an accompanying fried popiah to dip into the broth.
(The other version similar to this can be found in the mainland; Bukit Mertajam or further up north in Kulim).







We came here to hunt for the famous Chee Cheong Fun, but we walked away with a mouthful and discovered another gem of a local Muar Chee, which was located right outside this shop.



Sometimes, the good things do come when you're not looking?

Genting Muar Chee

It is not a surprise that Penangites are ardent fans of food; and they are known for their eating habits around the clock, or rather, all Malaysians are in the same habit as well. It is for this reason that we see stalls all over the place at all hours of the day; selling somewhat snacks or noodles or just, street delights to tempt the palates of the locals, and it is even more the case for Penang, which is known as the food paradise in the country (and even in the region).

Muar Chee (麻糍) is a local favorite; in its form of boiled/steamed sticky glutinous rice balls/paste cut into small pieces and dressed with a coating of grounded peanuts and sugar. In Penang, they would add the fried shallots as the toppings to complete the snack and it is not uncommon to hear the locals requesting for extra shallots, as they claimed it would add to the aromatic flavor of the gooey snack.

We found this stall right outside the famous Genting coffee shop (famous for their Chee Cheong Fun in the afternoon) run by an elderly man, in the afternoons.



He was rather quiet initially, but was soon humorous when my family requested for extra shallots and nuts and he guaranteed that if the Muar Chee was not aromatic enough, we could return it and ask for a refund. He was confident that he had included a generous amount of his ingredients to make his Muar Chee of great and satisfactory quality to his customers.





While I am not a fan of glutinous sticky rice (yeah, crazy me, I know), the looks from everyone who tasted were testament enough that it was a good one and the best part was that it was served hot and fresh from the making and it is no wonder the uncle was just so proud of his trade.



The aroma of the fried shallots and peanuts filled the air when the box was opened for consumption, and this was probably one of the good Muar Chee tasted around the island.
It may be a common snack, but finding a good one may prove to be quite a task, and I guess the Uncle can continue to be proud of his snacks for quite a long time~ ;-)



Prices are MYR2 for a small box, and MYR3 for the larger box respectively.

Apom Balik for Tea

Apom/Apam, or apong(in local Hokkien) is a local favorite on the island of Penang; a sweet savory Nyonya treat in the form of a folded mini pancake and its soft, fluffy and pillowy texture along with a hint of aromatic coconut milk will leave one craving for more.
It is not unusual to see stalls selling this local and delicate delight around the island wherever you go; from morning markets to outside coffee shops, schools, banks and offices, until night markets to show you that this is an all-day favorite treat among the locals.

There are two variants of this; a lighter batter in a crepe-like version with a soft eggy texture which is also known as Apam Telur(Apom/Apong Telur) and the other is as described above, a slightly thicker and richer version with coconut known as the Apam Balik.
You can find both version around the island.

Ask any Penangite about the most famous Apom Balik, and they will probably point you in the direction of Burmah Road where there are two stalls; indisputably famed for this light tea snack.
Apong Guan and Apom Chooi are both known for their reputation in making the best apam on the island; although the former holds the superior title to the latter, wooing customers from both the local Penangites and also those from the other states.
By the way, did you know that Apong Guan and Apom Chooi were actually related, though they are still competitors? (Trivia)

Apong Guan is well known for his wonderful customer service, the elderly man behind the stall is never without a kind word or a smile for each and every of his customer and there was never an air of arrogance around him despite rushing to meet the demands of his customers. I joke you not, as there are customers who would order 50-100 pieces (minimum) from him!

Anyway, I will cover more on the story of Apong Guan in a separate article, as this round, we tried out Apom Chooi, whom, rain or shine opens for business every day. His stall is located just a few steps away from Apong Guan, before the primary school, SJK(C) Union along Burmah Road, and next to him is a stall selling sugar cane juice.
Apom Chooi, is also busy making these little savory pancakes in huge orders for the visiting customers during the Qing Ming period.

Priced at MYR0.50 each, we bought the original flavor and the pandan flavored atom.
(Used to be priced at only MYR0.40, the price has increased early this year)

Original Flavored Apam Balik


Pandan Flavored Apam Balik


Apom Chooi did not disappoint in delivering a good Apam Balik, and is a slightly less sweeter version compared to his competitor, Apong Guan.
There is no one far superior in this, and the post is not meant to make an contrast or stark comparison between the two famous stalls as it really boils down to a matter of personal preference, which is the main reason behind both stalls' own base of fans lusting after the light afternoon snack.

Apom Chooi is run by an elderly, slightly over 70 years old man, who does not speak much and just prepares the pancakes based on customer's orders.

If you are interested to compare between the two stalls, or just craving for the Apam Balik for an afternoon snack, you might want to head down to Burmah Road, which, by the way, is also a street famous for many other food which I shall cover on in the future.

Sweet local favorites

There is almost a saying that if one did not try the famous Penang cendol while traveling here, it is almost like one has never been to Penang; yeah, almost.

Cendol



This is a really simple bowl of sweet soup cooked with brown sugar then served with coconut milk, blended ice, red bean and the main ingredient, cendol; which are green curly strips made of flour.
A typical dessert made popular in the states along the straits; mainly those with Peranakan influence and with a historical past - namely Malacca and Penang, it is not wrong to call this a local favorite, at all.

Ice Kacang/ABC



This has appeared time and again in my blog; and is definitely no stranger to anyone who has been following my blog for a while now. Another delightful and one of my personal favorite, this is a bowl of blended ice then served with sparkling sweet syrup and a whole range of ingredients such as red bean, cendol, sweet corn, grass jelly, and rice flour jelly; sometimes may include milk, grounded nuts and in Penang; even strips of nutmeg.
The reason it is also known as ABC? It's because one can include a variety of ingredients as one please; there is not much of a restriction but the mains are usually red bean, sweet corn, cendol and jelly.
Ice Kacang; simply translates to Ice with beans/nuts; cool? :-)


Now, with the sun just glaring at me through the windows at this very moment, I crave for the above bowl of Ice Kacang!

