Feast of Sarawak Cuisine @Carpenter Street Cafe, Sunshine Square, Bayan Baru

March seems to be a very busy month for me. Many happenings in Penang as well as Kuala Lumpur that I am literally running between KL-Penang almost every week, sometimes between days from one trip to another. So couldn't update my food blog quite often.

Anyway, since I will be travelling to Hong Kong and Macau the whole of next week, so I better get myself busy by updating some first. Else, it became old news hehehe. Anyway, I was supposed to fly to Kuching on the 25th March for our quarter annually account meeting and was planning to extend my stay until the 28th for my my mum's birthday. Suddenly I got the bad news that the meeting was cancelled due to some technical problem. Huhuhu .... Only God knows how heart-broken I was really, really missing some of my favourite Sarawak food. Then suddenly remembered that Chef Peter (Chairman of Chef Association Malaysia, Penang Chapter) posted about this cafe on Facebook.

Words can't describe my excitement when I saw the signage with the hornbill logo :)

So when I arrived from KL last Monday, my driver Zaki and I went to search for this place at the Sunshine Square, Bayan Baru area. It didn't take us that long to locate this place though Chef Peter road instruction was "behind Sunshine Square". It is actually located at the shop row behind Sunshine Square, and along the same row as Old Town White Coffee Kopitiam and CIMB Bank.

Proud that they have about 80% of the Sarawak food in the menu like including Foo Chow Mee Sua and Kacang Ma.

So the following day I made appointment with Sue Anne, Vincent and May for lunch here and lunch was on me. Hehehe suddenly felt so proud of myself eventhough just "belanja makan kolo mee". I think I owe them this lunch as they were always the one who treat me and I really really want to have the honour. Plus I really want to show them that I am their friend not another of their acquintance.

Anyway, except for Vincent who had been to Sarawak before and love the Foo Chow Kampua Mee, Sue Anne and May never tried Sarawak food before. So of course I prided myself to be the hostess and ordered Kolo Mee (original), Kole Mee (with Char Siew Oil), Tomato Sauce Mee, Kiaw Soup (also known as wanton soup), and Sarawak Laksa washed down with Sarawak 3 layer Teh C Peng Special ( 3 layer milk tea).

3 layer Teh C Peng Special - Tea (top), Evaporated milk (middle) and palm sugar (bottom)

Before (R) and after (L) stirring hehehe - never miss this drink in Kuching.

Tomato Sauce Mee - I had a friend who love this so much.

Sarawak Kolo Mee (original)

Sarawak Kolo Mee(original) is quite similar to the Peninsular Malaysia Hakka Mee except that Sarawak Kolo Mee is springier and saltier. Hakka Mee sellers here tends to add in soya sauce to add some taste and to make it not too dry. Sarawak Kolo Mee on the other hand counter the dryness issue by adding some lard or fried onion oil so as to create some fragrance. Having said that, the similarity was due to the fact that many of the Kolo Mee sellers in Kuching are Hakkas. I met one Sarawakian lady here and she told me, the food in Penang is "over-rated" in terms of tastiness ... Ouch... but having said that, yes, Sarawakians in general don't actually like to flavour their food too much with soy sauce.

Sarawak Kolo Mee (with Char Siew Oil) - in Kuching if we want this version, we just say "Kolo Mee merah"

Sarawak Lor Bak - I find Sarawak one to be a bit drier.

Sarawak Laksa - I am very selective about laksa but Carpenter Street Cafe got my thumbs up!

Glorious Sarawak food ... in Penang. Syiokkssss wo!

Initially I was afraid that the food may turned out not like the one in Sarawak. I had been to few cafes reported to be owned by Sarawak people. Unfortunately, they had changed the menu so much to cater to the local taste that made me dissatisfied. By the way, I wish the waitress or waiter here were friendlier like the Sarawakians. They looked so unwelcoming.

May captured me in "savouring the food to my heart's content" pose... yummm hahaha

My guests for the day ... Vincent, May and Sue Anne posing with all the empty bowls and glasses hahaha

If in Kuching, no way I would pay RM 7.90 for a bowl of Kolo Mee. In fact the maximum price you should pay for a decent bowl of Kolo Mee is between RM 2.50-RM 3.50. Having said that, the most expensive Kolo Mee I had ever eaten was the RM 12.00 Kolo Mee Special in Ten Mile Bazaar last Chinese New Year trip.

