Tuesday, November 30, 2010

CHEEKY LITTLE THING ..



APOLOGIES TO ALL AND SUNDRY ... I've been back nearly 3 weeks and have acclimatised, but apart from lying low because I caught a bad cold and the inevitable jetlag, even with melatonin, was just too lazy to blog.



HOWEVER last night I was invited to one of Penang's latest, and I just HAD to write about it because the food at the Cheeky Duck at the newly-opened Straits Quay in E&O Property's Sri Tanjung Pinang was excellent. Started by Hongky Paul Liu, who also runs an establishment of the same name in, of all places Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK, it is typical Hong Kong restaurant with exactly the same type of food and menu; from the front you can see the ducks, chicken and pork hanging in the window, just like in UK Chinatown restaurants. Even the same ambient smell of "ngor yong hoon" and cinnamon.




The place cost a lot to set up, and at 4000 sq ft is relatively big (and brave). It's fresh and bright, and I really hope they do well, although it was their first night it was packed and everything was a bit frantic but the words "controlled chaos" sprang to mind, especially as it was also raining outside. I'm amazed how busy they were; word sure spreads quick in Penang.


The roast pork is truly scrumptious, with just the right amount of fat, cooked to perfection which is soft and not stringy like it can often be here, and crunchy delicious crackling on top, served upright in squares and not the stingy little fingers that we get. It was awesome, and seriously, that is NOT a word I often use.


They've got things like an Asian Tapas list to go with the beers and wines, as the bar will be open till 2am after the restaurant shuts at 11pm. It's an interesting list of Cantonese delicacies: Marinated Duck's Tongue, Fried Cuttlefish, Garlic and Duck Kidney, Chicken Feet with White Wine ... hmmm ... my favourite is the Prawn Toast though.




As it was their first night it was a bit frantic but the words "controlled chaos" sprang to mind, especially as it was also raining outside. I'm amazed how busy they were; word sure spreads quick in Penang.

I can't wait to go back and try more dishes because I was TOO FULL of roast pork and other delish offerings to eat any more, but there's the wantan noodles, roast duck and plenty of other stuff to eat. Mmmmm ... However, they need to get a better grade of rice, and also their chilli oil, which is a very important part of Hong Kong food in UK and will be indispensable for locals, was tasteless and needs work on.

Overall though, they did well, considering most of their staff, with the exception of their chefs who were brought in specially from Hong Kong, are still very new and many are untrained.

I'll be writing about the many other new outlets in this place for a while yet I think.


Friday, November 12, 2010

BACK TO PP



WHEW ... we're BACK!

How wonderful to sleep on my own bed again ... bliss! Apart from jetlag and perpetual travel and many time changes, including one when the clocks went back in the States, sleeping in different beds of varying degrees of softness, using different pillows (I LURVE my shaped foam one, it's great for my neck) and being in different rooms really disorientates one - well, me, anyway, so sleep has not been great the past few weeks. So despite the fact that it was really one of the best vacations (busman's holiday really) I've ever had, it's really fantastic to be back home in good ole Penang again.

It's the first time I've ever literally gone round the world: we started from Penang to Spore, then BA to London, and after a month New York, Raleigh and Los Angeles, and back to Msia. The last stage was a killer: 14.5 hours to Taiwan with a 1.5 hr stopover in Taipei during which time we saw the AIRPORT and nothing else, then another 4.5 hour flight to KLIA, after which we caught the 2pm flight back to Penang.

During the time we travelled 5 different airlines, although the first can be discounted because it was Silkair to Spore, on a very short flight. However, British Airways could at best be described as basic and adequate, because to give them their due they did hand out little sleep packs with socks and toothbrush and toothpaste. The inflight entertainment was OK but no video games, and they did give free drinks all the way - but how much can one drink. There are just two meals now.




The US airlines were the worst, and this is recognised even by American themselves. There is no more free baggage allowance for travel within the US; each bag is charged at USD25. On board, you get a free soft drink if you're lucky; meals are only provided for flights over 5 hours long. Earphones are charged at USD2 each, and blankets USD8. Disgraceful, and don't even think of having an alcoholic drink! They cost the earth!

