SS D'Sampan Seafood Restaurant - Sg Nibong Penang

Lately if you take express bus to Penang Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal at night, you might be attracted to  a restaurant with colourful lighting that exactly opposite the main gate of the bus terminal.

Sungai Nibong Express Bus Terminal

The nicely decorated Malay restaurant is named as the SS D'Sampan Seafood.

SS D'Sampan Seafood (Front View)

SS D'Sampan Seafood (Side View)

Since the first day I noticed this restaurant, I am so attracted by the colourful lighting everyday when I pass by. Although being plan to give it a visit but we keep on delaying until to the end of January, when we would like to take dinner before watch the movie in Queensbay Mall. 

We drove to this restaurant and found that there is a free parking space ready for the customers. I'm not sure whether this parking space is specially developed for D'Sampan customer or it is open to public that visited the shops at that area. Just in case the parking space is full, then you might consider to stop your car at the road side, but definitely not on the main road.

Parking Space

This restaurant is quite unique because they do have few chalets for customers who preferred to enjoy themselves privately. Initially we want to experience in taking dinner in the chalet, but later we change our mind because the chalets are at the road side. We just wondering the dust and exhausted gas from vehicle might going to contaminate our food. However, after we had our seat and made order, then we noticed that another side of the restaurant also have few chalets, but it was too late and we were lazy to make a move.

Beautiful Chalets

Anyway, it was not bad to sit inside the restaurant as I had a chance to take some photos of its interior design.

SS D'Sampan Seafood Restaurant

SS D'Sampan Seafood Restaurant

After we took our seats, a friendly waitress was giving us a menu for reference. The small booklet which is the A la carte menu clearly stated the dish offered together with the price except for those seafood that depend on the market price. You could choose the dish size from small to medium to large. But this menu is not including those fried item such as fried noodle or fried rice, even though they do have it. We got to known about this fried item when the customers next table made an order to the waitress. Meanwhile, this restaurant had grill seafood service where you could choose the seafood by yourself and ask the staff to grill it for you.

In the past two visits, we had tried out few dish which include:

1) Pattaya Fried Rice

Pattaya Fried Rice (RM5/plate)

In order to ensure our stomach was filled with some carbohydrate, we get ourselves a plate of Pattaya Fried Rice. For those who don't know what is Pattaya Fried Rice, it is a Malay style fried rice that being stuffed into an omelette. It is tasty!!

2) Tom-yam Seafood Soup 

Tom-yam Seafood Soup (RM5 - small)

As expected, the tom-yam soup was sour and spicy, but just within our acceptance level. Surprisingly the RM5 seafood soup was came along with prawn, squid and some chicken slice, worth for money!!

3) Paprik Chicken

Paprik Chicken (RM5 - small)

Paprik Chicken is quite common in Malay food menu where the chicken slice is cooked together with various vegetables. The taste is in between sweet and salty!

4) Omelette (Telur Dadar)

Omelette (Telur Dadar - RM1.00)

Omelette or more accurate to call it as Telur Dadar in Malay, is a simple fried egg with some vegetable contained inside it. The vege could be the onion, chilli, chives, etc. The telur dadar served by this restaurant was having crispy taste. Nice!

5) Spinach with Shrimp Paste (Kangkung Belacan)

Spinach with Shrimp Paste (Kangkung Belacan - RM3.50)

Spinach is one of my favourite vegetable but it must be cooked together with shrimp paste. Although this dish is bit dull without other ingredients, but the it is surprisingly tasty. Good!

6) Grilled Fish

We did tried out the grilled fish but could not recall why no photo being taken, perhaps it had been served half way after we started our dinner. Anyway, just to share a bit on this grilled item. The stingray fish was selected by us on the counter and later being weight by the staff before it being process. When the fish was served, the physical look was nice. However, the taste was bit 'special' to us if to compare with the Chinese style grilled fish. I don't know how to describe the taste but it was still acceptable. The grilled fish was at RM11, it was relatively cheaper than Chinese stall where you would be easily charged RM15-18 for the same size of the fish. 

7) Iced Milk Tea

Iced Milk Tea (RM1.50/glass)

Whenever I have my meal in Malay restaurant, iced milk tea is always my standard drink because I believe the milk tea by our Malay friend is the best. But over here, the iced milk tea was below my expectation.

