I may be clueless..but..

Italianies part II

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:47:00 +0000

On a recent trip to KL i had to have Italiannies again...the Risotto is a real must....the taste is so tasty i dunno how to describe...the mussels, fish, squid and prawns are so fresh and succulent!

The carbonara is equally delicious. Lunch, the price is RM 19.90 and dinner is RM 27.90.
The difference is in the portion..When i saw the lunch portion..i was like....what?!?!?! where got enough....i was so wrong by the size..it's very filling and dinner, it's meant for two!
I WISH Italiannies would come to Penang....

Ipoh

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:18:00 +0000

Finally we went to Ipoh....it was an impromt to decision and I LOVED every minute of it! The first food stop is Foh San Restaurant along Jalan Abdul Tahir. The place is packed with people. It is difficult to find a table and when u finally do, the other people without tables, will stare at you like vultures...waiting to take your spot.
Lucky the waitress helped us "thap thoi" with other ppl and we soon ate..
The food is unlike anything I have ever eaten!! Everything is delicious! I didn't dare take pictures coz fearing people we shared the table with will think I'm psycho!
We ordered a lot to take away. The Siew Mai is the best I've eaten - it is the number one must!! The char siew pau is definately different - in a nice way. The egg tart is absolute 'delish' and the 'kai soh' dun get me started...I haven't eaten such good chicken pie in a long time...

Doughnutz Mania

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:01:00 +0000

I simply love doughnutz...throw any kind of doughnutz at me and I'll catch it with my mouth open....Last weekend was the last weekend before utter chaos and madness starts at work....so I decided to laze around...just do nothing but S-L-E-E-P....but too much sleep and nothingness...makes my hand itch - itch to cook up a storm....hehehe
so I decided to make doughnuts - which started off to be a disaster coz I din have enough flour and the dough became all mushed up and I couldn't form a dough - but thanks to my crazy 'braveness'...I decided to go ahead with the frying by piping out the dough and made doughnut balls and it turned out great....just realised doughnutz are so easy and cheap to make and if I am ever out of a job..I shall be the Doughnut Lady....Crispy, Creamy Doughnuts

Haagen Dazs

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:35:00 +0000

The mother of all buffet is in town from 1 November 07....Free flow of Haagen Dazs ice cream with topping for only RM 19.90!!
The place you ask??The Revolving Restaurant in City Bayview Hotel, Penang...I wonder will there be a bustling crowd?? Too bad I can't be one of the first to try...Poor me have to work till late in the nite this week....

Sounds too good too be true, rite???hope it is.....anybody interested???after my close that is....

Poly Cafe, Pulau Tikus

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:55:00 +0000

Poly Cafe situated beside Burmah House opens from morning till around tea. They are closed on Wednesdays and are normally packed with people most of the time! The Hokkien mee is pretty delicious and you can taste that the soup is wholesome and not 'fake'. The soup is not as thick compared to Super Hokkien mee but you'll never have to wait that long! It has meat, prawns and vegetables and the egg used in this hokkien mee is absolutely delicious..unlike Super hokkien mee
There was a write up on the Roti Babi in The Star recently and I feel they are over rated. Since the write up was so good, we just had to give it a try and we were disappointed. The 'liao' aka fillings was not as much as written in the papers. No doubt it's fragrant and all but it's simply not spectacular! To make things worse, they serve the roti babi with chilli sauce instead of cut chili with Worcestershire sauce, and that is the correct way of eating Roti Babi. Anyway..I know of another place that serves good roti babi in town but I don't know if they still serve it coz I hear the preparer died - God bless his soul. I shall find out and blog about it next time.

Sar poh fan

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:25:00 +0000

Now.. looking for Claypot rice in Penang is easy but I feel the rice that is cooked together with the soya sauce is hard to come by. It's common to get rice that has been cooked and just before serving, they pour in the soya sauce etc in, making the rice not evenly covered in sauce!However, I know of this place near Jelutong market at Kim Hee Cafe, beside Mat Toh Yau Dessert.
Better go early if even though your not hungry coz I have waited for nearly 1 hour for it! However I recently went during the Chinese Vegetarian Festival period, food was served in less than 10 minutes! We were literally in shocked!
I tell you, this claypot rice has salted fish, chinese sausage and the chicken is so ever tender and best of all..it's breast meat with no skin...

