Malay Prawn Fritters & Kuey Teow Sup @Astaka Tanjung Selera, Penang

I stumbled upon this place by accident while looking for Sri Weld Food Court Nasi Lemak Bungkus (in the process). Dunno why I thought this was Sri Weld Food Court - maybe because of its location which is nearer to Weld Quay. Sri Weld Food Court is at Beach Street by the way. 

Usually I called this place "that eating place opposite the cruise harbour". Found out the name as Astaka Tanjung Selera during my last visit, on my way back to KOMTAR from a meeting. It is opposite Fort Corwallis and Swettenham Pier (after the Beach Street roundabout, heading towards Weld Quay, at the cornering). If you see the all the cruise billboard after the Beach Street roundabout, the food court is just right opposite. Parking is scary here and not many ... so pandai-pandai lah yer. 

The landmark. The food court is directly opposite.

The place at first glance was quite rundown, and not many patrons, mostly the staffs from nearby government office. Not sure about afternoon during lunch though. Never tried having lunch there before. Not many shops also here. Cleanliness ... acceptable lah. 

I usually come here for 2 things - the prawn fritters (cucur udang) and kuey teow soup (Malay style). Both from the same stall run by 2 ladies (not sure whether they are siblings - possibly one helper one owner) .... Take it from me, each of it is a must try! The prawn fritters were fried just right and served with special chili and peanut sauce. Not too spicy for those with a delicate stomach, the sauce blends sweetness and savoury just right. So if you have had enough of roti canai, vadai or capati for breakfast ... try prawn fritters for a change.

Prawn fritters (cucur udang) with sweet chili and peanut sauce.

Sometimes, especially down with fever or flu ... I tend to crave for something "warming", spicy as in a lot of spice, soupy. One day while having breakfast here, my nose caught something so aromatic ... you know the smell of fried onions blend with ginger, cinnamon, star anise and maybe some coriander leaves. Initially, I thought the stall was cooking beef bone or oxtail soup. Then I saw the small sign saying "meehoon/kueyteow sup).

The stall is just next to the mee jawa ... no signboard.

Usually my driver was the one doing all the ordering ... I just "makan" so I didn't know that the stall also sell meehoon and kuey teow soup. I ordered kuey teow soup and seriously ... it was just the way i like it ... for Malay style of course. Malay style kueyteow soup is usually oily from the fried onion garnishing and they use fried chicken shreds plus more pepperish. Best taken after fever hehehe ... the soup itself is a bit spicy and they even give special chili paste mix with pepper if your want to make it spicier!

The kueyteow soup.

Seen here with the special chilli paste and air bandung.

Meehoon soup. I still prefer kueyteow over meehoon.

The nasi campur, nasi lemak and mi kari here were quite nice.

There are other stalls selling curry mee, Malay mix rice and nasi lemak here. Quite nice too and worth trying if you are thinking of savouring local Malay hawker food.

Nasi Ayam Kampung @Restoran A. Hassan, Kompleks Rehat dan Rawat Awan Besar, KESAS Highway

When talking about Malay food ... in Kuala Lumpur the most popular is the Kelantanese Malay food. Within 5 km radius from my KL apartment there  is one Kelantanese restaurant famous for their Nasi Ayam Kampung (Free Range Chicken Rice).

I found out about the R&R Awan Besar branch from Precious Pea blog few years back. Usually, I frequented the restaurant branch in Medan Selera Kampung Baru, in the heart of KL as well opposite the Cheras Velodrome. Like the other 2 branches ... their fried free range chicken are also selling like hot cakes during lunches.

The new signboard.

The downside is the restaurant is located after the toll station so customers had to pay toll.

Exact location is at the R&R Awan Besar.

Emel ... all excited to satisfy her cravings for ayam kampung. Last month, I brought my mum.

Anyway, after many years of the so-called "11 herbs and spices" fried chickens ... it's great to be able to go back in time and savour "kampung style" fried chicken, with hot plain steam rice, which a blogger described it best ... "Just turmeric and salt, perhaps a bit of spices fried golden brown in sizzling oil". Furthermore, free range chicken or ayam kampung tastes better and leaner than commercially grown chicken.

It is best to visit the restaurant between 11.30 am to 12.30 pm as the food are still hot from the kitchen and there are not many customers yet. To be honest, if not because of the Nasi Ayam Kampung, the R&R Complex can be quite deserted.