In overall, I'm satisfy with the food, service and environment of the SS D'Sampan Seafood Restaurant. For those who taking express bus at Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal, or someone stay in the budget hotel opposite the terminal, perhaps you could have your dinner here. Enjoy!

SS D'Sampan Seafood Restaurant
Opposite Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal
or Tapak Pesta Pulau Pinang

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Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe (海珠屿海鲜) - Tanjong Tokong Penang

Nowadays in Penang Island, no matter where you are, you could easily find a seafood restaurant around your area. However, most of the restaurants located in tourist focus area are not really favour by the locals due to these restaurants are grandly renovated to serve the tourists and businessmen that able to spend for higher cost. Although lately having seafood dinner in Penang Island is no longer to be cheap, but the locals is always look for the simple restaurant that able to serve the tasty seafood while charge them with reasonable price. If you are within the Tanjung Bungah area, perhaps you could consider the Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe (海珠屿海鲜) which located at Tanjung Tokong, somewhere near to the Tesco Tanjung Pinang. 

Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe

I'm not sure whether the current Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe is the same restaurant I visited during I was a kid, but the location of that restaurant was same where Sea Pearl Lagoon located. At the past, Tanjung Bungah and Gurney were the areas that famous with seafood restaurants, Batu Muang and Teluk Kumbar at that time still not really being recognized and developed.

If you are visitor and not really follow the travel guide or website information, I believe it is very hard for you to discover this Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe because it is not located at road side yet you need to drive or walk in some distances from the main road. But if you are taking the cab, by showing driver the name or photo of the restaurant, I believe they could bring you to the destination.

Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe is located at seaside and stand side by side with the Chinese temple named as Tua Peh Kong Temple.  You could have a nice sea view and clean beach before proceed to have your dinner.

Seaside where Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe Located

If not at raining day, customers used to sit at the open space to enjoy the sea view and breeze.

Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe

During my recent trip, I just discovered that this cafe is consisted of few stalls that offering you with different kind of food/seafood. In total we had made order with 5 stalls that serving us with the oyster omelette, fried clam, satay, fried noodles, baked prawn and baked crabs.

Oyster Omelette or Fried Oyster

The first item being served was the oyster omelette or we called it as 'o-chien' in Hokkien. Although the portion was bit small but the taste was good. However, the size of oyster was relatively small as compare to some food stalls that offered you with oyster with size as 20 cent's coin.

After the oyster omelette, the fried clam was on its way to our table.

Fried Clam

Not like some restaurants, this fried clam was not really spicy and it is suitable to be taken by the kids. It is tasty too. Besides, the satay and fried noodles were also being served at the same time but unfortunately we forgot to take the photo. Satay is a skewered grilled meat that serve together with spicy peanut sauce. The satay here was having common taste and no surprise. As for the fried noodles, sorry to say that it was totally tasteless, some more single plate of this noodles cost us at RM15. Some one informed us that normally the fried noodles is taste good, but don't know what happen to that day where the taste become like that.

Finally, the baked prawn and crabs were then being served.

Baked Prawn

By looking at the prawn, I was quite sure that it was caught from the sea and not by breeding. Hence, simple salt-baked (I guess) had making the prawn to be so tasty until I couldn't stop to take it. I strongly recommend you to try out this baked prawn. Fresh & tasty!!

Baked Crabs

Although we had made appointment with the restaurant in afternoon, but the crabs were in such high demand where the egg crabs had been fully booked. We just managed to get the meat crabs on that day. Anyway, the baked crabs were still so attractive and delicious. Thumbs up! If I'm not mistaken, customers that came around 8pm were being informed that the crabs had been sold out. Hence, please be there as earlier as possible or make an appointment with the restaurant, if you don't want to miss out the famous baked prawn and crabs!!

In overall, we were very satisfy with the dinner in Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe except for the fried noodles. I couldn't tell you how much we spent for the dinner because we were being treated. Anyway, I would still conclude that the price would be cheaper then those restaurants in the tourist hot spot. Enjoy!

Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe (海珠屿海鲜)
Address: Jalan Tokong Thai Pak Koong,
              Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bungah,
              Penang.
Phone No. : 04-899 0375.
Business Hour: 11am to 10pm

Driving Direction:
If you come from Georgetown, follow the way to Tesco Tanjung Pinang. When you come to the traffic light where Tesco is at your right, don't stop but keep moving and look for the next traffic light. When you reach that traffic light, you would see flat or apartment at your right. Take a right turn and get into the small road. Follow the road until to the small junction, take the road at the right and continue moving until to the end where you would reach the seaside where Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe and Tua Pek Kong Temple located. Please take note that the parking space is very limited and you will be charged RM1 for parking fees.

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Blooms Restaurant - Lunch & Dinner - Penang Bayan Lepas

After took the late breakfast, the stomach was still full and last until 2pm. Since no idea what to take as lunch, so I drove around The One and survey the restaurants one by one. Finally a restaurant with yellow color based design reminded me that it was recommended by a newspaper sometimes ago. Hence, we decided to have our lunch in this restaurant that named as Blooms Restaurant.

Blooms Restaurant

Same as other shop lot in The One, there are three car parking lots in front of Blooms Restaurant that specifically reserved for its customers. If the space are fully occupied, then you would need to look for other parking space. Luckily we grab the last lot before it fully occupied.

The simple & light colour interior design giving me the young and energetic impression. The staffs are very nice and polite. They always served the customer with smile faces.

Blooms Restaurant

Blooms Restaurant

Blooms Restaurant

After being led to our dining table, we were provided with the restaurant menu.

Blooms Restaurant Menu

By look at the menu, we found that this restaurant is offering the Western food, cover from fish, chicken to beef, as well as the rice set serve together with chicken, fish, prawn or squid. There are also some snack too for order.

Since our visit was on Saturday, there was no set lunch offered. However, the nice staff was introducing to us their new package called Premium Set which by topping up RM6.88, we could enjoy their creamy mushroom soup, slice of ice cream topped chocolate moist and a cup of coffee or chocolate. After discussed, we decided to try a set of this additional package.

Premium Set Blooms Restaurant

For the main course, we ordered two different chicken set which is Baked Chicken Thigh with Spicy Citrus Junos Sauce and Grilled Chicken Thigh with Black Pepper Sauce. Besides, we also tried out another drink that called Litchi Orange Iced Tea. After made up our mind, we filled up the order form wait and for the meal to be served.

When I was busy taking all these photos, the first two items were served. It was the creamy mushroom soup and the iced chocolate.

Ice Chocolate

No surprise for the ice chocolate as it was like the common cocoa drink with ice. The good point for this drink is the sweetness was well control.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

As for the creamy mushroom soup, it was nicely presented. The mushroom soup was quite creamy yet not over concentrated. I like it especially with the bread on top.

The third item being introduced was the Litchi Orange Iced Tea. I never think that combination of these two fruits could deliver an unique taste. The litchi is bringing up the sweetness and the taste is ended by a orange flavour. I really like it. But the drink could be even better if the sweetness could be reduced.

Litchi Orange Iced Tea (RM 3.50)

The main course was served approximately 10 minutes after we made our order. The Baked Chicken Thigh with Spicy Citrus Junos Sauce was served first, follow by the Grilled Chicken Thigh with Black Pepper Sauce.

Baked Chicken Thigh with Spicy Citrus Junos Sauce (RM 9.90)

Grilled Chicken Thigh with Black Pepper Sauce (RM 9.90)

Initially I thought the meal portion is small due to the image display in the menu was in such way. However, when the food was served, then only I realize it could definitely fill up your stomach. Besides the chicken thigh, it was served together with a small cup of rice and a scoop of salad.

The salad was made in sour taste to stimulate our appetite. The rice served was bit special, not like common white rice. The taste was similar like sticky rice but it is not sticky at all. Should give it a LIKE. Regarding the chicken, it was boneless. No matter it was baked or grilled, the chicken was nicely cook. The spicy citrus junos sauce not really spicy, worth to try for those who doesn't like spicy flavour. Same goes to the black pepper sauce.

The last item being served was the dessert - Ice Cream Topped Chocolate Moist. Although it was just a small piece of cake, but it was nicely presented. The ice cream flavor was matching to the chocolate cake.

Ice Cream Topped Chocolate Moist

After all, we only spent RM 30.20 on our lunch with 2 main courses, 2 drinks, 1 mushroom soup and 1 dessert.The food is definitely worth for the price. Furthermore, neither government tax nor service charge being practise in this restaurant. Very nice!!

