Tuesday, September 29, 2009

PENANG HOTELS ONLINE




PENANG HOTELS ONLINE

If you're coming up to Penang for a holiday, you can now have direct access to the state’s hotels – on 18 September, the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang Chapter launched its very own website www.discoverpenang.com.my. Over 30 hotels will be listed on the website. “This website represents a big step forward,” said Chairman Marco G Battistotti. MAH acts as a voice of the industry to promote and represent the hospitality industry in Malaysia.

The website was launched at the Hydro Hotel in Batu Ferringhi by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who said that with the more savvy tourists of today, the Internet will help them better plan their holidays and compare prices. He tells us that in 2008 Penang had 6.3 million tourist arrivals (although of course there was some dispute about this but I gather it's room nights), and we are expecting an increase for 2009, and targeting 10 million by 2014. That's quite a lot of people.


Another figure bandied about is at the moment we have 9000 room nights (3, 4 & 5 star hotels); in the next few months another 5 hotels will open, and by 2014 a total of ten new ones giving us 14000 room nights. Phew. Hope we have enough good personnel to staff them, and infrastructure to support them.

Pix: (from left) Mr Marco Battistotti, YB Danny Law, Chief Minister YAB Lim Guan Eng, Mr Desmond Hatton, Hon Secretary chatting before the launch.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

STRUTTING THE STUFF AT THE G HOTEL



QUITE OFTEN in Penang there's not much to do on a Saturday afternoon except to eat and sleep. Or go to a fashion show, as the case may be, because it was the Tamasha event yesterday at the foyer of the G Hotel, which I attended.

Invitations obviously weren't exclusive, as it was quite crowded, attended mostly by Penang's expat society, and a lot of them moms of St Chris and Uplands kids. Quite reasonable seeing as proprietor Marita Hovers is one herself.


Launched by Dato Khee, the show was modelled by a mix of locals and expats, although I have to say some of them are pretty brave, parading up and down in front of everyone. Their heels alone would have felled me at the first step, especially as the flooring was quite smooth and slippery. And in fact, I noticed a few actually totter as they strutted around. The clothes? Sort of ethnic made modern would describe them; saris, kebayas and baju kurongs given a fashionable contemporary twist with unusual, flowing materials all sourced from Asia, particularly India and Indonesia. Some were pretty gorgeous, and the colours were stunning and pretty. Not quite me, but then I'm a difficult person to please anyway (yes, I see you nodding your head in agreement). Their accessories and some antique jewellery were also paraded around.


Tamasha, in Island Plaza, is taking a clever and bold step holding this show, and I laud Marita and her partner Sue for bringing themselves to the forefront of Penang attention with it. Here's to a very successful business guys.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

AMERICANS AND ASSAM LAKSA



I HAD AN INTERESTING HOUR showing a fellow food writer about Penang the other day, albeit a much more illustrious one than yours truly, as she writes for the Wall Street Journal! The article is part of a monthly series about iconic Asian specialities, and Robyn Eckhardt, who contributes, was in Penang to research ... get this ... Assam Laksa!

Yes, fame at last for our very own Penang dish, as it will be featured in "The Dish" in a few months' time. We have so many outlets though, yet I was only able to show Robyn and her photographer husband David a few although truth be told they couldn't really try too many bowls - three, to be exact - before they were all "laksaed out", as I call it. Even I would have been KOed after that, and I pride myself on being a pretty enthusiastic eater of laksa!

We met up at Prima Tanjung where there are 3 vendors within spitting distance of each other, metaphorically speaking only, of course, although unfortunately as luck would have it Raja the Indian guy who sells from the back of his motorbike wasn't there! As I like his a lot it was a shame. However they tried the one at what used to be Sun City Cafe but is now (I think) Palma(?) and it was OK but, rather like quite a few stalls nowadays, a bit watered down and bland.

Then I drove them to Tanjung Bungah Hillside where they tried Ah Hooi's opposite the barber, and they actually thought his was the best they had ever tasted. It is a much more robust, in-yer-face quite sour soup which I find a bit too overpowering myself. Interesting to see two light-haired Americans tucking into our fragrant laksa with all the relish, and more, of a local, and even better, see them able to appreciate the subtle differences between each.




