Big Family Gathering @ Little Penang Kafé The Curve

it was the final weekend before ramadhan starts, and my whole family (abah, umi, my sisters & husbands plus kiddos) stayed at the royale bintang the curve for the weekend just to lepak satu family. and also because my abah wants to belanja his cucu-cucu for a day of fun at kidzania the next day.

for dinner we gathered together at ‘little penang kafe’ for a taste of penang hawker food at the curve damansara.

 

‘little penang kafé’ described itself as being “the first restaurant to offer authentic penang hawker food in a shopping mall”. the interior certainly sets the mood, taking us back in time. and the menu suggests the same – filled with penang hawker food and baba nyonya delicacies like char kuey teow, kuey teow soup, mee udang, curry mee, assam laksa and many more.

 

it’s not often do we get to dine out ramai-ramai like this. most of the time atok prefers to just tapau and eat ramai-ramai at home. tak pening atok dengan cucu-cucu yang bising! hihi. so this was considered a HUGE outing for us. we were just missing azi’s husband faiz (working) and my mr khairul who was still in dubai at the time. syida’s hubby nash was taking the picture.

 

obviously I can’t help NOT ordering my favorite kuey teow. penang fried kuey teow has always been my favorite and would never miss getting kuey teow sani or kuey teow gagak whenever I’m in penang. the kuey teow at ‘little penang kafe’ is as good as it gets – well-seasoned, dry just the way I like it. I would order this again.

 

abah with his choice ‘penang curry mee’

 

‘penang curry mee’ for abah. said to be ‘the most sought after hawker dish in penang’. judging from the empty bowl at the end and hoq quiet abah eats – the curry mee must be dead good.

 

this was umi’s pick of the day : ‘penang jawa mee’ – a nyonya style mee rebus. the gravy looks deliciously thick and the portion is huge. you can share this one if you’re not too hungry!

 

abah & umi with their delicious penang dishes at ‘little penang kafe’.

 

my eldest nephew haiqal with his dinner : fried rice with egg sunny side up. simple yet satisfying. haiqal next time order something else ok. nasi goreng ni mama pun bole buat! haha

 

BFF & cousins : my nephew haqeem & my eldest son khaleef ordered the same food – ‘fish ball noodle’ simply noodle in clear fish ball soup. not spicy, hot from the pot. delicious.

 

the boys’ ‘fish ball noodle’. you can even choose your noodle – bihun, mee kuning or kuey teow.

 

cousins & BFF! haiqal, haqeem & khaleef in their football jerseys

 

 

love the interior : the ceiling, the walls that look like it’s made from papan in kampung house and the grill looks authentic too – like eating in those old chinese coffee shop in penang. ‘little penang kafe’ is my new favorite place to makan!

‘little penang kafe’ is on ground floor at the curve. forget marche. go hawker style next time!

Father’s Day Dinner @ Vietnamese ‘Hanoi’, JLT

it was father’s day, and on a special day like this we usually get something like a fat juicy steak. however, this penang boy mr. khairul with a kampung taste wanted something asian. something simple yet delicious. something that reminds him of home.

we looked for something simple like kuey teow soup or noodle soup – and found a nice vietnamese restaurant called ‘hanoi’. by the end of our visit there, it has become one of the best place to get soupy dishes in dubai – vietnam style!

 

 

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the first thing I noticed when I walked into ‘hanoi’ were the trees! fake trees of course, but a lovely addition nonetheless. it blends well with the color scheme of orange and green. simply loved it!

 

walls are adorned with random pictures of vietnamese makcik in vietnam setting that brings out that asian feel. simple, random, but it works! the bench-seats are comfy and gives that homey, relaxing feel too. overall a family-friendly cozy place to enjoy delicious soupy dish!

 

the ‘open’ bar – juice bar, that is.

 

simply love the color scheme! ceria!

 

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the menu is quite extensive within the soup domain – written in vietnamese, with translation. everything looks good, really. there are mainly 4 types of noodle available :

• pho – rice noodle
• mien – glass noodle
• bun – rice vermicelli noodle
• mi – egg noodle

 

the celebrated guy – the father – bapak – mr. khairul’s choice : pho dac biet : ‘hanoi special pho’ (pho = rice noodles aka kuey teow) with meatballs. delicious. really. just like the plain kuey teow soup you get at RnR tapah. instantly a favorite with him, and me too!

