GEORGE TOWN: TSUNAMI Cafe Village, just a stone's throw from the iconic floating mosque in Tanjung Bungah, serves the most delicious curries this side of the planet.
Located on the Tanjung Bungah main road just beside the beach, the eatery has been run for 30 years by Chik Yang Din, 60.
Formerly known as Cafe Ribu Ria, it became Tsunami Cafe Village after the 2004 Boxing Day disaster.
"The Tanjung Bungah beach was among the areas badly hit by the tsunami in Penang. I decided to rename the cafe in memory of the catastrophe," said Chik Yang.
To judge by the scores of customers milling at the cafe every day around 11am, patiently waiting for the dishes to emerge from her kitchen, she can cook up quite a storm.
It is a skill she learnt from her mother when she was just a teen.
"Most of what I know was learnt from my mother, and the rest picked up from all the years I have been sole cook here," said the sprightly lady.
Each day, she prepares up to 40 dishes -- each a gastronomical achievement -- with the assistance of a few helpers. They prepare the ingredients that she had personally picked.
"I usually start work around 9am, and by 11am, most of the dishes are ready.
"My curry dishes are preferred by most of my customers, who are mainly locals. However, I also have out-of-state regulars -- visitors who never fail to patronise my cafe when on vacation, especially during the school holidays, here."
Every day, customers have their pick of fish curry, chicken curry, daging kicap, nangka masak rempah, kerabu sayuran, ayam goreng, ikan kering, taukua and more.
A healthy selection of vegetable dishes make it a good, square meal -- one so delicious that a second or third helping of rice is practically compulsory.
The cafe is usually open until 3pm daily and closed on Sundays.
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