CRIZ BON APPETITE

With the planned USD35 million upgrading project for the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) in Georgetown, Penang, to accommodate berthing of larger cruise ships, you would be expecting more international cruises to berth within the next few years. With such a competitive cruise market in the future, travel agencies have to evolve to be more innovative in their travel packages. One such agency would be the Hwajing Travel & Tours Sdn. Bhd., an established travel and tour company with almost 3 decades of handling cruise packages. Not only did the company offer a niche for luxurious modern cruises at affordable prices, it also caters perfectly to the needs of its customers in terms of various vacationing styles and experiences – the latest being their first ever “Royal High Tea” experience onboard Star Cruises – SuperStar Libra. Each of their registered passenger would have the privilege to indulge in their 2-hours refillable Royal Hi Tea package for FREE.

Of course, they would be pampered with the services of some highly trained “royal” waiters and waitresses to assist you in your every tea-time needs.

Do check out their latest promotion where you would get to purchase the BUY ONE FREE ONE offer where everyone would still get to enjoy the luxurious tea-time pampering.

Hwajing SuperStar Libra Travel Package Promotion (4D3N: Penang-Krabi-Phuket-Penang)

– Matta Fair (March) Promotion – RM1928 (BUY 1 FREE 1) **RM1928 for 2 pax
– FREE Royal High Tea
– FREE Shuttle: KL-Penang & Penang-KL
– Departure period: 16 April 2017- 30 July 2017 (Depart on every Sunday)
– The above fare not included all taxes and charges

Let’s have a look at the spreads that would be available during each “Royal High Tea” experience.

There are 4 types of teas: English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Pure Peppermint and Pure Green Tea.

There are the 3-tiered serving tray, first and second layer are mainly savory items while the last tier would be filled with sweetness.

First Tier (Entree): Prawn Fritter, Savory Quiche and Baked Mushroom Mini Pie.

Second Tier (Hors d’oeuvre): Mini Ratatouille on Tart, Smoked Salmon on Brioche, Aloo Vada on Prata Bread, Smoked Duck on Mini Baguette, Camenbert Cheese on Rye Roll, Tuna Mousse on Croissant Roll and Spiced Squid with Caramelized Onion.

Third Tier (Sweet Temptation): Cupcake, Fruit Tart, Red Velvet, Cheese Cake, Creme Brulee, Rainbow Macaron, English Fruitcake and Scones with Jam Marmalade.

“The main objective of introducing the ‘Royal High Tea’ onboard SuperStar Libra, is for cruise travelers to get away from hectic lifestyle, thus get pampered and discover the greatest and ‘quality’ moment in the world. We wish to inspire and educate our passengers on how to celebrate and enjoy good times by rewarding themselves with a majestic and distinctive of afternoon tea, a taste for life pursuing unique experience in our lifetime,” said Mr. Kenny Cheong, Managing Director of Hwajing Travel & Tours Sdn. Bhd. He also added, “We are aware that price is a key decision making factor for our Malaysian travelers especially during the period of country’s economic recession. Therefore, we have been working towards the price and innovative content in our travel itinerary that we believe is fair to our travelers. Hoping that the first ever “Royal High Tea” concept is just appropriated to the market as it is exceptional, great value added and provided as FREE Surprise to our passengers.”

For more information, please contact below:

KL (HQ):
Address: Block N-26, 2nd Floor, Warisan Cityview, Jalan 3/93 A, Batu 21/2 off Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur.
Contact Number: +603-9200 2929 (Phone), +603-9283 6566 (Fax)
Business Hours: 9.00am to 6.00pm, 9.00am to 1.00pm (Saturdays) – (Closed on Sundays)
Email: info@hwajing.com.my

Penang (Branch):
Address: 15A, Jalan Rangoon, 10400 Penang.
Contact Number: +604-229 3566 (Phone), +604-229 0566 (Fax)
Business Hours: 9.00am to 6.00pm, 9.00am to 1.00pm (Saturdays) – (Closed on Sundays)
Email: infopen@hwajing.com.my

Website: www.hwajing.com.my
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hwajingtravel/

RATING:
Ambience: 9/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: N/A
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

A big thank you to Hwajing Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd. and Star Cruises – SuperStar Libra for having us onboard to experience the royal treatment.

