Moku Moku DIY Mushroom Growing Kit ~ Fantastic Experience Growing your Own Mushroom

Slightly more than a month ago, I got the honour to try out the Moku Moku DIY Mushroom Growing Kit http://mokumoku.my which is the brainchild of the duo Mervin Low and Sean Chai. They started their mushroom farm in a small town called Lukut which is near Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. Now I'm sure many are able to procure fresh mushrooms from your local market or even most super markets, but can it get even fresher than say grown on your balcony? 

With the goal to provide consumers with the best mushroom growing kit, Moku Moku takes painstaking effort to provide a quality package where all the growing materials are organic and natural and one can have great mushrooms.

To me, the biggest advantage to this is not so much of being able to grow mushroom, but its the experience of seeing the mushrooms start to pin, and then finally fruit! Its really amazing and since I have my six year old, this is probably one event that she truly enjoyed. 

And the best part is, everything is so convenient. Just head to their website http://mokumoku.my and place and order online, and once all is done, they will courier the mushroom kit to your doorstep. The price is very affordable for such an experience, and if you do plan to save, combine a purchase with your friends or colleagues as the more you buy, the bigger the discount as well as saving on the shipping fees.

Without ado, do read and check out the photos here. Lots of photos but it shows my very enjoyable experience and would like to thank Moku Moku for the opportunity to try out their growing kit. PS, one is suppose to be able to get the kit to fruit at least twice but mine still has not after the first one. Fret not, Im still not giving up on it and will continue to try!

This is how the end results look like!!

Aussie Tucker at Eastin Hotel Penang ~ January 2014 Promotion

With 2014 just around the corner, Eastin Hotel Penang is already prepping up their menu and January 2014 will bring us their Aussie Tucker's menu which gets its inspiration from the country down under :)

With a slightly revamped menu, the coming month will be something to look forward as one will get to savour some Aussie delights which is not always the norm. Well frankly, don't think I have actually seen a fully Aussie themed restaurant menu in Penang so this might be a good thing.

As always, there are some perks to using a credit card and getting a discount is what counts.

The lucky users of Maybank, Standard Chartered, CIMB, Citibank and Mastercard Worldwide credit card members are entitled to a 15% discount as well! So check it out.

Lunch: Monday-Friday (except 31 Jan 2014)

(12noon-2.30pm)

RM50++ Adult, RM25++ Child

Hi Tea: Saturday-Sunday 

(12-4.00pm)

RM68++ Adult, RM34++ Child

Semi Buffet Dinner: Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday (except 31 Jan 2014)

(6.30pm-10.00pm)

From RM50++ per person 

For those that follow my blog, you will note that the prices has gone up slightly and I guess this is what we all call inflation. Sigh, not a good sign but I guess in order to maintain the quality of the food, there really isn't much choice. Do read on to see what I think about this Aussie Tucker promotion for January 2014!

The spread for the Aussie Tucker Promo. Don't worry, I don't think thats a read cow skull :p

The chefs presenting their culinary creations

Gartien 2014 Chinese New Year Limited Edition Available end of December 2013!

Its just less than 2 months to Chinese New Year 2014 and in conjunction with the celebrations, Gartien has just launched their limited edition CNY packaging pack and you need to act fast to get your hands on them!

According to Gartien, they are only able to make about 1000 "Auspicious Gift Sets" available for pre-order now.

Only 250 sets are available weekly (Total 4 weeks) - UPDATE : The Limited CNY package is SOLDOUT!

Week 1: 30th Dec 2013- 5th Jan 2014

Week 2: 6th Jan 2013- 12th Jan 2014

Week 3: 13th Jan 2013- 19th Jan 2014

Week 4: 20th Jan 2013- 26th Jan 2014

Pre-order now until 31 Dec 2013 and enjoy Special Promotion at RM38 per box

Walk in: RM45 per box (Now until 26th Jan 2014 - last day for collection before CNY)

BONUS: Buy 10 boxes free 1 box or free delivery (Eg. For every 10 boxes ordered, you can either opt for another box of pineapple cakes FREE if you collect them yourself or get your postage WAIVED if you are residing within Peninsular Malaysia.)

