BY CK Lam

Pearly Kee, a fifth generation Penang Nyonya has just launched her first cook book entitled A Nyonya Inheritance at China Tiger, here.  Also present were the writer’s mentor, master chef Datuk Lim Bian Yam, family members and friends.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: A Nyonya Inheritance, Assam Laksa, Book Launching, Chili Padi, China Tiger, Chun Pneah, Clarity Publishing, Cookbook, Cup Mint, Curry Kapitan, Dato Lim, Flower 4, Fresh Turmeric, George Town, Glutinous Rice Ball, Glutinous Rice Balls, Herbs And Spices, Laksa Recipe, Leaf Stalks, Nasi Ulam, New Straits Times (Life & Times), Nyonya Cuisine, Nyonya Recipes, Otak Otak, Penang Peranakan Dishes, Peranakan Dishes, Prawn Paste, Red Chilli, Sambal Udang, Savory Dishes, Savoury Dishes, Savoury Recipes, Shrimp Paste, Small Cubes, Tang Yuan, Tang Yuen, Tau Eu Bak, Torch Ginger, Types Of Herbs And Spices, Udang, Yam Family

Penang’s Assam Laksa has been voted No. 7 under CNNGo International Food Survey as “foods worth traveling the world to gorge on”. This is indeed a great testament to the hawkers who work hard to make sure Penang Assam Laksa is not only delicious but as authentic as to what their forefathers did.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Air Itam, Air Itam Assam Laksa, Assam Laksa, Balik Pulau Assam Laksa, Business Hour, CNNGo, Cuisines, Delicious Foods, Dustin Roasa, Eagerness, Emas, Fish Base, Fish Smell, Fishy Taste, Flavour, Food Journalists, Food Survey, Forefathers, Great Testament, Hawkers, International Food, Mouthful, Penang, Penang Assam Laksa, Shrimp Paste, Tamarind, World's Most Delicious Foods

* This article was published in the New Straits Times (Northern Streets) on 1st February 2011.

Bukit Mertajam houses plenty of eateries, and Ah Meng Coffee Shop is one ideal eatery where one can find cheap and good teatime snacks. Located along Jalan Pasar, this coffee shop is famous for its Rojak Orang Hitam Putih and the Li Guang Popiah.

The ingredients of the popiah include fried bean curd, fried egg, prawn, bean sprout, crunchy lettuce and turnip. The popiah is dressed with chili and hoisin sweet sauce and topped with fried garlic oil, chili sauce and turnip-based gravy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 1st February, Afternoon Snack, Ah Meng, Assam Laksa, Bukit Mertajam, Bunga Raya, Chili Paste, Chili Sauce, Chilli Paste, Coffee Shop, Coffeeshop, Eateries, Fried Bean Curd, Fried Egg, Fruit Juices, Garlic Oil, Jalan Bunga Raya, Jalan Pasar, Kedai Kopi, Kedai Kopi Ah Meng, Kopi, Li Guang, Li Guang Popiah, Mouthful, New Straits Times (Life & Times), New Straits Times (Life & Times), Penang, Penang Hawker Food, Prawn, Rm3, Rojak, Rojak Orang Hitam Putih, Sour Plum, Sweet Sauce, Tea Time, Teatime Treats, Upmost

My latest food outing had me patronizing the Char Koay Kak stall which is located along the bustling Air Itam main road, in front of Suiwah Supermarket. There is an upbeat vibe to this road with so many hawker food stalls around – the tasty fried buns and tantalizing Assam Laksa.

Thanks to my readers for recommending this Char Koay Kak to me at my Kedai Kopi Wah Meng post

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Air Itam, Aroma, Assam Laksa, Banana Leaf, Bean Sprouts, Buns, Char Koay Kak, Chicken Egg, Chili Paste, Dark Soy Sauce, Duck Egg, Food Stalls, Green Bean Soup, Hawker Food, Kak, Kedai Kopi, Peanut Soup, Penang, Penang Hawker Food, Rice Cakes, Several Different Types, Takeaways, Tinge, Tong-sui, Wah Meng

Snacks are available everywhere in Penang! Plentiful indeed, however one particular snack caught my eye while I was slurping away my bowl of Assam Laksa in the Air Itam market. This lady was selling deep fried buns, similar to Roti Babi but with different ingredients and she uses bun instead of bread!

She makes a stunning serving of these inexpensive priced fried buns. The white fluffy buns are battered, deep fried and stuffed with four kinds of savory fillings:  chicken curry, mixed turnip stuffing (similar to mangkuang char), sausage and luncheon meat…simple creations!

My favorite from this stall is the Deep Fried Chicken Curry Bun! Stuffed with pieces of chicken and potato, the filling is quite similar to curry puffs… however the deep fried bun makes it taste surprisingly good.

