Our Meals @ Fisherman's Wharf Food Corner Penang (槟城渔人码头美食中心)

Quite a few persons recommended Fisherman's Wharf Food Corner at Penang when I asked around before my trip and despite its distance from our hotel; we decided to GRAB over for dinner on day three.

From what I see, it's like a large coffee shop with non-air-conditioning. There were tons of seating but maybe because we arrived at about 5.30pm, before the peak dinner time; I could easily find a table.

Problem was deciding what to eat as none of the stalls had a queue! And while I could check the online reviews, I was in the mood to just walk and decide what to have, based on craving then. 

Our table which overlooked the Penang Straits and a glimpse of Penang Bridge. Now, let's source for food! I had to bear in mind that there were just two of us, one of whom is known to be picky when it comes to food. Not me.

Black Chicken Herbal Soup - so, the picky one opted for something I would never order unless it was cold or I was sick. Nevertheless, I don't judge, and I was happy to just sample a bit here and there.

I had to admit that the soup was herby and definitely great to have on a rainy day. Two issues; chicken meat was tough and the rice used was of such low quality; we didn't see the point of wasting my calories on it. 

Pork Satay and Lamb Satay - how could I ever resist satay, especially when there was an option for pork! Minimum order was five sticks, ranging in price from RM 9.00 to RM 11.00 for five sticks of either chicken, pork, lamb and beef.

The lack of fatty bits for the pork satay decreased the satisfaction although I did enjoy the strong lemongrass marination, which differed from the typical sweetness we had in Singapore. Lamb was a bit gamey but it was acceptable for me.

Gravy was disappointingly wet and similar to the marination of the satay; it was enriched with lemongrass whereas I prefer a heavier dosage of peanuts. 

Chicken Upper Leg - deep fried food was my weakness and how could I resist to have those mouthwateringly trays of deep fried goodness in front of me?! I would have hesitated if I had to get like a set but the operator sells by the piece!

Sadly I dropped half a piece on the table, which didn't feel too clean, and I had to sacrifice. :( Such a waste of money although careless and clumsy me tend to have such accidents happening to me.

Even though the chicken thigh was refried upon order, I did find this much better than some of the fried chicken from fast food restaurants. It was lightly seasoned, the meat was bursting with juice, and the skin was thin and crispy! Maybe not as good as Arnolds Chicken but minimally a 7/10. 

XL Sized Crab - the main reason for my visitation was to check out the crabs at Fisherman's Wharf Food Corner! And you can easily find it right from the stall closest to the main entrance! 

From the plastic containers were different pricing and sizes for the crabs. Since I am a tourist, let's go with the most expensive RM120 a kilogram, which was reasonable given the stronger Singapore dollar. 

We asked for the biggest crab and it was still only about 700 grams (costing RM 78), paling in comparison to my recent indulgence at Ban Leong Wah Hoe Seafood Restaurant, which was three times bigger! 

Our ready to eat, wok-baked crab!

Absolutely no regret ordering this! The meat was fleshy, deliciously sweet, adorned with roes and I was absolutely enjoying every morsel of crab meat that went into my mouth. Now that I think about this, I should have ordered another one. 

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Address

92A, 1, Lebuh Sungai Pinang, 

11600 Jelutong, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Pricing

Black Chicken Herbal Soup - RM 16.00

Pork Satay (5 Sticks) - RM 9.00

Lamb Satay (5 Sticks) - RM 11.00 

Chicken Upper Leg - RM5.50

XL Sized Crab - RM 120.00 a Kilogram

Click here for my Five Days 

Itinerary to Penang in 2024

Hong Leong Foundation Crimson Wetlands @ Bird Paradise Mandai in Singapore

The entrance to Hong Leong Foundation Crimson Wetlands was unassuming, and that's kind of surprising since its sponsored namesake is no small fry.

Stepping in, it felt like I was stepping into another world altogether! The shades of color depicted the various birds of colors and a pixelated picture of scarlet macaw made from hundreds of photographs!

Out of the air-conditioned realm and it was a quick ride to once again, another world. A picturesque scene that drew your attention to the large cluster of American Flamingos in front of a 20-meter tall waterfall! 

At this aviary that was based on the "wetland habitats of South America and the Caribbean", your eyes will keep seeing darts of flying colors. 

It's indeed like a paradise where birds freely fly through the beam-less aviary, although still with limited physical constraints. Well, still better than being cooped up in a small cage, I guess.

 Bird feed in a large plate! Frankly, I think it's literally a buffet for the birds although not exactly appetising for greedy humans like I.

One thing to note; there weren't that many towering trees in this zone that would help to provide shade from the scorching sun and heat. 

