HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

I guess a post to welcome the New Year of 2013 is always a  good thing. 2012 has been an interesting year, seeing my food blog finally pick up in viewership and at the same time, me enjoying the photography and eating even more as ever. Thus, this is just a simple post, keep eating, keep photographing, but most importantly, stay healthy as without good health, you won't be able to savor anything thats good! Have a great holiday and lets start the new year!

I'm keeping an eye on you! Watch what you eat, and always eat in moderation!

Steamed Big Head River Fish, Guangzhou Food Series 2012

As the title of this post suggests, this is about steamed fish head. And I have to say, in Guangzhou, someplace, they really serve some really huge steamed fish heads. This is supposedly called Big Head Fish in Guangzhou and its a fresh water fish. The fish comes split in the middle to allow it to steam properly and its laden with lots of chilli, garlic, vinegar, oil an preserved black beans. 

This is really a dish for for fish lovers as there is some fishy taste to the fish since it is a river fish and just look at the sauce which is more like chili oil on its own. The way its eaten is with some noodles where you dip the noodles in the oil and then grab some fish pieces at the same time. Since I love fish, I enjoyed this alot. The fish head is big and has lots of meat especially the juicy cheeks, eye socket and lips of course. The amount of collagen you get and the smoothness is so nice. Do give this a try, just ask for steam fish head and most likely this is how they will steam it for you!

Aussie Tucker Semi Buffet January 2013 Promotion ~ Swez Brasserie

Well its the end of the year of 2012 and the New Year is upon us already. With January just a few days away, Swez Brasserie located at Eastin Hotel Penang is bringing a twist to their monthly special. The theme for January 2013 will be Aussie Tucker where one will get to savor some Australian favorites. Actually at first I was expecting a meat fest but was thoroughly surprise by the amount of seafood that was featured and then it reminded me that Australia also has lots of seafood offering and I'm happy to see that there is lots available to try for their Aussie Tucker theme.

So without ado, do have a look at some of the specials for this January theme and as always, these are in addition to their standard buffet lines ya!

The chefs presenting their creations for Aussie Tucker!

Japanese Food in Guangzhou China

Right outside the Holiday Inn Hotel, there is a Japanese restaurant/cafe that opens pretty late. We had a beer and some light snacks on one of the days where we managed to return to the hotel before midnight. The place had a cozy atmosphere and really look like one of those smallish Japanese places which you always see in movies! Overall pretty decent but the downside is that they only accept cash and no credit cards.

Cheers. Draft Kerin beer!

Just look at the assortment of drinks they had over at the bar

Food of Guangzhou, China 2012

During my recent trip to Guangzhou, even though I did not get lots of great food but I still had some. This post is dedicated to all the meals which I had in the factory office. Because the location of the factory is quite far from shops, thus everyday, they will order meals and have it delivered to the office. I was surprise by the quality thus it was not too bad, until you start eating the same items for lunch and dinner for a whole week!

But anyway, do have a look of my "office meals"!

Images of Guangzhou, China, 2012

Well, a couple of weeks back at the start of December of 2012, I needed to make a trip to Guangzhou, which was a place which I have heard of before but never been to. This is my second trip to China, and its also my longest trip there as well. This post will just have pictures which I managed to snap at when I was there, and does not include food which I will post in another posting on my blog. Well, enjoy some snaps of Guangzhou, the place where I could still survive as they do speak or understand Cantonese!

So do hope you enjoy the pictures from my collection.

View from the 22 floor room of my hotel. 

 Close up of the buildings. Its really a mix of new and old in Guangzhou, but nothing that is like historic old

Gartien Pineapple Cake ~ Penang

Located in the heart of Georgetown, Gartien has sprung up in an old refurbished shophouse at 68 Lorong Macalister( UPDATE : It is now located at 380 Penang Road) which is right opposite Komtar and easily accessible via Jalan Burma. So what exactly is Gartien about? Well, its started by a young chap who has a love for good food and he came up with his own recipe for a pineapple cake. Yes, compared to the typical pineapple tarts which are so common, he went a step further to instead incorporate a pastry shell for the delicious pineapples that is what Gartien is about.

