Penang Food For Thought: Hai Boey Seafood

Hai Boey Seafood (海尾海鲜) is one of the more popular seafood restaurants in Penang. Located at Teluk Kumbar, "Hai Boey" literally means "end of the sea". Indeed, the restaurant is right on the beach and enjoys the cooling breeze from the sea.

Hai Boey Seafood serves Chinese-style stir-fried (煮炒) dishes with greater emphasis on seafood. At the entrance of the restaurant are fish tanks with live tilapia, grouper, crabs, lobsters, mantis shrimps, clams and geoduck and many more marine creatures.

Each type of seafood can be prepared in one of many cooking styles. For instance, Sweet & Sour Crabs (酸甜花蟹) use an appetizing sauce made from vinegar. Bite-size pieces of mantou (馒头) are provided so that diners can mop up any remaining sauce.

Kam Heong Prawns (甘香明虾) are fried with savory sauce and curry leaves. This dish is moderately spicy by Malaysian standards. Tucked inside the shells is the shrimps' crunchy flesh. This dish is certainly worth trying.

The Steamed Stingray (清蒸魔鬼鱼) is cooked with coriander (香菜) and garlic, resulting in a milder taste that accentuates the fish's natural flavor. Stingray is known for its firm flesh that is easily separated from the bones. Avoid biting on any cili padi (bird's eye chili) as it can be very pungent.

Next, Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage (清炒奶白) serves to "balance out" other heavier dishes. The vegetable is cooked with minimal sauce as most liquid comes from its juicy stems.

Moving on, Seafood Fried Rice (海鲜炒饭) is cooked with chopped shrimps, eggs and vegetables. The rice grains are firm and waxy, resulting in a satisfying texture. The aroma is lovely too!

Fried Bee Hoon (炒米粉) is one of the restaurant's signature dishes. The ingredients are pretty similar to Seafood Fried Rice. This noodle dish is best enjoyed while it is still hot from the wok.

As for dessert, Lemongrass Jelly (香茅冻) contains basil seeds that resemble frog eggs. In addition, the sweet jelly also contains lychee, lemon and mint. This makes a nice finale for today's meal.

Hai Boey Seafood operates in the evening only. The food here is quite good; the restaurant certainly lives up to its reputation. Despite its remote location, Hai Boey Seafood is very popular especially on Friday and weekends.