You can consider going nearer to the waterfall for a cooler respite! As I got nearer, I noticed something behind the thin water veil. We can go behind the waterfall, which was said to be built to honor the waterfall, once the tallest man-made one in the world, back at Jurong Bird Park.

Let's check out! 

Be prepared to have your face and body water-sprayed! I have to admit it was a short yet quick and nice, temperature-lowering exhilaration. 

Photographs of the other birds in the zone, which include a good variety of macaw, spoonbill, scarlet ibis, parakeet etc. As the name of the zone suggested, more red (crimson) than anything else! 

Not sure what the above was.

Keeping memories of dad. When we were younger, we were the models in front of his film camera. Now that he is getting older, the role has reversed. p.s. treasure your parents; they don't have all the time for you. 

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Location

Hong Leong Foundation Crimson Wetlands Zone,

Bird Paradise Mandai, Singapore  

Website

https://www.mandai.com/en/bird-paradise.html

Ban Leong Wah Hoe Seafood Restaurant - Large, 2-Kilogram, Sri Lankan Crabs @ Singapore

Last Sunday, I arranged dinner with my parents at a restaurant we patronized more than ten years ago! Reason we were there was my visit with friends a few months ago, when I got to know they served humongous Sri-Lankan crabs that weighed two kilograms!

Those who haven't been to Ban Leong Wah Hoe Seafood Restaurant at Casuarina should note that it's non-air-conditioned and the setting was like wedding dinners at the void decks of HDB blocks in the 80s.

Aquariums of live seafood and accolades. Compared to many other seafood restaurants, I don't remember seeing news / social media feed of Ban Leong and had assumed it was no longer in operations, until a friend suggested meeting there for a meal. 

Our visit was before 5.30pm, before the descent of the dinner crowd, but we weren't the earliest! A few groups appeared to be already more than halfway through their meals. Whatever the case, let's proceed with our review for the food we had, for four persons.

Appetizer - pickled papaya! I had this on my visit a few months ago and wasn't a fan, although who knows if my parents would like it. It was a tad spicy, and not as crunchy. I prefer pickled guava over this anytime. 

Drunken Prawns (S) - served in an earthen pot filled with tons of herbs, I must admit that its pricing of S$18 with about seven tiger prawns was actually reasonable given the inflation in food prices in recent years! 

No doubt the prawns were fresh and meaty! My grouch was with the herbal soup; it was quite bland, more sweet than herbal and hardly any aroma of alcohol. Nonetheless, it was a rainy day, and having bowl of hot soup was still very welcoming for the body.

Mee Goreng (S) - for someone who generally dislikes yellow noodle as an ingredient, it's indeed contradicting that when it comes to mee goreng; I am all for yellow noodle, especially if it was the Chinese style that could sometimes be indicated as punggol mee goreng on the menu.

This reminded me of the unforgettable, and epic punggol mee goreng from seafood paradise; albeit different. Noodle here was harder, and although saucy (zhup zhup); the flavor was more tomato than the addictive spiciness from seafood paradise.

Prawn Paste Chicken (S) - definitely one of the better har cheong gai around; batter was thin yet crispy, strong stench of prawn paste that wasn't overpowering, and juicy meat! Total eight wingettes for S$12 only! 

Black Pepper Crab - our two kilograms Sri Lankan crab! This has to be the biggest Sri Lankan crab I had in my whole life! Now, you must be wondering why I didn't go for the recommended chilli crab. Because I did a few months ago and all three of us (Alex, myself and a friend) disliked it! 

Anyway, see how big the crab claw was! The black pepper style was decent; not as peppery and spicy, although way better than their disappointing chilli crab. Crab meat was heavenly! The point of eating large crabs was the huge satisfaction as ur teeth sank into the meat, and it wasn't a letdown.  

Butter Crab - we decided to get another crab, albeit a smaller, one-kilogram one. I have had butter crabs before and didn't expect the one from Ban Leong to be dry, and fried. 

Crab meat was still impeccably good; pulpy, moist etc. However, the fact that it was fried beforehand seemed to dilute the original crab sweetness and all of us agreed the taste and texture felt more like deep fried cod fish. 

Butter crispies were delicious though; sweet and buttery! 

And great as snacks, despite the oiliness. 

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Before and after! Super happy with the size and quality of the live Sri Lankan crabs and to be frank, I am already scheduled to return in April with another group of companions! 

Address

122 Casuarina Rd, Singapore 579510

Map

As above.

Menu

As above. 

Pricing

Appetizer - S$2.00

Drunken Prawns (S) - S$18.00

Mee Goreng (S) - S$7.00 

Prawn Paste Chicken (S) - S$12.00

Black Pepper Crab - S$200.00

Butter Crab - S$100.00

(Subject to GST)