Fruit & Juice Bar 水果铺 @ Alma, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Tucked away in a residential area of Alma, Fruit & Juice Bar 水果铺  is one of the neighborhood cafes that is well-received by the cafe-hoppers living in the neighborhood. The place has a simple but cozy interior decor... with comfortable couches and lounge chairs. The menu is equally simple and straight-forward... offering some of the fresh fruit juices as well as their home-made cakes. One great pulling factor of this place is its natural home-cake made from real fresh fruits. Though limited choices, the quality does not disappoint. The cafe can be found at Taman Budiman, the residential area right behind AEON Mall Alma. 

Oriental Cravings @ One Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Oriental Cravings is probably one of the oldest and most popular family-styled restaurants in One Utama. Through various channels, it seems like the place is infamous for its service but we did not have any bad experience there. The restaurant has a big Chinese menu... featuring a lot of familiar local eats and Chinese stir-fry dishes. One particular thing that caught our attention was the heavy usage of Petai. Prices are of standard restaurant-pricing. Though the serving portion was huge, we did not find the meal exceptional (not that it was bad but really nothing special).

Labu Cafe @ Transfer Road, Georgetown, Penang.

Opened in late November 2019, Labu Cafe is one of the latest Muslim-friendly cafes in town; the menu comprises of a mix of both local delights and Western dishes (a few Pasta choices). The main items that made up the menu are Malay-dishes... familiar ones like Mee Udang, Nasi Ayam Penyet, Koay Teow Kerang etc. Apart from the mains, the place has a display counter for freshly baked Kuih and a small dessert menu (on daily rotation basis). The cafe at Transfer Road (next to the junction of Kedah Road and Transfer Road) may be a little small but the place is beautifully decorated and it feels cozy and comfortable to dine-in there (fully air-conditioned). If you must know, the prices are very budget-friendly... with generous serving portion. 

Mala Xiang Guo 无辣不欢 @ Burmah Road, Penang.

Unlike the traditional hot pot where you dip the raw ingredients into boiling hot broth to make it cooked, there is a new serving method- Mala Xiang Guo... to stir fry the ingredients with sauce, usually inspired by the Sze Chuan Mala Hot Pot (the same Chili-Peppercorn combo). Mala Xiang Guo 无辣不欢 is one of the specialists in town that offers such cooking... there is a self-pick counter where one chooses his preferred ingredients (the usual range of Yong Tofu products and fresh vegetables) and pay according to the weight of the ingredients. Prices for both meat and vegetables can be different and are displayed right on top of the display counter. Once done with the weighing, the server will then ask for the preferred cooking method (soup version is also available) and if Mala Xiang Guo is chosen, the spiciness shall be indicated (from mild to insanely spicy). Worth trying if you are into the Mala series... but do be caution on picking the ingredients and it has potential to break the budget by overly taking more ingredients than necessary.

Hai Di Lao Steamboat 海底捞火锅 @ Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang.

When one of the biggest international Hotpot brands- Hai Di Lao 海底捞火锅 announced its presence in Penang, the news got fellow Hotpot fans in Penang as excited as kids. The hotpot restaurant lured in relentless queues during its opening month. Like all of its branches worldwide, Hai Di Lao is offering its top-notch hospitality, additional value-added services as well as authentic Chinese hotpot experience. The whole experience starts with waiting in line to get in the restaurant... free snacks like pop corns, desserts, fresh fruits or even ice cream at the waiting area; after you are escorted to your table, warm towels are handed out followed by phone plastic covers and glasses cleaners before a thorough introduction on the menu. There is a dedicated server whom will introduce his/ her name to you so it feels like you are well-looked after here. The menu is not as extensive as compared to our neighbor country- Singapore's but the prices are definitely lower (after currency conversion that is). Expect to budget at least Rm 50 per pax, likely to be more if you are going in a smaller group. The upscale hotpot restaurant can be found at Level 4 of Gurney Paragon Mall.

LeTen Dim Sum & Asian Cuisine @ Mitsui Outlet Park, Sepang, Selangor.

