Chǔ Cafe 厝 @ Cintra Street, Georgetown, Penang.

With a name like Chǔ, it paints a picture that the place is offering a homey experience. The newly opened cafe focuses on offering Asian dishes served in Bento style. The menu is not big and mostly featuring Japanese and Korean-inspired dishes but all of them will be served in a stainless steel container. Purists will not like how they serve it as it may be quite inconvenient to scoop the soup or sauces up. The menu has good variety- something unusual and unique; most importantly, reasonably priced. If you do enjoy Korean or Japanese dishes, this place is worth a look. Chǔ Cafe 厝 can be found at Cintra Street, towards the junction to Chulia Street. 

Tan Jetty Thai Food Restaurant @ Weld Quay, Georgetown, Penang.

Thai food lovers would not be new to this place- Tan Jetty Thai Food Restaurant, which has been around for years. Over the years, the place has expanded and it has better dining space now with bigger menu. It is usually very busy on weekends and the place is especially popular amongst regulars and tourists, looking to enjoy authentic Thai food with a nice Penang sea view. The menu is fairly big with most classic Thai delights... depends on the catch of the day, they may offer specialties like Baked Crabs or various seafood. This is definitely a solid Thai restaurant in the heart of Georgetown. 

龙湘食谱 Dragon Full @ Golden Triangle 2, Relau, Penang.

Conveniently located at Golden Triangle 2,  龙湘食谱 Dragon Full has become one of the popular places for a regular quick fix for the folks staying in the neighborhood. It's common to see food delivery riders waiting eagerly outside the restaurant to complete their delivery tasks. For dine-in, the restaurant can accommodate quite a few tables; though air-conditioned, but be prepared on the poor ventilation. Menu-wise, expect to see a range of familiar Chinese Zhu Char-styled dishes... though affordably priced. Not too shabby for a quick fix but unlikely a place worthy to go all out for. 

Chen Ji 晨记 @ Air Hitam, Penang.

Found near the small neighborhood of Happy Valley at Air Hitam (near Paya Terubong), the recently opened Chen Ji 晨记 specializes in home-made Yong Tofu and Noodles. The menu is small, offering only their signature dishes. Do not expect the place to have heavy decorative or any special in terms of ambiance... but just a simple space for a quick fix. 

Higher Ground @ Leith Street, 10200, Georgetown, Penang.

Higher Ground is the latest spot for cafe go-ers to check out in the heart of Georgetown. The cafe took over the prominent spot at Leith Street, occupying a wide space previously occupied by Georgetown Wines. The place had undergone some makeover and has a rustic, modern-industrial decor with a relaxing vibe. For the soft opening month, Higher Ground only offers dessert and beverage menu with plans to offer mains in coming months. Save for the slightly steeper price, the place is pretty comfortable and especially suitable for casual catch ups over drinks.

Ah Choon Chicken Rice 阿春金牌烧鸡 @ Bishop Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Old Penang brand but expanding its business to a new location, Ah Choon Chicken Rice 阿春金牌烧鸡 has presence in Bukit Mertajam for more than a decade and has recently expanded its business operations to central business district of Georgetown... opening a branch at Bishop Street, few doors away from Public Bank Penang main branch. The expansion does not deter Ah Choon from offering its best to diners; in fact, there are more new additions to the menu. Expect the classics to be on the menu, along with some new additions such as Gan Lou Noodles, Braised Pork Rice and Nasi Lemak. The menu is suitable for an inexpensive quick meal fix over a variety of familiar, delicious Chinese delights in a comfortable setting.  

Bottega @ Muntri Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Bottega at Muntri Street is one of the latest spots in town to get your Italian fix; Italian food lovers would not be new to the brand as Bottega has long-standing presence in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from offering an Italian menu, the restaurant is also an Italian Delishop... selling various imported Italian goodies. The menu at this trattoria is quite big, featuring an array of Italian dishes- from Italian Charcuterie board to Italian-styled Toasts, Pasta, Pizza, Meat dishes as well as Dessert.  Business has been very good at Bottega Penang with full bookings on peak hours and long weekends (probably they have limited seating); so if you are planning to have a meal here, do make sure you make your booking first. 

Chu Bee Taste of Home 宅滋味 @ Georgetown, Penang.

Hidden in one of the heritage houses at Jalan Masjid, off Chulia Street (behind the famous Sky Hotel Char Siew Rice)… Chu Bee Taste of Home 宅滋味 seeks to offer diners heart-warming home-cooked dishes. This is in line with the name of the place- "Chu Bee", which means the Taste of Home in Teo Chew dialect. The place has a simple setting and rather small menu, featuring some of their best offerings with a mix of classic local Chinese delights and Western dishes. While the place is homey and cozy, it is less accommodating for bigger group of diners... especially on peak hours, so do plan your trip accordingly.

Er Yi Tai 二姨太 @ Kuala Kangsar Road, Georgetown, Penang.

