Gourmet Garden

Days back while driving through the Jelutong Express-way, we noticed a typical looking Malay eating outlet beside the ramp just after the old land fill area along the express-way. As we just finish the eLawyer seminar at USM and had no plans of where to have lunch, we decided to try out the Malay eating outlet that we saw previously. When coming from the Georgetown area, just keep to the left after the Jelutong xpress-way Shell petrol station. The “makan” area is just after the old land fill. But if you are driving from the Bayan Lepas direction, after Tesco stay to the left and turn right at the first traffic lights and you will see the “makan” area.

The name of the stall is “Ani Nasi Campur Gulai Sembilang”, and it is housed in the “Balai Nelayan Jelutong”. The stall open’s for business daily except Sunday and their business hours are from 11:30am onwards until everything is gone from their trays. It literally closes after all their dishes are all sold out, and would just take about 2 to 3 hours. We were there some where near to 2:00pm and everything was all sold out except for some beef, squid, and some fish curries.

And thus, that is what we had for lunch that faithfull Saturday. 2 plates of white rice, 1 nasi tambah, 1 curry sembilang head, 1 piece of curry ikan pari  , 3 pieces of beef and some chilli squid. And the total demage is RM 17.00.

The chilli squid or “sotong pedas” was slightly chewy and over firm, but the taste was quite appetising with some sourness and heat. This dish almost taste like “sotong sambal”. With the gravy in toe, one could finish the whole plate of rice without anything else.

The beef that we had I guess was some sort of rendang or stewed beef. Anyway, it was tender and flavourful. The beef chunks that we had been moisten with a distinctive sardine like taste gravy with just the right amount of spice to bring out the beefy flavour. The heat in the chilli and spice did not overwhelm the sweet and affirmative taste of the beef chunks. The usage of curry leaves in this dish was also something that we do not see everyday at Malay “makan” stalls.

The “Ikan Pari” or stingray curry had some hint of “balacan” or fermented shrimp paste in it. The taste is of this dish is quite light but the gravy was creamy. It is a dish that I would not miss if the run out of stock on my next visit there.

Next on the table was the “Gulai Sembilang”, which is actually our local catfish cooked in their special “gulai” or curry. The gulai was light, sweet and full of fragrant of spices. As the gulai is light, it did not go well with white rice alone; one would need to mixed it with other heavier tasting gravies. But to enjoy it like one would do with soups would be a better way to enjoy the flavour the sembilang gulai has to offer. As for the sembilang fish head, it was creamy or “lemak” especially with those entire soft cartridge like flesh encasing the skull of the fish head. The mixture of spices used in the gulai was well balanced to rid the sembilang of any unappetising taste but yet left that sweet taste of fish still intact in the dish.   No wonder Ani is famous for their “gulai sembilang”!

On average, I would rate Ani Nasi Campur Gulai Sembilang:

* 3.8/5 for value (RM17 is a bit high just for 3 chunks of beef, scoops of squid, 1 piece of stingray meat and 1 catfish head)
* 3.9/5 for taste & texture (love the beef and catfish)
* 3.4/5 for service (not attentive when first approach the stall)
* 3.0/5 for cleanliness(by the sea and at make shift area, not much can be expected)
* 3.0/5 for atmosphere (a bit hot on sunny days)

Address : Balai Nelayan Jelutong, Jelutong Express-way, Penang.

Tel : 016-4584229 (Ani)

Business Hours : 11.30am – ?pm. Closed on Sundays.

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Popularity: 11% [?]

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aaaaahhhh………Still remember Ivy’s Kitchen Combo Meal posted a month ago?

I feel a bit bad towards to Mr.Tan & Ivy for owing the a-lar cart dinner post for such a long time.

Ok now, Ivy’s Kitchen also have available dishes on a-lar-cart order for dinner time besides the lunch combos that cater to the OLs and OMs in the near by office blocks.

At Night they serve Chinese and Nyonya dishes, and the followings are my verdict for some of the dishes served for the invited review dinner do:

The Big Banner hanging in front of the restaurant is eye catching. Jason has given Mr. Tan some ideas to make the restataurant’s brand name more visible to attract those who drive on Jalan Chow Thye. One of them was to place a extended vertical banner similar to that used by Japanese restaurants to show-off its name because the current banner is slightly out of sight by car drivers.

