Dragon-i Fantastic RM 1 Promotion!

Hmh...haven't you heard? Don't let the chicken fly the coop! Hahaha...again, passing it along to those who still do not know.



For more info, click here.

Dragon-i Chain of Restaurants:

Mid Valley Megamall
Cititel Mid Valley Main Lobby

1 Utama Shopping Mall
Lot S313A, New Wing

Centrepoint Bandar Utama
G115, Ground Floor

The Curve
Lot 136 & 137

Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall
G1.43, Ground Floor

Cheras Leisure Mall
G22 & 22A, Ground Floor

Queensbay Mall Penang
Lot 77, 78, 79 & 81, 2nd Floor

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Lot 1.13, Level 1

AEON Bukit Tinggi
Lot G53, Ground Floor

Sushi Promotion at Sushi King Outlets 13-16 April 2009

Just passing this along for those who have not heard/ seen. Live to eat! :D

For more information, you can visit their website by clicking here.

Old Town Kitchen - Authentic Chinese Kopitiam in Butterworth

This old-style coffee shop is located at Jalan Kampung Benggali, Butterworth near the Ferry Station. It is situated at the row behind Mobil station and UOB bank. I was told that it is one of the best authentic Chinese kopitiam around the area, serving dishes like home-made fishball, Penang Hokkien Mee and some other dishes. And they do catering for events as well.

I've had encounters with many 'best' restaurants/ dishes during my trip thus far, so here's another for you to try if ever you're around the vicinity.

The front of the restaurant along a row of very old shop lots in Butterworth.

Humble setting - it was airy and clean, which is good. No flies here, so thumbs up for that.


Customers hehe (actually that's our company director who brought us here, saying it comes highly recommended by Penangites)

The cashier.

The prices here are noticeably cheaper than back in KL/ PJ.

There...the famous Penang Hokkien Mee...it was good!

Some other dishes we ordered...this shop is famous for its home-made, no-preservative/ additives fishballs.

Wiped out clean...we were famished! :P

To be honest, I didn't get the impression that the food served here was so out of the ordinary. It was nice, no doubt...but maybe I'm just not a 'noodles' person.

Restaurant Old Town Kitchen

No. 4004, Jalan Kampung Benggali,

12200 Butterworth.

Tel: 04-3331534

Famous Hawker Center In Penang

During my trip to Penang, a friend who was a Penangite was adamant to bring us to this hawker center that she claimed was much better and more reasonably priced than Gurney Drive when I mentioned how much I missed the Gurney Assam Laksa.

Gurney Drive was getting very commercialized and the quality was dropping she told me in a no-nonsense tone. Who else was I to believe but a person who actually lived here? I agreed and so we took the drive towards Macalister Road.

The hawker center was located right in front of Sunway Hotel along Lorong Baru. Ahh, what a familiar sight. Malaysia's after all filled with glutton corners such as these, with bright neon lights and rows and rows of mobile stalls from which smoke and steam was rising. Not to mention the number of tables and chairs carelessly laid by the roadside, inviting anyone who'd care for a bite to have a seat.

A typical sight at a hawker's center in Penang.


Rows and rows of makeshift stalls along the road side.


This one's located along Lorong Baru...reputed to be one of the better centers in Penang.


Bright lights, with hawkers shouting out the names of their dishes in a sing-song way, attracting people to come to their stalls.


Beef ball soup anybody?


Tables filled with customers from all walks of life.


This sight reminds me of Mom & Dad and my younger days...*sigh* How time flies!

Then, of course was the food! In abundance too! Hawker centers are meant to be enjoyed with many friends so you can try a variety of dishes. Here's our 2 Penang Laksas and Char Kuay Kark...(I'm not sure how to translate that into English...it's something like fried kuey tiaw but not quite... never mind that, you just have to know that it was delicious! :P)

Satay - one of the best I've ever tried...better than Kajang satay, sorry Kajang pips! And my favorite dessert, Lengchikang. Have to try this in Penang, it is different anywhere else, I swear!

The Assam Laksa again with erm...black prawn sauce (in the spoon)...

Our curry noodle with pig's blood...errrr...I skipped the chunks of pig's blood but Penangites seem to think they're heaven-sent for some reason or another!

Yeah...the nationally famous Char Kuey Tiaw.


Digging in...three girls with all these food...amazing we didn't flip over with a tear in the belly.