Name: GARTIEN @ 小田佳園

Address: 68, Lorong Macalister, 10400 Penang, Malaysia.

Contact: 604-229 0068

Website: www.gartien.com

Email: info@gartien.com

FaceBook: www.fb.gartien.com/

Business Hours: 10.00am-5.00pm (weekdays), 9.00am-6.00pm (weekends)

GPS: 5.416195, 100.328433

This is the very attractive packaging

 Even the individual packaging is unique!

Foodpanda now expanded to Johor Bahru!

Being one of the premiere food delivery providers in Malaysia, serving 5 major cities of Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh, Malacca and now Johor Bahru, Foodpanda continues to seek to bring quality food to your doorsteps all via the convenience of the Internet.

Foodpanda.my is the local portal for this company which now operates in over 30 countries in Asia and Europe. In Malaysia, Foodpanda has over 300 merchants/restaurants and includes big names like Chatime, Starbucks, Pappa Rich and many more! For Johor Bahru, they now have 17 restaurants and the number continues to grow. The fact that we can now have Starbucks or Chatime delivered to your doorstep makes calling out for a teabreak so much more interesting. 

Another bonus is that for their new service launch in Johor Bahru, delivery charges are free for a limited time. Also, for my readers here, if you are a new user to Foodpanda, then use this coupon code : FP@Lifeisgood and you will receive RM10 voucher with a minimum spend of RM10 on your order! This is good till 4th Dec 2014! So if you hurry, thats RM10 for you to try out Foodpanda.my in Johor Bahru since delivery is now free! Don't miss this.

Now back to the restaurants in Johor Bahru. There is even local favorites like Chakra Restaurant whcih has a good choice of Tandoori cuisine and the variety is very good. One can choose from their choice of soups and appetizers, and then move on their mains or go with some Tandoori Starters! They also have a good selection of meats and seafood dishes which will go really well with their Naan breads. Oh did I mention they have over 10 types of baked breads and the best part is that their prices are very reasonable too.

Besides Chakra Restaurant, there is another local favorite in Shahrzad Restaurant which serves up middle eastern flavors. Here, one will be able to get starters like Hummus which is not found commonly in local restaurants. I really like their salads which is not like the typical western styled ones and its very affordably priced! Their mains are something that will put a smile to those that like a real Briyani rice such as with chicken or lamb! They also specialize in Kebab's and have meats and seafood varieties. Something unique which I have not had but been in their menu is the Saffron Fish Kebab. The thought of a fish being grilled with saffron sounds really yummy to me.

Crumbs Frozen Yogurt Review~ Gurney Paragon Mall

Located opposite Sam's Grocer, on the lower ground floor of Gurney Paragon, right next to the escalator, there is a franchise Frozen Yogurt stall from Hong Kong which is called Crumbs! Its such a coincidence that the place is opened by my friends cousin, and more coincidentally the franchisee here is also my wife's secondary school mate! I was like, wow, this truly is a small world, and after further chatting, thats how it was decided that we will have a small invite for some bloggers to try out their frozen yogurts.

So what exactly is available at Crumbs? Well, they specialize in Frozen Yogurt, Bottle Desserts and also Homemade Scones. Yeap, its all light and healthy, as the yogurt is low fat and all natural. Do read on to see how it taste like and what I think of it.

Location:

Lot LG P1(A) & P1(B), Gurney Paragon Mall, 163D, Persiaran Gurney

10250 Penang, Malaysia

Contact Info: +60 11-1444 8823

Business Hours: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

Email: crumbspg@hotmail.com

Website: http://www.crumbs.com.my

The color scheme is a bright yellow and its easily spotted. Crumbs with its stars!

As from the sign above, its clear that they have 3 sizes for their frozen yogurt. 

Kiddie Cup @ RM7.90 is about 120gm in weight and comes with 1 topping 

Regular Size @ RM11.00 is about 180gm in weight and comes with 1 topping

Large Size @ RM12.90 is about 250gm in weight and comes with 2 toppings

Did I mention that they have over 20 types of toppings to choose from and some of their most popular are their homemade toppings which consist of the Meringue, House Crumbs and the very delicious Mochi! The flavor of the mochi varies depending what was made that day.

