Brown Pocket is a dessert place located at 6th floor of Gurney Paragon which specializes in coffee, chocolate, and dessert, they claim. Brown Pocket has just opened its door yesterday hence all the flower baskets. yala we manyak kiasu :/

I past by Brown Pocket the week before, and was attracted by its one of a kind interior design. glad that I managed to pay a visit the following week!

oh I forgot to ask the proprietor why Brown Pocket, not Red/Black/Pink (hehe) Packet thoughokay now I know why it’s brown pocket! it refers to this gunny sack! where all the menu is placed. I think I forgot to put back the menu le.. :/the magazine-like menu. kinda straight-forward.
Brown Pocket implements order-and-pay-upfront, and a number will be assigned to you.the whole café is decorated in earth tone, with striking colors pop here and there. I love how the whole area is well-lit naturally, natural light just makes everything look pretty (on photo). and then there’s this corner that resembles a cave, a civilized cave, one that you can plonk yourself comfortable on their tastefully placed chairs and stools.

the environment here is great for gathering with buddies or girlfriends.Triple Chocolate Liege Waffle | RM 18.90 {highly recommended}
two pieces of thick and dense waffle, topped with a scoop of butter almond ice cream and oreo, served with 3 types of chocolate sauces, a dollop of fluffy whipped cream, another scoop of oreo ice cream topped with fresh strawberries.

liege waffle is made of yeasted dough, unlike ordinary waffle which is made of baking powder. and that’s why the texture is denser and fluffier. and I love how it remained crisp and not soggy when it’s cold. it’s great enough on its own, but lagik best eaten with the premium ice cream and drizzled with some dark chocolate. yum. white and milk chocolate were too sweet for my liking.

only one thing to pinpoint, their ice cream melts fast, so devour it quick!Kiwi Mango Crepe | RM 16.90 {not recommended}
we also ordered a crepe dessert for sharing!

crepe topped with scoops of mango and vanilla ice cream, a dollop of cream, trickled with chocolate sauce, and fresh mango and kiwi cubes on the side. dark chocolate is available at disposal. but I reckon you can do without it.

personally, I think this crepe dessert has nothing to shout about, I prefer the waffle more, more value for money. and I wish the mango cubes is sweeter since kiwi is already sourish. paiseh ar I am so spoilt by my homegrown mangoes hehe.

after lunchy at Wong Kok, we adjourned to Meet Fresh which’s located right below.Meet Fresh is a dessert chain specialises in traditional Taiwanese desserts. it has two outlets in Penang, one at Gurney Plaza and the other one is at Gurney Paragon. Meet Fresh vows to serve their customers the best and healthiest desserts.

"Meet Fresh’s name came about because we want our customers to ‘meet’ the ‘fresh’ and healthy desserts we have to offer which are made all natural and fresh ingredients and prepared with love and care."the two cartoon figure on the signboard are Mr and Mrs Fu, siblings who’s the brains behind Meet Fresh. desserts shown here are the bestsellers.Meet Fresh Signature Herb Jelly (Hot) | RM 6.90
it’s a hot dessert with herb jelly being the base and taro balls, honey bean, pearl and peanut hidden beneath.Meet Fresh Signature Herb Jelly (Cold) | RM 6.90
this is the cold version of the dessert above. the only different is, the taro balls are studded atop and drizzled with cream.

i prefer cold version over the hot one. correction, i like the cold herb jelly more.Q Mochi | RM 8.90
original vs brown sugar mochi served with desiccated coconutboth are equally chewy but black sugar’s more fragrant!Little taro Balls in White Gourd Tea with Cream | RM 5.90
i love the size of mini taro balls, so addictive i keep digging them out instead of sipping. the size is similar to those pearls. but it’s in purple and orange instead of boring black. this would be my favourite only if they use fluffy whipped cream!

those who have been to Hong Kong must have known that “char chan teng” is one of the HK’s very own culture. when i was in HK, i had almost every meal at char chan teng, the place to get cheap AND nice food while people watching. one thing that i notice about Hongkee is, they are BRUTALRUDE. the way they talk, the way they serve customers. maybe that’s their culture too.

why am i talking about Hong Kong? because i’m going to introduce a restaurant serving Hong Kong style food! or it doesn’t need any introduction? why of course, it has more than 22 branches where you can easily locate them at Klang Valley, Melaka, Johor, Ipoh, Penang and even Singapore! i always patronise the Sunway Giza Outlet together with Kaiye & Kaima.Located at the fairly new hangout place, Gurney Paragon is this Wong Kok Char Chan Teng. it’s hidden behind the escalator on the first floor, right above Meet Fresh. this is the only outlet in Penang so far. nope, the one at Queensbay was a fake wannabe one (that’s why it’s no longer in business now?).

this Wong Kok CCT, one of the pioneer at Gurney Paragon, has been in business for almost a year now, manned by a few partners.

quote from their website:

Since 2003, Wong Kok Char Chan Teng has brought in a new trademark of Hong Kong great cuisine into Malaysia. As a joint for all sorts of Hong Kong famous food and treats,Wong Kok Char Chan Teng is well accepted by residents here and it has emerged as a new trend of great cuisine. It definitely a satisfaction act:”To Taste Hong Kong, Taste in Wong Kok.”
and why Wong Kok?

