I was in my friend's car the other day when he asked me a very interesting question: where can you find a bowl of really good tom yam in Penang? After a long and exhaustive debate we manage to shortlist the contenders to three restaurants located in Sg. Ara.
Contender #1: Pak Hussein Tomyam
How to get there: This restaurant is located in a residential area somewhere in Sg.Ara. If you're coming from Bayan Baru, go straight after you passed Giant Hypermarket and when you reach the crossroad with a traffic light, go straight and once you pass Ara Cafe you can see a brightly lit restaurant with a huge neon tomyam bowl on the rooftop. Price: Very affordable.
What is great about this place?
What is great about this place?
Pak Hussein is located in a double story house modified into a cosy restaurant able to accommodate approximately 100 customers at any given time. If you're looking for a secluded place for a quiet conversation, this is not the place for you. This place is constantly jam-packed with customers (despite the rapid turnover) that sometimes finding a seat is just impossible. The service is fast (except of course during peak hours which is roughly around 9pm to 11pm) but if you're too hungry to wait, you can always go for a plate of sotong kangkung or yong tau foo from the stall located within the restaurant. Try not to order satay from this stall, the satay is hard, the gravy runny and the wait is just too long. So, what to order? As a regular customer (which means i've tried almost everything on the menu) i present to you this list of my personal favorites: ayam goreng gajus (boneless chicken pieces cooked with generous amount of crunchy cashew nuts and dried chillies), cendawan goreng (shredded oyster mushroom cooked in a thick sauce of turmeric, oyster sauce and egg),kailan ikan masin (crunchy kai lan stir fried with ikan masin), sizzling tofu (Japanese egg tofu cooked on a hot plate, order this and you'll be the center of everyone's attention) and not to forget a bowl of tomyam campur. This place is not famous for seafood but in case you're in the mood, try the Siakap Tiga Rasa (crispy deep fried siakap drizzled in sweet sour sauce) or Kheing Som Siakap (a dish that reminds me of the local asam pedas). The drinks come in tall glasses but half of it is filled with ice, my personal favorite being Tomato Susu (unripe tomatoes blended with condensed milk served chilled).
Contender #2: Bangkok Tomyam
How to get there: Describing how to get to Bangkok Tomyam is not an easy task. This place is located in a secluded corner of a kampung in Bayan Lepas. For those familiar with this area, Bangkok is located on the same road as the famous pasar malam Bayan Lepas. Price: Same affordable price as Pak Hussein.
What is great about this place?
If you're looking for a place where you can just sit down, relax and have a quiet conversation with your friends, this is the perfect place for you. Bangkok is located in the middle of a secluded kampung in Bayan Lepas away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Bangkok serves almost the same dishes as Pak Hussein (PH), which explains why it is so difficult to decide which one is better than the other.I tried all my favorite PH dishes in Bangkok and I find that they are both equally good except for their vegetable dishes where PH fairs better. I tasted sotong goreng tepung (squid dipped in batter and deep fried) in both places and I personally feel that you can safely give this dish a miss. Nasi goreng is not part of these restaurant's repertoire but I do find the nasi goreng in Bangkok better by comparison. If you're in the mood for a light dinner, try ordering a plate of nasi goreng belacan or nasi goreng kampung and have this with an omelet and a bowl of tomyam campur. The drinks in Bangkok are equally good as PH.
Contender #3: Ara Cafe
How to get there: Ara Cafe is located on the same road leading to PH. Right after you pass the traffic light at the crossroad, you'll come across a restaurant just a few meters away from where PH is located. Price: I think in way the proprietor of all three places have decided on a ceiling price which explains why the prices of dishes in all three places are almost the same.
What is great about this place?
I have to confess that i've never been to Ara Cafe before. Therefore, it would be unfair for me to say anything about this place without even stepping my foot in this premise. Word of mouth is this restaurant is famous for tomyam putih (white tomyam) which is not really white but is actually clear but equally spicy and sour, the tastes coming from bird eye chillies (cili burung) and lime respectively.
The snob's verdict:
So to answer the question, who makes the best bowl of tomyam?
To be continued.....................
If you're looking for a place where you can just sit down, relax and have a quiet conversation with your friends, this is the perfect place for you. Bangkok is located in the middle of a secluded kampung in Bayan Lepas away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Bangkok serves almost the same dishes as Pak Hussein (PH), which explains why it is so difficult to decide which one is better than the other.I tried all my favorite PH dishes in Bangkok and I find that they are both equally good except for their vegetable dishes where PH fairs better. I tasted sotong goreng tepung (squid dipped in batter and deep fried) in both places and I personally feel that you can safely give this dish a miss. Nasi goreng is not part of these restaurant's repertoire but I do find the nasi goreng in Bangkok better by comparison. If you're in the mood for a light dinner, try ordering a plate of nasi goreng belacan or nasi goreng kampung and have this with an omelet and a bowl of tomyam campur. The drinks in Bangkok are equally good as PH.
Contender #3: Ara Cafe
How to get there: Ara Cafe is located on the same road leading to PH. Right after you pass the traffic light at the crossroad, you'll come across a restaurant just a few meters away from where PH is located. Price: I think in way the proprietor of all three places have decided on a ceiling price which explains why the prices of dishes in all three places are almost the same.
What is great about this place?
I have to confess that i've never been to Ara Cafe before. Therefore, it would be unfair for me to say anything about this place without even stepping my foot in this premise. Word of mouth is this restaurant is famous for tomyam putih (white tomyam) which is not really white but is actually clear but equally spicy and sour, the tastes coming from bird eye chillies (cili burung) and lime respectively.
The snob's verdict:
So to answer the question, who makes the best bowl of tomyam?
To be continued.....................
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