A new venture by Hygge, the newly opened Japanese-inspired Bar Er Yi Tai 二姨太 is found right next to Hygge. With a playful name like Er Yi Tai (second wife in Mandarin), one would expect the place to resemble the playful and sexy aspects... making it an exciting place to explore. Er Yi Tai is not the typical Japanese restaurant where they serve normal portion dishes... it is in fact, more like a Japanese Izakaya that dishes out a variety of small plates for sharing over alcohols. The menu therefore, consists of some carefully planned, quality Japanese-influenced bites with a big alcohol menu mainly featuring Japanese Sake (Rice Wine), Whiskey and delicious Cocktails. The seating arrangement is spacious and cozy, but in case you are coming in a big group, it is always wiser to make reservations. 

Many Thanks to Er Yi Tai for hosting us that afternoon.

Bodhi Tree Vegetarian @ Vantage Desiran Tanjung, Tanjung Tokong, Penang.

New choice for those who practice plant-based diet at Tanjung Tokong, Bodhi Tree Vegetarian is one of the latest additions to the vegetarian scene at the area. Found on first floor of Vantage Desiran Tanjung, Bodhi Tree offers a vegetarian menu with Chinese and Western options as well as some Japanese-inspired Bento sets. Choices can be overwhelming but fortunately, the food items are reasonably priced. Bodhi Tree Vegetarian just opened its doors to the public in early April 2022. 

Jin Wu Men Restaurant 金五们 @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Jin Wu Men Restaurant 金五们 is one of the latest additions to Icon City at Bukit Mertajam... occupying a big space on the upper floor unit. The menu is in fact simple and straight-forward... offering fish noodles with a variety of toppings to be added. Apart from the classic broth, there are options like Tomato soup, Mala and Milky soup etc. While most toppings are nothing out of the ordinary, some can be quite interesting and uncommon. The prices however, are on the steeper side and offer lesser value in return. The place is comfortable though, if you don't mind paying a little more.

Bón Wine and Dine @ Penang Heritage Club, Penang.

A place not to be missed by meat-obsessed foodies; the newly opened French-European restaurant Bón Wine and Dine at Penang Heritage Club is one of the latest and best places to hit up for fine dry-aged Beef cuts. Not many restaurants in Penang offering dry-aged cuts as the dehydration process causes lesser yield and therefore, costlier to restaurateurs; but the process improves its texture and intensifies its flavor... for that reason, it is loved by many beef lovers. Bón Wine and Dine has a dry-aging cabinet beautifully displaying the dry-aging meat, showcasing the premium steak selection that would make your mouth water. Apart from the beef option, there are other non-beef items which cater for all range of diners... as well as carefully picked wine labels (some uncommon ones even from Syria). For those who wish to sample more, the 5-course prix-fixe menu offers great values in return... priced at RM288+ per pax (extra RM80 per pax for wine pairing- 3 glasses). It is also worth mentioning that Penang Heritage Club offers complimentary parking with ample parking lots. 

Many Thanks to Bón Wine and Dine for hosting us that evening.

JK 92 Cafe @ Seang Tek Road, Georgetown, Penang.

It's easy to miss JK92 Cafe at Seang Tek Road, the signage does not paint a proper picture on what the place offers; but it is in fact, known to the folks working nearby or staying in the vicinity... for dishing out casual, inexpensive local meals. The Char Hor Fun, Hailam Char, Hokkien Char are some of the popular choices but if you yearn for something soup-ish and more comfortable to the tummy, they do offer soup noodles as well. A casual place to drop by for a quick fix without needing to spend a lot.

Rossi ItaLian @ Hotel Penaga, Georgetown, Penang.

Housed in Hotel Penaga, Rossi ItaLian is one of the latest spots in town for some decent Italian food. The Italian restaurant is found inside the hotel, menu is fairly small but offers most of the Italian classics like Pasta, Pizza, Anti Pasti and even desserts. Some hard core meat fans would notice the missing of some Italian Charcuterie board but the place serves no pork and alcohol, making it Muslim-friendly. The price points are of average range but the place is comfortable with cozy setting, a place worth-going if you are game for Italian food. 

[Year 2022] Food Hunting- of Must-Eats @ Langkawi (兰卡威), Kedah (吉打).

Langkawi is always the go-to place when Malaysians need a short, domestic get-away but the tourist destination has gone through a lot when the pandemic hits; many places are closed but of course, some managed to stay competitive and survived. There's also a spate of new eateries have entered the market... offering more choices to visitors. But generally, the economic activities at Langkawi are quite slow and the tourism activities are still in the midst of catching up to pre-pandemic. Nevertheless, there are still a lot to do and a lot of eat at Langkawi.

1) Scarborough Fish N Chips Restaurant

Pork-Free

Service Charge: Yes 10%

Government Tax: No

Address: Lot 1388, Jalan Tanjung Rhu, Mukim Air Hangat, 07100, Langkawi, Kedah.

Business Hours: 10 am to 10 pm. Opens Daily.

Contact Number: 04- 959 4667