Home Cooked Malaysian Dishes In University at Buffalo

A week of spring break was well spent with my Malaysian hometown buddies. Besides enjoying the escape from studying our courses temporary, we enjoyed cooking our hometown foods that pretty much reminded us that we are still not far away from home. Please do not look down on us, we are good cooks; moreover, majoring in cooking seems to be very interesting to me. What we had cook recently:

Bak Kut Teh with chicken meat replacement, Chi Kut Teh.

Fried Eggs with Onions.

Spaghetti with Tomato Tuna Sauce and Sausage.

Tom Yam Soup.

Sweet and Sour Chicken.

Tomato Soup that ended up tasted like Jawa Mee.

Chicken Bouillon Soup.

Home dish of Vegetables with fried tiny little garlics.

Stir Fried Vegetables.

Teriyaki Chicken.

They do not look just nice, they taste really awesome as well! My friends and I had wonderful times enjoying our meals throughout the spring break having at least some of the foods we miss and love to eat back at home, Penang. Penang foods rock and mothers' cookings rock even more!

Zetti's Pizza & Pasta At South Campus of University at Buffalo

I had awesome taste of pizzas as my late lunch after having my haircut in University at Buffalo's South Campus days ago. I love having Italian foods as my meals and I had quite a number of restaurants serving the pizzas back in Penang, Malaysia. Most of them are fantabulous and you do not compare them to restaurants like PH or D because these stores or any non-specialized stores will not be able to compete with these restaurants. Well, Zetti's Pizza & Pasta in the south campus of my university actually taste wonderful!

There are numerous choices available in the store. Upon entering the store, the first sense was the smell of the pizzas and then I saw different flavours pizzas being displayed on the table top and racks. Not a common thing to see pizzas being displayed like that in the store, such displays will make you drool upon looking on these pizzas.

They have numerous choices of pizzas available, lasagna, and so on. All of them looked delicious! The choices of pizzas are different from what we have in Malaysia like chilli ikan bilis pizza or whatsoever. The pizzas were heated up right after I ordered them by slices; meanwhile, more pizzas were made behind the displays by a worker who rolls the dough and puts the ingredients on the doughs.

Each slice of the pizzas are huge, way bigger than what I normally have. They were so big until they were each put on two paper plates. The pizzas were thin and kind of crispy which were exactly what I have always looking for everytime I have pizzas, we are not having breads as our meals right? The ingredients on the pizzas were well-placed, not too much or too less which made it very tasty!

Two huge slices of Zetti's Pizza & Pasta as my lunch.

Cornflakes With Berries As Breakfasts

My healthiest breakfasts ever since my university life started about 2 months ago. A healthy breakfast that consists of huge strawberries, edible blackberries, and honey cornflakes with milk. Why berries? First and the most important reason, they were cheap and with further discounted when I went for grocery shopping. Second, they are of course healthier than fruits but it does not mean fruits are not healthy.

The berries are fresh and the strawberries are bigger than a spoon.

Ugh! Where can we find such huge and fresh strawberries in Malaysia? Regardless of that, berries contain phytochemicals and flavonoids that may help to prevent some forms of cancer. Cranberries and blueberries contain a substance that may prevent bladder infections. Eating a diet rich in blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries and strawberries may help to reduce your risk of several types of cancers. Blueberries and raspberries also contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision. [Source]

My favourite healthy breakfast.

My favourite berries are strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries while I would love to try out the other berries available in the stores. What about yours? Have you eaten a healthy breakfast today?

你吃得健康了没？你要一口吗~？

Penang Food Paradise #34 : Restaurant Bee Hooi Chicken Rice

Are you craving for Chicken Rice at night? There is one stall selling plates of famous chicken rice starting from evening just outside Restaurant Bee Hooi that operates for long hours when it becomes busier towards evening. Restaurant Bee Hooi is a corner unit of a row of shop lots located in the same row with CIMB Bank and opposite of Belissa Row.