About Hwajing Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd.: Hwajing Travel and Tours was established in 1989. The company increased its’ market position in 2001 and 2008 with the introduction of affordable travel plans coupled with operating excellence. Hwajing Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd. is committed to provide high quality yet affordable travel packages and experience for the travelers. Hwajing is also one of the main travel cruises for Asia Pacific. In the past 30 years, Hwajing Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd. has gathered a series of high quality resources, through an elite team to provide the best service to the travelers. It currently has a branch in Penang.

About Star Cruises SuperStar Libra: SuperStar Libra packs a punch with 6 restaurants (Blue Lagoon – 24-hour Dining Outlets with Asian Specialties, Four Seasons Restaurant, Spices, Taipan, Mariners Buffet & Ocean Palace) and 2 bars (Pool Bar & Coconut Willy’s), karaoke club, two pools, recreation & wellness activities, designer shops and more. Now homeported in historic Penang, the ship visits the picturesque destinations of Krabi and Phuket, offering a range of great tours and excursions. Leave the cares of the world behind when you step onto this floating holiday resort. SuperStar Libra offers award-winning restaurants, immaculate suites and cabins, duty free shopping, excellent wellness, pampering and sporting facilities, pulsating night spots and traditional Asian hospitality.

Note: Effective 1 May 2017, Royale Bintang Penang will be renamed as Royale Chulan Penang

Fridays are the days to look forward to each month as The Royale Bintang Penang has been serving great spreads of BBQ items for quite many years – Friday Night Poolside BBQ Buffet. Priced at RM88.00nett (Adult) and RM44.00nett (Child: 6-12 years old/Senior Citizen: 60 years old and above), diners can enjoy the cool breeze of the night by dining next to the hotel’s swimming pool. The spread can be quite extensive, starting from boutique salad, salad bar, soup, hot dishes, long live stations, meat to order bar, DIY hawker dish to a wide selection of desserts and fruit cuts at their Sweet Seventeen station. Don’t forget to enjoy your free-flow of coffee or tea after your hefty meal too.

To start off your meal, do check out the salad and soup station for some sumptuous local and international fare. What caught my attention was the Sup Tulang Rawan Kambing which was pepped with fragrantly selected herbs and spices. It was indeed something delicious to boost up the appetite for more feasts to come. Moreover, it was great to find some local street dish such as the Sotong Kangkung and Thai-style salads such as the Seafood Glass Noodles Salad as well as Mango & Papaya Salad amongst the spreads.

As for the Hot Dishes Station, you have some fried rice and noodles but what interests me was the Baked Pumpkin Wedges which I rarely see at most BBQ buffet. The Jacket Potatoes with Chives Sour Cream was also one great side dishes to go with the BBQ items.

The BBQ and street food adventure would begin at the Long Live Stations and Meat To Order Bar where the aroma along from the wonderful grills would send your saliva dripping furiously. The tender and juiciness from the Royale Spiced Roasted Whole Lamb and flavorful Grilled Minute Steaks are some of the items to look out for. Don’t missed out the Samurai Burger too as the patties were in-house made with perfection.

There’s always some part of the stomach left for some desserts. Do check out the Dessert Station with a mixed of local delicacies to some international cakes and puddings. I quite like the Pengat Pisang Sago which was pepped up with the fragrantly acclaimed Gula Melaka.

You can check out the full spreads available on each Friday night as per menu below. Do click for a better viewing.

Overall, I’m quite satisfied with the spreads for the Friday Night Poolside BBQ Buffet, especially those red meat choices where the meat had that smoky flavors on top of the nice marinates. The best part would be midway into the buffet where the staff would bring out the “surprise” – slipper lobsters. Those mini lobsters are to die for as they were indeed super delicious to resist.

Do also check out their flyers for more promotions.

• Tanjung Set Lunch available every Monday to Saturday (12.00pm-2.30pm)
• Friday Night Poolside BBQ (7.00pm- to 10.00pm)
• Saturday Night Hawker’s Fare (7.00pm-10.00pm at the Sri Tanjung Café)
• Sunday High Tea (12.30pm-4.00pm at the Sri Tanjung Café)

For those who love their tea, the hotel also offers an exclusive Special Luxury Afternoon Tea Package which serves the finest luxury tea brand in the world, TWG Tea, as well as deluxe tea sandwiches, baked warm scones and a selection of cakes. It is available at the Tea Room at only RM60.00nett per person.