Array of Kelantanese dishes for customers to choose from.

The star dish. Fried Free Range Chicken ... just turmeric and salt and fry!

Lala (clamps) in yellow coconut gravy.

Mix vegetable with squid tentacles.

Shrimp paste sambal ... to be eaten with the chicken.

Another popular sauce from Kelantan ... the fermented anchovies sauce in chillies and lime. My favourite. Supposed to be like a dipping sauce for the "ulam" (local salad) ... but I love eating with rice.

  Additional photos from previous visits...

Stir fried fern tips ...

I usually take  their deep fried cow lung. However during that particular trip ... I was saving my stomach space for Lot Hutong eating spree later.

Actually the food price there is not that cheap but comparatively it is still very affordable.Well nothing is cheap in KL nowadays.

Address:
Restoran A. Hassan Sdn. Bhd.
Cawangan Kompleks Rawat dan Rehat Awan Besar
Lebuhraya Shah Alam
(Close on Fridays)

Satay Tulang@Restoran Bundo Kanduang, Senawang, Negeri Sembilan

This is another entry that I owed Adawiyah. Sorry (again) as I had to travel to Kuala Lumpur for important meetings (formally and informally). But like Adawiyah said, I have an obligation to inform my readers and fellow bloggers about this special delicacy, which is unique to Negeri Sembilan, through my blog ... so it's better late than never.

Our divalicious tourist guide... Adawiyah, MOTOUR N.Sembilan Director

Okay .. I first heard about satay tulang (direct translation: bone satay) last year, when Adawiyah kept on telling us that she was entertaining friends to this special delicacy. But I was too busy then so I didn't follow up with her for details. Then few months later, I heard about it from Cikgu Yoyop, who was also treated to this delicacy by Syariah (our upcoming TV personality). So that was when I decided to take "further action". Hehehe

Satay tulang - upclose and personal

The name itself was enough to ignite my curiosity. I was wondering how can  these bone parts with little flesh on it be made into satay (I was thinking more like oxtails or spare ribs). Moreover when everyone gave good review about the satay (and kept raving how delicious it was), I just couldn't contained my anticipation.

When I finally saw how it looked like, I was surprised to find out that it was actually made from fleshy chicken bones. Much bigger than ordinary satay. Tastewise ... just like chicken satay but with more grilled chicken fat that add more ummph. It is also eaten with peanut sauce, nasi impit and slices of cucumber and onion.

Actually the satay stall doesn't belong to Restoran Bundo Kanduang. It is just right outside the restaurant and only open at night starting from 8pm onwards. Maybe that was one of the reason why it was not really well-known to people outside of Seremban/Senawang area.

I didn't realised that I've been to Restoran Bundo Kanduang before, until I saw a big property advertisement billboard right opposite it. That time I was craving for Nasi Padang upon returning from Jakarta, so while doing routine checking around Senawang/Seremban (was with KPKT then) we decided to stop there for lunch. They  have quite good Minang-style menu.

Anyway, satay tulang is quite well-known in Negeri Sembilan (other than it's Masak Lomak Cili Api) and you can find it in weddings and events as illustrated by the picture above. So visitors to Senawang, please make sure you try this special delicacy. To get there .. from PLUS highway, enter the Senawang exit and follow signboard to Senawang Giant Hypermarket. Then enter to Giant Hypermarket, go further up to Taipan Senawang area. You won't miss it.

A Traditional Malay Tea Treat @ Restoran Warisan, Tanjung Ipoh, Negeri Sembilan

Sorry, was too busy with works that I haven't got the time to update on my eating spree. Thanks Jim for the reminder. Nonetheless, despite busy schedules, travelling and attending courses... I never forget to indulge in Malaysian favourite past times ... EAT. By the way, I owe Ad (MOTOUR Negeri Sembilan State Director) this entry and thanks from the bottom of my heart for enlightening me on the wonderful culture of Nogori Sembilan's Minangkabau.

Me with Sabah MOTOUR Director at Seri Menanti.

