Seafood somehow tastes best when eaten on the beach. EWE PAIK LEONG follows the aromatic trail of grilled fish.
WHAT makes ikan bakar (grilled fish) a must-eat item when one is in Penang? There are four criteria to consider. First, the price must be among the cheapest on the island. Second, the stall must be easily accessible. Third, it should enjoy a beach-front location. Fourth, the fish must be lip-smacking. Such high expectations! But not totally unreasonable. Ikan bakar restaurants along the tourist belts in Batu Ferringhi and Tanjong Tokong hardly satisfy the first criterion while those in the far-flung beaches of Gertak Sanggul and Pulau Betung fail miserably on the accessibility count. Finally, those in the city centre lack the ambience that beach-front stalls exude. But, all is not lost. There are a few restaurants that meet all four criteria.


Bayan Bay


This little-known bay recently acquired fame with the opening of Queensbay Mall, the newest, longest shopping complex in Penang. Situated on a stretch of beach facing Pulau Jerejak, Seri Pantai Ikan Bakar is a simple structure with both open-air and sheltered seating. Proprietor Aziz Jaafar said: “We have been operating here for six years and our supply of seafood comes direct from fishermen. That’s why our prices are affordable and our seafood is guaranteed fresh.” The menu is divided into vegetables, soup, seafood and rice. The seafood is cooked in several ways — bakar (grilled), masam manis (sweet sour), masak pedas (spicy), masak halia (cooked with ginger), goreng tepung (fried with batter), stim halia (steamed with ginger) and masak kicap (cooked with soy sauce). Soups are limited to mixed tom yam, vegetable tom yam, mixed soup and vegetable soup. However, there are several styles of fried rice. I opted for nasi goreng, grilled stingray, and vegetable tom yam. While waiting for the dishes to be served, I sat back to enjoy the view of Pulau Jerejak in the distance. This is indeed a great spot to enjoy a romantic dinner. What about the food? Great. Excellent value for your money. For reservations, contact Aziz at 019-428 6401 or Hashim at 012-532 0096. Also located on Bayan Bay is Hammer Bay Ikan Bakar. Its menu has more than 40 items categorised into prawns and crabs, chicken and meat, tom yam, soup, vegetables, egg, kerabu, fried rice, noodles and drinks. The manager, Khartina Kahar, said: “We started our restaurant in Batu Uban but moved here more than a year ago. It was the right decision as the beachside ambience is a plus factor here. Business has been excellent and we also do catering for functions.” Customers first choose the seafood they want and then decide how they want it cooked. Goreng bawang (fried with onion), goreng tepung (fried with batter), goreng kunyit (fried with turmeric poweder), tiga rasa (three tastes) are among the popular ways in this restaurant. I decided on nasi Pattaya and udang goreng bawang (Pattaya fried rice and fried prawns and onions). Cheap and scrumptious. To get to Bayan Bay, head towards Bayan Lepas using the Coastal Highway. Turn left when you see a signboard that reads “Sungei Nibong Expres Bus Terminal.” After 100 metres, you will come to a roundabout and the Gold Coast Resort. Drive straight to the end of the road and Pulau Jereak will loom in front of you. Ample parking is available.


Tempoyak Bay


Tempoyak Bay is also known as Telok Tepoyak in Malay. Ensconced in this bay in the Batu Maung district is a rustic Malay fishing village with a gem of a restaurant — Sri Idaman which is also a motel with 15 rooms. My friend and I had arrived rather early one evening and the seafood had not been put on display yet. So we wandered off to the village jetty where the day’s catch was being sorted for delivery to different restaurants in the vicinity. It was interesting to see the fishermen packing the seafood into styrofoam boxes filled with ice. After a 30-minute walk, we returned to the restaurant and pored through the rather elaborate menu. We finally settled on nasi goreng UFO, fish cooked Vietnam style, kangkung belacan and chicken tom yam soup. The fish was deepfried and then topped with a special sweet and tangy sauce poured over it. Our teeth hit a crispy layer of skin before sinking deep into the succulent flesh underneath. The nasi goreng UFO is simply fried rice topped with a fried egg. Our bill came to RM35 only, inclusive of fresh fruit juices. The magic of dining here was that we could enjoy the beauty of the bay and feel the wind blowing in our faces. The easiest way to get to Telok Tempoyak is to zip down the Coastal Highway to Batu Maung. After passing Nippon Express on your right, you will come to a traffic light. Go straight and a signboard near a school directs you to turn left to Teluk Tempoyak. The road leads up a hillock – offering a magnificent view of the bay – before leading to the restaurant’s driveway. For reservations, call 04-6266 985.