Thursday, December 8, 2011

Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles) @ Perak Road ,Penang (Non-Halal)

The Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Mee Noodle) has been operating at Classic Cafe which was formerly a Classic Lounge in the 70s, is located at a corner unit along a row of 3 Storey Shop Office with the address of No. 126, Perak Road, Penang and not far from the Heart of George Town.

In early days, this Prawn Mee Stall has no name and the local decided to named 'Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles)' because it operated in the Classic Cafe and it will be much easier to identify it.

My advise to you that if you want to eat or try out this Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles), you have to be there between 8.00 to 9.30 am to avoid the food been sold out. You will be surprised that when you reached the Classic Cafe, there will be a lot of waiting eager customers to be served and as you step inside the Classic Cafe, you will find that almost every customers are enjoying the Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles) as their breakfast or waiting to be served.

Some of local claimed that the owner of this stall is related to the owner of Super Hokkien Mee at One Corner Cafe which is located at Jalan Bawash Larut, Penang (i.e. Behind Fima/Cold Storage) but the taste of the their soup are totally difference from each other. I will leave that for someone to confirm it. ;-)

No. 01 : General View of Classic Cafe from the main road of Perak Road, Penang

No. 02 : The view of Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles) 
was hidden by the Wooden Blinds

The Location Map of Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles)
Google Map GPS : 5.413834,100.316092

Business Hours :-
From : 8.00 am until 11.00 pm
(Note : Best time to be there at 8.00 - 9.30 am to avoid Dissappointment/Sold Out)
Closed on every Wednesday

Prices :-
From RM3.50 per Small Bowl - RM5.00 per Special Bowl

 No. 03 : General View of the Price List on the side of
the Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles) Stall

 No. 04 : General View of the Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles) Stall
at the front portion of the Classic Coffee House

  No. 05 : Still Non stop preparing the Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles) for
the waiting eager customers

No. 06 : View of the Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles)
RM3.50 per Small Bowl

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

For the Small Bowl of Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles), it is always served with Bee Hoon (Thin Rice Vericelli / Thin Noodles made from Rice) and/or the local Yellow Mee (Your Choice). The slices of dried fresh shrimps as main ingredients/garnishing with slices of lean pork meat, kangkung (water spinach), bean sprouts and crisp deep-fried shallots. It must be served with piping hot soup which is made up of the combination of pork stock and shrimp stock. The soup is semi clear with light flavor of shrimps together with the sweetness from the combination of two(2) stocks. If you want the Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles)  to be spicy then just add a few table spoons of chilly paste to it. Well, for me i prefer it to be spicy but not to be burning hot to numb my poor tongue. 

 No. 07 : Closed-Up View the slices of fresh shrimps and lean pork meat of 
the Classic Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

More than 30 years Old Chicken Porridge Stall @ Kedai Kopi Cathay, Junction of Tavoy Road & Burmah Road, Penang (Non-Halal).

The Chicken Porridge Stall has been operating there for more than 30 years beside the Kedai Kopi Cathay at the junction of Burmah Road and Tavoy Road, Penang. At present, the origianal operator's daughter, Joanne Chee, is helping out the family business.

Not forgetting that Kedai Kopi Cathay is famous for its 'Kopi O Kaw' (Hot Thick Local Coffee without Milk) with the rich aroma of the local roasted coffee beans.


As you travell along Burmah Road (i.e. One-Way Traffic) from George Town, Kedai Kopi Cathay is on the right hand side of the road immediately after passing the Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Union which is on the left hand side of Burmah Road or  before the Seven-Day Adventise Church which is at the junction of Burmah Road and Tavoy Road, Penang.

No. 01 : General View of Kedai Kopi Cathay from the Burmah Road, Penang

No. 02 : General View of Chicken Porridge Stall beside the Kedai Kopi Cathay

The Location Map of Chicken Porridge
Google Map GPS : 5.42357,100.321698

Business Hours :-
From 6.00 pm to 11.00 pm
Closed on every Saturday & Sunday

Prices :-
Chicken Porridge
RM2.50 per Small Bowl
RM3.00 per Medium Bowl
RM3.50 per Big Bowl

Boiled Chicken
RM6.00 / RM8.00 / RM10.00 / RM12.00 / RM16.00 / RM18.00 / RM20.00 or RM22.00 per Plate


