Penang - Tanjung Tokong - The Forum Chinese Cuisine (富臨閣)

Type: Non-Halal
Location: Inside Island Plaza Shopping Complex (3rd Floor)
Address: 3rd Floor, Island Plaza, 118, Jalan Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia‎
Contact: 04 899 0088
Operation hour:
11.30am to 3.00pm, 6.30pm to 10.00pm (Monday to Saturday)
9.30am to 3.00pm, 6.30pm to 10.00pm (Sunday & Public Holiday)

Parking convenience: Good
Hygiene: Good

Direction: Go to Island Plaza. The restaurant is inside the shopping complex.

Unforgettable restaurant
If talking about this restaurant, it was my wedding dinner venue organized at this place before they renovated. Oppsss... I didn't reveal how long I get married (if any single lady wish to find out, send me private message then. Kidding again!). I chose this restaurant for one reason - da food! After the renovation, the environment is completely different - upgrading.

Due to distant problem, I rarely able to have meal in this restaurant. After several years, on and off - I did have chance to have celebration. The food quality is still amazing to me personally. I love the dim sum especially, not to mention about the table dishes order.

Titbis



Don't you dare to think this is free for you. It's also charged. For most of the restaurant, they will serve you before you start to order anything. Peanut also will temporarily cure your hunger while you plan for your order.

Winter Melon Soup (四宝冬瓜盅) - RM9



This is very unique to be served as a wine glass. I kid. It's not wine glass. Special and very tasty. I wonder how long they already steamed the winter melon soup for this. Worth as the soup is exactly like the Chinese, especially Cantonese people always say - enough time to cook or they named it as double boiled. Soup comes with crabmeat and assorted meat to excite your soup drinking experience.

Baked Honey Barbeque Pork Pie (蜜汁叉烧酥) - RM5.80



Don't judge on the shape. It's not round but rectangular! When I first saw this order, I immediately fell for this! Honey... I'm not calling you honey. This pie is applied with honey to barbeque, please! Love this indeed!

Steamed Prawns Dumpling (水晶虾饺王) - RM5.80



Always my most favourite! I know I know... you are going to warn me about the cholesterol, right? At least I don't eat this every morning for breakfast. Thus allow me to continue to indulge to make myself exciting. Thank you for your understanding. The thin "coating" (I prefer to call this term) is so thin. The perfect "coating" is when you put this dumpling into your mouth - you can blow the steam out (sorry, not your ears - that one different root cause!), the "coating" will immediately melt in your mouth and you can taste the big prawns with its freshness. Any of dim sum unable to allow you to blow steam sure fail. You know what I meant - not hot enough.

Steamed Pork Dumpling (蟹王蒸烧卖) - RM5.80



Another one of my favourite order. The crab roe actually beautify the simple presentation and add mark to the taste. Eat while it is hot. Yup do the blow job, ahem - I meant blow the steam out when you eat! Do not think too much, dude!

Fried Rice (脆贝蟹肉炒饭) - RM15



If you ever think this is just a normal fried rice, you are completely wrong. I guarantee you can't stop having 2nd bowl of rice after taste it! It is called fried rice with crabmeat (not artificial one) with crispy minced dry scallops. I threw away my diet plan when I have this. Yup, put aside your rational part... indulge this dish with full emotion :-) I called myself - rice tong. Bingo, you are correct!

Darn! The chinese tea does not work to stop me from 2nd bowl...



Shanghai Pancake (豆沙酥窝饼) - RM10



It's not the normal pancake you know. This is deep fried Shanghai pancake with red bean paste. Take it and touch your lips, you immediately feel how crispy it is. The black sesame adds little burning taste to enhance your entire dessert experience.



Melting hot bean paste actually able to injure your tongue. Better be aware of the temperature. Normally people will order this with hot red bean soup to accompany but I order the opposite temperature - chilling dessert.

Chilled mango cream (香芒冻布丁) - RM4



If you scare of hot dessert type - probably you can order this dessert - Chilled mango cream with pamelo and sago pearls. The chilled creamy taste mixing with sweet and sour feeling will refresh yourself from heavy meal. Mango is always considered as the fruit that helps digestion. I always miss its sourness - thinking of this only activate the saliva system from my cheek - over-describing? I don't think so :-)

Penang - Bayan Baru - Chinese Cuisine

*Update (11 Dec 2009): Owner informed he no longer interested to continue this business.