Happy to see that Sue Anne and May finished all the Kolo Mee plus Lor Bak, Vincent clear the kiaw soup and I was left to handle the laksa hahahaha. I wish they also sell beef noodle soup. Next time I come here, I will definitely try their kacang ma dishes.

 

Proof of that the RM 7.90 for a bowl of Kolo Mee was worth it hahaha

Money can't buy friendship.

May asked me if Carpenter Street have any significant to Kolo Mee. Hmm to be honest, I don't remember of any famous Kolo Mee shop at Carpenter Street but asked anyone from Kuching, they would definitely know that place. I passed this place to go for my tuition school near Crowne Plaza and took a bus at the Kuching General Post Office. In Kuching, my favourite spot for a Kolo Mee session is at the open air market opposite Electra House. My dad who is a Penangite love the 7th Mile Huat Huat Cafe Kolo Mee and sometimes when he missed Penang Sar Hor Fun, we will go to Jun Jun Cafe (no longer open I think).

So for those who would like try Sarawak food (especially Sarawakians who missed home food)... just head to Bayan Baru and give this cafe a try.

Carpenter Street Cafe – Your 1-stop Authentic Sarawak Food
Add : 54, Jalan Mahsuri (Grd Floor), Bandar Bayan Baru, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Penang.
Tel : 04-6436588, 012-4194178
Business Hours : 11.30-3.00pm, 5.30 to 9pm

Gourmet Heritage Village Eating Spree @Lot 10 Hutong, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

I've heard about this Lot 10 Hutong or Hutong Gourmet Heritage Village for quite sometime but was too busy and lazy plus no right "makan gang" to crash the place. So since Emel was here in KL and I was reallyyyyyyyy in need of a foodie companion to try out NON-HALAL eating places ... we decided that Lot 10 Hutong was our next destination in our soul cleasing eating spree.

A hutong is actually an ancient alley or lane, once common in Beijing's courtyard neighborhoods but now quickly disappearing. Lot 10 Hutong was the brainchild Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, in which he personally hand-picked 27 eateries that have survived the 2nd and 3rd generations - from the alleys of Kuala Lumpur to the streets of Petaling Jaya or the hidden corners of Klang and place it all in one destination. Being a non KL-Lite I am not very familar with any one of the eateries... hehehe

Hong Kong famous food critic and TV host Chua Lam used his calligraphic skills to write the characters "Lot 10 Hutong" in Chinese for the brand's logo.

And so to solve the problem, myself and Emel let ourselves be guided by what we wanted to eat and at the same made reference to some food blogs on which stalls to try.

Of all the stalls .. this was Emel's first choice ... Penang Hokkien Prawn Mee.

Emel's happy face after getting what she had been craving for. Yes ... I too miss the stall no 35 Hokkien Mee.

The Penang Hokkien Prawn Mee ... taste average.

My choice ... the Ho Weng Kee Wantan Noodles from Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur. Maybe this Petaling Street wantan noodle that Mr Loke told me very nice.

For a KL wantan mee ... this can be considered quite good. However, in terms of taste I still prefer my Penang Wantan Mee sorry! By the way, this is their best selling mee - Char Siew Wantan Mee.

But I love the wantan though. Yummy....

Suddenly craving for something sweet and cooling.

And taraaaa ... finally I found the cendol that was equivalent in taste to the one in Malacca. In Penang, they used brown sugar instead of palm sugar and it was the palm sugar taste that I was after.

It was so satisfying...

We just couldn't have enough of the Lot 10 Hutong that right after window shopping at the Pavillion, we went back to the place for "yam cha" session.

This is a non-heritage stall that serves Chinese tea and Dim Sum.

I chosed Chrysanthemum tea with Har Kou and Siew Mai.

The Har Kou was nice but I think I prefer a thinner skin.

Siew mai ... quite nice too.

These are some of the stalls that I wanted to try next time. Seemed to be a hit with customers.

Kim Lian Kee Hokkien Mee.

