Charlie Brown Cafe Penang

The first and only Charlie Brown Cafe in Malaysia finally opened its doors on the 9th of April, 2011 in Straits Quay, Penang. The popular Peanuts cartoon-themed cafe finally reached our shores with other branches located in Korea, Hong Kong, China and Singapore. It seems many have flocked to the cafe to have a closer look and take tonnes of pictures with the well-loved Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the gang.

Since it was Baby Lee's birthday two days ago, we decided to pay Charlie Brown and friends a visit as we were sure that Baby Lee will love it there!

Approaching the entrance of the Charlie Brown Cafe

The whole cafe is adorned from floor to ceiling with all the characters from Peanuts!

This way!

No one can resist a picture with Snoopy and Charlie Brown!

Tables

Ceiling

One section of the Charlie Brown Cafe

Souvenir Shop

On display but unfortunately not for sale! Ishh...

The cafe is huge and divided into different sections with different layouts - sofa seats, private rooms, casual rattan chairs... Overall spacious enough to maneuver buggies and for kids to run amok. Baby Lee made herself at home by lying and climbing all over the empty sofas!

All was well till we came to the food bit.. The ordering system was chaotic to begin with. We had to order from the counter with no proper menus for us to look at before our turn to order so there was a long queue as everyone waits for their turn to view the menus, consider what to order, make the order and pay. It would be better for them to have a big lighted up menu signage like those in McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken if they want to consider this system so that people in queue can decide on what they want to order while waiting.

Be warned that the menu is not extensive and definitely overpriced! For three mains, two drinks and a dessert, our total bill came up to a shocking RM85.15!! Well, to be honest, for its novelty and since it's a birthday celebration, we didn't mind paying but to pay that much for sub-standard food is unacceptable.

To start off with is the Mini Chicken Burger we ordered for Baby Lee. It is also the most expensive item we ordered. It is served with salted fries and some carrot shreds on a slice of lettuce. The two Mini Burgers are tiny. For RM16.80, the burger is not even a real burger patty but just half a slice of chicken ham fried in a teaspoon of egg resulting in some hard-textured 'patty'. Sandwiched between two buttered halves of wholemeal bun are the ham, a slice of lettuce, a slice of tomato and two half slices of cucumber in a little mayonnaise. I kept thinking that Baby Lee could have made the burger herself! The only thing I would give credit for is for them using wholemeal buns instead of processed white buns. Even then, the buns felt kind of stale.

Mini chicken/beef burger RM16.80

Two quarters of hard ham, a slice of tomato, lettuce and cucumber

Next is Papa Lee's Jumbo Chicken Hotdog again served with quite salty fries and carrot shreds on a slice of lettuce. Papa Lee said the sausage simply doused with tomato sauce and mayonnaise tasted as though it just came out from the freezer. The wholemeal bread was hard as rock though I must again give them credit for using wholemeal.

Jumbo chicken/beef hotdog RM15.80

 My Drumstick Chicken with Coconut Rice was probably the most value for money. A good whole thigh served with green (pandan???) coconut rice along with half a hard-boiled egg, deep-fried anchovies and peanuts, papadum and sambal. We decided to let Baby Lee have the coconut rice and chicken together with her slices of tomatoes, cucumber and lettuces instead.

Drumstick Chicken with Coconut Rice RM12.80

 Although serving size is good, they skimped on the sambal. Half-way through my meal and there was no sambal left. The chicken, though almost charcoaled on the outside, is surprisingly still red inside. Another disappointment. 

Still bloody inside though almost burnt outside!

We also paid RM10.00 for each drink. The Mango Juice is actually just mango syrup. Papa Lee's Apple Mint comes with some green liquid which presumable is the mint flavour. We ordered a cheese cake as an additional little birthday cake. The Lucy Lavender Cheese cake is probably the only good thing that we ordered. Rich in cheese and with sprinkles of real lavender decorated with a pretty purple ribbon and an image of Lucy on white chocolate. Would have preferred it to be a little lighter but it does taste pretty good.