Penang is known as the food haven of Malaysia and the Royale Bintang Penang also prides itself on the food served that leaves its guests coming back for more. To encourage the guests to come back regularly for the food, The Royale Bintang Penang also launched the “I Love To Makan” monthly Facebook photo contest last year. Guests who dine at any of the food outlets will need to just take a photo of them dining and post it on the hotel’s official Facebook page. The picture with the most number of likes will win attractive prizes from the hotel.

“Penang is one of the most dynamic destinations for business and leisure travel. With the hotel’s unique historical and architectural buildings steeped in British Colonial style, it blends together the modern and multi ethnic heritage of the people who call Penang “home”. It’s been an amazing 3 years and we hope to continue providing luxurious comfort and full amenities for the leisure travellers as well as the perfect setting for celebrations, business meetings and corporate events.” said Philip D. Theseira, General Manager of The Royale Bintang Penang.

As you enter the lobby of the hotel, just walk to the elevator and go to Level 2 of the heritage building. You can see the poolside BBQ there.

THE ROYALE BINTANG PENANG
Address: 1&2, Pengkalan Weld (Weld Quay), 10300 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-259 8888
Business Hours: 7.00pm-10.00pm (Friday only)
GPS: 5.416838, 100.343898

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

ABOUT THE ROYALE CHULAN & BINTANG HOTELS & RESORTS: The Royale Chulan & Bintang Hotels & Resorts (managed by Boustead Hotels & Resorts Sdn Bhd registration number 147089-A) has secured a strong footing in the local hospitality industry, beginning its venture with the launch of the flagship property The Royale Bintang Kuala Lumpur. Since then, the company has strengthened its portfolio to build and grow further in the brand of True Malaysian Hospitality with the addition of six other hotels, namely the 5-star properties The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur and The Royale Chulan Damansara. Therefore, as of year 2017, with the recent opening of the Royale Chulan Hyde Park in London last year, there are now eight Royale Bintang branded hotels with the new Royale Chulan Cherating Pahang pending operations by mid-year 2017. The Royale Chulan & Bintang Hotels & Resorts is a Malaysian chain of full-service hotels, founded and owned by Boustead Hotels & Resorts Sdn Bhd – a subsidiary of the diversified public listed conglomerate Boustead Holdings Berhad. The company places marketing emphasis on business travel, but operates one leisure-oriented resort as well. The Royale Chulan & Bintang Hotels & Resorts strive to become a stylish and forward thinking leader of hospitality. From gala events to banquets to business meetings to romantic days to remember, the group strongly holds to its tagline – We Are Where You Want Us To Be.

The Tiger STREATS 2017, the unique street food experience from Tiger Beer, recently arrive at the shore of Penang at Hin Bus Depot, enabling Penang foodies to enjoy Malaysian cuisine with some twists. It was indeed a new experience for many non-muslim party-goers to wash down the food with ice cold Tiger brews throughout the night.

With more than 14 types of one-of-a-kind takes on local favorites, Tiger STREATS will be more than enough to satisfy anyone’s taste buds. Let’s look at the “specials” available during the eventful night.

BBQ Ribs with Sambal Sloppy Fries – Tender on the inside, crackly on the outside! The signature BBQ ribs marinated with own secret recipe, paired with in-house famous Sambal Sloppy Fries on the side.

Yummitori – A new age ‘satay’ pork slice skewers, grilled perfectly with crunchy greens in between. You can choose from 4 different types of flavors, namely ‘Sambal Hainanese’ Pork, ‘Chewbakwa’ Pork, ‘Caramelized Roast’ Pork and ‘Once You Go Black’ Pork.

K-Pop Maggi Goreng – ‘Wok Hei’ filled Maggi Goreng ala Chili Pan Mee twist. Served with stirred fried instant noodle, accompanied with minced chicken, crunchy ikan bilis and a fried egg.

Pisang Goreng with Lemon Curd – Fried banana fritters with coconut milk and honey drizzle, topped with lemon curd and toasted sesame.

Bacon & Gula Melaka Popcorn – Rich, dark and mysterious Gula Melaka (palm sugar) caramelized over low fire and then drizzled over freshly popped corn and salty homemade bacon. This “Asian-inspired” popcorn is then sprinkled with desiccated coconut before they are slow baked to little precious, crackling Krakens! Whatever that means!

Bacon & Sambal Ikan Bilis Popcorn – Light buttery popcorn tossed with sambal, crispy salty bacon and toasted whole anchovies.

