The Apartment – Urban Fusion Food – The Curve
Yes we do go The Curve very often, and yes we do try new places sometimes! I have tried The Apartment long long ago when it first launched and found it not so great, but not long back I had a function there and the food was actually really good (especially the mussels!).
The staff used [...]
Read the rest of this post at www.weatethis.com!
Read more from the original source:
Yaki-Yaki Japanese Barbeque Buffet Restaurant @ Jalan Bukit Bintang
After witnessing the huge success of has managed to achieve by offering 50% discount on all dining period, many other Japanese buffet restaurants are doing the same too. Xenri, Daidomon and now the newly opened Yaki-Yaki Japanese Barbeque Buffet Restaurant too.
These promotions or competition you might say, are definitely good news for Japanese buffet lovers. Anyway, yesterday was the day Earth Hour was celebrated and we happened to be at Bukit Bintang area wondering where to have dinner. We looked at Starhill’s Jogoya and it cost RM88++ per pax, pricey.. Then we suddenly remembered Yaki-Yaki next to Low Yat Plaza.
We decided to give it a try because it was quite cheap for a buffet @ RM46.25 nett per pax (including service charge and tax) We didn’t make any reservations and dined as walk-in guests.
After we got our table and paid the full amount, we were guided to a round table just next to the beverage area. Each table has its own captain in charge, and any orders for barbecue are to be made through him. To ensure the food is maintained at its freshest, Yaki-Yaki only serves the food (for barbecue only) when an order is received.
After making an initial order for some scallops, unagi, beef and Chicken with Wine Soup. We took a quick tour around the restaurant to see the available choices. Yaki-Yaki has Japanese (sushi, sashimi, tempura), Chinese (cooked seafood), Western, seafood, skewers (mushroom, satay, sausage) and dessert sections.
The first thing I had was of course some sashimi, raw oysters and an Unagi sushi – just to test the freshness. The sashimi was definitely fresh and very enjoyable, that alone was enough to make me a happy person lol.
Mussel with mayonnaise, sushi and steamed prawns with herbs. The prawns (freshwater type) at Yaki-Yaki are very fresh, another good news for me. Among all prawns in the buffet, I found this cooking style the nicest because the herbal taste wasn’t too strong and you can still taste the prawns’ sweet flesh.
Perfect half boiled egg the Japanese style, called Spring Water Egg.
I think Jogoya started it, and thanks to them the newer Japanese buffets serve these mini fresh coconuts. Very sweet and refreshing! Oh you don’t have to worry that they will run out, Yaki-Yaki replenished them very quickly and generously. No need to compete with the other diners for it lol (you know what I mean hehe)
The first food to arrive from our barbecue order – Scallop with Butter Cream sauce. It was nice to see the butter melt and cooking the scallops when they are placed on the barbecue. But too bad the same couldn’t be said for the taste. By the way, the time needed to cook the food is written in the menu itself. For example the scallops need to be barbecued for 3.5 minutes, while fish typically needs 4 minutes. Better bring a long a friend who can read Chinese because the timings are all written in Chinese.
Miso Beef, lots of fat in this one.
Because they are sliced to thinly, they cook pretty fast in 1-2 minutes. And they tend to stick to the grill too.
The melting of the fat will make the fire burn even stronger. I managed to remain calm and took some photos while my gang was freaked out trying to put off the fire, lol.
Left to right: Beef, Lamb and Chicken Satay, they were very spicy! Funny that only Chicken Satay was not in skewered form.
The list of food can be ordered for barbecue includes: Chicken Slice with Honey sauce, Miso Chicken, Lamb Belly Tender, Beef Striploin, Hokkaido Sanma Fish, Shishamo, Argentina Squid, Crab with Butter Cream Sauce, Japanese Rich Ball and Mochi and etc.
A plate of delicately prepared Japanese tofu, some more mussels and cooked scallops.
Tempura Soft Shell Crabs, no doubt one of the most popular items in the buffet. But luckily Yaki-Yaki replenished them very frequently too. I didn’t have to wait long for it.
Tempura Prawns,very crunchy since I got them just after they were deep fried.
More sashimi, all were nice and fresh. Special mention to the sliced abalone with spicy chili sauce, which was great as well.
The Ebi (prawn) is a must try, very flavorful.
The Unagi with Japanese Tofu (upper left) was another yummy dish.
