Monday 23 September 2019

Finally. Cendol. Asam Laksa. Char Koay Teow!


What is a trip to Penang without eating char koay teow or asam laksa? Right? But you must know where to go or else you will end up disappointed.

Some places are touristy and what you get is pretty much run of the mill or watered down. But then again the really good places will be packed and you have to be willing to queue. So guess which one I ended up in?


On the suggestion of my partner's sister, he took me to town to satisfy my craving for char koay teow and asam laksa. Somewhere in Penang road or thereabouts. 


It was at a coffee shop. Super crowded. 


It was hot and stuffy.


Gah! Two guys came by to take our orders. The cendol and asam laksa are from the same vendors. Their stall was outside.


Two bowls of cendol.


Something nice and cooling to beat the heat. It was nice enough, just all right. Maybe the environment was not conducive. I hate crowds. But crowds are to be expected.


Ah! Asam laksa! With hae koh (prawn paste, which my partner previously banned me from eating).


It was nice but I thought the gravy was watered down, but still it was all right. Not as good as what I expected.

Then we caught the char koay teow guy while he was serving and he told us he had 20 more plates to go. So we waited.


Finally. Quite a small portion actually. The taste was all right. It did not have the wok hei that I was expecting. Maybe due to the crowd, the guy just did a quick job. Don't know.

So that was my underwhelming cendol, asam laksa and char koay teow experience. Perhaps that's why the Penang people themselves are not that excited (I meant my partner and his sisters).

After the meal, we went for a walk outside.


Eh? This looks familiar. It's that franchise place isn't it?


Adoi


heh..heh...heh... 1 Utama also can get...haiz...


Never mind lah. Perhaps we can go try other places on our next trip.

20 comments:

  1. That looks too nice to be Kheng Phin along Penang Road, very old, gloomy, dowdy old school coffee shop - they say the lor bak is the best, I loved the ckt and everything else at the stalls there:
    https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/hey-good-lookin/
    The things at the nice new coffee shop opposite were not as nice.

    Had the cendol once, was ok, nothing sensational - there are others just as good elsewhere...and I refuse to be treated like dirt, made to stand in the sun like that to give them my money. Absolutely ridiculous!!! Not that I will dis if I do not get to eat their cendol.

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    1. Me too, won't queue and subject myself to discomfort and rudeness. Hopefully my next trip I can try at other places.

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  2. ok, so you managed to eat cendol, assam laksa and ckt though you are not impressed. Guess have to eat from more ckt vendors to find out which one you like but too much trouble to do so just for food when you can cook well too.

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    1. I think it is best I find a nice one over here. Ah, I remember the very good CKT at TTDI that my brother tapau once hee..hee..

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  3. i also am excited to have ckt whenever i visit penang - but i guess the risk of encountering average-only ckt is certainly rising in this modern age!

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    1. You may be right, the really outstanding ones might be going extinct!

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  4. I had cendol from this stall too, but never heard Asam Laksa and CKT from the kopitiam is good wor... o.O

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  5. I think the coffee shop u went is sort of touristy....so crowded! the CKT prawn is huge, but if no wok-hei then is a failure! hmmm....mayb PJ or KL has better CKT these days!

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    1. Who knows those guys with kung fu actually moved to KL or PJ already hah..hah...

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  6. I never get tired of Penang food, will be going for the food again one of these days!! :)

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  7. Oh 20 more plates to go, was it a long wait? Even the food was underwhelming, at least you tried, never try never know. But no to ckt without wok hei.

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    1. It was not that long since the asam laksa kept us busy :)

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  8. So, the moral of the story is...you don't have to travel so far for good Penang street food? KL also can find just as good, if not better....hehehe! ;)

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    1. You are right! I was reminded of the very good CKT that my brother tapau once from a coffee shop in TTDI. I should go for that!

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  9. Finally! Baru macam pergi Pulau Pinang!! :)

    Not so crazy about assam laksa but I dont a good plate of char kway teow.

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    1. hah..hah...like it's a compulsory thing or else you haven't visited Penang :D

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  10. Am looking forward to enjoy Penang street food again soon!

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