Chinatown Express (天天) @ Chinatown Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

Sweet and sour pork with egg fried rice - a bomb! 

An affordable place for Chinese food is at the top of Chinatown's gate, facing directly opposite St James Park is Chinatown Express. Although they have changed the staffs or maybe chefs, but the food is still the best. GBP5.80 will get you a main course and an appetizer. 

I totally forgotten about its salt and pepper squid. Don't forget to try their Thai Fried Rice, too. 

The link to the reviews on Chinatown Express in Tripadvisor is here. 

Lok Lok (Skewered style hot pot)

Based on Wikipedia for Penang Cuisine, "Snacks" section, lok-lok is defined as: -

"Lok-lok is a variant of the steamboat/hotpot meal, except that the food served is skewered and the skewered food is dipped into a hot boiling pot of water to be cooked. This is then dipped into a variety of sauces provided for you. A wide selection of food is served, ranging from seafood and meats to vegetables. The food is eaten off the skewer."

Not everyone can handle the way the food is serve or had to be served due to hygiene reasons. But, noting Penangites grew up eating hawker food either by the road side or beside a drain or even a football field, we have high tolerance against germs and bacterias. Well, most of us are. 

It is charged per stick based on its colour markings. So, usually red and black are much more ranging between 80 sen to RM1.00 and with the cheapest at RM0.20 usually not coloured if not in blue or green. Best to check with the stall owners. But what amused me the most is the way the owner calculate our bill. He counts very quickly and immediately right in front of us. I should have recorded it but I am sure you can find some in Youtube. 

It is not difficult to find if you know where is the market.

Pulau Tikus Market,
10350 George Town,
Pulau Pinang

Late evening, dinner or supper only.

Pork Satay, Sin Yin Nam Cafe, New Lane

Brace yourself for a wholesome plate of fragrant and tasty pork satay! RM10.00 for 10 skewers of lemon grass goodness!

Only available at night. New Lane is where Sunway Hotel is in Georgetown. So for a good stay with hawker food just a walk away, New Lane is for you.

Char Koay Teow @Siam Road, Penang

a good plate of char koay teow is one that is fried with charcoal fire! 火气! 

I got to know about this place through a local television program called Taste with Jason (阿贤人情味). Jason or Axian went on a char koay teow hunting in Penang in one particular episode. One of the places he tried and recommended is the one at Siam Road, Georgetown.

What makes this different from others is that the vendor, an old uncle serve each plate of char koay teow with the usual ingredients - pork lard, koay teow, waxed pork sausage, prawns, chives, bean sprouts and eggs and it was fried individually using fire fuelled with charcoal. He will fan up the fire with his left hand and then fry the dish with his right hand. His son is in charged of taking orders and serve the orders to hungry fans or first timers, like me.

I've been wanting to try out this plate of char koay teow ever since I got to know about it but the chance didn't come until a friend of mine who is a Penang food enthusiast from Singapore, sought a recommendation for a good plate of char koay teow ("ckt"). It struck me that we must try the one at Siam Road and after calling up my mother just to verify on the uncle's stall opening times, we drove to Siam Road from Gurney Drive with a glimpse of hope to taste a plate of ckt. It was already 6.40pm when we started our drive and the uncle has started selling ckt since 3pm that day.

Lady Luck was on our side and we get our chance! We sat at the kopitiam opposite the uncle's stall and waited patiently. You must be patient and have a friend with you because the wait for your turn will take up to an hour!

The taste is good, not that salty and packed with flavour. The price, only RM3.30 for the smallest plate. The portion commensurate with the price. For better experience in which my friend taught me, order two small plates instead of one big plate. That way, you get to taste the ckt fully without stuffing yourself silly in one plate.

Siam Road Char Koay Teow
Corner of Siam Road and Anson Road
(Seating in Hock Ban Hin Café).
Georgetown 10400 Penang

House of Udang Galah (H.U.G.)

 Peking duck

 stir fry pork

 signature tofu

 chicken

 treasure pot

 freshwater prawns

 claypot fish - catch of the day

deep fried or stir fried kailan

This restaurant, House of Udang Galah or HUG, located along Jalan Hutton just before New World Park if you are coming from Jalan Larut after exiting from Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah in Georgetown, Penang. Its ambience and price are fit for occasions only. If you don't mind paying more for high end Chinese delicacies, this one is worth trying at least once. "Udang galah" is "fresh water prawns" in English and the prawns are home bred. Try having it with their signature sauce of lime and chillies. It really gives a good kick and wake you up! 

The Peking duck is served like how it was in UK's Chinatown. The duck meat is shredded finely and served with some spring roll or popiah skin, sweet bean sauce, spring onions and cucumber strips. 

We celebrated my dad's birthday in this restaurant and for that purpose, we found our dining experience with HUG to be great! Staffs were friendly and always nearby to help. 

House of Udang Galah Sdn Bhd 
203 A&B, Hutton Lane,
Georgetown 10050 Penang, Malaysia.
Tel: (604)-226-4380
Fax: (604)-226-4266
HP: (601)-947-00998

Qi Yuan (奇苑) / Restoran China Chuan Kwong, Ipoh

My sister recommended this place and it was good. Ipoh is not just famous for its boiled chickens and bean sprouts, it is also famous for dimsum!

Yes, dimsum. I have love for only the rich egg custard steamed buns or "lao-sha bao" (流沙包)!

This knife cut noodles in clear broth and pork meat is also worth trying. The noodles has refreshing texture and very nice to chew on.

 Tada~~ The custard buns! The buns could be yellow or white in exterior. 

Check out the runny filling inside. So, be careful when you take the first bite or first tear off the bun. 

This is rather novel. Steamed scallop and as dimsum? I have not seen it anywhere else before. 

Dimsum is best with Chinese tea and family or friends. Be as early as you can. Otherwise, you'll have to wait.

Check Qi Yuan out if you want to try something less mainstream than Foh San.

Qi Yuan (奇苑) / Restoran China Chuan Kwong
No. 74, Persiaran Greentown 1,
30450 Ipoh, Perak.

Restoran Onn Kee (Tauge Ayam), Ipoh

To be honest, there were two restaurants of almost the same name (especially in Chinese). There is one which is a corner unit and the other (air conditioned) just next to Lou Wong. I went to the air-conditioned one. 

It is the must-eat when in Ipoh. Chicken with beansprouts. 

The beansprouts are different than those in Penang. It is more full in size and plump. Crunchier, too and it didn't have that much of a raw taste to it. I am not favouring or siding with any of the local eateries for this delicacy but one thing is for sure, different people have different preferences.

My tip, try all the places in Ipoh serving this. You can have the chicken and beansprouts with rice or flat rice noodles a.k.a. "koay teow" in Hokkien / "hor fun" in Cantonese.  

Restoran Onn Kee (Tauge Ayam)

(安記芽菜雞沙河粉)

51, Jalan Yau Tet Sin
30300 Ipoh
Perak

A humble first post, with more to come and hopefully, with much improved contents.