By CK Lam

It is exciting to hit the road again, this time on the Media FAM Trip to Kuching, Sarawak. The trip to the city of cats is organized by Sarawak Tourism Board in collaboration with Air Asia. Besides the orang utan and the different ethnic groups of Sarawak, there are other attractions, such as the many cat statues.

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Tags: ABC Seafood stall, Airasia, Bean Sprouts, Beef Noodle, Belacan, Bidayuh, Cat Statues, Chicken Slices, Coconut Milk Soup, Half Day Tour, Iban, International Performances, Kuching Sarawak, Laksa Sarawak, Longhouses, Madam Tang Restaurant, Manok Pansoh, Media FAM Trip, Melanau, Midin, Mount Santubong, Orang Ulu, Rainforest World Music Festival, Restaurant Budaya, Santubong Sarawak, Sarawak Cultural Village, Sarawak Tourism Board, Signature Dish, Tebaloi, Top Spot Foodcourt, Traditional Dish, Umai, World Harvest Festival, World Music Festival

By CK Lam

Having started off more than a decade ago in Penang, Shanghai Ding House of Dumplings is still drawing in the crowds, with many going for its noodles and dim sum.

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Tags: Attractive Price, Bamboo Steamer, Bean Sprouts, Black Sesame, Black Vinegar, Chicken Bones, Chinese Wine, Delicate Skin, Delicious Fish, Dim Sum Menu, Dumplings, Egg Tarts, Fried Radish Cake, Ginger Soup, Glutinous Rice Ball, Hearty Bowl, Juicy Meat, Laksa, New Straits Times (Life & Times), Noodle Dish, Oyster Sauce, Prawn Ramen, Prawns, Rich Broth, Savory Dishes, Shanghai Ding House of Dumplings Pulau Tikus, Shanghai Ding House of Dumplings Queensbay Mall, Signature Dish, Xiao Lung Bao, Yunnan Fish Noodle

BY CK Lam

Goku Raku Ramen brings their specialty Horikiri style ramen to their new outlet in Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang. Located on the east wing of the building, Goku Raku Ramen is the latest branch opened by the Texchem group in Penang.

The ramen comes with three types of soups – Tonkotsu (pork-based), Shoyu Tonkotsu (Japanese soy sauce) and Miso Tonkotsu. The freshly made broths are simmered for 17 to 30 hours by Chef Kenji Nakagawa who leads the kitchen.

The signature dish  is  aptly named Goku Raku Ramen, and comes in a rich broth consisting of a complex blend of pork, chicken and fish which is simmered for 30 hours. Both the large (RM23.90) and small (RM18.90) servings are topped with char siew slices, flavoured egg, onions, Japanese leeks, bamboo shoots and seaweed. The texture of the fresh noodle is slightly springy. The ramen in Shoyu Tonkotsu broth is served with a swirl of fragrant garlic oil  giving it an appetising aroma.

Ramen in Shoyu Tonkotsu broth.

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Tags: Annin Tofu, Bamboo Shoots, Broths, Buta Katsu, Chef Kenji Nakagawa, Chives, Delicious Mix, Food In Gurney Paragon Mall, Fried Pork, Garlic Oil, Garlic Rice, Goku Raku Ramen, Gurney Paragon Mall, Gyoza, Horikiri Style Ramen, Ishiyaki Garlic Rice, Main Meals, Miso Tonkotsu, Nakagawa, New Straits Times (Life & Times), Pan Fried, Pork Chop, Pork Slices, Raku, Rice Meals, Rich Broth, Scrumptious Dish, Shoyu Tonkotsu, Side Dish, Signature Dish, Soft Boiled Egg, Stamina Don, Texchem Group, Tonkatsu, Tonkotsu

* This article was published in the New Straits Times (Life & Times) on 19th October 2011

BY CK Lam

Located in the Sunway township of Seberang Jaya, Abbey Road is a trendsetting Beatles-inspired bistro and restaurant. The restaurant concept of this family-owned outlet is derived from the restaurant’s owner Cheong Chee Seng love for The Beatles. The walls are adorned with posters of the group, and diners get to enjoy their music too.

Opened in April 2011, this restaurant which occupies the ground floor of a shop house, offers dining in a casual mode. The kitchen is managed by chef Samuel Cheong, who has worked in many overseas establishments and fine dining restaurants. The simple menu focuses on Western cuisine with modern plating.

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Tags: Abbey Road, Abbey Road Bistro Restaurant, Beatles, Beef Bacon, Bistro Restaurant, Black Forest Coffee, Broiled Chicken, Butterworth, Casual Mode, Chee Seng, Dory Fish, Elvis Presley, Fine Dining Restaurants, Fish And Chips, Foie Gras, French Beans, Grilled Atlantic Salmon, Grilled Mushroom, Irish Coffee, New Straits Times (Life & Times), New Straits Times (Life & Times), New Zealand Beef Tenderloin, Nicoise Salad, Perfect Boiled Egg, Potato Wedges, Seberang Jaya, Signature Dish, Smoked Duck, Soft Texture, Sunway, Thick Piece, Tomato Soup, Western Cuisine, Wheat Bread

BY CK Lam

A lot of soul put in the cooking and hopefully lots of soul music to refresh your little soul on sunny Penang Island.

Soul Kitchen Trattoria tucked away on Muntri Street in a pre-war house is the place to visit if you are looking for great eats in a laid back ambiance. This restaurant, barely a few months old is run by a young creative Malaysian-German couple, Michele Yim and Tonio Neuhaus.

