TOO LATE FOR '8'

I AM HEARTBROKEN ... well, at least a bit upset. Because no sooner have I been invited to try '8' in town, than I'm told it's about to close down at the end of this month due to various reasons.




It's tucked away in Lintang Burmah, right next to Alpha Reflexology, and run by my old mate Sunny Yeoh.





The inside is very plain and simple, rather like someone's living room, but that's good as far as I'm concerned, because that means they concentrate on serving GOOD FOOD. Along one wall there are specialist pastas and oils for sale.







 The menu is so simple there isn't even a menu; the dishes of the day - and they are the same every day! - are written up on a board placed in the middle.





















There's Nasi Lemak, but not really, because the rice is not made with coconut milk, which is of course where the 'lemak' element is supposed to be; but it's served with a piece of fried Yellow Tail, a piece of chicken curry, sambal belacan and other condiments.



Very tasty, and the rice, although not made with coconut milk, is great - it's cooked with olive oil, giving it rather a heavy aroma but delicious nevertheless, and healthy to boot. I've always said that food should look so good you just want to tuck in; they've definitely succeeded in this case.





The Spaghetti Bolognaise is good too, made with minced pork and anchovies, just like it is done in Italy; the pasta very slightly al dente. Only criticism here is the portion is overly generous; probably 3/4 of it would have more than sufficed.

They also do a Tau Eu Bak served again with the olive rice and sambal; not bad too, and although I didn't get a chance to try the Chicken Rice, it looked rather good.

All this was followed by home-made tiramisu and brewed coffee - both excellent, and you can see why the place is kept busy from the time they open (round about 11 I think) right through to about 4 or 5pm. It's not overly packed, which is how it should be otherwise service goes down the drain like in some places, but keeps them ticking over. Another of my wise sayings (eh hem) is that the menu needn't be too big (in fact, too big and I get suspicious) but what's there must be good - again, this is the case here.

It's not often I say this, but I am truly sad to say that due to the fact they don't really make too much, and Sunny is planning to move on to do other things, they are going to discontinue. Ai yo guys, I do hope you reconsider.

A-HANGZHOU WE WILL GO ...

  

OH DEAR ... I have so much to write nowadays, for my column in Star2 and The Malaysian Insider; I also write for the latest Penang magazine Where2, Essenze and of course the Visit Penang newsletter, that I have so little time to do this blog. However, there are things I like to put in it that don't fit in elsewhere, and it's all my personal experiences of course.

One of the is our recent trip to China, when we flew into Shanghai then took the high-speed rail link to Hangzhou.

Shanghai is so big we had to take a one-hour taxi ride from one airport to another to catch the train, and cost RMB300 or thereabouts - the first-class train tickets for both of us were cheaper than that! It's all very well run, and the train left on time.

It was so fast and smooth the 110km trip too just 45 mins. Luckily, of course, we didn't have a problem like another line did.



Hangzhou is a beautiful city which is situated on the famous West Lake, and it has just been awarded World Heritage Status by UNESCO. We stayed as guests of the gorgeous Shangri-La which is perched on the edge of the lake, and overlooks some gorgeous scenery, and our room was really quite superb.

 It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived, and it rained the day we left ... luckily in the two days in between it was dry, and we were able to see how gorgeous it is.

It's famous for its silks of course, and also the Longjin (dragon well) tea, which is picked very young and green then pan-fried over a low heat by hand. The tea which results is light and refreshing. Hangzhou scissors and knives are also very famous, and of excellent quality, and I carted home a boxed set of Zhang Xiao Qian chopper, sharpener, scissors and 3 different types of knives which cost just RMB350 (RM175). They are brilliant, very sharp and well made.

We also went to a few famous and very old temples, including the 1500-year old Ling Yin which is one of the most famous in China, and took a trip around the lake itself - both by boat and also by the little 3-carriage vehicles which go around the banks; we even managed to get a light tan. At night, we watched Impressions West Lake - a spectacular show with hundreds of actors using amazing lights, on the lake itself. Absolutely wonderful.





Food being my forte of course, I was interested to see some amazing street foods in the pedestrianised shopping area of Zing hefang, which is a bit like our Pasar Malam - and some parts smelt like it too, so I didn't really want to chance trying the food there - there is some skewered meat which is like an uber-long satay, but some of it didn't really look too appetising, so we tended to only eat at the hotel and restaurants.