Finally, as Rajah wasn't available that day, we went all the way down to town where Pandi (I think that's his name), another Indian vendor, sells from his trolley in the coffee shop at the back of Giant Supermarket and Penang Plaza every afternoon. They also tried some nyonya kueh although the Kueh Talam was a bit disappointing because the green was much too emerald to be made with genuine pandan juice.

So do keep a look out for the article if/when it comes out - it will also be available online. The photos should be good, as he certainly took a LOT of trouble taking each one. Well, much more so than me it goes without saying!


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A FOODIE IN SINGAPORE ...




IT WAS FUNNY because the first 3 meals I had in Singapore were all PENANG dishes! That's because the first lunch was at the hotel, as was the evening meal ... The third meal was for lunch the next day when I was invited to try the food at another place which does Penang food in Singapore - more about that in my next column. I never thought I would say this but by the end of the day I was a bit fed up of Penang hawker food!

SO IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING to try some other food for a change. First of all I met up with some family whom I hadn't seen for a while: children of long-lost cousins who went to work in Singapore decades ago, married and settled down there. It was good to see them, and they took me to an Italian called PETE'S PLACE at the basement of Grand Hyatt in Orchard Road.



It is a large place, with red and white checked table cloths over each table, and a friendly, family-oriented ambiance. I rather liked the fact that the menu wasn't very large and what was there seemed to be cooked to order. I had the Set Dinner which comprised salad buffet for starters, a choice of any main meal (except for a paster with lobster, fair enough) and dessert for SD35 I think it was. Fairly reasonable, and something I hope Italian restaurants in Penang will emulate. Dollar for dollar of course ... !

The salad buffet was quite reasonable, although I was glad to see they are no more imaginative there than here: it was lettuce, tomatoes and cues as per usual, but with added beetroot and sun-dried tomatoes for a change. A good choice of dressings, although I would have liked some balsamic vinegar personally.

My choice of crab meat with angel hair pasta was quite tasty if a bit dry, and the others had some mouth-watering stuff too. Dessert was, predictably, tiramisu, but quite an acceptable if small portion: not too sweet, a good hint of coffee, and using creamy but not too cheesy mascarpone. I'd definitely go back there again.




The next night I joined an old friend for his birthday dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Geylang 3, which was also enjoyable. It was mainly seafood Singaporean style, starting with a couple of very meaty crabs steamed and eaten cold with a plum sauce, char siew, steamed fish and noodles.




Finally, on the last day, I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the Singapore Peranakan Museum in Armenian Street - it was interesting to see the differences between Penang and southern nyonya culture although there ARE many similarities - in customs, traditions and costume - and the FOOD as well, because after that I popped into the Peranakan Restaurant a few doors down, where I finally got a chance to try out that dish which we don't now have - CHICKEN BUAH KELUAK. I also got to see the fruit itself, albeit a frozen one. As their nyonya cuisine has incorporated Melakan hence Indonesian ingredients, as opposed to ours which has Thai, it was really interesting to see the differences.





Chicken Buah Keluak is a darkish dish which looks like our Chicken in Soya Sauce except they use this fruit (which comes from Indonesia) to flavour it, amongst other things. Although like everything else the recipe varies, and in this one it just seemed to have a slightly bitter, sour aftertaste, possibly through the addition of tamarind juice. To be frank I cannot see what else the fruit does to the dish although I'd be glad if anyone out there can enlighten me please. I would really like to learn.



They also have a version of chap chye and sambal belacan. The soup, mains and a tiny bowl of pulut hitam set me back SD35 which I thought was rather expensive. However, that's Singapore for you.

It was a quick taxi ride back to the hotel to check out and on to the next flight back to Penang after that. I love the place, and this will definitely not be my last trip there!


Tuesday, September 15, 2009

SINGAPORE FLING









NOT A REAL ONE YOU UNDERSTAND ... just a quick one because Penang Global Tourism was holding a Penang Showcase in the city state and asked me to go along to give a talk about Penang ... food, what else!!