Lucy Lavender Cheese RM12.00 and Mango Juice RM10.00

Coloured mint flavour in Apple Mint drink RM10.00

We actually brought our 'concerns' up to the manager and hope that they took our 'complains' constructively. We honestly have our reservations to go there again for meals. Maybe desserts and drinks or if someone is willing to buy us dinner! Sorry Charlie Brown. We still love you!

Island Park Restaurant - Assam Laksa

Finally a yummilicious assam laksa that is located just 15 minutes from where we currently reside! Funny how it took us so long to chance upon Island Park Restaurant situated just directly opposite the Chung Hwa Confucian High School. We have been back numerous times just for the assam laksa as this is one of the better tasting ones around. Given the location, taste, and price (only RM2.50 per bowl!), it is a sure winner with us and chances of bumping into us there is definitely quite high now. The well balanced sweet and sour soup is rather thick which is a sign that a good amount of fish is added into it. On top of that, every bowl is served with a dash of my favourite bunga kantan (torch ginger)! Mm mmm.... Now, all we have to do is wait for the verdict from Grandpapa Lee when he comes visiting next! Meanwhile, we’ll continue to enjoy it!!

Besides assam laksa, the newly renovated and comfortable Island Park Restaurant also house a vast number of stalls that serves curry mee, Hainanese chicken rice, economy rice, Hokkien mee, lam mee, chee cheong fun, wan ton mee, and lots more though we are only usually there for one dish! Parking is not usually a problem here too. Island Park Restaurant definitely scores three thumbs up with the Lees!

Island Park Restaurant
38 Tingkat Tembaga
Jelutong
Penang

Majestic Rojak

Rojak (a dish where bite size pieces of fruits and vegetables along with a few cuttefish at times is mixed together with a sweet shrimp paste and peanut concoction) is one of Papa Lee's all time favourite! He can gobble up the whole lot all by himself and gladly repeat the procedure day after day if no one stops him!

When it comes to rojak, Majestic Rojak has been hailed as the best in Penang! So we HAD to try it. We bought a packet back and when pouring the shrimp paste mixture over the fruits, we discovered that the paste was very thick and goo-ey, almost hard unlike the slightly more liquid ones that we usually eat. We also find the paste on the sweeter side. I suspect the paste has a whole tonne of sugar in it which explains why it is less liquid and sweeter!

Can't remember exactly what else was in the Majestic Rojak but there was definitely turnip, pineapple, cucumber, mango and cuttlefish. A small portion now costs RM4.00 and a bigger one RM5.00 which may be slightly overpriced but expected where it is located and with the name it carries.

So if you're a fan of thick goo-ey, sweet rojak, head on to:
Majestic Rojak
14, Lorong Swatow, Penang.
Business Hours: 10:30am – 6:30pm
(Closed on alternate Tuesdays or Thursdays)

Welcome 2011!

What a year it has been discovering Penang! We came to Penang in 2010 only with some knowledge of this place as a holiday destination and have since discovered so much more from finding a paediatrician to finding knick-knacks at the Little Penang Street Market, Roti Bakar off Jalan Hutton to Jalan Stesen Bukit Bendera Assam Laksa, Penang Children Library to Rapid Penang Bus Services and loads more that we have not managed to update! So we welcome this new year with much anticipation of more discoveries!

Roti Bakar and Nasi Dalca off Jalan Hutton

There’s something about rustic places like this that we like. Although just a makeshift stall along a narrow alley, it is considerably clean. The people manning the store, presumably the owners all from the same family, are friendly and chatty. The entire setting is just... relaxing.

The obscure entrance

The roti nook

On to what we came here for: the food. The half-boiled eggs are perfectly done the way we like it - with the yolks almost cooked but still very soft, not runny. The eggs are casually placed on top of two slices of traditional homely white bread lightly toasted on charcoal fire. Our mate pointed out that the eggs are cooked through with no transparent bits but remained half-boiled. Good point! The ‘owners’ very generously shared how it was done - just cover the eggs in very hot boiling water for a few minutes. Hmm.... Notice the exact amount of minutes is not revealed? Anyway, you can also request for some curry to complement the eggs on toasts.

Half-boiled eggs on roti bakar

Charcoal toasted sliced bread

There were signs for something called the Nasi Dalca around the stall. Since we had not had Nasi Dalca before, were curious to know how it tastes like. I am not sure what is is made of but it is some slightly sweet, light meat curry on spiced rice. The combination is light enough to have for breakfast.