No. 03 : General view of the Price List on the display glass cabinet

No. 04 : View of the Chicken Porridge Stall

No. 05 : Joanne Chee was operating the Chicken Porridge Stall

 
No. 06 : View of the boiled chickens in the display glass cabinet
The local Penangites will called the boiled chickens as 'pak cham kai'

No. 07 : View of the chickens' organs (i.e. liver, heart and etc)
Side Dishes of the Chicken Porridge

We used to call it 'Chicken Spare Parts'.. LOL

No. 08 : View of the chicken porridge's accompaniments (i.e. fresh fine matchstick strips of ginger, chopped spring onions, fresh cut chinese lettuce and preserved vegetables - Dongcai)

No. 09 : View of the cut 'Yew Char Kueh' for chicken porridge

No. 10 : View of the ingredients (i.e. light soya sauce & sesame oil) for boiled chickens

No. 11 : View of the special blended hilli sauce to go with the boiled chickens

No. 12 : Fresh cut scallions as garnishing on top of the boiled chickens

No. 13 : View of the warm Porridge inside the Container

It is suppose to be called it 'Congee' aka 'Jook' instead of 'Porridge'. A lot of people get very confused with both of the terms.Porridge is cooked to a thick consistency in water without any meat at all. Congee is also known as rice porridge and it is boiled with lots of water for a long time until the rice breaks down and becomes a fairly viscous white porridge.

No. 14 : View of the served Chicken Porridge
RM2.50 per Small Bowl

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)
I found that the congee was a bit diluted. For me, I prefer my congee to be slightly thick and soupy. It is optional to add white pepper to Chicken Congee to taste.

No. 15 : View of my friend, Gerry Ooi who is also a great food hunter at the background was enjoying the warm Chicken Porridge together a plate of Boiled Chicken as side dish

No. 16 : A Plate of Boiled Chicken which is made of 2 Deborn Drumstick
RM14.00 per Plate

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)
Do not miss out the special blended chilli sause when you are enjoying the Boiled Chicken.

Monday, October 24, 2011

First Moo Kata - Thai Charcoal Grill & Steamboats in Penang @ Aroy Chang MOO KATA (Non-Halal)

Aroy Chang MOO KATA was the first thai restaurant to introduce the Moo Kata - Thai Charcoal Grill & Steamboats to Penangites and the tourists in Penang. It was formerly operating at the ground floor of Desa Mawar Apartment of No 4, Lintang Kampung Melayu, 11500 Bandar Baru Air Itam, Penang which is exactly opposite SJK (C) Sin Jiang before moving to Premises No. 22, Burmah Lane, Pulau Tikus, Penang.

No. 01 : General View of Desa Mawar Apartment of No. 4 from Jalan Thean Teik

No. 02 : Aroy Chang MOO KATA was formerly operating at the ground floor of Desa Mawar Apartment of No. 4

If you know the location of Wat Chayamangkalaram (Sleeping Buddha) and Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple, you will hardly miss Aroy Chang MOO KATA. As you travell along Kelawei Road from George Town, Burmah Lane is located on the right hand side. For your information, Burmah Lane is a one way traffic lane and you can only turn into it from Kelawei Road. When you turn into Burmah Lane, you will notice Wat Chayamangkalaram is on your right hand side and Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple is on your left hand side. They are facing each other and also not far away from the junction of Kelawei Road and Burmah Lane. Aroy Chang MOO RATA is located a few doors away immediately after the Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple.

Aroy Chang MOO RATA prepares and serves mostly authentic Thai Dishes from Northern Thailand (i.e. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai).

At present, you will find 5 Thai Restaurants within a radius which is less than 1 km in Pulau Tikus Area, Penang.

No. 03 : Night Scene infront of Aroy Chang MOO KATA



Location Map of Aroy Chang MOO KATA
Google Map GPS : 5.431073,100.313635

Address :-
No. 22, Burmah Lane,
George Town, Penang.

Contact :-
Handphone # : 010 - 379 9852 (For Reservation)

Business Hours :-
Lunch : From 11.00 am to 2.30 pm
Dinner : From 6.30 pm to 11.00 pm
Closed on every Monday


Facilties and Others :-
1) Ceiling Fans.
2)  Outdoor Dining Area (Front Portion) & Indoor Dining Area (Inside the Premises) - Ground Floor Only
3) Ample Car Parking Bay - Meter Parking Bays along Burmah Lane.
4) Smoking & Non-Smoking.
5) Restrooms.