Sweet and Sour Flower Crab (market price)

The sauce combination is thick and very flavorful, and i can taste the distinctive sweet crab meat flavor from the first mouthful.

The flower crab flesh was indeed very meaty & fresh, it is a testament to the quality ingredients that they used here. To be frank, is my first encounter with such a meaty flower crab. Usually flower crab ain’t that meaty. The dish is a good mate for a bowl of fragrant white rice.

It was good, but there was a slightly sweet after taste. Light handed on the sugar is necessary.

Rating for the dish: 3.9/5

Gulai Tumis Chinese Silver Pomfret (market price)

Gulai Tumis usually would be Malaysian’s favourite, when talk and think about the dish one would start begin to experience a  saliva tsunami in the mouth. Hahaha…

What is so special about the Gulai? It is all about the spiciness of the chili paste, sourly taste of tamarind, pungent smell of lemongrass, light perfumery bungah kantan (tourh ginger) to make it became a mouth watering dish.

Above all ingredients, Ivy’s Kitchen version has additional Green Chilies and tomatoes. The Silver Promfret was fresh, but the fish was slightly over cooked because there some late arrivals due to the traffic situation.  I personally would prefer the silver pomfret put into the steaming tray rather into the gulai tumis if the fish still extremely fresh.  :)

Rating for the dish: 3.7/5

Assam Prawns (RM20 for 10 prawns)

Look at that divine caramelised colour!

There are 2 types of assam prawn, either with thick gravy or dried.  And here they served dried and crispy assam prawn with wonderful flavors .

I would say this nyonya assam prawn was very authentic to me. Although here in Malaysia there are tones of restaurant serving the same dish, but rarely you would get the same “good” nyonya assam prawn.

But don’t be sad, you can now taste the very nicely marinated and pan fried to perfection assam prawn in Ivy’s kitchen. The tamarind flavour is not overpowering; sweet and sour on the right balance. Thumbs Up!

Rating for the dish: 4/5

Fried Bean curd with Leeks

This was a simple homey dish with wok hei. It was slightly dried, a little more gravy and leeks should be better.

Again, it was slightly over sweeten.

Rating for the dish: 3.6/5

Tofu with Seaweed Soup

Seaweed soup with distinctive and clear flavours! This is the freshest seaweed flavour and aroma that I never taste before. No wonder Japanese like it so much. But again it was slightly over sweeten with the seasoning.

The soup come together with sliced carrots, fish balls, cabbages, minced chicken balls and prawns, and of course generous amounts of  the fragrant seaweed

Rating for the dish: 3.8/5

Fried Snow Pea Shoots with Bean Sprouts

The combination of snow pea shoots and bean sprout stir fried was not popular not until the recent years. I and jason still remember we had our curry fish head in Alor Star and we discovered this combination of stir frying of snow pea shoots and bean sprouts for the first time back in 2006 or 2007. Something interesting, as the friendly curry fish head chef cum owner told us, bean sprout gives the sweetness and evenly match the bitterness and rough texture of the snow pea shoots.

Anyway, the easiest dish is the hardest to master, more skill is needed. This dish in Ivy’s has that homey taste with wok hei.  But the bean sprouts were slightly overcooked, thus, the loss of that crunchy feeling. But the fragrant garlic bits compensated for that..

Rating for the dish: 3.7/5

Fruits Platter

After all the dishes, big plate of fruits was sent to our table, with chunks of sweet mango, papaya and longan.

Note: ivy’s kitchen is serves pork free dishes.

Average rating for this place:

2.9/5 for value (slightly over priced for seafood, but it was on market forces)
3.8/5 for taste & texture (taste of home cook meals, but there is still room to excel especially on the handling of certain ingredients and the seasoning)
3.8/5 for service
4.0/5 for cleanliness
3.0/5 for atmosphere (not much of decoration. evening got lots of mosquito due to the neighbours plants but they are looking into environmental friendly ways to get rid of this minor problem)

Location:

Add : 58 Jalan Chow Thye, 10250 Penang. (Next to Isaribi Tei and near by Jemputree)

Tel : 013-433 7878 (Mr. Tan), 016-433 7130 (Ms. Ivy)

Business Hours : Daily 9:00am-9:00pm from Monday to Sunday. Saturday 12:00pm-9:00pm.