They source for their own pineapples from the local pineapple farm located on the mainland at Nibong Tebal and this ensures fresh and a constant supply of ripe and delicious pineapples. Everything here is natural and the filling in this pineapple cake is 100% pineapple that has been purposely cut into bite size chunks rather than mashed pineapple. This is so that every bite will ensure that you get a mouthful of zesty pineapple. The pastry is also very light and has a smooth buttery taste to it which helps to balances out the pineapple. They recommend to serve their cakes with some nice Chinese tea and it really helps to bring the satisfaction to another level. I'm really happy to know that modern Penang is still innovating and there are individuals who continues to bring their creations for all to savour. Do drop by their shop or you can even order it via their website at www.gartien.com  

This is the exquisitely packed Gartien Pineapple Cake. It comes in a box of 10 and each cake is individually packed. They only use all natural ingredients thus the cake can only keep for about 1 month in the packaging.

Restoran Nelayan Kuala Juru

Initially, my family and I wanted to have Mee Udang for our lunch but when we arrived at the place at Juru's old fishing village, the shop mentioned that they only start at 3pm, thus we drove further in towards the jetty area. And luckily, as we were already hungry, there was a local restaurant called Restoran Nelayan Kuala Juru which was opened. It was pretty empty when we entered and we were the only table having our lunch there but they do have quite a number of seats.

As I scanned the menu, we decided to have rice and ordered a couple of simple dishes which are not too spicy as my daughter can't take too spicy food. One item I did noticed that they had were ample baskets of very fresh cockles! Wish we ordered it but as my wife mentioned, try not to eat too much seafood ya!

Do read on, or just enjoy the pictures.

Nice and fresh looking cockles which are harvested from the waters near here. They have a machine right next door which is used to sort cockles

Their large signboard. They are about the last building at the end of the road so its pretty hard to miss

Kak Chaq Ikan Bakar & Sup Tulang ~ Gurun, Kedah

I happen to visit Gurun a couple of months back and I must say, lady luck was shining on me when I stumbled upon this Malay eatery that was located right along the road on the way to Gunung Jerai. The stall is called Kak Chaq Ikan Bakar & Sup Tulang. As its name implies, grilled fish and soup is the signature here and looking at the crowd when I was there, I wouldn't be surprise if the food was good. And I must say, I was not to go home hungry or disappointed as what I managed to try, definitely was one of the most enjoyable grilled fish I have had. Do read on about this good eat at Gurun!

Deepavali Celebrations with children from Ramakrishna Ashrama Penang hosted by Eastin Hotel Penang

Deepavali this year really lighted up for the children from the Ramakrishna Ashrama Penang home when they were treated to an early Deepavali semi buffet by the very courteous staff of Eastin Hotel! I was invited to join Eastin Hotel in one of the CSR activities and I'm really glad I managed to join them this time as I really felt the sincerity as well as the warmth from the staff of Eastin Hotel in the activity.

To start, the staff allocated a nice section of the Swez Brasserie which is the hotels in house restaurant and the semi buffet for the night, there was chicken chop as well as a vegetarian pasta as mains, and of course the wide selection from their buffet line. The children was really enjoying themselves and even the staffs were all happy mingling with the kids. Its great seeing how they all had an enjoyable meal as its not everyday one get to have a nice buffet meal, especially for these kids. You can really feel their excitement and joy at being here, its like striking a lottery for them!

Thus, I would like to commend Eastin Hotel Penang, for putting not just profits on the agenda, but also taking the time and effort to help the needy, and making them feel special on occasions that counts. Do keep up the good work and I'm sure everyone appreciates it! Of course, do keep reading on and see some of the activities, and of course, since there are elements of food here, many foodie pictures as well ya!

Norway & Norway Consumer Goods Exhibition, Gurney Plaza

From 1-4 November 2012, the Norwegian Embassy is having a photo exhibition as well as exhibitions by some of the most recognized brands of Norway at Gurney Plaza. This event was launched and officiated by the Chief Minister of Penang, YAB Tuan Lim Guan Eng and the Ambassador of Norway to Malaysia, H.E. Han Ola Urstad.

Its not everyday we get an opportunity to learn more about another country and this is also the first time that the Royal Norwegian Embassy has an exhibition out of Kuala Lumpur. There is a very nice photo exhibition with some really superb photos showcasing what Norway has to offer. Besides the photo exhibition, 4 companies are showcasing their products here as well.

