Famous Teochew Cendol & Asam Laksa, Kafe Joo Hooi, Lebuh Keng Kwee off Penang Road

Weeks back, I took the opportunity of the cloudy weather and drizzling rain to stop by for cendol and laksa! It will be less queue and people on rainy weather, so that’s what I thought… anyways, I managed to find a nice pace to park further down the lane.. walked in the drizzles of rain to the coffee shop. Not many people surrounding the stalls during that time..

Jeng jeng jeng.. I was quite wrong, no people outside but loads of them inside! Full house… but lucky me, I managed to get a nice old fashioned booth seat (not many places has this kind of seats anymore.. only the surviving coffee shops from the olden days)..  at the corner of the coffee shop… just like how I like it.. if I’m eating alone, I usually prefer a corner seat, so I get a nice view since I will have no one to talk to.. might as well observe the human behaviour.

It was fast, the auntie of the coffee shop helped me to order my cendol while I order my bowl of laksa. And it was served quite immediately.. Cendol is actually made from rice flour with pandan(screwpine) leaves green colour and fragrance.. if I’m not mistaken… and it’s the worm looking green jelly strips itself.

So, it’s usually served with fine shaved ice, accompanied by sweetened and soften kidney beans, a nice scoop of coconut milk and topped with gula melaka syrup. So over the time, regardless how it is being served, it is still known as cendol (as a whole dessert itself). Compared to Baba Cendol in Malacca, it’s more of cendol, shaved iced, kidney beans, thicker coconut milk and thick gula melaka syrup. Teochew cendol is has more liquid (well, not sure if it’s meant to be like that or the shaved ice just melted too fast) and great as thirst quencher for hot sunny days.. but it’s as good too on cold rainy days!

Penang Asam Laksa was voted by CNN International and ranked 7th as most delicious food in the world… And the asam laksa here may look ordinary, but it tastes good! The soup may not be as murky as other asam laksa in the market, but it is surprisingly delicious! In Penang, I usually get my laksa fix in few specific places only, and this is one of it.

At MYR3.50 for small bowl, MYR4.00 for big bowl, and yes, it is slightly more expensive that few other places. This is gurney drive’s price :D

Uncle preparing bowls of laksa… not so friendly though cos there’s this lady next to my table asked, howcome so expensive? He somehow responded on a defensive tone by saying, “Expensive? Where got expensive? Now laksa is at this price one mah..” Anyways, he runs the stall with his wife… wife nampak more okay.. :P

Little laksa stall at the side entrance… Besides laksa, there’s also char koay teow stall and also hokkien mee stall… If I’m not mistaken, my ex colleague once told me that the hokkien mee is good too… or was it char koay teow? I can’t remember, but have not tried any of both… oh ya.. ada rojak too…

The cendol/cendul/chendul (whichever you want it to be spelt) stall is just outside the coffee shop… Opposite also ada another stall which is not so famous ler :P If cendol is not your choice of dessert, you can opt for ice kacang also even ice ball with syrup!

Joo Hooi Kafe is located at Lebuh Keng Kwee off Penang Road… very easy to locate.. just adjacent to Chowrasta Market..

Not too busy on a rainy days and a normal weekend… Fellow flogger Taufulou was there during the festive season… checkout the crowd…

It has been operating for many many years and earned their reputation for being the best Penang Cendol, so don’t be surprised with the crowd of tourists, locals or maybe even celebrities(if you are lucky) when you are there… Ang they actually have like 7 branches nationwide… latest branch is at Bagam Ajam

Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul
Lebuh Keng Kwee, Off Penang Road
Business Hours : Mon – Fri 10:30 am - 7:00 pm | Sat – Sun 10:00 am - 7:30 pm

Website here & here.. and mai siao siao.. Facebook pun ada.. here

Seafood Porridge & Vermicelli Soup, Joo Leong Cafe, Bayan Lepas

Joo Leong Cafe is nothing new to those staying in Bayan Lepas Area. During the day, they are open for the famous roti bakar, half boiled eggs, nasi lemak and other breakfast fares. I have previously blogged about it here.

In the evening, they are open for seafood porridge and seafood vermicelli soup. You get to choose your ingredients from fresh fish and assorted seafood and fish balls, and they will have it prepared to your order.

Regular drinks we would order.. but actually, not everywhere has this grass jelly drink, aside from the one in cans… this one has generous amount of the jelly.. very refreshing… 

My vermicelli soup with fish (white pomfret) and one big fresh prawn… MYR 13.00. I think the prawn alone cost MYR5!

But I have no complains as both the fish and prawns were really fresh… the fish meat was smooth, firm and sweet, the prawn was also really firm and fresh! It’s overall, very pleasant to eat…

Porridge was also with fish meat (white pomfret) and 2 pieces of fish ball.. I think it was MYR 7.00 or 8.00.  Taste also not bad. Overall, it was a little expensive than regular fish meat porridge because of the fish we chose.. well, not that we have any choice when there’s only white pomfret left, and not other fish meat… Also, if you wish to have half boil eggs and roti bakar for dinner, you may also make an order.

Besides the in house seafood porridge and vermicelli, there are 3 other stalls, and one of it is selling kangkung(water convolvulus) cuttlefish. Presentation was not bad but I have to say it’s one of the most expensive I’ve ever had. For a small place, it’s MYR8.00. Things are getting very expensive these days… food especially…

Ths is basically it, a MYR8.00 plate. Taste wise, just so so…

There’s another stall selling satay.. MYR0.60 per stick. Also just so so.. the satay sauce was not good, a little diluted and not so rich.. Satay meat was also thin, but good thing is there’s no chicken fat/skin.