The cooked scallops at the sashimi section tasted much better than those for barbecue.
We didn’t enjoy the Cod Fish because it got hard, dry and salty after being barbecued.
Luckily the Unagi was very nice. But you gotta pay extra attention when cooking them because they get burnt very easily. Shown here is a portion for three.
Whole pomfret, Garoupa (head and tail only), huge clams and tiger prawns were available at seafood section. They were very fresh as well but weren’t really suitable to go on the grill except the clams. Reason being they tend to get really dry and tasteless after being barbecued.
Some food tasted much better if Yaki-Yaki’s recommended cooking method was followed. Firstly, place the clams in the small aluminum foil plates. Then, fill up the plate with some Chinese wine before placing them on the barbecue grill. Although this will make them take longer to cook, you will be rewarded with tasty clams infused with the fragrance of Chinese wine. You really gotta try it.
OK, enough of what I had and lets take a tour of the restaurant. First stop, Chinese food section.
Butter prawns
Cooked crabs
Snails
Cawanmushi and different types of soup
Chicken Herbal Soup
Fresh coconuts that come in large containers in front of the kitchen counter. I have to admit they weren’t displayed as fancy as those in Tenji or Jogoya but who cares as long as they are replenished fast, that’s what I think really matters. Other fruits like orange, apple, dragon fruit and kiwi can be found here too.
Raw Satays
Skewered sausages, which I didn’t try any. There’s skewered mushroom, sweet potato and corns nearby too.
The soft shell crabs prepared at the tempura station were not only for the diners but also for the sushi section. Half of the soft shell crabs being fried here would be sent to the sushi section used to prepare California Rolls. So, no pre-fried soft shell crabs were used at all.
Sashimi and oyster section. This section is the best for me because most of the food tasted great.
Salmon Sashimi, orangery goodness!
The chef is very friendly and likes to talk to the customers. He will also give recommendations if you are unsure of what to eat. Cool guy.
He’s so friendly that he even volunteered to pose for me while holding a huge slice of salmon.
Mussels
Scallops
A huge selection of drinks were available, from soft drinks to coffee, tea and fruit juice.
The iced Nescafe was pretty good!
Brew your very own coffee here.
A fridge containing Fruit Jellies is located next to the drink vending machines.
And lastly, the Sauce Station with some unique looking containers. OK, I didn’t write a lot because I feel the 50+ photos are pretty much self-explanatory of what is served in Yaki-Yaki. Overall, very good Japanese buffet and I actually enjoyed the warm, cooked food more than the barbecue.
For RM46.25 (promotion period only, and 5% government tax and 10% service charge on NORMAL PRICE) this buffet is very worth visiting and I highly recommend it if they can maintain the quality and freshness of the food. And I think many of you want a comparison of Yaki-Yaki and Tenji, so here goes:
- i. Better, fresher food overall.
- ii. Premium food like tempura, coconuts, sashimi, oyster and scallops are replenished very fast.
- iii. More attentive and efficient LOCAL staff (waiters, cook)
- iv. Tatami rooms for private gathering
- v. Longer dining period (3 to 4 hours)
- vi. Made me feel like returning!
- i. Almost non-existent dessert section, only jellies and some normal ice cream served (No Haagen-Dazs here).
- ii. Very dark environment.
- iii. Hot environment because of the barbecue, will sweat.
- iv. Less photography freedom (not allowed to take photos of the restaurant)
50% discount only from 16/03/2009 to 30/04/2009
Buffet Lunch NP RM65++ 11:00am to 2:30pm (3.5 hours)
Buffet Hi-tea NP RM55++ 2:30pm to 5:30pm (3 hours)
Buffet Dinner NP RM75++ 6:00pm to 10:00pm (4 hours)
Buffet Supper NP RM65++ 10:00pm to 2:00am (4 hours)
Yaki-Yaki Japanese Barbeque Buffet Restaurant,
Ground Floor, Federal Bowl,
Jalan Bukit Bintang,
Off Jalan Bukit Bintang,
Bukit Bintang Central,
55100 Kuala Lumpur (next to Plaza Low Yat)
Reservation: +603-2142 8111
More here:
Invited Review | Karaikudi Restaurant @ Market St – Part 1
We had an opportunity recently to attend a food review that is out of what we have covered till now. Up to now, PenangTuaPui has limited posting on Indian food which we are beginning to cover for more. We are lucky to be in touch with Karaikudi Restaurant to do a food review about their Indian Cuisine as well as to understand more about indian culture and indian food.
