Asam Laksa & Homemade Durian Ice Cream Kek Seng Coffee Shop @ Penang Road, Penang

If you are a fan of asam laksa, you just can't have enough of it when you are Penang. With almost every coffee shop offering the famous Penang asam laksa, you must know where to get it to avoid disappointment.

Not many tourist may have heard of this coffee shop, but Kek Seng Coffee Shop hosts one of the better asam laksa you can find in the island. It might be hard to spot it's existence due to it's location along the main busy road of Penang Road.

Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Penang Road

There were other stalls that offers other Penang delicacy but you definitely would not want to miss out ordering a bowl of asam laksa if you happen to be here.

Kek Seng Asam Laksa Stall

The lady who operates the stall

It was 12 noon on my previous visit and understandably, the crowd were not there yet, hence my bowl of asam laksa was served almost instantly.

Kek Seng Asam Laksa (RM 3)
It was my first time being here, but from the look of it, I know I would not be disappointed.

One of the best Asam Laksa in Penang

Do not be deceived by the look of the soup diluteness, as it was brimming with flavour thanks to the perfectly perking up of tamarind stock and is enhanced by the shrimp paste. Spiciness level was as great, and it clearly did not disappoint. A two thumbs up asam laksa!

On their own, Kek Seng do serves their very own signature dessert of ais kacang that is topped off with their homemade durian ice cream.

You are forced to order a drink?

I was amazed by their ais kacang which was served on a plate rather than typically on a bowl. This is cute really.

Kek Seng Signature Ais Kacang (RM 3.50)
Consisted of the usual ingredients that you may find in a typical ice kacang, but this came with an extra jelly pudding and double scoop of ice cream. The shaved ice were very rough though. Personally, I do not find it of any special apart from the homemade durian ice cream, which tasted pretty decent.

The asam laksa soup version might be of the same as the one served in Joo Hooi Cafe, but personally, I think the Kek Seng asam laksa had the upper hand in term of the taste. I will definitely return for this newly found favourite asam laksa of mine.
Asam Laksa: 8.5/10
Ais Kacang: 5.5/10

Atmosphere: 4.5/10
Price: 7/10
Verdict: I have found a new place to savour my favourite asam laksa, but not the ais kacang.

Kek Seng Coffee Shop
382-384, Penang Road
10000, Georgetown
Penang
Malaysia
Business hours: 11am - 4pm daily

GPS Coordinates: N05 24.974' E100 19.759'

Asam Laksa Air Itam Market @ Jalan Pasar, Penang

A visit to Penang is incomplete without a bowl of Asam Laksa. If you happen to visit the famous Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang, do not miss out having a bowl of Penang Asam Laksa at the Air Itam wet market. Even if you are not keen on temple visiting, do get your way to this laksa stall if you are a big fan of asam laksa.

The stall has been in operation for more than 30 years and needless to say more, the business has been passed on from one generation to another. Throughout the years, it has been selling at the same spot, by the side of Air Itam market. When one mentioned Air Itam Asam Laksa, it got to be this stall that they were referring to.

Famous Air Itam Asam Laksa Stall

The surrounding ambiance might not be so welcoming, but you will eventually forget the unwelcoming surrounding, the moment your asam laksa is being served to you.

By the side of Air Itam wet market

Running a business is not an easy task, but with the help from family members, the task not only seems to be easier but enjoyable. You can always see them putting a smile on their face no matter how busy their hands are.

A family business for decades

The constantly boiling fish broth

A good asam laksa is best served when it's piping hot from the broth till the root of the thick rice noodles. To ensure such, you can actually see the uncle pouring in and out the broth on each bowl for a few times.

Pouring in and out the broth

They might be crowded most of the time, but you need not to wait long before your bowl of laksa is being served to you.

Air Itam Asam Laksa (RM 3)
The strong aroma of the herbs from the laksa can be scented even before your first mouth.

