it’s one of those houses-turned-shophouses. during the day, it looks like an ordinary terrace house, and as the night falls, pork-lovers herd together at the car porch. there’s no signage or whatever, you might overlook this gem. i’ll provide the address below, make sure you have your gps or google maps ready.Mushroom Soup | RM 3 (ala carte)
served with a crispy garlic wholemeal bread. it’s not your ordinary can food soup, of course. don’t be surprised to feel those tiny bits and occasional huge-yet-bite-sized mushrooms lingering in your mouth, dancing intimately with the tongue, great time i assure you.

again, it’s not your ordinary can food soup, so don’t expect the sodium level will be the same. however, you might wanna dash some pepper in it to give it a lil’ more oomphTomato Plum Juice | RM 3.50
a glassful of fibres, 100% tomato blended with sour plum, no additional sugar, water or nonsense. even the boyf loved it! it acts as a appetiser so that our stomach and mind are prepared for the next.a slice of creamy cheese + homemade pork patty + slices of tomato, lettuce and onions sandwiched between two toasted sesame buns.

i remembered the very first bite was HMMMM followed by a satisfied look. i rushed out and saw homies were having the same expression, we then sang praise to the burger. not too meaty, the flavour is just ngam ngam hou. not too overwhelming nor bland.

black pepper sauce and barbeque sauce are also available with additional of 50 cents while double trouble is priced at RM 8.Egg Pecah Toast | RM 2
it’s like a slightly runny spicy scrambled egg served with a toast (the scallion atop was removed rightaway after this picha was taken. if you don’t know me, i hate scallion, parsley or similar glass). i thought it’s an innovative way of having toast!

so pork burger, anyone?

43 Cafe
43, Jalan Sungai Dua,
11700 Penang,
Malaysia
+0164307009
https://www.facebook.com/43Cafe

the first time i came across ChinaHouse was when my friends brought us there during our cycling-around-George-Town time on the first day of year 2013! we parked our bikes in front of the cafe, and made ourselves at home, toured around ChinaHouse.

ChinaHouse is a traditional compound which makes up of three heritage buildings, linked by an open air courtyard and converted into 14 spaces comprising Food + Drink (Kopi C. Espresso, Beach St. Bakery, BTB & Restaurant, Vine & Single, 14 Chairs, The Canteen & Bar, and Courtyard Cafe), Shopping (Reading Room, The Study, Bon Ton Shop II & III), and Art +Theatre (Art Space I & II, Artist’s Dorm, The Loft, and Upstairs)

it is a looooooong colonial shop lot that has two entrances at Victoria Street and Beach Street respectively. if you enter from Beach Street’s you’ll be instantly mesmerized by the lovely coffee aroma that lingers in the room, which we did. and i’m not even a coffee person. i fell in love with the vibe. hipster, unpretentious and rugged. didn’t stay on for makan because my friends wanted to try GohKaki Cafe which was fairly new in town then. but i made a mental note to self that i WILL be back.

fast forward months later,

i strikethrough ChinaHouse off my list as the birthday girl requested ChinaHouse! and us being the best bffs, granted her wish! ChinaHouse it was!from the entrance (at Beach Street), the first compartment is Kopi C. Espresso which smells heavenly! and walk further in, it’s Beach St. Bakery where you’ll be greeted witha table-ful of cakesss!
this’s what lured me to come back too, apart from the coffee aroma.

we were ushered to be seated at Reading Room which was a smoking area. we didn’t made reservation that’s why. but luckily there’s only 1-2 smokers throughout that night!

beside Reading Room, it’s Vine & Single which is more to fine dining kinda style. i saw there’s wide array of wines available. we were this close to dine there as it’s full house at Reading Room! we were definitely no fine dining materials as pathetic portion couldn’t feed us well and prim and proper ain’t our th’ng! we are bubbly and LOUD! luckily few person left in time {Penang} Dinner @ ChinaHouse, Victoria Street & Beach Street

BTB & Restaurant on the other hand serves Asian & Middle Eastern cuisine while American and Mexican cuisine can be found at The Canteen & Bar.

