The local traditional bakery scene is depleting with many of such old school bakeries closing down gradually. Love confectionery is one of those that’s still going strong and yes, their bakes are simple, classic, but the taste is here to leave an impression.

Even trying to pick up these slices of sponge cake from the tray was a problem as they were so soft and toppled easily. If you really encounter difficulty, the baker uncle would gladly help you with it. The interior was a little on the dry side, although there were 2 layers of fresh cream sandwiched in between. Each cake slice is topped with a thick layer of cream and topping. But the choice of toppings were of much nostalgia, such as the rainbow rice, chocolate rice and grounded peanut that evoked childhood memories. Especially the grounded peanut of a fragrant nuttiness.

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

I have always enjoyed Creamier’s ice cream especially at Gillman Barracks because of its ambience but it does get crowded after meal timings! Thanks to Burpple Beyond, we enjoyed 2 x double scoops at just the price of 1! But one thing for sure, I wouldn’t get the ice cream in cones anymore. Appreciate the giant scoops of ice cream, but not the disaster that accompanied. The ice cream melted so quickly all over my hand that it ended up as though we were racing to finish it, instead of truly enjoying.

Repeated flavour choices were the roasted pistachio and plain ole chocolate, both the rich and creamy type. This time we paired them together and found that they actually complemented each other pretty well, as if eating chocolate with pistachio hidden within.

Inspired by the famous Thai beverage, the Thai Milk Tea flavour had close resemblance in terms of its fragrance from the Ceylon Tea brew. But what was even more amazing was the Popping Root Beer Float flavour, created as a tribute to Creamier Toa Payoh that will be closing at the end of the month. Made using A&W root beer with French cream, sprinkled with popping candy. It’s a flavour done well; you get a sweet, minty, licorice-like flavour with creaminess and some tingling sensation.

Some say Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang is the best Nasi Lemak in Penang. Rows and rows of Nasi Lemak were prepared neatly yet quickly right in front of our eyes; from the rice to a ladle of sambal ingredients poured over to the pyramid-shaped wrapping that holds the rice nicely. The process was so unpretentious but alluring.

Unwrapping the banana leaf, I could already smell an ubiquitous coconut milk aroma from the rice and a pleasant freshness from the banana leaf. Digging in, the fluffy rice exudes a lingering pandan fragrance. What I underestimated was the sambal belacan that almost burnt me alive. Such intense fieriness from a spicy explosion, although somehow was still addictive. Small pieces of chewy sotong topped on the rice but didn’t quite hit the spot as it felt a little lacking. Whereas the bilis telur was comforting; a plenty of anchovies and half of a hard-boiled egg, something that we would all find familiar.

Portion was rather small and diners having at least 2 packets was a common observation. Good thing is, the price stays at RM 1.80 regardless of toppings. So is this really the best Nasi Lemak in Penang? You decide.

Established since 2011 as a hawker stall in night markets, @ricsburgermy has finally made a comeback with its new shop at Bayan Lepas. I really applaud their excellent service on the day of visit, when we were disappointed to find out they were under renovation, but the staff made an extra effort to inform us that the kitchen was still operating and we could do a takeaway. Eventually they even let us dine in if we didn’t mind the messiness.

We were recommended the hot favourite, Baconzilla, a perfect choice for bacon lovers. Not only were their burger buns house-made, the pork patty, which Ric’s burger is well-known for, was also made in-house. They surely lived up to their name for being a porky smashed burger specialist. Juicy with a tender texture, the pork patty was stacked with bacon, candied bacon, caramelized onions. Each bite came with a symphony of sweet and savory outburst, made evident by melted cheddar cheese and a secret Ric’s sauce, pungent like mustard. The bacon slices were on point especially those crispy edges and the candied bacon that reminded me of bak kwa. Though the burger seemed really meaty, it was surprisingly satisfying instead.

If that’s too much, they also have the Ric’s original pork burger with just the pork patty and caramelized onions. 5 pork burgers and 1 fish burger on the menu to choose from. Pair the burger with sides such as Ric’s fries (+RM 6.50), 1/4 dozen fried bacon strips (+RM 6.50) or spam fries (+RM 7.90) and a drink to make it a wholesome combo.

Rise and shine in Penang with this unassuming roadside coffee stall right in front of Bright Star Coffeeshop at Lebuh Noordin! Watch the Aunty, who’s been serving her iconic Kopi Peng for more than 30 years, brew her coffee of a special blend and prepare milk froth by hand. She then completes the drink with a signature star, as a form of traditional latte art, using the coffee sock. Available in both hot and cold coffee drinks. Very rich and dense cup of coffee that lingers. Ask for less sugar as it could really be sweet for some. But if you find that the sweetness inadequate, she’s more than willing to add more sugar.

Bright star coffee shop serves butter kaya toast to pair alongside the star coffee. Be there early to avoid crowd, especially after the stall has gained popularity since last year.

🕗 8am - 6pm daily, closed on Thursdays.

Tipped off by a local about @nasi7benua when the boyf asked for recommendations in Bayan Lepas, a less-traveled area in Penang. You need some effort to get there, but this one and only Nasi 7 Benua is definitely worth the distance. It’s buffet style for the side dishes.