There are two Karaikudi outlets in Penang with this one at Market Street, which is inside Penang’s Little India itself while the second outlet is at Tanjung Bungah. The chefs for these two restaurants are different although it is handled by the same management.
We have the upper floor for the food review purpose so that our presence will not disrupt the present business operations below. In fact, we were there during the dinner so the tables below were pretty much packed anyway.
Most of the decorations inside Karaikudi are imported from India to imitate the environment of the original Karaikudi city, the capital of Chettinad. The painting above is also an import from the homeland of Chettiyars.
Meet the fellow bloggers , , , , , and . Where is PenangTuaPui? As usual, the 4 of us are at the lower right of the picture 
We are lucky to have Hafiz (Marketing Manager) and Lakshmanan (Restaurant Manager) to be our hosts for the food review. Both of them provided lots of explanation and background about Karaikudi and the dishes we had to enable us understand more about Indian Cuisine.
For a start, we decided to do something different on the food review with the use of an evaluation form. This form actually helps us to jot down our taste and perception at the moment we taste it when things are still clear in the mind. It will also let the restaurant know of the so called customers’ feedback.
Mango Lassi (RM4.00) was the drink of the day which came in medium height glass. Any Indian restaurant you go to will tell you that their Mango Lassi is good and this one is no exception either. The mango lassi is thick and full of flavour but less creamy (less butter taste) compared to Passions of Kerala.
Chettinad Style Vegetable Soup (RM3.00) is a home made vegetable soup with spices and the yellowish colour on the soup is because of the use of dahl. The soup is watery type and not as thick as the western style while the taste is not that strong either. Perhaps, this is not just our style.
Bittergourd chips (RM6.00) is an addictive appetizer served with fried chilies and curry leaves. The bittergourd used is smaller type which is much bitter compared to its bigger brother.
Taking the first bite of this bittergourd, one can feel the spiciness surrounding the bittergourd snacks but gradually the bitterness taste becomes more evident and the effect seems to linger for some time. The spices used have encapsulated well the bitter taste at the begining but tingling your taste buds with spiciness before letting the bitterness sets in.
The crispy bittergourd can be quite addictive too despite the bitter taste. Each time after we finish one chip, there was a mix feeling for spiciness and bitterness that somehow tempting us to take the next bites. The Kashmir Chili used was quite crispy as well but not too hot in taste. Still the spiciness flows down the throat as we swallow it.
Chicken cutlet (RNM6.00) comes in a lovely shape that bring smiles among some of the bloggers. Want to take a guess why? Because it is made into the heart shape specially for us…hehe
The boneless pieces of chicken is marinated with eggs and bread crumbs before being fried. It contains chopped green chili and coriander as well.
The chicken cutlet is quite tender without sign of being overfried and taste a little bit, (yes, just a little bit) spicy because of the chili. Tam Ciak said it feels like eating the spicy KFC chicken nugget….
We thought this is supposed to be a dessert but Chettinad Special Dosai (RM4.00) can just be a sweet dish to have with main dish.
The dosai (thosai) is actually a favourite among the kids because of its colourful and sweet taste. It has cut dried cherry on top as well as sesame seeds. Once you open the inner part, it reveals the dessicated coconut in different colours red, green, yellow and original colour.
We initially thought nutmeg was included as well but we got it wrong. The dosai can be eaten on its own or it goes well with the dishes we have too.
Chicken Briyani (RM9.50) comes in a typical Indian container that we normally see in the movie except this is much smaller. The briyani uses basmathi rice which is longer and more fragrant compared to normal rice. One piece of chicken drumstick is included in the briyani rice with an egg served on top of the rice.
Sometimes we just cannot help ourselves laughing when we see the names although we know this is how each dish is called. Yes, our bad for being such mischievious… Chicken Kothu Paratha (RM9.00) is essentially Prata (bread) that has been chopped and served together with cooked chicken. This dish looks simple enough with nothing to be amazed yet perhaps it is the simplicity of this dish that makes it special at Karaikudi.
Some of the dishes we have, clockwise from bottom left; Mutton Chukka Varuval, Chicken Briyani, Chettinad Potato Masala, Kadai Vegetable and Ladies Finger Pepper Fry. To know more about each of this dish, stay tuned for next post~!