Food: Chinese Cuisine
Type: Non-Halal
Location: Bayan Baru - Medan Mayang Pasir
Price: Depends on your dish order

Shop Name: 骏发饭店 (Chun Fat Restaurant)
Owner: 冯明心 (Mr. Fong Meng Sim)
Contact: 016 490 4822 | 04 643 3400 | 04 643 2284 (Suggestion: Please call to check before visit)
Address: 109, Bayan Baru Flats, 77 Medan Mayang Pasir, 11950 Penang
Shop Operation: 1000 - 2100

Parking convenience: Fair (check out the available parking space around the flats)
Hygiene: Good

Direction:

It is very difficult to talk about direction. Refers to the map attached to ease on explaining. Check out the Sunshine Square and get the direction from there.











All About Hardworking




Mr. Fong

Mr. Fong started restaurant business since year 1979. He became like triathlete man to travel in between Alor Setar, Seberang Perai (Chai Leng Park) and Penang Island during 1982-83. He managed totally 3 restaurants mainly. He must be the superman to just manage 3 restaurants at one day.



"It was exhausting indeed to travel like this and difficult to manage, thus I decided to fully concentrate this restaurant in Penang Island after 1983," said Mr. Fong, staring on me with firm-belief eyes.

Freshness Is The Key for Colouring, Fragant & Taste


Preparing the cooking seriously.

Mr. Fong is expert in Cantonese cuisine and he stresses strictly on freshness. Only receives order, then he cooks on the spot. There is no so-called cook and stock in freezer. Not his practice nor his style. Every single raw cooking materials is fresh! There are three (3) factors that bring out a tasty dish - colouring, fragant and taste. Simple formula: -

Freshness = Colouring + Fragant + Taste

Customized and Recommended Dishes
It was correct timing when my brother-in-law treated family with Mr. Fong's recommended and customized dishes. Words unable to describe in details. I prefer to let the photos speak precisely. Hope this does not making you hungry then. Sounds evil huh? :-) Please forgive me on the English translated name (Mr. Fong gave me the beautiful dishes names in Chinese).

奶油红狮鱼 (Fried Fish with Butter)



白云蒸鲜虾 (Steam Prawn with Eggs)


上汤咸排骨 (Salty Pork Ribs)


一品锅 - 蚝士，花胶，干贝，津白，冬菇，吊片，海参 (Mixed Varieties of Rare Seafoods)



竹生烩豆腐 (Tofu with Bean Skin)


香酥鸭脯 (Fried Duck)


七仙姑下凡 (Mixed Varities of Vegetables including lotus)

Penang - Cintra Street - Sun Yoon Kee Seafood Restaurant & Sin Sun Vood Kopitiam

Food: Chinese Cuisine Course & Home Style Cooking
Type: Non-Halal
Location: Cintra Street
Price: Depends on what you order

Shop Name: Sun Yoon Kee Seafood Restaurant
Owner: Mr. Gan Choon Chong (016 401 3133 | 04 261 3987)
Shop Operation: 1100 - 2130

Parking Convenience: Fair
Hygiene: Fair

Direction: -
Follow Campbell Street (just like my previous post on Roti Bakar), go straight until you see cross junction. You will see your upper left is Rolex Specialised Shop, take left turn and look for parking space. This shop is about 5-10 meters distant on your right.


************** Part 1: Sun Yoon Kee Seafood Restaurant **************



Old Shop

Mr. Gan taking order


"I rented this shop before 1983. Only on 1983, when the first owner decided to sell off, then I took over it," Says Mr. Gan proudly.

Check out the cash machine! I did frequently eat their Char Siew & Siu Yoke rice since 80s! Hey, don't guess my age. I'm using time-specific description to state how long they are. Please focus :-P Said Mr. Gan proudly, "the Cash Machine is almost 50 years old. You can imagine how long already." It's NCR! (not ATM machine). The old machine just like threw you back to 1960s. From outside, you may think this is the normal Char Siew & Siu Yoke shop but you never expect they also prepare for Chinese Cuisine Course and Home Cooking style.



