Tastes of Thai with love from Annathai Kitchen

Nestled in a merry neighborhood with just a stone's throw away from the Pulau Tikus Market is this humble house turned into a restaurant, known as Annathai Kitchen.
Surrounded by the rowdy sounds of the metal and ongoing construction taking place in the area, Annathai seems unfazed by it all as all is peaceful and calm when one steps into their unpretentious abode.

 

There is definitely no frills about their simple interior; filled with neatly arranged tables and chairs set against the glossy finished walls decorated with black and white scenes of the old Siam glistening under the soft lighting. While the interior was just kept to the bare minimum, it was more than sufficient to create a relaxing ambiance and I was quickly made to feel at home.







Drinks:
Green Salak Syrup - also available in red (MYR3.50) and Home cooked Water chestnut (MYR2.00)


The green syrup is a drink favored among the Thai, as we were told by the Thai lady who took our orders, and it also comes in a red version. The drink is slightly sweeter in taste and will be better appreciated by those with a strong penchant for sweet drinks.
The water chestnut drink is a good option to chill and refresh one's senses; with the grounded chestnuts and in the lightly diluted juice.

Stir-fry Kailan/Kale with salted fish is one of the common vegetables we order and with the simple list of options for vegetables on their menu, this was the one which appealed to our interests and familiarity zone. Salted fish was definitely the salty factor; given its revelation in the name and it was served in a relatively home cooked style.





I cannot remember the name of the next dish; which was a unique presentation of prawns in their special sauce (MYR25.00)
While the prawns do not come in extravagant large quantities, they were good enough to feed portions of two and the light creamy curry sauce was an interesting complement to the juicy freshwater prawns.




On my first visit here, the Kang Som Fish (Seabass) (MYR45.00) was the one which left us perspiring from the spicy sensation which sends that hot thrill, numbing the tongue all the way to that warmth in the tummy. Perhaps it was my low tolerance for spicy and hot food, as this was already requested with a milder degree of spicy and yet, I was still in for a sapid peppery ride with each taste of the fish.
The fish was delicate in its flesh, signifying the well-steamed techniques applied in the process to deliver this appetite-tempting dish to perfection to keep the customers screaming for more, well, literally.






Another of my personal favorite choice of serving the fish, which I tried on my second visit was this Lemon Steamed Fish (MYR42.00) which is definitely another winner.
I love how the fish was steamed with careful thought to maintain the freshness and tenderness of its flesh while the sourish sweet and a light piquant note of taste in soup, composing of the zesty lemon juice enhanced with finely chopped garlic, chilies, coriander leaves and lime, seeped in effortlessly into the fish.





A Thai meal will never be complete without a good bowl of hot and authentic Thai tom yam soup and the Seafood Tomyam Soup was just the right companion to polish the meal nicely.



Another interesting appetizer to try at a Thai restaurant, though not every restaurant will offer it is the Mieng Kam which is a healthy and interesting way to start a meal the Thai way.



I am not sure if you have tried this; which is mainly composed of ingredients which includes vegetables and fried nuts, cucumbers to name a few placed atop leaves which can then be lightly rolled and enjoy with the special sauce to enhance the taste and whet one's appetite.
The uniqueness of this appetizer lies in the sauce, and is a good experience for those who are opting for a light way to commence a meal.

Annathai is definitely a household name to the Pulau Tikus neighborhood and has courted their very own customer base over the years they have been operating from the terrace house.
Run by the family, where the mother is the chef and a Thai daughter-in-law, Annathai Kitchen has definitely planted her roots in the hearts of the local residents, bookmarked as one of the simple and homey Thai neighborhood restaurant.

Simply Spicy at Wang Thai

Wang Thai Restaurant is one of the newer restaurants to land in the Pulau Tikus neighborhood; though not entirely a brand new number in the food-infested area known as one of the best places on the island for food hunters. Thai food is another of the local favorite; with the geographical location near to the borders of Thailand where the culture influences some of the cooking style and taste buds of the locals over here and the Penangites simply have an interesting fondness of hot and spicy food.

We made reservations for Mother's Day lunch on Sunday, and was instantly relaxed as we stepped into the cozy environment of the restaurant against the heat out there. There is a mysterious atmosphere inside the restaurant with the dark theme of the interior coupled with the dark colored wooden tables and chairs, which creates a cool and relaxing ambiance to welcome their patrons into settling down comfortably for their meals.

Beat the heat with a glass of Cold Lime & Plum Drink (MYR3.50)
Absolutely refreshing and thirst-quenching drink which just cools the heat almost instantly!~
It certainly came in handy to bit the hot and spicy food later too...

Start with appetizer like the all-familiar Thai Fish Cake; Tod Man Pla (MYR3.50 each)


The fish cakes were compact-sized; packed with flavorful bites of fish mixture and the best part is that it's not oily.