since it’s our first time here, one of the berry accommodating and friendly male wait staff recommended us few dishes.Crushed Mint & Lime Soda | RM 10; Pineapple, Ginger & Lime | RM 10; Pineapple Mint Tea | RM 10

my suggestion, just go straight with Pineapple, Giner & Lime next time. this pineapple juice was so refreshing with fade hint of sourness (lime) and spiciness (ginger). i didn’t know pineapple and ginger would work so well together!

however, if you’re a mint lover, you might prefer Crushed Mint & Lime Soda, because it’s berry minty (certainly not for me) and if you don’t quite like the idea of having ginger in your drink, Pineapple Mint Tea might be right for you. but it’s just tea with slight hint of pineapple, in our opinions.Grilled Prawn Salad | RM 38

the wait staff told us that the portion was good for sharing, so we ordered a salad and two main dishes to be shared among four of us as we wanted to save our stomach for desserts!

this salad had grilled prawns, cherry tomatoes, mango & avocado cubes, pistachio and drizzled with basil dressing.

one of the best salad i have ever had!

it’s everything what a salad should be, light and appetizing! i love how they have multiple texture on the plate, mushy soft (mango & avocado) interlaced with hard (pistachio) & crunchy (leafy vegetables). and the serving was generous! prawns were fresh as well.

the price was on the high side obviously, but they were pretty generous with the ingredients! just that we can’t really come here frequent. our wallets would wail in blood wtf.Ginger Bud Pesto with Grilled Chicken Breast Spaghetti | RM 30

one of the main dish we had was chicken spaghetti tossed in spicy ginger bud pesto and topped with grilled chicken breast.

this dish was a mistake. biggest mistake of that night. my eyes skipped the word ‘bud’, i thought it’s spaghetti with ginger pesto =.=. to me, ginger bud is as smelly as parsley, basil, coriander, and chives (i know these smell heavenly to you, but it’s atrocious to me) :/ that’s why i rarely eat asam laksa.

all four of us thought that ginger bud was too overpowering, and my gfs are those who love smelly grasses. it’d be better if they tone down the ginger bud as i like the spiciness (my tolerant to spicy is high though) in this pasta.

however if you’re a ginger bud avid lover, you might wanna challenge this dish.

the chicken breast was tender and not dry!Chicken and Mushroom Pie | RM 30

chicken and mushroom pie served with mashed potato and mixed leaves.

glad that this dish made it all up! the pie itself was crisp and airy! and the filling inside was creamily tasty, loads of mushroom and chicken chunks. mashed potato was good too! not berry smooth and creamy, but i like it this way. i couldn’t remember what’s the reddish sauce and how it tasted like though.

another main dish that the wait staff recommended was Chicken Schnitzel (RM34) which we didn’t order. you can try ordering that if you likey fried chicken chop!

and then it’s dessert time! we had such a hard time choosing two cakes out of the many cakes on the table =.=

SeakFen & i chose this as we wanted something light and not cloyingly sweet. our Passion Fruit Coconut Butter Cake came toppled {Penang} Dinner @ ChinaHouse, Victoria Street & Beach Street

it was buttery and had desiccated coconut all over it.. it’s not really soft, a little stiff for a cake. it was all good for the first few mouths and it gets more and more jelak after that as it’s cloyingly sweet =.=. even the sourish passion fruit couldn’t neutralize the sweetness

the other cake that we ordered however..Italian Cream Cake | RM 12

was good! doesn’t looked appealing but it’s a better choice, by HuiKee & LeeChing! the cake frosted with cream cheese was airy and not overly sweet!

in merely 4 weeks time, we will be celebrating Chinese New Year again! *throws confetti*

other than spring cleaning, mami (the kiasu aunty) has been busy ordering cookies and stock up dried (sea)food before the price hikes up! speaking of cookies, pineapple tart is one of my favourite and this whitish cookies that will melt in your mouth one, call what ar?