The one and only Chinese restaurant at Mitsui Outlet Park Sepang would be LeTen Dim Sum and Asian Cuisine. The Muslim-friendly Chinese restaurant has been luring in a great crowd since its opening. The Chinese restaurant has quite a standard Chinese menu featuring stir fry dishes as well as an array of Dim Sum dishes. Notable highlights include Shanghainese Xiao Long Bao, freshly made Siew Mai, Har Kaw etc. The menu is suitable for group family diners and the dining hall is equally accommodating. Prices are slightly higher than some restaurants but so does the quality; a good dining option if you happen to be there.

Hi Barry! Dessert Cafe @ The One Mahsuri, Bayan Lepas, Penang.

Started out as a home-baker, the proprietor of Hi Barry Dessert Cafe thought the time is suitable for her to expand her business into a brick and mortar dessert cafe. The newly opened cafe can be found at The One Mahsuri (also known as One Sky), right opposite to the popular Ming Yuan Steamboat. With a proper baking place, the proprietor can now offers better range of pastries and cakes... with different choices being offered on a daily basis. Notable flavors include Taro Lotus Biscoff Cake, Burnt Cheese Cake, Black Sesame and Blueberry Short Cake, Hojicha Chiffon Cake etc. Prices may be slightly higher than some chain cake house, but the quality is assured. If you do enjoy a piece of decent, home-made cake, give this place a try.

Nomad Cafe @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

The Poke Bowl fandom continues to explode... with a new Poke Bowl-focused cafe opening at Icon City. Nomad Cafe... the new kid on the block, has a menu suitable for the health-concerns. Not only Poke Bowls are on offer but an array of healthy brunch options as well. To place order for the Poke Bowls, simply take the leaflet from the ordering counter and tick your preferred ingredients. Notable highlights include Soba Noodles and Zucchini Noodles... for those who seek to reduce carbohydrates intake. Generally speaking, serving portion seems to be small at Nomad Cafe but if you are game for some healthy brunch options and a comfortable dining space, give this place a try.

DZH Fish Village 山水鱼庄餐厅 @ Gohtong Jaya, Genting Highlands, Pahang.

Strategically located behind of Gohtong Jaya, DZH Fish Village was made popular due to its traditional Chinese architecture... with a huge pond in the middle and seemingly floating boats painted in red as well as various knick-knacks that decorate the place to the theme. With the chilly temperature at the hilltop, the place is indeed dreamy and makes a good spot for photography. The menu is also pretty Chinese-focused... offering a great variety of Chinese and local dishes as well as a hotpot menu. Prices are steeper than usual restaurants but that's a norm for any food eateries at Genting Highlands... good for novelty experience.

Chopper Board and 6 Cinnamon @ Church Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Chopper Board... one of the brands that withstood the test of time... with its humble beginnings started at Bukit Jambul Complex around 20 years ago. For those who are old enough to be regular patrons of Chopper Board, they should not be new to the signature Chopper Soup- a thick, starchy Peppery Soup that resembles the texture and taste of Chinese Shark Fin Soup (no Shark Fin is used of course). The brand has since relocated to a few places- Queensbay Mall, Gurney Plaza and now at Church Street... sharing the space with 6 Cinnamon Bakery Cafe (under the same management). Dining tables are available though it would be a challenge to accommodate larger groups. Apart from the signature Chopper Soup, Chopper Board also brings back the popular Black Pepper Chicken. Do not expect a big menu but a rather simple one, more than good enough for a casual lunch. For the heat-intolerant, the place is fully air-conditioned. 

Cherry Blossom Thai Restaurant @ Golden Triangle, Relau, Penang.

Ardent fans of Thai food should not be new to the name- Cherry Blossom... a famous Thai restaurant at Sungai Ara. The restaurant has recently relocated and moved into one of the shop lots at Golden Triangle... offering a whole new space to diners to dine-in (suitable for family eat-outs). Not much has changed to the menu, with most signature dishes maintained and slight revision to the prices. We were there during the soft-launch period and the wait was longer than usual... if you would prefer shorter wait, it's always wiser to call in for booking. 

