Ah Heng Steamed Cup Rice (亚恒烧腊蒸饭) @ Kedai Kopi Bukit Mertajam

After having a few good days in Penang enjoying all the good food, it’s time to head back home. Two insisted to bring us for food in Bukit Mertajam where he says one can find “good & super reasonable” food stalls. Must trust him since he’s there almost daily!

First, we stopped by this little shack selling chu char (煮炒) but we were  a little late as they were closing for the day! Good food sells out earlier I guess! As we were surveying around, we saw this stall selling “Steam Cup Rice” (烧腊蒸饭) so we just give it a shot without wasting much time.

Steam Cup Rice with Chicken (鸡飯) @ RM 3.50 ~ Steamed rice (蒸饭) was a little soggy but the  bbq chicken slices are tender and tasty, even without the “dark gravy” sauce that’s supposed to be poured over it. Pickled chilies went well with the meal. Simple and tasty!

Accompanying Gravy & Soup ((自製醬和湯) ~ Soup was ok but the accompanying gravy was rather bland. I won’t mind not having my rice drenched with the “dark gravy” though, that was why I told them to serve it separately so that I may adjust to the amount I prefer. 

Roast Chicken Drum Stick (燒雞腿) @ RM 3.00 (additional order) ~ Ordered another bbq drumstick for E as he was sharing a plate of this Steam Cup Rice with T. The price was absolutely reasonable! You can’t even get a plate of “mixed rice” with this price in KL! Besides roast chicken, they do have another choice which is the roast pork (燒肉) or a combo (肉参鸡).

I poured a little  gravy over the steam rice for photography purpose. The normally served version won’t allow you to see the rice at all as it’ll be completely drenched with the gravy.

Nice and friendly lady boss kept asking where I was from? Her 1st guess was Hong Kong! I just shook her hand and told her she’s so smart!! hahaha! Well, If you happen to stop by Bukit Mertajam (大山腳), you might want to come by this clean, cozy and laid back coffee shop  for a good plate of chicken rice or the famous BM rojak.

• Ah Heng Steamed Cup Rice (亚恒烧腊蒸饭)
• Kedai Kopi Bukit Mertajam
• Jalan Pasar
• 14000 Bukit Mertajam.
• Business Hours – 0900-2100
• GPS Coordinates
• N05′ 21.756 E100′ 27.630

Thai Set Lunch @ Zest Bar Cafe, GLOW Hotel Penang

GLOW Hotel’s Zest Bar Cafe has recently launched its Thai food set lunch to tempt our palettes. We had the opportunity to sample their range of Thai dishes recently.

To kick off our meal, we had the starter – Miang Kam. A raw starter full of flavour and spices that may take some getting used to for certain diners. The Miang Kam at Zest Bar was pretty good but I personally felt it needed a bit more sweetness to balance the spicy and tangy flavours.

 Miang Kam

Tom Yam Goong and Tom Kha Gai

The Tom Yam Goong and Tom Kha Gai soups are available as a main dish on the set menu, or you can also opt to order it from the ala carte menu.

Both soups were flavourful, but between the two, I preferred the Tom Kha Gai (Siam chicken soup with coconut cream and spices). The spice flavour in the Tom Kha Gai really came through and the coconut cream was not too overpowering.

Other main dish options in the set lunch include…

Massaman Curry – Chicken or beef with roasted peanut curry sauce and potatoes

Green Curry with coconut and Thai Basil – Chicken. (also available with Prawns if you don’t fancy chicken) This was a pleasing dish as the green curry was thick and flavourful. I also appreciated the addition of broccoli in the dish to make the meal more balanced.

Pad KraPrao – spicy minced chicken with Thai basil leaf. One of my favourite Thai dishes, I personally felt that the Thai Basil flavour was not prominent enough in this dish, though the spiciness of this dish was just nice for me.

Phat Thai  – wok fried noodles with beansprouts, beancurd and prawns, wrapped in egg. With the fresh peanuts to add more texture to the dish. I didn’t really fancy the texture of the noodles though.

Red curry prawns

Som Tam (RM10) – young papaya salad with dried shrimp

Yam Moon Sen (RM12) – Glass Noodle salad with prawns, ginger flower and lime leaf

For those who prefer to have something light to compliment their meals, Zest Bar Cafe also offers various salads in their ala carte menu. Som Tam and Yam Moon Sen are two popular Thai salads. Both were light and refreshing.