All done! *Applause* :P

Verdict: If you don't mind the noise, hustle and bustle, smell (smoke, exhaust,err...the occasional whiff from the nearby drain), location and open-air concept and you love what my Dad calls the 'junk food' of Penang, by all means, this place is a food paradise for you because there are many varieties that you could choose from. It's a thumbs-up for me.

Aoyama Japanese Restaurant, Hartamas Square

Aoyama Japanese Restaurant is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. It is located in Desa Sri Hartamas. Although it is a little pricier compared to other Japanese restaurants nearby, the quality is pretty good, at least by my standard. In size, the restaurant is not that big, but it is very clean, homey and the staff are helpful enough, especially those serving sushis behind the bar - they are always willing to listen to your suggestions as to how you want your sushis or makis to be like. Sometimes they even tailor make your preference for you, so two thumbs up here!

The entrance to the restaurant

The cashier

Japanese-style cubicles

The sushi bar

The Sushi Bar Tenders

Japanese style lanterns

Aoyama is famous for its Makis, but I absolutely love the chawan mushi and miso soup served here - they're very generous in putting in the goodies into these dishes (lots of mushrooms and seaweed, yumyum). I usually order the soft shell crab maki and beef maki during my visits, but recently, I tried something new which was not on the menu (it was recommended by the nice waitress who tended to us) - maki with salmon sauce. It was very good, I'll sure be ordering that again the next time I visit.

The Lunch Set Menu

Miso Soup...my favorite!

Served piping hot!

Cheers! ^.^

Goodies...yummylicious!

Chawan Mushi

Spider maki and maki with salmon sauce...very nice!

Beef maki - very tender and juicy

There is also another plus point - perhaps to some more adventurous people out there who do not mind trying out very erm...very adventurous dishes - like the blowfish or pufferfish, otherwise known as fugu in Japanese. Apparently, they are only available during the winter season in Japan. Also, Aoyama is one of the 7 licensed fugu handlers in Malaysia, so whaddaya know! Best to place your bookings first if you're looking forward to your fugu experience to avoid disappointment - it is quite the rarity.

A pitiful fugu on the display window *Awwww* :(

Errr...scary...I'm not sure if I'd actually be able to gather the courage to eat one during this lifetime...

Aoyama The Green Room

No. 10, Jalan 27/70A,Desa Sri Hartamas,50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 03 - 2300 0683

Aoyama's Media Highlight

Mizi Shabu-Shabu, Bandar Puteri Puchong - best individual steamboat, or so I think!

Mizi Shabu Shabu has got to be one of my favorite restaurants in Bandar Puteri Puchong. First of all, I absolutely love steamboats, and this restaurant offers individual sets at reasonable prices (from RM 16.90 onwards for an individual set). Plus the setting is wonderful - clean, cozy and airy. It is located at Jalan Puteri 2/5, which is opposite the Giant Hypermarket. You can't possibly miss it...it's the one with the neon-light steamboat logo high up on the building. If you still can't locate it, you'd just have to sniff your way there! Bandar Puteri isn't that big to begin with.

Also, everyone has their own individual boat, so it is very much up to you what kind of soup base you want. You know what they say about not being able to please everybody during a steamboat session? That rule doesn't apply here - you can choose from a range of soup bases - from Tom Yum, to ABC (potato-carrot soup), ginseng, etc. Be prepared though, the Tom Yum soup base is very, very spicy - not for the faint-hearted as even the Cili Padi King thought it almost insufferable! The ginseng soup base is good as well. Thumbs up for both. Or you could opt for the standard chicken soup, which is complimentary. For the rest, a small sum is charged.

The exterior of Mizi Shabu Shabu

The opening hours of the restaurant

The ground floor of the restaurant...see, there's even a waiting area - that shows how good the business is here! On weekends it is quite difficult to get a place especially around dinner time.

Part of the menu

Entrance to the second floor

Stairway

Nice deco...Mizi shabu shabu originated from Japan...thus the Japanese influence. The concept differs from the original Japanese shabu-shabu though...more Malaysian-ized to suit our tastes.

The second floor...very big and airy with windows that overlook the street outside.

Look at the amount of people in here...it's dinnertime on a Sunday...

This is where you set your hot pots...clean and not at all fussy...

The family combo...most sets are presented this way, whether the couple sets or the individual sets. The difference is just the amount of food on the plate, and of course, the price.

Ginseng pack to add into the soup base

This is their special shabu-shabu sauce

This is how it's done...

Extra side orders - thinly sliced pork, very tasty with the special sauce for meats.

