Garoupa Delight @ Wong Chau Jun, Rangoon Road

Food Quality        :    5 stars

Value for Money    :    3.5 stars

Kopi O Rating       :    Drink Chinese Tea

Ambience              :    3 stars - Crowded 

Wong Chao Jun Restaurant
Jalan Rangoon, Penang
73, Jalan Rangoon, 10400 Penang
N05 25.210 E100 19.496
012-5559046 or  012-5559046 
8.00 am – 2.30 pm
(Closed every Tuesday)

If you are a tourist, this is the place to go.  The have a specialty that is very unique and super tasty - The well known Sour & Spicy Bee Hoon Soup with Fresh Garoupa (choice of fish head or fish slices, choice of fish too, so price differ on which fish you choose).
But since you came all the way for this, go for the best !
Just check out the bountiful lemon grass sticks and you will know how beautiful the soup is ...

 A humble family business, started all by the road and into a shop at Sungai Pinang, they have moved now to Rangoon Road and have been here for several years.
The old man does not cook anymore, all the secrets passed to the son, he now sits down at the counter and collects money... mum stands on guard, keeping a close look on non-paying customers who try their luck on a free meal, according to the lady boss, this happens rather frequently ... how sad ...

So, the must 'trys' are fish head garoupa bee hoon in sour and spicy soup, deep fried fish skin, the home made bean curd and also the garoupa fish head and yam pot
if you can still eat or have a big group - try the steam version
fish here is super fresh and not overpriced

Foodie's Choice - Garoupa Fish Head Bee Hoon in  Sour and Spicy Soup,
Deep Fried Fish Skin, Garoupa Fish Head Yam Pot

All these plus the bean curd, own chinese tea for RM 82, serves 4-5 pax

Menu is on the wall but I suggest you stick with Foodie's recommendations :-) 

What a nice job, collect money :-)

It can get rather crowded here.
Best time to come is brunch time when the work lot is not out for lunch yet.
Also you should have brunch instead cause you will tend to overeat here as the food is yummy.

Forget the Kopi O cause they serve the sachet ones.
I normally bring my own Chinese tea.

Looks like there are many popular people who enjoy this place.
Look around and you will see several articles framed up featuring this place.

 http://www.tasteiest.com/2010/08/wong-chao-jun-restaurant-2.html
http://www.dslrfanclub.com/blogs/thomass-blog/317-penang-nice-food-wong-chau-jun-restaurant.html

New Cathay Revisited

New Cathay Coffee Shop
425E Jalan Burma
Open: 7:00am – 2:00pm
Close: Sundays
GPS Coordinates: 5.43236,100.309569

This coffee shop is always crowded in the morning for breakfast.

This is the effect of Medical Tourism in Penang and the effects of having Adventist Hospital nearby.

As a result, the food here is expensive, the service is poor and there is a lousy ambience due to the crowding, so if you are here to have a stroll or a relaxing breakfast or lunch forget it, it is more like a battle field.  Ok, let's get to the food.

Can't do the regular rating as there is a mixture of good and bad, love and hate ... so please read on :-)

Good stuff here - Jawa Mee @ RM3.00 still very reasonable and super tasty, highly recommended.
Pan Mee, Fried Fish Bee Hoon (super friendly couple, for the price you are paying good value for money)

The other stalls are ok, good place to come if you have a large crowd and everyone wants to try something different.

Don't bother with the wan ton mee, it is so-so with the worst attitude ever, very snobbish man taking orders, long wait and worse still he insist you give him exact change.
I personally feel this attitude deserves a BOYCOTT since we are spoilt for choice.
But then again, views differ ...
http://www.malaysianfoodie.com/2008/03/new-cathay-wanton-mee-and-roti-babi.html

Curry mee here is still good.
Is the price increase due to the Indonesians flooding in?
Used to be RM2.80, now it is compulsory RM3.50 with all the unnecessary 'additions'!

Do you remember as a kid eating curry mee with fish ball or sotong ball ?
This is not very authentic at all.
Think it is a scam, by adding a fish ball you can increase the price
only tourist will buy into this one, so not for the locals !!!

Kopi O is lousy and it is RM1.00 - please don't bother
Not to mention the lady workers pull a black long face, maybe they are over worked and the only male worker is 'fake friendly' to females and non-stop flirting with the males ...

Add your own sugar indeed is a good option but contaminated sugar is absolutely disgusting

This one is good, for this price they serve you with plenty of fish.
Husband and wife super friendly :-)

New Cathay revisited ... but I will only come here when I run out of options or need a quick fix.
Coffee is lousy ... Food is over priced.
Here Foodie chooses - Jawa Mee, Fried Fish Bee Hoon and Pan Mee

Cheap and Good Economy Rice

Food Quality              :    4 stars

Value for Money     :    5 stars

Kopi O rating             :    Not apllicable - drink soya bean

Ambience                   :    3.5 stars

Closed on Saturdays and Sundays

Lunch only - starts at 1130 am

Address   -   144i Burma Road 

                    (opposite Union Primary School)

Call card available - last photo of this post, scroll down

If you are a Cantonese style cooking person, this is the place to go.  At 1130am, you can see a wide range of selection all being set up.
This stall started up as an economy rice place but later the business boomed for their catering service, so you could see loads of tiffin carriers around.  If you are thinking of catering, you could consider this place.

Owner is actually very hard working, lunch they do catering and economy rice.
For dinner, they actually sell 'choo char' at the Batu Lanchang market.
Don't be surprised if you feel the food taste the same.
The dishes are typically Cantonese style so it is not sweet as compared to the Hokkien style.

Lots of vegetables available.
From simple stir fry, to sambal, to curry.

Good selection of protein, fish, chicken and tofu.
Sometimes they have tofu of different choices.

Fit for The King, Price For The Pauper

All this for RM 15 plus 2 drinks
serves 3 pax

the boss

Foodie's Best In Penang List - Sar Hor Fun

                                        Food Quality          :      5 stars

                                        Kopi O Rating       :      5 stars

                                        Value for Money      :     4 stars

                                        Ambience                :     3 stars

Closed on Tuesdays

Breakfast Only - if you go after 10.30 am , sorry must be early

Venue  :      Kwong Ban Lee Cafe, Tanjung Bungah

For details on venue, please click on this link:

http://www.tanjongbunga.com/website/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16:kwong-ban-lee&catid=8:food&Itemid=8

This is the best Sar Hor Fun so far.
You won't believe it but, here, I have met friends who stay as far as N-Park and Greenlane.
They wake up early, on a weekend just to come and savour this Sar Hor Fun.
One Sunday, I came at 11 am and was told, NO more, finished.
So, if you do not wish to be disappointed, please be early.

Sar Hor Fun small RM 3.50
Add egg 50 cents
You can have a choice of fried hor fun, bee hoon or noodles - yee mee
Also a choice of dry or wet

Portions are just nice
2 large prawns, fresh :-)

Closer shot of the yee mee - RM 4.00 (small plate add noodle)

Kopi O @ 90 cents - 5 stars !!!

Foodie's Choice:
Sar Hor Fun Small (Hor fun mix with bee hoon) add egg
minus pork liver
Kopi O Less Sugar

green chili not pickled yet
pickled green chili a little to sour for me

Loads all old folks enjoying the sar hor fun here
some even limping to the stall
non-stop orders
this is a good discovery for me
let me know what you think about it ?
rather surprised that many still don't know this place :-)