Fruits N Spice (Part 2)

My Ratings: 4 Stars
Cuisine: Chinese, Street Food

Location: 202B, Jalan Sungai Pinang, 11010 Balik Pulau
Pork Free
RM7-10 per person
Contact: +604 8661807 (Eric Kee)
Opens on Weekends and Public Holidays only
GPS N05 23.727 E100 12.998

Joanne called me up and invited me to Eric's place for Hokkien Mee. He is cooking it this weekend instead of the usual laksa because he found fresh prawns in the market. I raced up to his place and true Hokkien Mee was served.

Balik Pulau is also known for its Hokkien mee. Always complimenting the more acidic laksa with the sweetness of the prawn broth. Eric's Hokkien mee, is another winner. Packed with ingredients, the broth is sweet and the chilly paste packs a punch.

Going to Eric's place is always a pleasure and a chance to get away from the city's hustle and bustle to the lush mountain greenery. This time, I had the chance to taste durians from Eric's plantation, from the famed Hor Lor to 604. Eric brought for me his "reserved" priced durians and freshly harvested from the nets and not those that have fallen to the ground. The "harvested" durians are smooth and aromatic compared to the fallen fruit which has more watery and "wrinkled" texture (pic2). Eric also makes nutmeg syrup and durian cake on every Wednesdays.

My advice is to call up Eric to confirm if he is cooking Hokkien Mee or Laksa and to order your durians before making the trip there. But most of the time, he is cooking Laksa

Drink Koopuwa - Health for Life

Ah Soon Kor's Hokkien Mee

My Ratings: 3 Stars

Cuisine: Street Foods

Location: Lay Hong Cafe

194-A Macalister Road, 10400 Penang

(junction of Rangoon Road and Macalister Road)

Non Halal

RM3 - 5

Tel: +6(012)4359933/+6(016)4199933

This stall is an all time favourite for Penangites for a bowl of Hokkien Prawn Noodles for breakfast. Situated just outside of Lay Hong Cafe, the stall is open daily from 6:30am up to 12noon. This stall has even branded itself as "Ah Soon Kor's Prawn Noodles" and has been in the business since 1968. An alternative to another very popular Hokkien Prawn noodle stall along Rangoon Road (junction of Burmah Road and Rangoon Road)

The dish is popular among the Hokkien speaking population and was brought here by immigrants from Fujian province of mainland China.

I ordered a bowl with "extras". The typical bowl comes with half of a boiled egg. shredded pork meat, shrimps, water convolvulus and topped off with fried onions and a dollop of chilly paste. I had mine with added pork intestines for that extra "kick".

The soup is fantastic. Its sweet and full of aroma of fried prawn shells and pork stock that has been shimmering for hours. The soup was so good that I finished it dry. One of my top stalls fore Penang Hokkien Prawn Noddles. As I was leaving, the Malay "Nasi Melayu" is just setting up for

business. Another great Malay style rice lunch venue.....my next adventure!

Hot Wok

My Ratings: 3 Stars

Cuisine: Peranakan
Location: Burmah Road (Next to Nagore Row/Penang Plaza/Giant), Penang
Non Halal
RM30-40 per person (ala-carte)
Hokkien Mee from RM3.50 for small bowl; RM4.50 for larger bowls. Add Ons are extra. Drinks from RM1.50

I am sure everyone knows about the Hot Wok Restaurant but I am writing about the Hokkien Mee which they serve daily from 11am - 3am from a hawker style stand within the outside of the restaurant.

Just moved to Burmah in mid 2008. Previous serving at Gurney Plaza and then moved to Tanjung Bungah area (Opp. Subaidah). Serves typical peranakan food like Joo Hu Char, Perut Ikan, Sour Gulai Fish, Tu Thor Th'ng and Kapitan Chicken. Famous customers were Andy Tenant and Jodie Foster when they were in Penang filming "Anna and The King"

The Hokkien mee is OK. Not the best but just OK. but it served the purpose of filling your stomach which decent mee past midnight nearby especially after clubbing. Be careful of the add ons which will add to your final bill. There is a steady stream of customer, so I guess the palate suit most people but I heard some not so good feedback from friends from too salty to blant

Add ons are like roasted pork and yam kuih.

Swee Kong Coffee Shop

My Ratings: 5 Stars

Cuisine: Asian Hawker
Location: Solok Moulmein, Pulau Tikus (oppsite P.Tikus Poice Station)
RM2.50 - 3.50 per plate

I decided to add reviews of local Penang hawker fares. The Hokkien mee at this coffee shops is the best I ever had. The soup is really savoury and has the right balance of spiciness and chilli oil. Really frangrant. The stalls open quie early. I think it open for business around 8am and it finish selling (sold out) by around 9:30am. They serve a bowl evey 7 seconds and have 3 helpers. So this really tells you how good the dish is. .....So if you are really keen to have the best Hokien Mee (Prawn Mee), you better get up early. It is selling for around RM2.50 per bowlI give it a 5-star coz I think it is the best Hokkien mee in Penang.

The other food at the coffee shop is also worth mentioning. The Indian Mee Goreng and the Wan Than Mee is good there.

There are customers who specifically come to eat mee goreng there. No mee goreng no eat policy. So what you will get is a good plate of mee goreng after a long wait if there is a crowd of customer coz poor boss is the chef, waiter cashier and dish washer. This man is a all rounder doing everything and it is a joy to see him cook with his own expressive style. The mee goreng is RM3.50 per plate

The Wan Than mee is favourful with chunky wan than. What sets this stall different from others is the gavy. Others have kinda thin soy-sause gravy but this guy's gravy is thick....thicken by egg and starch concoction with strips of black chinese mushoom. RM2.80 per plate. Soup based or dry based or just wan thans plus soup