No. 04 : Night Scene of Aroy Chang MOO KATA from Burmah Lane

No. 05 : Box Light Signage of Aroy Chang MOO KATA infront of the restaurant

No. 06 : Notification on the right hand side of the gate pillar showing the business hours

No. 07 : A Thai Doll with the gesture of welcome after the entrance of the restaurant

No. 08 : Wall Posters - 'Let's Speak Thai'
Leaning how to speak basic thai language from the wall posters while waiting for your food

No. 08 : Ice Lemongrass Juice
RM1.50 per Glass

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

I love this Ice Lemongrass Juice and it was so pleasant and refreshing with a mild taste of sweetness together the fragrance of lemongrass.

It can be served as a welcome drink. I was given to understand that the stalks of lemongrass, slices of ginger and pandan leaves were placed in a pot with water and brought to boil. Slight sugar was added to taste. Too much sugar will drown the aroma of lemongrass, ginger and pandan leaves. Nowadays a lot of people claimed that the lemongrass therapeutic drink will bring health benefits such as detoxify the body, improve blood circulation, anti-cancer, high antioxidant, reduce blood pressure & cholesterol, ease arthritic pain and etc.

No. 09 : Som Tam (Young Papaya Salad)
RM8.00 per Plate

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

Som Tam is a very popular Thai Salad. There are many variations of preparing and usage of ingredients for Som Tam. Chillies and galic are first pounded with a mortar and pestle (krok). Grated green papaya are tossed together with tamarind juice, fish sauce, tomatoes, lime juice, sugar cane paste, string beans, cabbages, dried shrimp and toasted peanuts in the krok. Great dish as a starter with sweet, salty, and spicy flavors paired with the crisp crunch of the green papaya together with the ingredients to give you the appetite before your meal.

No. 10 : Cha Om Omelette
RM8.00 per Plate

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

It is a kind of Thai Style Omelette with the usage of Cha Om. The green feathery shoots belong to a species of Acacia which is known as Acacia Pennata (Climbing Wattle) which are commonly used in omelettes, stir-fries, curries and soups in Laos, Burma and Thailand. It can be eaten raw too. Only the soft tops of the stalks are edible. Cha Om Omelette is also popular among the Burmese too. Some people claimed that it has a sulfurous smell but to my surprise when i tasted the Cha Om Omelette, it did not yeild that smell and was tasted like heaven to me. Perhaps when it cooked, the sulfurous smell has been eliminated. It is best eaten with . It is best eaten with a squirt of chili sauce (sauce prik).

Trust me ... If you love vegetable, I am sure that you will love this dish.

No. 11 : Tarmarind Prawns in Basil
RM3.50 per Pc (Min. of 6 pcs per Order)

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

The thin coated batter prawns were deep fried and were laced with the tarmarind sause with the combination of other ingredients. Deep fried onions and thai basil (bai horapa) were sprinkled on top of the dish as garnishes.
Do not miss this dish when you dine in Aroy Chang MOO KATA.

No. 12 : Larb Moo (Minced Pork with Fried Rice Flakes)
RM12.00 per Plate

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

This dish of minced pork was dressed with onions, fish sauce, lime juice, toasted rice crunch and cut chilli padi (bird's eye chilies) and coriander as garnish.
Advisable to be eaten with rice.
Cautious : This hot spicey dish consists of killer chilli padi (bird's eye chilies)

No. 13 : Khoon Ob Woon Sen - Thai Style Cellophne Noodles (Tanghoon) baked in Special Pot with Prawns
RM15.00 per Pot

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

This dish was filled with 3 sauteed prawns and celliphone noodles (glass noodles) in a special blended savory sauce which was mainly made up of minced garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce and dark soy sauce. All the sauce has been absorbed by the glass noodles. They were served semi dry and slightly sticky. Fresh cilantro was sprinkled on top.
It is very suitable for all ages because it is non-spicy and a Must-Try Dish.

No. 14 : Pla Phad Phed (Deed Fried Whole Sea Bass with Spicy Food)
RM35.00 to RM45.00 per Fish

Rating of the Taste :   4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

Wooooo.... the whole deep fried sea bass swimming in a tangy yellowish sauce was served in a metal fish shaped pan with candle lit underneath to keep it warm. The yellowish sauce was blended with coconut milk and spicy curry paste together accompanied by a strong aroma of galangal. Deep fried thai basil and cut red chillies were used as garnishes. This dish is quite soupy so a plate of rice is needed to sop up every intricate drop.

