Investigate PENANG Food Again... (PART 3)

#47
10th April

Now, let us investigate the last four famous Penang food. For the previous part, click here:

Part 1

Part 2

9) ICE KACANG:

This is a popular dessert among the locals as it is very tasty and refreshing, especially on a hot day. The ingredients used usually consists of thick, sweetened red bean, canned sweet corn, grass jelly and palm fruit (locally known as Attap Chee). The red bean is cooked in sugar syrup, palm sugar syrup (called Gula Melaka) and evaporated milk are liberally poured over the ice. Some stalls have the option of topping the Ice Kacang with colourful jellies, ice cream, fruit cocktails and even fresh fruits. A basic bowl usually costs RM 2.00, but costs more for additional toppings.

10) FRIED OYSTER:

This dish is basically an oyster omelette with a twist. The omelette is nade with a mixture of light tapioca flour giving it a sticky and gooey texture. The mixture is first fried in flat cast iron wok over a very strong fire. Subsequently, eggs are then added to the mixture.On the other half of the pan, the oyster is fried with chili paste. The two are then fried together until golden brown and fragrant. Before serving, the oyster omelette is garnished with chopped spring onions. The dip for the dish is made of chili sauce with a bit of sour, minced garlic in it. A plate usually costs around RM 6.00 onwards. It is a tasteful dish, laden with flavourful taste of the egg and oyster and of the chewy batter. It is best eaten while still hot. This may not be a halal dish as some vendors use lard.

11) ROTI CANAI:

Roti Canai is a pastry-like flat bread. Wheat flour is kneaded and the large dough is then separated into small lumps, about the size of ping pong balls. It is then flattened and then goes through a process of twirling and flinging motion in the air to thin it out. Ghee is constantly added in the process to prevent the dough from breaking as it gets thinner. When the dough is stretched paper thin, it is then folded into a circular shape. It is fried to a crisp and slightly charred on a flatbed circular iron pan. Roti Canai is served with dhali or lentil curry, onion pickles or eith sugar. The dhali may not necessarily be spicy hot, but the herbs and spices used are rich and pungent. A plain Roti Canai with the lentil curry costs around RM 1.00. You can opt to add on some chicken or beef curry. It is a halal dish.

12) SEAFOOD:

Penang is a haven for both salt-water and fresh-water seafood lovers with an endless smorgasbord of dishes to choose form. Given Penang's multi-ethnic populaiton, the seafood available is prepared in various style. The Malay style of grilled seafood (called bakar) is very well known, though some may opt for hot and spicy curry seafood, the Chinese prefer their seafood steamed so as to retain the actual taste of the fresh succulent seafood, while the Indians cook seafood with their aromatic spices and herbs. The selection does not stop here, as you get delicious seafood in Thai style, authentic Nyonya style and Western contemporary. Good seafood restaurants are scattered all around the island, giving the diehard seafood lover a tantalising array of good seafood to chose from. These restaurants are usually located near to the coastline and most of the seafood is served straight out of the tanks, ranging from the more exotic lobsters, geoduck and fresh oysters to simple mussels, prawns, crabs and fish.

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Now, we already finishing investigate all the famous food in Penang. Well, I know your's saliva is dropping now, me too.

From now, if you want to visit Penang, or you are staying in Penang, come to the hawker stalls, and take an order for these famous Penang food. After eating, you will know...

You will know, why Penang is a food heaven...

Investigate PENANG Food Again... (PART 2)

#46
10th April

This is part 2 of investigate Penang food. Click here for the first part. Today, we will investigate about Mee Goreng, Nasi Kandar, Wan Tan Mee and Cendol.