Heaven Gate ~ Noah's Wine Dine Dinner Invited Review

After having had a prior review at Heaven Gate, we were invited again to sample their wine pairing dinner which was titled Noah Wine Dine Dinner which is priced at RM138++ that comes with 1 glass of house wine or RM188++ where you will get all 4 wine pairing.

This special menu is only available with bookings of 10 pax and is not available on a walk in basis as the restaurant wants to ensure that the ingredients are all freshly prepared and it will be too rush to prepare this impromptu. Well it would seem that 10 pax might be hard to come by but at least its a good option to have.

For a person like me who doesn't drink alot, 4 glasses of wine might sound alot but the fact is, this is a wine pairing dinner where the wine is match to the food and you don't really have to gulp down the whole glass. Just take some sips, swirl it in the mouth abit and have the food. The taste of the wine, whether its sweet, mellow, fruity or nutty helps to accentuate the taste of the food and this is what matters.

So hope you will read on to find out what I think about this Noah's Dinner menu and for those who had tried it, leave a message or comment too!

Do you know your cutleries? The forks and spoons on the dining table? Well, a simple rule of thumb, just use the cutlery furthest away from the plate and move inwards. Thats it, very simple right, but always be gentle and if a piece of meat is too tough to handle, just skip it rather than embarrassing yourself, or you can always ask the staff to help you with it ya!

 So to start the dinner, soup is served and its Cream of Pumpkin soup which helps to get the appetite going. Its serve with a slice of toasted garlic bread which goes very well with the slightly sweet and creamy soup

Vino Vino Bistro Review @ Bay Avenue, Penang

Located right outside of Queensbay Mall, where its know as Bay Avenue, there lies this place called Vino Vino Bistro. Before I got inside, my first impression was that this looks like a typical bistro that have a good variety of drinks until I looked up and saw that there was this big signboard which says Yakitori. Then thoughts started running through my mind on what exactly does this place serve?

So lets step inside to find out more I said. On this invited review, I wasn't really sure what to expect of the Japanese food from such a classy bistro but as always, try and see lah. Inside the bistro, you will be amazed at their selection of wine and liquor and I got to know its because their parent company is one of the sole importers and that this outlet is one of the smallest after their flagship in Sabah. But this place feels really cozy and one can choose to be in the airconditioned comfort or outside watching the cars go by. There is also an upper floor section which also have a live performances on every Wednesday and Thursdays after 8pm. Well do continue to read on especially on me finding what amazing Japanese food they serve here besides having a fully loaded drinks menu!

Here is their info : 

Address: 

Block H-10-1, Lorong Bayan Indah 2, Bay Avenue, 11900, Bayan Lepas, Penang, 11900, Malaysia

Phone:+60 4-645 9922

The exterior of the building with the outdoor seating area right in front

I can't wait to try out the Yakitori. Its made by Japanese chefs and also uses charcoal from Japan

Fooyo Fresh Fruity Dessert Review @ Prangin Mall Penang

Anyone been to Thailand and seen those stalls selling the instant "fried" frozen yogurts?

Well, Fooyo is now at Prangin Mall Penang, located at the ground floor next to the Teo Chew Cendol stall, this is the place you will here the clang clang while they fry the frozen dessert! At first, I did not know what to expect when told that I was going to review a yogurt/dessert place but decided to give it a try anyway.

The way to make your frozen dessert is to first select the base which they have their own plain yogurt or vanilla/chocolate ice cream. Then select a fruit and they will specially mix them together during the "frying" process and voila, you have your ice cool frozen dessert. Pretty neat if you ask me and worth a try.