Big claypot

Small claypot
Another thing, normally this stall closes very early coz they'll run out of claypot rice before 7.30pm and I think they are not open on Sundays.

Lok Lok @ Raja Uda

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:55:00 +0000

It has really been awhile since my last entry. I've been working my @$$ off! When ever I go to Seberang Prai during the afternoon, I will definitely make my way to the cheapest Lok Lok I know...I know it's a bit far but I do not go there on purpose to have Lok Lok! The stall is situated in Raja Uda at the corner of Jalan Cempaka, the Lok Lok is only RM 0.30 per stick! Among the variety is mantis prawns, octopus and cuttlefish with kangkung.....all at 0.30 cents. However when we got there...we couldn't find any of the above displayed but the uncle was busy peeling the mantis prawns. We ordered 10 sticks and the replied was RM 1.50 per stick wor....and he said, "nvm i charge u 0.60 etc...." we din quite catch what he said in the end but we agreed....and the next thing we saw was..... he threw 10 mantis prawns into the boiling pot and we were in shocked!! no wonder so cheap....we gotta peel our own mantis prawns!!! Nevertheless, the mantis prawns are cooked just right, they are fresh and juicy and yummy...but...everyone was starring at our table - coz we peeled our own mantis prawns..pai seh nia
Be warned, for 30 cents per stick, the amount on each stick is not alot but if possible, go for those that are value for $$$!

Wedding dinners and G Hotel - Ballroom

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:44:00 +0000

I recently attended a wedding dinner at G-Hotel. I was sceptical coz it was my first time dinning there and after hearing so many negative comments about their food. I found those comments were not true as the food was not bad...
I have learnt so many things from this wedding - MUST learn from other people's mistakes!

#1. Don't invite so many guest to your wedding if the ballroom cannot accommodate the number of tables you want. Book other place where they have a bigger ballroom. Making your guest sit outside of the ballroom where they do not get visual or audio on what's going on inside just makes them feel second class and not cool.

#2. If you intend to invite so many people and some people are not able to get audio or visual of the ceremony, rent a projector and PA system so all guest can have a feel of what is going on, instead of sitting around as if it was not a wedding dinner. G Hotel had televisions but they were minute if you are sitting far far away from it!

#3. Never use those huge confetti poppers as it's smelly and messy - it gets in your hair and dress. I just think it's a BIG NO NO!

#4. Have your parents thank every guest that attended instead of thanking their own friends. Happened to me - it's as though I was not worthy of coming!

#5. Never book you reception with G Hotel even though they are the only hotel left!

I know for sure I won't after what I observed from the way the ceremony was conducted. I do not know who is to be blamed when the bride and groom made their entrance. They should have started from the table where people signed in and not at the entrance of the ballroom when for all those who sat outside only saw their backs. As they had the wedding march, the hotel staff closed the door to the ballroom and all those sitting outside the ballroom had no visual or audio what so ever. We were just looking at each other - I was slightly amused/shaking my head in dismay at how they conducted it and no way I'm going to treat the guest to my wedding the same way I/those sitting outside ware treated.

The food presentation was ridiculous as the staff were all lined up in rows of two's behind the bride and groom - before they had their wedding march. The song they chose was from the cartoon - Madagascar - I like to move it move it...I like to move it move..MOVE IT! I was trying to imagine the waiters dancing to the song when they march into the ballroom and there was this crazy looking 'chef' banging his huge egg beater and flipper - I mean it's ridiculous! Anyways, the presentation is more to let the people inside the ballroom see it as we were 'part' of the people who saw the process outside.

The service is so bad and the staff so NOT trained. Probably they were given orders of give those who ask only. What I mean is, our waiter only asked my friend if she wanted chinese tea/drink and me sitting beside her, din get any until I called him up again and told him I wanted chinese tea - trying to be stingy on the tea? For god's sake, pour for everybody lar..if they finish refill if not, it's just a cup of tea - how much can it cost!?!?!? I'm not saying our waiter is bad just that he needs ALOT of training as well as English course...lets say the majority of the staff is not local.