5) MEE GORENG:

This is an Indian style fried noodles and is predominantly served by the Indian Muslim community. Though it looks like a simple and ordinary dish of fried noodles, but when sets it apart from an ordinary fried noodles dish is the way the noodles are prepared. The secret is to first blanch the yellow noodles and the bean sprouts before beginning the frying process. The fire used to heat the wok medium strong so as not to give a burnt aroma to the noodles. Some claim that the wok must be continuously turned clockwise or anti-clockwise on the stove to achieve an even fry. The ingredients consists of spicy stewed cuttlefish, diced boiled potatoes, fried soy bean cake cubes, freshly cut green and red chilies and puffy flour-fritters. Flavourful gravy made from chili and tomato puree is added into the mix to make the noodles slightly moist. Some may fry it with an egg, but this is optional. This dish is garnished with chopped lettuce and sprinkled with finely ground peanuts. Another version of this dish is where the noodles are drenched in the gravy instead of frying them. This dish is called "Mee Rebus" and the same ingredients are used to garnish the noodles. Both the dishes are served with a piece lime, which is squeezed on the noodles to enhance the whole dish with a tinge of sourness. Price for both the dishes vary from RM 3.50 to RM 4.00. The noodles can also be substituted with rice vermicelli or flay base rice noodle called "Koay Teow". This is a halal dish.

6) NASI KANDAR:

This is an original Penang dish sold by the Indian Muslim community. In this dish, one can taste the full richness of spices used to cook the different curries. The spice and herbs are mixed together in a perfect combination that brings out the aroma of each dish. Ordering this dish is simple. Just choose the curry dish that you prefer and the vendor will lay them on top of your serving of plain rice. Then a mixture of small scoops of various gravies is added to the rice, giving the dish a tantalizing burst of flavours. The curries served at these Nasi Kandar restaurants most often are chicken, fish, prawn, squid and beef, with the occasional crab and fish roe, as well as the popular non-spicy lamb kurma. There are also deep fried chicken and fish all of which are marinated with spices. The vegetable dishes served are usually long beans or cabbage fried in turmeric. Prices vary depending on the choice of curry dish ordered. The average price of a Nasi Kandar dish with a chicken drumstick, curry and plain rice is around RM 5.00. This is a halal dish.

7) WAN TAN MEE:

As the name suggest, this is a noodle dish served with meat dumplings wrapped in wanton skin. It can be served either dry or wet clear soup. The basic ingredients for the noodles are eggs and rice flour and the thickness would be similar to a shoe string. The importance is to achieve a soft but springy texture when biting into the noodle. The dumpling is usually made from a mixture of minced pork and prawns, spiced with pepper and salt, wrapped in the wanton skin. The dry form is served with tossed with just the right amount of thick soy sauce, light soy sauce and lard oil. Both versions are served with slices of succulent barbequed meat, shredded chicken and few strands of leafy vegetables. A bowl of soup with the plump dumpling accompanies the dry version whereas the dumpling will be place in the bowl itself for the wet version, it is best eaten with slices of pickle green chilies soaked in light soy sauce. A bowl would cost RM 3.00 to RM 3.50 and is non-halal. This is a whole some and hearty dish which is usually neither oily or not spicy.

8) CENDOL:

This is another popular dessert among the locals as well as tourist. Besides the thick and sweetened red bean, the other important ingredients is the soft, green, starchy noodle (called the "Cendol") which is about two centimetres in length. It is made from starch and the green colouring comes from the juice of pandan leaves. The syrup is made from coconut milk and is sweetened with palm sugar (called Gula Melaka) which has a distinctive palm bunch of pandan leaves is added to the syrup to further enhance the aromatic flavour. A bowl is first filled with finely shaved ice, red beans and the syrup. Finally, the cendol is scooped into it. This dessert, with the rich vovonut milk and strong aromatic palm sugar, is truly refreshing and leaves the mouth a flavourful aroma. A bowl costs RM 1.50.

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This is the second part of Penang food. Next part, is the third part, and also the last part, will investigate ICE KACANG, FRIED OYSTER, ROTI CANAI and SEAFOOD. So, wait for me for the next post and I will take you to investigate the last four famous Penang food.

Bye!!!

Investigate PENANG Food Again... (PART 1)

#45
9th April

Do you remember the posts "Histories... Olden Times... Penang..."?? At the fourth part, I mentioned that Penang is a food heaven. I don't have much time to write it, so I just leave there a website only. Do you remember?? Now, I already re-investigate Penang food, and now, let us see, what are the most popular Penang food.

