Rose Tea Of Winter Warmers

We can basically categorize people into 2 main groups; the tea and coffee group. Very seldom that you will crave for both, you either love one or the other. Personal preferences aside, there are tons of research and debate on which is a better drink in terms of its ‘kick’ effect as well as its health consequences.

Many believe tea is better health wise, but it is only the antioxidants found in green tea that has been tested to be effective in reactivating our white blood cell which in turn boosting our immune system. And there are people who believe that coffee will give them more energy to have a great start in the morning but research on people who drink decaf coffee produces the same result since it is our mind that associates coffee with the ability to give us a boost and not so much the effect from caffeine.

At the end of the day, no one can really tell you for certain which is better. To save us time and trouble, let’s just forget about all those scientific review and simply follow our heart as to which we I like best. I for one am a coffee person who must have at a cup per day. However, ever since I’ve tasted the tea at Winter Warmers; I no longer so sure that I’ll stick to coffee alone!

There are many Winter Warmers outlets in Penang such as at Queensbay Mall, Juru Autocity and Sunway Carnival. The one that I went to is at Gurney Plaza; located on the ground floor facing G Hotel. The interior is decorated with English countryside theme with lots of rose patterns on wallpaper, tea cups, teapots and table cloth. Yes it does feel a bit feminine but soothing at the same time. The settings provide a serene atmosphere for people to lay back and enjoy their English teas.

The only thing I ordered there is their Rose Tea. The rose infused tea smell so nice that its fragrance lingered on in my mind long after I left the place. It is this combination of smell and taste that makes this drink so special. I can never have enough of it every time I go there.   

Of course Rose Tea is my biased recommendation for Winter Warmers but there is actually a wide range of selection for you if you prefer others. They also have Herbal Tea, Hot Milk Tea and Iced Fruit Tea. The tea comes in fine loose leaves form in a pot.

If you seriously are not a tea person and will not try other thing besides coffee, they also have heaps of choices for you. They serve Midnight Kiss Iced Coffee, Milan Iced Coffee, Night Shadow Iced Coffee, Rose Iced Latte, Green Tea Coffee, Rose Coffee, Lavender Coffee, Chocolate Mint Coffee and the more common Espresso and Cappuccino. Food wise, they have sandwiches, scones, cakes, dessert and fresh fruits.

Duck Drumstick Noodle Soup

Herbal duck drumstick noodle soup (鸭腿面线); definitely one of the Penang delicacies although not as popular as Laksa and Char Koay Teow in which Penang is famous for. The noodle that is usually used to prepare this dish is called misua (面线); a very thin salted Chinese noodle which is made from wheat flour. The soup is cooked with Chinese herbs, red dates and duck meat in a pot for about 2 hours until the duck meat is soft and tender. Some people might not like the taste and smell of duck meat and it is perfectly fine for customers to choose other alternatives such as chicken or pork to go with the herbal soup. This is because the main salient point of this dish is in its soup.

The most famous Duck Drumstick Noodle Soup in Penang has to be the one located at Sungai Pinang. Most people know about it and I won’t be recommending it here. Instead I’m going to recommend a lesser known one located in Green Lane; the same coffee shop where I wrote about its chicken rice (you can refer to Chicken Rice at Green Lane). Although it is not as popular as the one at Sungai Pinang, I’m quite satisfied with its herbal soup taste which is quite rich and the plus point here is that it is also less crowded with more comfortable place to dine in.

So the next time you want to try duck drumstick noodle soup in Penang but you hate to be on a long waiting list under the hot sun (as will happened at Sungai Pinang); you can give this place a try.

For the location kindly refer to Kedai Kopi Heap Huat.

Boutique Bystroe

Do you like food, cake, pastries, books, music and fashion? On top of that there is also wifi internet available in a chic and peaceful environment. This place is called Boutique Bystroe and it is located along Burmah Road right opposite the Malaysian Buddhist Association. The owner Joanne is a young lady graduated with a Law degree but decided to open up her own business by setting up her dream shop here. She meticulously decorated the entire interior of this outlet with her own creativity and artworks. One would have easily mistaken her for an interior designer instead.

Ground floor is the café itself with about 5 tables at the front while there is a long timber bar table attached to the side wall that can seat 4 people at the back. There is a tiny library in between with the owner’s collection of magazines and novels which customers can read freely while waiting for their food. The upper floor is a fashion boutique that mainly sells lady’s clothes and accessories.  

Dining area at ground floor.

Boutique on the first floor.

For a little bistro like this, they actually have quite a wide range of food and beverages to choose from. The menu is very unique and creative as it comes in a scroll format. We ordered Chicken Wrap, American Burger, Spaghetti Bolognaise and Traditional English Meal. Other food on the menu are Lasagna, Carbonara and many more. The food taste great where it satisfy our gastronomical needs at just the right place. It is not too sweet and sour; just right. If you order fruit juice, it comes in a bottle with creative artwork painted on it. We were told that you can draw your own artwork onto a plain bottle with the collection of acrylic paint provided. 