Next complain comes with my favourite dish - sharksfin soup. I am crazy over black vinegar and sharksfin. I'll pour the vinegar till my sharksfin turns black - then only I'll eat it. Yes - your right....the container of what supposed to be vinegar is indeed soya sauce. Imagine my face when I took my first sip of my soup. I almost fainted from the saltiness. How can they make such a mistake by putting soya sauce in what supposed to be vinegar. It's lucky of us for not telling him to pour the 'vinegar' into the bowl of sharksfin soup!

The flow of food was so slow that some people left before the vegetables came! When it finally came, i think it was 10-ish! Some dinners would have ended at that time but no.....we still had the vegtables, rice and dessert to go!tsk*tsk*tsk G Hotel - what happen to your time management!

Lastly, boyfriends/husbands, accompany your girlfriends/wife when they use the toilet at G Hotel. I went alone as I cannot 'tahan' already. When I approach the toilet, I saw this hotel staff, a Bangla standing between the men and women toilet. I happily went in, minding my own business and there were still several ladies there. After I came out of my cubicle and washed my hands, I heard the same Bangla saying 'house keeping' - only ONCE and he entered the washroom when I was still in it! I was shocked and furious...I mean, how can a man 'clean' a women's toilet in the middle of a function without putting up the 'cleaning in progress' sign to stop the ladies from entering the washroom! I saw him standing there before I entered the ladies..Don't tell me he doesn't know how to counthow many ladies are left in the washroom. I can tell you, initially there were 3 ladies, then 2 left, then there was me. So stoopid!!!!

Conclusion NEVER EVER have your wedding in G Hotel

Prontip

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:13:00 +0000

Recently I pass by Prontip Thai Restaurant and the banner caught my eye. Thai food buffet lunch at only RM 10.90nett (weekdays) and RM 12.90nett (weekends)! I decided to give it a try yesterday. For RM 12.90, you cannot complain about the spread they had. There was plain rice, fried noodles, fried belacan rice, Thai style pork, Green curry prawns, Thai style fish, Thai style satay, Thai Laksa, deep fried kangkung, Thai minced meat, spring rolls, fish, crab & prawn cakes, Tomyam soup, dessert and much more which I can't remember. I do not know if the spread changes every other day or it's the same.
The fish, prawns & crab cakes are superb, the belacan fried rice is good, laksa...darn creamy and rich - yum yum and the prawns are so fresh!For such a cheap price and you get to try so many variety of their food, why not?
The lunch hour for this buffet is 11 am - 3pm. If the buffet doesn't fancy you, they do serve ala carte!

Stella's place

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:24:00 +0000

This new place is practically operated from the garden of the proprietor, named Stella Lee! Don't let the name fool you coz she is an Austrian women, helped out by her daughter, Sandra. My mum introduced me to this place and they serve home-cooked wholesome food. 9 of us went and we had 9 plates each of spaghetti, soup and apple crumble & 2 plates each of pork chop, 1/2 roasted chicken and huge bowls of salad. I wouldn't say it's the best but it's fresh, authentic, simple and good food. All those amount of food, the bill came up to close to RM 200 and we had so much left overs - practically untouched!
I arrived late and I was so hungry, I drank my spinach soup in an instant!The garlic bread is so tasty, full of herbs and big chunks of garlic - don't know if my mum requested it or it's normal. Even after the soup, I was about to surrender! The amount is HUGE!!
My dad being a vegetarian, obviously had vegetarian spaghetti and when his spaghetti came, I nearly fainted! The portion is also HUGE! Stella's justification of it is....there's no meat in it, so the portion HAS to be BIGGER!! Goodness gracious..

Anyways, the rest of us had bolognese spaghetti. Unlike other places where the tomato sauce taste more like ketchup and artificial, this place makes their sauces from scratch from real tomatoes! I dunno but it tastes more healthy!
We also had 2 huge bowls of salad which we couldn't finish! Anyways, I'm not gonna brag bout the salad coz salad is salad!
The best dish has to be the pork chop!! When you order pork chop at other places, the meat they serve you is like .... - yuck..ooohhhh when the plate of pork came....it smelt so good and it taste so very good! Heck, even the potatoes were good!

