Black Canyon @ Gurney Plaza

Gurney Plaza is undoubtedly Penangites’ favourite hangout place as it is a place where you could spend the whole day with your family to do your shopping, eating, self-maintenances (such as slimming treatment, hair-cut and manicure) and watching the latest movies from Hong Kong or Hollywood. If you simply wish to get something to eat, there are plenty of varieties to choose from.

Most may think that eating in a shopping mall will cost more damage to their purse which is true when you compare to the ridiculously cheap and delicious food you could get from the streets. But there is one such outlet in Gurney Plaza that offer something more affordable if you do not wish to get away from the mall and go somewhere else to eat.

It is the Black Canyon restaurant right next to DOME. Their set individual meals are really affordable at just RM12.90 with a main dish plus a spicy mini Tom Yum. And just like any other cafés around the area, you can access their free wifi which you certainly could not get if you eat other hawker food along the street. I managed to download an App while dining there even though the speed was quite slow.

Spicy Crispy Salmon Salad RM10.90

Spicy Mini Tom Yum - come with any Set Meals

Thai Style Fried Rice With Prawn - part of the Set Meals

Spicy Stir-Fried Noodle with Chicken & Hot Basil RM9.90

Thai rice noodle (Kha-Nom Jean) RM9.90

Brown Pocket @ Gurney Paragon

Instead of the usual Starbucks or Coffee Bean, I've decided to try a new outlet called Brown Pocket. I see its logo from Jalan Kelawei every time I drive home and wondering what is it. So decided to check it out and find out that it is actually a cafe situated high up on Level 6 of Gurney Paragon, an unusual location for a cafe since most are located on the ground floor.

The chic interior attracted me to go into it to chill out with family. The less crowded environment could be due to its location, not easily found out by most people. But I liked it as a cafe is supposed to make you feel relax and you can't possibly do that in a crowded space. There were various types of modern furniture scattered around the space with its high ceiling and soft music. The wifi is quite reasonably fast and I managed to download a few Apps while I was there!

Overall environment is perfect, drinks are good and it is definitely a great place to hang out with friends and family.

Hot Mocha

Kiwi + Orange Juice

MM Noodles House 面面俱到

Ask anyone to say something about Penang and they will most likely tell you about its food, historic architecture, antiques or even their beloved Chief Minister. What if there is such a place where you could eat Penang food in a heritage building filled with antiques and sit side by side with the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng?

This place is called MM Noodles House 面面俱到. It is a relatively new restaurant just opened its door at the end of 2013. The main entrance of this heritage shop house was tastefully renovated with thatched canopies that further make it stand out from the rest of the similar design terrace shop houses. It is easier to find at night as it is the only shop with bright lights along the narrow and dark Lebuh Melayu.

The interior of the shop is decorated with many antiques and some old photos of Penang. It is a clever and cost effective way of refurbish a small restaurant such as this. There are only six tables and one of them has a wall painting of Lim Guan Eng eating Hokkien Mee!

The set menu is quite funny, it is called Cincai Set or 随便套餐 in Chinese. It is basically rice with Lor Bak or marinated minced pork (卤肉), egg and soup. The soups are different everyday depending on which day you go. As we went on a Tuesday we got  玉米肉骨汤. In terms of drinks I particularly like the old grandfather’s metal cup but you only get it if you order cold Milo or coffee. And if you check into their Facebook Page while you are there, you will get a complimentary “homemade ice pop”.

Contact Info

MM Noodles House 面面俱到

2C, Lebuh Melayu 10100 George Town Penang.

Tel No: 04-261 3344/ 010-464 7296

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/面面俱到mm-noodles-house

Fried Appetizers - Jumbo Set Combo

Penang Hokkien Mee

Cincai Set

White Coffee

Homemade Ice Pop

Tua Wa Kong 大碗公

大碗公 Tua Wa Kong is located at No. 8 Jalan Krian, George Town within a stretch of heritage shop houses known as 8 rows(八间). They served Penang Hokkien Mee but with more varieties as they also serve this famous dish dry. Yes, dry Penang Hokkien Mee more common in Seberang Perai but not on the island.

Their main menu is as follow:

·         Dried Hokkien Noodle (Prawn/Pork) -福建干 (虾/肉)[RM8.50 Regular, RM9.50 Big]

·         Hokkien Noodle Soup (Prawn/Pork) -福建面 (虾/肉)[RM8.50 Regular, RM9.50 Big]

Traditional Hokkien noodle soup is served with yellow noodle and vermicelli. Here at Tua Wa Kong, customers got to choose from not just the above two but also flat rice noodle and instant noodle. You can even decide how the egg is going to be cooked: spring egg温泉蛋/ boiled egg水煮蛋/ marinated egg/ hard boiled egg.

There are also rice dishes for those who prefer not to have noodles: marinated pork rice, special plum sause (chicken/fish) rice, black pepper sause (chicken/fish) rice.

Tua Wa Kong is opened every day except Tuesday. Business Hours from 11.30am – 9.30pm.

Crispy Vege

Hokkien Noodle (Dry)

Hokkien Noodle Soup (Koay Teow)

Sago Honeydew

Arirang Korean BBQ

We’ve been passing by Arirang Korean BBQ Restaurants on many occasions and saw that it was always full of customers inside but we have never try before…until last night.