No. 15 : Tom Yum Nam Sai (Clear Seafood Tomyam with Fresh Prawns, Squid & Fish)
RM15.00 to RM25.00 per Pot

Rating of the Taste :   4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

This Clear Seafood Tomyam is teeming with prawns, squids, fish, abalone mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangalm spring onions and kaffir lime leaves. Normally I find that the taste of the soup is very explosive (hot & spicey) when it touches the tip of your tongue but this one was a bit mild and lack of chilli padi (bird's eye chilies) but this was not.

No. 16 : Moo Kata (Thai Traditional Charcoal Grill & Steamboat)
RM30.00 for 2-3 Pax
Choice of Soups - Chicken Stock, Tom Yam Stock & Clear Tom Yam Stock.

Rating of the Taste : 4/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

No. 17 : Moo Kata (Thai Traditional Charcoal Grill & Steamboat)
View of the Raw Dishes for the Moo Kata

So far until todate you can find that Aroy Chang MOO KATA is the only 1st serving this Thai Traditional Charcoal Grill & Steamboat (Signature Dish) on Penang Island. The ingredients were made up with the combinations of raw seafood (i.e. prawns, squids & fish), fish balls, fish cakes, pork balls, pork bacons, quail eggs and 3 types of marinated meat (i.e. chicken & pork). Not forgetting a basket filled with glass noodles, abalone mushrooms, golden needle mushroom, cabbage and etc.
This will be fun and thrilling to grill your own meats and cook your food.

 
 No. 18 : Tub Tim Krob (Chilled Water Crestnut & Jackfruit with Fresh Cocunut Milk)
RM2.50 per Bowl

Rating of the Taste : 3/5
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

The red rubies and sliced jackfruit served with thick white coconut milk. I did not fancy this bowl of Tub Tim Krob because the red rubies were clamped together.

Ratings :-
1) Ambience : 3
2) Choices of Food : 3 (26 Choices)

3) Taste of Food : NA (Refer to the Ratings below the Photographs).
Recommended/Must Try : Cha Om Omelette, Khoon Ob Woon Sen, Tarmarind Prawns in Basil and Moo Kata.
4) Pricing :  3
5) Service : 3
6) Hygiene & Cleanliness : 4
7) Facilities : 3 (Basic)
Note : 1-2 (Poor) / 3 (Average) / 4 (Good) / 5 (Very Good)

STEPS SHOWING HOW TO ENJOY YOUR MOO KATA - THAI CHARCOAL GRILL & STEAMBOAT

Moo Kata literally means 'Pork Skillet' in English. This cooking utensil has been perfected over the centuries and consists of a dome shaped metal pan like a metal bowler hat or looked very similar to Kung Lao (one of the player characters in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series)'s hat with contraption sits on top of blazing hot charcoals contained in a sturdy clay pot and the trough flanked its circumference. You will find vertical air vents on the dome to allow the hot air of burning charcoal to escape. Choice of stock is filled in the trough.

Juice from the meat runs down the side of the dome and mixed with the stock, quickly turning into a broth. Green leafy vegetables are added into the trough to further enhence the taste to allow it to turn into a tasty soup, which is in then ladled into individual bowls.

As the meal continuously carry on you may sip the broth which has accumulated all the flavours on the Moo Kata.

Step # 01 : Fill up the trough with the provided stock.
Do not fill the stock in the trough until the topmost edge to allow the volume of the raw foods to be cooked in it.

Step # 02 : A chuck of pok lard is provided to lube up the upper portion of the vessel to prevent the meats from sticking during grilling.

Step # 03 : Carefully place the meats on top of the skillet neatly and load the green vegetable into the trough.
Seafood and meats may add into the broth to enhance the taste.

Step # 04 : Allow the tasty juices of grilled meats to flow down to the sides of the dome into the trough, creating a delicious broth.

Step # 05 : Ensure that the charcoals are alway blazing

Step # 06 : Using chopstick to turn the uncooked food

Step # 07 : A prefect grilled piece of pork bacon is ready to put into the watery mouth.