Imagine the chunk of meat....i'm drooling as I type...Even the 1/2 roasted chicken is good...the skin is roasted to perfection, not charred and the meat is just nice! Everytime I take a bite from the food, I instantly think of home-cooked meals! Let's say it brings back memories...

As we ere eating in the garden, mum decided to help herself in the kitchen - she knows Stella...The apple crumble is in the oven!!I must hand it to Stella for making the apple pie not that sweet and the crumble is just superb!!

This place is at: No 2, Jalan Tanjung Bungah, 11200 Hillside Penang (Opposite ESSO station)
Tel no: 016 4868880 or 04-8998927

Corner of Sri Bahari Road

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 14:51:00 +0000

I think the most famous Loh Bak in Penang got to be at the coffee shop at the corner of Sri Bahari Road. Recently we paid a visit to the coffeeshop which is always packed with people. We wanted to customised our Loh Bak but to our dismay, we weren't allowed to do so....it's coz they had too many orders at their hand and tempers were flying high! So without much choice, had to settle for a plate of 'cham'- mixed.

A plate of 'cham' consist of 2 loh bak, 1 squid, 1 popiah, 1 taukua and 1 prawn fritters. In my opinion, it's slightly cut throat to charge RM 7 per plate! I also feel that the quality has dropped coz the squid used to have eggs in them and now they are E-M-P-T-Y anyways, i give them props for the way things are deep fried..
Since Fly FM has been on the search for the best satay in Malaysia...it left us craving for them 'chicken kebabs'! so we decided to try the satay. It's 50 cents per stick and I must say...it's rather tasty.

The satay is not oily and the meat doesn't contain fat - a BIG plus....The negative would be the peanut sauce is slightly on the runny side. I'll definitely go back there for their satay.
Lastly we ordered the 'chok' - congee which is yummy. Unlike the 'cham' loh bak, the 'cham' congee contains several things and it's only RM 3.50! 'Cham' contains chicken, fish, century egg and 'yew char kueh'

Mexican food

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 18:11:00 +0000

You must probably be wondering which place I'm gonna blog about on Mexican food...The place is...my home. I craved for Mexican food and what the heck..I haven't been cooking for a long time, I decided to give it a go..
I didn't give the ingredients and what food I'm gonna cook much thought and off to Tesco I go! After buying the necessary stuff I needed, I searched for recipes in my all time favourite website All Recipes. The preparation is hard work but I am a slow worker. I slaved the whole day in the kitchen and below is the results I got!

Clockwise from bottom left: tortillas (bought), sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, guacamole, beef and chicken mix, chili beans with minced meat and chicken and tomato salsa.

I couldn't find a recipe for chili beans, so I bought Old El Paso's mix which was terrific! I just added kidney beans, home made salsa, onions and ground beef and chicken.

As for snacks while watching the tellie, I made cheese dip which was quite flavourful but the seasoning from Chachos overpowered my cheese dip!
Nacho Cheese Sauce
Tomato Salsa
Chicken Fajitas
Guacamole

Chulia Street - Curry mee

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:11:00 +0000

This curry mee aka laksa (mind you, not Penang's assam laksa)stall sold along Chulia Street, in front of Dunlopillo is always surrounded by people and we decided to give it a try. Now I know why so many people wait at the stall! One bowl is only RM 2.30 and the amount of cuttlefish, tau pok, cockles aka ham they put in is more than you bargain for. Although this stall doesn't have prawns but they do give a huge fishball (I'm a H-U-G-E fan of fishballs!). The soup is slightly on the oily side but once you scope it away, the soup is fine. The waiting period is quite long and the lady may forget your order - if you sit along the alley. No worries coz she will stroll down the alley if anybody did place an order and she'll efficiently get the task done!

While waiting for our curry mee, we decided to try the taukua goreng, fried spring rolls and teochew chai kuih which was a disappointment coz it's no where near the teowchew chai kuih sold in One Corner Cafe. Each chai kuih is only 60 cents. The taukua goreng is not bad and the plus side of this order is the chili sauce which i particularly like coz of the amount of lime they put in.