I'm sure many have heard of Jotun which is one of the top manufacturers of paint products. Then there is Jordan, another leader in oral care, and another 2 companies which I was just introduced to which is Tine Norway and Trapia Sdn Bhd. Tine Norway is showcasing an assortment of Norwegian cheese, which is really different than the ones available locally (its currently not imported into Malaysia currently). Trapia Sdn Bhd on the other hand is a local company which uses Norwegian technology to produce eco friendly fish farming at Lake Temenggor where they are focusing on Tilapia fish production. Do read on and see the many pictures, and since its only available for this coming weekend, do not miss the chance to pay this exhibition a visit.

Cheese sampling.....

Photo exhibition

Tasik Beris Grape Farm

Many have wondered, is grapes really a viable crop in Malaysia, with its hot and humid weather? Well, at Tasik Beris, the Tasik Beris Grape Farm is a showcase farm that is to let Malaysians have a glimpse at how grape farming can be a sustainable venture in Malaysia. Initially, I thought that this farm right next to Beris Lake was the actual farm but after driving around Lake Beris, I found out that this is actually just the showcase farm and that the actual mass production grape vineyards are located further away, covering tracts of hilly land that surrounds this man made lake. There are 2 types of grape variety that is grown here and I call it green and red. From what I can see, these are the main types and even within the colors, they have different shapes and sizes among the species. Read on to see more

43 Cafe ~ Homemade Pork Burgers and More!

Penang has been bustling with new addition to the food scene and that is music to my ears for a food lover like me. Well, about a couple of months back, a prominent food blogger decided that he will venture into making one feisty pork burger as he believes that this is one of the burgers that is lacking in Penang, not to mention the whole of Malaysia. The owner is none other than Jacgy Chan and he has since start up shop in his own backyard (or front) and is making waves in the porkie burger scene! So do read on to find out more about what is available from this guy at 43 Cafe.

LightHouse Coffee's Coffee Appreciation Session

During August, I was lucky to be invited to join a coffee appreciation session that was organized by Foodsion Magazine and Lighthouse Coffee. At first I did not know what to expect from this other than trying out different type of coffees but I guess end of the day, became a little bit wiser about the types of coffee, ways to prepare a cuppa and of course, the different styles of drinks that we normally have. So do read on if you are a coffee person.

Lattes. You will see more or how this was done soon

Hard Rock Hotel Penang

Was really lucky that this year I got a chance to stay at Hard Rock Hotel in Penang for a night. For those that has not been to Hard Rock Hotel or their famous Cafe's, well this is a small glimpse of what you can experience. Everything about the hotel focuses around music genre and not just "Rock"! 

When you arrive, instantly you will see many music themes abound and if you are a Beatle's fan, then this place is as if its a mini shrine! Do read on.

You are greeted by the bronze statue of the Beatle's if you are at the pool side!

Thai Food Restaurant, Penang

I have seen many restaurants with fancy names and all, but I think this one beats every single one of it. The restaurant is called Thai Food Restaurant! Yes, so as to confused people everytime we want to have some Thai food, then we say lets go for Thai Food and they will say yeah, where, Thai Food, ya, so which place, Thai Food, you get the drift!

So here at Batu Lanchang, near where the famous foodcourt and wet market, there is a new Thai Restaurant that just opened and without ado, do check out their yummilicous food. I was really lucky I guess to be invited to this review right before their official opening!

The exterior of the restaurant. Nothing too fancy here

Street Grill Burger, Sungai Pinang, Penang

There is so many reviews lately about burgers and burgers! I guess it goes to show why McD's and practically every fast food chain have a burger on their menu. Burgers are just such a joy to eat, especially when you get one that has good quality meat in it. Thus I was initially surprised when I got a call to try out some burgers at a small little van parked by the roadside next to the Ocean View apartments. The guys here operate Street Grill where they have a selection of grilled burger goodies just waiting to be had!

Do read on to find out more!

The small van/truck that is parked by the road side next to Ocean View apartments. If you don't know where Ocean View is, its near where the Burger King outlet is in Penang.

 All their patties are homemade and you will notice that for their chicken burger, they actually use full pieces of chicken thigh meat. For the normal size, you will get the upper thigh and for a special, you will get a whole leg.

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Jesselton Point for Island Hopping

At Sabah, there is a jetty known as Jesselton Point where it is the gateway to many island hopping adventures. I think you can get many packages from the tour guides here and they are more than happy to work out a plan. We had a group about 30 pax and ended up going island hopping to Pulau Sapi and Mamutik. Sapi Island is definitely bigger with more amenities but its also because of this that the waters surrounding the island is also not in as good condition. Mamutik on the other hand has better water, lots more fish as well as corals. Do check out some photos. And sorry I don't have an underwater camera so don't expect coral pictures from me. 

