Penang Bagus – Delicious Penang Delights and Korean Bingsu

Before I heard of Penang Bagus, I would have scoffed at the idea of an eatery serving both Penang and Korean food under one roof. Although they serve Penang classics such as Assam Laksa and Char Kway Teow, Penang Bagus also serves Korean Bingsu! It turns out that the two owners are from Penang and Korea respectively, so they decided to bring together both cuisines. I had to head to Penang Bagus to taste their best-seller, the Signature Chendol Bingsu! Does Penang Bagus offer the best of both worlds, or is this another case of fusion confusion?

Before I ventured into Penang Bagus’ dessert menu, I decided to try their Penang specialty dishes. Their Penang Assam Laksa ($6/ $8) comes chock full of fresh ingredients and is packed with flavour. Honestly, I haven’t had many bowls of assam laksa, so I’m in no position to comment on its authenticity. However, it’s worth noting that the thicker rice noodles used are imported straight from Penang! These noodles had a lovely springy bite, and they had also absorbed the tantalising assam broth really well.

This shrimp paste-infused assam broth had the perfect combination of punchy acidic tang and sweetness. It also had a bit of a spice which tantalised my tastebuds just that much more. Chunks of sardine were also used in the broth, adding a brilliant briny flavour to the dish. The heavy, robust flavours of the broth were balanced out by a handful of fresh vegetables. The slices of cucumber, pineapple, red onion, and lettuce really added a much-needed refreshing crunch!

Who doesn’t love a good plate of char kway teow? I was about to order their normal Penang Char Kway Teow ($6/ $8) when I noticed that they had a ‘Special‘ Char Kway Teow ($12). Not only does this special version come in a more substantial portion, it also contains salted egg and crab meat! Their typical char kway teow is stir-fried over high heat with soy sauce, chilli, eggs, prawns, bean sprouts, Chinese sausage and chives.

Overall, this is a well-executed plate of char kway teow! The flat rice noodles were delightfully springy and chewy. Not only did it have a gentle spicy kick, is was imbued with loads of wok hei! The prawns were fresh and succulent, while the Chinese sausage lent a hint of sweetness. The crispy bits of fried lard around the plate didn’t hurt either! Unfortunately, I think that the special version wasn’t worth the extra cost. The salted egg added a slight grainy texture, but it didn’t add much to the flavour or taste of the char kway teow. Also, the crab meat was really dry, watery and bland. I’ll say, stick with the normal $6/ $8 version.

It was finally time to taste the Signature Chendol Bingsu ($6.90/ $11.90). This dish features a bed of finely-shaved ice topped with coconut milk, red bean and green jelly! A thick and sweet gula melaka syrup is also served on the side. This is a brilliant dessert to combat the sweltering heat with! The coconut milk enriched every mouthful of shaved ice, while the red bean’s earthiness and sweetness made the dessert even more addictive. What an interesting creation!

Even though I only had the Chendol Bingsu, I look forward to trying out the other flavours. Not only do they have Oreo and Choco-Banana Bingsu, there’s even a Musang King Durian Bingsu!

Before I left, I decided to try one of their side dishes as well. The Penang Lor Bak ($8.00) is essentially a marinated pork loin rolled in a soybean sheet, and deep fried. Despite its rather dubious appearance, it tasted pretty good with the sweet chilli sauce. The pork is on the chewier side, but it definitely wasn’t dry. The lor bak was also accompanied with some tau kwa, fishcakes and a century egg. The century egg, which just melted in my mouth, was especially delicious — unlike some that might be too grainy or have an unappetising yolk.

Located in Tanjong Katong, Penang Bagus is a must-visit if you’ll like to enjoy local Penang dishes and some Korean Bingsu at the same time! They even have a tze char menu!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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For more food videos, check out our official YouTube channel! You may also want to check out our articles on Penang Culture which also serves up authentic Penang food, or Soon Seng Seafood which serves up Assam Fish Head!