Random Posts
More:
RM1.20 Nasi Lemak @ Sri Weld Food Court, Beach Street
PJ has a famous , in Penang we have it too. Same price, same quantity, similar packaging but a whole lot more spicier. Definitely for those nasi lemak lovers looking for sambal pedas in their rice.
The funny thing is, the photos you are about to see are already one year old. That time, I knew I was going to move to Selangor so it was my last attempt to try as many Penang food as I could. One fine Friday afternoon, SL and I drove all the way from Bayan Lepas to Sri Weld Food Court at Beach Street just to try two food that were said to be famous there, beef noodles and nasi lemak.
Although the journey seem short for me now since I start working in Selangor (you know lah how freaking long those LDP highways are), those working in Bayan Lepas would know it is unusual to drive all the way to town just for lunch. Usually we just settle in Batu Maung, Bayan Baru or Bukit Jambul.
I hesitated for a while (for one year lol) on whether I should post this, main reason being the crappy photos. But then, why not? I think the photo is fairly self-explanatory on the level of spiciness in the sambal. Red hot!
For RM1.20 you would get a packet of traditional nasi lemak with a slice of hard boiled egg, some ikan bilis (fried anchovies) drenched in sambal.
Nasi Lemak drilling in progress. For me, finishing the nasi lemak was a challenge because the spiciness would numb your tongue and make you sweat like hell. And I ordered a cold drink so it only made things worse. You know how cold drinks make hot food taste even hotter right lol.
By the way, if you come early in the morning you would see rows and rows of freshly packed nasi lemak arranged in front of the stall. It’s a very neat sight and really great for photo. If I ever return that’s the shot I won’t miss.
Oh, this is one of my favorite drinks in Penang where we call it 932, basically a lime and sour plum drink. The limes are stuffed with sour plums and placed in a huge jar to be infused with sugar water (I think). Preparation is straightforward and simple, just mix with water and ice.
It is a very cool and refreshing drink, sweet tasting and not sourish like ???? ‘Kiet La Sem Boay’. 932 drink is extremely hard to find in KL, and they don’t call it 932 here. It’s called ?? ‘Pou Kat’ instead. So far I only seen one coffee shop selling it and the taste is just not as nice as those in Penang.
Yeah I mentioned that I was here to try the beef noodles too. But too bad the photo of the noodle is just too bad I dare not show it here. So, have a look at the stall instead lol. Taste wise I still find the opposite the Balai Bomba much nicer, with more meat too.
OK since it’s been a year I last went, I don’t know if the stalls are still there. Can anyone verify? For a super-delicious-omg-I-must-eat-one-now photo of the nasi lemak, head to . And apparently, has already reviewed the nasi lemak and beef noodles even before I went there! Haha.
Technorati Tags: ,
Continued here:
MAS Inflight Kitchen Tour & Food Tasting Session @ LSG Sky Chefs, KLIA
Have you ever wondered how in-flight meals are actually prepared? I do. Last weekend, I had an one in a lifetime chance of joining an exclusive tour of MAS’ in-flight kitchen somewhere around KLIA along with several other bloggers courtesy of Fleishman PR Agency.
LSG Sky Chefs Brahim Sdn Bhd, an international provider of airline catering services is responsible for preparing the meals.
I mentioned it was one in a lifetime thing because you have to be either an employee or an invited guest to be allowed in the kitchen area. Security is very tight and controlled so photography was not allowed, this is to prevent competitors from spying their operations.
After touring the kitchen, we were also treated to a feast of MAS’ in-flight cuisines from the top chefs so there are plenty of food photos!
After having some light refreshments LSG presented a presentation to the attendees a brief introduction of their company, a flow chart of their meal preparation and some facts and figures. I was amazed by the number of meals they prepared in a day, 30,000! Then the kitchen tour ensued and we were brought to the bakery section where large machineries are used to mass produce buns.
We also visited the chiller section where dairy products and prepared foods are stored before being loaded into flights. The freezer section was the nicest one. It was really freezing inside and there were hundreds of packets of frozen salmon, pomfret and even lobster!
The kitchen tour lasted about an hour so it was time to sample the food from MAS’ kitchen. Lamb shank, beef ribs, salmon, nasi lemak and MAS’ famous traditional Malaysian satay were only some of the items lined up for our food tasting session.
The food was displayed at a designated area for introductory and photography purpose, while the really edible ones were served in buffet style. When asked about the best food in MAS‘ menu, the chef immediately replied “Lamb Shank” without thinking twice.
