Sushi Zento Japanese Restaurant 膳户

When this piece of land was covered up and constructing, which is now named Precinct 10 in Tanjong Tokong, hubby and I think that this is gonna be another talk of the town place in Penang. True enough, we could see many eating outlet down there. Sushi Zento is one of them… and so far, the only Japanese restaurant that serves pork meat.

Seriously it’s hard to find Japanese food that is serving pork. And not many people aware that Japanese pork is different from the local type and even the Spanish type (Parma Ham). Anyway, I was even told this is actually owned by Azuma’s management too.

I personally do not visit any new restaurant when they newly open, first of all, it is absolutely chaos when comes to serving and even the food lining up for the kitchen. Since I’ve encountered many times of disappointment, I rather wait till the operation is fully mature enough before I step foot into it.

Sushi Zento is located at that eye catching area, big sign board, huge dining place, full glass panel that is over looking the car park area and the surrounding. Honestly, that’s a pretty good design. Inside the restaurant, as usual, the sushi area is full of those chefs that are preparing their food, a conveyer belt that is conveying the food for customers, just like any other fast food chain like Sakae Sushi or even Sushi King.

Because of this was highly recommended by a colleague of mine, and it was a spontaneous dining out kind of thing, thus, this place was just came to our mind just like that. Well, it didn’t disappoint me much, perhaps it gives me more opportunity to visit them more.

 

Komitama To Bacon Salada (Fresh salad, flavoured soft boiled egg and crispy bacon with Wafu dressing, RM18). I can even find some pork lard in the salad, it was absolutely yummy!!

 

Buta Amiyaka (Grilled slice pork with Amiyaki Sauce, RM19)

 

Nininku Chahan (Garlic Fried Rice, RM5), absolutely fragrant!

 

Charsu Chahan (Roasted pork belly Fried Rice, RM10), this is our Chinese “Siu Yok” Fried Rice.

 

I was tempted to try their Torikawa (Chicken Skin, RM6) Grill, but then I know if I order this… am sure my better half will surely lecture me. Anyway, ended up we have Shitake (Mushroom, RM4).

 

And, Negima (Chicken & Leek, RM8).

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Address & Contact Number

Sushi Zento Japanese Restaurant 膳户

10-A-11 & 1s, Precinct 10

Jalan Tanjung Tokong

Tanjung Tokong

10470 Penang

Tel: +604-899 1725

Business Hour:

Monday to Thursday

11.30am to 3pm (Lunch)

6pm to 10.30pm (Dinner)

11.30am to 10.30pm (Friday to Sunday and Public Holidays)

Home Cooked Noodle Soup

When you are leaving nothing in the fridge to prepare for a meal.... You will tend to be creative. Agree?  Even though that leaves you basically nothing to cook but you ought to crack your head to think of something. Right?

When comes to Friday, you wouldn't want to go anywhere but home.... Know why, the traffic from Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone to the Penang Bridge, honestly its killing. If you are driving a manual car.... You will want to go for shopping, before heading back home. For me, I didn't even want to go anywhere but home. Thank God, it’s an against traffic flow, thus, it’s not too bad, however, some time to get stuck in the traffic is also required. I wonder why are they not building a 4 lanes or 5 lanes of road?

So, a simple meal for such day can be really easy at times to pass your Friday night. What I made was a simple noodle soup with minced meat.

 

Ingredients

2 cups of water

1 cube of chicken stock

2 stalks of spring onions, but I had about 10 stalks

Approximately 250g minced meat

2 teaspoon Oyster sauce

2 eggs

Method

1.    Boil 2 cups of water

2.    Once it boils, add the 1 cube of chicken stock, and let it dissolve

3.    While waiting for it to dissolve, wash and cut the spring onions to 1.5inches in size

4.    Marinate the minced meat with 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce, for about 20minutes

5.    Add in the minced meat per 1 person’s serving

6.    Keep boiling till the meat is cooked

7.    At the same time, boil a pot of water cook the vermicelli per instruction

8.    Scoop out and pour in the soup and the minced meat

9.    Optional is to add in a poach egg per your liking

10. Garnish some spring onions that makes a bowl of noodle colourful

Enjoy! 

Clarke Street Koay Teow Th'ng

I came to know about this Koay Teow Th’ng stall from Food Paradise. All because this is definitely an unique one to me, cuz, no Koay Teow Th’ng in Penang giving so many meat balls or fish balls too. At least for this, is giving 4 different types of balls and one of those which is my all time favourite too, the Pork Tendon Meat Ball. Not many could take on this because of its aroma, but personally I like it because it has the ginger taste and smell too.

And I only find this in Ipoh, it’s hard to find it in Penang, when I came across this, I just can’t help myself for not patronizing them almost every week.

In fact, almost every weekend after a hike in Penang Hill, a group of us will sure visit this. Though the surrounding is not as hygiene as you think… but that doesn’t put many people off, some even could just wait there for a vacant table.

