The famous Balik Pulau Laksa and Hokkien Mee at Jalan Baharu which used to be at Jalan Baharu had since moved several times. It moved to Lorong Chong Teik for several months and then moved to a hawker center before settling back to Jalan Baharu. This new location is different from its initial place and is better known as Balik Kampung at Balik Pulau.
‘Balik Kampung’ is the Malay saying of ‘back to hometown’. It is not only a good place for great ‘kampung’ activities, but also a great place for delicious local delicacies such as the above-mentioned ‘Hokkien Mee’ and ‘Laksa’.
The entrance of Balik Kampung is greeted by the eatery on the left and a private residence in front.
Right before entering the eatery, we were also welcomed by a strong scent of “belacan” or shrimp paste cake covering the entire place.
We found that one of the stalls was preparing Belacan Fried Rice and this was where the scent was coming out. Now we know there is an additional dish to look forward to besides Hokkien Mee and Laksa at Balik Kampung, that is the Belacan Fried Rice.
Hokkien Mee and Laksa are only available on Saturdays and Sundays.
Asam Laksa – RM4 Regular, RM5 Big. This is the traditional Penang Asam Laksa, cooked with tamarind, fish broth, vegetables, onion, curry flowers, rice noodle and chili spices. Serving together with the laksa was a tablespoon of thick prawn paste.
The taste of the laksa has never changed since they were at their original place. It was still as good where the broth was sourish and slightly spicy, both at the right proportion. The refreshing vegetables and the shrimp paste complemented well with the thick rice noodle.
Hokkien Mee – RM4 Regular, RM5 Big. The soup base of the Hokkien Mee is cooked from prawns for long hours and served with a mixture of thin rice noodle and egg noodles, some pork slices, a quarter of half-boiled egg, some fried onions and a table spoon of chili paste.
The thick prawn broth tasted very strong and packed with prawn flavour. It went well with the spiciness of the chili paste. It was a great thing that they still remain the consistency of the taste from the beginning.
Belacan Fried Rice – RM5.50, the rice was fried with belacan (shrimp paste cake) and served together with pan-fried pork pieces, fresh onions, shredded egg, deep fried anchovies, shredded green mango and garnished with coriander. Besides, the dish was also served with a halved lime and sambal chili.
The belacan aroma on the rice was very fragrant. It was well-complemented with the slight sweetness of the soy sauced pork slices and the sambal chilli. This dish is one of the highlights at this place too.
Green Curry Chicken Rice – RM6.50, the green curry was cooked with coconut milk, spices, Thai basil leaves, winter melon and based with lettuce. Serving together with this dish were rice and fried egg.
The richness of the coconut milk that was used to cook the green was counteracted by the freshness of the winter melon, hence reduced the creamy taste of this dish making it more pleasant to taste.
Iced San Zha (Chinese Hawthorn) Water – RM1.50, the water boiled from Chinese Hawthorn was served in ice with a thin slice of apple. It tasted very refreshing and thirst-quenching.
Iced Barley – RM1.20, homecooked barley water with minimum of sugar added to the drink.
Butterfly Pea Water – RM1.20, which is good to reduce blood sugar level. This is a special drink and is only prepared when requested.
If you are ordering drinks for your kids, the owner is very kind to serve the drink in a special Minion bottle which puts a smile on every kid’s face.
Walk further inside you will find a beautiful garden just behind the eatery.
Packaged activities can be organized for groups which you may call to inquire. Separate activities for the kids such as boat-paddling is available as well.
- Small boat, 20 minutes ride – RM5
- Big boat, 20 minutes ride – RM8
Kids living in big towns these days do not get the chance to fish in the river unlike kids in the olden days. At Balik Kampung, there is a good chance for you and your kids to learn how to fish and have some great ‘kampung’ fun.
Overall, the ‘lost’ of Balik Pulau Jalan Baharu Laksa and Hokkien Mee is finally found to be stationed at Balik Kampung at Balik Pulau. The taste of both of these dishes still remains while at the same time you get to savour other dishes such as Belacan Fried Rice and Green Curry Chicken Rice which tasted superb too. It is definitely a win-win place to be at Balik Pulau as there are many fun activities available as well besides its great food.
Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):
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Quick Facts:
| Family Friendly |  |
| Parking | |
| Pork Free |  |
| Alcohol | |
| Credit Card | |
| Smoking | |
| Reservation | |
| Private Room (Private Area) | |
| WIFI Available | |
Operation hours: 10:30am – 5:10pm (Open on Saturday and Sunday)
Contact: 013-323 7777
Address: 278 MK D, Kuala Jalan Baharu, 11000 Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang.
GPS: 5.353278, 100.200500