Their exact location and contact as below : 

Address: FB-A/G3 Prangin Mall, Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong, 10100 Penang. (Beside Teo Chew Cendol Stall) Contact: 010-395 9393 Biz Hour: 11am - 9pm FB: https://www.facebook.com/FooyoFruityDessert

The stall front

Their very simple menu

Herbs & Spices Flavors @ Eastin Hotel Penang for November 2013

For the month of November, Eastin Hotel Penang is having its Herbs & Spices theme for their buffet spread and they strive to bring dishes that has been infused with lots of these herbs and spices. These are flavor additive that has been used for centuries and since its also Deepavali month, there are of course some influence of Indian flavors as well.

This time round, we have Chef Buvanes and Khalil leading the menu and they try to bring a new twist to some tried and tested recipes. So do read on to see what I think of the menu for November. 

Its also good to note that the pricing is still the same as stated below. Best part is Maybank, Standard Chartered, OCBC, CIMB and Citibank credit card members are entitled to a 15% discount as well for the dinner menu! So check it out.

Lunch: Monday-Friday (12-2.30pm)

RM48++ Adult, RM24++ Child

Hi Tea: Saturday-Sunday (12-3.00pm)

RM55++ Adult, RM28++ Child

Semi Buffet Dinner: Sunday-Thursday (6.30pm-10.00pm)

From RM48++

So to start of, we have some Appetizers and Soup

First we have the Achari Paneer which is a homemade cheese which I initially thought was tofu. It has a very soft texture and really almost like tofu but just that the flavor has a more milky taste to it. The use of the spices to cook it makes this an interesting item on the menu. One thing I learnt was that compared to tofu, this cheese does not break down when cooked in a wok and thus it still retains its chunky form.

Next there is the Deep Fried Pakoras which to be is one of the best items of the day! The Pakoras were so crunchy and flavorful that you just had to have more of it. Topping it with fried curry leaves helps to give it the added oomph to the taste but again, try to control the intake of fried items :)

Heaven Gate ~ New Menu Review

Located along King's Street in the Heritage enclave of Penang, Heaven Gate is an up and coming fine dining restaurant that sits majestically among the row of shophouses, as apparently this one is 3 stories compared to its neighbours which are only 2 stories high. Its easily spotted with its arch walkway and ribbons inviting diners in.

The restaurant currently is operating both on the ground and 1st floor and the 1st floor has more varieties of sitting options, such as on a comfortable couch, private tables, and even long tables. Its also available for functions on the 1st floor which make it possible to hold private events here. 

I was fortunate to be able to join some other reviewers when we were invited to try some of their new menu, as well as some of their all time favorites. Thus this was a really good experience for myself as its not everyday we get to sample these delectable yummies! So without ado, do check out the below!

Standing tall and was amazing to have a bright blue sky!

Suffolk House Full Menu List

Hi all
As from my previous post of the Chef Tasting Menu, this post is abit more subdued and basically have more of the details of the menu itself. As one will notice, the dishes can vary as the adhere to serving only the best ingredients available on the day. Was told that the chef checks out the market frequently and thats always a good to know!
Thus have a look at the below and do head on over to try their items ya. Again, don't forget to mention this blogs name to be entitled to the promotions! Enjoy. Enter to view the embedded PDF's!

Suffolk House New Menu and Amazing Promotions

I believe most people would have heard of Suffolk House located at Penang and its really and amazing venue with its lush green lawn and majestic building. Suffolk House now have a thriving restaurant and its very popular with both tourist and locals. They offer some great value for money fine dining experience as well as their very nostalgic atmosphere. You are afterall dining in a mansion!

So Suffolk House has just recently onboarded their new Executive Chef, Mr Gordon Robertson who is a highly acclaimed chef whom was born in Scotland but grew up in Hong Kong and has traveled the world expanding his culinary skills. His has been head chef at the infamous Royal Albert Hall in London as well as leading various restaurants in his exciting career and now, he is in Penang's Suffolk House with the goal of bringing the culinary experience to the next level! For a moment, that introduction sounded like what you will find from an Iron Chef! Heheh

Anyway, for month of October and November 2013, they are having a special promotion where for any party of four people taking the set menu (lunch, dinner or the chefs tasting menu!!), Suffolk House will give them the cost of the cheapest set menu free (so effectively a 25% discount).  For those that prefer to dine à la carte, Suffolk House will offer them a 15% discount on their food bill for diners having two courses including a main course (not sharing).  And the most important aspect to get this promotion is to please mention this blog: TheLifeIsGood.com to them when ordering to be entitled!

