MUSICAL WEEKEND

IT'S BEEN A MUSICAL WEEKEND, what with the brilliant Akasha who performed at the G Hotel during Little Penang Street Market's fund raising dinner on Friday, then the very first ever Penang Guitar Festival on Saturday.

This was held in Bayan Baru at PSDC, and started with 4 workshops during the day (finger, classical, jazz and bass), all run by various musicians who are passionate about their chosen instrument, and included Mr Lam who is one of Penang's most well-known classical guitarist.

On the Saturday evening we went along to the concert because both my sons are keen players, and in fact No2 took lessons from Mr Lam for quite a few years. We took along a couple of expat friends to show them that we DO have a bit of coolcha (culture) here in Penang you know ...

The evening was graced by YB Danny Law who took the trouble to come along just for the starting even though it wasn't an official visit.

The first band were from Kedah, called Uglymen, who were singing cantopop; not really something I know how to appreciate. However as the hall was rather small, the music was quite quite loud, and I ended up having to put my fingers over my ears, it was being bashed so much.

The others included William Kok from KL (that's him above), who finger-picks out melodies (elevator muzak, No1 son called it), and Mr Lam again who treated us to two obscure classical guitar pieces designed to show off his incredible prowess with the instrument. Joking aside, they are pretty good.

Well done to the organisers for kicking off this event; hopefully more will come in the future esp if the state government places its considerable weight behind it and gives it more backing. It could have done with a bit more publicity, as there weren't that many people there. However, all money raised went to charity.

We left at the halfway interval because it was over-running a bit and we hadn't had dinner (problem I have with Penang performances - you can't eat before as it's too early; yet if you eat after everywhere else is shut!), so popped into the huge Northam Beach Cafe for some hawker food, which I was rather impressed with. Luckily the rain had stopped, so it was quite packed, and being Merdeka Weekend there were many visitors from outstation, so many stalls were already running out of things including the Char Kuey Teow stall. The Popiah wasn't bad, and neither was the Assam Laksa there.

Ho hum, just another quiet Saturday night in Penang!

Little Penang, Big Dinner

IT WAS A FOOT-STOMPING NIGHT with AKASHA, the KL-based fusion band who had come to perform at the fund-raising dinner for the Little Penang Street Market. The Grand Ballroom of the G Hotel in Gurney Drive was packed, although there were one or two empty tables which had apparently been bought up but no one had deigned to grace them that evening. The "reserved" signs made me think of hungry ghosts ... !!

The organisers had done a fantastic job. It was well-run and everything went smoothly, with Lucille Dass stepping in at the last minute to act as MC as the designated person from KL apparently couldn't make it. She did a sterling job.

Together with the Silent Auction, it must have raised a fair sum to tide the market over for the next few months. That was fun btw - there were many items put on show, all donated in the name of charity, including many paintings and even a "t'ham p'hooi (pictured below - remember them, the old chamber pots? Who would have thought they would one day become collectibles?!! The old saying, One man's trash is another man's cash is really true!); tiffin carriers and old toy cars. It's all very well to collect such things but only if you have the space for them. Personally, I've decided to stop buying anything which is not "usable" and collects dust instead. From now on, it has to be something I can use before I die! Hmmm ... might not have been a bad idea to bid for the t'ham p'hooi after all ... might come to good use one day!

I bid on another of things which did not come to fruition, as persons unknown either outbid me at the last minute or I couldn't be bothered to outbid them any more. I managed to get a hamper of 3 bottles of wine and 4 crystal glasses for RM225, outbidding the last bidder by RM5. Also a set of Tanamera products (they're supposed to organic and all that stuff) for RM82; apparently the full price would have been over RM200. The starting bid was RM80, which is what I put in for. Someone else came in with RM81; I decided to put in RM82 just for the hell of it (to p_ss that person off I guess) ... and I got it!

However, it was Akasha which made the day (or night, as the case may be). They were simply BRILLIANT, and it's not often I use that word to describe anything. The 7-member band entertained the diners to a really mixed bag of music, from the hari krishna type to Malay kompang-based melodies and a rather interesting piece they renamed "Penang Char Kuey Teow" in honour of their visit here, and practically everyone was clapping away with the great rhythm. Food, btw, was OK, considering it was all, including the ballroom itself, sponsored by G Hotel who, all kudos to them, really do a lot for Penang.

