Well, due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to be back to Penang this weekend instead of spending it in Ipoh. So took the opportunity to visit iFOODex which is being held at PISA. This is one of the largest food exhibition at the Northen part of Malaysia. For this round of iFOODex, its being held in conjunction with a Chocolate Fair.
So lets see what we have as I arrived. The first thing I noticed right at the entrance is Bak Kwa! And more Bak Kwa. It felt like I was entering a Bak Kwa exhibition on its own as one of the largest sponsor was Bee Cheng Hiang and Bak Kwa is their speciality.Bak Kwa is minced pork or chicken which is then made into thin patties and then BBQ! There are now many varieties to choose from and visitors will not be disappointed as there are many samples to try out. Besides the Bak Kwa they also are showcasing their tarts and for durian lovers, its a must to try their Durian tarts. Its chilled and the durian is very flavorful as they use real fresh durian for the filling. Yummy! Besides the sampling, one can also have a Bak Kwa buffet for RM29.90 but I feel its abit pricey as honestly, how much Bak Kwa can one eat at a time, especially when they are selling Bak Kwa for a discount during this fair. Of course, the free samples probably also is suffice for many. Another must mention from their stall is the sausage which I felted was very flavorful, tender and juicy. I think this is better than the Bak Kwa. Hahah. Finally, Bee Cheng Hiang also have meat floss and they even brought the machine which constantly stirs the meat floss till its golden brown. The meat floss comes in chicken and also pork so fret not for those that don't take pork ya.
Next I stumble upon the Gulong stall which for those that do not know, sells a range of canned produce. They have many good promotions going on and I actually bought their set of 4 cans of Luncheon Meat with 2 cans of Stewed Pork Slices for only RM30. The set even comes free with a pair of high quality stainless steel fork and spoon set! To me, this is really worth is as if you check the price at super markets, I think the value is easily more than RM40 for this set. They also have samples of the luncheon meat so feel free to taste before buying.
As I walk along, there is a stall selling various vinegar. I'm not one that really knows how to appreciate vinegar but they really have alot of varieties. Then there is a stall which specializes in Udon noodles. I was surprise to find that there is not only food stalls but also stalls selling cooking utensils and accessories.
Then I stumble upon the next big player in Bak Kwa which is Loong Kee! They were all decked out in red color and were even giving out free recycle bags! How nice. They have sausages and even pork burger freshly made at the stall so burger lovers, you can give this a try. Their Bak Kwa were going at a steep discount at only RM30 per 500gm which is a real value for money. But I did felt that their Bak Kwa were tougher to Bee Cheng Hiang but of course, this depends on ones taste.
Among the other interesting stalls which I stopped at were Active Enzyme Honey, Khuntai and even one that were selling electronic fly swatter with a new twist. The chocolate fair on the other hand was abit disappointing as they were only a few stalls and the big names in chocolate were clearly missing here. I was expecting way more for the chocolate fair so hopefully if they have it again, they will bring in more companies! Probably the most attractive among them was a cupcake stall by Mei Delices! For RM8, you can get a box of 4 chocolate moist cup cake. The chocolate is thick and very yummy indeed.
And how can I miss Qyzzy's booth and for all fans, make sure you register as you stand to win a tablet! Yeah, wish come true! All you have to do is have a Facebook account, like their fan page and write a short review of iFOODex. Simple and the reward is way more than the effort you need to put in. So this is a MUST visit stall of the whole iFOODex to me! (No they didn't bribe me, just that they are the only ones giving a big lucky draw prize!)
The last stall which I stopped by was a Korean stall and also a Taiwanese stall. Interesting products on display and loads of Korean noodles at very attractive prices. I was surprised to see the preserved egg so famous in Taiwan here. So for those that like these delicacies, don't skip these stalls.
All in all, not a bad experience visiting iFOODex. Definitely room for improvement and hope it continues for years to come. Check it out if you have time.
Bee Cheng Hiang
Meat Floss machine
The many flavorful tarts
The Bak Kwa buffet corner
Tarts and biscuits
Luncheon meat
Variety of vinegar
Udon noodles on display
Buffalo brand cookers. Nice, made of stainless steel but I can't afford it :(
Loong Kee stall
Sausages
Bak Kwa galore
Even have the mini pack
Active Enzyme Honey! Very nice taste!
