Beso Rosado By ChinChin @ Bishop Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Previously known as Golden Shower, the place is re-branded as Beso Rosado. Helmed by their executive Chef- Chef Jack Yeap, the place sees some inspirations from his previous restaurant- El Faro Tapas Bar... offering a Mediterranean-influenced menu. Unlike the former Golden Shower, Beso Rosado has proper dining tables and offers better variety of food; the cocktail and drinks menu however, remains unchanged. It's more like a cozy space for diners to indulge in delicious Tapas while having a boozy sip on their cocktails. The interior decor remains as chic as ever... with everything painted in pink. Though the prices may seem a little steep, we were impressed with their friendly-attentive service and superior quality food. 

Holy Guacamole Mexican Restaurant & Bar @ Love Lane, Georgetown, Penang.

Half Bar and half restaurant, Holy Guacamole is one of the few rare Mexican joints in Penang. Housed in one of the houses along Love Lane, it's hard to miss Holy Guacamole... the place has colorful wall-paintings and eye-catchy signage. It's a little quiet during the day time but in the evenings, the place turns into a busy, hipstery bar with live-band performance. The Mexican fare here is created with a modern twist, though some classics can be found here, there are some non-Mexican items as well. The food menu is extensive but the drinks are pretty much alcohol-focused; though mid-range pricing and great service from the servers, the food is less-authentic and has rooms for improvements.

3 Places To Please Your Sweet Tooth @ SkyAvenue, Genting Highlands, Pahang.

Visitors to Sky Avenue are now spoiled for choices when it comes to food and sweet treats or take a short respite from the plethora of entertain facilities available. There are a spate of food outlets available in the new Sky Avenue so if you do not know where to start but yearning for some serious sweet treats, check out the below suggestions.

Inside Scoop

Pork-Free

Service Charge: No

Government Tax: Yes *prices shown are GST-inclusive*

Address: Lot T2-45, Level T2, Sky Avenue, 69000, Genting Highlands, Pahang.

Business Hours: 10 am to 10 pm. Opens Daily.

Contact Number: N/A

Sugar On Top: Nagore (SOT) @ Chime Heritage, Georgetown, Penang.

Naming a cafe may not be as exhausting as one would expect but it does require a little artistic flair. One of the latest cafe joints in Penang- Sugar On Top dropped the cliches and decided to pick up something unusual- SOT. Perhaps a pun intended, it sure rings a bell on what the cafe could potentially offer. During its soft-opening period, Sugar On Top only serves desserts but right now, the full-fledged menu consisting Pasta, Burgers, All-Day Breakfast and special in-house delights. The price points are however, slightly higher than average. Sugar On Top is now taking over the previous lot of Haven Harbor, at Chime Heritage.

Mr. Churro @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

The first churreria in Penang- Mr. Churro has started their business operations over the weekend, the popular Korean Churros brand is famed for their Spanish crispy fried dough. Recommended for those with a sweet tooth, Mr Churro's creations are all dusted with Cinnamon Sugar and further paired with sweet goodies (such as Soft Serve or Chocolate drizzles). All Churros are freshly made on the spot. Business was brisk over the weekend but the wait was not long. Mr. Churro's kiosk can be found at Lower Ground floor of Gurney Plaza.

The Alley Raja Uda @ Raja Uda, Butterworth, Penang.

When we heard that The Alley at Steward Lane was opening a new sister cafe at Raja Uda... that serves Sushi with Coffee... we were intrigued. Why Vinegared Rice with Coffee? It took us a while before we could make our way to The Alley Raja Uda, the location is not that obvious; it can be a daunting task for those who are not in the know. The place is decorated based on the industrial theme with heavy emphasis on timber... there's even a large container outside (the kitchen); it is spacious ample spaces between tables but the wooden chairs are not that comfortable as they may seem... the hipsters or hard-core cafe hoppers would like the whimsical interior decor- many creative angles can be found for Instagram-perfect photos. No, they have more than Sushi and Coffee to offer; they have a small Japanese menu that offers Japanese Curry Rice dishes along with The Alley's specialties (Churros and Cronuts). The Alley is located at one of the streets in front of Econsave at Raja Uda. 

Friday Evening Poolside Barbecue Buffet Dinner @ The Royale Bintang, Weld Quay, Penang.