Chicken Rice at Restaurant Bee Hooi.

This plate of Chicken Rice selling in Restaurant Bee Hooi starting from the evening is lovely and has its own taste comparing to the others. The chicken meats are soft and the overall taste of the chicken rice is delicious which probably because of the soy sauce they drench on the chicken meats and rice.

Restaurant Bee Hooi

Burma Road, same row with CIMB Bank

Operates from Evening

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Penang Food Paradise #33 : Kebun Bunga Road Fruit Ice

Do you crave for something cold and chilling under this supreme weather especially when the day is sunny? What are those thing that come into your mind when you are thinking of iced desserts? I am pretty sure that these names are the dessert stores situated usually in the shopping malls but the atmosphere in any one of them is too noisy, too noisy to enjoy your bowl of dessert. So, what do you do? You may consider having bowls of Fruit Ice from Tropical Fruits store located in a building just next to the hawker center off Kebun Bunga Road that leads you to Penang Botanical Garden. 

Two bowls of Fruit Ice in the hot weather. 

What is unique in these bowls of Fruit Ice? Slices of fruits mainly mangoes, papayas, and so on are placed underneath the ice which is topped with mango puree and supposed-to-be brown sugar syrup. The taste of the toppings in the ice are heavenly delicious especially the mango puree which I often tend to eat it last after finishing all the slices of fruits and ice. This is not only a pleasurable dessert but also a healthy dessert too! 

Tropical Fruit Store

Kebun Bunga Road 

500m away from Penang Botanical Garden

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Penang Botanical Garden Road Big Ben Breakfast

Heard of Big Ben Breakfast but have not give a try until Nicholas invited me to have breakfast together with Alvin in a Saturday morning. A small meet up in lovely environment out from noisy streets for great conversations. There are quite a number of choices available in the menu and I got myself ordered the featured breakfast on that morning.

The featured breakfast in the menu :: Big Ben Breakfast.

Butter breads, it would be lovely if they are garlic breads.

Me, Nicholas, and Alvin in Big Ben's.

Big Ben Breakfast

Hawker Complex, Waterfall Road

8:00AM to 6:00PM ( Closes on Tuesdays )

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Penang Food Paradise #32 : Penang Road Lobak (Loh Bak) & Deep Fried Prawns (HehJi)

Other than the famous Hainanese chicken rice on one of the previous posts on Penang Food Paradise, there is another stall selling its famous Lobak and the Deep Fried Prawns in the same coffee shop, Kheng Pin Coffee Shop. This coffee shop is located at a T-junction of Sri Bahari Road and Penang Road who operates during the day and closes on Mondays.

There are quite a number of choices to make up a plate of your favorites which they may include prawns, lobaks, squids, firm beancurd, and so on. Everything is deeply fried and they taste wonderful if you are eating them hot with some dips of sauces provided.

Detailed Information:
Penang Road Lobak & Deep Fried Prawns ( Kheng Pin Coffee Shop )

Jalan Penang ( Corner Coffee Shop )

Operates from 6:30AM  ( Closes on Mondays )

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Penang Food Paradise #31 : Penang Road Laksa

Penang road itself has numerous famous hawkers selling awesome Penang foods during the day, that makes Penang as a food paradise for not only tourists but also localists. Besides the famous Penang Cendol and Penang Hainanese Chicken Rice, there is another stall selling its famous laksa in a corner coffee shop just next to the Penang Famous Cendol named Joo Hooi Cafe.

A bowl of Penang Road Laksa.

Every stall in Penang selling the same dish, Penang Laksa, has their unique tastes. Unlike any other stalls, this Penang Road Laksa is famous of its own reason, the tastes. This bowl of laksa I had is unique in the mixture of both saltiness and sourness in the tastes which it differs itself from other famous laksa stalls in Penang if you are taking them into a comparison.