One of the best Asam Laksa in Penang
The broth is not only thick but is brimming with flavour. It is reasonably perked up with tamarind stock and perfectly sweetened with the drizzling of prawn paste. With the eventual aromatic lemon grass kicking in together with the spiciness of the chili, it really puzzled your taste bud with the awesomeness combination taste of sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Just like many others, should a bowl of laksa is not enough for you, you can always take away.

You can opt to take away

Everyone has their preferred type of food and this is no exception to asam laksa. Some might say the taste has deteriorated throughout the years while some might say it is over rated. But as for me, I still find the taste as superb as when I had them the first time many years ago. Definitely one of my favourite asam laksa stall in Penang.

Asam Laksa: 8.5/10

Atmosphere: 1/10
Price: 7.5/10

Verdict: Arguably one of the best asam laksa in Penang with thick broth!

Asam Laksa Air Itam Market
Jalan Pasar (beside the Air Itam Wet Market)
11500, Air Itam
Penang
Malaysia
Business hours: 11am - 9pm daily

Mum's Asam Laksa [Mar 2010]

I guess my Mum is the very reason behind on why I'm so in love with Asam Laksa. When I was still young, Mum prepared Asam Laksa pretty often for us. As I grew older, somehow Mum did not cook it as often.

Just like me, my dad share the same passion for Asam Laksa as well. It has been years since Mum last prepared it for us. Each time when we bugged her to prepare it for us, she will tell us that the preparation is tedious and she will just ignore our question. It was disheartening though, but finally the waits come to an end, where Mum finally found the mood to prepare Asam Laksa for us.

The essential ingredients
So you have thick vermicelli (lai fun) as the noodles. Sliced onions, cucumbers, mint leaves and bunga kantan made up the rest of the garnishing.

According to mum, the soup takes only an hour and half to be ready. It might sound simple, but the tedious part is to prepare other ingredients such as deboning the fish, blending other spices and herbs for the soup.

Preparing the soup requires some effort

Mum's hearty bowl of Asam Laksa
Still as hearty, reminds me so much of the good old days. The broth was thick with fish meat and free of MSG. This always reminds me that the best bowl of Asam Laksa still come from the home. No body understand your flavour better than your Mum does.

The question now is, when only I'd be able to have another bowl of my Mum's Asam Laksa again. Only Mum knows...

Balik Pulau Asam Laksa @ Nan Guang Coffee Shop, Penang

Balik Pulau which literally means at the back of the island is a small town located at the secluded part of Penang. 35 minutes away of drive from the Georgetown, this town is indeed famous for it's durian plantations. Ask any of the Penangites, and most if not all will no doubt agree to it.

The secluded town in Penang

Former Balik Pulau wet market

When it comes to food, Balik Pulau has their very own history too. It was the asam laksa history that stretches back to 1970s. Back then, the Balik Pulau Laksa was dominated by the Khoo family. However, following the deceased of the wife, Mrs Khoo, the business was then discontinued and was later picked up by by Mrs. Ewe, the neighbour of Khoo family who inherited the secret recipe of the asam laksa. Mr.s Ewe then fine tuned the recipe and even went on introducing another version of laksa which contains cocunut milk, named as the Siam Laksa. After decades of being in the business, Mrs. Ewe finally called it a day on 2004, passing on the recipes and business to John who happened to be their friend.

The laksa stall is located at Nan Guang coffee shop, a corner lot of the shop right in front of the T junction road of Tun Sardon Road and Balik Pulau Road. It is hard to miss this shop, with the infamous landmarks are the Balik Pulau market on the left side coupled with a big green signboard right in front of the coffee shop.

Nan Guang Coffee Shop

My first time being here was back in 2004 with my uncle. However, back then, the laksa that I tasted was operated in the now defunct Balik Pulau wet market. The taste was so memorable, even it has been more than 6 years since I last tasted it. I am unsure whether was this the laksa that I tasted 6 years ago.

The laksa stall

Business being run overseeing the Balik Pulau road

Since it was on the weekday, my bowl of laksa was served almost instantly. The crowd was neither packed too, offering a quieter and cozier ambiance for laksa indulgence.