So do check out the photos, and of course what I thought of it

The magnificent grounds of Suffolk House

Just love these kind of British Colonial window design

Homedec @ SPICE Penang 4-6 October 2013

Went to Homedec last weekend and its always an interesting place to visit. Not having any particular agenda, I just went around while trying to see if there are anything that stands out and my goal would be to add these to my blog.

So this time round, as I was pretty much free on that weekend, I went there on 2 occasions, and ended up buying an aircon cleaning kit. Was about to buy some LED lights but then figured I will do those next year. Anyway, do have a look at some of the displays which I found more interesting. Also only included those that actually allowed me to take photographs. I still can't understand some exhibitors who still do not allow photos. I mean come on, people already see what you have, yet thinking you can keep it a secret? Well, too bad then, I won't even mention about you then :p

Cheers!

Dreamponds had a very strategic location being right at the entrance! I found their instant pond pretty neat and the best part is that there is no filters where they use the undergravel to do all the cleaning work. Downside is the initial cost and also the yearly maintenance. Interesting as the package will sell you whatever they have on display, including the fish and potted plants. Great for those looking to try a pond out

Their demo featured a pair of terrapins, which is suppose to show how clean the water is, as it will usually stink discolor the water very quickly with these guys

Ninetology U9 Series Launch @ 1881 Chong Tian Hotel Penang

Ninetology I must say is currently aggressively marketing their products and now with their U9 series, its starting to really make an impact. Recently the company hosted their launch in Penang and I believe that they managed to have one heck of a venue by choosing 1881 Chong Tian Hotel! The hotel is a heritage reborn and probably Ninetology shares the same belief that they will be here to stay in the smart phone business.

Being a ASEAN product, they are targeting some primary areas of focus which is to have performance and usability at an affordable price.

It was a pretty exciting launching with all their latest models on display and all the media personnel were able to have some hands on time with it. Besides that, there were also games and quizzes with 3 lucky winners that day walking home with their new smart phones. Its really was a blast of a launch and hopefully I will be getting my hands on one of these phones for a review soon! For now, check out the pictures. Credits also to the hotel for hosting the event with some very good food for the night!

The venue, 1881 Chong Tian Hotel, Jalan Pintal Tali, Penang

 All ready for the launch

Review of New York Burger @ Irrawaddi Road, Penang

For those in the know, behind the busy road of Burma Road and all, there is an enclave of shops that is slowly becoming a haven for some good food. Today got the opportunity to try out New York Burger which is located along Jalan Irrawaddi and just a couple of shops away from Harvest Inn. Its not a very big place currently but I guess you don't need all nice big tables since the items which they serve is as their name suggest is mainly on Burgers as well as some Pizza and Pasta!

I kinda enjoyed the design and setup of the place. It reminds me of those diners which you see so often in Hollywood movies! Even the tables and lamp design, are so American. But anyway, this place is famous for the charcoal burgers, and surprise surprise, there was even a charcoal pizza! Yeap, I was skeptical but actually it was very well made and tasty. Thus, check out the pictures below and maybe give it a try.

Its Burger Time!

The shop has 2 stories but currently only the lower floor is used!

German Galore Promotion at Eastin Hotel Penang

Time really flies and before we know it, October is here and for that, I'm also a year older. For the month of October, I guess somehow, everything seems to be about the German festivities and Eastin Hotel Penang through their Swez Brasserie is having a German Galore where they try to bring some German inspired food to the table for all to sample.

Now, I guess most would agree that for the authentic German food, you have to have pork and beer. But since this is a pork free hotel, thats not possible and the chef's here need to be abit more creative to have the taste and authenticity yet keep it pork free. I have to say that this is one challenge which is almost impossible to solve though and its really a good effort by some of the award winning chefs here are doing. 

So for the month of October, the buffet and semi buffet will have German inspired dishes to whet ones appetite and I find the buffet interesting as always as you will get to try many different varieties of food versus the semi buffet where the main courses is served full plate.