Nasi Dalca with chicken, meat or fish curry

Nasi Dalca for breakfast

Not sure how adventurous you are but there is room for a stroller here despite the humble setting in this little nook but don’t expect the availability of high chairs for really little ones. It is also probably easier to park in the multi-storey car park located just next to this little lane.

Roti Bakar and Nasi Dalca Stall
Along Jalan Hutton connecting Jalan Argyll

Jalan Stesen Bukit Bendera Assam Laksa

Our quest to search for the best assam laksa in Penang continues. Although Penang is famous for this dish with rich yet delicate flavours, the good ones are not easily available throughout the island. So far, we know of the Air Itam Market Assam Laksa and the famous Balik Pulau Assam Laksa. We quite like the assam laksa on Lorong Selamat and don't mind the one on Penang Street. We were then recommended this one in Air Itam just in front of the Klinik Pergigian Kanak-kanak Air Itam along Jalan Stesen Bukit Bendera opposite the Asia Cafe Penang Hill Food Court.

We went to Air Itam on a Sunday afternoon but didn't find any assam laksa stalls. So we headed opposite to the Asia Cafe Penang Hill Food Court. The assam laksa there is another diluted disaster. After lunch at the Asia Cafe Penang Hill Food Court, we were about to make our way home when we were informed that the famous assam laksa stall has started its business. That was at about 1.45pm. We proceeded to take away a big packet anyway (RM3.50) and couldn't wait to dig into it the whole journey home as the aroma fills our nostrils!

The Jalan Stesen Bukit Bendera Assam Laksa is still slightly below expectation. Papa Lee thinks it lacks the sourness of the pineapples. It actually tastes sweet and is definitely not spicy as Baby Lee had her share too! It is important to us that the assam laksa has a good balance of sweetness, sourness and spiciness to it. Anyway, the overall taste is better than the few that we had before this. So it is still worth a trip back when there's a craving for assam laksa next time!

The Lee's Assam Laksa scale:
Sweetness ****
Sourness *
Spiciness -
Freshness ****
Fish Quantity ***

Note: There are tables and chairs available if you can't wait to wolf down the assam laksa but be warned that it is not the most baby-friendly place and parking is definitely limited around the area! Besides assam laksa, a variety of other hawker foods are also available within the vicinity.

YiPin Restaurant, Sungai Nibong, Penang

YiPin's tagline on the menu says it all:
Reasonable price, Variety choice & Comfortable Environment

We ordered four 'small' dishes and the portion was enough for 3-4 persons. Price range around RM8.00 for a small Deep Fried Chicken in Marmite Sauce to RM12.00 for a medium and RM16.00 for a large. Comes with Deep Fried Mantou too! Taste wise was good. No complains. So was the Braised Garden Green with Mushroom, Braised Homemade Beancurd with Assorted Meat in Hot Plate and Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup (which wasn't really hot though).YiPin serves a mean Gui Ling Gao too! A must have desert so leave space for them (yes, you might just have more than one)!

Deep Fried Chicken in Marmite Sauce

Braised Garden Green with Mushroom

Braised Homemade Beancurd with Assorted Meat in Hot Plate

Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup

The four year old restaurant only houses ten tables to ensure comfort while dining there. Baby chairs are available and the waiter very kindly suggested dishes suitable for Baby Lee too.

Besides serving dishes with rice, YiPin also serves set meals of rice and noodles with drinks and soup or dessert at a price range of RM6.00 to RM9.00 for fish fillets which we are keen to try another time. Will certainly be back for more as they serve some of our favourite dishes! - Homemade Lobak, Deep Fried Nestum Prawn Fillet etc!!


Food ****
Price ****
Baby Friendly ****
Cleanliness ****
Parking Spaces ****

YiPin Restaurant
7, Lorong Bukit Kecil,
Sungai Nibong,
11900 Penang.
Tel/ Fax: 04-646 6480
Email: yipin.res@hotmail.com
Business Hours: 11.00am - 2.30pm, 6.00pm - 9.30pm (Closed every Monday)

Penang New World Park Swatow Lane Hawker Centre

New World Park Swatow Lane Hawker Centre seems like one of the many all-in-one hawker food centres in Penang. However, New World Park Swatow Lane Hawker Centre stands out for being clean, spacious, cool and comfortable with plenty of parking spaces available along its periphery. Sturdy, wooden baby-chairs are available and there’s plenty of room for strollers.