I'm glad the LPSM, having just celebrated its 3rd birthday, is going to carry on. The team of dedicated people who started it up and continue to run it work hard for Penang and its sons; it's a great outlet for all our craftsmen and artists to showcase their talent. However, they have their work cut out because there are now other weekend markets opening up - Gurney Plaza has one, and at Times Square they've just started an all-weekend Flea Market, calling it the "largest" in Penang.

Well done everyone.

STARRY HANGOVER

OOOHHHHHH EERRRRRR .... Yes, those are the sounds I am now making, as I sit here recovering from a shall we say rather boozey evening at the Starview Chinese Restaurant last night. And I wasn't the heaviest drinker there either, sticking to white wine. Some of the others didn't - they drank whatever was offered to them. Hate to think what their heads are like this morning!

It was a big group - 12 of us - who sat down to dinner in one of their private rooms, and Heavens knows what the other guests must have thought of us, it was that noisy. That's what I like about Penang (and Malaysia) - there were Chinese, Brits, Indians and even an American in the group - all chatting away and having a ball.

Despite moving from Burmah Road to New World Park, Starview has managed to maintain its clientele, and the place was packed last night even though it was mid-week.

But have they maintained their standard as one of the best Chinese restaurants in town? For Penang, I think so; we don't have many anyway. However, if one were to go further afield to KL for example, then they probably wouldn't stand out. The "Cheng Choey" fish was very fresh, but that was probably one reason for my hangover this morning: we were served fairly minute portions of everything, so there wasn't much to absorb the alcohol. That's also another reason why there are so few food photos from the dinner: they just served little portions to us!

Service was average, and when I popped outside to ask, at about 10pm, for some takeaway for my sons, I was told the kitchen was closed. But food kept appearing in our room. Minus a few points for that I think.

However, it was a great evening, but excuse me while I go and look for an ice pack for my poor head now ... OOOHHHHHHHHHHH .... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GREAT SPREAD @ The Equatorial Coffee House, Penang

Last night we went out as a family for a change, to try the Buka Puasa Ramadhan Buffet at the Equatorial Hotel. Although it's a bit far out for us, as we live on the other side of the island, I really feel it's worth the drive out to Bukit Jambul.

Firstly the view alone is worth it; you can choose to eat outside on the terrace which overlooks the lovely pool and grounds, or inside the air-conditioned dining area. But what is more important is the food. For RM68++ (RM38++ kids) the spread is truly magnificent.

Executive Chef Junious Dickerson took me for a grand tour round the stalls; despite the fact he's American, he knows the difference between his ulams and his kerabus, as he spent a few years in E Malaysia in one of the hotels there.

You know how it's often the case with buffets that you think there's a lot of food when you first go in but when you get down to it there's not really that much that you fancy after all. Well I'm telling you there will be PLENTY for you to enjoy here.

There's the cold starters inside with a load of rojak, salads, ulams and kerabus; then there are some Middle Eastern stuff together with Malay dishes from all over the country. Outside, there are even more stalls: Cucurs, Roti Jala, Lamb Briyani and a very passable Satay.

I thought the Malay-style Penang Laksa was awesome and as usual with buffets I have only one regret: no more tummy space, because as usual I have to leave enough room to try out the desserts, and with kuehs, baklavas, pastries and cakes, fruits and ice creams, it was 5-0 to my diet for the day.

They've even included Air Bandung, Ais Kacang, Teh and Kopi Tarik. I really take my hat off to them cos their buffets have always been quite outstanding, and it's no different this time round. Besides, there's a 4-pc band playing every night to make it an even more pleasant experience - the violinist is actually very good.

Over the next month they will be rotating the six menus every week, so if you are looking for somewhere to go and buka puasa with our Muslim friends, head for Eq.

Swensens in Times Square

I DON'T USUALLY PATRONISE CHAINS, particularly huge American franchises, but as I did a review at their Queensbay Mall outlet at the beginning of the year, I was invited to try out the latest Swensen's outlet in Penang's Times Square, not far from Penang Road itself.

It's situated on the ground floor, right next to Old Town, which may mean they have their work cut out; but as the two serve quite different menus, I think they may actually complement each other. Only where local food is concerned might the lines cross each other, but again the dishes are quite distinct so it may be a win-win situation for hungry shoppers at Penang's newest shopping centre - there is a good range for them to select from which crosses the whole spectrum.