Gartien, a pineapple tarts cakes manufacturer based in Penang, has just revamped their packaging design to welcome the auspicious festival. elegant-looking box in red with gold stamping with individual packages wrappers painted with Peony 牡丹花, also colloquially known as 富贵花, flower of wealth! even comes with a 红彤彤 ang tang tang paper bag! it sure looks presentable as a gift to your relatives and friends. and confirm they will gladly receive this gift because pineapple is ‘ong lai’ in Hokkien, which literally translate to prosperity come.there’s 10 individual exquisite packages in a box. and each box is priced at RM 45 (available till January 26th, 2014).

i heard that it’s selling like hot cakes (pun intended)! 500 sets have been pre-booked by their loyal customers and friends! thus only limited quantity left! 250 boxes are up for grab every week from December 31st onward.

BUT…

if you pre-book NOW, each box only costs you RM 38!! promotion valid till December 31st 2013!

additional bonus! buy every 10 boxes and you’ll get either a box for free (if you’re collecting them yourself) OR delivery fees waived (for those residing within Peninsular Malaysia only).do you know why Gartien only offers such limited quantity? that’s because each and every pieces is handmade with loads of love with absolutely NO preservative and artificial flavouring added! each pineapple cake is compact yet soft. crumbles and melts in your mouth. and the filling.. not cloying to my liking! Gartien uses homegrown pineapple for the filling, and instead of puree, the pineapple was diced, textually contrast with the buttery soft pastry. ooh la la.

faiiiitit go grab few boxes before they run out of stock. you may book yours HERE!
http://www.gartien.com/products-page/

it was a public holiday Tuesday and unfortunately, I had to go to lab, you know the OTs before flying away (to Shanghai!). so to make working on a public holiday sounded pleasant, I ajak-ed Chuah for a brekkie (breakfast in my lingo) date, before heading to lab together.they don’t have a signage in front of the shop, but you know it’s the right café when you see colorful bikes parking neatly in front. Roti Bean is a quaint café manned by Andy and friends who are all berry friendly and chatty blokes!I was quite taken aback how small and cozy Roti Bean is. their main seating is located at 1st floor. there’s only like 5 tables, if I’m not mistaken.it didn’t took us long to decide what to order as their menu is pretty limited. not muchy variant available.

one feature that I didn’t like in the café is, the steep stairs. not elderly-friendly at all. I was wearing socks that day, so it’s kinda slippery and I had to hold the side wall for support, in order not to 仆街 wtf. oh girls in mini skirt might have to be extra careful too ya.quirky bikes for rent! they have couple bikes, trio bikes and even a pseudo trishaw which you can place the baby at the yellow compartment LOL.Soya Milk | RM 3; Signature Soya Milk | RM 4 {recommended}
soya milk is the only beverage you’ll find on Roti Bean’s menu, no coffee no chocolate no milo whatsoever. this can be a disadvantage since many needs their coffee fix every morning.

anyway,

soya milk is made house daily. certified fresh! I like Signature Soya Milk more, addition of Horlick makes it thicker and more fragrant. the sweetness is just right, to my liking! I cannot tolerate cloying beverage/dessert.Egg Benedict with Smoked Salmon | RM 11 {recommended}
halved toasted bun topped with smoked salmon, poached egg, drizzled with Hollandaise sauce and sprinkled with dried herbs.

the salmon is nicely smoldered, according to Chuah! I had a bite and seconded the statement. Hollandaise sauce is a lil’ too sourish which I didn’t expect. okay it’s my first time tasted this yellowish sauce *facepalm*. I know I know how could I huh? told you, brekkie place in Penang is meagre!

and then I excitedly commanded Chuah to slice across the yolk, I was all ready to get yolk-gasm.. manatau..YOLK Y U NO RUNNY

kinda disappointed with the overcooked yolk .Egg Benedict with Smoked Turkey Bacon | RM 10 {recommended}
mine! similar to Chuah, I had an open-sandwich. lettuce, two pieces of smoked turkey bacon, poached egg layered on one another on a white bread slathered with butter. it was okay-ish. i wish they serve some sides though as the portion is kinda small. no runny yolk as well, but overall I enjoyed it.

it has been awhile since I had a proper brekkie liddis! usually I’ll just have a, cuppa oat before heading to lab. so yeah, I enjoyed the food and the company. oh also, the hospitable staffs. I loved how Andy greeted us GOOD MORNING! cheerfully upon entering the premise. that woke me up instantly!

and so we left with satisfying smiles on our faces.