He was right, it was one of the nicest dish we had that day with tender, juicy meat. By the way, this Lamb Shank was the displayed one. It could stand so nicely because mashed potato was used as the supporting base.
Country Style Beef Ribs, a pity we didn’t try this. But I heard it was quite good from the other bloggers.
Ahh.. MAS’ satays, the signature dish that have won the many hearts of MAS passengers around the world. Here, they were shown to be served along with Nasi Goreng Kampung – box meal style.
At the buffet area chicken, beef and lamb satay were served. That’s a huge tray of beef satay!
I really didn’t expect this but they tasted really great especially the lamb satay, very tender meat! If you didn’t know, this month (March) is a Satay Month in which satay will be on the menu for MAS passengers travelling on Economy Class to domestic and selected Asean countries.
This is actually a good news for Economy Class travellers because satay is usually served only in Business and First Class cabins.
I can’t imagine eating Lobster in the air.. that’s pure enjoyment if you ask me.
Grilled Salmon is usually served on Japan flights along with imported rice from Japan to make the guests feel like home while they eat.
Nasi Lemak with sambal prawns and chicken rendang. This is the display unit only.. but I have tasted the real thing which was quite nice. Although the prawns had a weird rubbery texture, the sambal was tasty and had the right level of spiciness.
Some other in-flight food on display like scallops, steamed pomfret, abalone, salad and other meals.
A bowl of mixed salad with cheese cubes.
This gotta be a favorite of many, scallops and salmon served with some greens. We didn’t get to try this though lol.
MAS serves abalone too, look at the thickness! In First Class cabins lah. Like the scallops and lobsters, we didn’t try this too. Expensive stuffs were solely for presentation and photography purposes only lol.
I have no idea what is this, but I am guessing it was some sort of lunch meal consisting of stir fried chicken and rice.
The displayed pomfret had some chili sauce on it but the one we had was Steamed Pomfret with XO sauce. It was very fresh and sweet tasting but I felt it was slightly overcooked due to the rubbery flesh. I didn’t take any photo because it looked very messy on my plate lol. Same goes for the nasi lemak and lamb shank.
This is a typical lunch meal enjoyed by MAS passengers flying from KL to London, the way water is served is very interesting don’t you think? I have never seen anything like this before haha, I always travel economy class only. By the way LHR is the airport code for London, I see these codes every single day since I start working in Subang Airport lol.
A light meal consisting of salad, fresh fruits, bun and butter. The butter you may look normal but in fact it was a PREMIUM butter called Isigny Ste Mere Beurre D’isigny – a cow’s milk unsalted natural butter. I have to emphasize the word premium because it is actually voted one of the best butters in the world!
A platter of fresh local fruits – dragon fruit, honeydew, papaya, pineapple and watermelon. The arrangement was very well done, so vibrant what a wonderful contrast of colors.
Besides fruits, two types of desserts were available too. Creme Brulee is a dessert of custard base with a layer of hard caramel created by caramelizing sugar with a blowtorch. It had a jelly like texture and tasted sweet (no surprise here), very nice.
Panna Cotta (an Italian dessert made with cream, milk, sugar then mixed with gelatin) was the other dessert. And just when we thought we were done with the wonderful treat by MAS, we were given a food souvenir – a box containing some Ferrero Rocher, Beryl’s Bitter Sweet Chocolate and a freshly baked Apple Crumble Cake.
Man, the Apple Crumble Cake was DELICIOUS! Even though I had it for dinner which was hours after the tour, the cake’s outer layer was still nice and crispy. I think I have found a new favorite cake after this lol.
Being able to take part in MAS’ Inflight Kitchen Tour is probably one of the best experience for me as far as being a food blogger is concerned. I am really thankful for Fleishman and Malaysia Airlines for extending the invitation to me.
Truthfully I don’t think I would be flying First Class anytime unless I become freaking rich one day. So, being able to sample some of the food being offered in a First Class Cabin without having to pay for the ticket, lol I think you know what a great feeling that must be right?
But one day if I have the ability to fly First Class with MAS (fingers crossed) then Lamb Shank, the delicious Satay and Creme Brulee would definitely be my choices!