Before I drafted this post, I got to know the history of this stall, and many called this as Ah Boy Koay Teow Th’ng. It was established in year 1977 and it’s now operated by the young chaps and occasionally the old ones will come to help.

Soup base is sweet, at least my taste bud tells me that it’s sweet and I believe it is cooked with many ingredients like chicken bones, chicken meats and so on. Having a bowl of Koay Teow Th’ng, you just can’t omit the lard oil, cuz, that basically make the entire bowl of Koay Teow Th’ng a star! Well, at least it blinks your eyes and give you a buzz in your mind before you start off a day.

I’ve tried the Koh Loh type (dried type, with dark soya sauce). Still find the soup base is a better choice. I could see some customers will order a plate of chicken and bean sprout. And garnished with some spring onions, and some fried garlic. Hmmmm…. This is making me yearning for a bowl now.

The stall is open daily except Tuesday (only got to know last Tuesday, 1^st May), and it opens from 7am to 2pm. But lately I could see by 11am to 11.30am… the stall owner is clearing the tables and chairs.  So, try your luck!

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Gourmet Garden

Tau Yiu Bak (Soy Sauce Braise Pork Belly, 醬油燜肉)

Honestly this is the most fastest way and easiest way to prepare dinner for the weekdays! And it’s best to have it over night too, cuz, the ingredients are soaking into the sauce for 24 hours, surely make it fragrant and tasty.

Honestly preparing dinner on weekdays is killing, time spending is way unexpected or even I should say not able to forecast. But, we still got to eat, right? No matter how tough, I got to pick up something. Eating out though food is nice, however the true fact is your wallet is getting thinner and thinner. Cooking could actually polish your cooking skills too.

Mom never cooked this dish when we were young… I guess she didn’t like the cinnamon smells and the Chinese spices smell too. But, this dish ought to have these mentioned ingredients.

Many of us have our ways of cooking this dish, some needs to pan fry the meat before braise, some will have to blanch it first and so on. Some would tell you need to braise for at least minimumly an hour, but, for my case, time is the factor, I’ll turn everything into high speed like high flame and so on, get butcher to cut the exact size for me, things like that.

By the way, has anyone watched “A Simple Life” (桃姐) by Andy Lau and Dennie Yip? Though I have not, but roughly knows the story line… sometimes looking at it when someone is old is good to keep some good memories and even jot down whatever things that we want to remember, a very good example is recipes, places that you’ve visited before, food that you’d tried before, things that you’ve done before. That’s why it’s good to keep a journal, or a diary of your own. Seriously, no one would guarantee what will happen when we are old.

Am I over negative over aging matters?? Or I am just taking this place to trash out whatever that keep inside me for a long time? Anyway, no time to figure that out neither do I have the time to re-think about it. Perhaps, one day, some time… when I have my Mac Book Air with me, and a cup of brew coffee… sitting down at the road, enjoying the wind breeze, blah blah blah…

Anyway… too much of grumpy, let’s enjoy what we have for now.

 

Ingredients

500g Pork Belly

2 Eggs – hardboiled

1 cup of water

Marinate

½ tsp 5 Spice Powder

½ tsp Pepper

½ tsp Salt

1 tbsp Sugar

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

2 pcs Star Anise

1 pc Cinnamon

100g Garlic

Methods

1. Boil a pot of hot water and boil 2 eggs for about 20 minutes

2. Cut the pork belly about an inch in size and rinse

3. Marinate the meat with the marinate ingredients. And let it rest for 20 minutes to 30 minutes time

4. While marinate the meat, rinse the egg with cold water, for easy peeling the shell.

5. Once marinated, dump everything into a pot and boil for about 45minutes, and turn down the fire and let is simmer 30minutes.

5. Add in the eggs and let is simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Adapted from Nyonyachef

Tua Pui Curry Mee 大肥咖哩麵

 
While I was drafting the Tua Pui Curry Mee post in Mandarin, I got stuck … just do not know how to continue it. Ended up I will have to write in English instead of Mandarin. In fact, there are many posts in this blog have written in Mandarin, some how some where, I got stuck… the brain is just not functioning well enough to tweet some Mandarin characters. I guess that’s shame on me whom educated in Chinese media.  No matter how hard I tried… it’s some how stopped some where; not to mention my English isn’t that great either. Sad sad sad sad… that could imagine, education system is very important during our childhood days.

Heard about this curry mee stall for a long long time, it has featured in many books, magazines and even blogs. The stall has been into business for 3 generations, and it’s now managed by the grand-daughter. The owner believes in making the soup with traditional recipes that their grandfather has passed it on to them. If it’s not because of their house has scheduled to dismantle, I truly believe they will be there for long as long as they could.

Their soup base is definitely different from others, it has an unique taste. It was our first time trying this out, we were honestly fascinating to see they garnished the noodle with mint leafs. They have other side dishes like chicken feet, curry chicken, and many other more. It’s similar to the one in Raja Uda Curry Mee, but compared to it, I guess the one over in Mainland has more variety choices.

