Village BBQ & Steamboat @ Penang

Well, I'm really happy as this is my 2nd invited food review with the bunch of friendly Penang bloggers. Again thanks to you all.

Well for those who have been in Penang for the past couple of years and like Thai food I'm sure they would have heard of Prontip before. Well, sadly this place is now no more in operation and in its place, Village BBQ & Steamboat is now operating. The best part is that the food here definitely has its plus points and which is why I'm blogging about it.

So what is so special about Village BBQ & Steamboat? Another steamboat place? BBQ? To set it straight, most place offer just either one but over here, you get the best of both. For those who love to cook their own food, you have the typical steamboat with a hot plate at the side. But for those who like to be pampered, this place has great tasting BBQ served ala-carte. Yes, fresh BBQ to your liking. There are quite a number of items served here on their BBQ menu and some of them are rather special. Among them are the BBQ chicken and lamp chops which are really well marinated and flavorful, and then there are the BBQ seafood which includes Cincaru(leather jack with sambal and their specialty, crab, prawn and Tilapia fish with salt.

Yeap, this is a place to go if you are craving for this form of BBQ where the crabs or prawns and cooked by being covered in salt. For the Tilapia, the whole fish is covered in a thick layer of salt and then slowly BBQ until the fish is cooked. This process is much slower to cook (takes about 20-30 mins) but the bonus is that the seafood then becomes infused with the aroma from the salt. The fish is cooked with the scales intact so as to not damage the meat. I would say this is truly a must try dish. I was surprise to note that there was some herbs and spices which was stuffed in the stomach portion of the fish. I guess this was to remove any remnants of muddy taste which is usually found in Tilapia and I'm glad to note that the fish here does not have any muddy tastes at all. The crabs and prawns were equally good with the sweetness of the flesh accentuated well.

Besides this, there is also Portugese style cooking here. Well, I would say that this is how you cooked with spices in wrapped aluminium foil and then cooked on a hot plate. There is a good variety and selection here to choose from which includes fish, Lala, prawns and even curry lamb, but I for those who can't live without some greens, there is ladies finger and also the delectable Kang Kung which all Malaysian loves.

Isn't that a big variety already? But they also have a version of Curry Fish Head in which the curry is dryer and its served with fried buns. How yummy and I must say that the fried buns being so soft goes pretty well with the curry. Just wish there was more sauce to dip it in.

Then there is also their Sweet and Sour Mud Crabs which are really large in size and for those that like a touch of western, they have the Rendang Lamb Shank which comes with rice. Hehe, I have to say this is one high class rendang using a lamb shank.

To end up all this much food, how can I not share some of their lovely desserts? At first I was thinking would this be another ice kacang or its cousin cendol? Boy was I wrong. This is snow ice and its their trademark dessert here. They have 4 flavors which is Village, Strawberry, Lychee and Chocolate Snow Ice. I thought its was shaved iced and then flavored but this is actually a special factory flavored block of ice/yogurt concoction which when shaved, gives it a very fine creamy texture, as if we are eating some very rich icecream. Yeap, was truly satisfied with this dessert. And they also have this special dessert drink called lava Milo which is like ultimate Milo drink!

I almost forgot, they probably have one of the largest drinks collection for beer around town with some very special offers which I'm sure beer lovers would like alot. For me, there is one which really stood out which is the Savanna Dry. Its a type of apple cider beer and its sweet, dry and easy to drink. Highly recommended. Even my wife likes it so I'm sure most ladies would agree.

All in all, a great place to check out for a good meal and as always, leave a comment ya.

Village BBQ & Steamboat

(formerly Yesterday Club/Prontip Thai Restaurant)

2 Lebuharaya Peel, 10350 Penang.

Tel: 604-227 3076

GPS: 5.424559, 100.316566

http://www.facebook.com/VillageBBQ

http://bbqsteamboatvillage.blogspot.com/

Business Hours: 6.00pm – 11.00pm daily

Map Link: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6O1xNBSbbGSeVCvDasaKi04N_v15rwHgUScZ_IL94PiRX38m-vwuClknBxiZM63k1lohAUf0XzlOM7JXT-F8Mb04LmSJ_RMUVZZQgESojXhr-xFfTyLoZVKEz09VsDTyUX_PurY31Vlg/s1600/map.jpg

The big crab sign board

The interior

The steamboat

The over 30 varieties of beer!