Roti Bean serves decent brekkie at proper breakfast hours. do take note that although Roti Bean opens from time 0900 – 1700, the kitchen closes after 1400. so be early ya!

i can’t think of a better way to spend your Saturday than having afternoon tea with your bff at a cosy yet classic-ly elegant environment, reveling in tête-à-tête over English tea and delicate scones and sweets.we were seated at a pretty table by the window. i secretly yay in my heart for natural sunlight. and you should yay too, for beautiful pictures you’re about to relish ( i kinda went overboard with the photo taking). that’s my bff, LeeChing, she’s no stranger on AntzWorLd as she appears quite often here. by the way, if you don’t remember, we had a fabulous staycation at this reputable hotel last month. read here to refresh your memory.

we reminded each other, today is a day we have to act all tai-tai, walk like a tai-tai, smile like a tai-tai, nibble like a tai-tai and of course whisper like a tai-tai too. LeeChing was talking berry softly on the phone to the point that her boyfie on the other end can hardly hear her Afternoon Tea at 1885, Eastern & Oriental Hotel is priced at RM 56++ per person and you’ll need to come in at least a pair. each of you can choose a pot of tea of your choice and the food portion served for two.

we were given a menu to choose our preferred tea. the choices although not really extensive, was varied and pretty interesting!LC's Earl Grey
an extravagantly tea with the intensive aroma Japanese wild berries.

while i had Morgentau.
a tea creation with delicate fruity flavours and petals.

Earl Grey was too overpowering for my liking, i like mine more. i have always loved fruity scent, in my tea and perfumes.dollops of dense yet light clotted cream.raisin and plain scones

i know i should start off with savory sandwiches first. but i couldn’t resist warm scones. i couldn’t resist the clotted cream more actually. so i had to have the scones first, sorry sandwiches.

scones were well made, not dry or doughy..same goes with the homemade jam. not sickly sweet as those commercial ones. even a non-jam person like LC spread it thickly on her scones.dainty array of finger sandwiches served in a two-tiered tray.

the top consists of

-Soft Cheddar Cheese, Ripe Tomato on Whole Wheat Bread
-Lemon Chicken Salad, Crunchy Celery in Puff Pastrywhile the bottom tray had

-Roasted Beef, Grain Mustard Mayonnaise on Village Bread
-Cucumber with Cream Cheese Dill on White Brown Bread
-Chicken Breast, Horseradish Cream on White Bread
-Scottish Smoked Salmon, Lemmon Butter on Poppy Seed Bread
-Egg Mayonnaise Voulevant, Chopped Shallots, Alfafa Sprouts

well, there’s really many breads for an afternoon tea. O.o

we had a hard time gulping them down nibbling them.. nonetheless there’s few that i really like and wish i could have second serving of.lastly, a vintage plate laden with sweet treats inclusive cheesecake, macaron, chocolate cake, white chocolate ball, meringue with coated strawberry.it’s hard to say which morsel i liked the most, as every one is tasty. even a non-dessert person like LC (she’s quite picky also heh) enjoyed all of them, especially the chocolate cake, it’s really chocolatey to her liking!don’t be intimidated by the environment, it’s actually quite relaxing in there. at night, the setting is transformed into somewhat poshy for fine dining.with such elegant setting and delightful afternoon tea offering, there’s no wonder why 1885 is awarded Malaysia’s Best Restaurants consecutively two years (2011 & 2012).

so to conclude, i would recommend Afternoon Tea at 1885, Eastern & Oriental Hotel if you’re looking somewhere nice to catch up with your girlfriends over dainty food in a light and relaxing environment. do remember, reservation is highly recommended!