Lee Jetty - Part of Heritage Clan Jetties @ Penang in Malaysia

Most people going to the clan jetties in Penang would likely go for the most popular Chew Jetty but the lighted entrance that's similar to the facade of Chinese palace / temple of Lee Jetty drew my attention. 

Honestly, I bet it would be nicer when night falls but given how much I am with night photography, having the advantage of natural daylight would still be preferred. Let's pop in for a closer look!

金鞍山寺- a temple on the side which honoured 保生大帝; a god of medicine within the Hokkien community. Even though I am Hokkien, I don't think I have heard of this particular deity. You may read here for more info! 

Archways with LED strips illuminated the wooden passage towards the end of the jetty! While they were modern installations, it's without a doubt that one word flashed to mind; pretty.

Typical residential dwelling on the side of the passage; unlike Chew Jetty, the buildings along Lee Jetty weren't that commercialized. Maybe it's past operating hours?

Exposed sea bed due to low tide. 

Thankfully, the smell wasn't that bad.

Reaching the end of the jetty; for the rest of the clan jetties in Penang, it's always the "end" view that captivates, especially when there's a light sea breeze. 

First thing I noticed; this forlorn man with his head bent down, sitting at the edge of the fenceless jetty. Thinking he was feeling depressed, I kept a lookout I was closer, and noted he was watching videos on his phone!

View right ahead; overlooking mainland Malaysia. It's a pity I didn't arrive earlier; when I could have likely caught a few glimpses of the sunset. Wait, wrong direction, as I was facing east. 

A few more photographs; I don't think any sane person would attempt any further step. Although the concrete columns were only about three meters tall (meaning I wouldn't die from falling), I shuddered at getting my sandals dirtied! 

Clan jetties actually started taking root in Penang from 1880s but this Lee Jetty was one of the youngest; starting only from 1960s as it was moved from another area that became Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal.

From the original nine; only seven remained and all were concentrated side by side, along the west coast of Penang Island. Considered as slums by many, "the UNESCO listing of the city centre as a World Heritage Site in 2008 prevented further redevelopment of the Clan Jetties".

Time to exit; while the entry was the allure of beautiful lights, the exit was a much muted affair. Oh yes, that's the sunset although not its full spectrum since I wasn't on higher grounds. 

=====

Address

57-58, Pengkalan Weld, George Town, 

10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Map

As above. 

I Love Sukhothai @ Lim Bang Shopping Centre (Choa Chu Kang) [Singapore]

The Greatest Kon had been 'pestering' us to check out this Thai restaurant near his home. Said to be so popular; there would still be a queue at 8pm! Now, for an eatery in a sub-urban residential area, it's quite a rare sight!

So we got convinced and finally got our ass to I Love Sukhothai @ Lim Bang Shopping Centre in Choa Chu Kang one weekday evening after work, reaching at 8.05pm. p.s. my work ends at 6pm but I chose to cycle over.

Thankfully, we managed to secure a table immediately although I did realize a queue shortly after. It's quite amazing given that the rest of Lim Bang Shopping Centre was actually quite empty when I checked it out before meeting Kon.

Table setup - loving the pack of tissues! Although I love Thai food, I generally ignore the condiments they put on the table as I don't know when and what to add. Anyway, let's begin with the food review!  

Lemongrass Pandan Drink - served hot, this was so nice to have when the restaurant temperature setting was actually quite cold! And I loved that it wasn't too sweet.

Grilled Pork Skewer - I am seldom impressed with moo ping served in Thai restaurants in Singapore as there was a porky taste. These were the nicest so far; juicy, tasty and the sweetness was just right. Only thing that could be improved; I would enjoy a more charred texture.

Deep Fried Salted Egg Tiger Prawns - at $18, this was a disappointment; prawns were not fresh, featuring a mushy texture and I don't understand how salted egg could taste so underwhelming when it usually adds so much flavor to a dish! 

Grilled Chicken Half - this reminded me of the Isaan grilled chicken from Un-Yang-Kor-Dai. Although not as memorable, this herb infused chicken was as tender. Do note not to wait till the chicken gets cold as the meat would become very dry.

Green Curry Fried Rice (Chicken Cutlet) - I love green curry chicken and while this was not bad;I do prefer the gravy / soup version. It just felt a lot more shiok to drench your rice with the curry and then slurping them down the throat. p.s. not so much a cutlet fan but the rest loved it! 

