Tasty Asian Foodcourt

Special thanks to Kompleks Bukit Jambul for extending this food review invitation.

Kompleks Bukit Jambul was the largest shopping mall in Bayan Baru before it was superseded by Queensbay Mall. Today, Kompleks Bukit Jambul specializes in apparel and electronics. The mall also has a cineplex and a bowling alley at the top floor.

Today marks the grand opening of Tasty Asian Foodcourt on the 1st Floor. The eatery occupies the former location of Kenny Rogers Roasters. The food court serves a variety of food that should appeal to most people.

Tasty Asian Foodcourt is operated by the mall management, but food and drinks are prepared by individual vendors. Most of these vendors used to set up food stalls in front of Kompleks Bukit Jambul on weekends. Due to popular demand, the mall management decided to give them a more permanent place to sell their wares.

The first counter, Sempoi Cafe, serves a mixture of Malaysian and Western dishes. Shown here are Kari Ikan Royal, Asam Pedas and Gulai Itik. There is also a Sarawakian dish called Ayam Pansuh.

In addition, Sempoi Cafe serves Malay-style Char Koey Tiaw (RM6.50), Char Koey Kak (RM6.50) and Nasi Bombay Ayam (RM6.50) too.

The adjacent stall specializes in Malay-style Nasi Campur. Customers can select food items like kari kepala ikan (fish head curry), ikan bawal goreng (fried pomfret), sotong kembang (spicy cuttlefish), ulam (raw vegetables) and sambal belacan (spicy shrimp paste).

Meanwhile, The Wrapz specializes in burgers and wraps. The signature wrap is Beef Smokey (RM9.90). As for customers who do not take beef, Chicken Rendang (RM8.90) is recommended. The Wrapz serves Mushroom Soup & Garlic Bread (RM5.90) too.

Tasty Asian Foodcourt has a counter which serves Arab food. Shown here are Hummus, Arab Salad and Thousand Island Salad. The salads are surprisingly good. Customers can also order Chicken Shawarma and Chicken Mandi from the same stall.

As for noodles, Curry Mee (RM5.00) comes with cockles, cuttlefish, fish balls, tofu puffs, yardlong beans, bean sprouts and chili paste. The curry is reasonably appetizing.

There are additional food stalls just outside Tasty Asian Foodcourt. The most popular vendor is the one selling Asam Laksa (RM5.00). This local Penang dish uses a savory fish broth infused with tamarind.

As for desserts, go for the ultimate ABC 3 Flor (RM8.00) where sweetened shaved rice is topped with 3 scoops of Oreo ice cream!

From now till 11 November 2019, Tasty Asian Foodcourt is giving RM10.00 cash vouchers to each of 20 early birds every day. In addition, customers who spend at least RM20.00 in a single receipt can redeem a cup of espresso-based coffee. This offer is only applicable on weekends between 11:00am and 3:00pm.

Tasty Asian Foodcourt operates from 11:00am to 10:00pm daily. The prices here are comparable to those of open-air hawker centers. All dishes in Tasty Asian Foodcourt are pork-free.

Name: Tasty Asian Foodcourt
Address: 1-37, Kompleks Bukit Jambul, Jalan Rumbia, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-645-6788
Business hours: 11:00am-10:00pm
Website: http://www.kbj.com.my
Coordinates: 5.33387 N, 100.29130 E
Directions: Tasty Asian Foodcourt is situated at Level 1 of Kompleks Bukit Jambul. The shopping mall has multistorey parking.

VOUK Hotel Suites

Special thanks to VOUK Hotel Suites for extending this food review invitation.

Se-Petang D' VOUK is held in front of VOUK Hotel Suites every Wednesday. The evening food fair, which runs from 4:00pm to 7:00pm, serves a variety of local street food at very affordable prices. This weekly event is open to the public.

Wooden tables and benches allow customers to enjoy dinner in a casual manner. While waiting for food, customers can be entertained with traditional games like congkak, batu seremban and sepak raga.

Se-Petang D' VOUK has around 10 food stalls in total. The actual dishes vary from week to week. Customers are asked to purchase food coupons from the cashier, and then proceed to the respective food stalls to collect their dishes.