Its also good to note that the pricing is still the same as stated below. Best part is Maybank, Standard Chartered, OCBC, CIMB and Citibank credit card members are entitled to a 15% discount as well for the dinner menu! So check it out.

Lunch: Monday-Friday (12-2.30pm)

RM48++ Adult, RM24++ Child

Hi Tea: Saturday-Sunday (12-3.00pm)

RM55++ Adult, RM28++ Child

Semi Buffet Dinner: Sunday-Thursday (6.30pm-10.00pm)

From RM48++

The chefs presenting their creations

Tian Tian Lai Dim Sum at Sungai Ara Foodcourt

I'm not too sure how many people actually knows that there is actually a foodcourt along Tingkat Kenari in Sungai Ara but there actually is and in the mornings till about lunch time, they serve some pretty good Dim Sum at a place called Tian Tian Lai Dim Sum.

The place is spacious and with lots of available parking and this is kind of my regular dim sum place when I just feel like having a peaceful late brunch without having the need to fight to get some food. The place have quite alot of variety but the best part is that its less crowded. Probably is because its tucked away in Sungai Ara thus not many know about it.

All the items I ate in this blog post and inclusive of a pot of tea only cost about RM22 which is good enough for 3 person. Thus they score on the affordability index and for taste, they are good, but probably not the best. But I'm not complaining and will surely continue to have them as my regular place for a decent breakfast. Check it out!

This is the fish ball noodle wrap. The fried wanton noodles is used to wrap the fishballs (and these are really big pieces) and then a gravy is put on top to serve. This one is really worth it and taste great. Understand its only available on weekends though

Review of Isaac Toast & Coffee @ Queensbay Mall, Penang

This is my 2nd time visiting Isaac Toast & Coffee but the difference this time is that this was an invited review thus I got to try many more items on the menu than my previous visit. Isaac Toast & Coffee is located at the lower ground floor near to where the Chicken Rice shop is located. The shop is nicely decorated with a very modern interior design and a somewhat open kitchen. One can just see what they are cooking over the glass wall. So for this review, they will be introducing their new items which is their bagels. Besides toast, as their name suggest, they have their own blend of coffee as well and the coffee beans are imported direct from Korea where its roasted the Isaac way. Actually their full press release is kind of long (2 pages in length) so I will just summarize it abit.

Isaac was started in Korea in 1995 by a Korean couple and since 2003, they started a franchise operation in which there is now more than 900 outlets in South Korea and the number continues to expand. This is the first Isaac Toast & Coffee in Malaysia and hopefully, the franchise will flourish, helping many others to start their own business!

Thus, lets wish them all the best, and do check out how their menu below!

This is the coffee beans, waiting to be turned to some lovely coffee!

 Balloons and balloons

Penang Green Expo 2013 ~ SPICE, Penang

I think this is the 2nd year Penang is hosting the Penang Green Expo 2013 and this time, its still in SPICE but I believe the theme this year is slightly different than last year. There seems to be more stalls selling consumables than previous year where there were also many electronic and even firms marketing their power saving equipment. Last year there were also solar panel makers showcasing their products which is lacking this year. I guess the highlight this year would be Escape Themepark having a mini attraction here for kids to try out and its something I highly recommend parents to bring their kids to try. Its fun and safe as there are fully trained staff looking after the kids! Overall, I feel its a good effort, but I was really hoping to continue to see the electronics and gadgets that help us save electricity make a comeback the following year. Have a scroll at the pictures and see if you are interested to visit it (I think its pretty good).