More side orders - fish slices, very fresh and good!

Fishballs, one of the nicest I've tasted


Rice with black sesame seeds

Steaming hot pot...best experienced on a rainy day! :)

That's the queue when we left...awesome isn't it?

My verdict: A must try if you're around the vicinity!

Restaurant Mizi Shabu Shabu

No. 17 Jalan Puteri 2/5,

Bandar Puteri,

47100 Puchong

Tel: 03-80603221

Bibiwok Thai BBQ Steamboat - Bandar Puteri, Puchong

Bibiwok Thai BBQ Steamboat, which is located above the Bibiwok Nonya & Thai Cuisine restaurant was quite the experience for us. The setting looked inviting and interesting enough - something special for family or friend gatherings as I've always liked the thought that one could socialize and catch up on a lot of stuff with each other while the food was cooking.

Here, we were charged RM 28 for adults and RM 13 for children. Not too bad since the concept was all-you-can-eat...or so we thought. In the end, it turned out to be all-that-you-can-wait-to-eat. After the initial basket of food, it took forever to place additional orders. The dishes just never came and we had to remind the waiters/ waitresses over and over again to bring this or that. I felt it was quite a test to our tolerance level, although to be fair, the tom yum soup base tasted like heaven - not the deep orange kind we're accustomed to find in most shops all over Malaysia, but the authentic Thai style tomyum (more greenish and clear) that I remember eating at one of the best restaurants in Bangkok.

Unfortunately, the lovely ambience and tomyum soup could not make up for the ventilation in the restaurant, which was horrible to say the least. Dad had to get up and open the windows (thankfully we were seated next to the windows) to get a breath of fresh air. Most of the time, it was almost hard to breathe. And we all smelled like the food we cooked and ate during our session there - our clothes and hair reeked of it! Which was a shame, I felt. The concept would have worked prettily if the service and ventilation was better...much, much better (like most of the Korean BBQ restaurants I've been to).

Bottom line, I doubt I'll be coming back here unless the ventilation and service improves tremendously, but try if you will. Like I always say, if you don't try, you'll never know! :P

Us at the restaurant


Thai influence


The initial basket of food

The teppanyaki style hot pan and steamboat pot


Lighting up

Nice setting for gatherings

We polished up all the food though, the piranhas that we were

The aftermath...oh, dessert was complimentary - you get to choose cendol or icecream or both and eat as much as your tummy permits too...

Address:
Bibiwok – Thai BBQ Steamboat
No. 16, Jalan Persiaran Puteri 1,
Bandar Puteri Puchong
Tel: 8060 7659

Bibiwok Thai Restaurant - Bandar Puteri, Puchong

We celebrated Dad's 56th birthday at this restaurant called Bibiwok Restaurant at Bandar Puteri, Puchong which serves a fusion of Nonya and Thai cuisine. It is located opposite Giant Hypermarket in Bandar Puteri. What I can say about the restaurant is that the ambience is just wonderful for dining - squeaky clean with soft traditional Thai music playing at the background, plus the interior decor of the place is very Thai-oriented and welcoming indeed. Not bad for a start.

It serves Thai & Nonya food (duh), and for all the times I've been to this restaurant, the food was passable and we especially loved the ala-Thai steamed fish, fried chicken (an-chee-kaybin), pandan chicken and steamed sotong. The Tom Yum prawns was just so-so though, not as good as I had expected, though Mom loved it.

The service was quite impeccable, the staff very friendly


Siamese ambience


Ahh...the Thai-styled steamed sotong (squid) - a little sourish but very unique in taste


Nice presentation too...


Mom and the birthday boy


Happy Birthday, Dad!

See, we're all looking happy enough in this setting...

One of the waiters was kind enough to help us take this shot...another one for the memory!

Thai-styled steam fish...another unique Thai experience - the fish was steamed with pineapples, I think.

The other dishes we had on that day - the green curry chicken was lovely, so was the beef rendang (though it was more Malay than Thai). The kerabu vegetables and pandan chicken did not sit quite well with me though.

Oh, there's an all-you-can-eat Thai steamboat place above the ala-carte restaurant. To know more about what is offered a floor above, click here. I'd rate Bibiwok about 6 out of 10, more for the ambience than for the food really (value-for-money wise).