The curry mee stall opens after dark which probably around 8-ish but the other stalls open much earlier.
Other food available around this area is Char Kuey Teow - the uncle selling it just loves the sound of banging wok coz every time we walk past his stall, he just knocks his wok with his spatula but doesn't really touch the kuey teow! The char kuey teow is also not bad. We have also tried the Char Hor Fun and Ee Foo Mee and we feel it's slightly expensive and your stomach is not satisfied after one plate and you long for more food! So, I wouldn't recommend it unless you crave for it!

Peppino

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:10:00 +0000

I'm so surprised I couldn't find a review of Peppino - Golden Sands Resort, specialising in Italian - GOOD Italian food! The ambiance is not quiet but it's acceptable.

Before the appetisers or food start rolling out, they serve you complimentary bread with butter. These bread are full of herbs and it's piping hot when served.
As appetisers, we had the spread of authentic Italian starters - RM 42.

It consisted of one succulent prawn, scallop, mussel, squid, grilled vegetables, parma ham and beef carpacio. The beef carpacio is delicious! I've never eaten anything quite like it and it tasted like berries..yummy.. There was this grilled 'thing' on the plate

Thinking it was a red hot chili pepper and I was thinking to myself...how hot is this little bugger...I was so scared when I tasted it! The first bite was....ummmmm...SWEET! It was a darn tomato! The joke was on us!

As main course, we had beef tenderloin with lobster tail and mashed potato - RM 72...The mashed potato is shaped as a round platform at the bottom, with the beef on top and the lobster all curled up at the very top. The lobster sauce is loaded with dripping cheesy sauce. Although the beef was slightly small but my other half was full!

I had the sirloin steak with mushrooms, herbs and roasted potatoes - RM 68 The way they grill the beef is the best I've ever tasted. All juicy and tender and tasty...Y-U-M-M-Y

After main course, they will wipe off crumbs and clean your table before asking if you would like dessert. Since I din buy a birthday cake for my other half, I decided to order a tiramisu - RM 26. It is so moist and light but the portion is very small and it came with star fruit and a slice of mango and a splash of chocolate and something else and it's not butterscotch or caramel.
After dinner we took a romantic stroll along the poolside as well as the beach and the nite would be perfect if you stayed there....
Overall, I would definitely go visit Peppino again as I really fell in love with the food. With Citibank credit card there is a 25% off the bill but promotional items are not discounted items.

Sebai Sebai - Thai cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:00:00 +0000

This authentic Thai food restaurant gives you a run for your money. Sebai Sebai is located at 1 Lintang Batu, Green Lane, Penang. It's on your left if you are coming from Gelugor, opposite the playground near to the KFC and CIMB bank in Batu Lanchang.They open from 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm and it's pork free. You better to go early coz there's not much parking! We arrived at around 7.30 and it's almost full house but there are ample tables if you don't mind sitting outside without air conditioning.
We had Phad Chee Cheong Fun - RM 6. In layman terms, fried chee cheong fun. It's so delicious and the seafood in it is so big and fresh! Slightly oily but I guess it's a must to fry the chee cheong fun. Next on the list is shrimp paste fried rice aka belacan fried rice - RM 6. The portion is so huge fot the price, it makes Pastasia looks like baby food! The chicken is so darn yummy.

We then ordered the deep fried kangkung. This dish however was a bit disappointing coz it's salty and I didn't like the way they fried it - no style..Deep fried kangkung should be light and crispy but this kangkung is heavy, salty and not up to my expectation.
We actually stopped ordering there but the lady gave us an impression that the portion is small and we decided to order small tom yam soup - RM 18. We were expecting a bowl of soup and we definitely did not expect a steamboat like serving. The Tomyam is the best of the best. It's sour and spicy and no words to describe it. The best is, for RM 18 there were 2 fresh prawns, squid, fresh fish slices, half a crab and lots and lots of lemon grass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves.
In the end, we simply could not finish the soup and had to doggie bag it and we had a blast making tom yam with rice vermicelli the next day! The total bill came up to RM 39.20 and best of all, no government tax! This place is definitely a keeper!

