Fisherman's Wharf

Special thanks to Fisherman's Wharf for extending this food review invitation.

Fisherman's Wharf Penang (槟城渔人码头) is a large hawker center at Fortune Park. The seaside eatery was formerly known as Karpal Singh Drive Food Court & Market. Under the new management, the place has been renovated extensively and is significantly more presentable now.

Fisherman's Wharf is very popular especially on weekends. It features around 40 individual stalls, selling nearby every hawker dish that you expect to find in Penang. Note that not all stalls are available at all times. Some stalls may start operating from 11:00am, but most are usually ready by the evening.

Apam Balik (曼煎糕) can be ordered from a stall near the entrance. The pancakes are filled with ingredients like crushed peanuts and sugar. Examples of premium ingredients are meat floss (肉丝, RM3.00) and banana & coco cream (香蕉可可, RM3.20). I like the crispiness of the thin crêpes.

Asam Laksa (叻沙, RM6.00) is Penang's signature dish. The spicy fish broth contains tamarind (asam) to provide sourness. Besides thick rice noodle, Asam Laksa also contains shallots, ginger flower (姜花), cucumber, bird's eye chili (cili padi) and shrimp paste (虾膏). There is a piece of cracker too.

Hong's Curry Mee (鸿记咖哩面, RM6.50 for basic ingredients) contains pig blood curd (猪血), blood cockles (血蚶), prawns, fish balls and mint. A scoop of chili paste allows customers to customize the spiciness level. This dish has an interesting twist: customers can optionally add roast pork (烧肉) and cheese too!

Lam Mee (淋面, RM5.00) is also known as "drenched noodle". This is the Nyonya version, which is more prevalent in Penang and differs from the version in Kuala Lumpur. To prepare Lam Mee, yellow noodle is cooked separately and is only drenched with broth afterwards.

If you are fond of pork offal, you may want to go for Koay Teow Soup With Intestines & Liver (内脏粿条汤, RM5.00). Also included are minced pork, pork slices and fish balls. Thanks to the rich broth, the noodle is delectable indeed.

Fried Dumplings (煎锅贴, RM17.00 for 10 pieces), also known as potstickers, are very popular in northern China. These pan-fried dumplings contain minced pork, cabbage, ginger and scallions.

White Cut Chicken (白斩鸡, RM7.00) differs from most chicken dishes in the fact that it is not cooked all the way. Instead, the heat source is removed as soon as the water reaches its boiling point. From then, the chicken is cooked by residual heat in the water. As a result, White Cut Chicken has juicy flesh and soft skin.

Golden Salted Egg Chicken (黄金流砂鸡, RM7.00) is one of my favorite dishes here. Chunks of chicken are coated with a savory paste made from salted egg yolks. Served over rice, the chicken is very appetizing. I cannot recommend this dish highly enough.

One of the stalls here specializes in fried noodle and fried rice. The signature dish is probably Char Hor Fun (炒河粉, RM6.00). The noodle is fried with dark sauce and then drenched with starchy egg gravy. Prawns, pork slices and choy sum (菜心) are added too.

Dry Bak Kut Teh (肉骨茶干, RM12.00) is cooked and served in a claypot. Unlike the soup version, the herbal broth is reduced to thick gravy. This makes the taste more intense. This scrumptious dish is also braised with okra (lady's fingers) and dried chili peppers.

Yong Tau Foo (酿豆腐, RM1.50 each) comes in several forms. For instance, there are pieces of eggplant (brinjals) and tofu that are stuffed with fish paste. At this stall, the fish paste is made from a type of fish called Bombay duck (豆腐鱼). According to the proprietor, the homemade fish paste does not contain preservatives or borax.

Pork Trotters Vinegar (猪脚醋, RM15.00) is a Cantonese remedy for women who are undergoing postnatal recovery. Stewed for several hours with rice vinegar and ginger, the stew attains a distinctive taste which pleases the palate.

Speaking of herbal remedies, there is another stall which offers a variety of herbals soups like Black Bean Pork Tail Soup (药材黑豆猪尾汤, RM10.00), Ginseng Herbal Soup (洋参须鸡汤, RM10.00), Dang Shen Bei Qi Chicken Soup (党参北芪鸡汤, RM10.00) and more. Each serving comes with a bowl of rice.

Pasembur is a local Penang street food dressed with sweet-and-spicy peanut sauce. The salad contains a variety of ingredients such as keropok udang (prawn fritters, RM4.00), telur rebus (hard-boiled eggs, RM1.00), tauhu (tofu, RM1.00), ubi kentang (potatoes, RM2.00), and jicama and cucumber (RM2.00).

Sup Kambing (RM7.00) is extremely rich in taste. Inside the soup are succulent chunks of mutton. Mutton has been cooked reasonably long until it becomes very tender. Since this is an extremely "heaty" food, remember drink plenty of water afterwards.

Roti Tissue (RM4.00) is a spectacular sight at mamak stalls. Standing 2 feet in height, the flatbread uses the same dough as Roti Canai but it is rolled into a cone. Chocolate sauce is drizzled on top. Roti Tissue is named so because the crêpe is thin like tissue paper.