For those who working around Bayan Lepas and just happen that you are looking for lunch destination, perhaps the Blooms Restaurant could become your option too. See, they are doing the promotion now:

In overall, I like the restaurant so much. Although we did not pay any service charge, but the staffs are nicely greet you even when you back. I would definitely give my support to this restaurant.  Enjoy!

Address
Blooms Restaurant
The One,
2-1-8, Tingkat Mahsuri 5,
Bayan Lepas, 11950 Penang
https://www.facebook.com/BloomsRestaurant
Business hour : 11.30am - 3pm
                         5.30pm - 10.00pm
                         Closed on Tuesday.

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Claypot Steamboat My Second Home - Dinner - Penang Bayan Lepas

As a Chinese, steamboat is a common cooking style in our community. During my childhood time, we only enjoy the steamboat once a year, which during the reunion dinner held on Chinese New Year eve. Nowadays, restaurants that offer steamboat could be easily found in Penang, some of them even launch the buffet package which named as 'All You Can Eat'.

The common steamboat is always refer to a metal or stainless steel pot that heated by charcoal in old days, and later being replaced by liquefied petroleum gas and electric. However, recently I discovered that there is a home style restaurant who offered the claypot steamboat. The 'restaurant' is named as 'My Second Home'.

My Second Home Claypot Steamboat

My Second Home Claypot Steamboat

Claypot Steamboat

My Second Home is located at Persiaran Sungai Dua, Gelugor, Bayan Lepas, Penang. It is close to Penang JPJ Office, by following the same road then you could notice this home style restaurant is on your left while JPJ is on your right with few steps further.

My first impression on the restaurant was it really looked like my neighbour's house during my childhood time in a village. Upon entering, we were welcome by the staff and being lead to our dining table. When I looked around, I found nothing served except for those vege, noodles, and some fries. I was so surprise until the staff gave us a form to make our order. Then only I know this restaurant was practising different style of buffet which you made order instead of taking food by yourselves.

My Second Home Interior

My Second Home Interior

There were total 5 soup base for customer preference, which include chicken soup, tomyam soup, herbal soup, pickle soup and anchovies soup. We did noticed one of the customer requested for Bah Kut Teh soup and they got it with additional charges. For us, we took the anchovies soup. Initially I thought the anchovies soup was prepared with little anchovies and adding in seasoning cube to make the soup base. However, I was wrong and being so impressed when I saw the soup base was came together with lot of anchovies.

Anchovies Soup Base Claypot Steamboat

Lets see what ingredients that we ordered...

The ingredients

The first plate consisted of oyster mushroom, winter-melon, lotus, seaweed, enoki mushroom, fish ball,  quail egg and handmade chicken meat with eggs.

The ingredients

While the second plate included white pomfret, prawn, squids, cuttlefish, clam. Besides, there is another plate with different type of ball include prawn ball, crab ball, crab meat ball, lobster ball, squid ball, seafood taufu, etc. In terms of vegetable, we took some cabbage that readily served in a basket.

Vegetables in the basket

It was my first experience enjoying claypot steamboat with anchovies soup base. The soup was quite fresh and tasty. In terms of the ingredients, not much surprising as it was quite common in every steamboat house except for the fish ball. I guess it was made by the restaurant itself because it is so spongy where I never came across.

After the first round, we almost full but still insisted to take second order by filled again our request in the form provided. For our package, the fish, prawn and squid were not listed in the form but they did served it. It meant these seafood items only available once per visit. If your stomach needs to be filled by carbohydrate before it fully occupied, then you could take some noodles to steam it yourself.    

Beside the main dish, My Second Home does offer some snacks, such as the popcorn, 'pau, jelly and ice cream.

The Snack

In terms of drink, there were orange juice and mango juice for your preference. Plain water and ice also ready for self service.

The Drinks

In overall, we are satisfy with the visit. The package is at RM21 per person. Although the ingredient served might not  really worth with the price quoted but if you wish to enjoy the home style claypot steamboat that not commonly find in the city, then My Second Home is worth to be visited.

My Second Home
No.608A, MK 13, Persiaran Sungai Dua,
Gelugor, 11700
Penang
5.350271, 100.303279
Business hour : Monday - Sunday(5.30pm to 10.00pm)

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