Hai Boey Seafood (海尾海鲜) at Teluk Kumbar is one of the more popular seafood restaurants in Penang. Despite its remote location, the restaurant is frequented by many customers especially on weekends. At the entrance, there are numerous tanks with live fish, lobsters, crabs, shellfish and other marine creatures.
We ordered the Tempura Brinjals (日式茄子, RM12.00) as the appetizer. Pieces of eggplant are coated with batter and then deep-fried to golden crispiness. Watch out for bamboo skewers when you bite!
Chili Crabs (辣椒螃蟹) is an exquisite delicacy from Singapore. The crabs are served with a sweet-and-spicy mixture of tomato sauce and chili sauce, making them succulent indeed. Several steamed buns (馒头) are served on the side.
Mantis Prawns (虾蛄) are cooked in two different flavors: salted egg and tomyam butter. Both are good, but the seasonings do not penetrate the shells well enough. As a result, the flesh remains fairly plain.
Next, Ladies Finger With Spicy Sauce (凉拌秋葵, RM12.00) is served with condiments like coriander, garlic, shallots and bird’s eye chili.
Moving on, Hai Boey Fried Rice (海尾炒饭, RM12.00) is cooked with shrimps, eggs and mixed vegetables. The rice is well prepared. This shows that even the simplest dishes can taste good too.
Hai Boey Mee Sua (海尾面线, RM12.00) is another delectable dish. It comes with several shrimps, bean sprouts, garlic chives, shallots and eggs.
This evening’s dessert is Lemon Grass Jelly (香茅冻, RM7.00), which is essentially Aiyu Bing (爱玉冰). The jelly is made from the seeds of a fig plant (爱玉子). I appreciate the lovely tanginess of lemons, but the taste of lemongrass is somewhat lacking. This dessert comes with a large lychee, lemon slice, basil seeds and mint leaves.
Located next to the sea, Hai Boey Seafood takes advantage of the cooling natural breeze. The evening view is particularly mesmerizing. Although customers are mostly seated in the open, the dining area can be covered by an extendable roof if it rains.
Address: 29, Mukim 9, Pasir Belanda, Teluk Kumbar, 11920 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-649-3746
Business hours: 5:30pm-11:00pmTaste