September 2013
This place has so many food stalls selling satay, deep fried taufu, noodles of all sorts, Thai fare to Western food such as pizza and pies. It's also one of the most colourful food courts in Penang and with very possibly the best amra or kedondong asam boi drink.
Where to begin once you’re there and faced with a dizzying array of hawker food? Well, here are some of our favourites: Grilled stingray thickly slathered with mildly spicy paste and dipped into assam and onion sauce before each bite. It’s easy to find the stall that offers this dish, you can’t miss the one with fresh fish sitting on a bed of ice and a small piece enough for two to pick on is RM15.
Then there’s oyster omelette from the stall next to it. Locals may argue that it may not be one of the best in Penang but definitely good enough to accompany the fish at RM8 for a medium sized portion.
Noodles wise, there’s the sizzling ones consisting of crispy egg noodles soaking in thick soya sauce with vegetables, pork or chicken and topped with half-cooked egg at RM5. For cool evenings, we recommend either the clear soup prawn mee noodles or the more spicy assam laksa with a slab of sardine for around the same price. If you’re in the mood for value-for-money western fare, the German food booth right beside the fried taufu stall, has pretty good, thick sausages with mash potatoes for RM8 each.
Communal eating of rice and accompanying dishes can be had from the Chinese, Thai and Lebanese stalls, located almost side by side. Kebabs, pita breads, spiced long-grain rice are from the latter while spicier chicken, pork and vegetable dishes with white or fried rice from the Thai one. Seafood dishes such as bamboo clams, prawns, steamed fish are available from the Chinese and if you’re unsure, they have photos you can simply point and order large or small portions. Here prices vary according to what you order and normally starts from RM25 for a meat and two vegetable dishes with rice.
Finally, for dessert, don't miss out the ice kacang that you can order from the drinks seller who always come around to each table to take orders. It's a rather huge helping and always fun to share with another.
The ambience here is buoyant and energetic while the view of sea and sunset is simply breath-taking. There are alfresco and covered seating in case it rains. It's a favourite spot for families so go early to ensure a parking spot and a table by the water. Also, live music begins around 9pm, be ready for a noisy treat. Su Aziz
As featured in Time Out Penang's 50 things to do in Penang.