Technorati Tags: , , , , , , ,
The rest is here:
Restaurant | Azuma Japanese Restaurant
Let us see, how many Japanese Restaurants do we have at Queesnbay Mall? Sushi King, , , Japin, Shimaya Teppanyaki. Now another has popped up inside Queensbay Mall and just located above the Borders Bookstore, Azuma Japanese Restaurant is the name. The latest addition of Japanese Restaurant is probably an indication that Penang has lots of Japanese food lovers residing here.
Azuma Japanese Restaurant recently opened its door to Penang customers as its 5th outlet. Azuma at presence has 3 outlets in Sabah and one in Kuala Lumpur. The outlet in Penang also has resident chef who quit the previous job at a 6 star hotel to join Azuma. Given such credibility itself, we automatically have higher expectations towards the dishes served here.
The outlet size looks rather small and a little cramped as we enter the premise yet the bright interior greets us rather graciously and makes the layout looks larger. The use of natural lighting during day time has also helped too. It feels rather warm and comfortable as we enter inside Azuma. However, do take note that seats beside the window especially during the afternoon can be quite warm unless you do not mind sunbathing… hehe
Besides, the seating arrangment inside Azuma is well organized and the space is also well utilized despite the limited space. Also, the use of brightly coloured chairs with dark tables give quite a distinct contrast that is pleasant to the eyes.
You can choose to seat outside or dine in at the private rooms or semi private rooms. The semi private room like above is the one where it can fit few tables inside. Of course, this can also be a good place if you have a private function with bigger group.
For those who prefer to dine along the conveyor belt, there are few seats along the sushi bar too. As we mention earlier, Azuma tries to fully utilize the seating arrangment as well as to cater the different preferences that customers have.
The conveyor looks rather long but actual seatings along the conveyor is pretty limited as well.
For those who prefer to see the sushi chefs in action, the sushi bar is definitely a place for you.
Just next to the entrance, on the right side is another type of seating that is quite unique, as we have not seen it in any other Japanese Restaurant in Penang yet. This could be something normal in Japan as space needs to be fully utilized, as such the “L” shaped seating can fit three adults but a little cramped for TuaPui though.
The pride of any Japanese Restaurant is typically its wine and alcohol. There is no exception here as well as we can see lots of Japanese alcohol being displayed as decorative items. Of course, you can order them as long as they do not run out of stock.
This is another shot of the wine available at Azuma.
And another one….
We quite like the table wares used at Azuma especially the dark porcelain plates and sauce plates which give more Japanese feeling, unlike the usual white plates.
Soft Shell Crabs (Watari Gani Karaage – RM18.00) is our first dish of the day to arrive. Tam Ciak said the look of the soft shell crabs resembles a bit like Vegetarian duck. This deep fried marinated soft shell crabs look slightly different from the menu.
Only upon closer look that we can start seeing the shape of the crabs which has been deep fried. Based on the supervisor’s explanation, the crabs have been marinated with special sauce before frying.
The soft shell crabs have bitter taste which is rather surprising to us although it taste quite normal initially. We ask the supervisor if the soft shell crabs have been over fried but the supervisor assures us it is the actual taste. Depending on the season, sometimes the crabs served can be quite salty.
The soft shell crabs must be eaten while it is still hot as the crabs can turn soggy fast after a while.
Salmon Roll (Shake Tataki Maki – RM28.00) comes next in 8 pieces on a single plate. The salmon toppings on the sushi roll is the specialty here. The salmon has been marinated with special sweet sauce and then briefly grilled which the outer part is cooked but not the middle part.
The explanation from the supervisor that the brief grill on the salmon makes the salmon easier to consume as if the texture can melt easily when put into the mouth. Well, it taste quite soft to us but not to the extent of it can melt. The salmon smell is not that strong either which makes it suitable for those who used to shun salmon because of its smell. Also, you can request for the salmon to be completely grilled to make sure its properly cooked.
Related Posts
Original post:
Penang Food | Nibong Tebal Seafood Porridge
Fei Fei and Tam Ciak always have the impression that Nibong Tebal is like a sleepy town located at the southern part of Seberang Perai, probably because of the less activities on going unlike Georgetown, Bayan Lepas or Seberang Jaya.
Huat Koay has always been trying to prove us wrong or at least shed our believe that this “sleepy” town is not sleepy after all. There will always be lots of activities and when it comes to food, Nibong Tebal can equally offer as much as well. So, during one weekend when we had to discuss abour our events for , we decided to have a meeting at Huat Koay’s hometown to get him show us what Nibong Tebal can offer.
