My Trip Back Home to Singkir Laut

Recently I went home to Singkir Laut, Kedah.

My village is in Yan District, near Tanjung Dawai.

Tanjung Dawai is bigger Fishing Town compares to my fishing village.

Our place is famous for local produce such as belacan (shrimp paste), keropok ikan (fish cracker), ikan bilis (local anchovy) and nira nipah (non fermented simple palm tree syrup-a type of swamp tree)

Merbok River, one of the oldest mangrove reserve forest in Kedah State. The nearby jetty complete with Eco-tourism facilities such as mangrove boat trip, fishing trip, floating chalet etc.

Our home sweet home. I was born in this house, delivered my traditional midwife. (I am retro!)

Laksa Kedah, another version of Laksa, slightly different in taste compared to Laksa Penang. Best served with small green chillies. So delicious, mind blowing.

"Nira nipah" with ice, earthy and sweet, naturally the product of swampy area palm tree near my village.

This is how "nira nipah" look like up close. 

My brother in law promoting local beverage, "nira nipah".

My girlfriend also likes "nira nipah", just like local kampong folks.

Other than local produce, my place also famous for Bujang Valley Archeological Museum, in Merbok.

If you want to see and feel something different in your holiday, go to my place.

Bring mosquito repellent along ya.!

Motivated by a T shirt?

My source of motivation came from a T shirt.
Why a mere T shirt can motivate me?

This is my current favorite T shirt.
My old habit die hard is if I like to wear something, I will always wear it until wear off.
This shirt was given to me as souvenir from Kumamoto, Japan by my friend Timmy Ang.

What I like the most is the material keep me cool all the time.
I don't like thick shirt because it make me sweating.
Hot weather can drive people crazy just like this story
Other than that, the black color hides my extended and renovated "front porch".

I think, I look tougher LOL.
The dragon picture also very cool and mysterious.
I like it very much and I think my motivation level is higher each time I wear this T shirt.

Thank you my Fellow Bloggers!!

Thank you so much!! My arms became insufficient in length to show how much I am thankful to all.

Today this blog age is 2 months and 3 weeks.(approximately 80 days old)

It has to date 70 posts, 0.875 post per day to be exact.
My Nuffnang debit balance is RM 9.00. (Ok what?)
Not so bad for a beginner cum busy family man. (I had to push my own button, if not the elevator won't go up)
It also been followed willingly (or forcefully, I follow you, please follow me back kind of strategy) by 50 powerful heads. (90% are bloggers who owned an outrageously mind-blowing blogs of thoughts and stories)

If only I knew how wonderful blogging could be, I would have done it long ago.
In my 80 days of blogging, I have shared and gain so many things with the blogging community.
At my age (do I have to say this?) and experience, I still see so many new idea to learn from my fellow bloggers.
As I blogwalking, I saw my knowledge level becoming outdated.
So, I quickly grab new knowledge shared by bloggers and readers.
In my line of duty, I need fresh idea to cope with the ever changing needs. (WTH! actually I am doing public training; I need fresh idea to avoid my audience hibernating while lecturing)

I have seen health blogs, photo blogs, food blogs, travel blogs, shopping blogs, personal blogs, Islamic blogs, art blogs, creative writing blogs, politic blogs and many more blogs (the list goes on).
Bloggers blog for many reasons.
Some for money, building friend network, sharing idea, releasing anger and stress, for fun etc. etc.
What we have in common is, we speak our minds and share it with the blogging community.
That's what I love about blogging community, we are colorful and yet we blend together in harmony.
We complement each other skills and knowledge and some even made us laugh and feel better.

Honestly, blogging and blogging community has directly enrich my knowledge and pushing up my happy meter. (I actually became happier but I think my wife felt otherwise because she said I have taken Miss Lappie as my dark lover ('kekasih gelap') since blogging...aiyahh! annekuanna, sii liau maa)
I also made new friends and connection. (I added some to my friend list at Facebook)
Those who wants to know my other side of story, kindly add me at Facebook ya.
I have a squadron of immediate family members and relatives there!! (I got to behave myself there)

So my point is, Blogging and blogging community has been my new source of knowledge.
And for that, I salute all bloggers with all the respects and admiration.
You are my source of inspiration, friends and some say a shoulder to release stress..(is it? hahaha!)
Thank you for your visits, advert clicking and comments.
Keep blogging and thank you so much my fellow bloggers.
You guys rock!!!