A mouthful of American Burger

Chicken Wrap

Traditional English Meal - rich in variety

You get to show off your artistic talent on the bottle with acrylic paint if you wish.

One note for concern is that it takes a bit long for the food to be ready. However this should not pose a serious problem for people who patronize this place as they go to chill out, chat with friends, read books and online. This place is also perfect for birthday parties or simply hosting your guests from outstations as it has a very pleasant environment and good food at an affordable price. There probably are many such outlets in bigger cities such as KL and Singapore but it is quite hard to find one in Penang. And you know there is one now. 


Boutique:

• Dinner Wear
• Work Wear
• Casual Wear
• Accesories

Cafe:

• F&B
• Books/Magazines
• Board Games
• Free Wifi

Address: 233-C, Jalan Burmah, 10050, Penang. (Opposite Malaysian Buddhist Association)
Contact Number: +604 228 7562
E: boutiquebystroe@gmail.com

*Closed on Tuesdays*

Recipe For Tok Tok Mee (Wonton Noodle)

Recipe for 4 Servings

Seasoning

·         ½ teaspoon of oyster sauce

·         ½ teaspoon of dark soy sauce

·         1 teaspoon of light soy sauce

·         1 teaspoon of sesame oil

·         30ml of lard oil and crisps

·         500g of fresh wantan noodles

Toppings

·         200g of sliced barbecued pork

·         8 fried wantan dumplings

·         150g scalded and cut into 5cm lengths of Chinese flowering mustard (chai sim)

Soup

·         600ml of chicken stock

·         8 wantan dumplings

·         Salt and pepper

Pickled Chillies

·         3 fresh sliced green chillies

·         2 tablespoon of white vinegar

·         Pinch of salt

·         2 tablespoon of light soy sauce

Wantan Dumplings

·         150g of minced pork / chicken

·         50g of minced prawns

·         ¼ teaspoon of ground white pepper

·         1 teaspoon of salt

·         1 teaspoon of sesame oil

·         1 teaspoon of corn flour

·         1 egg

·         100g wantan wrappers

Steps To serve

Put in a tablespoon of seasoning with a teaspoon of lard (or shallot oil) in a mixing bowl. Toss in the cooked noodles. Place noodles on a serving plate and top with sliced barbequed pork, vegetables, freshly ground pepper, lard crisps and fried wantan dumplings. Serve with a small bowl of wantan soup and a small sauce dish of pickeld chilli in light soy sauce.

Preparation of Pickled Chillies

Mix the chillies, vinegar, salt and pickle for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. Serve with light soy sauce.

How To Blanch Wantan Noodles

·         Using your hands, shake the noodle coil to loosen it.

·         Once water is boiled, and place noodles in a perforated ladle. Dip the ladle into the boiling water for about 30 seconds.

·         Remove and plunge into cold water for a few seconds and then drain it.

How To Prepare Wantan

Mix well all the ingredients except wrappers in a bowl. To wrap, place a teaspoonful of the filling mixture in the centre of the wrappers and gather up the edges to form a bundle.

How To Prepare Wantan Soup

Bring chicken broth to a boil; in another pot, bring water to a rapid boil and drop in the dumplings. Cook for 20-30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and put into the soup pot. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.


For recommendation of this dish in Penang; refer to

• Wantan Mee @ Gurney Plaza 
• Tok Tok Mee  

 

For other recipes; visit

• Recipe for Hokkien Mee  

Chicken Rice @ Green Lane

Chicken rice (鸡饭) is the favorite among Penangites especially when you are thinking of having a quick, cheap and full meal. You can find many shops or stalls selling chicken rice all around Penang but there is one which is less known by many as it is situated not in the town center but within the neighborhood of Green Lane.

The name of the coffee shop is called Kedai Kopi Heap Huat, located at the junction of Jalan Besi and Jalan Mas. You will find both roasted and poached chicken here. The roasted chicken skin is crispy which I like while the poached chicken is moist and tender with a layer of smooth silky skin. The chicken is prepared on a bed of sliced cucumber and I always ask for the sauce to be prepared in a separate bowl as I don’t like the chicken to be flooded with soy sauce. Besides chicken, you can also find roast pork (烧肉) and Char Siew (叉烧) here. I’m not particularly a fan of Char Siew but the roast pork here is actually quite tasty.

As always, environment of the place plays an important role in affecting the overall dining experience. The good thing about this place is that it is not so crowded and the interior is quite cool. There are plenty of parking space along the road side in the vicinity as well.