Swensen's is one of America's largest ice-cream chains, and although their supply comes from their factory in Singapore, it doesn't appear to have affected the taste nor quality of their products. However, I was more interested to see what their savouries were like, although once again here as all the food is prepared at Auto City (in Butterworth) and shipped out to the other 3 stores (Queensbay, Gurney and of course Times Square) there shouldn't be too much diviation.

So with our hostess Maria Xavier their Asst Marketing and Purchasing Manager and Restaurant Manager Din together with Chef Lim who's in charge of the food there, we started with the Prawn Salad sprinkled with chunks of peaches, longan and raising which comes accompanied by a fairly thick mango and yoghurt dressing. It's quite tasty but a bit sweet for my taste, although I thought the Spaghetti with Slipper Lobster was really rather good especially with a shake or two of chilli flakes ... yummy! One of their bestsellers is the BBQ Half Chicken which is coated with a sweet barbeque sauce made with pineapple juice.

They have also just introduced a range of Asian Delights, dishes aimed at the local market so there are items like Chicken Rice, Crayfish Bee Hoon Soup, Claypot Kueh Teow and Spicy Laksa. The Smoked Duck Mee Sua came wrapped in paper-thin rice tissue a la Thai style and was quite good (even better with my old friend Chilli Padi). Apparently they also do a mean Mee Goreng with beef or seafood but we did not get the chance to try it.

If you have a sweet tooth the Banana Crumble with Butterscotch and Maple syrup served with a large dollop of Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream will be right up your street, but big families may wish to go for one of their Mega Sundaes: the Earthquake - 8 scoops of differently-flavoured ice creams with accompanying sauces! It's all a bit gimmicky and they rather like using dried ice to give it a bit of "drama" but it's quite fun and a bit different. That's Din there pouring the butterscotch on btw, under Chef Lim's eagle eye.

BTW students get a 30% discount off their ala carte, and there's free wifi too so you'll be able to while the afternoon away esp on a day like today when it was POURING outside. And they're even offering an "Eat All You Can" A La Carte Buffet Dinner from 7.30-10pm every evening for just RM38.80++ (RM28.80++ for senior citizens). See, there ARE some advantages to growing old ... !!

IT'S A MIRAKEL ... or rather MIRAKU

I WAS HONOURED TO BE invited to try out the food at Miraku Japanese Restaurant at the G Hotel in town a couple of nights ago, and even more so as I was the only guest of Yasuhiro Nishida, Managing Director of Sushi King Sdn Bhd, and Akihiko Hijioka, Deputy MD, together with Tan Chee Kin Sr Finance Mgr and their Chief Executive Chef Susumu Sakamaki. It just so happened they were all in Penang for a board meeting, so I was able to meet the bigwigs.

Miraku is Sushi King's flagship restaurant as opposed to the other 55 fast-food outlets - yes, they have 55, of which 5 are in E Malaysia and 5 are in Penang. Considering they were only established in 1995, they have grown fast and furiously.

The restaurant in on the first floor of the trendy hotel, and laid out in typical Japanese fashion - a central food bar and dining tables - and with zen-like austerity, yet simple and elegant. I love it, and wish I could emulate it in my house (although my husband will probably object to having to kneel on the floor for his dinner!). There are six private rooms which are bookable especially at weekends.

Mi means taste, and Raku means to enjoy, and that's what we did, especially as the menu was specially chosen for us by Mr Sakamaki, a friendly and chatty host who even cooked for us at the table (Touban Yaki). It's a simple dish - the fat-lined beef is quickly fried in butter then dipped in soya sauce - but truly exquisite. Hate to think what it cost ... esp if the CHIEF Executive Chef cooked it for us!

The Miraku Salad was also delicious, topped with their secret sauce, and of course we had to have some sushi which consisted of, unusually, CHILEAN salmon, not Norwegian which is usually the case. The flesh is less soft and fatty.

Mr Hijioka showed us how to eat it the PROPER way, which is NOT to plonk a load of wasabi into the soya sauce bowl but to just put a touch on the meat itself then dip the part of the slice into the bowl. That way, the sauce is kept almost pristine to the end. Hmmm ... the way WE eat it, we are more likely to douse the WHOLE slice into the soya-flavoured wasabi (as opposed to wasabi-flavoured soya) in order to get some spiciness, philistines that we are! As he told us, the Japanese like original food flavours, and only use condiments like soya and wasabi to enhance; whereas we South East Asians just like chillis with everything!!