Belacan Fried Rice (ข้าวผัดกะปิ, RM7.00) can be ordered from the Thai food stall. The fried rice is flavored with savory shrimp paste (กะปิ), making it tasty and aromatic. Side dishes include fried prawns, roasted pork (หมูย่าง), sliced omelette, unripe mango salad (ตำมะม่วง) and onions.

Still on the topic of Thai food, the fiery Tom Yam (ต้มยำ, RM7.00) is guaranteed to put your taste buds on fire. The noodle dish also contains fried fish fillet, which I find very delectable. Instead of Tom Yam, customers can alternatively request for Fish Soup or Sour & Spicy Soup.

If you are fond of seafood, be sure to try the Fisherman Wok Bake Crabs (渔夫干锅烤蟹, RM60.00 per kilogram). The ideal way to highlight the brown crabs' freshness is by not using any gravy. A hammer is provided to crack their tough shells.

Dry Chili Frog (宫保田鸡, RM17.00) is another exquisite delicacy. The frogs are cooked with dried chili peppers and ginger. Although the taste is not too spicy, this dish still delights my taste buds.

Next, the barbecue platter comprises of BBQ Pork Ribs (口琴骨, RM16.00 per serving), BBQ Squid (烧烤苏东, RM28.00 each) and Duck Leg Wrap (秘制鸭脚包, RM3.50 each, RM10.00 for 3 pieces). All items are marinated in-house. For the BBQ Squid, the actual serving size is larger than the one shown below.

Colonial Hailam Chicken Chop (RM9.90) is a local adaptation of Western-style fried chicken with Asian-style onion gravy. A slice of garlic bread allows one to mop up any remaining gravy. The meal also comes with free mushroom soup.

Pizza Mix Seafood (RM20.00) uses a moderately thin crust, which is neither too crispy nor doughy. The crust is covered by a layer of molten cheese, and then followed by various seafood toppings. The pizzas here are available in take-away boxes.

One of the stalls sells a variety of Japanese dishes. Ironically, the most popular dish here is a Westernized Japanese dish (洋食), Spicy Cheese Butter Chicken (スパイシーチキンカツ, RM11.00). The deep-fried chicken cutlet is covered with cheese and Japanese spice mix (七味唐辛子). It also comes with rice, miso soup (味噌汁) and salad.

Korean food is available at Fisherman's Wharf too. Seafood Pancake (해물전, RM12.00) is a popular Korean food that is often eaten as a side dish (반찬). Unfortunately, the Korean pancake is not as flavorful as I hoped it to be. Perhaps it would be good to allow customers to customize the amount of seasoning.

As for Middle Eastern food, Mr. Majd serves several types of shawarma (شاورما‎) and manakeesh (مناقيش‎). Shawerma Special (RM15.00) is suitable to be shared around the table. Using pita bread as the base, it is topped with grilled chicken and molten cheese. The snack resembles a thin-crust pizza.

3D Jelly (RM28.00) is extremely time-consuming to prepare but it is undisputedly visually appealing. The handcrafted jelly comes in several flavors like passion fruit, blackcurrant and coconut cream. Not all flavors are available, so prior booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.

As for kuih, customers can sample an assortment of local favorites such as Kuih Sago (沙谷糕), Pulut Tai Tai (咖椰糯米糕) and White Sugar Sponge Cake (白糖糕). Pulut Tai Tai is usually eaten with kaya (coconut jam). In addition, I also love Chai Kueh (菜粿). These steamed dumplings are filled with garlic chives (韭菜) or jicama (沙葛).

Moving on to desserts, Ais Kacang (红豆冰, RM5.00) and Cendol (煎蕊, RM4.00) are clearly local favorites. The former contains ingredients like attap chee (亚答子), grass jelly, kidney beans, creamed corn and crushed peanuts. The dessert also comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The signature Iced Lemon Tea here contains a blue layer at the bottom. The coloring is naturally derived from butterfly-pea flowers (蝶豆花). The drink's citrus tanginess is perfect for quenching thirst especially during a hot afternoon.

With so many stalls at Fisherman's Wharf, there is really no shortage of choices for people from all walks of life. As for visitors to Penang, this place offers a great opportunity to sample Penang's diverse hawker fare under one roof. But unlike tourist traps in downtown George Town, the food pricing here is more affordable.

Fisherman's Wharf has a large parking space in front, making it very convenient for customers. In addition, the promenade adjacent to the hawker center is also a scenic place to take a walk in the evening.

Name: Fisherman's Wharf Penang (槟城渔人码头)
Address: 92A, Lebuh Sungai Pinang 1, 11600 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 012-404-0265
Business hours: 11:00am-2:00am
Website: https://www.facebook.com/fishermanswharfpenang
Coordinates: 5.39389 N, 100.32585 E
Directions: Fisherman's Wharf is located next to the sea at Fortune Park. There are plenty of parking spaces in front of the hawker center. Parking is free of charge.