Balik Pulau Asam Laksa (RM 2.50)

For me, my definition of a bowl of delicious Asam Laksa would be those that have a thick soup that consisted plenty of fish, reasonably garnished with vegetables coupled with reasonable perking of tamarind stock and topped off with a sweet shrimp paste.

Balik Pulau Asam Laksa
The bowl of Balik Pulau laksa consisted of all the elements of what should be my definition of a delicious asam laksa. The soup was exploding with flavour of the fish, perked up reasonably with tamarind stock and perfectly sweetened with a tablespoon of shrimp paste. On top of that, I particularly loved their rice noodles which consisted of more rice propotion than the propotion of tapioca flour.

For those who does not have a chili tongue, perhaps would worried about getting drinks to cool down themselves. Need not to worry as they served the deliciously refreshing Ambra juice to sooth your tongue and body.

Ambra juice (RM 1.20)
It was also referred to as buah Kedondong in Malay. The ambra juice is being sweetened with sugar syrup before being topped off with a sweet and sour dried plum. Just awesomely delicious and refreshing!

Time for a perfect bowl of Laksa=)

After tasting so many bowl of laksa around, this Balik Pulau laksa remained as one of my favourite asam laksa to date. It was that good that I went for two bowls. Perhaps, I should try their Siam Laksa on my next visit.

Atmosphere: 5/10

Food: 8/10
Price: 9/10
Verdict: Tasted great, and definitely has what it takes to be one of the best Penang Asam Laksa.

Location: The T-junction road of Tun Sardon Road and Balik Pulau road with the Balik Pulau defunct market right beside it as a landmark.

Nan Guang Coffee Shop
67, Balik Pulau Main Road
11000, Balik Pulau
Penang
Business hours : 11am - 5pm daily, closed on every Wednesday except public holidays
Tel : 012 - 428 6235 (Mr. John)

Asam Laksa Joo Hooi Cafe @ Penang Road

After the previous day of disappointment, not being able to taste one of my favourite asam laksa, I returned to Penang Road coffee shop again to test my luck.

Many people would have refer it as Penang Road Coffee Shop even though the actual name for the shop was Joo Hooi Cafe. Located by the busy road of Penang Road, this coffee shop is indeed one of the famous old timer coffee shop amongst the Penangites. Accordingly, it has been here for decades.

The stall is not huge, and the seats are limited. During the weekends, you will find yourself needing to wait for seats should you choose to dine in, especially during the lunch hours.

Traditional settings at the stall

One of the reason to be here is to have a bowl of Asam Laksa. It is getting more famous over the years, and it is now well known as the Penang Road Asam Laksa. At the stall, you could see a huge pot of soup and a those huge baskets containing those noodles and vegetables.

The auntie that operates the Laksa stall

Queues are expected, especially during the weekends. You might need to wait for at least 10 minutes before your it was being served. And obviously, the waiting time is doubled especially during the weekends and on the public holidays.

Penang Road Asam Laksa (RM 3)
This version of laksa is very different from the one served in Ayer Itam. While the Ayer Itam asam laksa soup are more murky, the soup here were way clearer. But nonetheless, the essential aroma of laksa were still maintained. Definitely a bowl of laksa for those who prefer less spicy and less murky version of laksa. The generous servings of crunchy onions and lettuce provides the extra chew and will definitely satisfy your craving for a bowl of laksa!

Just like my previous day experience, I was attracted to the aroma of Fried Koay Teow, again! And yes, I couldn't resist but to order a plate.

Fried Koay Teow (RM 4)
The hint of the soy sauce was too strong. Making things worse, it was all bland and lacked the much needed wok hei. Whilst it came it with four pieces of succulent prawn, it however cannot make up to this awful plate of fried koay teow.

There are other hawker food being served at the stall as well. However, I'd always stick to the asam laksa when ever I patronized this stall. For 5 years and counting, the taste were still as good as when I'm having my first bowl of laksa here.