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Tags: Beverages Menu, Capsicum, Chalkboard, Ck Lam, Food Menu, Generous Plate, German Couple, Green Plants, Grilled Sandwich, Ice Latte, Inspired Selections, Lasag, Lemon Juice, Limone, Malaysian-German, Muntri Street, Neuhaus, New Straits Times (Life & Times), Papaya Orange Smoothie, Pasta Dish, Pasta Sheets, Penang Island, Penne Chicken al Limone, Pork Salami, Refreshing Taste, Signature Dish, Soul Kitchen, Soul Kitchen Penang, Soul Kitchen Trattoria, Soul Music, Tender Pieces, Tender Texture, Tonio, Tramezzini, Trattoria, Wooden Crate, Zing

*This article was published in the New Straits Times (Life & Times) on 18th August 2010.

Hameediyah Restaurant, a century-old eating house established in 1907 is among one of the oldest restaurants in Penang. The restaurant with a yellow facade located on Campbell Street serves South Indian cuisine and is well known for its nasi kandar. Those who have tried the curry dishes in Hameediyah are hooked by its intricate flavors.

Having stood the test of time and firmly established its name in Penang, the owner has since embarked on the next stage with the opening of another outlet two doors away. The new outlet, Hameediyah Tandoori House is definitely a friendly neighborhood restaurant. It has moved away from the traditional look.

This new shop has a spacious and cleaner environment, with pleasant food presentation (only white plates are used), while still retaining the flavors of Hameediyah that many of us grew up with. This restaurant is fully air-conditioned, so diners need not sweat it out while dining.

Interior of the new outlet

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Tags: Briyani, Campbell Street, Canai, Cili Jerok, Daging Rendang, Eating House, Flavors, Food Presentation, Hameediyah Restaurant, Hameediyah Tandoori House, Itik Kari, Kambing, Kambing Kurma, Kari Kepala Ikan, Kurma, Murtabak, Nasi Briyani, Nasi Kandar, Neighborhood Restaurant, New Straits Times (Life & Times), New Straits Times (Life & Times), Papadum, Peanut Sauce, Pickled Onions, Restaurants In Penang, Rice Crispy, Rm1, Rm4, Sambal Nyior, Shop Layout, Side Dish, Side Dishes, Signature Dish, South Indian Cuisine, Tandoori Chicken, Thick Coconut Milk, Two Doors, White Rice

Yee Heong Restaurant is a great place to enjoy a Chinese meal. It is one of the Chinese restaurants in Campbell Street, Georgetown that not only serves dim sum for breakfast but also Chu Char for lunch and dinner.

Over a period of time, we have been having our lunch and dinner at this Chinese restaurant which is located right opposite the morning wet market. The menu is expansive, with plenty of Chinese dishes!

One of their signature dishes, Braised Lamb!

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Tags: Aik Hoe Restaurant, Bean Curd, Bitter Aftertaste, Bitter Gourd, Braised Fish Head, Braised Lamb, Campbell Street, Chinese Dishes, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chinese Ingredients, Chinese Meal, Chu Char, Clay Pot, Claypot, Fish Dish, Fish Dishes, Fish Head, Flavorful Sauce, Herbal Aroma, Herbal Chicken, Penang Restaurant, Sambal, Signature Dish, Signature Dishes, Sour Plum, Spinach Soup, Steam Fish Teochew Style, TekSen, Vegetable Dish, Vegetable Dishes, Wet Market, Yee Heong Restaurant

The Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe which is famous for its seafood is situated next to the Tua Pek Kong Temple in Tanjung Tokong with a beautiful seaside view overlooking the North Channel. I went there several times with my family and friends for lunch and dinner.

The seafood is cooked in very simple method, with their signature dish of coal-baked crabs and salt-baked prawns. I’ve eaten baked crabs in Teluk Kumbar Seafood, Crab Village Restaurant and Khuntai Restaurant, but I find this place produces the best baked crabs. The restaurant owner relies on these two signature dishes to pull in the customers.

Straight to the delicious food!

My mouth started watering with the aroma of the baked prawns filling the air. The salt-baked prawns with the smoky taste have us sucking and licking the shell.

Baked Prawn at RM18 half a kilo

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Tags: Baby Chicken, Brown Beans, Coconut Drink, Cold Beer, Crabs, Deep Fried Calamari, Delicious Food, Finger Food, Flour Mixture, Pearl Lagoon, Peh, Prawn, Restaurant Owner, Sambal Sauce, Sea Pearl, Seaside View, Signature Dish, Signature Dishes, Stir Fried, Tanjung Tokong Penang

See Kong Ooi Restaurant in Transfer Road Penang which specializes in Hainanese and Hokkien chu char dishes is fondly refer as Sai Kong Huin by most of the Penangites Hokkien. It has been around for several decades now, and is still going strong until today!

This post is a collection of my trips to this restaurant, so don’t be shocked by the amount of food! I’ve made the trip there several times with my family and food bloggers BBO, Lingzie, Ken and NKOTB.

First time visiting a “KEDAI MAKAN”!

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Tags: Array, Assam, Bbo, Bee Fish, Big Boys, Black Meat, Blog, Bloggers, Business Hour, Compliment, Curry, Decades, Dishes, Fish Curry, Fish One, Flavours, Freshness, Fried Fish, Fried Pork, Gps, Gps 5, Gps Coordinates, Gravy, Hainanese Cuisine, Halal, Hokkien, Huin, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Kedai Makan, Lady Fingers, Leeks, Lunch, Meat Selection, Minced Meat, New Kid, Onion, Onions, Ooi, Penang, Penang Chu Char, Penang Hokkien, Plenty Of Times, Point Of Interest, Prawn, Prawn Sambal, Prawns, Sai Kong, Salted Fish, Sambal, Sambal Prawn, Shanghai, Signature Dish, Soy Sauce, Steam, Steamer, Stir Fried, Suan, Transfer Road, Vege, Vegeta, White Rice, Zhar