Thai Sukiyaki (Dry Pork) - even though my favorite Thai noodle dish is still phad thai, Thai sukiyaki dry, a stir fried glass noodles dish, would come a close second! This one might appear plain, yet so flavorful. How could it be so delicious?!

Stir Fried Yellow Curry Fresh Crab Meat - at S$20, this would our most expensive dish that night! Personally, I thought the serving of crab meat was quite pathetic. However, a scoopful of the curry gravy with rice brought me back to the time of Somboon Seafood Restaurant; it was so addictive! Before I am back to Bangkok again, this shall be THE place for me to indulge in crab curry!

 

=====

Before and after; I can't imagine we ordered so much but that's the beauty of dining with the Greatest Kon! We would get to try a lot of dishes! While there were hits and misses (would return for sukiyaki, yellow curry and moo ping), the pricing of the dishes at I Love Sukhothai would be one major draw!

Address

533 Choa Chu Kang Street 51, 

#01-18, Singapore 680533

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

11.00 am to 3.00 pm

5.00 pm to 11.00 pm

Pricing

Lemongrass Pandan Drink - S$3.00 

Grilled Pork Skewer - S$7.00

Deep Fried Salted Egg Tiger Prawns - S$18.00

Grilled Chicken Half - S$10.00

Green Curry Fried Chicken (Chicken Cutlet) - S$8.00

Thai Sukiyaki (Dry Pork) - S7.00

Stir Fried Yellow Curry Fresh Crab Meat - S$20.00

(Subject to Service Charge)

No. 5 Char Koay Teow & their Chung Ling Scrambled Eggs @ Penang in Malaysia

Now, I have to admit at the beginning of this post that I am the rare Singaporean who prefers Singapore Char Kway Teow over the Penang version. It's just a matter of personal preference but this didn't deter me from checking out reputable char kway teow stall when I was in Penang a few months back. 

No. 5 Char Koay Teow was said to be strongly recommended by locals and since it's so near our hotel, St. Giles Wembley; I guess there's no harm trying as I had plenty of time on my hands! 

As typical Singaporean, I gladly joined the queue. But when I told the service staff I was dining in, I was asked to find a table and sit down first. Those queuing would only be for takeaways. Fine, I am an obedient Singaporean who follows the rules.

The queue management sucked big time; we waited 15 minutes for someone to take our order, although I should be happy that the staff did notice I came earlier. Honestly, I am unsure how they determine the order of customers walking in and out! 

Duck Egg Char Kway Teow - our order of two plates with the major difference being one with chilli, and the other without. There's a reason why I did that and I shall explain shortly.

One thing that stood out was the prominent display of humongous bloody cockles! If my mom were with me, I bet she would exclaim with much glee as it's not easy to find such fat cockles in char kway teow in Singapore.

These were stir-fried very well, enveloped by a smoky wok hei that was very much desired. The noodles were soft and the use of duck eggs appeared to make the flavor richer than the norm! Add in the two large fresh prawns and the big pieces of crispy pork lards, and you would assume I must be very pleased with this Penang char kway teow.

Frankly, I was. However, I found the overall taste to be bland, which was quite typical of Penang char kway teow I have had over the years. That's the reason why I asked for chilli, as it will elevate the flavor.  Of course, maybe a dollop of sweet sauce might be just the right ingredient to perfect this char kway teow. 

Chung Ling Scrambled Eggs - I was curious about this dish as most tables seemed to have one. A check revealed that it was known as Chung Ling scrambled egg. I knew of Chung Ling, which was one of the famous schools in Penang, said to be "ranked as one of the top 5 private high schools in Malaysia".

Soft fried running eggs (I guess about three) with chilli added; they were not bad although having them alone was a bit of an overkill. Order them only if you are eating with a few companions, and maybe add them to the char kway teow for extra oomph! 

=====

Despite my misgivings on Penang Char Kway Teow, I had to admit this was one of the best I have had throughout the years. Would I back? Sure, as I would love to check out their mantis prawns fried kway teow, which was sold out. And I also forgot to order their sotong, which was said to be must-order. 

Address

94, Jln Macalister, Sunshine City, 

10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Pricing

Total - RM 24.00

Additional Information

Plenty of parking space, if you are driving.

Click here for my Five Days 

Itinerary to Penang in 2024