My dinner in Penang was with some old friends and we went for Nonya style cuisine. A nice little restaurant called Hai Nan Town at 25 Lebuh Nipah 5 Bayan Lepas. This is one of two outlets in Penang, the other is a little further out, with a better view, but because of timing, we went for this one.
I let my friends do the ordering, because they also love to eat. So I trust them implicitly!
We start with a little herbal tea to cool ourselves down. Now, I don’t know about you, but I have been to Penang many times. And each time, I can never seem to get fully cooled down, unless I put the aircon at full blast in the hotel. Outside, I just can’t seem to get cool. But, that’s Penang! So this was just a great cool down.
First up, some prawns in an assam style curry. Flavorful and just yum!
Some Assam Prawns grilled. The flavor was great and the prawns cooked just right!
Some shredded meat with vegetables meant to be eaten in the wrap. Sort of Korean style I guess.
Not very Nonya, but nice simple vegetables to aid digestion.
One of the stars of the evening was the Assam Curry Fish. In the lovely Assam Curry there were two types of fish, the pomfret and a nice flatfish. Mixed with the fresh onion, lady fingers, tomatoes and spices, what a wonderful dish!
Some Nonya Spring Rolls. If you know me, you know I am sucker for spring rolls and dumplings. These spring rolls, yum!
Some Prawn Paste Chicken. Still nice and juicy!
Otah. Now, I don’t necessarily like Otah a lot, I think it’s the rubbery consistency of it. Every time I have eaten it in Singapore, I don’t go for it again. Lena loves it, me, not so much. So when it came, I had my doubts.
When we opened it up, I had even more doubts. But, as an adventurist and someone who must try before fully deciding, I did. And I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised. Soft and creamy, the right amount of fish and spices mixed together. Not rubbery at all like in Singapore. I give it a thumbs up! Doesn’t mean I will order it again, but I at least enjoyed it.
So there you go, my lovely Nonya meal in Penang. Always great to see friends and share a meal!
