Cariso Delicacies Corner

This is a new restaurant at the corner shop lot after the Lorong Kampung Malabar, serving Thai & Nyonya cuisine.

Asam Pedas (RM8.00 – 2 fish) My rating : 8/10

This is an absolutely appetizing dish. It would be greater if heated with candle warmer during serving.

Thai Style Roast Chicken (RM11.00) My rating : 8/10

Spice- flavoured roast chicken, a good choice for those who like moist gravy type instead of dry belacan chicken.

Deep Fried Belacan Chicken (RM12.00) My rating : 7/10

Loh Bak (RM8 – 2pcs) My rating : 6/10

Braised Garlic Pepper Pork Ribs (RM12.00) My rating : 6/10

Pork Trotter with Vineger (RM16.00) My rating : 6/10

A bit too sourish and sweet to my liking.

Some of the Chinese dishes that are serving during CNY period.

Chicken Soup with Herbs (RM26.00) My rating : 7/10

An aromatic steamed herbal chicken.

Stir Fried Thai Style Mayonnaise Prawns with Broccoli (RM22.00) My rating : 8/10

Otak Otak (RM4.00 each) My rating : 9/10

A bit pricey but recommended!

Fried Kangkung (RM9.00) My rating : 7/10

I like the fragrant unique belacan/shrimp paste of this kangkung dish.

Malabar Belanda Eggs (RM4.50 – 2 eggs) My rating : 7/10

Thai Style Beef Koay Teow (RM9.50) My rating : 6/10

Kasturi Lime with Sour Plum Drink (RM2.80) My rating : 9/10

A recommended drink for all! Refreshing for hot day and when having Thai food.

Dessert of the Day (Steamed Pumpkin with Coconut Milk Custard – RM3.50) My rating : 9/10

I like this dessert. Moist with average sweetness.

Surprise! Located upstair of this restaurant is a lodging motel with affordable price.

MALABAR RESTAURANT – DINE & CHILL
Address: 26 & 28, Lebuh Cintra, 10100 Penang. (Same row with the famous Cintra Street Oh Kuih/Bak Chang and opposite the famous Yee Sang Kai Chook) 
Contact: 604-263 8266
Website: www.malabar.net.my
FaceBook: www.facebook.com/MalabarPenang
GPS: 5.418636, 100.333832
Business Hours: 11.00am – 10.00pm (Closed on Tuesday)
Happy Hours: 5.00pm – 9.00pm

[This is an invited review]

A group of us were invited to have a Poon Choi session at Zi Zai Restaurant, Paya Terubong.

The Poon Choi packages offered at Zi Zai Restaurant are : -

RM258 nett (for 4-5 pax)

RM400 nett (for 10 pax)

with FREE flow of steamed rice & herbal tea (included).

Poon Choi is a all-in one dish using a metal basin or pot stuffed with pre-cooked ingredients (mostly stewed, steamed or poached) which later be arranged layer by layer and reheated before eating.

This is how the actual serving size is for a 10-pax package at Zi Zai.

An outstanding ‘Poon Choi’ emphasizes on distribution and sequence of ingredients by each layer, normally with the bottom layered by ‘wet’ ingredients whereas top part is ‘dry’ ingredients.

Those pan-fried and roasted items (nowadays it has been to display the expensive exotic) are normally put on top to practically fulfill the essence of ‘Poon Choi’ and also enhance the visual impression; whereas those ‘down-to-earth’ ingredients like taro and yam bean are based on bottom to provide taste and also bring up the aroma of appetite.

The Poon Choi at Zi Zai Restaurant consists of 13 items: stewed abalones, pan-fried prawns, fried fish fillets, fried Fu Zhou fish balls, broccoli, roasted ducks, sesame oil chicken, sea cucumber, fish maw, mushroom, pork belly, taro and yam bean.

(纽西兰罐头鲍鱼，酱爆大虾， 炸卡猎鱼肉， 手工福州鱼丸， 碧绿芥兰花， 好味烤鸭， 香浓麻油鸡， 葱烧海参，蚝油鱼鳔， 严选花菇， 盆菜猪肉， 厢糯芋头，爽甜沙葛）

A close up showing the first layer. Abalones and prawns on the top.

The homemade Fuzhou fish balls are one of the impressive items that I like.

[...]

[This is an invited review]

If you are willing to spend for a quality lunch (not quantity) with hotel chef’s standard, Sesame + Soy is the right choice for you!

Update : The latest menu. 

The actual serving size will be as below.

Highly recommended to try its white fried rice with eggs, instead of white rice! 

Soup of the day : Black fungus chicken soup.

Steamed Snapper Fillet with (salted egg yolk puree) (4 slices)

Sichuan Smoked Duck with Jelly Fish. (3 slices of duck breast) [...]

This is an invited review.

Before hopping to the cycling tour, I wish to inform you all that you may expect the following places/items of interest at Balik Pulau.

Marimman Hindu temple, Muslim mosque and graveyard, Traditional malay healer (bomoh), Kuih Baulu, Homestay village, Coconut, Hokkien Mee and Lo Bak, Cooling face powder, Nipah Palmyra drink (Air Nira), Batik, Laksa Janggus, Stepping Stone Centre, Shrimp paste (belacan), Pulau Betong Fishing Villave, Pantai Pasir Panjang, Traditional Malay house, Paddy fields. During the journey back, you may visit Organic Fruit & Vegetable farm and Goat farm.

If you are exploring merely the Balik Pulau town which is approximately in walkable 1km’s distance , then you may wish to cover the following :  Wet market and Sunday market, Roman Catholic church, Historical Schools (SMK. Sacret Heart, SMK St. George), Spice and Fruit farm, Xuan Wu Chinese temple, Balik Pulau Laksa, Shophouse No. 100, Silversmith, Roundabout and Old District office.

Now, here is the centre that we gathered before our cycling tour.

The bikes prepared by the Explore Balik Pulau Centre.

Our tea break before cycling tour began. [...]

The ingredients and style used in this restaurant is different or claimed to be ‘higher’ grade than the so-called ‘OLD’ one. Well, for me, it doesn’t matter whether if this restaurant is from the same management source, I only care about the quality of the food.

Below pricing are for 10 pax portion & also price/kg:

Steamed Grouper 石斑清蒸（钓） – RM80/kg [My rating : 8/10]

This grouper is not breeding ones, but fished. It’s very fresh.

Tri Flavour Red Snapper 红狮三味 – RM25/pc [My rating : 7/10]

Steamed Clam 花芭蒸 – RM18 [My rating : 6/10]

I still prefer clams to be prepared in more spicy flavour.

[...]