[Travel/ Food Guide] Itinerary to Taipei, Taiwan (台北，台湾) 2019

My last visit to Taipei was in 2016 under the invitation of Taiwan Tourism Bureau and my previous trip before 2016 was with travel agency so I've never had the opportunity to do self-guided tour. For this year, I've decided to make a short trip there and tour Taipei (and neighborhood cities) on my own pace (mode of transportation was mostly train). It was a leisure trip with mostly shopping and food; for this guide, it will consist of some interesting and worth-trying delicacies during the trip as well as some places of interest for sight-seeing. For this trip, we flew Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur and the flight was smooth with attentive Malaysian hospitality as always (though slight delay for our flight). As for accommodation, we stayed at Leo Foo Hotel (六福客栈) of Zhong Shan district with the closest MRT Station is Nanjing Sung Chiang Station (Exit 7). The place is rather strategic with easy access to many places of interest but the hotel itself is rather old and run-down. The room key was a nuisance (you may google it out) and the bed was not as comfortable as we would have hoped. Not exactly the type of hotel that we would recommend. Nevertheless, do check out the below food list:

Le Loh Mei 你卤味卤肉饭 @ Suntech, Bayan Baru, Penang.

Certainly not a very polite name but Le Loh Mei 你卤味卤肉饭 is a casual eatery at Suntech Bayan Baru. Similar brand can be found at New World Park food court but it has an entire space to itself at Suntech. That being said... the menu is more extensive as compared to New World Park's. As suggested by the name, the place focuses in serving braised goodies but more for braised meat.... presented in the form of noodle or rice dishes. There is not a lot on offer but more than good enough for a casual quick fix... at surprisingly affordable price range. 

Meqrizq By Rizq Bistro @ Bayan Baru, Penang.

An extended branch of Rizq Bistro, one of the famous and well-established Western-Arabic restaurants at Nibong Tebal area; Meqrizq By Rizq Bistro offers some of the best sellers from Meqrizq which comprises of an enviable blend of locals' favorites and Arabic-influenced delights. The restaurant boasts over its unique cooking method, in which some recipes are brought over from Yemen... with some tweaking to suit the local palates. With most Malaysians open to the Middle-Eastern flavors, the proprietor hopes to introduce more Arabic flavors at wallet-friendly prices. Some of the signature dishes of Meqrizq include stringy Cheese Naan, Middle-Eastern spiced Basmati Rice and roasted Chicken etc. Meqrizq can be found at Quartermile, Bayan Baru (next to One Precinct).  

Many Thanks to Meqrizq for hosting us.

No. 9 Noodle Bar @ Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Previously occupied as G9 Dining House, the cafe has since relocated to Icon City and this existing lot at Maju Utama has been rebranded to No. 9 Noodle Bar.... offering a completely different menu than its predecessor. There are some minor changes to the interior decor as well... with more Chinese embellishments to set the tone. There's also a seemingly drinking bar at the side; with the rather dim setting, the place seems to be more suitable for a drink instead of proper meals. Anyway, the restaurant serves a Chinese menu... combining both local delights and Sze Chuan-influenced spicy Ma-La dishes. As interesting as the menu may seem, we thought the prices are on the higher side. The serving portion seems to be smaller than expected as well. 

La Vie En Rose Patisserie @ Malay Street, Georgetown, Penang.

While Penang has no shortage of bakeries, it is not easy to find some seriously good french pastries like Croissant but with the opening of La Vie En Rose Patisserie, now we can have easy access to some flaky, buttery Croissant. Established in 2016, the brand's main focus has always been Madeleine (French Butter Cakes) and it is said to be the first Madeleine specialist in Malaysia. The brand recently expanded its business operations by opening a new Patisserie at Malay Street... offering better variety of French pastries and sweet treats. The cafe layout may be a little snug but definitely cozy enough for a casual afternoon tea treat. You'll definitely need to check it out if you appreciate good, flaky, buttery Croissant.