Welcome the weekend by treating yourself to a sumptuous meal at one of the new hotels in the heartland of Georgetown- The Royale Bintang. Spaces are very limited in the colonial building but the management managed to have a pool built right beside a restaurant on second floor; and right now, the hotel is rolling out their first Friday Evening Poolside Barbecue Buffet Dinner. Choices are aplenty though not as extensive as some establishments in town but this particular buffet theme is definitely well-designed for meat lovers.

Friday Night Poolside Barbecue Buffet Dinner:

Price: Rm 83+ (adults); Rm 40+ (senior citizen and children).

Time: 7 pm to 10 pm; available on every Friday. *available until the end of March 2015*

Venue: Poolside on Level 2

Many Thanks to Royale Bintang for hosting us that evening.

Georgetown Wines @ Leith Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Previously a stable, the building has since gentrified to a classy, elegant wine lounge. Ground floor is a restaurant with a small wine-cellar attached while the upper floor consists of a cozy and homey area with comfortable couches; perfect for a glass of wine or to spend your evening with your loved ones. The four-month old restaurant does not have a very comprehensive menu but more than sufficient to pair with your wines. It appears to me Georgetown Wines has a wide range of high-quality wines; I am no wine connoisseur but a person with genuine interest and love for wines can elucidate by telling the labels. Unlike most wine shops, where diners are to choose their wines from an infuriating menu listing only prices and names; Georgetown Wines offers a better experience- a sommelier will walk you through the cellar and recommend the most suitable bottle for your evening. A place not only for great food but fine wine as well. Georgetown Wines is located behind Red Garden Food Court, a stone's throw distance away from the famous tourist attraction- Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion at Leith Street.

Many Thanks to Georgetown Wines for hosting us.

The Alley @ Stewart Lane, Georgetown, Penang.

I am constantly on the lookout for new places and my recent discovery was this place- The Alley. Hidden in heart of Georgetown, The Alley sits next to the famous tourist hot spot- Godness of Mercy Temple or known as Guan Yin Teng to the locals. The obscure location and unappealing exterior making it hard for the public to realize and there are no parking lots available, it is recommended that you have your car parked at Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling or Chulia Lane. The modish and laid back ambiance of this cafe is ideal for a relaxing afternoon tea or a perfect place for a cup of coffee to start up the day. However, the seating of the cafe is rather limited and it is not advisable to visit in a big group, reservation is recommended if you plan to do so. Their menu is earnest and simple, offering a type or two of cakes, Churros, Cronuts and some Sandwiches as well as their array of Coffees. 

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!

Churros Royale @ Tropicana City Mall, Petaling Jaya.

Churros, Spanish Fried Fritters or Doughnuts are not easy to find in Malaysia. I once had Churros at San Churros back in Perth and it was so good. Hence, I was thinking to hunt for some in my recent Kuala Lumpur day trip. It seems like Churros Royale has two outlets in Malaysia, one at Puchong and the other one at Tropicana City Mall. The exact location at Tropicana City Mall is a bit tedious, where it is situated at the mall's Lower Ground Floor, nearby Carefour. We were wondering what should we order and try and the friendly staff offered us two types of Churros (2 sticks each) at the price of Rm 8.90 nett.

Spanish Splendor @ Swez Brasserie, Eastin Hotel Penang.

In conjunction with Penang Eastin Hotel's upcoming buffet promotion in the coming month of March, themed Spanish Splendor, the media was invited to sample some of their unique dishes that about to be offered. This themed buffet (Spanish Splendor) will be available from 1st of March until 31st of March, 2013 at Swez Brasserie (Ground Floor of Eastin Hotel, Penang.)

Prices for the buffets are as follow:

Lunch: Monday - Friday

12:00pm - 2:30pm

Rm 48++ (adult) Rm 24++ (child)

Hi-Tea: Saturday and Sunday

12:00pm - 3:00pm

Rm 55++ (adult) Rm 28++ (child)

Hi-Tea: Festive Occasions
12:00pm - 3:00pm

Rm 68++ (adult) Rm 34++ (child)

Semi Buffet Dinner: Sunday - Thursday

6:30pm - 10:00pm

From Rm48++ per person

March Credit Card Promotions:

MAYBANKAD, Standard Chartered Bank, OCBC Bank, CIMB Bank, Citibank and VISA card members, guests can enjoy 15% discount for Spanish Splendor Semi Buffet Dinner (Monday to Thursday) and Weekend Buffet Dinner (Friday and Saturday) from 6:30pm to 10:00pm.

For inquiries or reservations, kindly contact Eastin Hotel Penang, Swez Brasserie at +04- 612 1128.