Sunday, November 20, 2011

La France, French Cafe in Penang

Exploring few new cafes in Penang last month, one of them is La France which located on the off Burma Road.

The off Burma Road is kinda hard to access because lots of them are one-way streets. I kind of turn in using Jalan Tavoy or Arraton as I remember. From Jalan Arraton to Jalan Services, if you found any road that can turn in then you should try your luck, because all of them are accessible to La France on Jalan Irrawaddi.

Located on the off Burma road, giving La France a quiet and relax environment out of buzzle from the busy Burma Road.

Spot the La France exterior at the end of Jalan Irrawaddi (hard to tell you is which end, look for the map from the Location link at end of post :p).
Interior
The first dish had already impressed us, the wild mushroom soup. Taste very good but should just order one to share because it's too gravy for asian (very 'hek' after drinking... heh)

Ouh, back to the first thing that impressed us, not the mushroom soup actually, but the price on the Menu! The price is relatively cheap if you ask me, for a good ambient restaurant in Penang. The main course price ranging between RM8++ to Rm1X++, which is the first Big impressed.

The omelette for share came next. It was super super super super delicious! The egg just simply melted in mouth like cheesecake! Never had such a nice omelette in my life time. Wonder how tasty an omelette could be? You must try it yourself!

I ordered Aglio Olio pasta again, obviously a very wrong choice of the day. I knew it at my first bite, why am I order Italian food in a French restaurant??? = =!!! The spaghetti tasted ok, well it's quite nice, but no surprise... T_T Someone as "ngong goi" as me, xing order pasta as well. :p

Well, my very clever V, as smart as usual, ordered Croques (french sandwidch, I don't even know what is it on the menu) and didn't inform me at all! The Croques is cruncy, nicely grilled and baked, and generous for the ingredients.


V's mum ordered mushroom pancake, which is nicer than my pasta too~ @_@

Overall, the food is really nice. We saw the chef is a Caucasian, heard he is the owner itself from France. :) Happy to found another nice restaurant in Penang.

La France Cafe and Restaurant
Address: 3b, Jalan Irrawaddi, Georgetown
10050 Penang.Tel: +6012 4127355
Business Hours: 12pm to 3pm - 6pm to 10pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
GPS coordinate: N 05° 25.571  E 100° 19.255

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Natural Organic Food in Penang 槟城天然有机

Organic food is emerging Penang slow and steadily. After all the street food and fancy food exploration, we finally find our stomach need a rest. Healthy living lifestyle has come more and more attention nowadays as lots of high cholesterol, high blood, heart attack statement are scaring us.
 
I saw a news posted at our company's bulletin, with header - IT'S NOT HIGH CHOLESTEROL BUT INFLAMMATION IN BLOOD VESSELS THAT CAUSE HEART ATTACK

It's an article wrote by Dwight Lundell, MD stated Heart Surgeon Admits Huge Mistake! All the while we thought eating low fat products and vegetables oil could help us stay away from high cholesterol problem, which in fact, brought us nearer to all those disease. Read his original article here.

Some statement in Dwight Lundell's article:
"..if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process, a condition occurs called chronic inflammation."

"What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body?  Well,smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.

The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream diet that is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels.  This repeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease,
stroke, diabetes and obesity.  "

"Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes.  Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended.  It is inflammation
that causes cholesterol to become trapped."

I almost shouted in office, "OMG.. What the......" We have been spending more money buying those so called healthy food and eventually bring us faster to death.

Ok, so what now?
The solution provided by the doctor:
"There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them.
One tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg. Instead, use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef."

This shock me enough, which I can't resist wanted to share it out, in case any of you still following the mainstream diet. We going to have our old grandmother's food!

Wiping my sweat now... ok, and start introducing the subject of my post today. Our Organic Food in Georgetown.

Seed Natural Food Cafe
Opening Hour: 9AM-6PM (Close on Sunday)
Address: 6 Jalan Nagor, 10500 Penang.
Tel:04-2297903
GPS Coordinate: N 5 25.319E 100 19.590 (Click to view map)

The shop is located at almost the end of the Nagore Road, approaching Hutton Road. Just nearby to New World Park food court. Very easy to find.

Been here for the 3rd time. Love this shop very much. We feel local and warm. The staff in the shop doesn't feel like a staff, feel more like nice uncle & aunty, recommending their today's special and provide options that suit your taste. Moreover, their price is really reasonable.
Soya Curd/pudding - Must Have!
Pesto Spaghetti
Forgot the name :p
Aglio e Olio
The food tasted just nice. No sugar, no MSG, all in natural sweetness and saltiness. Most of their food does not contain meat and garlic, perfect for vegetarian. After we had the meal, it doesn't feel too full and guilty like we had a heavy meal. Everything feel just nice. I think it's the amazing part of having organic food, where human naturally had.

The price is cheap as a organic food shop, main course mostly <RM10. You must try the In-house special - Vitamin King, fresh squeezed juice with combination of fruits and vegetables.

IE Organic Food Centre
Address: 11- A Jalan Pasar, Pulau Tikus, Georgetown, Penang
Tel: 604-2272079
GPS Coordinate: N 5 25.788 E 100 18.756 (Click to view map)
Not able to check their business hour but they are open on Sunday afternoon the time we went.

IE organic Food Center located same street as Pulau Tikus Market. Drive straight when you on the road at the pasar entrance on your left. The cafe is at your left too.

As I have visited the Seed Natural before this, when I see the menu, I find it a bit pricey as a comparison. The price is around RM8-RM15, where most expensive is the drinks, costing RM4.90 minimum.

I ordered miso spagetti and v had a vegetables fried rice. And both of us order the cheapest fresh squeezed soya milk. Surprisingly, the soya milk tasted like heaven~ I can smell the fragrance of soya before it touch my lips. It's really fresh and milky. I can't imagine a sound-so-normal soya milk can be tasted so good. Well worth for its price, if I can have a bigger cup of it. :p

Soya Milk from Heaven
Cafe indoor
Miso Spaghetti
Vegetarian Fried Rice
The miso spaghetti have a choice of with meat or purely vegetables. The fried rice is a bit too dry for me, but V found it just nice (she likes dry rice anyway = =).

Both the shops also sell organic groceries if you would like to take some home.

Like the healthy food very much. I hope my kitchen can be completed soon, can't wait to have my own kitchen. :)