Delicious Penang Nasi Kandar : My top pick – Mohd Raffe Nasi Kandar

This is part of #RebeccaPenangHalalGuide. See full list here –> “List of Muslim friendly food outlets in Penang by Rebecca Saw”

Restaurant Name: Mohd Raffe Restaurant  
Address: 295-A Jalan Burma, Pulau Tikus 10350 George Town, Penang
Tel: ++604 2288466
GPS: TBA

Opening Hours:
Pulau Tikus branch: 24 hrs (daily)
Bishop Street: Closed on Sat and Sun.

Halal Checklist:
Muslim Owned: : Y
Halal Certified: No
100% Halal Ingredients: Y
Cleanliness Grade – A
Serves Alcohol: N
Years of Operation: NA

Extra Comments/Notes:
Years of operation: 15 years (as of 2014)

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Mohd Raffe Restaurant began business since 1959 in Batu Gantong, the racecourse in Penang and subsequently moved to Pulau Tikus in 1998.
This 24 hours shoplot outlet is small and is only ventilated by fans. The ambiance is typical of a mamak shop; casual dining atmosphere, bustling with diners and workers and alive with chatter.
In the evenings, tables are set up on the shoplot’s walkway and on the street just in front of it to accommodate more customers and also for the open air dining atmosphere.

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Old Tricycle BBQ Yong Tau Foo, Taman Desa KL

I’m very fussy with my fishpaste for Yong Tau Fu.
It has to be soft and redolent of fish aroma, fresh and springy with genuine fish flavour and bursting with the natural sweetness of the sea. Too often we had to make do with the commercial quality, perfectly spherical machine-formed, MSG-fied and flour laden ones.

The usual Yong Tau Foo joints around hasn’t been able to satisfy my cravings. Happily enough, this Old Tricycle BBQ Yong Tau Foo came close.

The menu here offers a mix of the quintessential items and some novel variety with bacon. Another unique feature here is the DIY element of grilling your yong tau foo over a fire pit.

Old Tricycle BBQ Yong Tau Foo, Taman Desa KL.-001
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PickNik @ Publika Solaris Dutamas KL – love the pandan creme brulee!

A friend of mine asked me recently for a good creme brulee in KL.
The first one that came to mine was this pandan creme brulee at PickNik. While the rest of the food (or at least the ones we sampled that night) wasn’t satisfactory, this creme brulee was AMAZING.

Never a fan of creme brulee because creme brulee is well, boring creme brulee; Chef Nik’s recipe is an entirely creative interpretation yet retaining the essence of a good creme brulee.

The Pandan Crème Brulee was a refreshing green; intensely pandan flavoured custard that paired perfectly with the thick gula Melaka.

Kudos to Chef Nik thinking out of the box! Substituting the common white sugar with palm sugar was certainly the factor that made the crème brulee outstanding. With a scoop of coconut ice cream on top this was almost like Chendol minus the ice!
Lastly, the burnt sugar crust on top was nicely done too.

Best of Halal - PicNick, Publika Solaris Dutamas KL-005
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Recommended: Very good dim sum @ Concorde Hotel KL (non- halal) – Xin Cuisine

Becky’s 1 Minute Summary:
What: Semi fine dining Chinese restaurant serving nouvelle Cantonese cuisine and Hong Kong dim sum.
What to order here: This marks my 3rd visit to Xin for dim sum. I have since tried almost everything on the dim sum menu. You can’t go wrong with the basics of prawn and pork dumplings. Desserts are a must.
The steamed pork bun (char siew) and the signature ‘Lau Sa Pau” is best eaten hot!
Overall experience: Good.
Price: RM6.50 – RM18.00 per portion of dim sum. Some comes in sets of 3 morsels.

For the long story, read on. :)

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Xin Cuisine is one of the “old but gold” Chinese dining restaurants in KL hotels.
Not many outlets in hotels are non-halal; and out of the few non-halal ones, even less serves consistent and good quality Chinese cuisine with justified prices.
At Xin, you are assured of taste and quality for the prices paid.

I’m a bao lover so both the Char Siew Bao and Lau Sa Pau (RM9.50) are staples for any of my dim sum meals.
This Lau Sa Pau is one of Xin’s signatures and it is simply divine. Tear the soft, thin skin apart to release the rich lava of salted egg custard within. Proceed to savour with caution as it is hot!

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Xin Cuisine, Concorde Hotel KL – homely, classic pork dishes – BBQ crispy suckling pig, braised pork belly, slow-cooked pork tendon

Being Chinese, pork is a staple meat in our diet.
From simple stir-fries to braised dishes and curries, we love our pork and we grew up enjoying our families’ classic home cooked recipes.

For those lucky enough to have their families near, these dishes may be an everyday affair.
For most of us, a home cooked meal is a luxury, perhaps enjoyed annually during Chinese New Year or maybe monthly during hometown visits.

Pork dishes - Xin at Concorde Hotel KL-006
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Sushi Hinata – St Mary Residences KL – excellent Japanese sushi & sashimi

I’m quite excited. Other than Ichiro Sushi in 1 Utama Shopping Centre, I think I found another gem for excellent Japanese nigiri and sashimi in KL! 🙂

While it’s true there are many Japanese restaurants in Klang Valley, I’m specifically interested only in those that serves top notch sashimi (fresh seafood) and really good vinegared rice. I want something comparable to what I had in Tsukji Market in Tokyo. Something like what Sushi Dai serves.
Or even Sushi Daiwa, which though it is not as impressive as Sushi Dai, but still good nonetheless.

Sushi Hinata comes close. For a price.

sushi hinata - best sushi sashimi japanese restaurant KL-014

Bluefin Tuna. Maguro, Otoro or Chutoro for you? 🙂

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Lorong Seratus Tahun @ SS2 for Penang food – curry mee, char kuey teow, chendol

Lorong Seratus Curry Mee had its humble beginnings from Penang.
At the early stage of the business, it was just a hawker stall selling Curry Mee in the street named “Lorong Seratus Tahun” in Penang.
After forty years, the LST brothers cleverly expanded the business to a food and beverage outlet business model; which is essentially a café with fast service, WIFI and air conditioning.
They have since introduced their licensing system and have been encouraging like-minded entrepreneurs to share in their success and make LST a well-known Malaysian brand.

Best of Halal- Lorong Seratus Tahun, SS2
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