Bacon & Bourbon Caramel Popcorn – Freshly popped corns are drizzled with hot bourbon caramel. They are then tossed with our homemade salty bacon and slow baked to crunchy perfection.

Bacon & Run Butterscotch Popcorn – Light buttery popcorn tossed with our homemade rum butterscotch, crispy salty bacon and toasted whole almonds. Take a bite of these little babies and feel the paper-thin crispy coating explode in your mouth.

Bacon & Salted Egg Yolk Cookies – Crispy homemade bacon bits and salted egg yolk in this traditional cookie batter.

Roti Aiskrim – Ondeh-ondeh and Teh Tarik flavoured ice cream sandwiched in between fluffy Hainanese bread, adding a little twist on the classic Roti Aiskrim, topped it off with homemade kaya drizzle.

Fried Cempedak Ice Cream – Inside Scoop’s bestselling Cempedak Ice Cream fried in a secret coating for that local twist and of course, absolute enjoyment.

Lo Mai Kai with a Twist – Indulge in this contemporary Lo Mai Kai with sautéed button and Portobello mushroom, smoked duck breast, fried shallots, micro herbs, dried shrimps, and accompany the chewy and fragrant glutinous rice.

Creamy Butter Chicken Nachos – Crunchy tortilla chips with Chinese restaurants go-to-dish, minced creamy butter chicken topped with Japanese nori, sesame seeds and chilies.

Curry Flavor Waffles – A savory twist of well flavored dessert – minced chicken waffles with onions, and served on a bed of citrus romaine with curry sauce drizzle.

Lemak Chicken Sandwich – The signature Malaysian dish where rice replaced with sourdough bread, ikan bilis, peanut, homemade sambal, toasted coconuts, and a chicken waffle.

Mr. Bao – Soy-sauced braised pork belly sandwiched in between slider buns, alongside coriander, fermented vegetable, fried shallot, peanut powder and pork sauce.

Mamak Fries – Crispy shoestring fries served with the nation’s staple Nasi Lemak sambal sauce and seasoning, garnished with parsley flakes.

In addition to the amazing array of dishes to sample, Tiger fans were kept entertained throughout the events with retro-inspired games, experiential activities, and performances from great local artistes, Color Noise.

To pair with all that delicious food, ice cold Tiger brews were sold at a special price throughout the evening.

Tiger STREATS launched in December in Kuala Lumpur, where 700 guests sat down together to feast on array of treats prepared by two chefs from very different worlds, but who shared the honour of Michelin Star fame. Hawker Chan, the owner of the first hawker stand to win the prestigious award, and Chef Ramsey, owner of progressive modernist restaurant Babe KL combined their culinary talents to craft an extraordinary dining experience with a unique collection of fusion dishes merging traditional Asian street food and contemporary fine dining cuisine.

Jessie Chuah, Marketing Manager of Tiger Beer said, “The response to Tiger STREATS so far has been incredible, and we’re thrilled to bring this unique culinary experience to even more Tiger Beer fans in Penang and Johor.”

A big thank you to Heineken Malaysia Berhad for the great experiences in the recent Tiger STREATS Party in Penang. It was truly an enjoyable event with memorable games of the past.

About Tiger STREATS: Tiger STREATS, by Tiger Beer, is the world’s first ‘street food meets fine dining’ culinary collaboration. Featuring a unique culinary mash-up between chef Hawker Chan, owner of world’s first Michelin-starred hawker stall and top fine dining chefs from around the world, the series of Tiger STREATS events, taking place in Sydney, Auckland, New York and Kuala Lumpur, aims to bring people from different backgrounds together to share a Tiger Beer and a memorable meal at the street food table.

About Tiger Beer: ROARING SINCE 1932 – A bold lager, born and brewed in the heart of Asia through our tropical lagering process. Tiger’s uniquely refreshing and full-bodied flavor is enjoyed in more than 70 countries, winning us friends and awards the world over. The brand received its first award in 1939, beginning its journey as an Award Winning beer on an international stage. The recognition of its product excellence catapulted Tiger’s internationalization in the early 1990s, with over 50 international awards and accolades to date. It is now known as a symbol of contemporary international Asia, enjoyed by discerning drinkers in every corner of the globe spanning across Asia with growing popularity in western markets such as, Europe, USA and Australasia amongst others. A true Asian beer at heart, the brand wants to show the world what Asia has to offer. Over the years, Tiger has received more acclaim from the world’s leading newspapers and journals than most other beers. For example, the Washington Magazine, in a blind taste-test involving several hundred brands, unreservedly voted Tiger “positively the best beer in the world”. Tiger has also accumulated over 50 accolades, awards and distinctions. Some of the more notable awards include a Gold medal in the International-Style Lager at the World Beer Cup 2010 and a Gold Medal for the International Golden Lagers category at the Brew NZ Awards in 2011. Each year from 2004 to 2006, Tiger was named a UK Cool Brand Leader. The recognition reaffirmed Tiger’s popularity and was given only to the coolest brands in the UK.

