Penang Trip: 2 Sister’s Char Kuey Teow, Yam Cake, Hokkien Noodles @ Penang Day 3

It was 9am and Penang Island was still soundly asleep.  Quite a surprise actually as  I thought the older folks would be out and about doing their yam cha routine.  At least it was a quiet easy drive until we hit the busy Macalister Road. As we drove towards our destination, the “legendary” status 2 Sisters Char Kuey Teow, I was super excited.  Having slept early the night before, my tummy was rumbling and this made me wanted it even more bad.  But being a tourist on this island, I was lost.  Various times the GPS pointed us to the right location but yet, there were no visible signs of the coffee shop called Lam Heng Cafe.  That was because…it did not have one.  Really a FML moment as we had to drive a few rounds and THEN the road got super busy!  Your best bet is to look out for the hardware store next to this obscure eatery.

 No Signboard =X

Almost directly opposite Loh Guan Lye Hospital (Park behind the hospital in the derelict bungalows)

185 Macalister Road, Georgetown

Opening Times: Breakfast and Lunch

Closes on Mondays

 

Bloggers, tourist and I believe a decent number of Penang-nites still have an unwavering loyalty to the name of the 2 Sisters Char Kuey Teow.  Known for their atrocious behaviour towards impatient customers and to a certain extent their relatively expensive fry-up, they have been in the business for a long time now. While I have no numbers, I am guessing at least half a century?  Walking in, the place was actually quieter than expected and to my dismay, there were no two sister’s but an elderly man.  It was then that I found out he was the son/nephew of one of the ladies which have stopped cooking as she was over 70 years of age now.  Amazing.  Her sister, unfortunately have passed away.  Unlike most Char Kuey Teow in town, the 2 Sister’s version is less burnt but still packed great flavours.  It was tasty and the prawns were without a doubt very fresh.  That little bit of crab meat failed to justify its RM5 price tag compared to the RM3.50 charged around town.  In terms of providing taste, it was a very minor component.  Given its legendary status and publicity, I was expecting a little more “oomph”.  No, this was not bad in any manner and I believe this is still better than most places in KL, but considering the hype surrounding it, I was not blown.  Just a simple decent plate of delicious noodles.

 

Also famous besides the 2 Sister’s Char Kuey Teow in Lam Heng Cafe is the neighbouring Yam Cake stall.  I have seen various Singaporeans posting around the internet that the motto when travelling to Penang is to eat the 2 Sister's Char Kuey Teow and pack heaps of yam cake.  Some even commended the lightness of the yam cake which made it so delicate that its condiments had to be packed separately so as to not destroy the yam cake.  A bit of an exaggeration IMHO.  But hey, a little drama adds colour to the experience, no? But I will be honest here.  It was good.  As described by most as fluffy and delicately prepared, I could feel it.  The yam was cooked perfectly. Consistency was smooth and the generous toppings of dried shrimps, fried shallots and scallions really gave it a boost of flavour and fragrance.  It was yums!  I remember it being RM3! Not bad at all!

 

Dad’s also decided to give the Prawn Noodles here a shot.  Dad says the noodles here was simple and traditional.  Its flavours captured the basics of the Prawn Noodles.  Flavoursome broth rich in flavour with the usual suspects; hard boiled eggs, shallots, pork slices and prawns. Dad seemed to enjoy this quite a fair bit.  He left a bit for me and I was contented with it.  It tasted right but I could not tell the difference between the one we had here and the one we had later on.    Would I eat it?  Definitely a yes.

 

This breakfast which most would consider fat, full of carbs and unhealthy felt great.  The morning heat was rather mild so eating all this sort of food was still bearable and very enjoyable.  However, I did not get the hype surrounding my hawker fare today.  Yes it’s flavour was good but is it cream of the crop which most claim it to be?  I find it hard to agree.  However, if I am looking for great food all in one place, I would definitely come to Lam Heng Cafe.  Start with a Hokkien Mee, continued by a yam cake and finish off the meal with the 2 Sister’s Char Kuey Teow was something I could have easily done all by myself.  A Malaysian serving is no more than half a serving in Australia haha.