Curry Mee will not be perfect without the bloody stuff like cockles, blood, long beans and so on. Not to forget their home made chili, and the special soup base. Why would I elaborate more of it… we should be drooling over with these photos right?

Enjoy!!

 

Address & Contact Number

No. 23, Lebuh Kimerley

10100 Penang

Tel: +6016-400 7748

Business Hour: 9.00am to 5.30pm (off Wed)

Quay Café

 
Every 1^st and 15^th of the Lunar calendar, many Buddhist will go for vegetarian food. Some will go for a full day practice some will go for half day. With this new place that CK Lam that has written, it definitely gives many of vegetarian folks an additional choice of venue.

This place is definitely not the usual vegetarian stall that normally has in Penang. It’s like a café kind of concept, though self service in terms of collect your own cutleries, and place it back at the designated place after finishing. The whole environment is cozy, pleasant and it’s also airy.

   
What I like most is you have to line up for order and also make payment before the food is served. Choose your seat, be it is high chair and table or the normal height. Table size is big and spacious for 6 to 8 people. Food choice though limited, but, it’s all quality food. Well, at least I believe in that… limited choice produce quality products.

 
Home Made Noodle with Mushroom (RM6), a special home made sauce, that is come with braised bean curd, vegetables and mushrooms.

 
Chicken Rice Set (RM7), I supposed this is what they called it The Quay Set which is only available on every 1^st and 15^th day of each Lunar month. The set come with 2 choices of vegetables, 1 is what we normally called it Kiam Chai Th’ng and the other is Chap Chai.

Snacks that is many Penangites favourites are Popiah which is RM2 per roll.

And Rojak (RM5). That’s definitely a kick if you happen to bite on a sourish unripe mango.

There are many people going for vegetarian food nowadays, well, it’s not because of religious, but mostly are encourage due to the current environmental threat. In fact, it’s good to have this momentum going, so that more and more people will be seriously in taking care of our earth. Taking care of our earth is not only you and my responsibility, but it’s all of our responsibilities. Don’t you agree?

Other Review

A Herbivore in Penang

Address & Contact Number

Quay Café

2 Church Street Ghaut

10200 Penang

Tel: +6012-403 6659

Business Hours: 11am to 2.30pm daily (close on Sunday)

No Sign Board 無招牌海鮮

I got to know this name 6 to 7 years ago, but never get a chance to visit. This name always appears in the receipts where I need to assist my superior to claim. After some time, you will just put it in your food hunting list, which you didn’t want to miss it.

On our recent trip to Singapore, I finally get to step foot into this place where I know 6 to 7 years ago. And it was just located opposite our hotel. After a long day meeting, and a quick check-in in the hotel… we were all get ready marching into to the mall for our dinner. Wondering what would be the food that will be filling up the 12 humongous stomachs or rather the gluttons.

What’s famous in Singapore is the gigantic mud crab, and many called that Sri Lankan Crabs, perhaps it is imported from there. The crab can grow as big as 28cm, the claw is as big as 15cm long, and the width can be wide as 8 to 10cm.  It’s a most famous seafood on any dining table, be it cooked it with chili, pepper or sweet and sour sauce.

Baby Squid was the appetizer. Though it looks pitiful, but, if it’s placed on the Lazy Susan and with 12 gluttons eyeing on it, how pitiful would that be? It will just go straight to the stomach.

Next is the gigantic Bamboo Clams. What we have seen in Penang is mostly small in sizes, but this is definitely the XL size that I ever seen so far. Though it’s simple to steam it with garlic and garnished with cilantro, but it honestly make the clam looks tempting to wallop and tasty too.

I supposed this is Fish Meat that deep fried with sesame seeds. But the info that I have gathered, they actually called this dish ‘You Tiao’ (油條).

Vegetables with Braised Mushrooms. Mushrooms though are huge, but it’s tender and juicy.

Braised Beancurd with Assorted Seafood, it looked nice to serve in a claypot.

Drunken Prawns. Didn’t get to take the picture of the pot of Drunken Prawns. But, you’re rest assured this is another dish that you didn’t want to miss it. The prawns were absolutely fresh and the soup is yummy. The soup is definitely cooked with alcohol, otherwise, how could you name this as Drunken Prawns, right?

Here comes the main character… the Sri Lankan Crab. And please bear in mind, it’s only 1 crab for the whole table, a 12 gluttons in a table! And this is definitely filled up the 12 gluttons’ stomach.

  
Chili Crab, it’s their signature dish, apparently not to miss whoever dine here. Good to eat with Deep Fried Buns.

 
White Pepper Crab. Look at the claw, isn’t that big? It can be shared by both persons if you are not a big eater.

It was a sumptuous dinner and the companion was great... hope I can go back there again. :)

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Address & Contact Number

No Sign Board Seafood

無招牌海鮮

The Central Mall

4^th Floor

#04-63, Clarke Quay

6 Eu Thong Sen Street

Singapore

Tel: +65-6699 7071

Business Hour: 11am to 10.30pm (Daily)