Penang Trip: Nasi Kandar Line Clear

It was our last day in Penang.  With one meal left, I had little space for errors and once again sought the help of the internet.  One enviable food that was closely associated to Penang is the Nasi Kandar.  But the question is, where about do I start?  My favourite Nasi Kandar has always been Kayu Nasi Kandar but most people had recommended Nasi Kandar Line Clear located near the intersection between Campbell Street and Penang Road. 

Bad signs seem to lurk near the areas recommended and it seems that I take little effort in learning them.  With my tummy that hungry, I could barely blame myself.  Walking in, the restaurant was quiet with my parents and I being their only customer.  I hungrily pointed at the basics such as a great mix of curries and as well as a large piece of fried chicken.

 

 

 

 

Nasi Kandar with Fried Chicken and Kuah Campur Biting into the chicken here was pure joy.  I love how large this Nasi Kandar stall’s chickens are. Bloody meaty and crunchy with a KFC beating marinade and batter.  Crispy skin tend to be the best parts of a Nasi Kandar meal!  The way I would eat my rice is to mix it all together as the flavours tend to be absorbed by the rice.  This was where I started feeling disappointed.  At Line Clear, the sauces are way too watery and the rice as well, felt a little wet.  Definitely a big bummer.  A favourite Nasi Kandar topping of mine which was the Kerisik, a grated coconut condiment bursting with flavours was not there.  Lady’s fingers were OK but a little old.

 

All in all, coming in here for a great last meal did not quite turn out as I expected.  Knowing how the island folks here rave about their famous Penang Nasi Kandar, I knew that I was at the wrong place.  I guess my research was not done in depth as there are many others such as Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu as well as Nasi Kandar Beratur.  Both of which has both so many good and  bad press such that I was thrown into a dilemma (yes I get stressed when I eat). But little matters more than the fact that I found the food here to be EDIBLE, but great Nasi Kandar?  Definitely a claim too FARFETCHED.

 

Still, I had no regrets as the earlier days of the trip were filled with some of the best meals ever.  Check out the links below to see what I ate on my 4 day trip to Penang :)!

Penang Trip: Another Local Favourite @ Sin Keng Aun

Penang Trip: Ah Leng’s Char Kuey Teow @ Penang

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

Penang Trip: A Heritage Experience @ 1881 Zhong Tian Lou

Penang Trip: Hameed Pata @ Fort Cornwallis @ Day 2

Penang Trip: Toh Soon Cafe @ Day 2

Penang Trip: Sin Guat Keong Hawker, Kimberley Road @ Day 1

 

WenY

Penang Trip: Another Local Favourite @ Sin Keng Aun, Lorong Chulia

Just as I thought that this was the end of my pursuit for traditional Penang-nite food after a series of unlucky runs, I finally scored a meal at Sin Keng Aun.  This eatery is highly recommended by many people and clearly popular among the locals.  The clock barely pointed to 5.30pm yet it was already dinner time for the islanders.  Sin Keng Aun’s crew consisted of a man wearing a hat (presumably the boss) and the speedy elderly chefs who double up as wait staff making younger people look shit.  No joke.  The food at Sin Keng Aun is rather mixed.  I would like to say Peranakan/Nyonya but reviews online say Hainanese and at times it is even classified as “Penang”.  Putting petty issues aside, I will let the food do the talking.

2 Lorong Chulia, Georgetown

10200 Penang

Opens for lunch and dinner.  Lunch is from 11am-2.30pm. 

Dinner is open from 5.30pm till close. (He can close at 7pm is business is brisk)

Call : 04-2614786 (call before going)

 

First dish out was Sin Keng Aun’s Hainanese Chicken ChopTossed in a slightly sweet and sticky sauce, the chicken chop is still crisp from being deep fried.  The potatoes, onion and peas were all cooked spot on.  My first bite it and I found it nice yet it seemed to lack that final execution in terms of flavour.  As is, the chicken chop was barely salty, and just a little sweet.  Then I reminded myself, that this was not KL where the stress is so bad we need more flavour to overcome the anxiety.  In Penang, most of their food are subtly flavoured especially where salt is concerned.  This was another clear example.  Not bad though as I think I ate the whole thing by myself.

 

Next dish was the Gulai Assam Pedas with White Pomfret (Pak Cheong)The only type of fish used here is the White Pomfret which shows that quality is not something this old gem would compromise.  Its sauce was extremely appetizing.  I liked the strong flavours of the spices which I shall assume probably has heaps of tamarind, bunga kantan, perhaps some lemon grass and what not.  I am no expert but even the most amateurish foodie can tell that the flavour in the Gulai Assam Pedas was immense.  Using the pomfret is always a good thing as it is super meaty and have little bones! The perfect accompaniment for the sauce.  