Padang Brown, The Best 'Eat All You Can' Spot in Penang

Recently we went to Padang Brown for 'makan-makan'.

This is one of my favorite 'eat all you can' spot in Penang.

Cheap and original, where Penang people go to eat with their family.

There are abundant of choice, you name it, they got it.

Pasembur, Mee Mamak, Yong Tau Fu, Satay, Ais Kacang, just to name a few.

Nizam Corner, stall number 57 (last stall) selling the famous Penang's comfort food, Hokkien (prawn) Mee, Curry Mee and Koay Teow Th'ng (soup)

The stall worker preparing Hokkein Prawn Mee.

The stall owner, Nizam, need to be persuaded for a photo shot. He such a 'manmathan' himself, 'Nalla jokar'. I wonder where did he learnt the secret Hokkien recipes.

The original Penang Hokkein Prawn Mee. Yellow noodle, vermicelli (bihun), beansprouts, kangkung, hard boiled egg, fish ball, fish cake and fresh prawns in a seafood broth. RM 3.00 per bowl. My rank: 4/5 stars.

The other Nizam (my brother in-law) having good time enjoying his prawn mee. (on the house) The owner insisted not to charge the 1st bowl as a promotion drive. Nice ya! Aesya looking at her uncle 'makan' so sedap, meh sikit!

This is mine. The one and only, Koay Teow Th'ng. Flat rice noodle (koay teow), chicken meat, fish ball, fish cake, spring onions in a clear chicken soup. Simply steaming and delicous. My favorite Penang food. RM 3.00 per bowl. My rank: 4/5 stars.

Stall number 54, AR. Firdaus Cafe. Selling the best Ais Kacang, Coconut, Shake, Milk Shake, Markisa Coconut and many more. The green sentence says " Be a thankful human being and loyal to Allah". Indeed a useful reminder to all of us.

What an inviting stall setting. You will feel thirsty by looking at the advertisement photos.  

This is the famous Coconut Markisa. Some sort of non-alcoholic cocktail. Nicely mixed and balance. Something new to me but I quickly like it.

Green apple juice, fresh and thirst quenching.

This is the signature drink of  AR. Firdaus Cafe, Milo (Chocolate) Shake. You cannot stop sipping once started. Wow, entirely different sensation. I have no idea Milo Shake can be so nice. I highly recommend you guys to try this one. Simply amazing, you'll be asking for more.

We ordered satay out of curiosity. The beef satay was very delicious indeed. Tender and melting. The sauce was quite different but still nice. I didn't get the stall number but it was near to the AR. Firdaus Cafe.

Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu; Still the Best Nasi Kandar in Penang

First of all, I would like to clarify one thing, I am not Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu shareholder.

Hahaha, somebody suspected because my wife is originally from Kampung Melayu.

My review was purely based on the taste.

Actually this is my 2nd review, see my 1st review here,but this time I went to their branch which serves dinner.

It is located in Food Court, Jalan Thein Teik. (Blue Apartment)

The main branch located in Flats Kampung Melayu, close after lunch time.

Like I said before, I have tried all nasi kandar in Penang, whether restaurants or foodstalls.

But for 24 years of eating nasi kandar, I still prefer this one.

Ayer Itam view from Kek Lok Si Temple.

Not many people lining up at dinner time. If it is lunch time, you will see longer line and bigger crowd.

No words can describe.. Deliciousness make me speechless. Imagine the mild spiced 'flooded' gravy penetrating your ever wanting mouth. Tenderness of the squid,  simply the best!!

Don't worry to put more gravy, it is not too spicy. Make sure you have them mix all around. The secret of making your nasi kandar more delicious is to mix the correct gravy with your main meat/seafood. Different type of meat/seafood with different set of gravy. Adding a little bit by a little bit of your curry can only be mix by the expert hand of the man in-charged. Just trust the man, okay!

Those who are not familiar with the location, can refer to the above map or you can always google on your own.