Pastasia - Italian & Thai Fusion

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:45:00 +0000

Since we haven't tried this joint since it's opening and Citibank has a buy 1 for 1 free promotion till 31 August 2007, so why not, rite?
We went at 7.30pm - typical dinner time and there were nobody around! One glance at the menu, the prices are so so....expensive! We ordered the Spaghetti Nere Di Seppia - Squid ink spaghetti with ~~prawns~~ a prawn, ~~mussels~~ a mussel, squid and clams. For RM 29.90, you get one and only prawn that is not fresh, one mussel and lots of 'kepah'. The good??

Since it was buy one free one, I ordered something of the same price - Lamb shank cooked in tomato sauce and risotto. The amount of rice is so miserable and the risotto is undercooked.

The food tasted fine although the portion is ~~slightly~~ VERY small! What can I say, my tummy was not satisfied and HAD to go for Baskin Robbins after the meal. Overall, I will not go back there. I rather pay more and enjoy my Italian food in Mario's along Batu Ferringhi.

Kapitan Nasi Kandar - Pt 1

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:36:00 +0000

At Kapitan (the one 49 Chulia Street), you can see both foreigners and locals eating and enjoying the food. You will not miss this joint coz it's the most 'happening' shop among the three nasi kandar shops at each corner. The seating arrangement for this place is as such the first floor is air conditioned (but I don't like the environment). Anyways, it's not hot downstairs either. The place maintains their cleanliness...but I don't know bout the toilet. I guess the place is famed for it's Tandoori Chicken which starts from only RM 6.50 per set, depending on the type of naan you order! I shall go into detail in another post coz I don't have photos with me! However, I've tried the 'Roti Tisu'...'Roti Tisu' is plain Roti Canai that is tossed to paper thin thickness, rolled up and drizzled with condensed milk. Sad to say, the one in Kapitan is not up to my expectation. The 'roti' is not thin enough and as if condensed milk is not sweet enough, the pastry is coated with coarse sugar! So the crunchiness is not from the pastry!

Poorly rated..not worth eating this Roti Tisu.. However the Tandoori.........to be continued.........

Super Hokkien Mee

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:08:00 +0000

You may think what so "super" about this Hokkien Mee aka Har -Mee! Actually this special stall got it's name from the location they used to operate! Which was behind Super Burmah along Penang Road..Anyways, they have relocated to One Corner Cafe. As the name suggest, it is at the corner, behind Penang Plaza. The building used to be a fish shop! The broth for Penang Hokkien Mee is made by boiling pork ribs and prawns.

If you decide to go there for breakfast, I suggest you go even though you are not hungry coz I've waited more than an hour for a bowl of noodles! Beware, the owner of the stall doesn't like their customer customizing the ingredients!If you are there and you are extremely hungry, try ordering the pinkish kuih that has either 'bangkuang', ku chai or yam. Each cost 80 cents and I assure you, they are extremely tasty! One bite of it, trust me, you would want more! They are either sold as it is or pan seared. My picture may not look appetising but don't judge a book by it's cover!
The Hokkien Mee soup is darn tasty with portion is big, unlike other places in Penang! A 'normal' bowl of noodles is RM 3.00 and the prices increase by a ringgit for the increase in size..if you know what I mean.

FYI the stall only operates in the morning and usually finishes very early! Early bird gets the worm.....

TAO - Authentic Asian Cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:18:00 +0000

I was skeptical of TAO on my first visit. I read about a lot of unpleasant thing about them prior to my visit. Surprisingly, it turned out not bad at all. Apparently they have two sessions for dinner - one at 5.30 and the other at 8.15 pm. We arrived at 7 pm and was told we had to leave by 8.15 pm if we were to sit inside. After getting assurance on the timeliness of their service, we agreed to leave at 8.15pm!

The a-la carte prices are way way sky high and it's cheaper to go with the Eat All you Can Eat buffet at only RM 45 ++.

Tuna Tataki (A la carte - RM 15) - Soaked tuna fish soaked in vinegar, sesame seeds, seaweed and benito shavings. This dish is simply superb and we had 2 servings of it!

Steamed Unagi - hmm...I did not sampled this dish but according to my other half, it's only so - so and the dish came with a lot of cabbage! I ain't see no unagi!

Motoyaki Scallop (Ala carte - RM 20) hhmm...what shall I say about this dish??it's uumm...ok i guess but we ordered 4 servings of it! The sauce on the scallops tasted slightly like thousand island and some of the scallops were odd shaped - weird!