There was also a large selection (20 pcs) in their Sushi Moriawase although to be honest by that time I really was quite stuffed ... but their beautifully-presented Dragon Roll, a deep-fried prawn roll wrapped with skinned avocado slices was absolutely to die for. I could have finished the whole lot myself ... but that would have been quite piggish. Worth every sen of the RM28.

To go with the meal we had a mild Jyozen Mizu No Gotoshi sake which was apparently more suitable for ladies. According to Mr Sakamaki, sake is a drink which, unlike wine, goes with everything. I second that. Dessert was a Tempura Ice Cream - a bit like a Bombe Alaska, but with tempura batter on the outside.

It was a great experience, not least of all because it was a meal that was particularly authentic, accompanied as it was by my Japanese hosts. Miraku is really quite a mirakel.

COOKOUT

WOW ... it was a tiring but fantastic week, and I'm only just recovering from it.

No.1 Son flew in after finishing his first year at Uni last weekend, so we decided to combine a few things and drove down to KL to meet him there and at the same time see my 86-year old Dad. BTW he did it again - yet ANOTHER artificially-created orifice in his head; this time two more in his ears. However, it was good to see him again; he's maturing and starting to THINK (do teenagers?)

As for Dad, despite his back problem (he IS 86) Dad is doing well, and eats like a horse. His appetite is so good he eats easily four times what I do.



Then on Monday I checked into the Legend Hotel in town and proceeded to the KLCC Convention Centre, where I was one of the 55 judges in Culinaire Malaysia 2009 who were being briefed by Chairman of CAM (Chefs Association of Malaysia) Federico Michieletto. There were bigwigs from the culinary industry who had flown in from all over the world: US, Oz, HK etc. After the briefing there was a reception.

The competitions started in earnest the next day, and particularly for me - I was down to judge the "Heritage Nyonya" category which had 11 teams over 2 days. As the designated Head Judge dropped out as he felt he didn't know enough about nyonya food, and so they asked me to step in! WOW. Although honoured, I was a bit nervous - this is only my second big international competition, and I've never really been head judge before. However, it was fun, and I learnt a lot.

Firstly, I learnt that you shouldn't each too much when the first lot of dishes come round cos by the end of it you REALLY feel quite stuffed. Secondly, it's quite tiring being on your feet practically all day long, and thirdly, it's difficult getting a taxi in KL especially during rush hour and particularly when it rains! Apart from that, it was a great trip.

With over 800 contestants taking part in 30 categories, it was an organisational nightmare I think, but it was amazing how it all went so smoothly. Some of the displays were incredible.

Although there are some differences between northern and southern nyonya food, many dishes are similar. We had the usual stuff: Otak Otak, Kari Kapitan, Ulams, Kiam Chai Ark etc.

Winners were the Westin Hotel Kuala Lumpur team, who although novices when it came to nyonya food, put in a tremendous effort and impressed us all with not just their gung-ho attitude but work ethics and even went as far as learning how to make their own kueh ang ku and kueh ketayap, then recreating them there. And their food tasted quite authentic too. Having said that, I'm all nyonyad out!

Overall though, I was impressed by the standard , and it felt good to see the younger generation cooking dishes from this unique cuisine, and I laud the organisers for having the initiative to include this category in such a high profile competition. I hope it gives the wonderful, delicious food more exposure, and we will start seeing more of it being offered all over the country. It is after all one of our heritage foods!

The organisers - Chefs Association Malaysia, the Malaysian Food & Beverage Executives Association, and Malaysian Association of Hotels - also deserve a pat on the back for the smooth running of the whole thing - it is a massive project which took a year to organise. I truly take my hat off to them!

THERE'S A NEW JAPANESE IN TOWN ...

PENANG IS DEFINITELY moving with the times. What with Hard Rock opening, and now new Japanese Aozora Fine Dining Restaurant in town, we are definitely getting more choice and people's taste buds more sophisticated!

Aozora in Belisa Row, Pulau Tikus, revamped from the old Jurin, is definitely a sign that Penangites are getting more sophisticated. "It's the latest thing in Japanese cuisine now," said the multi-talented James Neoh, who is one of the partners and also an artist in his own right. This shows in the way he's done up the place: its black and white decor is understated elegance. He also claims to have the largest selection of French labels in town. Prices range from RM80 to ... wait for it ... RM16000! And no, I haven't keyed in an extra nought by mistake.