Chicken Curry Bun @ RM1.50

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Air Itam, Air Itam Laksa, Air Itam Market, Array, Assam Laksa, Babi, Bun, Buns, Carrot, Chicken Curry, Crowd, Deep Fried Chicken, Delicious Luncheon, Fillings, Left Hand Side, Light Moment, Luncheon Meat, Mushroom, Penang, Penang Hawker Food, Pot, Roti Babi, Sausage, Sausage Bun, Sausages, Simple Creations, Slit, Snack, Snacks, Spicy Food, Tea Time, Variety

Love Penang Assam Laksa topped with the pungent hae kor (prawn paste)? I am sure many Penangites and tourist alike love this Penang classic dish for its tangy and sourish taste. My crave for Assam Laksa would have me going all the way out to the Air Itam Market and at times visiting the stall in Gottlieb Road and Johor Road.

All the ingredients for Assam Laksa

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Air Itam, Air Itam Market, Array, Assam Laksa, Big Fish, Bui, Bunga Kantan, Business Hour, Classic Dish, Coffee Shop, Corner Coffee Shop, Cucumber, Delicacy, Favorite Place, Fish Ball, Fish Balls, Fish Flakes, Fish Meat, Fish Soup, Flower Bud, Fresh Fish, Frontage, Galangal, Going All The Way, Gottlieb, Gps, Hae, Hae Kor, Herbs, Johor, Lai, Laksa, Laksa Penang, Laksa Perak, Lemongrass, Lengkuas, Lettuce, Light Colour, Mint, Mint Leaves, Noodles, Onions, Penang, Penang Assam Laksa, Penang Food, Penang Hawker Food, Penang Laksa, Penang Restaurant, Perak, Perak Road, Pineapple, Prawn Paste, Red Chili, Restaurant Coffee, Rice Noodles, Rm2, Spicy Soup, Sum San Primary School, Sweetness, Tamarind

Koay Teow Th’ng, also commonly known as KTT is a popular hawker food for Penangites besides the overwhelmingly famous Char Koay Teow, Assam Laksa and Hokkien Mee. Lately I have been patronizing the Duck Meat Koay Teow Th’ng at Lum Lai located in Cecil Street Market Hawker Center, just beside the bustling Cecil Street Market. This street is also known as Chit Tiau Lor to Penangites which represent the 7th Road in that precinct.

Duck meat Koay Teow Th’ng!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Amp, Array, Assam Laksa, Business Hour, Candid Shot, Cecil Market, Cecil Street, Condiment, Dessert Shop, Duck Blood, Duck Meat, Fish Balls, Fish Blood, Fish Cakes, Flavorful Soup, Garlic, Garlic Oil, Hawker Center, Hawker Centre, Hawker Food, Hawker Stall, Koay Teow, Koay Teow Soup, Koay Teow Th'ng, Ktt, Lai, Laksa, Liver, Lor, Lum, Makan Makan, Market Food Court, Meat Balls, Oomph, Penang, Penang Hawker Food, Penangites, Popular Hawker Food, Pork Bones, Pork Meat, Shopkeeper, Shredded Pork, Soy Sauce, Spring Onions, Stall Owner, Staple Food

The strong aroma of the herbs, the sourness of the soup and the quality of our Penang prawn paste makes our Penang hawker food, the Assam Laksa so different from the others. There are many places around town that sells this noodle and the more well known Assam Laksa is from the stall beside the Ayer Itam Market.

A dish that tantalizes the taste buds

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Air Itam, Aroma, Array, Assam Laksa, Burma Road, Business Hour, Chili Padi, Condiment, Cucumber, Dish, Distinctive Flavor, Drizzle, Fish Soup, Fish Stock, Flake, Flower Bud, Galangal, Ginger, Hae, Herbs, Itam, Kek Lok Si, Kek Lok Si Temple, Lemongrass, Lengkuas, Lettuce, Lunch Hour, Makan Makan, Mint, Mint Leaves, Onion, Penang Hawker Food, Penang Laksa, Penang Restaurant, Photography, Plenty Of Fish, Pot, Pots, Prawn Paste, Red Chili, Rice Noodles, Tamarind, Taste Buds

Chicken rice can be found in most hawker stalls and food courts in Penang as the chicken rice is a popular and favorite food for many of us. There is one exceptional stall that sells Hainan Chicken Rice – Thai style located in a corner coffee shop along Penang Road. It is directly opposite KOMTAR Tower and a few shops away from Kek Seng which is famous for its durian ice cream and ice kacang.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Aroma, Array, Assam Laksa, Bus To Penang, Chicken Dish, Chicken Meat, Chicken Rice, Chicken Soup, Chili Sauce, Chilies, Chinese Chicken, Chinese Wine, Chopped Ginger, Chopped Spring Onions, Coffee Shop, Coriander, Corner Coffee Shop, Dipping Sauce, Drizzle, Fish Sauce, Flat Rice Noodles, Food Courts, Garlic, Garlic Sauce, Ginger Garlic, Hainan Chicken Rice, Hawker Stalls, Herbs And Spices, Hong Thai, Kek, Komtar, Lor, Outsiders, Penang Food, Penang Road, Pots, Public Bus, Red Chili, Roast Meat, Roasted Meat, Sauce Mixture, Sausage, Side Dish, Siu, Soy Sauce, Spicy Sauce, Style Chicken, Thai Chicken, Thai Style, Thai Version