Asam Laksa: 8/10
Fried Koay Teow: 4.5/10 (non-halal)

Atmosphere: 4.5/10
Price: 6.5/10
Verdict: If you are a fan of laksa, do not missed out the asam laksa! The Fried Koay Teow meanwhile are forgettable.

Joo Hooi Cafe
475, Penang Road
Penang

GPS Coordinates: N 05 25'1.37', E 100 19'49.99'

Pearl of Orient Get-Away Day 1 [11 Dec 2009]

It's year end. This time round, my family planned to visit Pearl of Orient. I've always love Penang, because of it mass varieties of delicious food and it's surrounded by sea. Besides, it has been a long time since I visited Penang and definitely it is the time to check out my Penang friends and it's surroundings.

We headed to the NSE Highway at 8am from Cheras and reached Sg. Buloh rest area about 8.30am. I don't feel well because I didn't sleep the night before. My stomach feel gg thanks to the previous night drinking session. Went to bought a KFC breakfast meal together that includes a Milo. Ate it while in the car and we continue the Journey to Bidor.

We reached Bidor about 9.40am. I went looking around for washroom because I feel like throwing out. My parents had the breakfast here but I didn't as my stomach still feeling upset. I just stole a fishball from my dad's meal. We left Bidor about 10.30am and I visited the R&R area again for the 3rd time..gg=.=

Mixed Fishball Soup @ Bidor Town
Can't make it. The fillings are just way too salty.

From this onwards, I slept along in the car. By the time I'm awake, I've already reached Bukit Mertajam. Feeling much better now. We crossed the Penang Bridge by 1pm and reached Sunway Hotel half an hour later. We were waiting to check in, while I called Pei Yee for a meet up.

Symbolic sign of Penang

We had Chicken Rice as our lunch before heading to the famous expensive Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow. Since the weather is hot, we carry on with the famous Penang Road Cendol and Asam Laksa.

Roasted Meat Platter @Federal Restaurant, Lorong Susu
We ordered the roasted chicken, steamed chicken and the "Char Siew".
The Char Siew is a bomb. The meat is succulent, tender and it melts in your mouth. I just love the Char Siew so much. The rice is the shop specialty. The rice being served is in Hainanese Style. The rice is very aromatic, not forgetting to mention the texture of the rice that is very tender. You just gotta eat it to believe it. The Sour Vegetable Soup which come as a complimentary(not in the pic), is another wow. Spicy and sour, just exotic and you can't stop sipping it. Way too orgasmic. The both chicken meat though, tasted very average.

The famous Goggle Auntie that fries the famous Char Koay Teow @ Lorong Selamat.
But where is her goggle this time?

Famous Char Koay Teow @ Lorong Selamat
The charred-smell (wok hei) can be tasted in each of the koay teow. Just too good to be true. The best ever Char Koay Teow I ate in my life. This CKT which has just 2 big prawns and some slices of Pork Sausages, comes in a hefty price of RM 6.50. But it is worth every penny of it. Do expect at least half an hour wait for this CKT. Even, Dr. Choong Kwai Fatt (best tax advisor in Malaysia) quoted that "I feel like crying" when he ate this Char Koay Teow.

Look at people who is Q-ing and crazing for the Teowchew cendol @ Penang Road

Penang Road Cendul @ Penang Road, near Komtar
Still tasted good but somehow it not as good compared to my previous visit back in 2007. Was it because I am full already?
Nonetheless, the cendols, kidney read beans are very fresh. Remember to ask for less sweet upon ordering if you do not have a sweet tooth. Still one of the best Cendol around in Malaysia.

With the Penang people Py that can't lead me to this stall..lols~=P

The Auntie that operates the Penang Road Laksa while the Uncle is preparing the noodle together with the vegetables.

Asam Laksa @ Penang Road, by the shop of the Famous Cendul
The soup is clear and not murky and it comes in a generous portion of lettuce, mint leaves and bites of fish. A different type of Asam Laksa but definiely one of the best around.