The raw ingredient spread for the BBQ

The delectable BBQ Tilapia with salt

Lamb curry
The variety of Portugese style dishes
Curry Fish Head with fried buns
Rendang Lamb Shank
Village Snow Ice
Lava Milo

Butterworth Curry Noodles House - The "Keh Liao" Curry place

Well, I used to hear about this curry noodle stall in Raja Uda alot, where it only opens at night and is located by the road side. Many years ago, I have passed by this stall but never got the chance to try it as its not very convenient to park.
So recently, I was asked to try out this Curry Noodles and thus, on a Saturday night with my buddy, we decided to head to Jalan Raja Uda. At first we were abit disappointed as we can't see the stall anymore and I was worried that it has closed down till I saw a shop with the words Curry Noodles House located about 100m away. Thus, try my luck and went to ask the person at the counter and they confirmed that they are the same stall. Yippee! Found it at last.
As thus, here we have the curry noodles that is so famous, the shop is packed to the brim, people sit at all tables inside and out. Best part, it was already 10pm and its still fully pack! Wow.

We ordered the standard bowl of noodles and it was a not too bad curry noodle. It comes with the standard to fu pok, cockles, coagulated pigs blood, some bits of long beans and bean sprouts. The first thing I did was to try the soup. It was not too bad, it has curry taste but I feel that its lacking some oomph. Now that I think about it, wonder is it that they didn't give any sambal? Hmm? But what I think will make this curry noodle a killer and what attracts the crowd are when you have those add ons, which when mixed with the curry noodle, will further enhance the tastes.

Among the most popular of their add ons has to be the Lala. Practically every table has a plate of it and when I saw it, it really does look very good. The Lala were of big size and not like those tiny morsels normally seen. The sauce looks spicy and appetizing too. Then they also have other add ons like fried chicken, curry pork, sambal sotong and even fried balitong.

Well, its surely worth a try to visit this place while in Butterworth Raja Uda area.

Do leave your comments ya

Opens from 6.30pm till 1.30am daily except Sundays

Tel : +6012-5505050

wikimapia link :http://wikimapia.org/#lat=5.4157944&lon=100.3797626&z=16&l=0&m=b&search=butterworth

Look at all the options which you can choose from to add on
Fried Balitong
Fried fish, this one very nice because can eat the bones too
Fried tofu
Their super sambal sotong (squid)
The very popular fried Lala
The standard bowl or Curry Noodle
It's pack even at 10pm
The shop front

Sweet-I Desserts House

MIA for such a long time I guess its time to come out of hibernation.

Well its not exactly that I have not been eating or photographing food, more like the opposite but just doing it differently.

First off, I would like to thank Jacgyc of FoodTok and Criz Lai for this invite to join them for this review at Sweet-I Desserts House located at Sg Dua, Penang. Actually this shop which specializes in Thong Sui is located at the row of houses right across the road from Tesco Extra. It's not exactly easy to spot as its blocked by some undergrowth and trees but keep an eye for the bright red banners.

This place is owned by Mr and Mrs Soon and they are really a very friendly couple. They have devoted their passion into this place and now they cater to the very whims of Chinese Thong Sui lovers in Penang. One thing that one will notice immediately about their dessert is that it doesn't look watery or bland. They have a very wide variety offered daily and I must say, when I first saw the many different pots of desserts on the table, I was in awe. These guys must be working overtime to be able to churn out so many different Thong Sui. I cooked, and I can tell you that making a good bowl/pot of this delicacy is no easy feat. It takes lots of love and effort and it clearly shows with the desserts here.

Thus without further ado, let the pictures do the talking.

I guess another thing is that I probably will start less rating on my foodie blog, and just put a recommendation and let the readers decide. All in all, this place is a must try for Thong Sui lovers. Of yeah, the price starts from RM2 till about RM4.50 for the ones that uses more expensive ingredients/effort to produce. Well worth the try!

Wikimapia : http://wikimapia.org/#lat=5.3512728&lon=100.2985078&z=18&l=0&m=b

The exterior of the house/shop
The many pots of Thong Sui
The small living room with the pots on the right and tables on left
The man, Mr Soon
Green bean, sweet potato & sago Thong Sui ~RM2.70
Pumpkin, sago, glutinous rice with coconut milk ~ RM3.00
Tapioca jelly Bobo Cha Cha ~RM2.70
Black sesame soup ~RM4.00
Ginger, dates and coralline algae ~RM3.50
Sha shen, red dates, medlar, white fungus and winter melon soup ~RM4.50
Black glutinous rice ~RM2.00
Tapioca jelly Bobo Cha Cha ~RM2.70, another view
Combination of many Thong Sui... yummy
More.....
OK this 2 herbal tea I do not know its name but its for cooling and another helps with imsomnia ~ RM2.00 & RM3.50
There were many bloggers that day...
Barley, white fungus and dried bean curd skin (fu zhuk) ~RM2.50 Add RM1.00 for gingko nuts
Lotus seed, gingko nuts and red bean soup ~RM3.30
Kelp with red bean paste soup ~RM3.00. Kelp is a type of thick seaweed
The herbal tea in nice miniature glasses
Groundnut cream soup ~RM3.00
Tapioca jelly Bobo Cha Cha with shaved ice ~RM2.70 (Love this as its cold)
Special porridge of the Day ~RM4.50 (the ingredients used in the porridge varies daily)

Sri Malaya Heritage Restaurant @ Penang

Well, it was by chance that I managed to meet up with Ocean Teh, owner of Sri Malaya Heritage Restaurant located at Jalan Pintal Tali, or Rope Walk in Penang. Sri Malaya is housed in a restored heritage building, along the historic Rope Walk, which was famous in the past as the place to get ropes :)

Back to Sri Malaya. Here they serve a mixture of Western and local menu. Its interesting to see that you can have an affordable and delicious meal for under RM20 at such a nice restaurant setting. What catches my eye immediately was that they have great lunch promotions :) A free drink with any meal order. WOW.