 

stuff for the soupy dish that i won't even consider adding because I just like my soup to be plain. so tolak ke khairul hihi

 

my 'mi vit tiem' - braised five-spice duck noodle.

 

my noodle with the duck is super delicious. imagine eating this big bowl of hot delight in a cool winter’s night? perfect! makan panas-panas time sejuk-sejuk winter sure da bom!

unlike mr. khairul’s soup dish with ‘pho’ or rice noodles, mine was with ‘mi’ – egg noodles. I really prefer the rice noodles because it’s my favorite noodle of all but this ‘braised five-spice duck’ dish is delicious enough to eat with any type of noodle.

the duck is tender, and because it’s in a soup dish, it’s not as dry as the other duck dishes I’ve ever tasted before. hoisin sauce is available on the table so it was just a delicious dish to enjoy. huge portion of noodle, a lot of duck to munch and the soup is tasty.

altogether a highly-recommended dish. the next time I order this dish, I’m requesting them to change it to rice noodle!

 

my eldest boy khaleef absolutely LOVE anything soupy so he totally enjoyed his kuey teow soup, a dish ordered from the list in the kids’ menu. I’m glad to note that the portion is huge even for a kids’ meal. delicious, enough for two. A plus!

 

seriously, this is the first time I’m using metal chopsticks. pardon me for getting a little over-excited. there’s a certain feel of authenticity when you enjoy chinese/japanese/vietnamese food using chopsticks. somehow it tastes better! haha.

 

this is ‘goi cuon’ or ‘fresh summer rolls’

 

the worst-tasting popiah i've ever eaten!!!

but wait – before you decide to take my word for it, consider that a) I don't really like popiah basah, or unfried spring roll like this; b) i don't like prawn, and c) i hate the taste of cilantro, and d) I don’t like disproportionate food (eg: more filling than the percentage of pastry in a pie bla bla) – tapi gatal nak makan just to try. amik ko. sohun pun ade dlm tu.

but mr. khairul likes it. fresh. unik. so you guys might like it too. just not my cuppa tea.

 

thanks for being a great bapak to my boys. funny, yet responsible. playful, yet strict. the boys look up to you to make them the man they’re going to be. a good role model, peacemaker and a coach. love always!

 

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‘hanoi’ is situated at JLT (jumeirah lake towers) cluster C. you’ll see the italian café ‘o pasta’ and walk down. you’ll see a pizza place, so walk further. soon you’ll see an unassuming place called ‘hanoi’. sit back and enjoy sipping your hot soup with yummy noodle.

 

save this spot for me when winter comes! to my fellow malaysians, kalau nak merasa kuey teow soup ala-ala RnR tapah, moh la ke ‘hanoi’!

Malaysian, Japanese, Spore or Myanmar Dish? Try Innlay Asia @ JLT

there are a few good restaurants around dubai offering delicious malaysian dishes and singaporean food; ‘noodle bowl’ in satwa, ‘singapore deli’ in karama or  – the closest would be ‘noodle factory’ in JBR.

so we were so glad to find out that there’s another restaurant nearby our place offering malaysian taste and from all over south east asia – the ‘innlay asia’ restaurant at JLT (jumeirah lake towers).

 

the ‘innlay asia’ restaurant is set in JLT (jumeirah lake towers) at HDS Tower, cluster F. if you see green-black 'K Pop Chicken' korean restaurant from the main road, you're in the right place. just ask the guard at the parking lot about ‘a thai restaurant’ nearby and he’d know it.

 

the restaurant is in a row facing the man-made JLT lake. you can also opt to eat outside with the nice view of the lake. however, it is already hot summer in dubai and it’s only sensible to eat indoors with the air-cond on full blast!

 

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the menu consist of many delicacies from all over south east asia – there’s the ‘crabstick VIETNAMESE spring rolls’, crispy duck with hoisin sauce, pad THAI noodle, SINGAPORE noodle, MALAYSIAN curry chicken, BALI chicken, JAPANESE udon, kyar zan chet MYANMAR and many more chicken, beef, noodle and vegetable dishes.