Detailed Information:
Joo Hooi Cafe (Corner)

Penang Road

11:30AM - 5:00PM 

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Related posts you may be interested : 
• Famous Balik Pulau Laksa
• Famous Penang Air Itam Assam Laksa
• Famous Penang Cendol/Chendol
• Famous Penang Road Hainanese Chicken Rice

Penang Food Paradise #30 : Penang Bak Kut Teh

In this cold weather and a rainy season, are you searching for something to warm your body and the bodies of your love ones or craving for the taste of Bak Kut Teh? Well, if you are a heavy taster you would definitely rate this Bak Kut Teh stall with a highest ranking. Bak Kut Teh was introduced to Malaya in the 19th century by Chinese coolies and workers of Hokkien origin with the cause to boost their health until today. This non-halal stall offers variety ingredients provided for your bowl of Bak Kut Teh which they include pork intestines, pork stomaches, mushrooms, small corn, small maize, pork meats, and so on.

Perak Road Bak Kut Teh.

The taste of the Bak Kut Teh is very unique as the soup of this Bak Kut Teh has a sweeter and stronger flavor because of the herbal stews that is boiled heavily before the serving. In this stall, the Bak Kut Teh is eaten together with either white rice or yam rice. Personally, I love having the yam rice with Bak Kut Teh. Besides, the bowls are usually served with a plate of You Tiao (oil strip) and an optional of You Chai (Vegetables). So having which ingredients or not, you will decide yourself when you are ordering at the stall.

Detailed Information:
Classic Coffee Shop (Corner)

Jalan Perak ( Opposite Padang Brown Hawker Center )

Nighttimes 

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Penang Food Paradise #29 : Padang Brown Yong Tau Fu

Besides the Famous Popiah and Pasembur that can be found in Padang Brown Hawker Center, there is another fantastic food situated at the very end in the row of hawkers from the carpark. It is the pick-all-you-like hawker stall known as Yong Tau Fu! There will be various kinds of meats and vegetables being available to be chosen but unfortunately this is non-halal to our Muslim friends. The soup of this Yong Tau Fu stall tastes lovely as it is boiled together with the pork intestines, stomaches, and whatsoever. The chosen ingredients will have a slight enhancement to the taste of the soup. So, what are the ingredients going to be in your bowl or bowls of Padang Brown Yong Tau Fu today?

A bowl of Padang Brown Yong Tau Fu with my selected favorite ingredients.

Detailed Information:

Padang Brown Hawker Center

Jalan Perak (Jalan Perak - Opposite Penang Buddhist Association)

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Pulau Aman Mee Udang

It was a sunny Friday back on May 25th when I was having my semester break,I had my first visit to Pulau Aman together with my college course mates. Pulau Aman, a small island that had never come into my mind until that day when I am introduced about the availability of the delectable foods there. Well, the key point is freshness of the foods served. It took us about a 45 minutes of drive towards the pier for Pulau Aman excluding the massive traffic jam we encountered in that particular morning.

The pier towards the small island and Pulau Aman.

The 6 Malaysian Ringgit boat ride to and fro.

It was surprisingly chilling during our boat ride towards the island under the hot yet searing sun that day. The breezes were so joyfully awesome until the boat docked at the small pier of Pulau Aman. Upon arrival, there is barely a thing to be expected for luxuries. There is a Fishermen's Club of Pulau Aman and a primary school on the island. Yes, a primary school on the island where there are students and teachers who ride boats every single schooling day towards and from the island for education.

The small pier on Pulau Aman.

The pier had been docked with quite a number of fishermen's boats.

Our final destination on the island, Restaurant Terapung (Floating).

It took us a walking distance towards the restaurant named, Restaurant Terapung, through a very small village and passing by the primary school on the island. Frankly speaking, the life on the island is very plain and simple due to its rurality. Majority of the villagers depend their lives on fishing based on my personal assumption.

A group photo on the pier of Pulau Aman.

Another group photo on the floating restaurant.