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Popularity: 7% [?]

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It was a hot late afternoon and what the hack my appointment was canned, so we detoured to the old “Bubur” push-cart-stall on the sidelines of the busy Penang Road in the heart of Georgetown. The stall is no other than the famous “Kamblis Bubur” at the junction of Penang Road and Jalan Dato Koyah. It is just directly opposite of Ho Ping coffee shop and just at the door steps of the once famous Kayu Nasi Kandar.

It has been quite sometime since I last ate at this bubur stall. So you when there is an opportunity, I can’t resist. At the stall you can see people from all walks of live, from different ethnic group, of different skin colour etc enjoying a bowl of thick, sweet and rich “bubur” and mingling about the daily happenings. There is no tension or disharmony to be seen.

My favourite is their “bubur gandum” or wheat porridge in direct translation. The bubur gandum is actually whole wheat grains cooked in coconut milk and sweeten and seasoned to produce that seemingly sinful tea time snack for people of all ages, except the diabetic. A bowl of bubur with a scoop of glutinous rice only cost RM 0.70, but take-away would cost 30 cents more. The bubur gandum is only available on weekend(s), which I am not very sure. On week days they would cooked up other types of bubur which they daily changed so as not to bore their patrons with the same old thing everyday. It is a bit cliché; you can say it is like a pot of chocolate, you won’t know what is installed for the pot cover is lifted.

It was good to recall the good old days when we used to ride our bike around town and just stopping where ever is convenient and have a bite or two. It is the simplest things in the world that give us comfort on a hectic or busy day.

Popularity: 8% [?]

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Last Saturday on (13th June 2009) we revisited Blue Reef, the fish n’ chip joint at 32 Permai off Vale of Tempe that we visited early this year. The revisit to Blue Reef was partially to meet a friend and also to find out whether their quality food is still consistent to that we had early this year. We had to find out for our selves because we have read some ‘not so good’ comments of the place.

It has been almost 6 months since we set foot in Blue Reef, and we didn’t know what to expect from them. Not much has changed since then, the only thing that we notice is the little drawings that were pasted on one side of their wall. It is good to see that our ideas were accepted and used, but the actual idea was to have the photos of patrons and their fun moments captured and enshrine on their wall. At least the idea was used in some way!

Currently there is an offer for a full meal option, excluding dessert, for an additional RM1. It is a good promotional strategy at this current economy phase. Many are looking for bargain and money saving deals for their daily needs and wants. With an additional RM 1 added to the cost of the chosen main course, I was served with a glass of ice-lemon tea and a bowl of the soup of the day.

The soup of the day that we had was their green pea soup. It tasted kind of earthy, nutty and sweet. There was some sandy texture to the soup which I find to my liking. Served with the soup, was piece toasted garlic bread. On seeing it, we thought that the bread would hard to consume due to the thicker shaped. But surprisingly the bread was quite manageable because it was crisp on the surface and moist and soft inside. Thus, it was not crumbly and hard to bite into.

For the main course, I had their Salmon Burger. The flaky salmon patty was well caramelised on the surfaces and yet retaining the juicy moisture. The seasoning of the salmon meat was well choreographed as it did not totally overwhelm the distinct taste of salmon. The crisp and soft sesame seed bun and the sauté onion toppings was a good combination to the salmon patty. There was only one thing that I felt bad about the burger was the amount of tartar sauce. I would personally leave the tartar sauce out and may be sauté the onions with some balsamic vinegar to give the burger some added flavour.

Gill had their Aglio e Olio as usual. But it was a bit of a disappointment for her because they have substitute the pork bacon for the anchovies as they are now a pork free restaurant. With the anchovies, it tasted a bit weird to us. We asked Chris why not use beef bacon, and he told us that it did not have enough flavour. Anyway, I guess we would be going back for try their Aglio e Olio again because the Chris mentioned that they might change it to Seafood Aglio e Olio. The previous trip to Blue Reef, the Aglio e Olio was excellent and the pasta strands were firm and springy.