 

Next dish was a lettuce wrap with slow cooked turnip with crab meat (small specks)Unlike the conventional Peking Duck Sang Choy Bow, Malaysian has a different that uses a turnip.  Again, it was something I enjoyed.  I like turnips cooked in this way as its natural sweetness just oozes out without effort.  Eaten with heaps of lettuce leaf, I was sure to fulfil my vegetable RDI.

 

Pan-fried Assam PrawnsThe prawn dish for the night was the Assam prawns.  For the best effect in marinating, the mid section of the pawn had it shells removed so the marinade could sip in!  The flavours here were very very simple but it was just sublime.  To put it together, imagine fresh prawns; pan-fried, slightly sweet, sour and salty with an amazing tamarind fragrance. NOM NOM NOM! Mom despite being usually generous decided to hog half this dish for herself as she loves pawns cooked in this way.  Dad did not seem impressed but over all, this was definitely executed well.

 

Despite pigging out on the last 4 dishes, I ordered a 5th dish for the three of us.  No wonder everyone in Penang looks so slim.. =/!  The table beside us had 1 dish less but 1 person more… DAMN. Good old Penang Fried Lobak.  Not sure how to explain this.  But I guess meat roll would suffice? haha.  I love this dish and Penang is most famous for making the best ones. The Lobak at Sin Keng Aun is no less yummier than ones I have had before.  I ate 3/4s of the whole thing haha.  Kickass for sure!

 

Sin Keng Aun’s reputation as an olden day treasure among its other heritage counterparts is something I have no doubts about.  Like my prior eats, some places need not be stellar in terms of food but there are just so many other reasons that people keep coming back.  Sin Keng Aun fits the description perfectly.  The food today was nice. In fact I rate it a 7/10.  Decent and affordable in so many ways.  Yet, the final execution that bridges the gaps between good and perfection seems lacking. But no, we are not at Robuchon or a Michelin star seeking restaurant.  We are at a place where culture is preserved through culinary experts.  I was a happy man after this meal.  Definitely no problems coming back here though, dad would be keener to revisit 1881 Chong Tian Lou.

 

WenY

Penang Trip: Ah Leng’s Char Kuey Teow @ Penang Day 3

Knowing I could have had more earlier that day, abstinence kicked in as I knew what lie ahead. Barely an hour after my quick fix , I was now sitting down at another highly acclaimed Char Kuey Teow hawker in Penang.  Ah Leng  is known for serving some pretty good Char Kuey Teow on the island as well as the most expensive plate of noodles on the Island.  With the lot coming in at RM11, it could easily be one of the most expensive hawker food in the country.  However, I have become wary of such fads after a previous experience left me disappointed.  Coming in, I was expecting some sort of crowd due to the HYPE but you know what?  There was only a bunch of tourists leaving in their mini van.  Worst of all, there was a pile of leftovers which made me even more worried as I was now waiting for my very expensive fried Kuey Teow.

Normal Char Kuey Teow RM6.

With its price similar to larger cities and significantly more than the price charged by the rest of the hawkers on the island, its only bragging rights were its prawns.  In terms of flavour and quality, I found little difference in satisfaction as there was no element of surprise which distinguishes it from the rest.  With all the mentions Ah Leng is getting online,  I was left wondering really what the fuss was all about.  Why pay more for something that is more readily available for less?  I was baffled.  Like my review of the 2 Sister’s version mentioned here, this is nice if the price was not a matter of consideration.  Having heard reactions from my local friends in Penang about prices I have been paying in town, I soon found myself stuck in tourist traps.

 

Mom also ordered a few  vegetarian dumplings which were ok! Fillings were good and the flour pastry was good.  Chilli sauce felt out of the bottle and adulterated.  All in all, it was rather pedestrian.

 

We also ordered another bowl of noodles and found that is was OK.  I would have to end this post with a verdict that the blogger hype surrounding this place is unjustified.  Tourist trap?  Definitely.  I felt that for so many reasons, this place did not meet the mark.  In the end, it seems like the only REAL reason the buzz surrounding this place exist lies in a very old saying.  It’s like the blind leading a blind.  Rather hard to recommend.  For me, I would be happy strolling about older streets like Campbell Street, Kimberley Street and Chulia Street, blend with the locals and eat a simple plate of RM3.50 goodie!  In fact, the offerings were WAYYY better at Lam Heng Cafe which at least had a good Prawn Noodles and Yam Cake too!

 

Khoon Hiang Cafe

358 Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 Penang

Opens 8.30am to 2.30pm and is closed on Wednesdays. (subject to change without notice)

WenY