 

our appetizer was this special myanmar dish - 'deep fried homemade tofu', made at the restaurant. sedap! freshly fried, with moist texture like fried potatoes. love it. but a bit pricey for such a simple dish.

 

this is khaleef's. he wanted something with noodle, and something NOT spicy. this dish fits the bill – 'japanese udon noodle with seafood', but he asked for chicken instead. delicious! kids-friendly dish that's not spicy, and without much frills. simple and straightforward.

 

khairul the adventurous foodie tried 'mandalay chicken noodle' for the first time, which is a myanmar dish. the noodle is first boiled in chicken broth, then set aside. the chicken is sautéed separately. then noodle and chicken are put together, with the hot chicken broth served in a bowl separately. another straightforward dish that is both tasty and filling!

 

char kuey teow : one of my favorite malaysian dishes!

 

knowing that I can get malaysian food here, I jumped at ordering char kuey teow, without thinking twice. I LOVE char kuey teow! this one in ‘innlay asia’ is a seafood char kuey teow but as usual (even in malaysia) I would ask to change to chicken instead.

this char kuey teow at ‘innlay asia’ is yummy to my standard – not too spicy, the flat noodles were soft and taste delicious of prawn broth. most importantly not too much beansprout!

 

 

a typical malaysian char kuey teow should be darker and more charred, slightly watery, served with seafood, and with much more beansprouts and eggs. still, this plate of char kuew teow at ‘innlay asia’ is satisfying enough for me!

 

 

there are a few south east asia dessert offered in the menu : most of them I can just make at home, haha – like this one dessert was disguised as ‘green pancake with coconut caramel’! hihi. padehal kuih ketayap je sebenarnya! they also have fried banana!

well, those are really delicious desserts from malaysia so foreigners do try them if you have the chance!

we malaysians in dubai would rather try something different – so we tried this ‘chilled sago with honey melon’ – simply chilled, sweetened coconut milk with sago and cut up honey melon. sweet and cooling.

while the main dishes at ‘innlay asia’ are reasonably priced, this dessert however, is a bit pricey for such a simple dish with simple ingredients.

 

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the ‘innlay asia’ is comfortable and clean, a nice family-friendly place. the setting is minimal, with framed scenic pictures of rivers and village on the wall, including one with what I assume are the dewa-dewi of myanmar folklore.

 

 

the service is A-plus; friendly, polite and personalized. the staff suggested different dishes for us to pick, as well as describing how certain dishes are prepared, and their ingredients. a knowledgeable staff like that is a gem in any restaurant as it makes it easier for patrons to decide on their order.

not all restaurant staff make it a point to approach customers to ask ‘how’s your food?’ but here at ‘innlay asia’ they do. kudos!

 

nice table mat, hard and I can imagine easy to wipe clean! (haha, thoughts that only mothers can have!) the glass-ducky chopstick rest is cute

 

this is the view that greets you right outside ‘innlay asia restaurant’. nice and calming.

 

the next time you’re around JLT (jumeirah lake towers) area and have a hankering for delicious asian delights from malaysia, singapore, japan and especially myanmar – head on to ‘innlay asia’!

I will definitely be back just for the char kuey teow!

Hawker Food @ myNEWScafe @ 1 Utama

“eat, drink, read.”

that’s the tagline of ‘myNEWScafe’ at one utama. the idea is that they offer patrons a wide variety of magazines to choose from – to read while they eat.

now this is not really a breakthrough concept haha – a lot of restaurants have magazines lying around for customers to read, but in myNEWScafe, this is their central concept, as you can see from one of the pictures i have below, where a long magazine rack adorned the whole side of one of the walls.

my youngest sis azot and i went shopping for home stuff the other day and had lunch here, as i wanted something malaysian to eat – rice dish, noodle dish, anything of the same sort!