The food is excellent, even a non-Japanese food connoisseur like myself can tell. But I know what I do like, and apparently so do the Japanese, because many of them are going there as they realise it is very authentic. Prices are commensurate with the ambiance, mind, but the sets are quite reasonable.

The sashimi of course is delicious, and the wasabi is of a frozen variety, much more subtle than the powdered reconstituted type. The Norwegian salmon is flown in fresh. However I loved one dish which is not yet on the menu: belly of pork. It's like eating butter, and very tasty.

If they keep up the standard, I think they're going to do well. There's certainly enough space: the upstairs has two private rooms. In the evening the place converts into a bar after the food stops - it stays open till 1am.

PENANG ROCKS!

WELL, it's official. With the unveiling of the 18'x7' guitar, the largest in Penang on Monday, the Hard Rock Hotel is set to become one of the trendiest hotels in town. Over 200 black t-shirted staff woke up Batu Ferringhi when they walked through the streets towards the front of the hotel. GM John Primmer, from Oz, has really hit the right note there.

"The installation and rising of this signature guitar is a symbol of Hard Rock Hotel and Hard Rock Cafe nearing its completion. The giant guitar is what defines Hard Rock. Almost anyone would most likely be able to identify this feature, something that is recognizable even from afar”, he said.

It's all looking very positive and exciting, with a trendy facade quite unlike the other hotels, and all the staff are encouraged to rock 'n roll. I think they are going to give other Penang hotels a run for their money, but as usual it's horses for courses: some will prefer the more conservative, others will go for price; there are also so many other things to consider. The great thing is that's what Penang is about: we have something for every budget, location and preference!

They will open their doors to the public on 19 Sept. Can't wait to try out the outlets.

EVENT OF THE YEAR - THE CHT AWARDS

THE GRAND BALLROOM of the iconic E&O Hotel was transformed into a dark and mysterious venue for the recent CHT Network’s 3rdAnnual Awards and Ball, themed “Mystical Adventure. It was interesting to see over 270 of Penang and Kuala Lumpur society gather in their best bibs and tuckers. We sat down to a sumptuous 5-course dinner then treated to a dazzling fashion show from and dance performances.

Highlight was the presentation of the CHT Awards who received a CHT Eagle including movie producer Saw Teong Hin and Elaine Kang, and the CHT Life Time Achievement Award went to ex-Minister of International Trade and Industry Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
It was a grand affair, and Ch'ng deserves an award himself methinks, for taking the trouble to do what no one else in Penang is prepared to do.

PENANG FOOD TRAIL

AI YO YO ... so much has been happening that I've not had time to do anything about updating this poor blog. Firstly, my good friend from Parkroyal has now moved on to better things, and my sincere good wishes for a successful career henceforth go with her. I shall miss you, but here's to getting together again.

Secondly, last week a fellow food writer was here staying at Traders for a couple of days so I was fortunate to be invited to spend time with her doing a trishaw ride food trail around George Town. It was HOT but inneresting (as she said, being a native New Yorker). We had so much food to eat that, although starving initially - having not had any breakfast in order to accommodate what I knew would be a stomach-stretching afternoon - we were so stuffed it was picking at everything at the end. We started off at the Beef Noodle place opposite the bomba, chendol off Penang Road and ended up at Lorong Selamat Char Kuey Teow. With a few other stops in between, that should give you an idea of how hawkered-out we were.

It's interesting to see Penang through strange eyes again, and I was delighted to be able to go back to basics, as such.

I bemoan the fact that our trishaw riders (lang chia lang) are now just tourist attractions and no longer a way of life. I am old enough to remember, as a child, my auntie hailing one when we were out shopping and the heavens opened. The strangely smooth rides, interrupted by the odd bump as the wheels went over an uneven part of the road, were unforgettable, especially as the rain water dripped down the back of your shirt. Pity the poor trishaw man.

Having said that, I do remember how these hardworking people were, to put it frankly, quite rude and crude, and woe betide the driver or motorbike rider who had the gall to honk them for their indiscriminate road sense. And whenever we were impolite we were told, "Sit properly! Don't be a lang chia lang!"