Sang Kaya Fug Tong – Steamed pumpkin custard with coconut milk & honey

This was my first time trying this dessert and I must say that I loved it. The custard complimented the sweet soft pumpkin well, while the coconut milk added some richness to the dish. A must try.

KhaNom Khao Mao  – fried bananas with sticky rice and. This tasted like our banana fritters but with a sticky rice coating. It was an interesting dish which I enjoyed.

Ala Carte menu

GLOW by Zinc Penang is located at 101 Jalan Macalister, 10400 Georgetown Penang.

TEL: 04-226 0084

ZEST Bar Cafe is located on the First Floor of the hotel.

Double Dragon Inn Restaurant, Penang Offers Taste of Yesteryear

Located on Gottlieb Road, is Double Dragon Inn Restaurant, one of Penang’s oldest Chinese restaurant. With keeping the old tradition and consistent in quality, the restaurant established in 1969, has returning visitors over the years for its hearty dishes of yesteryear.

The business is now run by the second generation. Diners have quick-and-easy dining options with its set menus and short a la carte menu emphasising on dishes cooked without monosodium glutamate (MSG). Flavors of the dishes are pleasing light, not too heavy, not too oily, and otherwise healthier.

The Four Season is the set menu start off dish with lots of stuff adorning the plate: crab claws fried to a golden brown with chilli sauce for dipping, stir-fried octopus with cashew nuts, and some steamed ingredients. You can’t get much better than this, with four dishes in one plate to tantalise your taste buds.

The next dish is the Fillet Pomfrets with Crispy Bones, done in two styles. The chef excels at making this fish dish special by stir-frying the fillet with capsicum and beans in a flavorful sauce.

Fins, tail and head are battered and deep-fried till crispy with a crunchy bite. This is one of my favorite dishes and the price ranges from RM38 to RM95.

A dish not to be missed is the Scallop Wrap. It is undeniably a tasty dish made up of scallops and crab meat, stir-fried with lots of wok hei smokiness. The ingredient packed onto a lettuce leaf is simply delicious.

This dish which needs to be pre-order in advance ranks as favorite for many diners.

The Spicy Onions Prawns features a dish with prawns prepared in two varieties of recipes.

The butterfly prawns with a coating of breadcrumbs are deep-fried till crispy while the other remaining prawns are stir-fried with spicy sauce and onions.

Beef also makes its appearance on the menu and diners who consume beef can go for the Beef and Kailan dish. The dish pleases with marinated beef, skilfully stir-fried till extremely tender and juicy.

This dish needs to be pre-order in advance too.

Beef and Kailan dish go great with a bowl of rice

The deep-fried Boneless Chicken is mediocre; however a twirl of sour plum sauce added interest to it.

 Boneless Chicken RM24 to RM48

Aside from the seafood and poultry dishes, the set menus also offer stir-fried noodle prepared with cabbage, choy sum and meat.

A la carte dishes come with choices of small and large plates. On another night visit, we opt for ‘Kao Yoke’ Hakka Steamed Bacon with ‘Mooi Choy’, Saute Kailan with Pee Hu (sole fish) and Watercress Soup boiled with pork ribs, dates and dried cuttlefish.

Watercress soup RM18

‘Kao Yoke’ Hakka Steamed Bacon with ‘Mooi Choy’ RM19
Saute Kailan with Pee Hu RM16

Double Dragon Inn Restaurant is located on the same row as Hotel Waterfall and next to Idealite Wellness Restaurant.

Double Dragon Inn Restaurant 雙龍飯店
27B Gottlieb Road
10350 Penang

Tel : 04 2277049

Business Hour :
6.45pm – 9.30pm daily except Tuesdays
12pm – 2.30pm  Saturdays and Sundays

Closed on Tuesday

David Brown's

Today's restaurant is at a higher elevation than usual (730 meters above sea level), although not nearly as high as some places that I had dined before. Yes, we are going up Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera)!

To reach the summit without doing a 5-kilometer hike from Penang Botanic Gardens (yes, I have done that before), we need some mechanized help. The Penang Hill Funicular Railway is the most popular mode of transportation nowadays. First constructed in 1901, the railway has undergone several overhauls including the most recent one in 2010.