 

i was craving for a rice dish, but i can’t help myself ordering this when i saw it on the menu : ‘penang fried kuey teow’. i LOVE kuey teow! for the record, i would say that this kuey teow meets my palate and i find it quite tasty. however, i knew my beloved penang boy mr. khairul would cringe even at the SIGHT of the plate, let alone the taste!

it’s really NOT like penang char kuey teow (i KNOW) – the taste is slightly off yet still yummy, and the texture is different, but this is satisfactory nevertheless. just got to remind myself not to suggest this dish to that penang boy! hihi

 

this is for the boys : two plates of ‘yong chow fried rice’. you can never go wrong with yong chow fried rice because it’s such a deliciously simple dish. unless you screw it up with too much salt! this one is a little bit salty than i would like, but it’s still tasty. the portion is acceptable, and it’s served with slices of cucumbe and cut up veggies, a few praws and egg sunny side up. not bad.

 

my youngest sister picked a rice dish too. this is ‘myNEWS fried rice’ – a spicier fried rice served with fried chicken wings, sambal and egg sunny side up. another really simple dish and equally tasty. this can easily satisfy any hungry yuppies on their rushed lunch hour!

 

other than local delicacies like paprik rice, asam laksa or singapore beehoon, myNEWScafe also has western dishes such as chicken chop and lamb cutlets – and they’re so cheap! i will definitely try that next!

 

a rack filled with magazines at the back

 

a wide mirror to give an illusion of space

 

nice comic-book art corner here in myNEWScafe

 

my sister said this place is packed during lunch time because it sells local food that is comparitively cheap, and fairly delicious. kalau dah takde idea mane nak makan kat OU, do try!

Kuey Teow : Sany @ Penang & Mali’s Corner @ Taman Medan, PJ

i LOVE kuey teow!

these are two of the places i tried recently : one, on our trip to penang. and another one was recommended by my little bro-in-law right in PJ.

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everytime we go to penang, we surely meet up with my in-law’s family friend, a childhood buddy to the kids – muhaidi, or fondly called ‘tato’ – don’t ask!

he wanted to take us for a kuey teow yummy time at kuey teow gagak, (read my review here) but it’s closed! so he took us to the next best thing – kuey teow sany near ‘tokong ular’. it’s just a humble little stall, but cooks up delicious dishes inside!

 

 

omg. even looking back it this picture now (i’m already back in dubai) i’m salivating! i want a plate of kuey teow now! hihi.

but there was one funny incident while we’re at kuey teow sany. you see, CHAR KUEY TEOW is kuey teow basah with gravy, and PRAWN. i don’t like prawn, so i asked the the kuey teow man to make my kuey teow with chicken instead, and also DRY.

his reply : “nih pertama kali dengaq org nak kuey teow taruh ayam nih. sat naaa..” and he proceeded to shout out my request to the cooks at the back in such a way that i was like a freak for asking such a ridiculous alternative for their original char kuey teow. haha. even tato was smirking at the incident.

 

..and here’s MY plate of kuey teow – just the way i like it! kuey teow kering taruh ayam – dry kuey teow noodle with chicken instead of prawn! and i unashamedly ordered the BIG plate! pinggan besaq!

 

mr. khairul with ‘little bro’ tato, our designated host in penang. thanks for your time, bro!

 

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when we were back in KL, my youngest bro-in-law asrar took us to ‘mali’s corner’ at taman medan, jalan klang lama. they serve delicious kuey teow, and nasi lemak kukus too (steamed glutinous rice).

this place is arguably THE place to get good char kuey teow in the klang valley – we’ll see!

 

again, i requested DRY-style kuey teow with chicken instead of prawn, but they don’t have cut-up chicken so i had the kuey teow as it is. mr. khairul was the happiest since i passed all my prawns to him! this is as tasty as a plate of kuey teow gets. and i’m sure it would be more perfect with my chicken bits!

 

this is the original version : char kuey teow basah, with prawns. mine looks more delicious! haha.

 

mr. khairul with little bro asrar.

 

we got the nasi lemak kukus too for the boys. delicious, panas-panas!

 

mali’s corner is just a couple of stalls selling kuey teow and nasi lemak, but both the dishes were really tasty. however, nothing beats the real thing in penang!

 

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now i really, really, really want char kuey teow! *pull hair*