Welcome sign

 Lots of stalls

BRINGING NINETOLOGY ONTO THE NEXT UPSCALE LEVEL

In conjunction with Malaysia’s 56th Independence Day, Ninetology Malaysia has officially launched its Flagship Touch Point at Plaza Low Yat, Malaysia’s Largest IT Lifestyle Mall, on 30 August 2013. With a concept like no other, Ninetology’s Flagship Touch Point offers consumers an experiential touch point for today’s lifestyles and culture as well as a product showcase. At the Flagship Touch Point, not only would the Ninetology products be showcased, it’s a place where consumers can learn how to use a smartphone to enhance their lifestyles and interests. The flagship Touch Point will serve as a youth and culture training hub to spread the urbanite culture that is cultivated by Ninetology. The Ninetology smartphones are not just communication tools, but a device that can advance one’s social visibility, thus opening doors to more opportunities. Eight more Flagship Touch Points within the Klang Valley will be opened this year with another nine outlets scheduled within Malaysia by next year. The Ninetology’s Flagship Touch Point is opened from 10.00am to 10.00pm daily.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to launch the first Flagship Touch Point. Gracing the ceremony were the management team of Ninetology Malaysia comprising of Sean Ng (Chief Executive Officer), Marco Beh (Chief Operations Officer), Shian (Chief Finance Officer), Vijian Chan (Chief Marketing Officer), and Eddy Tay (Head of Channel); Michael Lee (General Manager, Property Management and Operations of Plaza Low Yat), and celebrities such as Z-Chen, Iqwal Hafiz, and Sasi the Don.

Mugshot Cafe, Bagel and Yogurt, Chulia Street, Penang

I guess by now many would have heard of this place in Penang that is popular for their bagels and yogurts and more importantly, their Mugshots! The place is aptly called Mugshot Cafe and is located at Chulia Street, right next to Rainforest Bakery and if you are coming from Penang Road, then its right after Love Lane.

The cafe is located at a pre-war building with its narrow shop front but very long length wise. I was surprise to see that its a 3 storey building though I'm not sure what the upper floors are being used for currently. So my family and I reach the place right before noon and wow, the place was packed. Luckily there was still place for the 3 of us and we sat right opposite the mugshot wall. As they serve bagels and yogurt, we ordered 3 types, Cream Cheese and Salmon, Turkey Ham Cranberry Sauce and Bacon & Egg, and for the yogurt, we ordered the Jackfruit & Gula Melaka! The bagels were pretty decent size and heard that its supplied by Rainforest Bakery (actually the shop lots seems to have openings in between so I guess they can move about). As for pricing, I guess its average for cafes in Penang nowadays, bagels were RM10 each and so is the yogurt. Do check out the pictures ya

The view of the yogurt

Pre-Registration of MySuperVIP card ~ Grab them now!!!

With so many deals happening all around us, its always good to know that creative companies are still developing more ways for the benefit of the consumers. Thus in Penang we now have MySuperVIP, which is a company that gives more rewards and bonus to consumers for their shopping through loyalty card system. You will be able to collect reward points from every spending on our participating outlets and exchange for cash vouchers.

MySuperVIP card is also a loyalty card that will help consumers to get rewarded whenever they introduce MySuperVIP cards to their friends and family.For every reward points collected by your friends and families, you can obtain extra 15% reward points from MySuperVIP. Therefore you could get more extra rewards when you introduce more friends to register for MySuperVIP cards.

See guide below on how to register, make sure to have the sponsor ID included!

MySuperVIP cards are now available in all MySuperVIP’s participating outlets around Penang.

MySuperVIP cards are now free for registration with limited stocks only!

Make a move now and get a MySuperVIP card today! 

Check out the list of outlets below!!

If you failed to get your MySuperVIP in any of our participating outlets, please contact MySuperVIP via email info@mysupervip.com or enquiry through our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mysupervip

You may also call our customer hotline at 016-4283204

As their slogan goes : “Enjoy VIP Lifestyle”

Azuma Japanese Restaurant, Simple Lunch @ Queensbay Mall Penang

 My wife and I decided to have a simple lunch at Azuma this afternoon and was surprised that their menu has been changed (so called new menu). What I found glaringly new was that the menu now has been reduced but the prices has gone up! Some items such as their previously affordable and highly recommended sashimi moriawase has gone up in price. It used to be RM70 but new price is RM88! Thats like 20%+. Everything on the menu has gone up in pricing (as far as i remember la) so what used to be an affordable yet good quality Japanese place just let me down a little.
And news that petrol price is going up this midnight surely doesn't spell good news for September. Anyway, back to the lunch. We had a salad, rice and appetizer and hopefully you guys will enjoy too!