Pandan Chicken (Gai Hor Bai Toey) (MYR3.00 each)




Stir fried Kangkung belacan (Water spinach/convulvus with shrimp paste)
Pad Phuk Bung Kapi (MYR9.00)


Be ready to be spiced out of your wits with the Tom Yam Mixed Seafood (Tom Yam Ruam Mit Talay) (MYR21.90)

Enjoy the enticing tastes and also a tinge of light spicy taste from the Steamed Siakap with Lime and Chili sauce (Pla Kra Pong Manow) (MYR40.00)
The fish was fresh and the flesh was tender with the light and steamed according to a good timing.




I love how they always use these metal fish-shaped serving dishes to serve the steamed fish in most Thai restaurants.


Leave some room or simply, enjoy a cold dessert like the Tab Tim Krob (Water chestnuts, red rubies and jackfruit in cold syrup and coconut milk)(MYR4.50)





Wang Thai's food is definitely spicy, that's all I can say, but authentic to the Thai tastes.
Good dining environment and attentive service, and with good pricing and spicy Thai food, what can one ask for?

Spicy Tomyam and Prawn cakes

The recent cold and rainy weather reminds me of the piping hot and spicy soup; with the sweet aroma of the lemongrass, ginger and onions filling my mind and of course, my senses and the pictures just came floating in as though they were tempting me with the invitation for a wholesome meal with all the good food spread out on the table.

There is this Thai restaurant I used to frequent and is quickly making its way into my favourites; and I have blogged about it more than once here too over the last few years. In the last two years, I have seen them expanding to another branch in Bayan Baru area from their original/main outlet in Abu Siti Lane. However, early this year, they have closed down and their business has been taken over by another Thai family to operate the restaurant.
With the change in the restaurant management, it is only norm that the menu would also change in the dishes offered. I was surprised to see that not much has changed from the previous menu; hence that explains why I was initially not aware that they had changed their name or was taken over. However, the staples of the usual Thai cuisine are still essentially on the menu; such as Som Tam, Tomyam, etc.

Instead of the usual raw greens served as the starters, the new owners served us crackers at the side as well.




Prawn Cakes

One of my personal favorites when it comes to Thai; along with fish cakes or crab cakes. This is a rather nice version and I like the fact that it was not too oily here and the light frying resulting in the fair tone of the crispy crust. Another brownie point for the generous stuffing of the fresh prawns with only minimal flour to make the cakes and it makes this a worthwhile dish to order.




Another must order is their Steamed Fish with Pickled Plum


The reason this is so good is not because of the sauce/broth, but rather the fish itself which was bursting with fresh goodness! Trust me when I say it was fresh; as the flesh was so smooth and succulent that it was almost like tasting the silky texture of a beancurd and I am a fan of fish, and can be really picky with the way my fish; particularly steamed fish, tastes like or served. (yeah, it's all over my blog) I am all for the stamp of approval for the steamed fish here; in fact, Thumbs Up for one of the best I have tasted so far and it goes on that list.

A Thai meal is never complete without Tomyam, and I second that notion. There are choices of either the clear or red tomyam; and both are equally good, I must say, but the red tomyam somehow still always is scores higher - possibly due to the familiarity to many?
Seafood Tomyam

Love the aromatic scent of lemongrass and the chunky bits of fresh prawns, squids, and fish fillets with mushrooms, spring onions and parsley leaves just added to the exotic taste of this flavourful soup of our neighbouring origins. Best when served piping hot, and on cold rainy days...just perfect to warm one up. Ah, the cosy picture!

I have on one occasion ordered this; Triangle Salad

A combination of fish paw, nuts, dried shrimps, bird's eye, all tossed together with onions and is an exciting array of tastes and flavor. Not a bad dish to try, but I would prefer the other salads or maybe cakes? Good for snacks back at home

The restaurant still preserves much of Maa Roy Thai's interior decorations but it has since changed its name to Songkhla Kitchen. Like its predecessor, they only accept cash transactions which could be a little inconvenient for some patrons, but still worth a visit all the same.

With the dark clouds looming again, Thai food seems like a great choice for warmth and comfort...

Siamese tastes from home @ Annathai Kitchen

It is amazing the number of Thai restaurants which emerged in my country; especially in the Northern region where I am currently residing in now.
There is no end to the number of new Thai restaurants in Penang these days, and it seems like everywhere I go, I see a Thai restaurant, no kidding!

My new sister-in-law (I'm still new in the family :) was celebrating her birthday last weekend, and she introduced us to this Thai restaurant near the marketplace in Pulau Tikus, which she claimed serves really good cooking.
She picked the place, Annathai Kitchen; it's the privilege of the birthday girl, and I was just excited to get to try a new place for dinner.