A 2-way ticket costs RM10.00 for Malaysian citizens, and RM30.00 for foreign nationals. There are special rates for a purchase of 10 tickets or more. The train runs from 6:30am to 11:00pm daily, at intervals of 15-30 minutes depending on demand. The scenic journey itself takes 20 minutes each way. Parking at the foothill is very convenient as there is a large multi-level parking complex.

The scenery at the summit is spectacular indeed. The serene atmosphere is a stark contrast to the bustling streets of George Town. Penang Hill offers a number of beautiful sights and attractions. A complete tour of Penang Hill can easily take an entire day! Nevertheless, our destination today is Strawberry Hill, which is one of the several peaks at Penang Hill.

Strawberry Hill is where our dinner place, David Brown's Restaurant & Tea Terrace, is located. This restaurant is named after David Brown (1778-1825), a Scottish philanthropist during the British colonial days of Penang. As a prominent and generous landowner back then, David Brown also lent his name to Padang Brown and Brown Gardens.

On the way up Strawberry Hill, the Sky Terrace provides breathtaking views of the western side of Penang Island. The Sky Terrace serves mostly snacks and cakes to casual visitors who wish to take a moment to enjoy the scenery.

At the top of Strawberry Hill is an English-style manor with beautiful landscaping on the side. This two-storey structure has been rebuilt in accordance to the same footprint as the original. The elevated location of David Brown's makes it the highest restaurant in Penang.

The front of the manor is beautifully landscaped with potted plants, lush trees and a lily pool. While most people reject the idea of outdoor dining (especially during the day), it is quite feasible here due to excellent shade and cool mountain breeze. The daytime temperature at Penang Hill is typically around 25^oC.

The name of Strawberry Hill originates from initial attempts by Captain Francis Light (1740-1794), founder of the British colony of Penang, to plant strawberries on this hill. Although the present temperature is not ideal for growing strawberries, the climate was much cooler back then.

There are contemporary attempts to replant strawberries at the manor's grounds. Initial results are limited but encouraging.

Moving indoors, the dining hall is furnished with quaint ornaments à la English cottage style. Guests have the choice to be seated at proper dining tables or on cozy couches.

For the first course (hors d'oeuvre), David Brown's has a good selection of soups and salads. Each of these delicacies is freshly prepared and uses natural ingredients only. In addition, freshly-baked bread is provided as well.

The Waldorf Salad (RM15.00) is made from diced apples and chopped celery, gently tossed with homemade mayonnaise dressing. The salad is served over iceberg lettuce for aesthetic appeal. Roasted walnut is added to the top.

Next, the Garden Salad (RM15.00) is a mixture of romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, black olives, pickled cucumber and onion rings. Homemade sesame sauce is provided for an appealing tangy flavor.

If smoked salmon is your cup of tea, the Smoked Salmon Salad (RM22.00) is the right choice for you. Strips of delectable smoked salmon is added so that its pleasant saltiness complements the juicy garden salad.

As for soup, my personal favorite is the Mulligatawny Soup (மிளகுதண்ணீர், RM20.00). This English soup is inspired by fiery herbs and spices from the Indian subcontinent. The soup is infused with savory meat broth, green mango chutney, pineapple, curry powder and curry leaves. Rice, fried onion and a pinch of lime are provided separately. These ingredients are added to the soup before consumption.

The soup is immensely appetizing to the last drop. The spiciness is only mild, so this appetizer should be tolerable for most people. The Mulligatawny Soup is certainly highly recommended.

As for Cream Of Mushroom (RM18.00), the rich mushroom soup is quite appetizing thanks to the use of fresh mushrooms. A piece of bread crouton is added to the soup.

Cream Of Tomato (RM16.00) is also very delectable. I like the sweet-tangy sensation of thick tomato coulis. The soup includes a piece of crouton as well.

As for Aglio-Olio, al dente is the key to perfection. This pasta dish remains one of the simplest recipes in Italian cookbooks, but it is very difficult to master. Fortunately, this serving is acceptable in terms of firmness. The spaghetti is seasoned with mushrooms, chili flakes, garlic and ground black pepper. Flavor is decent but I feel that it is too salty and oily.