Archway to the jetty

Interesting street art on the way to the jetty

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Tuaran Mee and Laksa at Yee Fung

In Sabah, our guide told us that the local noodle here called Tuaran Mee is very famous and very delicious and thus, I made it a point to try it out. So what exactly is Tuaran Mee? Well, we found a coffee shop called Kedai Kopi Yee Fung located along Gaya Street and stopped for their Tuaran Mee. Tuaran Mee is a local version of wan tan mee and I was truly disappointed with it. Sorry Sabah folks, unless this was a bad example but the noodles were soft and not tender at all. The dumplings were also small and save for the BBQ pork, its not special at all. Luckily for me, I ordered the Laksa too! Read on

Tuaran Mee or Noodle

The laksa on the other hand that is available at Yee Fung was good. Its like curry mee in Penang with a lemak or coconut milk base soup. You get lots of bits of chicken and some prawns too. Mind you, food in Sabah is not cheap. The Tuaran Mee and Laksa each costs RM5 per bowl.

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Pasar Besar & Gaya Sunday Market

Being the adventurous me and hoping to get a feel of the local market, I made my way to the biggest market in KK (I think its the biggest) which is the Pasar Besar. This market is located right next to the fish market and the handicraft market. Its really convenient as its located nearby and right at the town. Many stalls selling all sort of items but the Sabah Vegetable remained elusive. I just didn't spot it at any of the stalls that were open.

I was too early as many stalls still yet to open at 6am

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Frozen Seafood & Night Markets

Now Sabah is known for its seafood and its very popular for visitors to bring some frozen seafood home with them. I was no different and did the same. There are quite a few shops selling frozen seafood in the town and on average, its cheaper than the shop at the airport for the more average type of fish. What I mean by average are the garoupa's such as the stone or 7 star or red ones. After surveying many shops, in town, the price is about RM40-45 per kg but for the more exotic fish, such as the sow mei and lou shu pan, these are from RM110-120 per kg. The standard packing that they provide is able to last about 12 hours and if you use the styrofoam packing, it will last 24 hours which should be able to last any flight home!

Thats me with 2 huge frozen lobsters! The one in my left hand was about 3kg! Huge! I can't believe I did not take photos of the frozen fishes! I did buy a frozen Sow Mei which I have already eaten! The flesh was just so soft and sweet and even though the fish was small, it was good. But if eating at the restaurant for RM350-400 per kg live, I think its over priced! I would instead go for the giant ones where they slice up the fish for you. There is one restaurant where my friend told me the fish was going for about RM220-250 per kg. Next time I will try it.

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Fisherman Village Seafood Market Restaurant

As this was a company trip that was organized, the travel company actually arranged for a dinner at one of the tourist restaurants as I would like to call it and its non other than the famous Kampung Nelayan Fisherman Village Seafood Market Restaurant. I had heard of this place before and was hoping for some really awesome seafood. What makes this place popular is the fact that they also have a traditional dance performance in the night where its like a cultural show to showcase the traditions of Sabah! But I was to be disappointed as the food was sub standard. Sorry but I do like my food and performances is always second in some cases. What I did notice is probably that the package we got was of a lower price one and thus we got not as great food. Thus if you plan to come here, be prepared to get slaughtered!

The colorful neon signboard

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Horizon Hotel

This was the hotel which I stayed at while visiting KK. Its a relatively new hotel called Horizon Hotel and its located pretty much in the middle of the town. Its a 10 minutes walk to most attractions like the Filipino Market, Handicraft Center, Gaya Sunday market and many more. Thus not a bad choice. The rooms were still new but my only gripe is that they only supply each room with 1 key card which you need to access the lifts. The on hand staff would assist to get you to the floor but its just such a hassle needing to get their assistance each time especially if there is more than 1 person sharing the room. Anyway, they have pretty good amenities like gym, pool and restaurants thus I'm not sure if they are 4 or 5 stars. Another thing would be the internet connection. The rooms has internet free via a cable but not wireless. For wireless, you need to loan a router from their reception and its a first come first serve as they have limited units available. In this modern age, I would guess everyone was expecting wireless internet for every room (phones can't use a cable anyway). Thus, other than some of the items lacking, its a comfortable hotel. Do check out some photos!