We were there for the mantis prawns but we ended up having the Mee Udang instead. The reasons for our miss was the fishermen has yet to be returned from fishing and there were not even one mantis prawn left in the containers. Regardless of the miss, all of us enjoyed our bowls of Mee Udang especially the fresh and sweetish huge prawns served together with the dishes we ordered.

Restaurant Terapung Mee Udang.

With the satisfactory, we left Pulau Aman after having the delicious bowls of Mee Udang and conversations back to Penang Island. I am looking forward to give a try on the mantis prawns and some explorations on Pulau Aman.

Lorong Chulia Sin Kheang Aun Restaurant

The second visit with my relatives who came back for Cheng Beng weeks ago in a Hainanese restaurant named Sin Kheng Aun Restaurant after a long long time ago when I met a Hong Kong actor who owns the Swenson's. This Hainanese restaurant, Sin Kheng Aun, is popular among the locals and tourists for its Hainanese food and also local dishes located in Lorong Chulia off Lebuh Chulia. The details can be found in its official website [click here] which they had also included their menu. Talk about the foods they serve in Sin Kheang Aun Restaurant, it was really a joy having my lunch in there that day. I love the food there especially the Asam Prawns!

Asam Prawns, my favorite dish on the table for that day. You know how a dish with asam tastes like, so do I but this plate of Asam Prawns were so delicious than the usual ones where the reason is most probably they fried these Asam Prawns with butters that made it really special.

Soy Sauce Pork Meats, tastes good as well. The overall taste of this dish is well-balanced and the pork meats were thinned into slices. It is the best company with bowls of rice.

Sauteed Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish, this is the most common dish in most of the tables not only in this restaurant, it can be ordered in other restaurants too. A common local delight I would say.

Salted Mustard Green with Duck Soup, this is my favorite of all time. I love something sour yet it could brings out the taste of sweetness at the same moment in your mouth. The salted mustard green together with the duck meats is a perfect match and Sin Kheang Aun Restaurant has done it so well till you will love this soup if you dislike something sour.

Sauteed Sengkuang with Crab Meat, another local delight that is served together with some leafy green vegetable. It can be eaten with rice and also together with the leafy vegetable where you wrap this dish with it.

Gulai Tumis Towtay Pomfret, the last dish we had that day in the afternoon. It was lovely, really lovely, it was so well-cooked until you would drink the curry as soup. Frankly, you will have the soup with your rice together. Drinking it as a soup would be insane unless we have the same interest.

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To be exact of the location, Sin Kheang Aun Restaurant is a corner lot among the shophouses in Lorong Chulia. The business hours, menu, and contact details can be found in Sin Kheang Aun Restaurant's official website. [click here]

Penang Food Paradise #28 : New Cathay Koay Ciap

One of the Teochew dishes of flat, broad rice sheets in a soup made with dark soy sauce, served with pig offal, braised duck meat, various kinds of beancurd, preserved salted vegetables, and braised hard-boiled eggs. This was the very first time I had Koay Ciap, I could not assure you there will be another stall selling the same dish around the area but I have seen one in Pekaka there who sells after the dusk. Regardless of where the others are located, this specific stall selling its Koay Ciap since the 1980's and has been listed in a magazine of lists of awesome foods in Penang can be found in New Cathay Coffee Shop in Pulau Tikus where it is opposite of Belissa Row and a church.

A bowl of Koay Ciap with its broth.

The taste of this bowl of Koay Ciap was not bad afterall. The broth together with the corianders and its ingredients brought the flavorful tastes into your mouth. The overall taste is enhanced with the added fried garlic oil. For those who do not like corianders, you may request the hawker for not adding in the corianders into the soup.