I have heard so many opinions by bloggers of the so call mainstream big shot Nasi Kandar Restaurants, where they claim the best in Penang. Wait until you try this one. Kampung Melayu Nasi Kandar is not big, they only have two branches. They are not big chain restaurant, but their taste and delicousness has beat the rest of the bigger players. Don't just buy my words, go try it yourself.

Beautiful Blogger Award - Awwww!!! Am I that beautiful?

1.Thank & link the person that gave u the award 
TQ Hanim, lain kali bagi lagi award macho blogger pulak yer. Siapa-siapa nak kaypoh tentang cerita budak final year, engineering kat UTM silalah lawat blog beliau. 

2.Pass diz award onto15 bloggers u've recently discovered n think are fantastic
Amboi ramainya, tang mana pakcik nak cari ni....(semua masih banyak

hutang tag)

• aku "chuppp"

3.Contact said blogs and let them know they've won the award

• aku "chuppp"

4.State 7 things about urself

1. aku banyak cakap, banyak makan, banyak gelak, banyak songeh.
2. aku kawin muda, umur 21, gediks(huhu), dengan member sekolah aku dan dapat anak 3 orang, yang sulung lelaki, 19 th, yang kedua pompuan, 17 th, yang ketiga pompuan 9 th.
3. walaupun aku banyak kekurangan, tapi aku tetap bangga dengan diri aku dan asal usul aku. Kelebihan aku ialah perut aku sentiasa ke depan.
4. cita-cita aku nak jadi operations director sebelum pencen, lepas pencen nak jadi training consultant sepenuh masa dalam bidang manufacturing jugak. Aku minat training field.
5. aku juga berniaga, tapi sbg "sleeping partner" jer, awek aku berniaga full time, butik kecantikan dan kesihatan.
6. aku tak berapa suka kereta sbb takley cilok kaw-kaw, aku suka moto, kapcai pun jadilah janji cepat sampai.
7. aku memang cakap banyak, orang mintak 7 aku bagi belambak..hahaha

 Thank you ANEM, pakcik harap ko berjaya dalam kerjaya di bidang manufacturing. Beautiful blogger awards ni juga aku bagi kepada semua follower blog aku. Terima kasih.

Mee Goreng Mamak, Dhoby Ghaut, near Penang General Hospital.

Mee Goreng stall, off Datuk Keramat Road, Dhoby Ghaut. This road lead to Penang General Hospital and State Prison.

Customers waiting for mee goreng. Customers having their mee goreng in the open air area.(far end) No table provided. Actually the plastic chair is dual-purpose, chair cum table. 

Cold "boisson de soja" served in steel mugs. Classic and refreshing.

Wow..!! Mee goreng mamak. Famous local comfort food, yellow noodle, bean curd, egg, bean sprouts, potato, squid, mamak version of eu char kway, and special deep fried "cucur". (I have no idea what they call it in English). Price: RM 3.00 per plate. The taste, simply "sedap". My rank: 3.5 / 5 stars.

Aiyah...chiak bey liau ahh.. Luak..So spicy for me. Next time, must ask for less spicy.

Sharing is caring. The portion usually quite big for a small eater. To a makan king, the portion is not a big deal. But for sure, it's going to make you "full". 

Cerita Cili Padi @ Cabai Melaka

Cili padi, orang utara panggil cabai melaka, pedas tapi sedap.

Aku suka cili padi.

Buat air asam, makan dengan daging rebus atau ikan bakar.

Makan dengan laksa, perghh..bestnya.

Potong nipis-nipis campur dengan kicap cair, makan dengan kway teow t'hng...pak mentua lalu pun tak nampak.

Abang aku lagi daring, dia makan cili padi mentah-mentah buat ulam.

Cili padi memang best, tapi kalau silap haribulan boleh ternganga kepedasan.

Masakan Thai paling banyak menggunakan cili padi.

Salah satu masakan Thai yang guna banyak cili pad ialah "Thai Green Curry"

Biasa makan ke?

Selalunya orang masak kari hijau Thai ni dengan ayam.

Dulu masa aku kerja kat hotel, ada jugak makanan ni.

Mat saleh memang terkenal dengan sikap ingin tahu yang kuat.

Orang cakap, "curiosity kills the cat".

Bila nak order makanan, depa akan tanya macam-macam.

Kami pun terangkanlah serba sedikit tentang makanan.