The 7 colorful types of rice are: Nasi Lemak Pandan (Green), Nasi Minyak (Light yellow), Nasi Lemuni (With black speckles), Nasi Tomato (Orange), Nasi Putih (White), Nasi Kacang (Yellow), Nasi Hujan Panas (Rainbow Ghee Rice). Almost like a sampler platter of flavorful rice, some of my favourites were the Nasi Lemuni that had an earthy taste similar to olive rice, and the Nasi Hujan Panas with some interesting colours there. Surprisingly, the rice wasn’t oily.

We chose boiled okra, fried chicken, fish curry and ayam masak merah, which was popular with the locals. Generally, the meat were tender, be it fish or chicken. The fish curry leaned towards sour, while the ayam masak merah was slight spicy. But my eyes were quickly attracted by the fried chicken that I knew I had to try. Even though it was already cold, the thick batter crackled loudly with each bite and the chicken meat was still juicy. Can you imagine such crispiness? It was so addictive that we had a second piece.

It’s not only instagrammable, but its taste was too, impressive for a small eatery by the roadside. Staff was friendly, even though we were the only patrons and was near their closing time. It’s probably somewhere I would choose to go again on my next Penang trip, and I think it truly deserves more love.

🕗 Monday-Thursday, 11am-6pm. Friday-Saturday, 11am-10pm. Closed on Sunday.

If there’s only one must-try wantan noodle in Penang, I’d recommend this from Wan Tan Mee House in Jalan Burma, Georgetown. The first time we chanced upon it was through its back door without any shop name, only to realize it’s one of the top few Wantan Mee in Penang. Quality has been consistent over the year, based on my own experience.

Unlike the usual Wantan Mee, the noodles in this plate is somewhat like Yee Mian drenched with a thick, starchy egg gravy, akin to a Hor Fun gravy. It’s chewy without any alkaline taste, yet smooth because of the gravy coating. Served with shredded chicken, char siew slices, pork lard, mushroom and deep-fried wantans. Minced pork of a flavorful marinate wrapped in wantan skin of a level of crispiness that had me over the moon like never before.

1-for-1 with Burpple Beyond!

Extremely happy that both outlets of Hollin are on Burpple Beyond which means I get more chances to try different drinks. Wanted to try the strawberry pearls and so paired them with a green tea latte, which surprisingly turned out quite well-matched. The strawberry flavor had a light, berry-sweetness without being too artificial, and complemented well with the green tea’s tinge of bitterness and a smooth, velvety layer of milk. The drink looked colourful as a whole.

The pink guava green tea made a good choice for a fruit tea, delivering a refreshing muskiness of the fruit while being mildly sweet and astringent from the green tea. A good pairing with the honey pearls for a delicate natural sweetness.

2 customized drinks at the price of only $3.90! It can only be possible with Burpple Beyond.

Herbal roast duck rice for lunch? Particularly impressed with this hawker version of a Dian Xiao Er herbal roasted duck-alike as the duck meat exudes a harmonious herbal infusion, without being overwhelming or heavy on the tastebuds. Meat was tender and easily torn off the bones. Served with the herbal gravy drizzled over. The char siew, however, was a miss. Not just because there’s no fatty meat, but the lean meat was over-roasted till its edges were rock-hard. Stick to the herbal roast duck and all will be good. And not to forget their sambal chili which brings along an impression of hae bee hiam.

They have a separate outlet at Blk 323 Bukit Batok Street 33.

Not any of the highly raved items on their menu, but this Brunch burger at Flavour Flings turned out to be pretty delicious. The burger came with 2 pieces of deep fried chicken fillets coated with bread crumbs for a crispy texture, paired with a spicy BBQ mayonnaise between the hamburger buns. Not only were the chicken fillets juicy, the spicy bbq mayonnaise was a nice complement with its sweet smokiness.

Served with garden salad and Cajun-spiced scrambled eggs. Portion was generous especially for the scrambled eggs. The creamy milkiness was balanced by the smoky spicy cajun seasoning.

Situated directly opposite Kopi More at Golden Mile Food Centre, newly opened @chefchoosignature serves restaurant quality western food at hawker prices. Having read about Chef Choo’s experience at various 5-star hotels, I was keen to check out his affordable creations.

Sitting in front of the stall, we caught glimpses of how the fresh seafood and al dente spaghetti were tossed in tomato sauce, eventually served sizzling on a cast iron skillet. One piece each of jumbo prawn, mussel and clam plus some chewy squid pieces. Portion was reasonable, but what actually turned out to be a pleasant delight was the tomato sauce. Not the usual thick, tangy tomato base but with white wine dosed in, there was an extra dimension of flavour, enhancing the sauce’s smokiness and garlic taste. However, more sauce should be present as the ratio of sauce to spaghetti seemed a little imbalanced.

Home to the first salted egg yolk croissant in Singapore, Flavour Flings expanded the number of salted egg yolk items on the menu that includes a raclettesant with added raclette cheese on this croissant, but I would still go for this classic rendition.

Buttery and flaky, the salted egg yolk croissant had nothing but a copious amount of oozy salted egg sauce. Since this was supposed to be a sweet item, it helps as the sweet salted egg filling was slightly more milky, custardy like that of a Liu sha bun. Not that I was expecting one with chili padi and curry leaves, but the thick filling could be made even better if it had a grainy texture.