About Heineken Malaysia Berhad (formerly Guinness Anchor Berhad): HEINEKEN Malaysia with its portfolio of iconic international brands is the leading brewer in the country. The Company brews, markets and distributes:
• The World’s No. 1 international premium beer Heineken® ;
• The World-acclaimed iconic Asian beer Tiger Beer, and its doubly refreshing variant Tiger Radler and its other innovative brew Tiger White – Asia’s Wheat Beer;
• The World’s No. 1 stout Guinness;
• The all-time local favourite Anchor Smooth and its strong beer variant Anchor Strong;
• The premium Irish ale Kilkenny;
• The real shandy Anglia

HEINEKEN Malaysia also produces the wholesome, premium quality non-alcoholic Malta. HEINEKEN Malaysia’s brand portfolio also includes the World’s No. 1 cider Strongbow, the No. 1 German wheat beer Paulaner, Japan’s No. 1 100% malt beer Kirin Ichiban and the World’s No. 1 ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage Smirnoff Ice. The Company continues to lead the responsible drinking agenda through its Drink Sensibly campaign. Listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia, HEINEKEN Malaysia’s principal shareholder is GAPL Pte Ltd based in Singapore. GAPL Pte Ltd is 100% owned by Heineken N.V. Heineken Malaysia Berhad officially changed its name on 21 April 2016 following Heineken N.V.’s acquisition of GAPL Pte Ltd on 7 October in 2015. For more information please visit: www.heinekenmalaysia.com

With the presence of Empire Sushi kiosks conveniently available in most of the major malls throughout Kedah, Penang and Selangor, Malaysians can now purchase a large varieties of halal-friendly sushi fuss-free and speedily. Recently, we paid a visit to one of these kiosks at Gurney Plaza, Penang, and found the texture of the sushi to be at its best quality with the freshest ingredients.

The kiosk here at Gurney Plaza has at least 78 varieties of hand-crafted sushi and maki, with more options for temaki and onigiri to tempt your Japanese finger food cravings. Just on Inari Sushi itself, there are altogether 17 versions and I can assure you that all of them passed my fussy taste bud. Some of my choices of these versions were Egg, Tuna Cheese, Ebiko, Salmon, Idako, Tempura Ebi, Salmon Mayo and Unagi.

The rest of the sushi which were out of this world delicious to watch out for would be their Tempura Ebi Roll (RM2.60), Unagi Cheese Roll (RM2.60, Spicy Roll (RM2.40), Chicken Meat Slice Roll (RM2.40), Salmon Roll (RM2.60), Cheese Roll (RM2.40), Tobikko Cheese Roll (RM2.40) and more.

On top of that, they do have many types of Futo Maki and Maki, each piece priced between RM1.20 and RM2.10 for your basic maki needs.

There are also at least 4 types of Temaki (RM4.20 each) and 5 types of Onigiri (octopus, crab, tuna, salmon & chicken floss) to choose from.

You can check out the full menu below by clicking to enlarge for a better view:

Overall, I do love the many choices of sushi not only due to its freshness but the firmness and juiciness of the vinegar infused Japanese rice. They are so flavorful that you can practically eat it without any additional condiments.

Empire Sushi @ Gurney Plaza is located at the basement of Gurney Plaza, Penang. Just use the escalator down to the basement and you can see the kiosk with a colorful array of sushi choices.

Name: EMPIRE SUSHI @ GURNEY PLAZA PENANG
Address: Lot No. 170-B1-K7, Plaza Gurney, Gurney Drive, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: N/A
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.437951, 100.309815

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

For almost 2 decades after landing in Malaysia, Nando’s has been grilling Malaysian’s taste buds and has since been the top purveyors of spice and flavor through its world-renowned flame grilled PERi-PERi chicken. Recently, we had a try on its latest Mango & Lime PERi-PERi at one of its outlets at Gurney Plaza, Penang. Since its tangy and zesty introduction, Mango & Lime has proven to be a hit in various countries across the globe including United Kingdom and Australia and is now a staple at all Nando’s Malaysia outlets as part of its permanent menu. Be it with the flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken, sides or appeteasers, it’s time to give your taste buds a tongue-tingling time with the Mango & Lime flavor.