After the fabulous Christmas Parade along St Georges Terrace in the city, we decided to pay the restaurant a visit as it was already 9pm after the show finished and we were all hungry and just wanted to go to somewhere nearby within walking distance. I enjoy walking all the time and with so many people walking alongside us, it didn’t feel tired or far.

Anyway, we finally reached Arirang Korean BBQ Restaurant at Barrack Street in the city centre and was surprised to see that there were still many people inside although it had passed dinner time. Went in to check with the waitress and was glad that there was still table for the three of us. After setting up my daughter baby chair and finally settled down, then came the moment that I am always dreadful about: select from a menu which dishes I am not familiar with! All the dishes names were in Korean although written in alphabets. Even if they have description at the bottom of those names, it was still a daunting task for me to go through the entire menu which seems thicker when you don’t understand a thing inside it. I became more confused when I saw in the menu their company tagline is “who said BBQ was boring…!!!” I thought what is it got to do with the food I’m going to get?

I decided to take the easy way out by just asking the Korean waiter to recommend us a dish. We were advised to try Modum (which sounds like a computer component than food to me) which was an assortment of finest bbq meats perfect for the indecisive. Was the description of the food trying to insult my character? Anyway it is a combination of 3 meats namely: beef, chicken and pork (buldogi + duk buldogi +daeji buldogi) grilled to Korean standard. By the way the names of these 3 meats sounded more like characters in computer games than Korean food to me.

The waiter said that we could use the round grill plate in the middle of our table if we ordered one more dish. No thank you was my reply as I am not those people who like to cook their food. I prefer to have the food cooked and delivered straight to me and my only job is to eat them.

I was amazed that the food was served to us quite fast considering the fact that there were still many customers waiting for their food. Although I’m not a fan of Korean food but our dish tasted all right. For a start there was no strong smell from the beef and pork. The meats were grilled with sweet Korean sauce. It would be perfect if you like sweet sauce. This set is good for 2 persons if you are not too hungry and just want something light. It costs $24 just for the meats and $29 if you ordered a set.

Modum [buldogi + duk buldogi + daeji buldogi]

Flat Korean chopstick - it is a challenge to use it although I've been using chopstick all my life. I spent most of the time preventing it from falling off my grip.

Arirang Korean BBQ Restaurant is located at 91-93 Barrack Street, Perth. 

Hanami Japanese Restaurant

Hanami Restaurant at 685 Beaufort Street Mount Lawley is one of the places that serve authentic Japanese cuisine in Perth. There are just so many Japanese restaurants sprouting out all around the city but most do not offer good quality food as they are not owned by Japanese. Hanami restaurant however is owned by Japanese although they do employ Chinese as waiters and waitresses.

The best part of this restaurant is that you can expect a huge portion for any dish you select from the menu and this is what makes it one of the few places that offer value for money in this expensive city.

Hanami Restaurant front entrance - the business is so good that they have to place extra tables and chairs on the two parking lots in front of their shop.

Japanese Green Tea - Don't you just love their cute little tea pot and cups?

Chicken Katsudon - deep fried chicken wrapped in egg omelet.

I think this is Sashimi Bento, the food is so good that I can't quite remember its name. 

Tempura Udon. I don't really fancy for Udon as I have ate a lot of lousy ones in Perth. But this dish in Hanami makes me like this wonderful Japanese noodle soup once again. The noodle is soft and tasty with the hot soup coupled with my favourite assorted tempura.

Tho Yuen Restaurant (桃園茶樓)

Tho Yuen Restaurant (桃園茶樓) is one of the surviving old restaurants that have been operating in Penang for over 80 years! Restaurants and shops like this is diminishing day by day following rapid urbanization and expansion of the city. Fortunately with George Town being enlisted by UNESCO as world heritage site, many traditional shops like this now have gleam of hope to survive in an intense competitive environment today.

One thing that ensures Tho Yuen’s success is undoubtedly the food they serve. To run a restaurant successfully in Penang is no mean feat as Penangites are spoilt for choices when it comes to food. There are just foods everywhere day and night! Tho Yuen Restaurant (桃園茶樓) specializes in Dim Sum and Cantonese cuisine and they have extensive menu for you to choose from. However, I’m going to share a few dishes that I will order whenever I visit this place.

Fish Ball Soup

Fried Crispy Noodle 炒生麵 with seafood, pork and chicken

Fried Hor Fun and Rice Vermicelli or 番薯: its nickname

Besides delicious Dim Sum and the dishes that I shared above, Tho Yuen Restaurant also serves good Hainanese Chicken Rise. The roast chicken thigh and drumstick is my personal favourite.

Front Entrance of Tho Yuen Restaurant (桃園茶樓) 

Morning tea 饮早茶 at Tho Yuen Restaurant (桃園茶樓) 

Campbell Street, George Town, Penang.

If you want to travel back in time and experience the traditional ambience of Penang, then you got to visit Thou Yuen Restaurant (桃園茶樓)!

Located at 92 Campbell Street, Penang, Malaysia.

Business Hours: 6am – 3pm everyday except Tuesday.

Contact number: 04-2614672