How it looks. Its the grey building block in the middle of town!

The in house cafe! Able to fit over 80 people at one time. A nice comfortable setting for all

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Kota Kinabalu Fish Market

Now I have heard of the famous fish market in Kota Kinabalu which is like the center for all the seafood trade here. Every morning daily, without fail unless there is a typhoon, the market is a hive of activity. I actually went there at 6.15am on the first day and what I saw really made me want to visit this market again, and thus, I did that on the next day as well, this time going there at 5.15am instead hoping to see even more stuff. Do check out my adventures at this market

That is a basket full of slipper lobster which someone already bought. Thus I wasn't able to ask how much it was going for.

The friendly seller posing with the fish!

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Pearls and Durian

If you were reading from the previous blog post, you would know that I had just finished a scrumptious seafood dinner and what better way to feel better than to have some shopping done. Sabah is famous for its pearls and all over Kota Kinabalu, one will be able to find shops and stalls that sell this treasure of the sea. Before this, I was really a newbie in looking and buying pearls (well I never bought pearls in my life before) but after a few days of haggling and buying some myself, I consider myself a semi novice now I guess! Hahah. Read on for what to expect if you are considering getting some pearls in Sabah.

Many shops selling pearls abound especially at the Pusat Kraftangan or handicraft market.

There is all kinds of pearl products available here

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Food at Filipino Market

In the main town of Kota Kinabalu, there is a famous place for locals and tourists alike for awesome and affordable food. Be it seafood or others, the Filipino Market has it all. Well, the people here are not Filipino's la, but I would guess that almost anyone can sell their food or goods here. Its a great place to check out and its open daily from the evenings till late night every day! So do have a look as some of the photos I managed to get. By the way, as you scroll down, you will be able to see my dinner for that night! The largest prawns I have eaten in my life!

Fried or BBQ seafood. There are various stalls selling this and the seafood is first BBQ or deep fried. Its not cooked fully and if you choose it, they will then reheat and finish the cooking for ya! Just look at those huge tiger prawns and even lobsters! 

This other stall has crabs, squid and lots of choices of fish waiting to be feasted.

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Day 1, Handicraft Market

In some ways, KK can be considered a shoppers paradise. Well, if you consider local craft and delicacies a must see during any trip, then KK is like a gold mine. This was my first night there and me and my colleague decided to have a walk around to the night markets. Mine you, the night markets here open daily from evening till midnight so shop till you drop ya.

An arial view of the town from the hotel

Lots of stalls line the road after office hours.

We saw this durian which was golden orange in color. More about this in another post! FYI, its called durian dalik, well thats what the seller was calling it. And it was very very expensive at RM35/kg.

Trip to Sabah 2012 - Random Pics from 3 hours city tour

Once landed in KK, we were immediately whisk off by our local guide into a tour bus where they  have arranged for a 3 hours city tour and these are just some of the highlights and pictures which I took. I would say KK isn't exactly that big of a city but places are also not nearby. I guess the best way to go around would be to get a rental car!

The Muzium Sabah! Do note no photography allowed inside. Just got to know that many muziums around the world now also do not allow photography... bummer.

 Yes me with my large grin! Was already so exhausted from the flight

Trip to Sabah 2012 - LCCT to Sabah!

So this is the continuation of my trip. After waiting for about 3 hours, its time to board my flight to Kota Kinabalu (KK), Sabah. As its the LCCT, you need to walk to the plane and we were boarding at Gate 3 but at platform 72. So do check out some pictures as I was to board the plane!

Thats the Gate 3!

 I really like this shot. The pull down grills give the plane a kind of surreal look

Trip to Sabah 2012 - PG to LCCT layover

Went on a trip to Sabah last weekend and it was a fun and exciting trip. Lots of great food and things to see and do and I will blog about this trip adventure of mine. So, it started of with a flight via AirAsia to KL and then only to KK. It was a really tiring trip as the PG-KL flight was at 6.50am and I was at the airport by 5.30am. Well, its good to know at least the the renovation work at the airport is almost complete and its is many times more comfortable than it was in the past. Big glass walls allow one to have a clear view of the planes while tiled flooring is way better than the previous carpet which will get damp when its wet. Thumbs up to the improvements and hope it completes by year end. So as always, checkout the captions with the pictures ya!

Improved departure area!

 The sun creeping out as we depart!

 After soaring at 33000 ft, we can see the sun!