The new Mango & Lime flavor stays true to its Afro-Portuguese roots and brings a new dimension to its range of PERi-PERi flavors. Imported from South Africa, the PERi-PERi flavors currently comes in 4 flaming options, Lemon & Herb, Mild, Hot and Extra Hot Now, fans that are just beginning their spicy journey can enjoy Mango & Lime as it wiggles its way on to the Nando’s PERi-ometer. Mango & Lime’s mixture of flavors undoubtedly appeals to Malaysian’s love for all things sweet and spicy.

“Our flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken has proven to be a hit with our fans at home and abroad. With our new flavor, we hope to welcome new fans through our doors and ignite Nando’s lovers with sweet, tangy and zesty flavors but with the quirky Nando’s PERi-PERi twist. We are always on the look out to spice up the Nando’s experience while staying true to our identity and the fun combination of Mango & Lime fits the bill perfectly,” said Stephen Chew, CEO of Nando’s Malaysia.

Nando’s pairs Mango & Lime with a new designer drink, Tropical Fruitea, to complete the tantalizing experience. A thirst-quenching tropical medley of Mango & Lime infused with orange juice and lemon tea makes the perfect partner in crime to the Mango & Lime PERi-PERi flavored meal.

You can also try out their other main, side dishes and desserts too.

To find out more on the new addition to the family, log on to www.nandos.com.my or visit Nando’s Malaysia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nandosmy.

Nando’s @ Gurney Plaza is located at the new wing of Gurney Plaza, Penang. The easiest way to beat the maze is to use the al fresco area of McDonald’s and walk towards G Hotel Kelawai. You can easily spot the restaurant on the right.

Name: NANDO’S @ GURNEY PLAZA PENANG
Address: Lot No. 170-G-72, Plaza Gurney, Gurney Drive, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +60 1-300-88-6555
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm (10.00am-10.30pm on Weekends)
GPS: 5.436389, 100.309429

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About Nando’s Malaysia: The Nando’s cockerel landed on the tropical land of Malaysia in 1998 at Jalan Telawi, Bangsar – the 1st Nando’s restaurant in Malaysia officially opened on 29 June 1998. (The restaurant has since been relocated to Bangsar Village 1). It didn’t take long for the word to get around or for the people of Malaysia to get addicted to spicing things up with a fix of flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken. Thanks to their passion for PERi-PERi, Nando’s spread across the length and breadth of Malaysia, and today, there are more than 50 Nando’s restaurants serving succulent flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken with Afro-Portuguese inspired side dishes.

Malaysia’s all-time favorite Japanese restaurant, Sushi King from nationwide would be promoting several delectable auspicious dishes this festive season to usher in the Rooster this coming Chinese New Year 2017. Quality and Freshness have always been the priorities of Sushi King to ensure the fulfillment of its diners. The promotion would be “Doubly Fresh, Doubly Joyous” from 1 January 2017 until 28 February 2017. More surprises would be shared below.

To start off a brand new season, do toss to a doubly joyous and prosperous year with the highlight of the season, Prosperity Yee Sang (RM45.88++ for 4-6 pax). The dish is made with fresh quality ingredients rather than those prepacked versions and served with premium Norwegian salmon, harvested from the clear blue waters of Norway. Sushi King’s Prosperous Yee Sang is indeed a version out from the norm as it has all the healthy julienned vegetables plus crunchiness coming from their daily made tempura bits. Moreover, what I like most about this version is that it has both sliced and minced salmon added. Thus, everyone would have a fair share of the delicacy. You would have an option to choose their Tangy Plum Sauce or with a combination of Tangy Plum Sauce & Wasabi Sauce. You can also have their Regular Yee Sang (RM38.88++ for 4-6pax) or Longevity Yee Sang (RM18.88++ for 2-3 pax). However, my preference would still be the Prosperity Yee Sang.

For those who would like to try out their Yee Sang but do not have the crowd to join in, you can have your personal mini Yee Sang, by ordering their CNY Bento (RM19.90++). The bento would come with deep fried chicken, deep fried salmon and served with fragrant Japanese rice.