Satu hari tu, ada satu couple omputeh dari mana ntah, minta aku rekemen makanan.

Aku pun rekemenlah "Thai Green Curry" yang sedap tu.

Siap promo lagi, "it's my very own favorite dish"

Si isteri yang minta, si suami makan benda lain.

Bila makanan sampai, depa pun terus makan.

Tiba-tiba si isteri menjerit-jerit dengan kuat sambil menangis.

Aku pun pergi ke meja depa untuk check kenapa dia nangis.

Si suami cakap isterinya makan "green bean" yang sangat pedas.

"She ate spicy green beans, please help, please help". Si suami meminta tolong dalam keadaan panik.

Aku dapati dia makan cabai melaka mentah yang dibuat hiasan ("garnishing").

Aku pun terus mengambil "ice cube" dan suruh dia mamam.

Tapi lepas ais semua habis, dia masih kepedasan.

Aku pun teringat masa kecik-kecik dulu arwah mak aku selalu letak gula atas lidah aku jika aku tergigit cabai.

Aku terus suruh dia jelirkan lidah dan letak gula.

Lepas tu, dia beransur pulih dan berhenti menangis.

Suami dia siap ucap jutaan terima kasih kat aku kerana tolong isteri dia.

Nasib baik aku ada fast remedy untuk minah saleh tu.

Kalau tak, tak taulah sampai bila dia nak nangis.

Lepas tu aku cakap kat chef, jangan la letak cabai melaka buat garnishing.

Ramai omputeh yang tak tau beza antara cabai dengan french beans.

Lesson Learnt:

1.Curiosity kills the cat.

2.No rushing, jangan gelojoh, check dulu, confirm apa yang nak dimakan.

3.Jangan over confident, bahaya tau.

Boss yang Syok Sendiri

Haipp, tidur ekk!! Menyamar macam fokus konon.

Lamanya tak post.

Sebenarnya ada banyak bahan baru, tapi masa yang kureng.

Broadband pun sengal macam chipsmore, sekejap ada sekejap tak ada.

Nak blogwalking pun susah, lepas kul 12.00 malam baru ok sikit.

Alamatnya, pagi-pagi aku tidur dalam meeting.

Tidur dalam meeting, bukan aku sorang, ramai yang tidur.

Ada senior manager orang jepun pun selalu tidur.

Aku tanya dia kenapa dia selalu tidur.

Dengan slamber dia jawab, "E-go wakaranai"

Sempoi gila jawapannya, "Saya tidak faham Bahasa Inggeris"

Nasib baik dia tak jawab, "Maggi saya sudah kembang"

Bukannya kami sengaja nak tidur tapi ada sebab yang tak dapat dielakkan.

Chairman syok sendiri.

Inilah masalahnya bila orang yang tak berilmu diberi kepimpinan.

Sepatutnya top management hanya fokus kepada isu-isu besar, membuat polisi, pelan jangka panjang dan perkara-perkara conceptual.

Dia ni gila babas, semua hal-hal remeh temeh semua nak bawa masuk meeting.

Akibatnya, meeting 1 jam dragged sampai 3 jam.

Boleh buat kerja lain yang lebih berfaedah dari membuang masa 3 jam.

Rugi betui la pagi-pagi buang masa, hilang momentum.

Sengal tul la, naik tension kami semua.

Dahlah cakap benda-benda tak berfaedah, (non-value added) lepas tu perasan, bajet best ar tu.

Lemas perut aku.

Kesimpulannya di sini, tujuan meeting telah tersasar akibat big boss yang syok sendiri.

Aku berjanji (dalam hati) bila aku jadi big boss nanti, aku takkan buat semua ni.

Korang pun, kalau jadi big boss, jangan syok sendiri tau.

Buat susah orang, hampeh.

Nak sound lebih-lebih takut gaji tak naik, adehhh! 

Old Town Cafe, Take Your Time (Enjoy it Slow-Slow)

Place: Old Town Cafe, Raja Uda Butterworth.

What I like the most, is the old style coffee shop surrounding.

Relaxing, cozy corner, no rushing, ban-ban chiak, take your own sweet time.

Lum Mee. Recommended.

                                          Chicken Hor Fun. Highly recommended.

Fried Chicken Platter. Least recommended.