It is a pity though that food tastes average here and may be a tad over-priced for the portion. The Pan Mee (RM3.50) was way too oily. I had to remove what seemed like half an inch of solidifying fats from the bowl before reaching the real contents. The Pan Mee actually wasn’t too bad apart from the fact that it is missing the vital ingredient of deep fried ikan bilis.

As for the Assam Laksa (RM4.00), we promised ourselves that we would not order it again. At a glance, the soup looks diluted. It did taste diluted and doesn’t give any kick at all.

Pasembor and Mee Sultan

Papa Lee must have been real hungry by then as he ordered Pasembor and Mee Sultan (RM9.00 for both). The Pasembor tasted sweet and the supposedly crispy crackers had lost its crispiness when it was served. Mee Sultan (named after the Sultan of the stall aka the owner) on the other hand is worth going back for. Mee Sultan is none other than just mee goreng friend with squid. Maybe because all the rest were a bit of a disappointment, Mee Sultan wins the taste factor hands down. Don’t be put off too early though as there are still plenty of other stalls at the New World Park Hawker Centre to discover - hong siu ca yok mee (minced pork noodle), oyster noodle, Hokkien prawn mee, Tom Yam mee to name a few..

Weekend Market in the Park

Food aside, we do find the New World Park a nice hang-out place for the family with safe, wide open spaces for toddlers to run around. New World Park itself also has other food outlets (eg. Mizi Bistro, Passions of Kerala, Old Town Cafe, Starbucks, Nyonya Cafe and more). One of the most popular events organised every 1st and 3rd weekends of the month at the New World Park is the Weekend Market in the Park. They also conduct aerobic dance exercises every Thursday (7-8pm) and Saturday (8-9am). If you dine in on a Saturday evening, you may just be entertained by strollers strolling in the various F&B outlets. For more information, call: 04-226 1199.

Food *** (Papa Lee thinks it deserves only a **)
Price ***
Family Friendly ****
Baby Friendly ****
Cleanliness ****
Parking Spaces ****

Joo Leong Cafe

Joo Leong Cafe at night

Select your seafood here

Fresh prawns served with 'maggi' noodle in sweet seafood broth

Fast, fresh, yummy! Which is why we have been back numerous times to this blue premise located along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah / Sungai Tiram.  Basically, you choose the type of seafood to be included in your bowl of noodles (‘maggi’ noodle being one of the favourites) or porridge. The selection of seafood varies but we have seen fish fillet, ‘tau teh’ fish head, cuttlefish, prawns, crabs, fish balls, fish maw, and sometimes even frogs. Double check the price before heading back to your table as your bowl may costs more than RM20! Typically, a bowl of noodles with just fish fillet costs less than RM10. On average, a bowl with 2-3 items costs around RM12-14, again depending on selection but at the same time, one of our visits for two bowls of noodles costs us only RM12.

Salted Chicken Stall

 Other food served here includes salted chicken, some kuih as well as chicken and pork satay. Yes, pork satay. This is our first time trying it the pork way but we concluded that the chicken ones tasted better from this stall anyway. Joo Leong Cafe is also open for breakfast and is well-known for their roti bakar (toasted bread) served with half-boiled eggs. The good news is, Joo Leong Cafe roti bakar is also available for dinner!

The place is clean and comfortable although the high chairs for toddlers here can almost be considered antiques! There is plenty of room for strollers too. The main problem dining at Joo Leong is probably the parking or the lack of. You will have to find a spot by the side of a road with high traffic. Start locating a space when nearing the shop. Otherwise, you will find yourself parked way down the road or having to make two U-turns to get back for a second attempt.



Joo Leong Cafe
179-H, Sungat Tiram, Bayan Lepas, Penang.
Tel: 010-412 4865 / 012-4984865
Breakfast: 6.20am - 11.30am
Dinner: 6.00pm - 11.30pm