 

WenY

Penang Trip: A Heritage Experience @ 1881 Chong Tian Lou

As it claims,  1881 Chong Tian Lou  is Malaysia’s only heritage hotel.  Like a time warp, it allows diners and hotel guests alike to experience the past with the refurbishment meticulously conducted using vintage furniture and selected fittings.  Housed in a 13 decades old concrete work, this new establishment was previously a hotel for rich traders and merchants back in the 1800s hence its name 1881 Chong Tian Lou.   For me, this was my first proper meal in Penang.  The last two days that was filled with hawker fare has left my stomach craving something better and perhaps less hawker-ish.  Mind you, my choice of coming here was based on a Penang lass’s recommendations of what Penang folks would have. 

My pictures of the interior were really horrible but I think I managed to salvage one I took from a sitting position! Some of the vintage mirrors hung on a wall.

 

Being an upper class Chinese restaurant, the service was prompt and the manager was outmost helpful.  I immediately felt welcomed as I stepped in.  The menu was presented to us and the tea service was always there although in the end we preferred to serve the tea by ourselves. For tonight’s meal I was to follow the recommendations of the chef as well as a few Penang bloggers.

 

We started with the sharks fin soup which is an age long delicacy in my culture and something which my parents enjoy having. For me, sharks fin typically meant meaningless luxury as this tough strands of protein like other Chinese delicacies such as abalone are typically tasteless.  However, it was the broth and other ingredients that typically makes the dish stunning.  In the case of 1881 Chong Tian Lou, the flavours in the soup were simply amazing.  The long list of ingredients included dried scallops from its unmistakable sweetness as well as a rich bone broth with generous amount of crab meat and roe.  Among ourselves, we agreed that this is probably one of the best sharks fin soup we have ever eaten with generous clumps of fin present.  Its nearest competitor would be the one at Overseas Restaurant @ Imbi, KL which cost RM20 per bowl.  Here we paid RM80 for a medium serve which scooped up 8 bowls similar to the one in the picture. Smashing value IMHO.

 

Our next dish was the chef’s specialty bean curd dish @ RM15 (small serve).As good as it looks, it actually tasted great.  The bean curd itself was no stunner but by all means meet the standard of being sufficiently smooth and soft on the side.  Its sauce though was yummy-liciously Malaysian.  Salty with a slight hint of sweetness and chilli, it was meaty with generous amounts of mince and diced prawns.  Topped with scallions, it was fragrant and down right tasty.  Something that goes perfectly with rice! Definitely a thumbs up dish!

 

The next dish to hit the table was the Sambal Fried Four Heavenly King @ ~ RM15 (small serve).   Where appetizing vegetables are concerned, little can fault with a sambal stir-fry.  The sambal for this dish at 1881 Chong Tian Lou is fragrant with a Nyonya influence which means it has a mild sour-sweet flavour.  Vegetables were cooked right!  It was soft with a slight crunch!  At this point, I was rather happy be eating here.  All was going well and the price was rather affordable by KL standards.

 

Our next dish were King Prawns in Soya King Sauce for RM22 (small serve)This was another chef’s specialty.  It is a rather basic fry up but sometimes simplicity is key to perfection.  Very little to hide but it has got to be spot on.   Fortunately this was the case.  It was nice, sticky and well caramelised.  This made the prawn shells finger licking good and once it was peeled, a revisit to the plate to mop up the sauce was necessary :)!  While 4 prawns seems rather little, its large size more than made up for it.

 

Our last dish was the braised duck in preserved mustard sauce @ RM30 (half a duck)Braised dishes with preserved vegetables and melt in your mouth meats is a match made in heaven. In fact, slow-cooked pork belly in preserved mustard has got to be one of my favourite dishes of all time!  When I pricked the duck with my fork I knew I was in for a treat. It easily went right through and this means that the duck was braised sufficiently!  True it enough it was very soft and smooth.  Definitely a benefit of braising under low instead of rapid cooking.  But the disappointing bit of this dish was the preserved mustard sauce.  It did not have the flavour I was looking for.  It was not salty or sweet enough to complement the duck.  In fact, the vegetable was not as soft and as fragrant as I expected it to be.  As a result I was forced to use some soy sauce to salvage what would have been a great dish if it was seasoned well enough. 

