Places to eat in Negeri Pulau Pinang

"Leng Geng" is a popular drink in Penang available in all hawker centers and coffee shops.

The ingredient is mainly dried longan (leng geng in local Hokkien Chinese dialect) with sugar syrup and usually served iced (leng geng peng) or hot (leng geng som).

Another name for it is "Sio Pak Hu" (fighting fish in Hokkien) because before many places served it in a small jar and the brown floating longan inside resemble "Siamese" fighting fish which are kept in similar jars.

Try ordering "Leng Geng" the next time.

Bak Kut Teh in Chinese means "Pork Rib Herbal Soup". It is considered a Malaysian Chinese concoction originating from Kuala Lumpur and now popular through Penang.

Intially, it is just pork rib in a herbal soup eaten with a bowl of white rice. The herbal soup is prepared from a combination of Chinese herbs and plants with medicinal value. Its taste is an acquired taste and does taste like a medicinal remedy.

Now, you have a choice of three-layered pork, pig's tail, different parts of the pig, mushroom, soya bean curd, meatballs, etc. Then there is also "black rice" and "yau char kwai" deep fried flour snack and green vegetables as option. Cut garlic, chillies and dark soya sauce are for dipping for taste.

Bak Kut Teh is now eaten mainly at weekend breakfast, dinner and late supper. There are many stalls that serve at Gurney Drive in the morning, opposite Tesco Extra at Sungai Dua and up to 2-3am in the morning at Perak Road (opposite Padang Brown) and Dato Kramat near Penang Stadium.

Bak Kut Teh dried soup ingredients are now sold in plastic packets in most supermarkets so that travelling Malaysians will still be able to cook their own Bak Kut Teh overseas.

Located inside the Hotel Equatorial Penang, the restaurant Blue Moon called my name for a beer or two, as well as a little bar type food with a Malay twist. I was the only one in the bar at about 6pm, but the waitstaff was still friendly and helpful without seeming to be doting over me.

I went with the Roti and curry, as well as a order of Satay Chicken, and both were excellent. I topped it off with one or two Tiger Beers, and it made for a nice small easy dinner.

While I waited for dinner to arrive, I did get the chance to play a game of darts against a member of the band that was setting up to play that evening. Since there was no one else in the room, they let me decide whether I wanted them to play their music, or just relax.

Housed in cosy premises, Mr Ho's did not deliver as it ought to. Paying RM 80 for roast pork and drinks for 2, the service was nothing to talk about.

The workers were confused ( as usual in most places in Malaysia ).

Seems only the family run business are the only ones offering good service !

Favorite Dish: Been here only once, and don't ask me about western food.

Better stick to local fare in Penang.

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This must surely be the best Penang Laksa !

By common agreement the most famous and unmistakably original Penang laksa --- by far.

See the workers in ceaseless motion catering to the hundreds if not thousands of customers on a busy day.

by the road side.. its a secluded restaurant ... but suprise suprise here in tanjung everyone knows the place and the food is Da BOMB!!!

Favorite Dish: We ate the famous Prawn Mee... gosh its soooooooooooooooooo delicious and sharon actualyl wanna have a second one but she's so shy lol.. its a noddle serves with huge fresh prawns and it is to your satisfactory!

It's a small shoplot cafe which opens from lunch to supper. They specialize in all kinds of pancakes (about 40-50 different flavours & fillings). It's a cosy little place where you can watch the chef cook your pancakes.

Favorite Dish: The Jawa Prawn Noodle is absolutely brilliant. You can choose any filling you want for the pancakes - from peanut butter to hawaian chicken to ham to brown sugar to seafood and even durian!

What do you expect from a home cooked food? One thing I can tell you is that my aunt is a fantastic cook! Besides, eating together with family/relatives is always the best thing to do, especially if you don't see them that often. :-)