Food and Life

The highlight of my week for the past 3 years have been my Friday or Saturday nights (tengok mood la) when I drive out to my Ramly burger stall to get my double dose of "ayam special". I've been ordering the same thing for 3 years now, but I still have to repeat myself to the stall guy everytime I go there. Wtf? Anyways, during holiday periods, I get very lonely and bored at home, thus the weekly routine becomes the tri or quad weekly routine. Today, Tuesday night, I had planned la - 2 ayam special and watch "Alexander" on DVD. Ah the simple pleasures. Thats's the life la. So at 10.30 there I was with my usual "Auntie, I'm going to get my burger" like I have for the past 3 years. But this time....I kena warning.

Aunt: Ok go...but make sure you're careful
Me(blur): You mean close the gate as soon as I leave and come back inside?
Aunt: Yes and also check if anyone is following you and all. If can I don't want you going out at this hour. Just yesterday someone I know got robbed outside her house. Not safe these days.
Me: Ok....

Buying my Ramly burgers has become unsafe. If I want to go I have to go earlier. But how will I know if I'm gonna have the craving for Ramly so early? Well actually every night I crave for it.
But the point is, something as simple as getting Ramly burger also now got problems. I mean I understand the concern of my aunt, I guess I just have to go earlier, but at the end of the day I'm just going to get Ramly burgers. My weekly Ramly isn't more than just a couple of burgers, it is me just wanting to go out and chill ofr a while. Drive a bit, listen to some music....I love cruising at night and listening to my music, it's one of the simple joys of life. However I don't get to do that in KL. In fact I hardly ever get out in KL! Not including going out with family, mind you. This situation is slightly improving nowadays. Anyways, that wasn't the end of my misery.

As I turn into 7-11 where my stall is, I notice theburger fella isn't there. Wtf! I thought he was closed on Sundays only! Oh woe betide me!!!

So here I am, blogging at 12.30 am, hungry and craving for my Ramly burgers. Which is reminding of all the great food In Penang. Ah, the food in Penang. I want to tell you guys about my favourites.

Tari Cafe (www.taricafe.com.my)
The best burgers anywhere. This place started as a simple stall where the owner used to dance as he made the burgers, this the moniker "Tari". It used to be called "Tari Burger" as it was just a burger stall back then. Then it expanded to a full fledged cafe with the burger stall still in the same location but a whole cafe built around it serving all manners of food from western to malay cuisine. And of course the burgers. And it became known as "Tari Cafe". Now they have shifted slightly further up the road(it's in Tanjung Bungah, just after Island Plaza on the left). It's even bigger, they have a pool table, loads of neon lights, big screen TVs and a DJ occasionally. I used to go this place very often when Soho's Batu Ferringhi was insanely popular with the Penang crowd and Tari was on the way back. Now I go there less often, but I still frikkin love the burgers. I haven't actually tried any of the other foods there so I can't comment.

Sahuban Nasi Kandar
As the clubbing scene shifted from Batu Ferringhi to the centre of town (thank God!!) Sahuban's on Burmah Road became the spot. It wasn't exactly super-fantastic, but after a night of partying and feeling hungry as hell, the food was heavenly. And the ayam goreng is something special, especially if you're lucky enough to get it hot! I hear the management has changed and the standard has gone down now. Honorable mention must go to the famous Line Clear, on Penang Road near Komtar. There's actually two parts, the stall next to the longkang or the air-cond restaurant next to it. I hear this is to satisfy customers as some say the "real" experience is with the stalls. However both places' food come from the same kitchen at the back. Hahaha. Orang Penang saja boleh tahu semua ini. Line Clear!!

Sup Kambing
The current king. Last Thursday I had sup kambing at Pelita in Bangsar, man it sucked. Nowhere near to what you get in Penang. This place is even closer to all the hotspots(Soho's Penang Road, Slippery Senoritas aka SS, Shamrock Irish Pub dan banyak lagi). A hot bowl of sup kambing after a night out clears any drunkenness you might have and also assures you won't get a hangover the next day. You get real pieces of mutton and the sup has a kick to it, unlike the chunks of rubber I had last Thursday. Eaten with the famous Penang roti benggali....oh my gawd...heaven. Even Dr. M was spotted eating there with his wife.

I noticed all the food above is connected when clubbing. Hey, that's I do most of my eating out in Penang. As for char koay teow, any koay teow in Penang can beat the best KL has to offer. KL koay teow sucks big time. Indian food in KL is nice though. Raju's canai rulez....but Raju's is frikkin expensive. Only can go there with family.

Damn , now I'm even hungrier. I gotta go find something to eat.