Boat Noodle, Sunway Carnival Mall @ Seberang Jaya

Boat noodles originates from Thailand and if you are in Victory Monument in Bangkok, there are plenty of boat noodles restaurant to choose from. My personal favourite is the one where the staffs wore orange shirts. That is the original or most popular restaurant serving boat noodles in Bangkok to go for. Boat noodles are actually noodles served in bowls by sellers on boats along the river. But this has been modernised and we now have them served in air-conditioned restaurant in shopping malls. So, unlike what my friend had in mind, the noodles are not served in boat shaped noodles. There are few variants to the original dish when it comes to its broth - usually pork based with pork blood or clear and light soy sauce. 

Anyway, this little humble dish invaded Penang just a couple of years ago on the island side at Summerton, Bayan Baru (near Queensbay Mall) and recently, it is now opened in EAT at Level 2 of Sunway Carnival Mall in Seberang Jaya. Yay for home turf! Good news to my Muslim friends, it is halal! Double YAY! 

Common condiments for boat noodles for chilli lovers.  

 The other side of the menu

 This is actually the whole menu. 

Noodles or rice as mains and they have other side dishes and desserts, too. 

 The kitchen where the noodles are made. 

 The drinks counter and cashier. There is an order form on each table and you just have to fill up your own order and hand it to the waiting staffs. FYI, the service is a bit slow. From order to meal on table, it took around 15-20 mins during my visit. 

 Signature side dish - grilled chicken meatballs. RM3.90

Seriously?

 The rest of our order. 

 The drinks are by Chill Chill and you can actually bring home the container if you can't finish it or just as a souvenir. There is a lid and the cashier can give you a little plastic carrier for the drinks. 

Iced Lemon Tea RM6.90 and drink of the day RM3.90. The drink of the day was lemongrass tea. 

The Chill Chill Agenda.  

   We had a late breakfast so wasn't prepared to have more than 2 bowls each. We ordered one of each of broth - Pathumthani and Ayutthaya. RM1.90 each. 

 Ayutthaya broth - strong herbal taste. 

 Pathumthani, lighter soy sauce broth. I prefer this one. 

As a customary end to our meal, we stack 'em bowls up and take a photo. 

As we live, there is a long queue outside of the restaurant. Good thing about this place is that it can cater to big groups. I don't think you can RSVP in advance. 

I would recommend it for first timers and also light eaters. For more information, check out their Facebook page here or its website here. 

Doraku Japanese Restaurant, Sunway Perdana @ Seberang Jaya

Yet another Japanese restaurant in Sunway Perdana (now there are 3 including Sushi Zento and Japin, which recently reopened) and this new establishment offers a more diverse menu of Japanese and Korean dishes. It was opened formally on 14th July 2016 and I took the opportunity to check out their food the very next day with friends and the following Monday with my family. Both occasions were lunch time and the set lunch menu has yet to be introduced. 

First impression upon entering, the ambience is very warm reminiscence of a fishing village. All the wood work and decorations make you feel like you are dining adventurously. The owner put a lot of effort and money into decorating this restaurant that there is also a white wedding kimono hanging on the wall. Luxuriously done. This restaurant comprised of 2 shop office units at ground floor and it accommodates big groups, too. Best to RSVP if you are coming in a big group to avoid disappointment. 

Then we proceeded with the menu. As it is new, my friends and I arrived about 10 minutes before 1pm just before the peak hour for lunch. So, getting seats for 4 was no problem. Promptly greeted by the staffs at the entrance and seated almost immediately. The menu is thick, extensive and it can take some time to decide what to eat. Colourful, descriptive but exorbitant prices. After we have placed the order, I looked at the menu from cover to cover, am amazed with its extensive selection of sushi, sashimi and overpriced set menus. Fans of sashimi may love this place.  

Collagen ramen??

It got me curious. What is collagen ramen? It is a rich broth made from free-range chicken down to its bones. I ordered it and my friends ordered other dishes that has cheese in them. 

 Seafood Doria - RM23.00, one of Doraku's signature dish

Cheese and curry don? 

 My Collagen Ramen

I am actually very impressed with it. 

At RM21.00 a bowl and it has lots of vegetables comprising of cabbages, carrots and bamboo shoots. It is worth every penny and it is huge! Enough to be shared with 2 persons. The broth is amazing! I felt so pampered after eating this. Generous portion of pork meat, too and they might want to go easy with the seasoning for the hard boiled egg. It is a bit salty. I rate this bowl of ramen 8/10. 

When we ordered earlier, the staff did advise that not many people could take the cheese dishes as it is heavy which is true to one of my friends. So, it depends on what you fancy eating that day at the restaurant. We did not get drinks and had only plain water (refillable). That too is at RM1.50 per person which is ridiculous but looking at the amount of effort put in to the restaurant, it didn't bothered us much. Do order green tea instead. It is also priced at RM1.50 too. I was flabbergasted when I saw the bill on Monday when I revisited the restaurant with my family.