Was surprise Khuntai also there
A view of the many stalls and crowd
The fly swatter
Chocolate stall! Full of people
Mei Delices cupcakes
Qyzzy's stall. That's Vin there with his lovelies!
Snap of their portal
Korean products
Taiwanese preserved egg
So lets see what we have as I arrived. The first thing I noticed right at the entrance is Bak Kwa! And more Bak Kwa. It felt like I was entering a Bak Kwa exhibition on its own as one of the largest sponsor was Bee Cheng Hiang and Bak Kwa is their speciality.Bak Kwa is minced pork or chicken which is then made into thin patties and then BBQ! There are now many varieties to choose from and visitors will not be disappointed as there are many samples to try out. Besides the Bak Kwa they also are showcasing their tarts and for durian lovers, its a must to try their Durian tarts. Its chilled and the durian is very flavorful as they use real fresh durian for the filling. Yummy! Besides the sampling, one can also have a Bak Kwa buffet for RM29.90 but I feel its abit pricey as honestly, how much Bak Kwa can one eat at a time, especially when they are selling Bak Kwa for a discount during this fair. Of course, the free samples probably also is suffice for many. Another must mention from their stall is the sausage which I felted was very flavorful, tender and juicy. I think this is better than the Bak Kwa. Hahah. Finally, Bee Cheng Hiang also have meat floss and they even brought the machine which constantly stirs the meat floss till its golden brown. The meat floss comes in chicken and also pork so fret not for those that don't take pork ya.
Next I stumble upon the Gulong stall which for those that do not know, sells a range of canned produce. They have many good promotions going on and I actually bought their set of 4 cans of Luncheon Meat with 2 cans of Stewed Pork Slices for only RM30. The set even comes free with a pair of high quality stainless steel fork and spoon set! To me, this is really worth is as if you check the price at super markets, I think the value is easily more than RM40 for this set. They also have samples of the luncheon meat so feel free to taste before buying.
As I walk along, there is a stall selling various vinegar. I'm not one that really knows how to appreciate vinegar but they really have alot of varieties. Then there is a stall which specializes in Udon noodles. I was surprise to find that there is not only food stalls but also stalls selling cooking utensils and accessories.
Then I stumble upon the next big player in Bak Kwa which is Loong Kee! They were all decked out in red color and were even giving out free recycle bags! How nice. They have sausages and even pork burger freshly made at the stall so burger lovers, you can give this a try. Their Bak Kwa were going at a steep discount at only RM30 per 500gm which is a real value for money. But I did felt that their Bak Kwa were tougher to Bee Cheng Hiang but of course, this depends on ones taste.
Among the other interesting stalls which I stopped at were Active Enzyme Honey, Khuntai and even one that were selling electronic fly swatter with a new twist. The chocolate fair on the other hand was abit disappointing as they were only a few stalls and the big names in chocolate were clearly missing here. I was expecting way more for the chocolate fair so hopefully if they have it again, they will bring in more companies! Probably the most attractive among them was a cupcake stall by Mei Delices! For RM8, you can get a box of 4 chocolate moist cup cake. The chocolate is thick and very yummy indeed.
And how can I miss Qyzzy's booth and for all fans, make sure you register as you stand to win a tablet! Yeah, wish come true! All you have to do is have a Facebook account, like their fan page and write a short review of iFOODex. Simple and the reward is way more than the effort you need to put in. So this is a MUST visit stall of the whole iFOODex to me! (No they didn't bribe me, just that they are the only ones giving a big lucky draw prize!)
The last stall which I stopped by was a Korean stall and also a Taiwanese stall. Interesting products on display and loads of Korean noodles at very attractive prices. I was surprised to see the preserved egg so famous in Taiwan here. So for those that like these delicacies, don't skip these stalls.
All in all, not a bad experience visiting iFOODex. Definitely room for improvement and hope it continues for years to come. Check it out if you have time.
Bee Cheng Hiang
Sausage cooking machine
The cooked sausage still on the skewers
Yum yum! Sausage galore!
I wished I had the energy to go after the Battle of the Chefs event... both at different parts of the island can be real taxing~ :P
ReplyDeleteDo check my coverage on the 13th BOTC here~ http://www.crizfood.com/1591/the-opening-of-the-13th-penang-international-salon-gastronomique-at-straits-quay-penang/
Well Criz, I can say you didn't miss much from here....
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