Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Harvest Wok (聚餐馆) @ Moulmein Road, Pulau Tikus, Penang.

Tuck away from the bustling streets of Pulau Tikus, there's this humble little restaurant that is rather obscure to most people due to its location. Over the years, Harvest Wok has gathered quite an impressive amount of regular patrons which come back to the place repeating some of their favorite orders since then. Situated at Moulmein Road, right opposite to the old car park of Pulau Tikus market, Harvest Wok serves hearty home cooked dishes. The restaurateur- Kimberly, is a very passionate cook which hopes to preserve the tastes and flavors cooked by her grandmother. One can find some really hearty and meticulously prepared Chinese Traditional Soup here in Harvest Wok, along with some quick Stir Fry dishes. Prices are reasonably priced and Kimberly provides some really extra-ordinary services as though she remembers most of her regulars' preferences and tastes. 

Monday, July 29, 2013

AMex Mexican Cuisine @ One Precinct, Bayan Baru, Penang.

Mexican Cuisine has been pretty uncommon in Penang ever since then, Habanero was one of them which opened its door few months back. Penangites have more options now with the opening of AMex Mexican Cuisine housed within One Precinct, opposite to Lunarich. One can find a wide variety of Mexican food there at some very affordable prices. The only drawback might be, not too authentic. I could not even find a piece of Jalapeno chilies (one of the soul ingredients for Mexican food) in all the dishes served, I was told that they did include Jalapenos in their menu but due to customers' feed back, they had to reluctantly withdraw the chilies. Well, I guess the restaurateur should stick to the original menu instead of trying to localize all the dishes. I hope to see and try some of their "original" dishes during my next visit though. There are still some improvements needed on the serving speed (probably the restaurant was still new and slow due to lack of manpower) and ambiance of the restaurant. The place was dimly lit and some customers had to use the torch function of their phones to look at the menu. Nevertheless, this place offers some decent Mexican food, Burrito, Arco, Quesadilla, Taco, Fajita, Nachos, Churros, you name it, they have it; do try it out and let me know what do you think in the comment column!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Sushi Zanmai (寿司三味) @ Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang.

The first chain Japanese conveyor-belt Sushi restaurant has landed in Penang, with the long anticipated opening at Gurney Paragon Mall, Penangites finally get to taste some really affordable yet quality Japanese dishes. Sushi Zanmai has 7 outlets in Kuala Lumpur and the first Sushi Zanmai outlet has just opened its doors few days ago. Sushi Zanmai is strategically located at level 6 of Gurney Paragon Mall, right beside to Rakuzen Japanese restaurant. Fortunately, their service was very attentive and everything seemed to be well-organized although it was the very first opening day for business. The speed of replenishing the items on the conveyor-belt was fast too. Overall, I thought the quality of the food was slightly above average (prices are competitive and affordable though) and slightly over-rated, nevertheless, Sushi Zanmai is way better than Sushi King and Sakae Sushi in my opinion. I will definitely go back for a second visit but strictly for novelty, just to check out some other dishes that I have yet to try....

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Coffee Elements @ All Seasons Place, Air Itam, Penang.

I don't usually visit All Seasons Place as I don't find any shops or eateries are attractive at all, most of them being over-rated. Tuck away from the busy shops and eateries at Ground Floor of All Seasons Place, Coffee Elements might be obscure to some due to its location; Coffee Elements is situated on first (1st) floor of All Seasons Place, right upstairs to Paparich, simply take the lift right in front of Paparich and you will find Coffee Elements right in front of you. Coffee Elements is place ideally for your breakfast and brunch as it serves light food namely Bagels, English Bloomers and Salad, as well as some special bake of the day (cakes). In hopes of serving some really affordable food to cater Penangites, the lady owner priced their food reasonably with no service charge nor government tax. Well, at least I've found some noteworthy eatery to visit All Seasons Place right now.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Joez Coconut Jelly @ Dato Keramat Road, Georgetown, Penang.

While Coconut Jelly is commonly seen and easily to find these days, people are still going back to this place for its famous Coconut Jelly, which said to be the first in introducing the dessert. Foong from Foongpc.com has come to visit Penang for a few days tour, Ann from Constance-Ant.com was tagging along for the food tour. The weather was hot that we nearly melted! We were hunting for some thirst-quencher and we stumbled upon this place- Joez Coconut Jelly which is within a stone throw distance from Penang Times Square and before the traffic light to the Police Station at Jalan Dato Keramat. 

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Autumn/ Winter Fashion Show @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

13th of July 2013 marked another great milestone for Rofina Group for successfully organizing an awesome fashion show at ground floor of Gurney Plaza showcasing their latest designs of winter clothing on sale. Rofina Swiss or Cosas United (trade name) has many outlets in Penang, some of the notable ones are situated at Gurney Plaza, Queensbay Mall, 1st Avenue, Prangin Mall, Komtar, Pacific Megamall, AEON Seberang Perai as well as the yet-to-open Gurney Paragon Mall. The latest outlet in Gurney Paragon Mall is scheduled to be opened at 23rd of July, 2013, along with the grand opening of the mall itself. Rofina Swiss sells a wide range of products where you will find them extremely useful in 4-season countries, the products available are Luggage, Bags, Autumn/ Winter Apparels,  Backpacks and all sorts of Travel Accessories. Reasonably priced products and good after-sales services as well as providing warranties are some of the well-known strengths for the company. Some of the main highlights of the day were...

Monday, July 15, 2013

Pavilion Cafe (三禾轩咖啡馆) @ Lebuh Presgrave (三条路), Georgetown, Penang.