I like to have meal at town area and this restaurant (no commission will be given to me to promote). You may wonder why? In town area, most of the people will speak in Cantonese which gives me more comfortable. The only problem is my Cantonese speaking still lousy enough, I don't know why.

There are ground level and up 1 floor to sit. If you go there, try best to sit at ground floor to observe the environment. The kitchen looks similar... I know what you are thinking. Nope, they don't sell Dim Sum :-P They do serve Chinese tea or my favourite Chrysanthemum tea.

Tea Counter at Ground Floor


My Appertizer
Every time I visit this restaurant, the appertizer is definitely Siu Yoke (Roasted Pork). Very crispy and taste good. Request the lean meat if you are seriously on diet, otherwise you will get the mixed version. Mixed version has different crunch-feeling in your mouth, I concluded.

Roasted Pork


Well, this is not appertizer (picture below) and you won't want it :-P Ta-da~ The Trio!


Old menu
Sorry, there is no menu to refer. Normally Mr. Gan or his employees will list out verbally on what you wish to order. Older cooking like Sweet & Sour Pork Rib, Golden Money Tofu and etc. My family loves their Sweet & Sour Pork Rib very much.

Sweet & Sour sauce is not simply using tomato sauce plus plum sauce. It's a combination of vinegar and sugar to cook it. Typical old Chinese cooking that stimulate your taste bud definitely. I prefer to let photo describe and you visualise yourself is going to have this course :-)



I also like particular on the fried fish stomach dish. No fish smell as you may expect. The taste is good. The home made Golden Money Tofu taste uniquely. It's not Japanese Tofu, it's actually a mixture of local tofu, shrimp and eggs. You can try these old dishes.

Deep Fried Fish Stomach


Golden Money Home-Made Tofu (with egg sauce)


Mixed Varities Veges


Perfect cooked chicken will definitely make your mouth watering.


If you love the spicy-belachan "Kangkung", try this. I bet you will get stimulated.


Another home-made Fried Tofu, personally I prefer this version :-) Very crispy.


Deep fried fish stomach with fried ginger. Taste unique!



************** Part 2: Sin Sun Vood Kopitiam **************

Coffee Shop: Drinks
Type: Halal
Location: Cintra Street
Price: Depends on what you order

Shop Name: Sin Sun Vood Kopitiam
Owner: Ah Pin 亚宾 (017 473 6801)
Shop Operation: 1200 - 2300

Sin Sun Vood is exactly translated from Cantonese - it means New Life.



Before World War 2 (WW2)
If you think the above owner owns the shop old enough, let's talk about this real old Kopitiam. Kopitiam is coffee shop in Hokkien dialect. How old is this shop, you may ask.

Cool enough?


Kopitiam owner, Ah Pin narrated the history calmly - this shop started in 1934! In 1943, when Japanese conquered Penang Island, Ah Pin's father removed the "Sin" (means New) due to Japanese culture. After 1946, his father used back the original name after Japanese was defeated in WW2 and left Penang Island. In conclusion... please do your math. You are absolutely correct - 70 years of history.

Ah Pin is 2nd generation to manage this shop, guess what? 40+ years of shop management! You may wonder why I also include this shop in. It is located beside the Sun Yoon Kee restaurant. I can have both pleasures - Chinese cuisine and this Kopitiam coffee :-)

Original Setting
You entered this very old shop just like entering muzium. You can find the old wood door track, of course no longer applicable in modern time. "It was very memorable to me when you have to remove one-by-one piece of wood doors. The door was opened at all time except sleeping time," Ah Pin focused on the door track just like he turns back the clock. The wood door no longer there, replaced by metal gate door to ensure security.



Check out the mosaic floor, kinda missing this in different colours? Still recall anyone old house still have this? :-)


My Favourite Special Drink


Enough history topic - what's so special for this Kopitiam? Kopi-Ping-tarik! Ice coffee with milk. Make sure you try best not to order Instant Coffee or Nescafe, he does not serve this! Of course other drinks still available, especially I recommend the fruit drinks such as orange, apple and etc.

Remember when you visit, don't order Nescafe-ping. If you do so, you are insulting Ah Pin's expert Kopi-Tarik!~ I warn you second time :-)