This is the fried rice with mushroom. The rice was nicely fried but frankly, RM7 for a small bowl is not exactly cheap ya.

English High Tea at 1885 Restaurant, E&O Hotel Penang

High Tea, that is not something one mentions much in Penang. Not sure if its because there is just so much food places or chillax hangouts but for a proper high tea, one can surely check out 1885 Restaurant. Here, they serve high tea at its best and basically how one goes about it is that they would first select the tea which they like (and mind you, they have over 10 types of tea choices) and then the waiters would bring the tea as well as the tray of food goodies to the table. They really provide lots of unique utensils, and the utensil which I have never used before definitely has to be the tea leaf strainer. This little gadget helps prevent the tea leaf from dripping into ones cup and I find that kind of unique, as drinking chinese tea, you always have some tea leaf falling into the cup.

Another item which they will bring is their own made (can't use homemade as this is afterall not a home) strawberry jam and also clotted cream (this one is imported)! The amount of food, frankly, is alot. There is a tiered sandwich tray set, scones and then a desserts platter. I mean, I would seriously be able to skip dinner (or have a very light one) after enjoying such a high tea.

Do check out the photos, and in a way, some photos are not that bright as I was seated not at a window seat. Cheers!

Preview, this is the desserts tray!

Breakfast at Sarkies, Family Weekend Getaway at E&O Hotel Penang

Most people would go to Sarkies for their ever popular lunch and dinner buffets but how many actually go there for breakfast? Well, on the weekend while we were staying there, having our breakfast at Sarkies was probably the most reasonable thing to do (well we could also have breakfast at Planter's Lounge but we had dinner there the night before).

Well, we were at Sarkies about 8am and surprisingly, there were many people already enjoying their breakfast. Well, the spread as always was pretty luxurious and definitely maintains the Sarkies tradition. There were many items that would whet ones appetite, and even their Char Kuey Teow counter was already opened! Some of the more surprising twist was that there was alot of local influence in this breakfast and there was Nasi Lemak and even Roti Canai. I'm sure this is great especially for the tourist visiting Malaysia as they will get to sample some of our local breakfast too. Check out the pictures!

Muffins of assorted variety

 Lots of fresh breads and pastries

Enjoying the Pool at Victory Annexe, E&O Hotel

From the previous post about E&O Hotel, this one is more about their infinity pool located on the 6th floor of the Victory Annexe wing. There is a very nice infinity pool here which overlooks the Straits of Malacca. These are some shots during the evening and also the next morning! As this was on the 6th floor, it was very cooling from the constant breeze and very relaxing just lounging on the chairs. What a great way to spend the weekend.

Mooncake & International Cuisine Promotion ~ Eastin Hotel Penang September 2013

Its coming into the 8th Month in the Chinese Calendar and as most will know, this is the time where the Mooncake or Mid Autumn Festival is celebrated! This year, it will be on 19th September 2013 and Eastin Hotel Penang in conjunction with their KL peers, have decided to bring in their signature mooncakes for Penangites to savour. To keep things simple, they have prepared only 6 flavors and frankly to me, this is more than enough. Main point is keep it simple and keep the quality high.

The flavors are Red Bean, Jasmine Cheesy Citrus, Low Sugar White Lotus, Precious Black Wolfberry Lotus Paste, Pure Lotus Double Yolk and Supreme Mixed Nuts which range in price from RM17 to RM20 each. The mooncakes are already available and one can call to make reservations in advance to avoid disappointment (+604-6121128 Swez Brasserie)

At the same time from September onwards, Swez Brasserie will be having an International Cuisine theme for their buffet and this features a more global tastes with dishes inspired from Germany, Japan, Mexico and even Thailand. There are a variety of great Appetizers, Main courses and Desserts to choose from and I'm sure diners will find something to their liking. Do check them out!

 6 Flavors of Mooncake!

The mooncakes have a thin crust layer and lots of  filling! The fact that its not very sweet makes it even more delectable! This is the Red Bean and Double Yolk version.