The live action stalls are very popular, so do expect some waiting during peak hours. In general, the place becomes quite lively after 6:00pm. Arrive earlier if you wish to beat the crowd.

Satay is one of the crowd favorites this evening. Chicken (RM6.00 for 6 skewers) and beef (RM7.00 for 6 skewers) versions are available. Grilled to perfection, the skewered meats are typically eaten with sweet-and-spicy peanut sauce. Each serving of satay comes with complimentary nasi impit (pressed rice), cucumbers and shallots.

Rojak is a local salad dressed with a thick, savory sauce based on shrimp paste. A variety of fruits and vegetables can be used for rojak; shown here is jicama (sengkuang). Crushed peanuts are sprinkled on top for a crunchy finish.

Today's popia comes in two versions: basah (moist) and goreng (deep-fried). Both types are filled with shredded jicama, carrots and tofu. I personally prefer the moist version.

Asam laksa (RM5.00) is the bestselling dish for the past few weeks; it is often sold out before closing. The noodle dish uses a thick broth prepared from fish, tamarind and other spices. Other ingredients are pineapples, cucumbers, shallots, lettuce and mint leaves.

The aroma of char koay teow (RM5.00) is simply irresistible. Using flat rice noodle, the stir-fried dish also includes prawns, fishcakes, bean sprouts, garlic chives and eggs.

As for desserts, Malaysians simply love ice kacang (RM3.00)! The bowl of sweetened shaved ice contains classic ingredients such as attap chee (nipa palm fruit), red beans, crushed peanuts and dried nutmeg.

Meanwhile, ais tingkap (RM3.00) is a cooling beverage made of coconut water, rose syrup and young coconut flesh. The drink also includes basil seeds that resemble frog eggs!

Although most food stalls are staffed by the VOUK's kitchen crew, the hotel invites several outside food hawkers to sell their wares too. For instance, there is a stall from Bayan Lepas that sells apom balik. The crêpes typically contain crushed peanuts, sweet corn and sugar. Customers can also choose bizarre fillings like Oreo cookies and serunding (chicken floss).

Se-Petang D' VOUK takes visitors on a trip down the memory lane with a plethora of old school candies. Notable examples are kacang tumbuk (贡糖), iced gem biscuits (花占饼) and haw flakes (山楂饼). These tidbits from the yesteryears are seldom seen by city dwellers nowadays.

In case of rain, Se-Petang D' VOUK will be moved to the Hardwicke House. Throughout the evening, members of Persatuan Tongkat Putih Pulau Pinang offer back and foot massage services. Persatuan Tongkat Putih Pulau Pinang is a charitable organization that supports the visually impaired.

Name: VOUK Hotel Suites
Address: 57-G-3, Mansion One, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-370-8333
Business hours: 4:00pm-7:00pm, closed on Thursdays to Tuesdays
Website: http://www.voukhotelsuites.com.my
Coordinates: 5.42757 N, 100.32098 E
Directions: VOUK Hotel Suites is located on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, right next to Gleneagles Penang and across the road from Aroi Mak Thai Food Restaurant. Parking is available in front of Hardwicke House.

Kimberley Street Night Market

Kimberley Street Night Market is actually a congregation of six dessert shops and numerous hawker stalls along Kimberley Street (Lebuh Kimberley). Occupying both sides of the road, the hawker center is situated between Rope Walk (Jalan Pintal Tali) and Cintra Street (Lebuh Cintra). This popular place is frequently called "Four Heavenly Kings" (四大天王) in reference to four famous hawker dishes here.

Duck Porridge & Kway Chap (鸭粥粿汁) is arguably the most popular stall among the four. It is not unusual to see a long line of people waiting in front of the stall before opening. It opens from 6:00pm to 10:00pm and is closed on Thursdays. The stall is located in front of Restoran Kimberly (汕头街权记鸭粥粿汁专卖店), which I suspect belongs to the same owner.

Kway Chap (粿汁, RM9.50 for regular portion) is what the hype is all about. The dish's soup is stewed from duck and pork for several hours, making it extremely savory. Also important are the thin sheets of rice flour which appear like mee hoon kueh (面粉粿). The bowl of Kway Chap also comes with soy egg (卤蛋), duck meat, pork rind (skin) and pork offal (such as stomach and intestines).