This lucky cat will bless you each time you walk in and out of the restaurant! Haha..  

Ok. So fast forward Monday. It was a good start last Friday to the restaurant with my friends and colleagues that I decided to bring my mom and sister to check it out too. We ordered to share unlike last week when we each ordered individually. 

 Mabo Ramen - RM19.00. It is exactly like mabo tofu except there is ramen in them. It was a bit of a disappointment noting how big bowl the collagen ramen was on Friday. This is definitely not enough for sharing. 

 Kurobuta Katsuni - RM31.00. 

A very good deep fried pork cutlet soaked in omelette and soy sauce concoction while being kept boiling/simmering until you've finish it. The sauce is a nice compliment to the bland ochazuke (below). 

Salmon ochazuke - RM25.00. 

It is basically rice with tea. I don't think I've seen this anywhere else in Penang (maybe there is but I didn't get to try them). It may not be pleasant to people who enjoy strong flavoured food. But, this is a good and healthy options for people who cannot take too much salt and fat. Subtle to taste and very healthy. 

There is not much publicity about this restaurant yet except for this one which I found through Google shared by FlashnGo Ken's Facebook page here and the post is in Chinese. It has all the necessary contact information you need for the restaurant. To ease reference, Doraku is in between Al Nur Nasi Kandar and PTPTN office at Sunway Perdana Commercial Centre, Seberang Jaya. 

Service charge of 10% and GST of 6% applies. There is a few hours break in between lunch and dinner service. Opens at 11.30am til 3pm and reopens by 6pm til 10pm. You will need to use MPSP's parking coupons on Mondays to Saturdays, 9am-9pm. Sunway Perdana or Bandar Sunway as a whole as this business area is infamous for hardworking council officers issuing parking summonses at an hourly interval.  

Gold Choice Barista Cafe @ Raja Uda, Butterworth

This franchise was opened by an acquaintance (though not publicly announced) but with social media, this cafe gained popularity not just because of its coffee but also because of their waffles and puff pastry pizzas. 

A colleague of mine frequented this cafe almost every night on weekdays and sometimes even over the weekends just for their chocolate waffles. It was a shame that the chocolate waffles were sold out the night I visited. So, for an optimum experience and enjoyment of the menu, do drop by on weekdays or nights. Biasness aside, the environment is really warm and the tables were designed for 2 or 4 patrons each. There are few comfortable seatings for bigger groups at the front or the back of the cafe so, timing is really important or perhaps just delegation of attendance. 

Anyway, unlike other cafes I've been in Raja Uda (Arnold Cycling Cafe aside), it is packed. Really. Even though they've opened for some time now since the Chinese New Year yet the response they get is overwhelming even until today. I took my colleague's word for it. So, this is a throwback post as it has been a month ago since I've visited Gold Choice. The same day since I've visited Coffee Venture, too. So, Gold Choice is located near Aroma Hotel and the Library. So, if you are familiar of this location, you should also know that Maoz Cafe, Armor Cafe and Shunka Japanese Restaurant are also near this establishment. Parking could be a pain but if you don't mind walking, you can walk nearer to the karaoke joint or at the empty shoplot units opposite Gold Choice. 

Italian cuisine inspired menu. Their take of pizza or pasteleria is a lighter version of even New York Crust Pizza. You get less crust and more ingredients in a mouthful. Belgian waffles are brilliant as it comes in few flavours - original, chocolate and coffee. 

 The emblem of the barista cafe is of a rosetta, one of the basic latte art in coffees around the world. 

 Many well wishes and congratulatory bouquets at the counter. 

Hawaiian Pasteleria 

  Coffee flavoured Belgian waffles with bananas and chocolate ice cream. 

Awesome comfort food on any day! 

I do understand why my colleague love this place so much, not just because they served waffles but because they have the atmosphere that most cafe don't. It is not as posh as Macallum Connoisseur or Marlons+Co and yet not as shabby as old-school kopitiam so it came right in between these two high and low ends of coffee drinking rendezvous. It is not intimidating and yet you felt welcomed. It fitted the image of Butterworth very well so that's why the place is packed all the time. Warm and welcoming. As a support to this anonymous acquiantance of mine whom I could see almost every morning or any time of day at home, good luck and all the best! 

Gold Choice Barista Cafe  

No. 3, Butterworth Business City Centre,
Jalan Raja Uda,
12300 Butterworth, Penang
Tel: 04-313 7658
Opening hours: 
Monday-Thursday : 10.30am-12am
Friday-Sunday : 10.30am-1am
Homepage 

Coffee Venture @ Jalan Raja Uda, Butterworth

Sleepy town of Raja Uda in Butterworth is getting wake up call from the recent blooming of artisan coffee and cafes especially at the top of Jalan Raja Uda where there is a newly CCC obtained shop offices on the left side (if coming from Jalan Telaga Air or Taman Bagan) of the main road. 