 

After a progressive meal of well-prepared dishes, I was gutted that the experience did not flow through to the end.  The bill came to a total of RM190-ish with a bulk of the bill coming from the soup as well as Malaysia’s terribly dated 10% and 5% taxes.  For three people, it felt terribly worth it especially when you consider the ambience, service and ultimately the food we had today.  1881 Chong Tian Lou has put some memorable flavours on the table today.  The tofu was delicious and the Sambal Fried Four Heavenly King was spot on. The soy prawns despite its very basic cooking felt complete.  So, it broils down to how bad the duck was.  In practice, seasoning is always crucial but technique is equally important too.  To say that many places have perfected their braised meat with preserved vegetables would be an absolutely lie as I know deep down, that most only achieve mediocre outcomes. Hence, I am forgiving enough to rate this dish decently as an OK. 

 

Tonight’s eat at 1881 Chong Tian Lou was extremely satisfying.  In fact, it even best most of the restaurants in KL without a doubt.  No wonder my Penang friends in Perth are always homesick when it comes to food!  Definitely worth a revisit!

 

38 Jalan Pintal Tali, 10100 George Town, Penang Malaysia

+60 4-263 1881

http://www.1881chongtian.com/

 

WenY

Penang Trip: Hameed Pata, Fort Cornwallis @ Day 2

While Chinese food predominantly dominate the food scene in Penang, the island is no less famous for its Mamak style food.  One place in particular that hits the spot light among foodies is  Hameed Pata.  Located in a large canteen style shed, this little eatery serves up Mamak favourites such as Mee Sotong, and Mee Rebus which are best complimented by a freshly blended coconut shake from the stall next door called Jalil’s.  The address is located below:

Padang Kota Lama Food Court (next to Fort Cornwallis)

Jalan Padang Kota Lama 10200, Georgetown

Penang

Opens at 11.30am and closes on Sundays

Since we just had our breakfast at Toh Sun Cafe, we decided to take it slow and only ordered one of Hameed Pata’s specialty each.The Mee Sotong for RM4 is your typical fried noodles with a gravy that is rich and thick.  The flavours are great with the sauce being sweet, salty and spicy altogether.  Add that squeeze of lime and its a home run for most.  For me though, I liked the sauces but despite it having great flavour, I did not feel the motivation to finish up or order another.  This is like an Asian Carbonara that tastes good but gets stodgy after awhile.  It becomes uninteresting.  But really, it got off in great style and flavour but never really ended its race.  The squid on the other hand had a sauce which packed greater sweetness and a decent chilli kick but this type of chewy squid is never quite my kind of thing.

 

Mee Jawa @ RM6 was my dad’s pick.Dad who is a big fan of Mee Jawa found his noodles lacking anything kind uniqueness that sets this place apart from others. Its sauce felt like a thinner version of the one used for the mee goreng.  For me, I wanted more of the crispy prawn bits that add texture to this noodles.  To put it together this was simply OK.   Travelling many hours from KL where I live, I expected more.

But when all else seems impossible, it was the drink made me happy.  The coconut shake as recommended by many others was lovely.  Never thought that ice cream and coconut juice along with soda when all mixed together could taste so awesome!

 

And some photos to end this post.  Taken from the surrounding of Fort Cornwallis :)! Shelter for the soldiers.

 

Some random cannon structure pointing towards another ally structure.  Seems legitimate to build another building there.  Imagine if the cannon was operable. Just add some Malaysian mischief for a different picture.

 Old school ammunition store.  Look as if it was meant to contain explosions!

While I would love to recommend visitors to visit the Fort which is an important landmark, its deplorable condition makes it a hard to recommend!

 

WenY