They are famous for their Beggars Chicken, whole chicken braised in lotus leaves with herbs, and West Lake Vinegar Fish, not something I really thought too much of as lake fish I feel isn't as tasty as sea fish, and the flesh is too smooth. The sauce isn't too much to shout about either; it's basically vinegar cooked with soya sauce thickened with a bit of cornstarch then poured over the fish.

However, overall we had a great time, and I can see why Hangzhou is on of the most visited cities in China. It is also one of the richest. China is by no means a cheap place; it seems to me that the east is getting more expensive, and the west is gettng cheaper - in the UK you can buy stuff for one pound at the pound shop, which is about RM5 - in China, everything costs at least RMB20! Maybe the saying is true: one day Europe will become the world's playground.

CLASSICAL DINNER at the 1926 Heritage Hotel

REGULAR READERS WILL KNOW THAT although I am not exactly a culture vulture, I do like a bit of entertainment with my food (or is it the other way round) and last night was a typical example of the sort of thing that I love.

It was the finale to the month-long George Town Festival, during which there were many things happening in town. We opted for the small-scale High Winds Ensemble performance at the 1926 Heritage Hotel in Burmah Road, where the orchestra from KL performed movements from fairly well known pieces, including a rather cheeky one from Beethoven's 5th Symphony (or rather 4 1/2, as Mac puts it).

We were also served with a 6-course dinner whilst the music was going on, starting with Oyster Rockefeller, which was nothing to shout about, but the Cream of Broccoli Soup was good if a tad underheated.

After that e had Roast Prim Rib of Beef which again although it tasted quite good, was lukewarm again. As there were nearly 70 pax that evening, I think the kitchen struggled a bit to cope with the numbers, as they also had a function going on in the garden at the back. For dessert there was Trifle, although not a hint of sherry really, coffee and Petit Fours (we didn't get that either!).

HOWEVER for RM80 pp, it was really quite reasonable, and as it was their first time, they are still learning. However, the orchestra more than made up for it - they were really excellent although seating was not good as where we were we couldn't really see a thing nor hear the Conductor speak as he introduced each session. Usually with "youth" orchestras they tend to be slightly "pitchy" (this is of course Randy-Yo-Dawg's way of saying "out of tune") but this wasn't at all.

They were extremely professional, and very very smooth. And no wonder, as High Winds is the first classical ensemble in Malaysia whose 11 members are all Malaysians, founded in 2004 by Mr Joost C Flach, Co-Principal Oboist of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Makes you proud, doesn't it. Most of the soloists are professional or wannabe professional musicians. When you think I just about made it to Grade 5 on the piano (albeit with a DISTINCTION ahem ... ) I can tell you these people are seriously GOOD.


J P WONG of the 1926 Hotel assures me he intends to do this on a regular basis, and I will be more than happy to support him. A bit of koolcha combined with good food in Penang is only to be supported, and I hope to see you there. Watch this space for more news.

ROMANTIC SIGI'S

OOOOH ... what a romantic evening we had last night. There we were on the sand, with just a stretch of beach between us and the sea, seranaded by the peaceful, relaxing sounds it made as the waves splashed gently on the shore.

Yes, we were at Sigi's, Golden Sands Resort's beach side outlet, where Chef John Brock has just introduced yet another of his innovative ideas: a cabana built specially for two so couples can dine a deux, complete with wispy white curtains which sway gently to the sea breeze, and a bottle of champagne (well, bubbly wine but that will do!) to get you into the mood. Can't get more romantic than that really. It's a bit of a shame he picked yours truly to test it out, because when you've been married for more years than you care to remember, it is that much more difficult to whisper sweet nothings into each other's ear cos apart from the sea and the moon (although there wasn't much of that last night either) there's not much else to see! HOWEVER if you are a young couple who want to cozy up to each other just listening to nature,it really is a wonderful place to go.

To be honest I'm delighted because even for oldies like us it was  fantastic cos it gave us some "me" time, something we haven't had much of lately because No.2 Son is back for his summer hols, and of course we want to spend as much time with him as possible. So it was a real treat to be able to sit back and be thoroughly spoilt, because you have almost a full-time serving staff who attends to your every need, replenishing the wine as soon as it evaporates from the glass - honest, I really don't know where it disappeared to ... - and topping up your water.

