BY CK Lam

Named after its global positioning satellite coordinates location (GPS) in the dockside lifestyle hub of Straits Quay in Penang, Five27 has been charming diners with cool tastes of modern Nordic inspired specialties.

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BY CK Lam

It is easy finding sandwiches but difficult to find healthy ones put together with care. Recently I got to know Sandwhich, which just opened its first outlet in I-Avenue, Penang.

“This outlet is committed to wellness. Premium grade ingredient of antibiotic free enzyme chicken, pork, fresh tuna and Omega eggs are the choices of fillings. To create healthy and delicious foods, the fresh ingredients are roast and steam except for the pan-fried egg,” explains T.W. Fong.

The sandwhiches are made with four types of baked breads: choose from olive ciabatta, wholemeal sandwich loaf, croissant and sesame wholemeal bun. A popular choice is the aromatic ciabatta which has a bit more bite.

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BY CK Lam

Just a very mention of Curry Mee and most Malaysians will be gleefully thinking about the delicious hawker food staple that has satisfied the nation for years. The dish itself is unique to Malaysia, with its combination of yellow noodles and vermicelli with the spicy coconut milk laden soup. Commonly, the soup would be spiced up with additional chilli paste, and topped with dried tofu pok (tau pok), prawns and cuttlefish.

There are several variations of curry mee in Malaysia; however this is the most telling Penang version. What differentiate Penang Curry Mee from the others are the ingredients used; besides the aforementioned there is also additional pig’s coagulated blood cubes and bloody cockles. Even though society in general is moving towards a healthier palate, most believe that Penang’s Curry Mee will not taste as good without them.

Throughout the island there are numerous stalls offering this mouth-watering curry mee, with each of them offering its own version of soup and ingredients. The soup varies from a reddish coconut based broth to a lighter pale color, affectionately known to locals as White Curry Mee.

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BY CK Lam

Ho Ping in Penang is arguably a good place to head for hawker food. This double-storey coffee shop located at the junction of Penang Road and Kampung Malabar is popular with the locals and also tourists staying at the nearby hotels.

The coffee shop has rented the space to several hawkers. One popular stall is the bak moi stall serving warming, comforting bak moi (pork porridge). There is no signboard to indicate the stall which is run by Y.C. Lai, owner of this third generation hawker food business.

The owner busy preparing the bak moi

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BY CK Lam

Hawker food features prominently in the culinary culture in the state of Penang. Across the industry there are always places that constantly make headlines while others tend to be excellent but underrated, and the New Cathay Coffee Shop is classified as the latter.

Located along Lorong Kuching right off the ever bustling Burmah Road, this coffee shop is one of the decent places to sample a plethora of Penang’s street hawker fare. A favorite mostly with the locals, it begins to fill up as early as 7.30 in the morning and is absolutely packed during the peak hours of ten in the morning right through two in the afternoon.

For those opting for a lighter snack, the apom manis (Indian style pan cake) stall right beside the shop is an excellent alternative. Interestingly, the owner still maintains the tradition of using charcoal stoves and clay pots.

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BY CK Lam

Tucked away in Precinct 10, Sushi Zento has been serving up Japanese meal with pork besides other meats. The restaurant has two seating area, with an outdoor air-conditioned area with cosy setting. The other area has a Kaiten belt which services a number of tables and a teppanyaki section with an open kitchen concept.

Shake Toro Sashimi RM38

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Happy Chinese New Year 2013, Year of the Water Snake!!!

There are so many life’s great things and one of them is having reunion meal with your loved ones. And this year I could not have asked for better with the flying in of my sons, daughter in-law and my granddaughter.

The home cooked meal of Nyonya and Cantonese food prepared by mother-in-law has many ingredients and delicacies which are important signs for the Chinese festival. Here are some of the dishes that we had been enjoying over the years.

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BY CK Lam

SMAAK!ZA – “Taste! South Africa” 2012 was in Penang recently for the “Table” sessions.  Held at Maricosa Pacific Rim & Hawaiian Cuisine in Straits Quay, the event featured an eclectic 4 course dinner menu paired with a mini-vertical tasting of among the top award-winning Pinotage wines.

Thomas Ling, principal partner of Entwine Consultancy hosted the event and introduced the lineup of featured wines while Satoru Nakamatsu shared his passionate views behind the mouth-watering Rainbow Nation’s colourful cuisine.

We started off with the Savana, made from Granny Smith apples grown in the Elgin area in the Western Cape of South Africa. This naturally brewed and matured premium cider went well with the Maricosa bruschetta and the Mediterranean mackerel salad which was brought together with many fresh greens, mackerel and pleasantly sharp cheese.

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BY CK Lam

Tucked in the heart of George Town’s Noordin Street is Little Kitchen @ Nyonya. The charming restaurant housed in an old two storey shophouse with a distinctive heritage façade, serves home-cooked Nyonya dishes.

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