Ever wondered why a bustling suburb within the island of Penang has a name associated to rodents? With an abundance of good food available in every single nook and corner, I would not be surprised if a local were to exclaim that it was indeed due to a once upon-a-time invasion by Remy's kind.
During a recent trip to Penang, I took up a One Day 3 Meals challenge to seek good food for breakfast, lunch and dinner within the vicinity of Pulau Tikus suburb, without leaving the area. And boy, was I spoilt for choices! Here are my picks of must-haves if you happen to be in the vicinity.
BREAKFAST
Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng @ Seng Lee Cafe
Bangkok Lane
Opening hours: 08.00 - 18.30
First stop, Bangkok Lane. Undeniably, the best Mamak Mee Goreng in the country. The noodles are fried together with pieces of cucur udang and mashed potatoes in a secret concoction of prawn stock, chilli and tomato paste, which is later garnished with generous helpings of sotong and hard boiled egg. Bellissimo!
BREAKFAST
Apam Balik @ in front of Kedai Kopi
Swee Kong
Solok MoulmeinOpening hours: 07.00 - 12.00
A very popular Apam Balik stall, it is located across the road from the Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng stall, at the corner of Jalan Burmah - Solok Moulmein intersection. Here, it is not uncommon for customers to order by the half dozens. One way to avoid the long wait period would be to first place your order, have your breakfast somewhere nearby, and then collect your order after your breakfast. Cooked over charcoal fire, the pancake turns out to be deliciously crispy on the outsides and soft in the insides. For toppings, you have a choice of either white or brown sugar, sprinkled together with a pinch of blended peanuts. A dollop of creamy sweet corn kernels (optional) adds additional flavour to the pancakes.
LUNCH
Duck Egg Char Kueh Teow
329 Jalan Burmah
Opening hours: 10.00 - 1700
I usually order my Char Kueh Teow without eggs, not because of its bad reputation (regarding cholesterol), but because I don't like that eggy-mushy texture it adds to the dish. So it wouldn't have mattered to me if they were serving it with caviar. Nevertheless I decided to brave the crowd to check out this popular diner. There is a compulsory half hour (minimum) wait time during lunch hour but if you care to wait you will not be disappointed. I thought the result was close to being perfect - not too spicy and not too oily, not too wet and neither is it too dry, with just the right amounts of soy sauce blended into the chunky noodles.
DINNER
Chinese Fondue (Lok Lok) @ Pulau
During a recent trip to Penang, I took up a One Day 3 Meals challenge to seek good food for breakfast, lunch and dinner within the vicinity of Pulau Tikus suburb, without leaving the area. And boy, was I spoilt for choices! Here are my picks of must-haves if you happen to be in the vicinity.
BREAKFASTBangkok Lane Mee Goreng @ Seng Lee Cafe
Bangkok Lane
Opening hours: 08.00 - 18.30
First stop, Bangkok Lane. Undeniably, the best Mamak Mee Goreng in the country. The noodles are fried together with pieces of cucur udang and mashed potatoes in a secret concoction of prawn stock, chilli and tomato paste, which is later garnished with generous helpings of sotong and hard boiled egg. Bellissimo!
BREAKFAST
Apam Balik @ in front of Kedai Kopi
Swee Kong
Solok MoulmeinOpening hours: 07.00 - 12.00
A very popular Apam Balik stall, it is located across the road from the Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng stall, at the corner of Jalan Burmah - Solok Moulmein intersection. Here, it is not uncommon for customers to order by the half dozens. One way to avoid the long wait period would be to first place your order, have your breakfast somewhere nearby, and then collect your order after your breakfast. Cooked over charcoal fire, the pancake turns out to be deliciously crispy on the outsides and soft in the insides. For toppings, you have a choice of either white or brown sugar, sprinkled together with a pinch of blended peanuts. A dollop of creamy sweet corn kernels (optional) adds additional flavour to the pancakes.
LUNCHDuck Egg Char Kueh Teow
329 Jalan Burmah
Opening hours: 10.00 - 1700
I usually order my Char Kueh Teow without eggs, not because of its bad reputation (regarding cholesterol), but because I don't like that eggy-mushy texture it adds to the dish. So it wouldn't have mattered to me if they were serving it with caviar. Nevertheless I decided to brave the crowd to check out this popular diner. There is a compulsory half hour (minimum) wait time during lunch hour but if you care to wait you will not be disappointed. I thought the result was close to being perfect - not too spicy and not too oily, not too wet and neither is it too dry, with just the right amounts of soy sauce blended into the chunky noodles.
DINNER
Chinese Fondue (Lok Lok) @ Pulau
Tikus MarketJalan Pasar
Opening hours: 17.00 - 01.00
Opening hours: 17.00 - 01.00
If there ever is a Chinese equivalent to fast food, the Chinese Fondue (Lok Lok) would qualify hands-down. If you come alone or in a small party, you may end up dining with complete strangers. People come and go every 20 - 30 minutes, so not to worry should the person sitting next to you irk you with his bad table manners. In my opinion, the dips play a key role in a Chinese Fondue. Here at the Chinese Fondue stall in Pulau Tikus Market, they serve one of the better dips in town, with a selection of peanut sauce, spicy chilli sauce and plum sauce to pick from.
A 4D guide to the Chinese Fondue:
Decide - make your pick(s).
Dunk - stick your pick(s) into the hot pot.
Dip - dip your picks(s) into your favourite sauce(s).
Down - eat your pick(s).
The first people who greet you when you arrive, are the jaga kereta "boys and girls" - who are really residents living across the road, that demand RM2 for parking on "their land".
Despite being a distance away from Georgetown (45 minutes drive), this place is packed during the weekends. This is one of the rare restaurants I have come across that people actually form a line to pay for their meal!
Not surprising that this unassuming place can be rather crowded in the mornings as many of their dim sum still cost less than RM2 per plate.