I was amazed to find the restaurant which was a humble place, and how I missed seeing this place although I pass by the road almost every other day.

We left the ordering to Sis-in-law who was familiar with their menu; along with the owner/chef's recommendations.
The owner of the restaurant is a really friendly and helpful man who just had this really big smile plastered on his face, all the time.

We didn't have to wait long for our food, or perhaps it was because we were busy chatting with each other and playing with the kids (nieces and nephews)! :D

Tom Yam Kung (MYR 12.00)

This was really good, I tell you; spicy, sour; it had almost everything you would want in a bowl of good Tom Yam soup!
I enjoyed every spoonful of this flavorful soup and the soup was filled with an abundance of seafood; prawns and squids, and mushrooms!
This is a must-have to complete most Thai meals :)

Gaeng Liang (MYR15.00)

This is a type of Southern Thai dish; which is vegetable curry.
The unique part about this curry is that it is a clear-based soup and I almost mistaken this as the clear soup Tom Yam, but it's actually curry.
The soup tasted heavily of peppers, and smelt of basil leaves, chilies, and fish sauce!
There were lots of vegetables in the soup and it tasted really good:)

Pla Tod Nam Pla (MYR35.00)

This is deep-fried Seabass fish served with a special sweet Thai sauce :-)
It was good even if you just eat the fish alone; without the sauce but the sauce did enhance the taste of the fish too ;)

Kung Ob Wunsen (MYR19.00)

This is prawns with rice vermicelli; or glass noodles. This same dish can also be served with crabs; I have tried both versions before and they taste equally good!:)
This version was tasty too :)

Phad Phak Boong Fi Daeng (MYR10.00)

Stir-fried spinach leaves with chili paste and onions, yumz!

We also ordered a vegetable omelette for the kids; Kha Jaew Cha om (MYR8.00), which I forgot to snap a photo of.

Another dish we ordered at the last minute because it was one of their specialties as well.

Hor Mok (MYR 2.50 per piece)

This is the Thai version of our local Otak Otak; which is pretty much curry fish custard.
This version is rather unique as it tastes really fragrant, and they steamed the curry fish custard individually to preserve the tastes and flavors of each of them.

The food here really tastes of home; and even the environment is made to simulate that of home.
I am definitely coming back for more :)

Thai Food @ Bravo Cafe

Along Service Road, Irrawaddy Road and Chow Thye Road, these are the intersections of the roads which are home to several cafes and restaurants that are in the low lights of the Penang culinary map.

After a previous post on the Harvest In Cafe along this road, this round, I found another cafe hidden among the shop houses here; Bravo Cafe.


I was greeted by an air-conditioned and neatly arranged dining tables and chairs in the place when I pushed the door.




Only thing is, I don't think my presence garnered much attention from the owners or the staff as nobody attended to us for more than 10 minutes.
If you're thinking that I'm being oversensitive, or that they are busy attending to other people, well, there is only one table of 3 people in the corner in the whole entire shop.

I went upstairs to their washroom and came down and still, no one even brought us the menu yet!
Finally, a lady came, dropped 2 menus on our tables and said she'd be back to get our orders and she disappeared behind the swinging doors which read "No entry for unauthorized personnel" or something along that line.


We managed to get our order through, finally (thank God) and we waited for our drinks


The Lemon Kiwi Juice (RM4 I think)

Word of warning, do not order this!
This was overwhelmingly SWEET!!!!
Unless you are really low on blood sugar and seriously need something to boost that glucose level of yours, well, this is the drink for you. But if you're normal and want to maintain that healthy way, then by all means, please stay away from this drink.

Wheatgrass juice (RM3.90)

It's wheatgrass with chlorophyll or something like that; maybe pandan...it has a pleasant scent and taste too!
However, I think it's a little overpriced as we can get it at about RM1 outside or in a bottle, LOL!

Sweet sour Beancurd; a recommended dish by the owner (RM8-10)

The beancurd were homemade; and it was lightly fried before serving with this Thai-like sweet and sourish sauce which had a light spiciness in it.

It was not too bad; and I must say it is the only better dish compared to the others we ordered; and you shall see why in a jiff

The fish fillets with ginger and spring onions (RM14)

Oh my, this must be the worst fish fillet I have ever had!
It was practically floating in oil! I mean, the look of it has already disgusted me and I was skeptical to try the fish fillets.
However, to be fair, the fish fillets were cut up into minute chunks and it was well-marinated with a coat of corn starch (i think) before frying it.

I don't know about you, but I still find it rather unappetizing to see that much of oil around my fish fillets!

Four Angler beans @ Kacang botol with sambal (RM7)

Again, another oily more than tasty dish.

It was rather disappointing really, and I don't think I'd try again.
I can't relive that idea of oil in my food...