La Vie's splendid cuisine to celebrate life's treasured moments

Appetisers are delicate petit morsels that tantalise our taste buds to increase our appetite. A well-planned menu would select appetisers that would coordinate and lead up to the flavours of the main dishes in a meal. In short, appetisers should give you an idea about the main course. Great appetisers put you in the mood; they get you excited about what else lies in store for you. We started our dinner at La Vie with an alluring march of four appetisers – crispy unagi, prawn salad, crab meat croquettes and clams in Thai-style sauce. Such an incredible quartet that kept us clamouring for more.
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Traditional Malay cooking at Lagenda Café in the heart of George Town

The key signature in traditional Malay cuisine is definitely the generous use of local herbs, spices and belacan (shrimp paste). Santan (coconut milk) is a common addition to impart a creamy texture to Malay dishes. In Penang and the northern states of Malaysia, Malay cooking has further integrated Thai flavours. Meats and seafood are usually marinated with a special blend of herbs and spices before being cooked. Vegetables are often stir-fried and some eaten raw, always with sambal belacan. I love Malay dishes because of their strong, spicy and aromatic oomph. For an authentic Malay feast, visit Lagenda Café.
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The Ferringhi Garden Restaurant: great dining within an oasis

The Ferringhi Garden Restaurant has an amazing lush garden filled with flowers in full bloom. Even before looking through the menu, we could not resist taking a few photographs of its tranquil and beautiful dining ambience.
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Belacan, an integral ingredient in local cuisine

Anyone who has paid attention to local cuisine can safely hazard a guess that Penangites, and Malaysians for that matter, have a predilection for pungent foods! Call it full-flavoured, aromatic, spicy or downright nasty, Malaysian cuisine boasts more pungent varieties than arguably any other country in the world. This piquant character manifests itself in various forms, in fresh fruits (durian and jackfruit), in condiments (budu), preserves (cincaluk and tempoyak) and the innocuous-looking belacan or shrimp paste. The last item is as indispensable to Malaysian cooking as herbs are to Italian cuisine or soya sauce to Chinese. Why some purists go as far as to declare that your 'Malaysianess' hinges on whether or not you like belacan!
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Sea cucumbers – back to nature cures

Marine life in Malaysian waters is full of many natural wonders. Among them is the humble sea cucumber. Locally, it is known as 'gamat' in Malay and 'hai som' in Hokkien. It is scientifically called holothurians, a class of the phylum echinodermata.
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Truly authentic, truly Thai at Chili Head

Chili Head Social Bar and Eatery, a cool and hip Thai restaurant overlooking the beautiful marina at Straits Quay serves excellent authentic Siamese food. Here is a place where Thais themselves would love to eat.
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Inventive 4-course set dinner at Au Jardin

My family and I love to explore Penang's rich culinary tapestry and for dinner this time, we headed to Au Jardin located in an old quaint warehouse within the compound of the historical Hin Bus Depot. According to its website, the restaurant offers modern European fare. Chef Kim Hock and his team create dishes that celebrate fresh, seasonal ingredients.
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A marvellous View for an exceptional anniversary

With a stellar scene of Penang outside its floor-to-ceiling glass walls, The View at Equatorial Hotel is an exquisite fine dining restaurant wonderfully suited to mark any memorable occasion.
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Middle Eastern offerings at Halab in Chulia Street

Halab, tucked in a bungalow along the bustling Chulia Street in the heart of George Town offers authentic Middle-eastern cuisine. It is no surprise that the Syrian and Arab communities in George Town frequent Halab, forming their base clientele alongside Penangites and tourists visiting the island.
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Traditional and avant-garde Asian cuisine at Maple Palace

Chinese New Year celebrations which last for 15 days offer an ideal time for family reunions as well as to catch up with old friends. When my classmates from Han Chiang High School decided to have a mini class reunion, Maple Palace was our top choice. The restaurant serves mouth-watering cuisine that is both traditional and avant-garde at the same time. It also offers festive Chinese New Year dishes synonymous with good luck and prosperity. On top of that, the quality of the delicacies at Maple Palace has been consistent throughout my visits in the past.
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