Irasshaimase! greeted us when we stepped into Tonki Bento. In Penang particularly Pulau Tikus area, there is a higher number of Japanese restaurants mainly due to the presence of Japanese expatriates staying around this buzzing area. Tonki Bento is one of the many outlets tucked in the quiet Lintang Burma.

Entrance of the restaurant is lighted up with red lanterns which you can't miss. The interior decoration is simple yet nice; with soothing Japanese music playing in the background. The place is patronized mainly by Japanese and some of them were chattering away, giving this place a very authentic Japanese feel. We took some photos and browse through some Manga while waiting for our food.

This is my hubby's Unagi Kabayaki - grilled eel. Grilled lightly brown on the outside with a sweetish sauce and yet soft on the inside. He likes the unagi for its rich flavour.

My Saba Shioyaki - Grilled saba with salt. The fillet was grilled until slightly char but not burnt yet maintaining the nice fishy smell. The skin was crisp and not too salty.

For an additional add-on of RM2.50, we get a set which include a bowl of rice, salad, miso soup, fruits and ice cream. This was a simple and tasty meal. They are introducing a new menu from this month onwards with more choices of sushi, sahimi and bento sets. Patrons could opt for delivery services too!

Tonki Bento is located in No. 2, Lintang Burmah, Pulau Tikus and it closes on Tuesday.

Fancy having a steaming hot bowl of chicken porridge or just plain white porridge together with two or three side dishes for dinner? We happen to stumble upon this stall located in a coffee shop at the junction of Kimberley Street/Jalan Kuala Kangsar (around Chowrasta Market) which sells this delicious food. It is open for dinner from 5.30pm onwards.

This bowl of chicken porridge/congee with chicken pieces and eu char koay cost RM3. It has the chicken sweetness in it and is served with some spring onions, dash of oil and thin strips of ginger. The porridge is very smooth and thick. I had one and a half bowl !

This stall has a lot of other dishes to offer to its customers - specialties like pig trotter vinegar, curry wild boar meat, suen mui kai and blanch vegetables of choy sum. All these are great wonderful complement to the rice and plain porridge.

Hubby had his plate of rice with two dishes.... the ‘Mui Choy Chue Yoke’ which is actually pork cooked with preserved vegetable and BBQ chicken.

The BBQ chicken has an aromatic flavour. The meat is tender and tasty, infused with the soya sauce. This whole chicken drumstick cost RM6.



This place offers reasonable prices for their food...value for money.

Lately we get to see a lot of bungalows in Penang being renovated and turn into restaurants and cafes. A heritage bungalow opposite The Gurney Hotel in bustling Kelawei Road has since been renovated into a restaurant. This new outlet, Perut Rumah serves Nyonya cuisine or better known as Peranakan Food. This type of cuisine is getting more and more popular in Penang. My in-laws went with us for dinner to try out the Nyonya cuisine of this restaurant.

A sense of nostalgia enveloped as soon as you drive into the drive way of the building.

The restaurant is very charming and tastefully decorated. The walls are adorned with black and white family photos, clock and framed mirror. In a corner stands a cupboard with collectibles. Seating was vast and comfy while cleanliness takes the top spot. All these gives the place an upmarket appeal.

The manager of the restaurant gave us a warm welcome and sat us down. Soon we were going through the menu. There is so much to choose from and we ended up ordering these dishes that most Nyonya food lovers will know.

We started the meal with a spicy and sweet salad of Kerabu Bokyee (black fungus)....very appetizing dish.

Hong Bak .... pieces of lean pork stewed until tender with spices and potatoes which was very flavorful with the sauce being absorbed into the meat. Recommended !

Cincalok Pork - pork slices are stir fried with cincalok (a sour and salty shrimp based condiment), chillies and onions for that savory taste.

The main ingredients of Joo Hoo Char consist of cuttle fish (joo hoo), yam bean (sengkuang) and carrots. All these are cut into fine strips and stir fried for a longer time to give it a drier texture hence bringing out its flavour. Best eaten with some sambal belacan.


Nyonya Fish Curry....the curry gravy is less aromatic. I would have prefer it with more of the laksa flower.

Packets of Hu Pau (otak-otak) .... pieces of fish marinated in spices wrapped in banana leaf and served steaming hot.

Speciality dish of Perut Ikan - hubby commended there was only a few pieces of the pickled fish stomach thus finding the taste a bit flat but it is still worth giving this a try.


We rounded up our meal with the sweets. The sweetness of this bowl of coconut milk with orange/yellow colour sweet potatoes, yam, beans and jelly starch is just right. The coconut milk is a bit light, as I prefer it to be more richer and lemak.

The food are fresh and not over spicy as they do cater to foreigners who were seen occupying two tables besides us on that night. This meal for five cost RM130 which is quite acceptable as this type of food requires a lot of preparation work.

The ambience and atmosphere of Perut Rumah makes it a suitable place for entertaining friends and visiting guests. The business hours are from 11am to 10.30pm.

Address :
No. 17, Jalan Kelawei, 10250, Penang.

Tel : 04-2279917