Wong Kok District (旺角區), one of the districts of Hong Kong, covering the areas of Wong Kok and Tai Kok Tsui in Kowloon. With one of the highest population density in the world, the name “Wong Kok” in Chinese means “flourishing/busy corner”.there is a small al fresco area outside, beside of this main dining area.their menu is EXTENSIVE with 200+ items! we had a hard time making up our mind.

there’s also value set meals available, definitely more value for money. comparing the price between Wong Kok and Kim Gary (another Hong Kong food joint), Wong Kok fairs better. their Value Set Lunch is priced from RM 9.90 – RM 12.90 which includes a main of your choice, a soup, a beverage and a dessert. on weekday, at 1515 – 1800, you get to enjoy certain items at 30% (Tea Time Delights). Set brekkie is also available at 1100 – 1200, at as low as RM 3.99++!Fried Rice with Five Spice Pork | RM 11.30
this plate of fragrant fried rice was the first dish being served. it caught our attention immediately, rice was fluffy not sticky, not oily, and the portion was huge, definitely suitable for carbo lover.

Kaiye adores their Yung Chow Fried Rice berry muchy! he says there’s enough “wok hei (锅气)”.Hot & Spicy Miso Ramen | RM 14.90
if you’re a soupy person, ramen might be a better choice for you. i always prefer soupy dish on a cold day. don’t be intimidated by its huge bowl, the portion is actually just nice for one person. ramen was served in thick and slightly spicy broth with some crunchy black fungus.

udon noodle is also available if ramen is not your thang, served in the same broth and for the thick slab of meat atop, you can either choose pork, chicken or even seafood.Cheese Baked Rice with Chicken Chop | RM 16.20
gooey cheese resting atop of fried rice, served on a bamboo basket. this dish do look lustre right? highly recommended for cheesy person!

you also get to customize your chessy dish! there’s five sauces to choose from: Sweet Corn White Sauce, Italian Red Sauce, Portuguese Sauce, Neapolittan Sauce and Mushroom Sauce. Mr Ong mentioned that Mushroom Sauce is the famous sauce but we all preferred Portuguese Sauce which tasted like thick curry sauce.

besides, there’s also few variants of this dish: 1. Yin Yong which you’ll have both rice and spaghetti, 2. Portuguese sauce based cheese baked rice or spahetti and 3. baked rice with prawn roe sauce. i’m sure you’ll find something you like here.Baked Dragon Boat | RM 10.20
we also had this side dish. generous amount of filling made up of fish, mushroom and prawn and scallion encased in a crisp potato skin. i have a question, do you actually eat the potato skin? i usually don’t cos i thought it’s dirty :/Original Ice Milk Tea in H.K. Style | RM 5.20
a Hong Kong style meal can not do without a cup of nai cha (milk tea)! ice is served in a bowl surrounding the cup instead of just adding into the cup, so that the ice will not affect the concentration and taste of the milk tea. such a thoughtful thought.Double Delight Corn Ice | RM 6.90
this beverage is a mixture of jelly coconut, corn & black sesame. pretty interesting and refreshing after a scrumptious meal.Mango Honeydew with Sago | RM 8.90
for dessert, we had this mango based sprinkles with sago and honeydew cubes. luckily it’s not too sweet, to my liking!

When it comes to Thai restaurant in Penang, the first one comes into mind might be Khunthai Restaurant which is located at Teluk Kumbar and Butterworth. but if you’re staying at George Town, and you don’t wanna travel too far to satiate your Thai food craving, head down to Wang Thai Restaurant!don’t be intimidated by its tinted glasses. you know how we normally perceive this kinda shop must be some 黑店 which will burn a HUGE hole in your wallet. i don’t know about others, but Wang Thai Restaurant is not one of them. glasses are tinted to shield the heat from the sun, ensuring the interior is comfortable and cosy.