The Rib Eye (RM69.00) is prepared from air-flown Australian beef and grilled to medium. The steak is coated with delightful barbecue sauce, while the center remains pink and juicy. As for sauces, the available choices are mushroom, garlic, black pepper or Bombay. On the side are mixed vegetables and fries.

From the marine kingdom, the Grilled Salmon Fillet (RM52.00) is cooked with a delightful layer of crisp on the skin. The fillet is served with tartar sauce on the side and topped with sliced almond nuts. Mixed vegetables and fries are also provided on the side.

Roasted Vegetables On Bubble And Squeak (RM42.00) is a less-common traditional English delicacy. Bubble & Squeak is made from mashed potatoes which is shaped in a slab, then shallow-fried on a pan until the surface is slightly toasty. On the side is an assortment of juicy roasted vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, eggplant (aubergine or brinjal), onion and button mushrooms.

Bubble & Squeak derives its name from bubbling and squeaking noises when cooking mashed potatoes. This dish was popularized during World War II because it is a convenient way to improvise any type of vegetable.

Another English comfort food is Chicken And Mushroom Pie (RM48.00). This is an open pie, where pie pastry and its supposed "fillings" are served separately. A thick stew of chicken and fresh mushrooms is prepared and served on the plate. Then, a piece of pastry cap is gently placed on top.

The chicken and mushroom stew is very savory and exceptionally delectable. The flavor may be overpowering when consumed directly; this is where the puff pastry comes in. As for the pastry itself, it is delightfully light and scrumptious, easily enjoyable on its own.

Moving on to desserts, the ultimate weapon in David Brown's arsenal is the Bombe Alaska (RM48.00). As the pioneer and one of the few restaurants in Penang to serve this dessert, the Bombe Alaska remains a favorite among David Brown's regulars. Bombe Alaska is a dessert of extremes. It is known as "glace au four" in French, which means "ice oven".

The preparation of Bombe Alaska begins with a biscuit base and an assortment of fresh fruits of the season. Next, the fruits are covered with chocolate ice cream, which is in turn covered by a thick layer of meringue (whipped egg whites with sugar). The dessert is placed in an oven briefly for the meringue to set. Brandy is poured over meringue, then flambéed to leave a layer of caramelized sugar on the surface.

Because meringue is an excellent thermal insulator, the chocolate ice cream within the layer of meringue remains frozen. This dessert for two is meant to be enjoyed by eating the fruity ice cream and fluffy meringue together. Since it takes time to prepare the Bombe Alaska, please allow 20 minutes for it to be served.

As today is Mother's Day, the restaurant provides a complimentary serving of Napoleon Cake to each proud mother. This cake is also known as mille-feuille, which means "thousand leaves" in French. It consists of three layers of puff pastry, with butter cream sandwiched between pastry layers. Vanilla ice cream and fresh fruits are served on the side.

One may be forgiven to assume that the kitchen of this fine restaurant to be run by highly-experienced chefs. It is a surprise to know that this is not the case at David Brown's. At the helm of the kitchen are Head Chef Deon Ooi & Sous Chef Ken Lee, both accomplished chefs in their early twenties.

It is inappropriate to talk about food and loo simultaneously. This is why I refrained from mentioning about the bathroom till the very end. At the gents' restroom, there is a century-old urinal which is still operational!

After sunset, Strawberry Hill presents an entirely different atmosphere. The hill overlooks the entire northeastern quadrant of Penang Island, including the bustling Georgetown in a short distance. During a clear night, one can also view lighting from the Penang Bridge and the landmass beyond the strait.

The serene ambience at David Brown's is unlike any other place in Penang. While enjoying the lovely evening breeze and magnificent panorama, the romantic setting an excellent opportunity to get down on one knee, if you catch my drift...

Name: David Brown's Restaurant & Tea Terrace
Address: Strawberry Hill, 11300 Penang Hill, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-828-8337
Business hours: 11:00am-10:00pm
Website: http://www.penanghillco.com.my
Coordinates: 5.42423 N, 100.26944 E
Directions: Take the Penang Hill Funicular Railway to the summit of Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera). At the summit, follow the signs to Strawberry Hill or David Brown's. You need to walk several flights of stairs to reach the restaurant.