My family and I ordered a few items when we were there. For drinks, we ordered fresh mango and it was the start to a great evening. The mango juice was thick and you know its made with real mangoes and not some syrup.

First entree to arrive was the wild mushroom soup. At first the soup looks like any typical mushroom soup, but once we tried it, we were immediately hooked to the taste. It was fresh, full of mushroom flavor and more importantly, even my 3 year old daughter was giving the thumbs up! Now you can't cheat a 3 year thats for sure. The soup has a nice texture and you can really bite into the finely chopped mushrooms. I have yet to find out what types of mushrooms were used and will probably need to return to find out more.

Next we had the Lamb Shank. After the delicious and appetizing soup, we can't wait to see the Lamb Shank as its supposedly one of their top dishes. When the staff brought the plate to the table, our eyes widened. The plate was big, and more so what was on the plate. The Lamb Shank was a sizeable portion and it was sitting on top of a good helping of mash potatoes. Oh I forgot to mention, when you order a main course, you get to choose to have fresh garden greens or roasted garden greens. Basically how you would like your vegetables at the side. We chose to have fresh garden greens and got a good amount of fresh salad. Besides these, it also comes with big chunks of roast potato and nice cherry tomatoes. Just talking about the plate of Lamb Shank makes me hungry. Now to the taste. Before biting into it, I can see that the meat is well stewed. The lamb was falling off the bone which is a good sign that its nicely done. And yes, I was right. The meat was very tender, not tough at all, and I can taste the marination and herbs going through my mouth. A scoop of mash potato plus a slice of lamb together, excellent combination. I was very happy with this Lamb Shank and with the portion, it will definitely fill you up.

The other main course that was ordered is the Seafood Platter. As one would expect from the description, it is a combination of grilled seafood. Hmm, mouth watering indeed. Again, when the plate arrived, it was a very nice portion. Big chunks of fish, large prawns, muscles and a big helping of calamari (yeah nice name for Sotong!). Now the trick with grilled seafood is that there is always a worry that one will spoil the taste of the fresh seafood. But I was not disappointed here at Sri Malaya. Their chef got their timing right on. The fish, is cooked nicely, with the outer layer nicely scorched. The fish is surely fresh to begin with too. Nice. Then the large prawns, has the shells cut at the back to make it easier to dig in. No regrets here too. The muscles, were grilled well too, and I was enjoying myself thoroughly using a knife to make sure I get every bit of the muscle. Finally the calamari. I must say this is the best grilled calamari I have ever had. The calamari was just so juicy and tender, not at all tough to the taste which is very common. I must applaud the chef for being able to cooked it so well. There must be some secret method of cooking it. Oh, for this, we ordered grilled garden greens and got a combination of grilled broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. The vegetable was just nice and went well with the seafood.

To end the evening, we had the cake of the day, which was chocolate cake. One can have it serve hot or cold. It was coated in chocolate and looked very appetizing. On first bite, I could taste the richness of the cake. It was moist and the the combination of the chocolate on the coating makes it very filling. The family enjoyed this cake very thoroughly indeed.

Before I end this, I would like to highlight some of the uniqueness of this place. It has an upper floor, which was initially planned to be the home for the owner. But to overwhelming response from diners, he will now make it into a private dining area or place for gatherings or parties. Prior booking for its use would be best to avoid disappointment.

Besides that, the restaurant also have a side door which lead to a very nice garden. Ocean has made a very nice vertical garden from some of the salvaged building material and it looks marvelous. Ocean definitely have green fingers when it comes to plants too.

All in all, Sri Malaya is definitely a new place to have a good meal and would suit all. Do check it out!

Their details

No. 1 Rope Walk (Jalan Pintal Tali), (Opposite Air Asia @ Chulia Street)

Opening hours : 11.45am-3.00pm, 6.00pm-11.00pm, Closed on Tuesday

Phone : +604-261 3763

Getting there:

Get to Chulia Street and turn into Jalan Pintal Tali. You need to get in from Chulia Street as Jalan Pintal Tali is a one way street. The restaurant is 30meters on your left after turning into Jalan Pintal Tali. Its the bright yellow building. Can't miss it!

ps, tell them you heard about it from an email recommending the place :)

Long time no post

Wow, its been such a long time since I posted into my food blog
Hopefully more will be coming soon