Kong Tai Oyster Ommellette

Location:

Lot 10 Hutong

Lower Ground Floor
Lot 10

Jalan Bukit Bintang

I Love Hokkien Mee@Thiam Sang Restaurant, Seri Kembangan, Selangor

The new and improve signboard.

I found this place 3 years ago after moving into my then newly renovated-apartment and was scouting for eating places nearby. This restaurant is just few blocks away from my apartment. It was not really packed with customers but I was drawn to the waiters/waitresses eye-catching orange "I Love Hokkien Me" T-shirts and decided to give the Hokkien Mee a try. And I was not disappointed!

This was the old signboard.

Later I found out that the owner is quite well-known for his Hokkien Mee through other food blogs (Babe in The City and Brought Up 2Share); and also an apprentice of another famous Hokkien Mee outlet owner in PJ. Wow ... no wonder the Hokkien Mee is so good. Especially the crispy lard that give it the taste and fragrance. Plus the awesome shrimp paste sambal that accompany it. Since then, it has been a must visit place whenever friends and family members came for a visit.

The owner on the cover of the menu with a famous local Chinese TV personality.

Emel ... a big fan of Thiam Sang Hokkien Mee (and the Fried Lala). Flew all the way from Kuching just to satisfy her Hokkien Mee and Lala cravings.

The Thiam Sang Hokkien Mee. Aunty Ming prefers hers mix with meehoon.

Be it KL Hokkien Mee or Penang Hokkien Char ... the sambal that go with it must be nice .

Besides Hokkien Mee, I never forget to order their fried Kuay Teow with raw egg on top (known as the Moonlight Rice Noodle). Once you mix the egg with the hot fried Kuay Teow, it creates a slippery smooth and tasty texture.

The Moonlight Rice Noodles

Another must order dish is the Fried La La ... very nice. Once Emel and myself thought we could find similar Fried Lala in Penang (Penang food has always been our benchmark). However, so far Penang Fried Lala still cannot compete with this hehehe. We usually order the medium size portion (about RM 15.00).

The fried lala

Location:

Restoran Thiam Sang
15-1 Jalan SP2/2
Serdang Perdana
43300 Seri Kembangan
Selangor
Tel: 6012-3116121
GPS Coordinates: N 03° 01' 49.4" E 101° 42' 31.

Char Kuey Teow @Bee Hwa Cafe, Leboh Dickens,Penang

From Negeri Sembilan ... we move back to Penang and it's time for me to return to my Char Kuey Teow (and wantan mee). Okay, usually when we talk about Char Kuey Teow (Fried Rice Noodles) ... the Chinese will visualise the wok-fried flat rice noodles with succellent prawns, cockles and bean sprouts in soy sauce and lard. However, the Malay version of Char Kuey Teow is fried flat rice noodles with prawn and a little egg gravy. The Chinese version Char Kuey Teow to the Malays is known as Kuey Teow Kerang (Fried Flat Rice Noodle with Cockles).

I love both version ... depend on my mood. However, Penang is known best for the Chinese version so make sure you try the Chinese version Char Kuey Teow whenever you are in Penang. The problem for the Muslims might be whether its HALAL or not as most Chinese Char Kuey Teow sellers added lard and pork skin for better taste. 

I have many Muslim friends and family members whom I really want to entertain when they come for a visit in Penang ... so I think it is my duty to identify Halal or Pork Free (though it is a bit subjective) eating places with great food.

The good news is I found one stall that sells nice wok fried Char Kuey Teow and pork-free. It is called Bee Hwa Cafe and located exactly opposite the entrance to Penang Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK Pulau Pinang) in  Penang Road. The person who found this place and recommended it to me is none other than .....

My chauffeur ... Babjan Ibrahim @ Bob

At first I was a bit skeptical about the place because it really looked and felt like a common Chinese coffee shop. Quite afraid that some very particular Muslim friends (my family members as long as no pork OK) may not feel comfortable. However, Bob reassured me that many Malays eat there especially the policemen working in IPK. And so, just to proof his point I decided to treat my guest of the month ... Miss Suhaila Subi aka Yoyop to Bee Hwa's yummy Char Kuey Teow. And her reaction ...

She is OK about the place. So if a Hajjah give an OK sign ... I pun OK lah.

