Saturday, September 28, 2013

Ye Wei Vietnamese Food (越味小吃馆) @ Transfer Road, Penang.

*** Ye Wei Vietnamese Food (越味小吃馆) has moved to a new location; just further down the road, few doors away from the previous place, the junction to Hutton Lane and Transfer Road.*** 

As Vietnamese Food is rather dearth in Penang, finding an authentic yet good Vietnamese eatery is never easy; having tasted Ye Wei Vietnamese Food (越味小吃馆), I just know where to find myself some authentic yet inexpensive Vietnamese food. Rest-assured for the authenticness as this unpretentious and unshowy coffee house is manned by a Vietnamese couple; quintessential dishes for Vietnamese eats such as Pho, Spring Rolls, Vietnamese Coffee are all available here. It should be quite easy to locate Ye Wei, it can be seen at the T-junction of Transfer Road and Dickens Street (the coffee house is situated at Transfer Road but facing the T junction intersecting Dickens Street). Prices are considered cheap and reasonable in Penang's context, however, the lack of air-conditioning can be unpleasant for the heat-intolerant. Nevertheless, this is the place that you should visit if you are looking for some authentic, cheap and good Vietnamese food. 

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Wheat Connection Bakery @ The One Terrace Plus, Bayan Baru, Penang.

Chanced upon this unpretentious and quiet little bakery at the newly emerged shop houses at The One, Bayan Lepas. Manning by Chef Nazeri, Wheat Connection Bakery has an impressive and extensive range of French Pastries, Bread, Confectioneries, Cakes to offer. Prices are reasonable and wallet-friendly, this is definitely a place to look for especially for those with a sweet tooth. Honing his culinary arts for many years, Chef Nazeri is an experienced Pastry Chef and down to earth person. I am impressed with the choices of desserts and pastries available in his bakery, some of the notable ones are Creme Brulee, Financier, Eclair, Sourdough Bread, Macaroons just to name a few. The bakery deserves a better recognition from the public. While not every single item in the bakery is as impressive as it seems, do try some of the Chef's recommendations out and I personally recommend their Panna Cotta. I would love to make a second visit for their Creme Brulee too. 

Monday, September 23, 2013

BBee Park @ The One Terrace Plus, Bayan Baru, Penang.

Chanced upon this newly opened restaurant on my friend's blog. Wanton Mee/ Noodles never failed to attract me as I am a huge fan of the noodles. BBee Park at The One Terrace Plus (right beside Green Island Western Food) specializes in offering Wanton Noodles which explains why their menu is not that extensive. There is a sense of simplicity without unnecessary frills for the decor. While the prices are reasonable in Penang's context, the serving portion was rather small and might be insufficient for some. However, the dishes we had were decent but not mind-blowing......

Kwong Sang House (廣生洋服) @ Leith Street, Georgetown, Penang.

**Kwong Sang House has since ceased its business operation.**

Kwong Sang House (廣生洋服), a quaint themed restaurant which uses "tailor" as the theme for this restaurant. With some funky and quirky garments displayed and tailor tools adorned the walls; every single corner of this place has a photograph opportunity. Kwong Sang House serves Western food mainly- Pizza, Pasta and some Mains (only Chicken and Fish dishes) and all the dishes are reasonably priced. However, for some unknown reasons, Pizzas were not available during my visit and only certain types of Pasta dishes were available. The place tends to be thronged with crowd during weekends and seats are limited; with not more than 6 tables in total, diners are advised to make advance reservation to avoid disappointment. 

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Crumbs @ Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang.

Crumbs, a renowned Frozen Yogurt brand in Malaysia, has finally landed in Penang's Gurney Paragon Mall. Originated from Hong Kong, Crumbs has many branches in countries like China, Malaysia and Australia. They specialize in hand-made Scones and Frozen Yogurt with some uncommon varieties of toppings. As for the kiosk here in Gurney Paragon Mall, it does not have much to offer in terms of the flavor of the Frozen Yogurt- only Original flavor is available. What intrigued me was the extensive choices of toppings available, some of the notable ones are Green Tea Mochi, House Crumbs, Mini Meringue, Maltesers and Caramelized Banana. The humble little kiosk of Crumbs can be found right beside the escalator to Sam's Groceria at Lower Ground floor of Gurney Paragon Mall.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Eté Café @ Lebuh Carnavon, Georgetown, Penang.

