vkeong loves good food, travel and photography!
Bayan Lepas
Ayu Mee Udang @ Teluk Kumbar, Penang
Jan 31st
Ayu Mee Udang, this restaurant needs no further introduction. It is one of the most famous Mee Udang in Teluk Kumbar (Penang) and was featured in various TV shows.
Food price has increased recently, seafood is no exception. Here, the normal serving of Mee Udang costs RM15 while the special edition is priced at RM22. It is not cheap but I thought it was worthy of a try. When the noodles came I was like “dude, where’s my prawns?”
Ah Basri Satay Restaurant @ Sungai Ara, Penang
Mar 28th
First of all, this post contains horse meat. Horse meat is still very rare for consumption in the world and it is even considered as taboo in some countries. In Malaysia horse meat is almost unheard of and even if you chance upon it, it would be most probably in those exotic food restaurants. So if you are uncomfortable with that, please do not read further.
If you didn’t know, I used to stay at Sungai Ara for about two years before I moved to KL in 2008. But I have never seen Ah Basri Satay Restaurant in the neighbourhood so they must have set up their Satay restaurant after that. The only reason I came back to Sungai Ara for AB Satay is because it received high praises from various food bloggers and some even claimed it as the best satay in Penang.
Having tasted personally, the best satay in Singapore, I had high expectations and eager to see how they both match up.
Kampachi Japanese Restaurant @ Hotel Equatorial Penang
Feb 24th
As far as Japanese restaurants go, Kampachi of Hotel Equatorial located at Bukit Jambul was and still remains as one of the top ones in Penang. Kampachi’s reputation is so strong that when you think of having great Japanese food, the restaurant comes into mind. However, the indulgence comes with a price, as Kampachi is also one of the most expensive Japanese restaurants in town.
Because of that, I never stepped foot into Kampachi even though I had lots of opportunity to visit them. For each state that I went to either study or work, there is a Kampachi restaurant. For example in Melaka where I had my pre-U, in Penang where I grew up and in KL and Bangi (Selangor) where I completed my degree and worked for 4 years.
It’s kinda ironic considering I am more than willing to pay and go for some unknown Japanese buffets lol. So one day I just decided it was time to aim for quality instead of quantity and finally had my first meal at Kampachi. Oh well, better late than never.
One noticeable difference with Kampachi as soon as we started ordering was that the waitresses were professional, helpful and able to give recommendations. Even when you ask about the ingredients, they were able to answer accurately and confidently. Some would just run back to the kitchen to ask the chefs for answers lol.
By the way I didn’t go alone yeah, my brother came along and I decided to treat him because it was New Year. Besides, he always fetched me home whenever I took a flight. So you can say it was both a celebration and ‘thank him’ meal. Tori No Tatsuta-Age (Deep-fried Marinated Chicken) @ RM22 was his order, made even before I could open the menu lol. Good choice though, the fried chicken used the thigh part resulting in a very succulent taste and can be dipped into ponzu sauce.
Then for my compulsory sashimi fix, Shake (salmon) Sashimi @ RM42. It was the most expensive item we had that night, but deemed worth it for the thick slices given. Freshness was top notch too. All it required was a quick dip into the shoyu for the extra flavoring.
Toasted Bread Half Boiled Eggs @ Joo Leong Cafe
Feb 3rd
Along the road to the airport from [tag]Bayan Lepas[/tag], there’s a [tag]coffee shop[/tag] which is always crowded in the mornings. People throng the place as early as 7am for [tag]Joo Leong[/tag] Cafe’s toasted bread and half boiled eggs. The coffee shop is a bit hard to notice because there’s no signboard or any indications it is selling such breakfast. The many number of vehicles parked outside the coffee shop which stretch as far as 50 meter away show the popularity of this establishment.