1) FRIED KOAY TEOW:

Fried Koay Teow is probably the most popular hawker food among the locals. This dish uses flat rice noodles of roughly one centimetre in width. The noodle are fried in an iron cast wok over very high heat. The wok is preheated for few seconds over strong fire. Oil is added into the wok followed by a small amount of minced garlic and fresh prawns. The prawns are fried until semi-cooked. Noodles are added, followed by a dash of seasoned soy sauce, bean sprouts, eggs and chives. The last ingredients added is the cockles, as it is usually eaten medium cooked. The perfect Fried Koay Teow should neither be not too wet or too dry. The superb taste of this dish is a combination of the strong fragrance of the sauteed ingredients and the sweet ness of the prawns. It is best eaten immediately when served. A basic plate should cost between RM 3.50 to RM 4.50 and the spiciness depends on the amount of chili paste. This may not be a halal dish as some vendors use lard.

2) HOKKIEN MEE:

Hokkien Meen, commonly known as prawn noodles, is a dish of either yellow noodles or rice noodles (or a mixture of both) served in a thick prawn and pork broth garnished with ital (water spinach) and bean sprouts. It has a strong, spicy and flavourful prawn taste. A bowl of Hokkien Mee is usually served with slices of boiled eggs, fried shrimps, thin slices of lean pork and sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, as well as a spoon full of chili paste. Some cooks add crunchy golden cubes of fried lard to jazz up their bowl of Hokkien Mee. Usually a basc bowl costs between RM 3.00 to RM 3.50. Some Hokkien Mee stalls offer extra toppings such as pork ribs, mantis prawn, fish balls and roast pork at additional charge. It is slightly spicy but chili paste can be added to make the dish spicier. It is one of the most popular hawker food locally and is available throughout the day and at night. This is a non-halal dish.

3) CHEE CHEONG FUN:

This is a dish made of rice flour, steamed and rolled up to about 10 cm long reassembling a pig's intestines. In fact, this is how this dish got its name: "Chee Cheong" which means "pig's intestines" and "Fun" meaning noodles. The Penang version of this dish is different from Hong Kong one. This rice noodles over here are unrolled, sliced and served with a mixture of chili sauce, shrimp paste (called hae ko), thick red sweet sauce and sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds. The noodles can also be eaten with just a dash of soy sauce and sesame seeds. Nowadays the cooks get their rice noodles from a supplier but make their own sauces. The shrimp paste is what most customers come for. It is a smooth black paste made from prawn stock and salt and has a strong fishy flavour but does not leave a lingering smell in your mouth. Penang produces the best shrimp paste in the country. This dish is simple and tasty, and the strong sweet, savoury and spicy hot sauce is irresistible. A plate of Chee Cheong Fun costs around RM 2.00 to RM 2.50.

4) ASSAM LAKSA:

This dish is Penang's signature dish. It is noodles in fish broth garnished with a lot of different vegetables. It is a spicy hot and sour dish. The spicy and fishy soup is sour because of the large quantity of tamarind used (known locally as Assam Jawa). The fish used to make the broth is mackerel, which is first poached, deboned, and added to the soup together with lemongrass, chilies and tamarind to boil. The noodle used in Assam Laksa is fresh thicker rice vermicelli, which is much thicker than the regular dry ones. The noodles is first placed at the base of the bowl, after which Chinese lettuces, finely shredded cucumbers and onions, chopped pineapples and, most importantly, mint leaves are added. Then the piping hot soup is poured over it, followed by finely chopped ginger buds. Some stalls pour out the soup from the bowl back into the pot and then re-scoop the soup into the bowl again, repeating this action twice or thrice to make sure that the entire noodles is piping hot. Before serving, a thick, sweet and salty shrimp paste is swirled on top of the dish. Some may find the prawn paste too strong but this paste further enhances the dish. The price of each bowl is around RM 2.00 to RM 2.50.

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This is only the first part for investigating Penang food. Next part, I will take you all investigate more further about Penang food, they are MEE GORENG, NASI KANDAR, WAN TAN MEE and CENDOL.

Bye!!!

Histories... Olden Times... Penang... (PART 4)

#43
8th April

Penang is also a land full with skyscrapers, buildings and many more. This included hotels, shopping complexes, supermarkets and others. Now, let's us talk about the activity -- shopping in Penang!