The package is done as a "Romantic Set Dinner" for two people, with a choice of starters and mains, followed by dessert and tea or coffee. Together with the bubbly wine, it comes to RM450++ which considering we left much too replete to even tackle the last two courses, was quite good value for money. My Cioppino, a spiced fish stew, one of John's specialities, was delightful, piping hot and tasty, and Mac had a Caesar Salad with a lightly poached egg on top.

After that we were presented with a Tasting Plate of Sigi items: Seared Scllops, Moroccan Grilled Prawns, Calamari, Aranchini Balls and all-time favourite Kataifi-Wrapped Prawns, which must be one of the most popular starters on his menu.

As if that's not enough - John believes in giving value for money, methinks - the mains were served then. Salmon in my case and Chicken Breast for Mac, which just about finished us off, because there was a Granite Balloon with fresh fruit sorbet in it to cleanse our palate before our dessert which I have to admit I just didn't have room for. Looking back now I can't believe I gave the Chocolate Tarte a miss, let alone the coffee .. but any more and they would have had to step aside cos I would have exploded!

All in all, a wonderful evening, and something you should seriously consider if you want to go somewhere with just the two of you. A word of warning though - do NOT go in high heels!

CULTURAL PENANG

NOW I DON'T PRETEND TO BE A CLASSICAL BUFF, but I do appreciate good music when I hear it, and I have to tell you last Sunday's Pro Musica Gala Concert, organised as part of the month-long George Town Festival, was fantastic. It made a pleasant change to see such koolcha (culture) in Penang.

We went along as guests of Festival Director Joe Sidek, and although it wasn't exactly overbooked, there were enough people there to fill the big hall at the Dewan Sri. As always with Penang events, it started late, but once it did it was well worth the wait. What a wonderful evening.

There were actually three parts to the whole programme, which culiminated in the Gala Concert: firstly a 10-day International Workshop and Master Class by local lady Loh Siew Tuan who was the Principal Voice Coach. The workshop was held at the Bellevue Hotel in Penang Hill. After that the specially selected students performed at a concert.

The piece de resistance was the Gala Concert in which the 18-odd students were given the opportunity to sing with an international cast:

Soprano JULIE MOSSAY from Belgium, Mezzo-Soprano INES MAEIRA from Portugal, Tenor Enrico Casari from Italy and Bass-Baritone KITTINANT CHINSAMRAN who is Thai. They were ALL bloody brilliant, as they say in England, and it was delightful to see such talent in Penang. How I envy the women the ability to control their vocal chords, and I particularly delighted in the duets. They performed a fair few pieces from famous composers like Bellini, Handel and Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutti.

However the piece which made me almost want to cry, it was so beautifully sung, was 'l'Elisir d'amore" (Elixir of Love) by Donizetti, a funny melodrama, and Enrico was absolutely stunning. I really wish I could have recorded it; he injected so much love and longing into it. Bravo, I say, bravo.

The finale was Bizet's famous "Carmen", and here Kittinant was given the chance to show his beautiful baritone to the fullest, including an encore in which the audience joined in. Wunderbar!

Although there was a LOT of hard work from everyone, not least of all the students who provided background vocals, special mention must be made of pianist HEIN BOTERBERG who accompanied all the singers. Probably worked the hardest.

Oh, it makes me so proud to see all this wonderful talent is around ... and also sad that I will never be able to achieve anything like that in my lifetime!! Well done chaps. And to Joe Sidek, please bring them back again next year. I never want to miss another evening like that!

UNLIMITED CURRIES ...

ON FRIDAY NIGHT Batu Ferringhi was THE place to be. To be precise, the Bayview Beach Resort was the place to be, as it was the official launch of SAGAR, one of the newest restaurants on the island, by YB Danny Law, Exco for Tourism Development and Culture.

Anyone who was anyone was there, including, of course, yours truly, although I hasten to add that I was invited merely as one of many food writers.