Sawadee krup! and sawadee ka! which means Hallo in Thai!Lemongrass | RM 3
i ordered a glass of Lemongrass to quench my thirst and to ease the heat later.

it was my second time having this beverage. i would prefer Bangkok Wasabe‘s, they added a lemonglass stalk as stirrer which i thought is interesting.Gai Hor Bai Toey | RM 3 per piece
we had pandan leaves chicken as appetizer. surprisingly, unlike what i had in Khunthai, the chicken was crispy on the outside and tender and moist in the inside with a slight hint of fragrant from pandan leaves.Yum Woon Sen | RM 15.90
hot & spicy Thai glass noodle salad was the dish served next.

glass noodle laced with seafood, tomatoes, fish sauce, chilli flakes, and coriander leaves aka smelly grasses. i love how refreshing this dish is. it’s not that spicy, i kept helping myself with more servings of this salad.Gaeng Phet Moo | RM 12.90
red curry pork with long bean.

there’s a gai (chicken) version, just let the wait staff know when placing order.Kar Moo Tod | RM 27
deep fried pork leg.

i don’t fancy fatty bom bom, but i couldn’t resist to have a piece. this was the second time i actually consumed pork skin. it’s worth the calorie i must say! well-seasoned pork leg was deep fried to perfection! the skin was crispy and chewy. the meat was slightly tough though.Tom Yam Goong (Thick) | RM 24.90
Tom Yam is a obligatory dish at a Thai restauant! this traditionally prepared spicy Thai Tom Yam with huge prawns, its spiciness is quite intense. you can already feel the kick in one sip. some find it too spicy, but me, the hot and spicy ant (ahem), thought the spicier the merrier wtf!

there is also a clear version which is less spicy but more sour compared to this thick one, let the staff know your preference when ordering ya!

i haven’t had a good tom yam in a long while. this’s even better than the one i had in Hat Yai! oh yeah, for your information, the chef is a real Thai, and he’s really strict with the ingredients selection. so everything you have here is quality controlled!Pla Kra Pong Neung Manow | RM 38
steamed pla (fish) with lime juice and chili sauce served on a heating pot (?). you either choose Siakap (RM 38 -68) or Garoupa (RM 68-98), we had Siakap.

this is another favourite dish of the day! people who can’t handle too spicy food will love this! the spiciness is milder compared to Tom Yam, but it’s equally sour! a berry appetising dish! the fish was fresh and succulent too! the broth was addictive and it goes well with two plates of rice!

the lime juice is freshly squeezed daily! see, the sincerity of the chef can be seen in every dish!Hor Mok Talay | RM 23.90
this is a special dish which steamed seafood (fish and prawn) otak-otak flavoured with curry paste, fresh coconut milk and basil served in a coconut!

this’s the first i had a Thai otak-otak! excuse my bumpkiness! it’s different from our usual otak-otak where the meat is encased in banana leaf and grill prior served. this is more squishy but flavour wise, thumb up! but i still prefer Muar version . i grew up eating that!Khao Neow Mamuang | RM 9.90Tub Tim Krob | RM 4.50
we had these two classic Thai desserts to cool the tongue! Thai sweet sticky rice with mango studded with fried green bean & chilled water chesnut (those red rubies) with jackfruit and fresh coconut. those red rubies are cubes of water chestnut coated with tapioca flour, gives it a interesting texture contrary to jackfruit.

what a (not overly) sweet way to end a lovely lunchy!

few weeks ago, i saw a huge banner being hung up at the second floor of Queensbay Mall (QBM) saying that Tong Pak Fu (TPF) outlet will be coming soon. i jotted down mental note that i will come for it because i missed it during my Hong Kong trip two years back (time really flies wei!). i managed to try Hui Lau Shan last-minutely at Hong Kong International Airport though, but didn’t quite likey, thought it’s mediocre. anyway…

fast forward few weeks later, the boyfie was in town to celebrate new year eve together. we went to QBM for a quick lunchy and did some window shopping. only then i knew that TPF’s outlet had already open! we walked in instantly. or more like me towing him in XDit’s situated at second floor of the East Wing of QBM, on the same floor with Azuma Japanese Restaurant! not hard to locate it.the indoor interior is pretty small (but cosy), so if you come in a bunch,you might prefer seating at the spacious al-fresco area (although still indoor). since it’s only the boyfie and i, we chose indoor , because the décor is prettier in the insidestudents are entitled for 10% discount on weekdays! too bad it was a Saturday! couldn’t make use of my student card.Tracka Durian Snow Ice | RM 11.80 (Regular)
boyfie ordered this to satiate his durian’s craving since we didn’t have time for durian hunting at Balik Pulau, so yeah, this would do. boyfie enjoyed every bit of this finely shaved layered icy dessert! Apparently this is one of their best-seller! must bring daddy to TPF, i told boyfie!Mango Napoleon with Vanilla Ice-cream | RM 10.80
While I ordered this! Love the mixed texture of crisp waffle and mushy custard cream and generous soft mango slices.And this is why I lub my boyfie. He can cut perfectly. If I were to quarter it, it would be a mess on the plate, which is really unappealing to look at . he can be quite annoyingly meticulous some time I wanna strangle him.