Coffee Venture is a big cafe, occupying two units of the ground floor shop offices and it is visible from the main road. You will not missed it after the Khian Guan biscuit factory heading north towards 7-Village Noodle House or Kwang Hwa Primary School. Parking spaces are plenty as Coffee Venture is the only establishment there. As it is new, so it is crowded especially on weekends during coffee breaks and after-8 at night. 

As most of my friends and family members know, coffee is not my first option and it never will be unless I have no choice or if the cafe is really famous because of its coffee (hint: starbucks or coffee beans or costa coffee). I have a low tolerance for caffeine in coffees that I could not sleep a wink at night as it will make me tense and agitated. Ok, you guys get it right? But, I like teas and I could have them at any time of day and I could still sleep at night, comfortably regardless of how strong it is. Hence, I may not be a coffee connoisseur so do pardon my comments on non-coffee drinks instead. However, I enjoy #cafesurfing and #cafehopping in Penang as there are so many of them. It's like a new cafe open each week in Penang at this rate that the trend is going. 

The internal furnishings of the cafe is geography inspired where you get to know where does coffee beans come from. As you can see from the map, it all came from countries that is below the equator line, notably South America, Africa and some parts of South East Asia. The price in the menu is mid range (between RM8 to RM20).  

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon, where most people will be indoors at home napping but not for us and these guests. 

Free wifi? Do check with the cashier. 

I guess it is commendable of all cafes to offer complimentary water counter such as this. It goes really well with milk based drinks and quench your thirst even more. So, lemon water was really thoughtful for the customers. 

I fell in love with Kaffa's Chocolate Macchiato (with salted caramel laced on top) and when I saw that Coffee Venture has salted caramel milk (top pic, bottom), I ordered it right away. Tasted like popcorn in a mug with milk! Fragrant and smooth to taste. It will do justice to the drink even more to at least drizzle some caramel on top crisscross fashion and laced the drink with sea salt at the rim of the cup. That'll do my good cuppa at any day. 

Croissant with tuna and side salad. 

It is overbaked but nonetheless, smells good of butter. 

Chicken bolognaise

French toast! Good! It's appealing and fluffy. 

As the cafe is big, so it is a good place for big group gatherings over drinks and cakes. Yet to try the cakes for now.

Coffee Venture
23 & 25, Jalan Raja Uda,
Pusat Perniagaan Raja Uda,
12300 Butterworth, Penang
Tel: 013-582 3388
Facebook page 

Haem-beogo, Megamal Pinang

Happy New Year!!!

I am late by about 10 days but it is still not too late. After all, another New Year is coming that is the Chinese New Year! So, I wish all my readers, have enough and plenty to eat. Travel more to see the world and most importantly, be happy and always be merry! 

So, Haem-beogo appeared in my sister's Facebook and noting that it is a novel restaurant in mainland Penang, we decided to give this place a try. We didn't have any expectation but we were excited that it is Korean. At least. 

Megamall Pinang had losts its popularity in recent years due to the island competitors like QBM, GPs and 1st Avenue but nevertheless, I am seeing this mall turning into Sungei Wang Plaza or Berjaya Times Square. It still has patrons but I am glad that it could still sustain until today. I was surprised to see how busy level 2 was this afternoon. A corner just after Popular Bookstore, was occupied with just 4-5 eateries, namely Little Chef, Little Saigon, Delights, Tasty-inn and Haem-beogo, which is the highlight of this post. Note to myself, must go back there for Vietnamese food at Little Saigon. 

Their tagline:

“Annyeong Haseyo! “안녕하세요”.
We Bring You The Authentic Korean Burger Experience. 당신을 사랑합니다. 

The restaurant has "indoor" and "outdoor" seatings and we chose the "indoor" one for its ambience.  

The menu. As you can see, the dishes are named after cities in South Korea, boasting their signature pork/beef burgers.  The prices shown are just for the burger and with 2 different type of add ons, you can have a complete meal. RM3.90 for fries, kimchi and a drink or RM3.00 for bottomless drink. 

 The walls are nicely decorated to give foodies a Korean eatery feel. 

You could also learn some simple Korean words or phrases by looking at one side of the wall. 

The size of the glass is unexpected - Venti in Starbuck's scale. So, it is good enough for one person.  

I ordered Busan Kimchi Pork haembeogo (hamburger) - RM12.90 with RM3.90 add on.  

My sister had the Masan BBQ Beef burger - RM17.90 and with RM3.90 add on.  

I didn't capture the add on description on the menu, so this should give you an idea. A sink is available on the premise to wash your hands after your meal.  

We graded our dining experience as "A" for effort to the management and so-so for the overall taste and price.  

Don't be surprise to see these two restaurants share tables and chairs as they are owned by the same management. So, you can have food from Tasty-inn at Haem-beogo. 

Their facebook page is here and their website here.