Rojak @ Penang Road, by the booth of the new shop setup by the Penang Road Famous Cendol to accomodate customers.
First rojak for this Penang Trip. Drizzled with lots of minced groundnuts making everybite of the fruits are well coated with the nuts. No complain at all, great stuff.

With both my parents @ the street off Penang Road

It's 5ish, when we returned to the hotel. We chilled a little while by the pool side. By 7.30pm, we continued on with dinner at the restaurant in Gurney Drive. After the dinner, we walked along the street and catch up some hawker food at the Gurney Drive.

Claypot Bean Curd @Restaurant 77 Famous Curry Fish Head, Gurney Drive
Passed my taste bud but little bit too salty but goes well with plain rice.

Stir-Fried Siew Pak Choy @Restaurant 77 Famous Curry Fish Head, Gurney Drive
A normal-taste of stir-fried siew pak choy, least the vegetables are fresh

Stuffed Lobak @ Restaurant 77 Famous Curry Fish Head, Gurney Drive
The lobak is stuffed with some tender chicken meat making this lobak is very unique from other lobaks. It's crispy from the outisde and tender inside. Another specialty in the house not to be missed. Both my parents love this dish alot even though they don't fancy lobak.

Steamed Otak-Otak @Restaurant 77 Famous Curry Fish Head, Gurney Drive
Another unique dish in the shop. The otak-otak served is in a flat layer instead of the usual thick layer. Alot of fish meat can be tasted together with the presence of strong aroma of the "Kalao" leaves herb. I find this dish so-so because I do not fancy strong aroma of herbs leave. However, my mum love this dish so much.

Curry Fish Head @ Restaurant 77 Famous Curry Fish Head, Gurney Drive
The signature dish. Fresh grouper fish head are being cooked in a curry sauce. This is not an ordinary curry fish as it is being cooked without the santan milk, making this dish a very healthy serving while maintaing the typical nice aroma of curry sauce. So good that the whole bowl was cleared up, even to the last sipping of the sauce.

The banner

The night scenes of the most happening street in Penang, the Gurney Drive

Lightings of interior @ G-Hotel, Gurney Drive

The usual view of the Busy Gurney Drive Hawker Fair

Rojak Stall @ Penang Gurney Drive
One of the proclaimed famous Gurney Drive rojak. It was good but could not match the one we had at the Penang Road during the noon time.

Fried Oyster @ Gurney Drive
First fried oyster in Penang. Disappointed! Too starchy with too much presence of corn/tapioca flour. However, the oyster are fresh though.

We head back to hotel about 11pm. My parents, auntie and uncle went for rest while I waited for Pei Yee and Phooi Khuan for the next session. Pei Yee arrived first while Phooi Khuan arrived about 11.40pm. We head off to Sunset Bistro for some chilling and catching up session. It was beautiful, I love the ambience very much.

Siew Mai @ Hawker Stall at New Lane
It's been long since I tasted a yummy street siew-mai. It just cost 40 cents a piece and it is home made. Best of all it matches the criteria of Cheap, Nice, Tasty. I wanted to have it a second helping on the next day, but just too bad, the stall was on leave!!=((

Us at Sunset Bistro~

We round the day off with the prawn mee at the Burma Road.

Prawn Mee @ Greenhouse, Jalan Burma
Only serves after 10pm. The only prawn Mee that I had for my this trip. So yummy that I finished up my bowl and Phooi Kuan's bowl at the wee time of 3am. Went there for the second time on the the next midnight. Just too unbelievably good. Many people cladded in clubbing attire visited this stall, supposingly for supper after their clubbing. A 15 minutes of wait is normal.

Thank you Phooi Khuan for bringing me to this stall=)

I drove Pei Yee back while Phooi Khuan escorted behind and fetch me back to hotel eventually. It's 3.30am by the time I reached hotel. Time for a short rest before I continue the next day.

It was great to see you again Phooi Khuan. Thanks for everything. Hope to see you again real soon=)