To me, Negeri Sembilan is near but yet far. Can you believe that though I always wanted to visit the Seri Menanti, I've never made an effort to do so? 7 years in Kuala Lumpur, the furthest I've travelled to in Negeri Sembilan was Seremban. And not for food tasting! However ocasionally during weekends, I will travel to Nilai 3 ... again not for food but for home decorations and textiles.

The entrance to the restaurant. As you can see it has the Malay+Minang architectural design.

Anyway, I finally realised my dream weeks ago ... courtesy of Cik Puan Seri Menanti to-be (may the "doa" come true). And more, just opposite the entrance road that lead all the way to Seri Menanti was Restoran Warisan, reputed to be the favourite hangout of the current Yang-Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan (equivalent to a Sultanate in other Malay states)

Clean and airy.

Anyway, when we arrived there, there were not many people and the place was quite deserted. Maybe because of the location (or the timing ... it was tea time), which is quite far from a township (despite being just minutes away from the famous Ulu Bendul Recreation Park). According to Ad however, many people visited the restaurant for dinner, as their Thai-based menu is a hit among locals. His Royal Highness also frequented the restaurant during dinners.

Click the photo above to enlarge it.

I asked Adawiyah ... could we have the same "royal" treatment there? She answered, "Of course", with a cheeky grin. Yes, we were definitely given the royal treatment.

According to Ad, His Royal Highness is a very down to earth person. This is just one of the royal hut that he will occupied whenever he visited the place.

Since we were quite full from a lunch of Sup Tulang and rice at the Ulu Bendul Recreation Park, Adawiyah recommended us to try the restaurant's Tea Time menu. To be honest, I love tea time since I was a little girl. Mum used to bake cakes, curry puffs, scones, roti canai ... in short ... embarked in all sorts of small tea-time projects when my siblings and I were little. Well, we were mummy's most qualified food tasters (and testers) based on our chubbiness and inclination towards food. The project continued till I was in primary school except that this time ... I couldn't wait for the "van roti" to pass our house. Cute sponge cakes and buns captivated me. Even now, I always felt that the most intimate meal is not dinner but tea-time.

Adawiyah recommended us to try the Lempeng Kelapa (Coconut Pancake), boiled tapioca with sambal tumis and grated coconut and jemput-jemput bawang (Onion Fried batter scones/fritters) washed down with special  beverage made from the pulp and juice of young coconut with palm (sometimes brown) sugar called Air Jando Pulang (translated the Returned Widow Drink). Still researching why it was named that.

Lempeng Kelapa or Coconut Pancake (with Anchovies and Tumeric Sambal)

Boiled tapioca. In the past .. this was the staple food during Japanese occupation. Now it has become a stylish Malay tea-time must try.

The accompaniments to be eaten with the boiled tapioca. Grated coconut, sugar and sambals.

Jemput-jemput bawang.

Banana fritters, my favourite. Especially when eaten with spicy anchovies sambal.

The beverage unique to Negeri Sembilan ... Air Jando Pulang.

The ABC - was craving for something sweet and icy (actually still couldn't get that Mallacca cendol out from my system)

The Royal tea-time treatment @ Restoran Warisan.

The food and place was so great and relaxing that I found myself dozed off later. I really had a blast that day! One of the most satisfying personalised tour of Seri Menanti and royal tea-time treatment by none other than the Negeri Sembilan MOTOUR director herself.  6 star treatment star rating ! Ahaaa ... that was not all ... next also a specialiaty unique to Negeri Sembilan... Satay Tulang. Stay tune!

Location:
Restoran Warisan
Pusat Kraf, Perkampungan Budaya Terachi
Tanjung Ipoh
71500 Negeri Sembilan
Tel/Fax : 06 4889026
Hotline : 012-2101356

Chicken Rice @ Restoran Lesung Batu Besar, Parit Buntar, Perak

Right after Chinese New Year I had to attend a meeting in Mallacca, so I had no choice but to schedule my appointment with the coordinator of Homestay Sungai Setar, Kak Shidah, right after I arrived in Penang. I am putting Homestay program top priority in my list this year as I think Penang Homestay need new rebranding and total makeover to make it more attractive, competitive and sustainable.

