FAH CHAI PRESENTING HIS SIGNATURE RECIPES IN “BANZI CAFE” ON HIS MORE THAN 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE
In the north Malaysia, we found one of the recommended chinese seafood and bak kut teh restaurant “Banzi Cafe House” along Jalan Lencongan Barat, Alor Setar serving not only chef’s home recipe selections, but also their homemade Fah Chai Bak Kut Teh to the locals and visitors being recognised in year 2015.
The Negeri Sembilan originated Mr. Choo Han Fah who born in Pertang, Seremban year 1975 was the founder, together with lovely wife Lily Tan Yean Lee who is Kedah origins (born 1977) are the immediate owners of the local famous “Banzi Cafe House” restaurant at Tandop, Kedah introducing their seafood menus and bringing into their home recipe bak kut teh prepared by Lily’s mother Madam Chew Siew Lin, who at her age of 60 recently.
Choo Han Fah or known Fah Chai who at his age of 40 currently, initially stepped into the industry since year 1988 at his 13 years old began as helper in his cousin brother seafood restaurant at Seremban, Negeri Sembilan for few years before reached Kuala Lumpur to further expose at his 18 years old joined a chinese cuisine restaurant at Ampang, then spent another 8 years in the “Soon Lee Seafood Restaurant” as chef at Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur.
In order to sharpen his profession and to experience more, Fah Chai in year 2001 travelled to Singapore respectively joined 2 chinese cuisine restaurants able to strengthen his career in the industry. Stayed about 5 years there, where he learnt a lot and really touched deeply in chefing, according to Fah Chai.
In year 2006, Fah Chai together with wife Lily began their very first own seafood stall at Taman Tandop, Alor Setar running for a year then successfully took over and operate their seafood restaurant “Banzi Cafe House”, with the establishment of “Fah Chai Seafood”. In the same year, Lily’s mother Madam Chew who holding the klang generation passed onto recipe, began her own homemade bak kut teh with Fah Chai in “Banzi”, having great response from the public.
In this restaurant, Fah Chai first top recommended in menus will be his creation Assam Curry Steamed Fish. Commonly sea grouper or white pomfret fish selected, steamed then served poured onto his homemade assam curry made from 8 spices mixture will brings excellent fish freshness and sour & spicy taste you must try when reached Kedah. This is one of his most signature experienced in Singapore and brought into his eating house.
Secondly will be their Dried Shrimp Season Beans, which is their top seller in the restaurant. Fresh season beans prepared in cutted pieces, oil-passed for seconds, then fried with dried shrimp and served topped with deep fried dried shrimp shredded will be the best signature dish in town you will never regret after consumed, taste salty and exotic.
Another will be their Dry Fried Shark Fillets, not oftenly found in town. Fresh local sea shark meats prepared in fillet slices, deep fried then stir fried minutes with ginger, onion, chilli, soy bean and chilli padi. Finally served topped with deep fried ginger shredded brings salty & exotic taste you cannot aside.
While in their Fah Chai Bak Kut Teh corner, their soup base cooked with 11 chinese herbals mixture, then mixed into spare ribs, belly pork, trotter, intestine, tail and pork stomach boiled for another hour will be their regulars most wanted. Served boiled in claypot and topped with veges, meat ball, mushroom sticks and dried beancurd will be one of the best in town.
Beside bak kut teh soup, they also introduced the Dry Bak Kut Teh on own recipe. Porks mixture boiled in claypot with slight in-house soup base, added into oyster sauce, sweet soya sauce, dried chillies, lady finger and dried cuttlefish untill served-dry you cannot missed when stepped into “Banzi Cafe House” or locally known “Fah Chai Seafood Restaurant” at Alor Setar, Kedah.
BANZI CAFE HOUSE
Address: No. A-49,
Jalan Lencongan Barat,
Taman Tandop,
05400 Alor Setar, Kedah.
Business Hours: 9:00am to 3:00pm
6:00pm to 10:00pm (Daily)
(Closed on Thursday)