So on Wednesday morning I took the 1hr flight there and got to the York Hotel at about 1pm but unfortunately didn't get there on time to attend CM Lim Guan Eng's launch. However, the lunch was in full swing: every year the hotel flies these 10 or so hawkers from Penang to cook and serve Penang Hawker Food to deprived Singaporeans! It was PACKED, and. The irony of it of course was that I went from Penang to Singapore ... to eat Penang food cooked by Penang hawkers!









YB Danny Law (that's him above) was there working hard and doing his bit, talking to as many people as possible about tourism in Penang and investment opportunities, and visiting interesting places to see what he could introduce in Penang.







Over the next 2.5 days I gave 4 talks altogether. Being a bit of a sad case I always have this feeling not many people want to hear me talk, and in fact tried three times to persuade the organisers to let me change my mind ... but they wouldn't. However my 10-min talk was a whistle-stop tour of Penang food and outlets, and I think it went down relatively well ... except at the start when my remote mouse wouldn't work so I had to keep reaching for my laptop to move my presentation forward!



Unfortunately as it was held during the week it wasn't exactly packed out, and all in all not many exhibitors took part. But of those that did some got good response, and it was good to meet a lot of couples who came up to me to say, "I haven't been to Penang since 1970/for 30 years," etc. I think it was successful in bringing our wonderful island to their attention again. And it's the first time. They even went to the trouble of taking a troup of cultural dancers who put on an impressive show.



Of course that left quite a bit of time for that activity which brings shivers down my husband's spine ... SHOPPING ... and boy did I hit the shops! Till I dropped! Having said that I went with one suitcase and left with one so didn't really buy THAT much. Too expensive lah. Esp with the ringgit at RM2.50 to SD1. Wow, I really felt like the country mouse visiting the sophisticated city cousin! One night I met up with some nieces at Grand Hyatt's "Pete's Place", an Italian restaurant. The set dinner (salad, mains and dessert) was SD35. Quite tasty.




Still I enjoyed it. It's a great - some would call it FINE - city, and I always have to pinch myself to stop me thinking that I'm in Europe cos it feels like it. It's modern and clean, regulated and safe. There's no fear of taxis overcharging, and one can walk along the roads without fearing motorbikers snatching one's handbag. However there's a price for this: it's an expensive city, and one of the most costly in the world I'm told to live in.



Here's hoping that next year PGT will have a bigger do.
More next time about the other food I had there.














Saturday, September 5, 2009

I WAS IN EAST HOKKAIDO on WED NT





YES, I'M NOT LYING. I REALLY WAS. Only thing was it wasn't in Japan! In fact, this restaurant in Jalan Bagan Jermal didn't even serve Japanese food. It serves Cantonese fare, and very fresh seafood, and quite well too.

As a foodie, one gets really quite spoilt, being entertained for free in most of the best places in town. As a result, when I in turn entertain others, I can be rather fussy. It's got to be just right - not too expensive (I am but a poor writer) and yet not too downmarket and esp not a hawker centre or kopitiam lah! It's also got to have fairly convenient parking, and no corkage considering the amount of wine some of our friends drink (not me, of course ... OK OK I lie ... I just like a leetle teensy weensy drop every so often ...). OK I'm still lying ... !!

Most importantly, it's got to have good service and great food. We often use the Hai Wei in Tg Bungah, but I wanted to try somewhere different for a change. After all, one can't keep taking people to the same restaurant!




SO I thought we would try this place that I've written about before. Proprietor the friendly YEOH (that's him in the pix with one of their signature dishes a sweet-n-sour LOBSTER dish; I took the pix at the beg of this year) and his sister CHRIS did us proud. The food was really quite good, and the 12 of us polished off practically everything that was put in front of us: a delicious Four Seasons to start; then two veg dishes (I like the food in a few courses, not long drawn out 12 rounds) - the Sambal Belacan Kangkong was great; then the main meal with rice which included an excellent Claypot Fish.




On top of that the private room we were in had a karaoke set and some of us, with drink-loosened tongues, sang along after dinner. From the noise we were making, I think everyone had a great time. Thanks Yeoh and Chris!

I think the East Hokkaido is going to be one of our favourite haunts from now on.