Icy sweet treats @ Penang Road

The recent weather has gone all haywire; in the daytime it would be scorching hot and the temperature could go up to 29°C -34°C (~ 82°F - 90°F), no kidding, and then the skies would just transform into darkness by late afternoon and then it would start pouring, causing flash floods on the roads everywhere.

On days like these, you feel like locking yourself up in a highly air-conditioned place (and ironically I would just slab on the sweaters around me:p ) and not go out.
Then I would think of having something cold; iced water or desserts.

This is where the famous Penang Cendol and Ice Kacang comes to mind :)
For your information:
(Cendol is a type of dessert with wriggly/worm-like jelly made of rice flour and colored with pandan leaf coloring to make it green, then served with shaved ice and sweet palm syrup (Gula Melaka) and red beans)
(Ice Kacang is also an ice-shaved based dessert with red beans, cendol, grass jelly/Cincau, sweet corn, and jelly all served with either palm sugar syrup or root beer)

These are two popular desserts among the local Penangites, and it is no wonder, with this famous Teochew stall by the Penang Road roadside selling it.
The family who started this business made this dessert so popular that any tourist who came to Penang will not miss having a bowl of this Icy sweet treat.

The stall is actually located on a backlane area near Penang Road and right beside Joo Hooi Coffee Shop. It is really hard to miss it; with the cars all parking by the roadside and causing traffic jam sometimes :p

The Penang Road famous Teochew Cendol has been in business for a long long time; as far as I can remember and they have grown and expanded to having outlets in Klang Valley and even around Penang.

They now have a shop for their customers to enjoy their icy treat, and the shop is plastered with photos and newspapers articles, proudly displaying their history and press releases.

Alright, moving away from their story and focusing on the real highlight of this post!
The famous Teochew Cendol


I am a bigger fan of their Ice Kacang, as they serve multiple types of red beans; one of which is my favorite type ;)

I love the generous amount of ingredients they have in this bowl which cost less than RM2!

Yumz, I am dreaming of this as I stare at the burning rays of the over-active sun today!


Besides enjoying these sweet treats, you can also treat yourself to some of the Penang street food available at the neighboring coffee shop which is famous for their Char Koay Teow, which they serve with Banana Leaf

Char Koay Teow is flat rice noodles fried with bean sprouts, a little bit of chili paste to spice it up, and oysters and two big prawns (yes, usually BIG :)

The cendol stall also sells Penang Assam Laksa in their own shop

The Penang Assam Laksa is one of its kind; with rice noodles cooked in thick broth made with grind fish, pineapples, tamarind pulp, thick prawn/shrimp paste (popular in Penang) and mint leaves.


Warning: Some may not be able to take the strong scent of the shrimp paste, although some would find it fragrant :)

Indeed they say, Penang is truly a food paradise, as the island is just full of local delights to satisfy the appetites of everyone.
Have you visited Penang yet? ;)

Missing Penang food?

A teaser, an evil evil teaser to all those who are away from Penang, just to tempt your taste buds and eyes with some Penang stuffs...

Pie Tees

Okay, this is not exactly Penang alone, but who cares? =P

Ice kacang...

Any wild guess where is this from??

Sar Hor Fun


Or Chien/Fried Oyster


Hokkien Char


Char Koay Kak


Okayyy, that WAS evil....yeah, just for laughs, to spice up my working hours and to clear those hanging photos in the hard disk=P

How do you like your Apom?

The Chowrasta market area used to be the most crowded and merry market on the island; and home to hawkers and pedlars eager to make ends meet on a daily or weekly basis.

Previously I blogged about the Ban Cheng Kueh (aka Chinese pancake) stall which was reputed to be one of the most famous here.
Now, facing the stall is another stall which sells Apom; manned by an Indian couple.

At RM0.40 per piece, you can get a whole bagful of Apom at only RM2! (5 pcs)



It's not as sickeningly sweet as some of the Apom I've tasted; in fact, it seems to be low in sugar and light in flour batter.


Unfortunately though, they put it in the bag when it's hot from the pan!!
So by the time I tried a bite, it was already soggy!

Now, that's a bit disappointing, eh?
I don't really like too crispy; neither do I like soggy too...( I am hard to please, I know)

However, the tip is, always make sure that they leave it to cool before packing it for you (the folks selling it will make it a point to tell you that too; and will expect you to wait a few minutes for that - that's the pro)

Now, how do you like your Apom?

Penang treats finale: Kopitiam breakfast and Nasi Kandar

Breakfast in Penang; one can never escape the buzzing crowd in coffee shops around.
After attending mass in the nearby church, we adjourned to the corner coffee shop near Pulau Tikus market for our breakfast.

Fish Head Bee Hoon (RM5)

Frankly, this was not up to the standard and I found it a bit overpriced.


Wantan Mee (RM2.70)



Char Koay Teow



Before they depart home, how could one leave the food haven before tasting the famous Nasi Kandar here?
Kayu Nasi Kandar; the original outlet in Bukit Jambul


One is spoilt for choices when one takes a look at the array of dishes available (mostly curry-based)






Everyone has a plate of the Nasi Kandar; which I found highly overpriced!







Everyone enjoyed their short Penang trip and looking forward to come for a second round again real soon....guess my role as a tour guide was not too bad eh?
I even had a little reward for my part-time job...hehehe :-)
Thanks to all my lovely friends!~

I should probably start to consider doing this for extra income huh...
Anyone needs a tour guide around this little island? *winks*