Our friend had their famous fish n’ chips and their Caesar salad. One of the not so good comments that we read was that the batter for the fish n’ chips were a soggy. But from the looks of our friend’s serving, it was perfectly coated and deep fried till gold brown. Although minutes have passed, the beer batter coat was still firm and crisp. And the serving portion for below RM20 was, as my friend puts it, value for money. He said in Kuala Lumpur the portion would have cost him at least RM35.

As for his Ceasar salad, I am not the position to comment as I did not taste it.

At the end of the lunch cum discussion, our friend ordered their Orange Crème brûlée. Crème brûlée is a rich custard dessert topped with a layer of hard caramel that is formed by the burning of sugar by any means of heat source. Traditionally the custard base is normally flavoured with just vanilla, but at Blue Reef they have prepared their version flavoured with orange. The cream was not too dairy or creamy, and sweetness was just at the right note. But the caramelise sugar coating was slightly coarse for the silky smooth textured custard. May be fine sugar should be used instead.

On average, I would rate Blue Reef:

* 4.1/5 for value
* 3.7/5 for taste & texture (because of having to choose pork free)
* 4.1/5 for service (Chris and his staffs are always attentive to our comments)
* 4.1/5 for cleanliness(still clean and neat after in bussiness for more than 6 months)
* 3.7/5 for atmosphere

Address : Permai 32, No.22 Lebuh Lembah Permai 4, 11200 Tanjung Bungah, Penang.

Tel : 04 8999128.

Business Hours : 11.30am – 2.30pm and  6.30pm – 10.30pm. Closed on Mondays.

GPS Coordinate : N 05*27?16.38?   E 100*17?25.4?

Popularity: 7% [?]

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The Food Loft at Gurney Plaza has come and go. The lots are now being occupied by a new tenant by the name of Ko Fu Loft. When we were driving past Gurney Plaza and while looking to the vacated lots, I told Gill that if it were up to me, I would have occupied the vacated lots with a Dim Sum restaurant. Not long later, we got news that a dim sum restaurant would be opened to replace The Food Loft. There are numerous reasons behind the idea; the location, the type of crowd and potential customers, and the competition, but I won’t go into that here may be in my other blog.

I have yet to interview or have much information about Ko Fu Loft and their operations to provide a clear write-up of this place. Thus, it would be more of a pictorial post with focuses on the people, the atmosphere, the food and experience during the invited review that was held on last Sunday’s late afternoon (7th July 2009). Basically Ko Fu Loft took over the setup left by The Food Loft and made some minor renovation to suit their concept.

Let’s start with the people! This review saw some new faces that we have not personally met other than reading their blogs. We were overjoyed to have the opportunity to persanally meet up Christy from yumyumbites.blogspot.com, Cheryl from nuttyeve9.blogspot.com, L K Low from food-4tots.com, Eunice, Siew Ying & Iris from foodpromotions.com.my, CW Chan from noweating.com, and Chef Khoon(blog is still in the works) for the first time after reading their blogs for so long. In some way, the review was an occasion and opportunity to meet other persons that also shares the same passion for food.

Some how or rather, the majority of the food bloggers that attended the functions are women. Many would think that food bloggers would be like a 2 ton truck like me but you would be amazed to see many of them are like a SMART cars, petite and attractive to the eye. Other than having a smaller circumference, each and every one of these beautiful human beings are very approachable and easy to be with. They would be great companions to have at the dining table. We shared many laughs and ideas at the table, and time seems to fly by when there is great company amongst. Three hours seems like 3 minutes.

As we shared our laughs we also shared some pointer is photo shooting when the dishes were served. The moment the food was placed on the table we were all like bees to honey. Each one was trying to get the best angle and shot for our blog readers to feast on. The management and kitchen of Ko Fu Loft had generously prepared 14 types of dishes and a dessert for us to sample that range from appetizers and dim sum to ‘Poon Choy’ and fried noodles.

K o Fu Sesame Seed Ball(RM 10.90), the presentation was quite unique, one ball in a spoon. It is exactly like the suggestion that we gave to Haven Delight for their Chicken Bom. Taste wise was average, the sesame seeds were not fragrant enough and the stuffing was slightly dry.

Crystal Spring Roll Skin Stuff with Vege & Chicken Meat(RM6.90), the presentation was average similar to many other restaurants that offered this kind of Vietnamese summer rolls. Taste wise it wasn’t appetising or refreshing as we have better experienced in Miss Saigon & Young Heart . This may be contributed by the powdery texture chicken meat and the vegetables that lack sweetness.

Steam Fresh Prawn Dumpling or ‘Har Kau’(RM5.50), taste and presentation was standard and comparable to some traditional dim sum restaurants.

Pork Dumpling with Fish Roes or ‘Siew Mai’(RM5.50), presentation is pretty standard in the bamboo steam basket and taste considered quite standard. But Gill found that the minced meat was slightly rougher in texture, but depends on what do you personally prefer.

Minced Squid with Crab Claw (RM5.50), Gill gave this dish a good rating for presentation and taste. But I personally do not fancy this dish, may be because the texture was a bit too smooth without any contrast in texture. To me it felt and tasted like there was too much flour mixed into it.

Signature Steamed Custard Creamy Bun ((RM5.50), with one of the buns cracked opened it looked pretty nice golden yellow custard cream flowing out. But then was it supposed to be presented in this way? The buns were average in texture and taste except for the custard cream. The custard cream wasn’t smooth in texture; it felt sandy like an inclusion of duck egg yolk in the cream.

Deep Fried Yam Paste with Mince Pork or Wo Kok (RM4.50), it should be more like pork chunks than mince pork. The out look seems appetising and pretty standard. For taste it was a bit too sweet more like ‘char siew’ feelings than the normal stuffing used in old traditional ‘wu kok’. Yam is already heavy, couple with the over sweet feeling it won’t be appetising.

Deep fried Pandan Lotus Paste or ‘ chin toi’ (RM4.50), basically looks standard but the skin, when bite, was too thick and chewy. And the pandan lotus feeling tasted like it was made with pandan essence.

Szechuan Aromatic Duck (RM18.90), presentation average taste texture was below average. The duck slices were coated in some sort of batter and deep fried. But it may have been over cooked, thus the duck meat slices were dry and the lacks any aromatics and tastes. The accompanying egg wrapper was similarly dry and lacks that eggy taste.

Jingdo Pork Rib (RM14.90), presentation was average and for taste it was more like black pepper ribs than’ jingdo’ ribs due to the overwhelming pepper taste. In addition to that, there was a slight taste of soda on the surface of the ribs.  But of all the dishes that were served it seems that the ribs and the following deep fried Calamari were my favourite as they have got some taste in them.

Deep Fried Five Spice Calamari ((RM13.90), it had a light batter coating which was infused with five spice powder which was quite alluring. The contrast in texture and taste was also one of the attractions to this dish. The batter was fluffy and the squid was tender and crunchy. For taste contrast, it was exotic and salty on the out side and juicy and sweet in the inside.

Deep Fried Homemade Bean Curd (RM12.90), looks appealing due to the golden colour of the batter coating but the taste was bland. The bean curd or tofu did not have that unique earthy and nutty taste of the soya bean in it.

All in 1 Roasted Meat with Vegetables or ‘Poon Choy’(RM19.90), was not what we expected to be. If you have read our ‘Phoon Choy’ post you would know the difference. At Ko Fu Loft it is basically various types of roasted meat and prawns placed in a clay pot based and topped with vegetable and prawns, then immersed in their starch up soup stock. Most of the ingredients were not fresh especially the prawns. And from tasting from different servings that we provided with, we found that the taste was not consistent. Some tasted like broccoli, some tasted like white cabbage, while some tasted like oyster sauce was used.  Then what we expect from RM 19.90 for a ‘Poon Choy’?! The one that we made roughly cost us jus for the ingredients was nearly RM250.

Fried Seafood Emperor Noodles (RM12.90), was nothing royal about it. It’s looks average and tasted below average. The noodles when served were already dry and taste was very bland. We had to resort to look for soy sauce to make the noodles appetising.

Lastly we were served with their dessert of the day which would cost RM3.50 per bowl. I do not what to call it as no name was provided. The sago was over cooked and soft. And the water chestnut had no sweetness in it although it was crunchy. The coconut milk used didn’t have that nutty creamy taste that it would usually have. I guess they were using boxed coconut milk.

And on average I would grade Ko Fu Loft:

* 3.0/5 for value (ingredients used are not the best but we have to consider the location of the restaurant)
* 2.7/5 for taste & texture (taste was inconsistent and the was nothing particularly attractive)
* 2.5/5 for service ( there were particularly not much service, we had to clear our own tables and search for service)
* 3.0/5 for cleanliness (average but we had to ask for service to clear the table)
* 3.0/5 for atmosphere (typical like the Food Loft but with some enhancement, but to my point of view is waste of precious seating area)

Popularity: 7% [?]

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Popularity: 2% [?]

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If anyone who has a pet or has watched ‘I Am Legend’, which stars Will Smith, killed his beloved dog with no choice because of infection. You would know or share the same feeling and thoughts that I am going through now. While writing this post it breaks my heart that our beloved husky puppies are no more with us in this world!!

And all for what?! Just for few bucks more and to free themselves of any liability and responsibility!

It was on February the 3rd this year that three of them were born to our female pet husky, BoBo, but now they are no longer with us. If they were adopted and we are assured that they will be living a joyful and healthy life, then we would be very happy ‘parents’, but to loose them to greed and irresponsible reasons and to see them suffer is really heart renching.

Because of a person’s greed, two of the three puppies were sent a pet shop off Jalan Air Itam to be put up for sale for more money than what a genuine dog lover was willing to pay.

The picture below is the pet shop were the puppies were place and left there for people to buy them. They are the famous and biggest pet shop in ayer Itam who sells fish, birds, reptile years before venture into the cat and dog section. The pet shop is located off Jalan Air Itam. When coming from Chung Ling High School turn right at the Jalan Thien Tiek and Jalan Air Itam traffic lights.

Not long after the female puppy was sold but the male puppy was still left waiting at the pet shop. And weeks goes buy; out of the blue the pet shop calls up and requests that the male puppy be taken home.   And that is when the nightmare began. When my father-in-law noticed that something was not right with the white male puppy, he immediately took the puppy to see the vet. And it was diagnose to have contracted the contagious and fatal ‘Distemper’ virus, which took his life after 2 days at my in-laws house.

We thought that the nightmare would end there, but fate has it the only puppy that I & Gill decided that we could keep was also taken away after days of fighting the Distemper virus.

The last picture and memorable Jessie taken from the vet.

For the past week we have tried to persuade Jessie to eat and as a last resort, after seeing her weakening day by day, we tried to force feed her but it was all to no avail. The last trip to the vet on the 1st of June, she was tested and was diagnosed with full blown distemper virus infection. Seeing her starving, walking incoherently and moaning for the past few days, we have no choice, as the distemper can be contages to other dogs, yet the dog is uncureable, we force ourselves to decided to put her to sleep and release her 3 month old body from the pain and suffering that had agonised her for the past week.

Jessie gone in peacefully with just a second!

As I continue to write, tears of sorrow is damming up in my eyes, but I must soldier on to inform others about the hideous virus and how it spreads and the irresponsibility of coward and greedy business that have denied any responsibility.

What is Canine Distemper?

Canine distemper is a highly contagious and serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and, often, the nervous systems of puppies and dogs. The virus also infects wild canids (e.g. foxes, wolves and coyotes), raccoons, skunks, and ferrets.

How is Canine Distemper virus spread?

Puppies and dogs usually become infected through airborne exposure to the virus contained in respiratory secretions of an infected dog or wild animal. Outbreaks of distemper tend to be sporadic. Because canine distemper also affects wildlife populations, contact between wild and domestic canids may facilitate spread of the virus.

In this case

1. The pet shop said they will do the vaccinate by veterinary for our doggies. Do they really vaccinate my do? do they really send them to legal vet for vaccination? if yes, why the dogs infected distemper easily?

2. We highly suspect that the pet shop that the white male puppy was placed at and brought back from has been infected by the virus. And it was irresponsible of them to have us take the sick puppy back without informing us or warning us about its condition to avoid any liability.

No matter how much money was earned, it would not compensate for the loss of such loveable lives and the emotional torture is unbearable.

What dogs are at risk?

All dogs are at risk but puppies younger than four months old and dogs that have not been vaccinated against canine distemper are at increased risk of acquiring the disease.As I contineu to write, tears are trinkling down, but I must soldier on to inform others about the hedious virus and how it spreads and the irresponsibility of coward and greedy businesses.

A more comprehensive facts and information on the Distemper Virus can be found  in the following links:

• http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_canine_distemper.html
• http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/56700.htm
• http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/3/7/central/3419755&sec=central
• http://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/ailment/canine-distemper-remedies.html#question2

Now the little ones have left us, our hearts are now pounding and our thoughts of fear are with our other adult dogs. In both houses with have a total of seven dogs that we fear that we might loose to the Distemper Virus. We are currently trying our best and finding ways to boost their immune system so that they will be strong enough to ward of the on-slaught of the virus. Help us pray that they will survive and continue to be happy and healthy members of our family.

Popularity: 9% [?]

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It was a sunny morning somewhere in March this year that we were invited to interview the owners of an unique bakery located on the busy Chulia Street in the Georgetown area, Rainforest Bakery. The bakery has been in operations since year 2000/2001 which at those days were only supplying their breads wholesale to eateries, etc. But as time goes by and from the request of their ‘door-knocking’ customers, Rainforest began to plan for a retail outlet which was finally materialised at its current location on Chulia Street in year 2008. At Rainforest, one could see that customers from all walks of life and nationality wondering and choosing their pick of the day from the selection of continental breads that are baked daily.

At current the bakery is being managed by a pair of identical twins, Jerry and Jesse Tan(short spiky hair do). Jesse whom entertained our question and answer session was actually MIA from Rainforest Bakery for approximately 3 years not for fun, but to work in London and travel around Europe to acquire the skills and knowledge that they require to differentiate their breads from the localised bakeries and to provide better and healthier loafs of wholesome organic breads to its patrons. The daily fresh baked loafs uses the traditional or organic methods of preparing the dough for each individual type of bread that they offer today. Organic does not only mean that the ingredients are organic, even the preparation and baking process must be organic in every way that is what sets them apart from the rest. What they are selling at the bakery is not only bread, but also the concept of healthy organic traditionally baked and non-localised bread.

The daily fresh baked loafs uses the traditional or organic methods of preparing the dough for each individual type of bread that they offer today. Organic does not only mean that the ingredients are organic, even the preparation and baking process must be organic in every way and that is what sets them apart from the rest. Enjoy with assurance that no preservative, no MSG or enhancers and no essence are use in their bread. Even the yeast they used is self-cultured!

Not only the ingredients and baking take on the traditional concept, the packing or wrapping of certain breads also takes on the original ways that were used to pack them for customers which are still practiced in certain parts of the baking world.

Other than bread, one would also be enticed by their cakes, muffins and cookies that are on display at the bakery.

And if you need to add some savoury or sweetness to the bread that was just picked from the rack, you could also try out their homemade Kaya and Garlic Butter spread.

Their current business caters to the retail walk-in customers, wholesale deliveries to restaurant and hotels, and also residential home if it is located on the delivery routes. Other than the current retail outlet, there are also plans to expand their business by setting up their own branch. They are not looking into franchise because they want their Rainforest Bakery breads to be made fresh  and to keep the quality in check so as not disappoint their customers.

Average rating for this place:

• 3.8/5 for value ( it would be a bit on the high side but the quality is what you are looking for, it is place to try out)
• 4.0/5 for taste & texture (certain individuals may not be receptive to the kind of bread taste & texture.)
• 4.0/5 for service (friendly and accommodating)
• 4.2/5 for cleanliness ( everything is kept closed and clean)
• 3.9/5 for atmosphere (what bakeries should smell of and feel like)

Address : 300 Lebuh Chulia, 10200 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact :+ 60 (4) 261 4641
Opening Hours : 10.00am-10.00pm (Closed Sunday)

enclosed with their in-house brochures

Popularity: 36% [?]

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