Across the street and in front of Gan En Wu Tang Shui (感恩屋糖水) is another "king", Sky Emperor Chicken Feet Koay Teow Soup (天皇鸡脚粿条汤). The stall is notable for combining koay teow soup (粿条汤) with braised chicken feet (卤鸡脚). It operates from 6:30pm to 12:00am every day.

The bowl of Chicken Meat Koay Teow Soup (鸡肉粿条汤, RM4.50 for small portion) contains chicken slices, pork liver and fish balls. The noodle is flavored by a clear soup that is prepared from pork bones. On its own, this noodle dish is rather unimpressive.

However, I recommend that you order some Chicken Feet (卤鸡脚, RM10.00 for large portion) to complement the clear soup. Stewed in sweet dark sauce, the chicken feet are truly succulent. Other savory items from this stall are braised chicken thigh (卤鸡腿), chicken wings and soy eggs.

Moving on, Char Koay Teow & Mee (炒粿条炒面) is a stall is directly in front of Sin Guat Keong (新月宫茶室). It opens from 5:00pm to 11:00pm daily. This stall should not be confused with another char koay teow stall inside the kopitiam itself.

The plate of Char Koay Teow (炒粿条炒面, RM9.00) is stir-fried with eggs, bean sprouts, garlic chives (韭菜), garlic, soy sauce and chili paste. It also contains several mantis shrimps. The shrimps have been fried upfront, so they lack the toasty aroma that I seek. If you ask me, this dish is overrated as there are many stalls elsewhere in Penang that can cook better.

Last but not least, Traditional Home Of Desserts (汕头街四果汤) sells a variety of sweet soup desserts (糖水). As a matter of fact, all neighboring shops have similar menus but this one is arguably the most popular. This dessert shop runs from 6:30pm to 12:30am and is closed on alternate Mondays.

Si Koh Soup (养生四果汤, RM4.00 for small portion) is a traditional Hokkien (Fujian) dessert. Its name refers to 4 key ingredients, namely ginkgo seeds (白果), lotus seeds (莲子), red beans (红豆) and longan (龙眼). Meanwhile, white fungus (雪耳) is optional and only costs RM1.00 more. Served in sweet syrup, Si Koh Soup can be prepared warm but the cold version is more popular.

Address: Lebuh Kimberley, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: N/A
Business hours: 5:00pm-12:30am
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Sri Nibong Cafe

Sri Nibong Cafe (理旺茶园) is a small hawker center at the entrance to Taman Sri Nibong. There are roughly a dozen food stalls here. The eatery is very popular among locals; it is difficult to find a vacant table after 8:00am.

The most popular hawker stall here is probably Sungai Nibong Koay Teow Th'ng (天桥下粿条汤). It is open from 6:30am to 3:00pm. The stall receives uninterrupted orders during breakfast and lunch hours. Fortunately, the noodles are cooked rather quickly. In the evening, the proprietor operates in another shop in Bayan Baru.

The soup for Koay Teow Th'ng (粿条汤, RM5.30) is very tasty as it is infused with rich flavors of pork. In addition, the minced pork is heavenly indeed. Meanwhile, the fish balls here are made from whitefin wolf herring (西刀鱼). Also included are fishcakes and egg. I cannot recommend this dish highly enough.

Pancake (曼煎糕) is also known as "apam balik" in Malay. It is made from flour dough that is cooked in a round griddle. The crêpe is topped with a variety of ingredients, and then folded over once the dough is cooked.

There are several choices of ingredients. I opted for opted for Peanut (花生, RM1.20) and Brown Sugar (黑糖, RM1.30), which are more common ingredients. More exotic choices are Peanut Butter (花生酱, RM2.20) and Cheese (芝士, RM2.70). I think the shell is thicker than it should be. It feels a bit doughy; I prefer it to be crispy.

My caffeine fix comes from a hot cup of Kopi Susu (RM1.40). The black coffee has a layer of condensed milk at the bottom. Good cup of coffee is my way to start off the day on the right foot.

Address: 247-F, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Taman Sri Nibong, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: N/A
Business hours: 6:30am-10:00pm, closed on Mondays
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