Insiders information - I noticed that many of the Penang homestay participants are great cooks! As suspected, Kak Shidah is involve in the food business. Kak Shidah own a restaurant called Restoran Lesung Batu Besar (translated Big Pestle and Mortar) in Parit Buntar town. Although Sungai Setar is in the state of Penang, but the nearest town is Parit Buntar, Perak.So after meeting with homestay participants in Sungai Setar, we went to her restaurant to have a late lunch. It was already late afternoon when we reached  there and I saw a number of people still eating in her restaurant.The food must be good here, considering it is located in a small town.

Kak Shidah recommended us to try the Nasi Ayam Berempah (translated Spicy Chicken Rice). Talking about Ayam Rempah or Ayam Goreng Berempah, once I forced my officemate to travel all the way from Damansara to Jalan Genting-Klang braving the heavy traffic just to buy a packet of Steam Nasi Lemak with Ayam Goreng Berempah (he blackmailed me anyway -I had to stay back to help him with a very important report). Nyummmmmmm.... Look at the menu, cheap, simple and definitely nice. Very kampung style.

Being a great hostess, she didn't only treat us to her Spicy Chicken Rice ... in fact she even asked us to try the Honey Chicken, Promfret Fish Curry and selection of sauces - chilli, honey glaze and air assam (sour sauce).

Honey-glaze Chicken

Promfret Fish Curry

From top : Air assam, chilli and honey-glaze.

The chicken rice was really delicious ... and no wonder it was a hit among the locals. Especially when it  was eaten hot. Although I was quite full, there was one thing that I had been craving for many years (seriously). A good Meehoon Sup Utara (Northern Style Meehoon Soup).

Another must try ... Northern Style Meehon Soup

The verdict: Tidak mengecewakan!

Mee Udang Cantik @ Ayu Mee Udang, Teluk Kumbar,Penang

Been eating a lot lately ... from Penang to Kuching, Sarawak and Mallacca. Don't worry, all my food misadventures are well documented in my camera, which explains my long absent from this blog. Need to get more yummy materials to be featured in this blog hehehe.

About 2 weeks ago, after sending off my lady boss at the Penang International Airport, I decided to give my driver a treat for the good work done. FYI, one of the many reasons my lady boss love to come to Penang is because of my friendly, chatty and tourists friendly driver. Sometimes, I did "lend" him to some of my close friends who happened to visit Penang for his extra pocket money ... and the feedback is always positive. 

Being a humble person, he never want to impose or demand for anything. In fact, he is like my personal tourist guide in Penang. So that day, he recommended I try the Malay Prawn Mee in Teluk Kumbar, (quite near to the airport) on the way to Gertak Sanggul. I was a bit skeptical about some of the over commercialised prawn mee restaurants along Teluk Kumbar towards Gertak Sanggul as I have tasted one so called famous restaurant but really not to my taste. I have always love my Prawn Mee (also known as Hokkien Mee in Penang) at one stall in Gurney Drive (will blog about it later).

Since I was the one asking him to suggest the place to eat, so I went on with it. The place name is Ayu Mee Udang (as shown in the pic). By the way, the model is Bob, my driver cum tourist guide.

 There were not many people when we arrived there. The place is clean and nice. Not very big but OK.

When my prawn mee arrived, I was surprised to see there was no prawn to be seen on my mee garnishing. I asked Bob, " You sure this is the famous prawn mee? Why so simple?" He just chuckled and told me to dig into the thick broth.

Voila! I found 4 big fresh prawns ...

The bowl can be considered as quite big too. As it was quite a big serving, I wondered whether I could finish mine or not. But I know Bob will be more than happy helping me finish mine.

I always love my prawn done plain either "raw" as in sashimi, steam or blanched (wonder this is the right word for slightly cooked) especially when it is fresh. Yummm ... the owner used fresh prawns for his mee and so succulent that I had to eat it slowly to savour the taste. They even provide you with empty plate so that we can put the peeled prawn skin.

I slurp the broth slowly .... little by little ... enjoying it until I didn't realised that I finished my bowl clean ... hehehe. A bowl of the prawn mee can range between RM 12.00 to RM 20.00 ++ depend on the servings and extra ingredients. That day, we paid RM 12.00 per bowl. But I think it was really worth it ... taking into consideration the size of the prawn (and freshness) plus the serving size. More information about this place is as below.

Ayu Mee Udang
936B, Lengkok Kg. Masjid Satu,
Teluk Kumbar, Pulau Pinang.
GPS Coordinates: N5 17.316 E100 13.699