It is nearly impossible to visit all the newly mushroomed heritage cafes/ eateries in Penang nowadays. While others are serving Western dishes most of the time, Pavilion Cafe has caught my attention by serving some Taiwanese-Fusion dishes. Housed in the heart of Georgetown, Pavilion Cafe is situated at Lebuh Presgrave or commonly known as "The Third Road" or 三条路, which is where the headquarter of Kwong Wah Jit Poh stationing at. In fact, Pavilion Cafe is just exactly opposite to Kwong Wah Jit Poh; although choices are rather limited when it comes to those dishes but they have rather "perfected" their recipes by offering the best they could. The place is also suitable for get-together or gatherings thanks for its cozy and homely ambiance. Parking, on the other hand, could be problematic due to the limited spaces. However, considering the quality and the prices of the food, I will definitely come back to savor more of their dishes.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Bintang Rock Buffet 2013 & Rock Platter @ Hard Rock Hotel, Batu Ferringhi, Penang.

Bintang Rock Buffet @ Starz Diner, Hard Rock Hotel Penang.

In conjunction with the fasting month of Ramadhan, Hard Rock Hotel Penang is offering a buffet dinner spread at very affordable prices, the buffet dinner is only available from 9th of July until 9th of August 2013 at their restaurant- Starz Diner. The restaurant opens from 5:30pm every evening but the buffet dinner will only be ready by 6:30pm (until 10:30pm). The buffet dinner is priced at Rm 68++ (per adult) and Rm 34++ (per child); for every booking of 10 diners, the 11th person gets to eat for free during this promotional period of their Ramadhan buffet

*Prices are subjected to 10% service charge and prevailing government tax.*

Just to list some of their signature items (will be rotated on a weekly basis):
  • Bubur Lambuk (Ramadhan Congee)
  • Udang Masak Hijau Putik Pisang (Slow Cooked Spiced Sweet Soy Beef)
  • Ketam Masak Kicap (Braised Blue Crab in Turmeric Coconut and Pineapple)
  • Pari Assam Pedas (Hot & Sour Stingray Fish, Chili, Okra & Eggplant)
  • Assam Laksa Johor (Tamarind Laksa Noodles- the Johor style)
  • Sambal Tumis Udang & Petai (Prawn Sambal with Petai)
  • Gulai Kambing Serai (Lemongrass Mutton Curry)
  • Ayam Percik (Percik Chicken)

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Mee Goreng @ Sin Hup Aun Cafe, Pulau Tikus, Penang.

Mee Goreng (Mamak Fried Noodles) in Penang is rather unique on its own, with the various kinds of selection which includes Cuttlefish, To Fu, Bean Sprouts, Egg, Yellow Noodles and Potatoes. We can find a few decent ones in Penang and this is definitely one of my favorites. Situated at Sin Hup Aun Cafe, which is stone throw away from the wet market of Pulau Tikus, facing the junction of Jalan Pasar and Solok Moulmein. If you have been patronizing the area frequently, you would have known or at least heard of this humble stall of Mee Goreng which has been operating for years. Mee Goreng lovers who tasted his Mee Goreng are coming back for more over the years and nothing has changed since then.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Business Set Lunch @ Sesame + Soy, G Hotel, Penang.

Sesame + Soy, a modern and contemporary restaurant with a unique dual dining experiences. Situated at G-Hotel, an iconic location along Gurney Drive, the elegant and sophisticated restaurant is a stone throw away from the heart of Georgetown and many central business districts; Sesame + Soy Chinese Restaurant is one of the best eateries with the perfect ambiance to enjoy a cozy and relaxing business lunch with your business partners. Priced at Rm 38++ per person, available whole week long, diners are able to choose 2 dishes out of the 8 dishes available, with a bowl of soup of the day, a pot of warm Chinese Tea and dessert as well as your choice of White Rice OR Fried Rice. The meticulously designed menu for Business Set Lunch will be rotated on a weekly basis (full list of the menu will be provided at the bottom of this blog post).


Thursday, July 4, 2013

Bridge Street Original Hokkien Mee/ Prawn Noodles (正宗桥头福建面) @ Beach Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Hidden in a small corner of the bustling heart of Georgetown, there is this obscure stall housed in one of the heritage houses along Beach Street named Bridge Street Original Hokkien Mee/ Prawn Noodles. It has been there for more than 50 years and famous for its Pork broth based Hokkien Mee. There are generally two types of Hokkien Mee available in Penang just in case you are not aware of, one with a heavier Shrimp/ Prawn flavor while the other one relies heavily on Pork Bones in the making of the broth. Situated at Beach Street/ Lebuh Pantai, near the junction to Magazine Road and Prangin Road Ghaut. They do not only offer Hokkien Mee but they do have Loh Mee which I did not try for this time. I had it once before months back and found it was decent, not the best, but decent. Bridge Street Original Hokkien Mee has also opened a new branch at The One, Bayan Baru, Penang.


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Family Getaway- Stay at Corner Suite, Victory Annexe @ Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O Hotel), Penang.

The new wing of Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang, named Victory Annexe; house a total of 122 sea-view suites which include 117 superior suites (55 square meters) and 5 corner suites (123 square meters). I was invited to a complimentary 2 Days 1 Night stay, together with my parents at their Corner Suite of Victory Annexe for a family getaway. It was indeed, an enjoyable and memorable stay for the three of us.

About Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang:
Established by the famed Sarkies Brothers in the year of 1885, the E&O Hotel is a hotel of old, colonial charm with the finest traditions of comfort and service. Located strategically in the heart of Georgetown, along Farquhar Street intersecting with Penang Road, the E&O Hotel is 20 kilometers away from Penang International Airport. Food havens, shopping and entertainment belts are all conveniently located near the hotel. Over its century-and-a-quarter history and myriad of travelers' precious memory , the hotel has come to represent Penang itself; the name of the hotel is a synonym to this beautiful island once known as 'The Pearl of Orient'.                                     - E&O Hotel.