Detailed Information:
New Cathay Coffee Shop (Corner)

Jalan Burma Opposite Bellisa Row Pulau Tikus

7:30AM Until 1:30PM ( Closes on Sundays )

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Penang Food Paradise #27 : Penang Air Itam Market Asam Laksa

Heard of it and being introduced by my friends about this famous Asam Laksa located in Air Itam Market for a numerous times. Finally on the day when I was visiting the Displays of Lights in Kek Lok Si Temple, I had it as my dinner while waiting for my friends to arrive. This stall selling its famous Asam Laksa is located on Jalan Pasar just right beside the lively Air Itam Market. It is at the foot of the Kek Lok Si Temple. Tables and chairs are arranged beside the road of Jalan Pasar and they are usually full seated. If you are very lucky, you may get a table for yourself or you may share a table with other food lovers.

A bowl of Air Itam famous Asam Laksa.

The taste of this famous Asam Laksa in this stall situated just right beside the Air Itam Market is a little bit salty for me but it is really lovely where the soup is filled with mashed mackerel fishes, sweetened prawn paste, aromatic lemon grass, and the spiciness of the sliced chilies. All together, the combination of the three - Sweet, sour, and spicy will definitely got your taste buds having their rock-&-roll live band inside your mouth.

Detailed Information:
Air Itam Market Asam Laksa Stall

Jalan Pasar ( Air Itam Market )

11:00AM - 8:00PM ( Opens Daily )

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Penang Bellisa Row Ristorante Bella Italia

Another Italian Restaurant that had been running its business years ago. I had it for just once when I was studying in high school until last week. This Italian cuisine runs its business 7 days a week, opens for both lunch until 2:30pm and dinner until 10:30pm. We were very lucky to be Bella Italia's last customers that Saturday afternoon. The decorations of Ristorante Bella Itallia are very Italian themed where most of the tables are covered by the clothes with their colors almost similar to the Italian flag psychologically. The dishes served there were as nice as Via.Pre Italian Restaurant which I would personally comment that both of them serve the unique tastes of Italian dishes from thousands of miles away here in Malaysia. This time, I remembered my camera but not the names of the dishes we ordered that day.

The bible of Italian tastes - Ristorante Bella Italia's menu.

Pasta, that has huge prawns, scallops, and so on as its ingredients.

Pizza, served with four different kinds of tastes includes slices of mushrooms, salmons, turkey hams, and tunas.

Getting myself a slice of my favorite turkey ham pizza.

The Italian dishes we had back in Ristorante Bella Italia were very satisfying which together with Via.Pre Italian Restaurant, they had successfully brought the tastes of the unique Italian dishes from thousands and thousands of miles away to Malaysia where you might need not to travel that far away for the awesome dishes as your cause. In detail of the location of Ristorante Bella Italia, it is located in Belissa Row, Pulau Tikus opposite New Cathay Coffee Shop.

Penang Food Paradise #26 : Weld Quay Fish Head Mee Hun & Tom Yam Maggie

Have you heard of this coffee shop named Village Coffee Shop with its Fish Head Mee Hun and Tom Yam Maggie as its fame? Are you craving for Tom Yam Maggie or maybe something light like Fish Head Mee Hun? Well, this coffee shop that operates from 11:30AM until 11:30PM selling its famous dishes as mentioned in the title along the road of Pengkalan Weld at which it is located alongside with Chew Jetty there. Upon ordering, you will get to choose among kinds of noodles, ingredients, and soups.

A bowl of Fish Head Mee Hun.

A bowl Tom Yam Maggie.

Normally, I order my bowls of Fish Head Mee Hun and Tom Yam Maggie each time I visit there for my dinner with deep fried fish. Choosing in between the deep fried fish or without is a dilemma as each of them give different tastes of delectable. Besides, you would also love to add more ingredients into your bowl of meal such as meatballs, fishballs, prawns, cuttlefishes, and so on. Focusing on the normal soup instead of the tom yam's, it tastes sweet and lovely and the soup will tastes even more heavenly if you add more ingredients depending on your choices.

Detailed Information:
Village Coffee Shop

Pengkalan Weld ( Alongside With Chew Jetty )

11:30AM - 11:30PM

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