For previous parts, click here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

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Shopping in Penang comes in a wide range of options. Places to shop (there are tonnes of them!), hawkers food, fine dining and also treasure hunting in terms of souvenirs and antiques would surely occupy your time.

Some places have been around forever, while some, like Little Penang, was recently established to target a specific kind of visitors.

My most favorite
retail therapy place *wink*

It depends on the kind of goods you are looking for. If you prefer up-market places, Penang has them. There are malls to cater to fashionistas and hunters of branded goods.
Check out Queensbay Mall, Gurney Plaza or Prangin Mall. And of course, the duty free shops at the Bayan Lepas International Airport terminal.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are the flea markets, such as the famous one at Rope Walk. These kinds of places attracted the most visitors. It is part of the game to haggle to get the best bargain.
If you want quality fabric, Chinese jewelry or Rolex watches, shop at Campbell's Street. This street is one of the branches of Penang Road, another shopping paradise for people who are hunting for a bargain. For batik and other crafts, it is best you go to its factory at Teluk Bahang. Besides getting some educational instruction on how batik craft is made, you can see what kind of subjects that inspire the artists there.

Campbell Street beckons all shoppers!

There are many reputable art galleries too, with work done by the local artists. If you are an art lover, be sure to check them out.
For snacks, pickles and other delicacies, do not miss the Chowrasta market at Penang Road. The market seriously needs upgrading. Pickles can also be bought at the ferry terminal in George Town. These businesses have been around for generations and a lot are still run in eclectic Straits Chinese shop houses.
For your information, Penang used to be a free duty port. At that time, people flocked to Penang especially to buy consumer electronic goods. Sadly, the status was revoked by the government. There are now calls for the status to be reinstated. We can only wait and hope for the best.

Chowrasta is one of the oldest markets in Penang

For a little travel back in time, get on one of those buses that head to Balik Pulau. In this little town, famous laksa is waiting at its market.
It is also where you can get the freshest nutmeg or other pickles at the best price. During fruit season, indulge in fresh fruit tasting at very reasonable price at the fruit farms. Durian, the king of fruit (an acquired taste for many), mangoes, rambutan and manggis are our all time favorites.
Balik Pulau is truly one of the last undeveloped places in Penang. It has many styles of shop houses still left standing. Its street is rarely busy and the only roundabout in the whole town is only about 4 meters in diameter.
Little shops at Balik Pulau town also sell inexpensive clothes. They are mostly of comfortable light material. However, they do not last that long if you do not hand-wash each piece. They are dirt cheap, so what can you expect? I am sure these clothes were made for travelers who need clothes but do not want to carry with them around too much.

Clothes on sale at Little India

If you like eclectic Indian wares, find them at Little India(this is an area covered by China Street, Market Street, King Street, Queen Street). For intricate gold jewelry, browse through fine jewelers at Pitt Street (Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling).
On the other side of the island, along the roadside on Batu Ferringi, there is a night market every night. This market sells many little shody things that tourists like to bring back home to show that they have been to Penang. T-shirts of all kind can be found here. It is not unlike night markets in Phuket or Padang Besar.
For one whole month each year in December, Pesta Pulau Pinang at Sungai Nibong houses the largest collection of goods that you can find on the island. The fair is open from 6 p.m. till midnight. Make sure that you wear comfortable shoes to walk this place. I guarantee you that you will drop massaging your feet after a night out like that. However, in recent year, the goods offered at Pesta seemed to be on the shoddy side, but it is still worth to check out if you visit and want to do some shopping in Penang during December.
Shopping in Penang is never exhaustive. There will always be things that would interest you, no matter what your preferences are. Bring a lot of cash, that's for sure. Come on, let's go crazy, have fun shopping in Penang.
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Hmm... I think I loss out something that more describe Penang is a food heaven... YES!!! Food!!! This is the important and the most precious option that you need to try when you visit Penang!!!
Too much theories to write, if can, log on to these website:
www.visitpenang.gov.my
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That's all for the Penang. We already investigated the whole Penang, and also found the reasons, why UNESCO recommended Penang as a heritage city.
We must count our bless to live in a glorious place. We also must be proud that Malaysia is a nation that painted with colours of cultures, histories, arts and also the Independence of Malaysia!!!