Best recipes, foods and travel

I know taste is a personal thing but Charlie Brown still lousy, ok?

Get ready, this is another one of my very truthful post, with good intentions -that the place will improve and not close down because in Penang, we need places like these.

So, if you can’t take criticism or you think I have insulted your opinions (as in the opinions of other food bloggers) then, you better click the red box with x on your left or right (depending on whether you use Windows or Mac) now and forever hold your peace. Otherwise, read on….

I heard so much about people raving on Charlie Brown Cafe at Straits Quay Penang. People take cutesy pics and said it is cute, it is so pretty, it is so special yadda yadda yadda. Charlie Brown is something in Straits Quay, which is very near my home.

So, one afternoon, I decided to drop by with my little boy for an afternoon tea. Just the two of us. The first thing that made me fed up is how they expect us to queue up at the counter. Without any menu on board but only given to us when it is our turn. So can you imagine how long it is going to take others who are not familiar with the place to choose what they want?

Secondly, when it is our turn, I found out the girl at the counter doesn’t speak English or Hokkien. What a turn off. I told her, One hot dog with no mustard, no ketchup and no vegie. She looked at me blankly. And me being me, is already pissed off. One Indian staff quickly came to her rescue. So, I muttered again, One hot dog, no mustard, no ketchup, no vegie. Like doh..is that so difficult to remember? And I have to repeat one by one.

So, the cute cupcakes caught my son’s eyes. And I ordered one for him. It turned out to be nothing special except for that sugar cartoon on top.

At the end of the meal, I found out it costs RM12 plus plus, if I am not mistaken. Even my 8 yrs old know that RM12 for a tiny cupcake is expensive. Go figure….

Then, they have some fancy-schmancy drink. And this also cost about RM10. It is nothing but canned guava juice with some ugly looking syrup.

I ordered the pasta and that’s what super pissed me. It is not cheap either and at that price, I expect some decent pasta because it is seafood cream sauce. Guess what? It comes with stinky frozen squid, some shrimps, fish and these ugly looking things which are supposed to be clams. It is tinier than our siput lala. I was like…wth, who do Charlie Brown bosses think we are? Those pasta are so overcooked it is limpy and soggy. The sauce is from canned or powdered stuffs. There is not a sign of any herbs or olive oil. OK, I may be a bit critical but those aren’t suppose to be the kind of quality served by outlets from prestigious place like Straits Quay.

I am sure the bosses must have spent millions on the renovations but they hired several Indonesian staffs who yawned and delivered the wrong order, forget to bring the cutlery and etc etc. They hire locals who can’t speak English nor Hokkien, which is Penang’s dialect. And I wonder who are behind in the kitchen, serving such foods? So, dear bosses, are you serious in doing business?

Blek, please improve before all the first time customers run away and never return. And to those food bloggers who yapped about how nice the place is, please lah….

Fun with my iPhone and Instagr.am

I don’t like photos that are heavily touched up. But sometimes I have to admit that it is fun when it is done with just one click like Instagr.am. It is some Apps I use on my iPhone. So, at least it makes my breakfast less lonely.

Sometimes when I drop my third son at SXI, I have more than half an hour to spare before I need to clock in. So, I will drive around town to find something to eat. It is very refreshing to enjoy the early morning sights of people waking up, opening their shops and the unique sights found only in Penang.

The above is the roti canai Jalan Argyll. Usually, a breakfast of two roti, 1 piece lamb and a teh tarik costs me RM6. Actually, I only eat such heavy breakfast like once a week or even less. It is kind of sinful, with all the fats and rich kambing kurma. If you order this, remember to ask for the red curry that will perks up the tastebuds early in the morning.

My office is near Carnavon Street and usually that’s the street where I will drive up and down, while deciding what to eat. In the morning, traffic and parking are never a problem so I will drive around while making up my mind. It is a beautiful stretch of street, if you care to pause and enjoy the sights.

There are lots of good breakfast along Carnavon Street. The most notable and worth a mention is Kedai Kopi Seng Thor but I stopped at some coffeeshop with no name the other day. I tried the Rope Walk wantan mee and I am surprised that it costs me only RM3.50 for a plate of dry wantan mee and a small bowl of wantan. Foods in George Town heritage enclave are still relative cheap. But what’s important is they are still authentic, sold by very aged hawkers and prepared in the traditional way.

I hope Penangites learn to appreciate the uniqueness of all these aged and traditional hawkers and not spend all their money on expensive but bland foods. The above is some RM15.90 Hokkien Mee which I have even forgotten from which white coffee outlet.

Penang Toys Museum

If you have never been there, don’t bother.

The outside of the building looks like a haunted house.

The inside is full of dust.

There are sections which will freak your child more than a ghost house.

The floor is so creaky because it was formerly a dance floor.

Poor maintenance, no useful information about toys.

Sort of like a McDonald’s freebies showcase.

And well, there is no welcoming service, only a sour face Chinese gentleman and some tired and bored looking ticket counter girl.

I blogged about the Penang Toys Museum a year ago when we went there. You can read about the Penang Toys Museum here.