What a steamboat!

I wish I remembered the name of the steamboat restaurant that a group of 10 went to a couple of weeks ago now as part of our eating extravaganza. It is on the top floor of the Vantage Mall on Jalan Tanjung Tokong heading out of Georgetown in the direction of Tanjung Bunga, on the right. Top floor and right at the very right hand end of the mall. Sorry, that's the best I can do for now. However, I will return and make sure I grab a card or something so I can report more accurately its name and precise location.

It is worth it for the place is great. Really great.

It could be the fact that it is something that is really unique, well to me anyway, so I will take a little time to describe it all in detail. (Others have very probably done this and more professionally that I will but I don't think they will do it this way).

This is the steamboat thing. In the centre of the round table is a recessed upside down dome under which is a gas ring (there is a big gas cylinder under the table that the waiter turned on and off) which heats it up. Into this dome shaped thing you dump...

... this time anyway, chicken or veggie broth and chopped up chicken. Turn the gas ring on and replace the holed round thing that you can see in the picture above on the left. It fits.

Next, order loads of stuff. The group of 10 left this arduous task to Lisa (from before), Lye Hock and Kee who between them ordered gargantuan amounts of food only partially shown on the trolley that the waiter brought over, He brought over many other dishes and trolleys before the meal was over, but this was the first.

First up was barbecued, well actually steamed chicken buns in the format of char siu bau. As this is a no pork restaurant, no surprise here and the buns were very nice indeed.

Next up was chicken and steamed veggies before the fishy stuff kicked in...

Big shrimps... 

Little clams marinated in garlic...

Scallops also marinated in garlic and coriander...

Amazing HUGE clams also marinated with coriander, garlic and a little ginger. This was a very strong middle order! I hadn't seen clams that big before and they were so sweet and tasty.

After a little breather came the fish ball/duck/squid combo... remember all the juices from these dishes were seeping into the porridge happily bubbling away underneath added to which the waiter who came with new dishes and took away the debris, would always scrape the food debris into the pot below and give it a jolly stir...

After the shellfish came the veggie mix, greens and mushrooms before the piece de la resistance...

The steamed fish was fresh tilapia according to the waiter with various chillies, scallions, chives, garlic and lemon/lime juice... probably limes on reflection as they are everywhere whilst lemons aren't so prevalent. Whatever, it was delicious and the juices kept on dripping into the bubbling vat below...

Then it was ready. The waiter scraped the fish remnants into the bubbling mass, stirred vigorously for a bit, added some white liquid (more broth I think) and then on top some scallions, coriander and chopped ginger. Very artistic...and yummy too. I had 4 bowls. It was incredible!

To follow, some sweet potato cleansers ...

What a dinner. Friends said that restaurants like this were all over Malaysia. I don't know about that but this was a first for us. 

Vantage Mall is in Tanjung Tokong on the main road, E6 or Jalan Tanjung Tokong, heading out of Georgetown towards Tanjung Bunga and Batu Ferringi. The restaurant is on the top floor of the mall on the right hand side. Go there and enjoy!

Fried Fish Belly

"Have you ever eaten fried fish belly, Mark?" Lisa asked one day out of the blue. I said, as a matter of fact no I don't think so and as things go when Lisa is around, she, husband Ted and I headed off to find same after tennis one day at THE best place in Penang.

Tong Lek 8 Cafe

Sited in Georgetown, Tong Lek is one step up from a hawker stand but remains a typically comfortable, family style restaurant in the Penang way. Don't expect fancy wall coverings or padded seats is what I am trying to say. However, you can as in so many places BYOB.

Ted is an experienced dining companion so doesn't get in the way of ordering when Lisa is around and I chose very wisely to do the same. I did put my foot down in choice of my curry mee dish (noodle soup) and chose to have mine with minced pork. It was fantastic.

Curry see with minced pork

By the time it had arrived, so had the fried fish skin nibbles which would have been great with beer but were also just fine with the vino that we had brought along too.

Deep fried fish skin

Not sure what the fish was but the main catches hereabouts are either red snapper or tilapia (not farmed) but the skin was amazing.

Deep fried fish belly

I did smirk a bit when the fish belly arrived as the much vaunted dish is just the same as that served at Ye Olde Chippy on Southend sea front, except without the chips, vinegar and lashings of salt. Or newspaper. It wasn't cod or haddock of course, rather red snapper (identified by the skin) and was again really nice.

Isn't everything? I have certainly found it so.... well except for my durian experience which was in all honesty a shocker. 100% for sure the worst thing I have ever had in my mouth. But that wasn't here and will likely be dealt with in a scathing expose at some point or other in these pages.

Veggies, steamed chicken and Loh bak

There was just the three of us so Lisa didn't order that many dishes, however, it must be said that Tong Lek 8 Cafe is a definite keeper in the pantheon of eateries in Penang. Great food, very affordable and if you want my opinion THE best place I have found for Penang style (that is white sauce base) curry mee.