Apek arr, ban-ban chiak. Ho chiak wooo!!! Annekuanna, evelyday pun lai ooo.

Overall food in the menu selection are up to standard.

The Prawn Mee was quite delicious, the last time I ate it.

The price actually cheaper for an A class restaurant. (A rank for cleanliness)

Prompt service.

Halal.

Go and enjoy it slow-slow.

Catching Up with Old buddies at E & O Hotel

The most 'high end' hotel in Penang. To know E & O is to love E & O.

The back view of E & O Hotel, make you feel like you travel back in time.

Coffee house open air seating.

View from coffee house open air seating.

Tanjong Tokong can be seen from E & O Hotel backyard.

E & O hotel is one of the best ranking hotel in Penang.
Located in 10 Farquhar Street, 10200 Penang, Malaysia.
For further information visit: Official E & O Hotel Website

On 10th and 11th March 2010, I went for a public training held in the hotel.
Wow, so siokkk!!
Not only because I can learn new set of skill, I can make some foodie review and meet old friends.
My ex colleagues, who are working in  the hotel (plus my son who also work there)

The training went on interesting, thanks to Dr. Saravanan Murugeson, Principal Consultant of Reeds Holistic Management.
He is an expert in Best Practices in Warehouse Management and many more things.
He can be reached at: saramuru5@yahoo.com.my

Serious looking Warehouse Executives and Managers.

The most 'stylo' warehouse senior executive in white shirt, during coffee break.

 My course mate and our facilitator (with necktie) enjoying buffet lunch at Coffee house.

Bob Lee, Executive Chef, the man behind  all those superb culinary experience at E & O Hotel. Known for his " hell kitchen" management those days in one of the 5 stars beach resort in Penang. But now, he became more cooler. (He he he) I know this culinary genius since 1988 (We worked together before). His cooking trophies and awards are comparable to Siti Nurhaliza in the singing industry.

Penang Char Kway Teow expert, Chef Ah Fatt, working at buffet line. E & O Hotel buffet lunch is serving freshly cook pastas and local delicacies.

Chef Ah Fatt's Char Kway Teow, one of the best in Penang and some say, the whole Northern Region. (I ate it, trust me)

My old buddy, Chef Kalimuthu handling the griller. He is the ever loyal Bob Lee follower and one of the most promising chef in the industry.

Chef Kalimuthu grilled seafood, a fusion touch. Serving local sauces with the grilled seafood was a brilliant idea. The seafood are local and freshly served.

Another promising talent under Chef  Bob Lee, Chef Abdullah at the pasta section.

Steaming hot spaghetti in classic tomato sauce with seafood. Sprinkled with formaggi de grana. (grated cheese, parmesan - show off, ha ha ha!) 

My own version of seafood platter. Unagi (sea eel), shrimp, preserved fish and lettuces, served with thousand island sauce. Simply, light and easy. (A lot more to stuff in my readily extended tummy)

A touch of Japanese taste at the sushi section. A Japanese guest will surely feel at home.The fish was so fresh, you can eat it on its own without the wasabe and soy sauce.

My version of kebabs, a funny combination but who cares what goes in my tummy. Chicken kebabs, grilled salmon, grilled shrimps, fried spring roll (popia) and keropok ikan (traditional fish crackers)

This is my own E & O coffee house signature dish. Pumpkin soup, a simple pumpkin soup, I don't think so. I guess something "fishy" going on. Must be some sort of crustacean stock, lobster, crayfish, prawn or something. My course mate recommended, I liked it very much. Smoothing!!!.

My course mates enjoying lunch in an English style surrounding, full with English colonial memories.

Mr. Muhammad Zubair Tsaqif, one of the F & B service staff @ my son.

Chef Ang and Pastry Chef Mariam were camera shy. 

They are also the backbone of superbly delicious food at the coffee house.

Both are also my ex colleagues in 5 stars beach resort 20 years ago.

You might wonder how can I consumed so much food at once. 

Actually it was two days lunch lah..(Ingat perut stokin ke?)

But anyway, I highly recommend the coffee house buffet lunch for an ultimate eat all you can experience.

If we could not afford the high end room price, don't be sad, be a walk in guest once in a while and just enjoy your English style surrounding lunch at coffee house.

The food and service were up to the six stars level.

Bravo!