The satay stall.. business not bad also…

and the sotong kangkung (cuttlefish+water convolvulus) stall.. and the other stall sells the salted chicken…

Joo Leong Cafe (裕隆茶室)
179-H, Sungei Tiram,
11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang.

Tel (1) : 010-4124865
Tel (2) : 012-4984865

Business Hours : 6.20 am to 11.30 am (Breakfast) 6.00 pm to 11.30 pm. (Dinner)
Closed on Mondays

Bar-B-Q Plaza, Gurney Plaza

*Non-Halal

Bar-B-Q Plaza has been opened for some time but I have not actually made an effort to pay them a visit… but I did question myself also, why did I not go to any of the branches I came across when I was holidaying in Bangkok? Bar-B-Q Plaza is a Thai based company, you will see its advertisement at the front of the restaurants and also in the skytrains…

It’s a Mongolian/Japanese style barbeque whereby the barbeque pan has both grilling and broth part surrounding the grill. Broth supplied is actually just plain water (I thought it was supposed to be some broth), whereby the sweetness will come from the meat, vegetable and seafood.

Then there’s supply of garlic, cili padi, lime for dipping purposes.. along with the barbeque sauce.. Then there’s pork lard and fat for grilling… to oil the grill so the meat does not stick.. the garlic and the cili padi are very pathetically dry! It’s like they have been chopped and left for few days… dry and even start to turn a bit black… *shakes head*

The utensils are very simple and basic.. nothing fancy… that dragon mascot there is called Bar B Gon.

Just simply mix everything up like how I use to mix for my bak kut teh…

           

Anyways, how did i end myself there? It started from the voucher I bought form everyday… they have a promotion for Supreme pork/beef set for MYR18.50nett only. Normal price is MYR31.90 ++. So I thought since it’s a good deal, why not :D So we went for the pork set.. The set came with a generous amount of good looking pork slices, chicken meat, bacon, some seafood like swid and shrimp, udon noodles, and vegetables… a lot of cabbage strips which were very dry and not fresh too…

Yummy looking porky!

So everything goes to the grill!

We were recommended the garlic rice, claimed that it’s a favourite compared to white rice… well, i thought it was going to be like those Japanese garlic rice… well, it’s not.. it’s basically just like our regular home fried rice topped with fried garlic… and it’s like freid rice that has been mass fried and kept aside.. whenever there’s order, they’ll just scoop and serve it cos it’s not exactly that hot too…

Everything kinda all over.. we are amateurs… so still not skilled into grilling and cooking it in nice pretty arrangement :P

With the promotion, we get to order selected sides for half price so we tried a couple of them.. one of it is Som Tam with soft shell crab, normal price MYR 8.90++. It was spicy.. just okay.. but also like those that has been prepared in prior… cos the papaya strips were kinda soft and soggy already… and the soft shell crabs were also very oily.. I believe was also prepared in prior… presentation was good, but overall was just not that good…

Did not taste as good as it looks… som tam is one of my favourite Thai fares.. so this one did not meet the expectation…

We also ordered Shioyaki Squid, normal price MYR8.90++. Also nicely presented but did not taste as good as it looks… i think also those prepared in prior… cos it’s not hot when served…

Part of the menu… they actually have a lot of sets and dishes to choose from… but am not sure if it’s good or not since i have not so good experience with the dried and not fresh garlic, cili padi and cabbages, the garlic rice and the 2 sides… hmm… I should go try the one in Bangkok one day… need to know if this is of same quality… But looking at some of the reviews by those who have tried in Gurney Plaza, everything seems fine… so, has the service deteriorated? Or I’m just being unlucky being served with not so fresh items…on the bright side, the fresh meat was good though…

Bar-B-Q Plaza
Basement 1, Gurney Plaza,
Penang
04-2281487

Lai Xiang Bak Kut Teh @ BB Cafe near Sunshine, Bayan Baru

*Non-Halal

Another nearby bak kut teh spot at Bayan Lepas/Baru area that serves a not bad bak kut teh whenever there’s craving attack…  The bak kut teh stall only operates in the evening from 5:00pm to 11pm. But sometimes it runs out early… I went once at around 8 plus and they are sold out! No more bak kut teh oredi! :(

The stall is situated at the side of the BB cafe which is open in the morning to late afternoon only, so soon after the coffee shop is closed for the day, they make way for this bak kut teh stall.

Bak kut teh served in claypot, piping hot and still boiling when it it served! So, be careful! Bak kut teh is served with combination of pork (different parts of the meat), spare parts (as in innards/ internal organs), mushrooms, pork meatballs, curd sheets, beancurd and enoki mushrooms (kim chiam kor in hokkien) is available upon request and chargeable. You can also request on whichever ingredients you wish to have more/not to have it at all. All served in a yummy flavoursome herbal broth.

Yau char kway… chinese crullers pieces…

Must have garlic and cili padi combo with thick soya sauce…  and yes, I am suddenly eating a lot of cili padi.. I usually don’t.. sign of aging-changes in taste bud…

Blanched iceberg lettuce, with soy sauce and topped with dried meat floss… we called this dish “eu chai” as in oily vegetables… this is a regular normal vege dish served to accompany the bak kut teh… besides that, they also have fried bean curd, topped with kerabu-like vegetables (cucumber, onion and carrot thin strips) and Thai chili sauce…..

Banyak orang ohhh!

Lai Xiang Bak Kut Teh
At the side of BB Café (Corner lot of the shop houses behind Suntech)
Lintang Mayang Pasir 3,
11950 Bayan Baru, Penang

Happy National Day! Malaysia, 54 years of Independence!

Selamat Menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan yang ke 54 to all Malaysians. Together we celebrate, and live in perfect harmony!

Happy Birthday, Malaysia!