Yea, I noticed  many Malays and non-Chinese ate there and based on my "eavesdropping" ... the Prawn Mee and Curry Mee are must-tries too. Maybe next time.

In Sarawak and Sabah, it is common to see Malays eating in Chinese coffee shop.  Here, even when you start ordering in Malay in Chinese coffee shop ... it will give them a shock.

I want to try her Hokkien Char next time. Is it at par with the Ayer Itam market Hokkien Char???

The Char Kuey Teow Lady!

Her Char Kuey Teow was fried just the way I like it. Not too greasy, not too dry, fresh succulent prawn and bean sprout. In fact, while I was in KL last week, I kept thinking about it hehehe. That good!

View of the shop from the entrance.

Location: Bee Hwa Cafe, 10 Lebuh Dickens, Penang (opposite IPK Pulau Pinang)

Kolo Mee Session @ Open Air Market Foodcourt, Kuching, Sarawak

Before I returned back to Penang on the third day of Chinese New Year, my best friend Emel asked me out for a breakfast session somewhere in Kuching town as well as visiting our senior schoolmate, Anneta Lee's house at Central Park, Rock Road.

To the left is the open-air market foodcourt, the orange building on the right is the Electra House.

On the third day of CNY, most of the Chinese coffee shops were closed however we sort of like trying our luck heading to one of our main "lepak" spots during our high school years .... the Kuching Open Air Market Foodcourt, opposite the Electra House (one of the first shopping malls in Kuching in the 80s). Back in the early 90s, most of my schoolmates were from rural areas in Sarawak and were not from well to do families. So, our main choice when it comes to weekend outings were eating places that offered cheap and nice food. 

Our beloved Open Air Market Foodcourt still standing strong amidst developments and influx of fast-food restaurants.

Sometimes, my schoolmates who were from Serian, Sri Aman or Saratok, will stopped here for a simple breakfast of a bowl of kolo mee flushed down with a glass of fresh soya bean milk before continuing their journey home using the Sarawak Transport Green Bus (the bus terminal was about 5 minutes walk ... now close). The place was (and still is) a main stop for many locals who were busy doing their shopping along India Street, Electra House, Haji Taha Road, Gambier Street or Market Street!

Those days, I would have a special mummy-daughter moments eating a nice plate of rice, vegetable soup, stir-fry kailan or sawi then complete the meal with a bowl of ABC (air batu campur) or Special (a dessert of mix fruits in evaporated milk and grated ice). Unlike now, my youngest sister will dragged my mum to the many fast food chains that are mushrooming in Kuching now ... tsk tsk.

Only one stall opened that day. I usually eat Kolo Mee and Tomato Mee here. Sometimes I had the Chicken Rice next door

Suddenly I felt a bit emotional writing this entry. Many fond memories there flashed through my mind. Life was simple then ... to me the Kuching Open Air Market house among the best non-halal Kuching food ... from kolo mee, to rojak, tomato mee, laksa, siao mai, chicken rice, char siew rice or beef mee.Unfortunately most of the stalls were not open so I could not have my eating spree (... thank God hehehe).

The menu.

Most of the stall owners here are possibly in their 60s or 70s. It was fun to see the 2nd and 3rd generations are taking over the business. Some of the stalls are husband-wife team. Just like the Hock Heng stall, the wife sell noodles whereas the husband's stall next door sells rice.

The Auntie and the son. Still very strong.

Many people asked me what so special about Sarawak Kolo Mee.... it is too simple and it is like the Indo Mie Mee Goreng. Well, for those who love to eat all kinds of dry mee be it  in the form of Kolo Mee, Kampua Mee, Wantan Mee or Hakka Mee from Penang to Sabah, Sarawak mee is springy and combine with Char Siew oil, fried onion, lard and mince meat, to form the Sarawak Kolo Mee it is simply delicious.

Kolo Mee with Char Siew oil.

Without Char Siew oil.

I always eating my Kolo Mee with a bowl of kiaw (wantan) soup.

Normally in Kuching there are 2 kinds of Kolo Mee - with and without Char Siew oil. So if they asked you "mau merah atau tak mau merah" they meant "with or without Char Siew oil". I just wish I could stay longer in Kuching as I really miss Open Air Market foodcourt ABC Special. (Sigh!)