Tong Lek 8 Cafe
16 Jalan Lim Len Teng
10460 George Town
Penang

+60 (0) 16-490 7260

Eating can be hard work

As I sit here typing on my laptop in Bermuda, I am remembering some of the meals that Vivien and I enjoyed in Penang in that last frantic week before we left on our annual pilgrimage. Why frantic? Well, it was because Viv had been away in China for a couple of weeks before that and I was pretty much laid up with a sports injury as well meaning that our fairly usual ritual of tennis, beers and then dinner at some restaurant with 8 or 10 others hadn't happened for a while. So when Viv returned and I made my first foray back onto the court post-lay off, there seemed to be some sort of almost desperate need to catch up. And as we only had a week in between before we left for Bermuda, all those dinners had to be crammed into a very short period of time.

I know, 'had to' does imply some form of compulsion that of course was not the case but when people that you haven't seen for a while ask you how you are, buy you a beer and say those dangerous words 'what are your dinner plans tonight?' .... well it would be rude to do other than agree to whatever was taking place for that night.

But it was relentless.

Curry mee and fried fish belly

Steamboat

Fish restaurant

Korean

Champagne brunch

Japanese homestyle

See what I mean? The steamboat dinner was especially memorable not only for the food but also for the other stuff....

Doesn't show the whisky to finish!

If this wasn't enough, when we arrived in Toronto we went to our favorite steak restaurant for a fix of large chunks of red meat...

I need a rest.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

My home town Southend is many things, none of which are genteel or refined.  It has an edge to it.  Lots of cheeky chappies and kiss me quick hats.  But things have started to change including on the culinary front.  Mainly for the better too.

A short while ago, my brother Jan suggested we go to a newish restaurant called Toulouse on the western esplanade on the Southend sea front, just down from the pier.  They'd converted the former public toilets into a restaurant so this I just had to see.  Typical Southend indeed!

Former public loos

They did a pretty good job too as the restaurant was sleek and nice with no evidence of its former history either!  Mind you the Southend sense of humour remains.  The following is a note on the menu for patrons.

Following advice from the Food Standard Agency we feel it our duty to warn you, that by consuming raw seafood, there is 1 in 1000 chance of it causing a tummy upset. We also advise not to eat oysters and drink spirits as it can also cause a tummy upset.

Did that deter us? Not in the slightest!

On the menu were Maldon Oysters yet again!!  And of course we just had to have them by the dozen this time.  Jan is a big fan and Viv helped me out too.  The waiter asked if he could produce just one big tray but knowing my brother, I asked him to keep the orders separate as Jan's counting is notoriously patchy at times.

The evening was splendid and the restaurant did a great job of keeping all happy!

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?"
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

Thanks of course to Lewis Carroll for the magnificent inspiration!

Toulouse Restaurant

Western Esplanade

Westcliff-on-Sea

Essex SS0 8FE

Tel: 01702 333731

http://www.toulouserestaurant.co.uk

Billions of Blistering Blue Barnacles

Viv and I were looking for dining inspiration in Canterbury a short while ago and thought of the Tin Tin restaurant in St. Dunstan's Street just around the corner in fact.  We couldn't remember the name of the restaurant just the pictures of Tin Tin they had all around the restaurant.  It was Belgian themed of couse so had loads of different mussels and Belgian beers.

It was gone.

This made us scratch heads a bit for in its place was another restaurant called Chapman's which was a fish restaurant pure and simple.  It was also full so we walked on, then decided we should stroll in and have a drink at the bar whilst a table freed up.

It smelled nice inside anyway.

Also a table freed up quickly so our bottle of white wine accompanied us fairly quickly to the table.

The menu was small and fish focused.  My eyes of course lit up at the prospect of more Maldon oysters with a whole plaice to follow.  Viv chose beetroot marinated salmon as an appetizer with the seafood platter to follow.

And boy was it all just yummy too!

So what happened to Tin Tin then, who are Chapman's and most importantly what happened to all the Tin Tin pictures?

Apparently the Tin Tin restaurant got into financial trouble and couldn't pay their bills and being a Belgian mussel shop a large part of the outstanding was to their fish providers, namely Chapman's of Sevenoaks -- a big fish distributor.

So rather than get paid in cold hard cash, Chapman's took the restaurant.  How willingly they took it was not disclosed but suffice to say this is their only restaurant -- I nearly said their 'sole' restaurant before realising how bad a pun that would have been!

As for the Tin Tin pictures, sadly they have all gone.  Many went to a local kindergarten where one hopes they are appreciated in the full and proper way.  A couple went to the waitress we asked who says they are in her young daughter's bedroom and a much revered part too.  That's nice.  Captain Haddock would be pleased.

Chapman's Seafood Bar and Brasserie
89-90 St. Dunstan's Street
Canterbury
Kent

Tel: 01227-780749
http://www.chapmanscanterbury.co.uk