Being a proud local boy, Huat Koay immediately took us to this chu char place upon our arrival at Nibong Tebal. But this is not a chu char place, in fact, this shop serves seafood porridge, tom yam soup and boiled octopus as its hot selling dishes.
Starting from a business in year 2000 that served only 6 tables, this shop has expanded to two shops with table seatings put up extended to neighbouring shoplots. The fruitful results after running the business for 9 years definitely an achievement for this shop. The person handling the cooking, in blue shirt, is the boss himself.
Being a hot spot eating outlet at Nibong Tebal, this seafood porridge restaurant is always filled up with customers, not just locals but also outstation, judging by the different car plates that we observed then.
According to the lady boss, they learnt the skills after working with some chefs for a while before starting their own business here. The initial business model was serving seafood but eventually focussed more on seafood porridge, boiled octopus and tomyam noodle as their specialties.
The decision to focus on few specialty dishes finally pays off with this restaurant keeps attracting endless steam of customers even during weekdays. Both the husband and wife team employs quite a number of helpers as well to help them cope with the constantly high demand. Throughout our dining session there, we could see people keep going in and out, non stop. Amazing!
Boiled octopus is the cheapest we can get so far. At RM6.00 per plate, this is definitely a real bargain compared to or . Of course, fresh octopus is easily available here which makes it cheaper compared to the other two. By the way, on of the tourism activities at Nibong Tebal itself,is you can actually hire a boat and catch your own octopus if you like… Yes, we are not kidding
The boiled octopus is served with the garlic sprinkled on top which makes the dish looks rather plain. The chilli is served plain as well but you can add peanuts on your own which is available at every table. Besides, chilli, sweet sauce is available as well.
The octopus taste quite chewy with boiling time just right. It is not that hard either.
The seafood porridge (RM30.00) is the dish we have been waiting for. After all, this is a specialty here and of course we do have certain expectations for it too.
For three persons, this bowl looks rather big but in fact the portion is just sufficiently enough for TuaPui. There are quite a lot of ingredients inside this bowl including crabs, prawns, squid, fish etc. It is also added with vegetables and lots of garlic oil which makes this seafood porridge quite fragrant.
If the shells are taken out from the bowl, you can actually see the porridge portion is not that plenty which is why the portion is just right for Huat Koay, Fei Fei and Tam Ciak.
This is the Teochew type porridge where you can see the rice cooked in soup but not too thick like the Cantonese style porridge. Yes, majority of the people in Nibong Tebal are Teochew people or Teochew speaking people, which could have partly influenced this cooking style.
Tam Ciak commented that this place looks pretty much traditional because the porcelain bowls used are quite like those used during younger days. Notice the rooster on the bowl itself, is that not something nostalgic?
With so much seafood ingredients inside the porridge, it feels like eating seafood with porridge rather than porridge with seafood. In hokkien, the literal translation sounds “ciak hai sien pui moi“. Instead of the porridge being the main ingredient, the seafood seems to be the main ingredients in this case.
The seafood ingredients are quite fresh while the porridge is towards salty taste, probably because the seafood being cooked together with the porridge until the taste blends well.
Despite the price tag of RM30.00 per bowl that serves 3 TuaPui(s), this is quite a worthy bowl of seafood porridge that we have at Nibong Tebal. The bowl looks big so that it can hold lots of the seafood ingrediens and if we remove all the ingredients, the porridge itself is not that much. Like what we said earlier, ciak hai sien pui moi….
This place is opened daily except Wednesdays and available from evening onwards. Even though the name card states the business hours starts from 6.30pm till 12.30 am, the lady boss clarifies that you can enjoy the seafood porridge as early as 6pm.
Nibong Tebal Seafood Porridge
967, Jalan Baru,
14300, Nibong Tebal, Seberang Perai Selatan,
Tel: 012-457 2973, 012-531 2265
Closed on Wednesdays
Related Posts
More:
Truly Hong Kong at Canton-i, Queensbay Mall
After much delay and location change, Canton-i finally opened their doors at the ground floor of Queensbay Mall, Penang. This brand; which is associated with the Dragon-i line of restaurants, offers varieties of authentic Hong Kong cuisines. Upon stepping into this restaurant, the ambiance and atmosphere radiating from its surrounding was completely different of Dragon-i. [...]
Read the original here:
