Warong Corner Banggol, Kuala Terengganu

Though we had the fantastic nasi kerabu for late breakfast, we were hungry again by lunch time. Why am I perpetually hungry when I'm holidaying? :p

Our initial plan of having nasi dagang were dashed by a heavy downpour and we ended up at Warong Corner Banggol.

Looks pretty promising as the warong was packed with customers..after getting our seats, we decided to get our lunch.. can either opt for nasi berlauk (rice with our choice of dishes), noodles or goreng (ie, nasi/mee/kuay teow goreng).

I noticed the lauk area were rather packed, so I decided to try the dishes...

The dish on the right was daging masak merah which was superb! The meat, though just slightly hard, was marinated very well and the kuah was amazing. Very tasty indeed. The middle dish, timun gulai was also very scrumptious. The cucumber, though cooked in gulai, was extremely juicy...every bite I took was like biting into watermelon. The dish on the left, well, I took coz it was very popular and everyone seemed to be taking it. It was goat's intestine and the gamey flavour was so, so pungent and vile that I nearly puked after my first mouthful.. what the...I didn't touch this dish after that.

Amy decided to have noodles instead, hence the assam laksa..Their version was with clear soup, served with lots of shredded vegetables and a hard boil egg. It was actually pretty spicy, but I find the fish stock rather lacking. No ommphh :(. Poor amy didn't finished her assam laksa as it was too spicy for her..

Warong Corner Banggol is located at the corner of Jalan Kampung Tiong, Kuala Terengganu. In the middle of town, same road (opposite) as Alliance Bank.

Norra Nasi Kerabu dan Ayam Bakar, Kuala Terengganu

Aaah, yesss.... I am back!

Had a wonderful break at Lang Tengah, I simply adore the beach there...lovely!! It's my second time there but am missing it already :(. Oh well, next year then..

So we left the island and were at Merang.

On the way to Kuala Terengganu, we stopped by Norra Nasi Kerabu, where it's very popular amongst the local..It was packed when we reached.. that was 10:30 am on monday. Wished my monday mornings were like that every week too!

Norra's a very fuss free stall set-up... they only serve nasi kerabu with ayam/ daging bakar.. they do serve other lauk (erm, there were 2 dishes), but patrons tend to ignore those and go straight for nasi kerabu..

I had the nasi kerabu with ayam bakar..The mak cik was very generous with the rice, chopped ulam (raw vegetables) and kerisik (fried shredded coconut). Smothered with their sweet sambal tumis/ budu like sauce, all you need to do is to mix all the ingredients well. The overall flavour was on the sweet side (quite norm in Terengganu and Kelantan), it was very good nonetheless. Every bite was filled with breath taking flavours from fresh ulam and sweet kerisik. And the ayam bakar was simply lip smacking! Well marinated, extremely juicy and with hints of smokey flavour; the ayam bakar complements the nasi kerabu beautifully.

Down the brekkie with a cup of hot teh tarik.....absolute bliss...

All for RM3.50.

I tried asking for the address, all pak cik could tell me was,

Jalan ni, kalau terus, ke Kuantan...bertentangan tu ke Kota Bahru la...

Erm, hope it helps :p

Nasi minyak, Chukai

Initially, KH wanted us to try the nasi lemak at this stall. He said that the sambal was somewhat different from the usual sambal we've tasted.
Most unfortunately, we were there after 9pm, and there's not a single plate of nasi lemak in sight :-(. Since we were there and the place was packed with customers, we figured the food should be fine..

We had nasi minyak (directly translated as oily rice) with ayam goreng(fried chicken) and with ayam goreng rempah (fried chicken with spices).

Having not tried nasi minyak before, I expected some fragrant, herbs & spices rice. But other than the colour, I could not really taste any distinct difference compared to white rice. Guess this stall didnt really do justice to the nasi minyak..The ayam goreng was tender and surprisingly juicy for breast meat. Would have tasted better if the chicken had been marinated longer as the breast meat tasted bland without the kuah kari (curry sauce). I preferred the ayam goreng rempah as the mix of spices was well balanced, giving the chicken a delicate aroma and lovely flavours. The chicken thigh we had was also very succulent, chomping this down was certainly satisfying.The kuah kari goes well with the chicken and rice, again, their version of curry is less spicy, but creamier and sweeter.

Dont think there's a name to this stall. Drive towards Chukai town (if coming from Cherating, turn right at the traffic light which states Chukai), you will see a minimart on your left name Cola about 2km from the traffic lights. The stall is opposite Cola. Opens for dinner only.

Ikan Bakar Pak Awang, Cherating

Yes, am still not done with Cherating/ Kemaman ;p

Being at Cherating, having seafood is almost a must, and we decided to have ikan bakar (grilled fish) instead for our dinner one night. I have previously searched on the net for recommendations of ikan bakar in Cherating and a traveller was raving about ikan bakar at Pak Awang's. Hence started our search for the elusive stall...

Those who have travelled to Cherating would know that the road at Cherating is long, not very well lighted and sorta tight. And to look for Pak Awang's restaurant near sunset was almost impossible, but with a lil determination and good look out from Bubbly Alicia, we found the place...

Quite a large restaurant/shop, this place was rather quiet with only a few patrons..Since we were there and our tummies have started protesting, we went to the seafood counter and chose our dinner..

Blur butterfly wanted pari (stingray) and she chose the largest she could lay her hands on...Though the flesh is sweet, I thought the marination was insuffucient and the skin would have tasted better if it was grilled a tad longer..Looks kinda raw and uncooked (though it was) from my picture hor?

As i like sotong (squids) tremendously, we decided to have 2 types of cooking style, ie, grilled sotong and deep fried sotong. The grilled sotong was rather disappointing; again, I find the marination insufficient, making this a rather bland dish..

The deep fried version of the squid was much better...Crunchy batter, springy squids..

Rather than having all our dishes grilled, we had the ikan masak tiga rasa (fish cooked in 3 flavours).

Oh, sweet and sour ya? i asked.

Takde dik, 3 rasa, pedas, manis dan masam! (No, 3 flavours, spicy, sweet and sour!) the makcik replied.. And this was our dish of fish..Tasted exactly like sweet and sour fish (pedas? mana pedas?!?), the fish was fresh, so this was pretty decent..

Lastly, we had stir fried kailan with salted fish.. I've always like the malay version of this.Somehow, it's more pungent than the chinese version...and i like.. hehe. Pak Awang's version is wicked, very tasty, one of the best I've tried, loved the salted fish they used, really yummy..Total bill was RM52.

What Julianne thinks?

Ordinary, not sure what all the rave was about.. (though by the time we left, this place was quite pack!)

Ikan Bakar Pak Awang is located along the long road towards kemaman/kuala terengganu. After driving pass Club Med (on your right) for approximately 5 mins, this shop, with very small sign board, is on your left.

Nasi dagang dan roti canai, Terengganu

There's something about Terengganu and roti canai, bubbly alicia exclaimed while we were still making our way to Cherating..

We MUST eat roti canai there!!, bubbly alicia continued, while humming her favourite tune..

But roti canai is roti canai is roti canai and I believe I have enough of that at mamak stalls in Klang Valley, I thought to myself.. And I WANT nasi dagang!, my mind drifting, imagining my first bite of the tasty morsel, when i get my hands on it..hehe

Hence begin our love affair with these 2 delectable darlings, in fact, we need to have both of it every morning when we were in Terengganu!

Unlike Klang Valley whereby most of the rotis are prepared by mamaks, the malays in terengganu prepares the rotis. And what lovely roti canais those were!

My first try was at Cafe 691, located at the long Cherating road, just opposite Legend Hotel. The pakcik was happy, came and chat with us before preparing our breakfast..The roti was crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Have it with the kuah curry (curry sauce) mixed with dhal and sambal...now I know why bubbly alicia loves terengganu's roti canai....pure joy, pure joy!

We also tried a stall (no name) at Chukai, drive to Chukai, take the road towards Kuala Terengganu, Shell station on your left, it's opposite the petrol station..

Really garing (crispy), loved the plain roti and roti telur with the lovely kuah..creamy kuah kari ikan (it's sweeter and creamier) with dhal and sambal..woohoo! sedap belaka!

Nasi dagang was the much anticipated meal of the trip for me :)

Was recommended by the stall owners at Pasar (market) Chukai to eat at this stall. Located just behind the pasar, small stall with lots of people. The only stall selling nasi dagang, you wont miss it..For RM2, you get a big plate of rice (a mixture of white and glutinous rice, cooked in santan), boiled ikan tongkol (local mackerel), pickled cucumber, hard bolied egg and spicy fish curry (more on the salty, creamy side). The combination? Lovely..so lovely!

But the best nasi dagang I had during my stay there was bought at the Chukai pasar malam (night market). Opens every Thursday, ask the locals on how to get there..How do you know if you got the right stall? Well, there's lots of people crowding that particular stall..

For RM1, it's a dainty pack...but packed with the yummiest little gems.... a small chunk of ikan tongkol, some cucumbers and the unforgettable nasi and kuah..What's good was the rice, so fragrant with the santan (coconut milk), but not over powering.. the lip smacking kuah which was slightly sweeter than others, but well balanced when taken with the pickled cucumber..potent, just potent...

Oh, dont forget to try these if you do go to the pasar malam.. Think the name was pulut goreng (fried glutinous)..piping hot, chewy kuih texture, filled with mince fish inside.. tasted somewhat like serunding ikan... savoury and tasty..

Restoran Tong Juan, Chukai

I was reminded multiple times by my friends and colleagues to eat the stuffed crabs in Chukai..
So obviously, my first dinner in Chukai was to try this famed dish. KH & wife were nice, accomodating, bringing us to Tong Juan as we were not sure where it was..
KH did the ordering (stuffed crabs compulsory) while we made no special requests on any other dishes..
The wait was rather long although it was not pack (yet) and finally...
the stuffed crabs.. Tahdah!

Each crab costs RM7, the filling consists of mince crab meat, fish meat, onions, garlic...filled to the brim, covered with some doughy batter/skin, the stuffed crabs were then deep fried..

This is the stuffings inside..Sweet, fresh and goes well with the chili. Though a tad oily from the fried dough..
We had deep fried fish (yau zham) which bubbly alicia enjoyed.Heavily laden with lightly caramelised onions, the sauce base was thick, dark soy sauce instead of the ubiquitous light soy sauce. Was glad that they fried the fish till crispy and not hard.The tau foo dish was just normal, not to shout about..

I actually liked the stir fried asparagus very much, finding this veg very fresh, crunchy to the bite and tasty. yum yum..The sambal prawns was very appetising, I was glad that KH ordered this. Well, I didnt really think it was very sambal-ish, felt more of an assam prawns rather than sambal. The sauce emanates mainly sourness and spiciness, and small hints of sweetness. With the prawns being fresh, this was the best dish to me for the nite. Total bill was RM150 for the 5 of us. Not very cheap.

What Julianne thinks?
Delectable and uncomplicated.

Restoran Tong Juan is located at K117, Jalan Sulaimani, Chukai/Kemaman.
Note: KH asked us why we wanted to eat at Tong Juan. Bcoz famous ma! Why ar?
Oh, coz Restoran Malaysia next door was the restaurant that started stuffed crabs, not Tong Juan..
Aiyo, why didnt you say so, could have tried there instead! ._."

Kemaman Curry Mee, Chukai

Let's have kemaman curry mee for breakfast!, KH said with a twinkle in his eyes..

But I dont take creamy, santan-ish stuff for breakfast! I wailed..my stomache always does a somersault if my breakfast consists of spicy, creamy soup..

Bubbly Alicia's eyes widen as her tolerance for spicy food was pretty low..

Trust me, trust me, kemaman curry mee is very different! KH excitedly exclaimed while shoving us into the car..

After 5 mins, we're there. Should have walked instead....
KH placed the order while we waited patiently.....

There was nothing in the noodles that hinted curry, infact I thought the noodles looked more like prawn mee. The broth was rather clear, with a slight tinge of red, served with a dollop of sambal on the noodles. Laden with beansprouts and kangkung (water morning glory), the noodles was supposed to be eaten with boiled kampung fish, sambal and keropok ikan (fish crackers).The soup was sweet, not spicy and luckily, not fishy. Slurp it in with the noodles and fresh veg, this was quite good for breakfast afterall...:)

I was told that they will first cook the fish in the boiling pot of broth. After the fish is cooked and removed, the noodles and veg would be added into the boiling broth. The fish is served in a separate plate with a side of sambal. We were also given a pack of keropok ikan to add into the noodles.You can choose to dunk in the whole keropok, eat with the noodles when it's soggy/semi crunchy or you can dip the keropok into the broth and eat as a snack.

Again, this is another shop without a sign board..Took a picture of the shop instead

What Julianne thinks?

Original, simple and surprising

Kemaman curry mee is located in the heart of Chukai. Drive pass the Chukai (wet)market and fruit stalls, after the fruit stalls, you would see the bus station. The shop is next to it (further in)

Kedai Kopi Hai Peng, Chukai

Do I really need to blog about this? Hai Peng is so famous that maybe I should not blog about it...

But, for the benefit of those who have never heard of Hai Peng, I shall trudge on...hehe

Hai Peng oozes nostalgia, with the furniture and the ambience of old fashion kopitiam. Always packed with an eclectic mix of locals and tourists, Hai Peng serves a range of roti bakar (toast), kuih muih (malay snack), nasi lemak, nasi dagang etc.

We had the Kopi Hai Peng.... I like this strong, cukup kau (thick) coffee which I understand why some people are so crazy over this little cuppa.

Blur Butterfly decided to have some latte, which she was not too please with... Maybe it's too thick to be latte? I took a sip, thot it tasted alright, though there's a strong hint of cinnamon...

Bubbly Alicia opted for teh ais (ice milk tea) which was served sealed with Hai Peng's logo at the cover. Good way to prevent messy spills from iced drinks... Tea was thick and quite aromatic..

The old fashioned charcoal toast aka roti bakar was served next..

Thick toasts smothered with kaya (local coconut & egg jam) and butter served hot, we quickly grabbed a piece each. Though the bread was home made, I was not too impress with the bread. More doughy than usual, their bread seemed like a cross between sourdough and bread. hmmmm

Next was the toasted buns served with kaya and butter too.. Again, I was not very impress with the buns. Too thick, chewy and bland for my liking.

Bubbly Alicia wanted something savoury, so she ordered the curry toast... For RM5.90, this was way too costly for a slice of toast, egg and dhal sauce. Yes, you read right, dhal. Well, at least it tasted like dhal as I could not find any semblance of curry in it.

Took a nasi lemak bungkus as we wanted to have some rice.. Now this was yummy stuff, tasty, spicy sambal ikan bilis goes really well with the rice and hard boiled egg..

We did return on another day, extra stuff we tried was the Hai Peng Ice Blended Special... Beats all the franchised coffee chain's ice blended hands down. The coffee was strong, aromatic, ice was blended finely, the sweetness was well balanced with the bitterness of the coffee..just perfecto..

We had the nasi dagang too (usually sold off before 12 noon), pretty tasty, the sauce on the heavier side of ginger and asam, but goes well with the rice. No picture on this, you can see it hiding behind my cup of ice blended though.. :)

What Julianne thinks?

Killer coffees not to be missed, yumz for the rice dishes, mediocre for the toasts

Kedai Kopi Hai Peng is located at corner of Jalan Dato Omar (the main trunk road from Kuantan-Cherating-Cukai-Kijal-Kerteh) and Jalan Sulaimani, one of the main roads at Chukai, Terengganu. If you still cant find it, just ask a local. Everyone there knows where Hai Peng is..

Satar & Otak Otak, Kuala Kemaman

I've been craving for satar since the day we've confirmed our trip to Cherating...

Having tasted satar when I was a teenager, I was eager to introduce this delectable snack to Bubbly Alicia and Blur Butterfly, hoping that it still tastes as good as I remembered. We were lucky that Bubbly Alicia has a local friend, KH, who promptly brought us to Kuala Kemaman, famous for it's satar..

We reached this particular shop that's supposed to served really wicked satar, but most unfortunately, they have finished selling all their satar..and it's before 6pm! grrrr...:(.

Nonetheless, KH ordered some otak otak and keropok lekor to fill our bellies..Rather than the usual mince fish otak otak we have accustomed to, this otak otak had a small slice of fish, thickly coated with spices, mince shallots, onions, ginger, chillies and wrapped in banana leaves..This is so aromatic and addictive, I find it rather hard to stop..hehe.

Next, was the keropok lekor (malay fish cake/cracker)..

As I've always been a fan of keropok ikan and keropok lekor, I am quite immune to the 'fishy' smell of keropok lekor. Keropok lekor is made from mince fish, mixed with cornstarch/sago and salt, rolled into long tubes. You choose to have this deep fried or steamed (this method is more uncommon). I have tasted both types, and I prefer the deep fried version, eaten hot with the chili sauce..

The sotong goreng celup tepung was ok, Bubbly Alicia thought it tasted funky (?!?). I believe it's the rempah (spices) that was added, have some strong flavour that some may not like..

As the restaurant does not have a signboard, I took a picture instead. Bollywood Queen told me that there is another form of otak otak, called pais, which is served in the same marination as otak otak, but instead of a slice of fish, you get a tiny fish (whole) wrapped in the banana leaves. Wasted I didnt get to try that :(.

Since we didnt manage to eat satar at this shop, we ventured to another stall, also famous for satar..Ahhh, such pleasure it was to see skewers and skewers of satars, the smoky, sweet smell, filling the air.. Unlike otak otak, satar is wrapped to a conifer shape, skewered in the center. The filling is a mixture of mince fish (usually tenggiri), spices, mince onions, garlic, bird's eye/red chillies, ginger and grated coconut. Cooked till the filling is dry and firm, the slightly burnt banana leaves gives a lingering aroma to the satar, which is sweet, fragrant and rich in flavours..and the chili padi gives a kick to such a sweet tasting snack..yummy!! love this :)

What Julianne thinks?

Scrumptios, lip smacking and missing it already

To get to Kuala Kemaman, if you are coming from Kuantan/Cherating, drive towards Kuala Terengganu/Chukai. You will see Kuala Kemaman's sign board (approximately 10 mins after driving pass Club Med) on your right (there's a bus station at the corner). Turn in, you will see the satar stall on your left (first stall, opens frm 2 pm onwards). If you drive further down, at T junction, turn left. Drive for about 5 mins, you'll see the shop (the picture i took, opens frm 2 pm onwards) on your right, that serves satar, otak otak, pais, keropok lekor etc.