Crabmeat with cheese (Alacarte - RM 10) This is also an interesting dish..when they waitress placed it on our table, the basket is so big but it has only 4 miserable pieces of 'crabmeat' with cheese. I saw/tasted no crabmeat and the cheese is cream cheese. Tasted abit weird though..another so - so dish.

I have no idea what this dish is called but it was recommended by the waitress. She told us, the fish is full of eggs! The dish came with 3 fish and the more I ate it..I felt so guilty! The fish is really literally filled with millions of unhatched eggs and it made me feel like a murderer! Anyhow, the fish is a little fishy.. but those that enjoy fish eggs..this is the dish for YOU!

It's not possible to have Japanese food without sashimi and the Deluxe Sashimi (Alacarte - RM 35) - Only I ate the sashimi and I ordered 2 plates. it comes with 2 slices of salmon, tuna, octopus and some other fish! not bad but after my second plate I hit my limit of raw fish - this is very surprising.

Yakitori (Ala carte - RM 10) - This Japanese satay is not the nicest I've eaten and there were peices of chicken skin! This yakitori loose hands down to Tori-Q of Singapore

Kushi Yaki (Ala carte - Rm 12) - This is seafood satay and it has squid, fish and bell peppers! Another so - so dish

Spider Rolls aka Soft shell crab sushi! - This dish is quite nice but I must say comparatively with the other dishes, there are a lot of rice involved - I think it's supposed to make you full quickly.

General chicken (Alacarte - RM 12) Initially we think we didn't ordered this dish but we were glad it came coz it's by far the best chicken dish here! I don't know what sauce it is but it's kinda sweet and we ordered 2 servings - we just couldn't help ourselves!

Schezuan Spicy & Sour Soup ( Alacarte - RM 6) - This is the dish not to order next time..it's not spicy nor sour and I think the Oriental Soup from Campbell is way better!

Other than the dishes above, we did have grilled salmon, grilled saba(butter fish), Taiwanese Mantis Prawns (deep fried with peanuts and sauce) The grilled fish and mantis prawns are great but I forgot to kae a pic coz it was too good!!hhehehe

There is also free dessert, Ice Cream or dessert of the day. When I asked what type of ice cream, the waitress simply answerd honey dew sago - what the....is it possible?!?! i thought she heard wrongly. Anyways I ordered and I ate 2 scoops in the end. It was refreshing and yummy

All in all, I would go back to Tao with more friends coz I have yet to sample more food!!

Best Soft Serve

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:07:00 +0000

I cannot believe it, I finally found the best soft serve on this planet in PJ. I used to think McDonald's soft serve is the best till I discovered....IKEA. The soft serve is only RM 1 nett! It comes on a sugar cone that is all crunchy and fragrant. You can actually taste the vanilla flavour and the creamy texture of it! Sorry I don't have a picture coz I was rushing against time and the ice cream is darn good and finished - just like that! Now when I'm back in Penang - returning to McDonald's soft serve....I crave for IKEA's!!They are just sooooo gooooodddd.... IKEA: When are you coming to Penang!!! I love your furniture, Ice Cream and Swedish Meatballs!!

Temperance??

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:55:00 +0000

Tis post ain't food related but...I have always been a fan of tarot cards and other astrological things. When I saw the website on tarot card readings, I simply couldn't resist. My cards is...rather..hmmmm...confusing...

You are Temperance

Time. Ages. Transformation. Involuntary change

Temperance is another card of aspiration, but also of much change. It often
represents complex situations. Positively, you can harmonize contrary
forces.

Temperance is, on a surface level, about "tempering." The original pouring from cup to cup might have been about cutting wine with water. So this is a card about moderation. There is, however, another angle to the card, that of merging seemingly impossible opposites. Sagittarius, the centaur, merges beast and man into a unique creature. And then there is the bow and arrow, one moving, one stationary, working together to point the way. Temperance may be, at first glance, a warning for you to "temper" your behavior, to cut your wine with water. But it may also be a reminder to that seemingly irreconcilable opposites may not be irreconcilable at all. Belief that fiery red and watery blue cannot be merged may be the only thing standing in the way of blending the two. Change the belief, measure out each with care, and you can create otherworldly violet.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Cheap Nasi Melayu in Pulau Tikus

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:38:00 +0000

You can find this "pakcik" parked at the junction of Burma Road's inner road or in front of Burmah House. At approximately 12.30 pm on weekdays, his van will be surrounded with people of all races and age! I tell you the food is yummy and the price is reasonable - at times I wonder how he survives..the prices are real low!