** Eté Café has since moved to a new location, the new address is: 25, Lorong Carnavon, 10100, Georgetown, Penang. **

Eté Café, a quiet yet humble cafe well hidden beside the bustling road of Georgetown. It took us some efforts before we were able to locate this cafe, to find Eté Café, simply locate the Police Station at Lebuh Carnavon, this place is facing the Police Station and the T Junction of Pesara Claimant. Eté Café serves no mains but only desserts, they are famous of their home-made Macaroons as well as French Pastries and freshly brewed Coffees. However, most of their desserts are highly priced; Macaroons being the best seller, will be sold like hot cakes, unfortunately, we were not able to get ourselves some during our visit. Despite I have no complaints for the service, the lack of air-conditioning can be frustrating for the heat-intolerant and the cafe can be quite warm during afternoon. I will see myself coming back for their Macaroons but probably more for novelty.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Dicken Street Cafe @ Lebuh Dickens, Georgetown, Penang.

There's this humble and quaint little cafe well hidden in the bustling road of Georgetown. Named after the road where the cafe is situated at, Dicken Street Cafe serves some delicate Western dishes at really affordable prices. The cafe is facing the side entrance of the main police station in Penang, at Dicken Street. I was attracted by some of their uncommonly seen dishes namely Squid Ink Risotto, Creme Brulee, Blue Cheese Pizza etc.... most importantly, they are priced reasonably and wallet-friendly. The only draw back could be its serving speed, it took them more than half an hour to serve all the dishes to us while the restaurant was only half-occupied by customers. Finding a place to park can be a headache at this place. Nevertheless, the foods are generally good and I will definitely come back for more. However, do note that this place has NO sign board at all, it took us some time to locate the cafe, you might want to pay a little attention to how the exterior of the cafe looks like. 

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Kaffa Espresso Bar @ Green Hall, Georgetown, Penang.

The heart of Georgetown, particularly the heritage area has a quite a fair share of cafes and restaurants but now there's another choice of offer- Kaffa Espresso Bar. As the name suggested, Kaffa Espresso Bar serves diners some of their specially brewed coffees, as well as some mains and savory snacks; cakes are available too but the choices were limited during my visit. Located at Green Hall, the place shouldn't be hard to locate, the only concern might be its limited parking space around the area. This quaint cafe here uses the modern-contemporary design style to give its diners a unique yet cozy place to dine in. Hipsters will start flocking in in the evening for the spectacular al-fresco dining area set within the building, particularly a balcony facing one of the iconic buildings of Penang- Dewan Sri Penang. Generally, the ambiance's good, making it a suitable place for get-together; however, the drinks were not impressive and they certainly do need some improvements in terms of customer-service. 

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

No Eyed Deer @ Prima Tanjung, Tanjung Tokong, Penang.

Standing strongly for more than 13 years, No Eyed Deer has been there since a decade ago and I'm quite surprised that not much people noticed about this humble and unpretentious eatery at Prima Tanjung, Tanjung Tokong. No Eyed Deer serves some simple yet delicious Western food, with some Vietnamese specialties of theirs. It might be slightly tricky to locate this place although it is situated within the Prima Tanjung Building but the restaurant is located on first floor, simply head over the stairs right beside 7-Eleven and you will find No Eyed Deer as soon as you come out on the first floor. Prices are considered reasonable in Penang's context, probably that's one of the reasons why this place is often flooded with residents staying nearby. Some of their notable dishes are Caveman Platter, Nachos, Vietnamese Pho (only available on Weekends), Laotian Laksa, Beef Rendang Briyani, Creme Brulee and their infamous Coffee Jelly which was voted as the best dessert by The Star few years back. 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Launching of Mobile App- Threesixty.us @ Deluxcious Hotel, Penang.

"Go Eat Without Thinking", a slogan created by Threesixty.us; finding food in Penang has never been easier with the launching of Threesixty.us mobile application. It was my pleasure to be invited as a guest to their official launching event which was held at Deluxcious Hotel, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Penang on 9th of September, 2013. 