Address:

Bibiwok – Nyonya Thai Cuisine

No. 16, Jalan Persiaran Puteri 1,

Bandar Puteri Puchong

Tel: 8060 7659

Penang's hidden seafood heaven - Cheang Kee Restaurant, Nibong Tebal

"Bring me to any place that is special to try out something different," I said, when asked what I had in mind for lunch, and in response to that, my guide up North in Penang told me in a serious voice, "I know just the place!" So, to Cheang Kee Restaurant he brought me. This restaurant is located in Nibong Tebal and is quite easily accessible via the North-South Expressway. Just follow the direction of Nibong Tebal and you can't miss it.

N.T Cheang Kee Restaurant in Nibong Tebal

I've heard him rant on and on during our journey to the restaurant about how great the steamed squid was, as well as the crab porridge and seafood. Granted, steamed squid and crab porridge were quite different from the rest of the foods in my menu (in Malaysia at least), so I waited in anticipation as he made the order. Though not a big fan of squids, I decided I was going to be more adventurous and try out whatever they put on the plate.

Special sauce for the steamed 'squid' - crushed peanuts on a sauce that was neither chilli nor tomato.

And then...it arrived...I realized he had not meant 'squids' at all...these were baby octopusses...quite like something out of Fear Factor for me, in fact! *looking at those tentacles with a shriek!*

Hmmh...very cute...now I'm thinking whether octopusses tasted good eaten just steamed this way...(no fishy smell???)

But I took my chances...

They're actually quite good...

Especially when eaten with the sauce

Look at that, a squiggly tentacle in my mouth! *chomp*chomp*

Vege - lots of lard inside and very typically Chinese

Crab porridge - a must try!

It could get quite messy though...

Very yummy pomfret

My verdict: a must try especially if you love a variety of seafood. Subject to preference though - one man's food may be another's poison after all. Tentacles or no tentacles, I observed that almost every other table there had ordered that dish so, there you go. :P

Best Seafood Village in the whole of Penang - Prawn Village Restaurant

This restaurant ranks very high up in my favorite-seafood-restaurant-in-Penang list. To be honest, it ranks quite high up in my favorite-seafood-restaurant-of-all-times list as well, so much that I just have to pay a visit each time I'm up North no matter what. Bukit Tambun is quite synonymous to great seafood by the sea (or estuary) as a matter of fact. And in Bukit Tambun, my restaurant of choice would be the Prawn Village, which I feel is slightly more superior than the rest. Here's why:

Hmmhhh...very rustic setting...back to my kampong roots *hehe*


Interestingly, you've got to walk down a flight of stairs to reach the split-level restaurant...not much of an entrance huh?

Nice signboard...oh, and I lurrrvveee the word 'Prawn', as long as it is not attached to the word 'brained'...

Yeah, very welcoming...


Oooh, the array of fresh swimming seafood...catch one for dinner right away!


It is big and airy enough for me...




One hundred additional points for fresh crayfish!!! Can't seem to find any restaurants in KL that serve such fresh crayfishes ever...


A pitiful looking garoupa in a shallow tub...


Clams and medium-sized crayfishes


More crayfishes...I was so fascinated by them! Look like genetically mutated centipede-prawns, no?


Crabs...not Sri Lankan though




Lala/shellfish


Oh, they sell home-made soy sauce as well...not sure what's so special about them though...

You can even get biscuits here...the famed Tambun biscuits...but these here are not the most highly recommended brand of Tambun biscuits. I will share more on where you can get the best in Penang a little later on. ;p

This place is surprisingly big...do not be deceived by its humble entrance!

And it gets better....what a wonderful view! A typical Malay-fishing village scenery.

A very idyllic estuary view as you feast on good food

Weirdly enough, there were not only locals but many tourists and kuai lous as well...wonder how they got to find out about this place.

Kampong houses on stilts...truly a Malaysian experience!

A must-try - ambula + sour plum drink (not only is it refreshing, it is also anti cancerous, anti ageing, anti oxidant, and is a rich source of Vitamin C)

Can't get enough of the view!

Kailan vege

Signature seafood taufu dish

Signature noodle dish

Lala in sauce...not bad at all.

The highlight of the meal....crrrraaaaayyyyyfish!

Not that easy to eat - so just use your hands!

That's the way you do it...peel off the top part and then the meat...

Nice and clean...finger licking good!

The toilet...hmh...some stories to tell here haha

The latrine...your goodies plop right into the estuary from this hole, making the fishes down there very happy indeed!

Some weird shell fish and other fishes

And the very happy lady boss (considering what good business she had) bade us goodbye at the end of our feast! :)