We flew American Eagle to Raleigh from New York; they are a branch of American Airlines, on a plane so tiny that there was only one seat on one side and two on the other, and no space for hand luggage overhead so they had to take it away and return it to you on arrival. Service, as has already been mentioned, was minimal, and no attempt was made to make the passenger feel "warm", which surprises me because considering what a good reputation American restaurants have for their service ("Hi! My name is Randy, and I'll be your host/hostess for tonight. Let me run you through the specials yada yada yada" - so much so they are quite comical in a way) this is NOT emulated in their in-flight service, believe me!

As for the Raleigh-LA leg, American Airlines was just as poor. MAS is, by comparison, pretty good, but then they should be as they are one of the most expensive airlines by comparison. You also get free booze and meals, although even these have been cut down - they no longer offer a drink at the start of the flight now, only with the meal (count your lucky stars), and then only two meals despite the 14-hour journey.




HOWEVER I was very disappointed by the service given at the MAS LA check-in desk. Despite there being two empty rows in front of us we were given the worst possible seats on the plane, where the arm rests couldn't move. On a 14-hour flight it is a killer. They don't offer online check-in for this sector either. And beware people with hand luggage bigger than the stipulated maximum - you will be charged USD100 for it!

On top of that despite double-checking with the girl that the luggage WOULD be sent on to Penang, it was NOT, so we ended up returning to the house sans baggage. Thankfully it wasn't lost, just stuck in KLIA, and they did get it back to us before the end of the day.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Sir Walter?


Well we are almost on the last leg of this epic journey, and tomorrow we head off for the City of the Angels: Los Angeles, California, after which we will be boarding the flight which takes us straight back to KL and Penang. We've done SOOOooooo much, and there is SOOOOOoooo much to write about, and it's only been the tip of the iceberg!

It’s been a really fantastic trip, and sitting here in Raleigh, North Carolina (named after Queen Caroline) and looking back on it, even our time in UK seems a long time ago. London, Loughborough … even New York City. It has been wonderful to catch up with our old friends whom we worked out we had not seen for FIFTEEN years.

Old friend Steve H. drove us down to his gorgeous beach house (pix) in Emerald Isle which is off the southern coast of North Carolina, 2.5 hours from town, and it really should be classified a beach mansion it is so huge: on 3 floors, 5 bedrooms and two kitchens which are better kitted than mine. Everything is still enormous as they have so many resources still, including this guy we met in town who was 6’ 9” – I couldn’t resist asking to have a pix taken with him.

Raleigh has not changed that much since I first came here on a 3-month residency when I worked for IBM UK in 1987; it is still a sprawling city where space is no issue – there are just many more shopping malls which are HUGE – just to drive around the perimeter of the one in North Hills for example takes at least 10 minutes!!

I’ve of course had a BALL doing some retail therapy, but luggage space, let alone finance, ensures I keep well within budget. Like the UK, certain things are still very cheap here, especially now the pre-Christmas sales are on, with some items 80% off, but services are expensive. Janice has a cleaning service come in for about 6 hours a week for which she pays USD 120.00 which is about the average. Most of their labour is Mexican, and goods are made in China.

One day our friends took us to Wilson, NC, and we came across some cotton fields - never seen that in my life, city slicker that ah ahm. It was fascinating to see this stuff, and you can imagine how the black slaves used to labour in them ole cott'n fields which stretch for miles and miles. It's also fall harvest time and Halloween night was on Sunday, so plenty of pumpkins and creepy ghouls around.



Some BEAUTIFUL old houses around complete with suthern rocking chairs on the porch - straight out of Tom Sawyer.


However, the economy is bad, everyone here in the South hates Obama (Mid-term elections are on today which should show what a bad job they think he is doing) and property prices have tumbled. Of course compared to the east it is still expensive!

Mac’s enjoying his time playing golf with my friend's hubby Paul who is a very keen golfer with 10 handicap. And don’t even talk about the food – no wonder the average American is oversized there is such an abundance of everything here, and Southern food is fried and greasy - we even saw Krispy Kreme (donut) burgers at the State Fair here!


Heart attack stuff man, as they say. However I have to say after a month and a half of western food, I am DYING for some chinky food.


Tomorrow we head off to my cuz in Los Angeles, and on Monday 8th we will be flying off in the evening to arrive in KL via Taipei at about 11 or 12pm Wed 10th. Back home again.

It’s been a great trip, but I think by then we will be quite quite ready to get back. Phew!