Above, bendi, beef rendang, kerabu and rice - only RM 1.80...It's cheaper than a bowl of noodle and even has red meat!!
On Fridays, there usually he cooks Nasi Tomato but you gotta be early to be able to eat it! I shall miss "pakcik's" food..coz I no longer work in Pulau Tikus...If "pakcik" parks near the junction, beside him will a "ah pek" selling deep fried cempedak, sweet potato with "tnee hueh" and yam...at only RM 0.50 per piece. This "ah pek" is very funny and very "chin chai" aka generous and flexible.. His goods are crispy and irresistible!

Mee Sotong aka 'Indian Fried Mee"

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:13:00 +0000

The famous Mee Sotong or otherwise known as 'Kelenah Mee' (in hokkien) aka Indian Fried Mee in Old Esplanade is none other than Hameed Pat Mee Sotong! The price ranges from RM 3.50 to RM 5.00. Bear in mind that there is a long wait before your food is served.

I normally order the 'beehoon goreng' aka fried vermicelli. I love the spiciness and the generous amount of sotong' or squid they give!
To wash the food down, the refreshing COCONUT SHAKE at only RM 2.00 is recommended!

It's basically coconut juice with vanilla ice cream

ZingDo

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:25:00 +0000

Recently, I keep hearing people saying that Korean fast food chain in Gurney Plaza, Penang (Breeks original location) is 'yucks'. On the other hand got people say not bad 'lar'. So, I decided to give it a try. After much deliberation and asking the cashier on what is nice, I chose BiBim Bap Garlic Chicken Bulgogi Meal that comes with Kimchi soup - RM 10.90

Eating the food for the very first time, I found it a bit bland so i added the unusual chili sauce that was provided. It tasted better. In a nutshell, ~~Bing Bing Bang~~ BiBim Bap Garlic Chicken Bulgogi Meal is just Korean "Sar Poh Fan". The Kimchi soup was the best coz it had a kick and ooomph to it!
My other half ordered the Hotplate Beef Bulgogi set that comes with soup and short grain (Japanese) rice - RM 13.90. The meat comes raw so bring out the chef in you and play with food!!

ZingDo is under the same group of companies with Breeks and Soul Garden! Personally, I find ZingDo so so and I don't like the amount of cucumbers in the food..it overpowers the taste of other things!
I prefer Pepper Lunch in Singapore and best of all, no cucumber and it's yummier but more expensive.

Pepper Lunch

Italiannies

noreply@blogger.com (clueless) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:36:00 +0000

Italiannies: Pasta, Pizza & Vino...The cheapest way on public transport to The Curve is to take the Ikea shuttle bus from the opposite side of Kelana Jaya LRT station... However, a cab would do just fine and the cost is RM 12 to get there.

The best way to enjoy Italiannese is to bring friends and a big appetite! NO KIDDING!!
We got carried away when 4 of us ordered Spagetti & Meatballs, Lagsana A La Ravina, Chicken Parmagiana and Spinach and Artichoke Formaggio - the waiter stopped us and lucky thing he did! In the end we downsize to only Spagetti Meatballs and Lasagna A La Ravina!

While waiting for our meal, we were served fresh bread, 'Ciabatta' with olive oil and vinegar. Best of all, it is F.O.C!!! The bread is so fragrant with herbs and I've never tasted such good, plain bread in my entire life!

Behold the size of the meatballs!! They are nearly as big as my clenched fist! I tell you, the meatballs are so deliciously yummilicious!! On our way out, there was a couple that ordered the Classic Carbonara and Risotto - I salute them!!
Italiannese is by far the best Italian restaurant in terms of quality, quantity and price! When are you guys coming to Penang??? I'll be your regular customer!!