It started a bit slowly - because of Friday night traffic, YB was delayed getting to that end of Batu Ferringhi - but upon his arrival things soon started to pick up with very loud drums from the colourfully-clad Bangra dancers who accompanied him all the way from Reception to the ground floor where the restaurant is situated.

Proprietors Hermet Singh and his brother Gurdashan went up to give a speech welcoming everyone, then it was YB's turn to tell everyone how welcome Sagar is as it gives Penangites yet another place to go and eat (as if we didn't have enough already!). However he is correct, and now we have another Northern Indian restaurant in Batu Ferringhi, but this is quite authentic, as his chefs are all from India, including Head Chef Lakhan who is from Mhadaya Pradesh (near Bombay).

YB was followed by more dancing and merry-making, as everyone queued for their food (rather long, unfortunately, as there were over 300 pax I think) which included starters of their signature Chicken Mallai Tikka and Pakoras, and then queued again for the mains which was a combination of various curries and masalas. Unfortunately I'm still getting used to the small (temporary)new camera I have so not many pics came out well so apologies for that (I'm waiting eagerly for the Olympus EP3 which is supposed to be fantastic).

However, knowing that I wouldn't be able to have much opportunity to talk to Hermet, I went along there for dinner on Wed night and was able to try the Chicken Briyani amongst a few other dishes. It's quite unique cos it is baked with a Nan lid to keep the flavours in!

Sagar is the 8th of the well-known KL chain although it's not their first in the north - there is one in Pantai Tengah in Langkawi. Well done guys, and welcome to Penang!

Sagar (which stands for 'ocean' in Sanskrit - it has no limits hence can grow) is open every day from noon to 3pm and from 6-10.30pm. Check out their website www.sagarrestaurant.com or call +604-881 2039.

In the words of the famous, sadly now deceased John Lennon, I'm starting over ... blogging again, after a very very long break. There were many reasons for this, mostly of a personal nature, and it has taken all this time for me to get going again. So to all the people who have been checking in on and off, my sincere apologies for not updating this site, and please forgive me but do tell your friends that Helen is "starting over"!

BTW humble apologies too for the photos - the other night, whilst waiting for my cousin at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel in town, I inadvertently and rather stupidly left my trusty old camera behind somewhere and walked off without it. Obviously someone saw me do so and pounced on it as soon as I was out of sight because once I noticed a lighter handbag and went back to enquire about it, there was no trace of it and no one had handed it in to Security. Boo sucks to you. It's an old camera and not worth much, but it was a good camera and I am sad to have lost it so unceremoniously after so many years of service. I am now waiting to see which one to buy but in the meantime, am making do with a very cheap Agfa which I bought for RM299!

I'd like to kick off with my visit to one of the newest eateries in town: HAKKA TREE in Tesco Sri Tanjung Pinang. It was started by DIANA and PEGGY, two Hakka lasses (what else!) who, between them, have managed to achieve something remarkable: a pretty, charming oasis in the centre of the noisy, blaring Tesco.

Their place is situated on the first floor and they've been hard at work scouring Penang for old items of furniture including chairs and even doors, but they've done a great job.

Of course the most important thing, particularly in Penang, is the food, and although I am not Hakka myself, being purely and proudly nyonya, and therefore don't know very much about it, I think that here they've also managed to get it right. This is because Diana's mom does most of the cooking.

The menu is not extensive, but then it doesn't have to be as long as the food is good, and right at the top of the list is the the most famous Hakka dish of all: LOI CHA (or however else you want to spell it) aka "Thunder Tea", that famous green "soup" that is used to "bind" all the other ingredients with the rice. Here it is made with mint and basil, and isn't as "medicinal" as some I've had before. It's rather an acquired taste and I have to confess it's not my first choice BUT apparently many Hakka people have gone there (probably because there are very few places in town which do it ... in fact, come to think of it, there are NONE now that Peter Lim, the son of the first Chief Minister of Penang, has closed down Hakka Connexion in Jalan Bawasah) have said it is very good.

I thought the Hakka Noodles with minced pork and Minced Pork and Salted Fish Patties were pretty delectable though, particularly with the chilli sauce made by Diana's own fair hands. They've also got Yong Tau Fu made with pork or fish.

Prices are very reasonable, and the place is clean, bright and pleasant. What more can one ask for? My very best wishes for a successful venture, girls.