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Rakuzen (樂膳) @ Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang.

Having visited both Sushi Zanmai and Pasta Zanmai previously, I thought it would be great for me to check Rakuzen out too, since the three companies belong to SuperDining group. Situated in between Sushi Zanmai and Pasta Zanmai at level 6 of Gurney Paragon Mall, Rakuzen is the most prestigious and upscale Japanese restaurant as compared to the early two. With their comprehensive menu, one needs to take a considerably amount of time to make a decision on what to order; however, it might be a disappointment for Ramen lovers, to my dismal, Rakuzen does not offer any Ramen dishes (yes, you can find Soba and Udon here but not Ramen). Service was not impeccable but considered attentive and prices are on the high side while most of the dishes I had were decent only. I am not too sure if I am willing to pay so much for a decent Japanese meal, I will probably return for an occasional visit. 

My Super VIP Reward Card for fellow Penangites!

There are plenty of group buying websites or discount-voucher booklets around the market these days but now, there is a greater choice to offer- My Super VIP Reward Card. My Super VIP Reward Card introduces a loyalty system to consumers whereby the card holder is able to collect reward points after spending at participating outlets. More reward points can be collected whenever they introduce My Super VIP Card to the card holder's friends and family members; the more one introduces, the more points will be received. In exchange for the reward points collected, card holder is entitled for some cash vouchers (in exchange of the collected reward points). 

Friday, September 6, 2013

The Leaf Healthy House (绿叶坊) @ Penang Street, Georgetown, Penang.

More and more healthy concept cafes and restaurants are sprouting out to suit the needs of the health-conscious group these days. Choices are rather limited in Penang when it comes to cafes or restaurants that serve pure vegetarian foods; straight down the road of Penang Street, across the T-junction from Water Drop Tea House; The Leaf Healthy House is a healthy-concept cafe which serves vegetarian food. Prices are considered reasonable in Penang's context. Most of their dishes are naturally flavored as they do not believe in over-seasoning, hence, they might be rather bland and unappetizing for some. However, these down-to-earth dishes are healthy and suitable for those who prefer to lead a healthy lifestyle. 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Myeong Dong Korean Snacks (明洞) @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

Korean restaurants are common and can be easily found all over the isle of Penang but a small kiosk selling Korean Snacks is something unique and Myeong Dong Korean Snacks being the only kiosk selling Korean Snacks so far in Gurney Plaza. Myeong Dong Korean Snacks can be found at Lower Ground of Gurney Plaza, Penang. It can be quite hard to notice this quiet kiosk if it wasn't because of Facebook, I wouldn't even notice the existence of this little humble kiosk here. Myeong Dong Korean Snacks has rather limited choices to offer, while most of them being snacks, they are priced reasonably. Some of the notable snacks are Spicy Topokki (Korean Rice Cake), Ugly Potato Hotdog, K-Pop Chicken and Almond Egg Muffin. Take-away is highly recommended as the seats are pretty limited, nevertheless, this is a place where hardcore Korean fans should not miss. 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Yard Cafe @ Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Georgetown, Penang.

** The Yard Cafe has since ceased its operation.**

Georgetown area has a fair share of cafes but now there is a greater variety to offer. Housed in one of the heritage houses right beside the bustling road of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, next to Sip & Chew Cafe. Yard Cafe is a quirky cafe which just opened its door few months ago, this is a place where hipsters flock in at late night for supper or enjoying their live band performances on alternate Tuesday. While the menu is not that extensive, the dishes are priced reasonably and are considered to be reasonable in Penang's context. They mainly focus on Western dishes such as Pasta, Pizza, Western Mains, Soup; as far as it seems amazing, my only gripe is the lack of desserts. While the ambiance of the place is very cozy and homely, it makes a perfect place for friends-get-together events; Adelyn, on the other hand, is one of the person who is manning the cafe, treats every single customer of theirs in a friendly manner and accedes to customers' requests. It is the warm service like this which makes me feel like going back....

*Do check out their Facebook Page for more updates on the live band performance as well as their Set Dinner of the night*