Alternatively, if you do not like Yee Sang, you could also try out their Seafood Bento (RM18.90++). This dish has tempura batter fried salmon, squid, prawns, long bean and korokke (potato croquette), served with fragrant Japanese rice.

For this festive season, you would also get to try our Sushi King’s own version of Salmon Don (RM8.88++). It has deep fried salmon belly and flying fish roe on top of their fragrant Japanese rice.

On the other hand, their Ontama Salmon Don (RM8.88++) would be a little different as it has salmon flakes, soft boiled egg and flying fish roe on top of their fragrant Japanese Rice.

There will also some special sushis exclusively created for this season such as the Spicy Salmon Teriyaki Sushi (RM5++), Salmon Teriyaki Sushi (RM5++), Fried Salmon Sushi (RM5++) and Assorted Sushi (RM6++).

For dessert, we had Hanjuku Cheese Cake (RM4++/pc), a soft baked cheese cake that caught me yearning for more. It was extremely delicious for everyone, regardless of age, as the sweetness and fluffiness of the cake was just right. I would advise you to request for a chilled version as it was perfect to end any meal.

Do check out on the current promotion (1 January 2017 – 28 February 2017) as each customer who spends RM68 and above in a single receipt at any Sushi King outlet, can receive an exclusive set of Sushi King Daruma Ang Pows and he/she would also be entitled in the running of the “Win an all expenses paid” trip to Tokyo.

Overall, I’m contended with the dishes served, especially the fresh air-flown Norwegian salmon dishes. On top of that, the Prosperity Yee Sang with sliced and minced salmon is a great way to enjoy the dish to ensure that everyone has their share of raw salmon. The CNY Bento on the other hand was also a great dish to ensure that each diner would have their own portion of yee sang for the joyous occasion.

The Sushi King @ Gurney Plaza is located at level 2 of the new wing. Just use the escalator up to level 2 and you can see the outlet on the right.

Name: Sushi King @ Gurney Plaza
Address: Lot No. Lot 170-02-58, Plaza Gurney, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-227 5285
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.437096, 100.309867

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

It was another historic day for Texas Chicken Malaysia when it opened its door at 1st Avenue Mall, Penang, the first Northern region outside Klang Valley on 19 January 2017. Being the 34th outlet and with more expansion planning for Northern region in 2017, local franchisee, Envictus International Holdings Limited (Envictus Group – formerly known as Etika Holdings), Texas Chicken is ready to excite the taste palates of Penang residents with its signature menu items and bold flavors. Most popular are their Spicy Chicken which is double-marinated and hand-breaded to ensure spicy deliciousness in every bite and their scrumptiously delicious Honey-Butter Biscuits which are made from scratch and freshly baked all day long. Other customers’ favorites include the juicy crunchy Chicken Tenders, Mexicana Wrap, Tex Supreme Burger, Jalapeno Bombers, Strawberry Shortcake and more. The opening of Texas Chicken @ 1st Avenue Mall was officiated by franchise partner Envictus International Holdings Limited Chairman, Datuk Jaya JB Tan and Amarpal Sandhu, General Manager of Texas Chicken Asia-Pacific. The event ended with the directors handling over some donations, ang pows and gifts to the children from the House of Hope.

Of course the main attraction of Texas Chicken would be their Crunchy Chicken Pieces or Tender (Spicy or Original) and their signature Honey-Butter Biscuit, with the option to choose between BBQ and Honey Mustard Sauce. If you are unsure which option of the chicken suit you best, you could always try out their Tex Sampler (RM15.55+) which has a piece of chicken, a piece of tender, a piece of honey-butter biscuit, BBQ or honey mustard sauce, coleslaw and a glass of Coca-Cola.

I also managed to try out their Spicy Tex Supreme (RM8.90+). You would be surprise to find some added nachos for that extra crunch.

We also tried out their signature desserts such as Strawberry and Chocolate Shortcakes (RM5.90+ each) and Chocolate Volcano (RM7.90+). Definitely the Chocolate Volcano excelled amongst the 3 desserts.

Overall, I’m quite happy with the chicken products as they were indeed fresh and tasty. However, my favorite is still the Chocolate Volcano with a nice combination of hot and cold sensation.

Texas Chicken can be located at the LF Floor of 1st Avenue Mall.

Name: TEXAS CHICKEN @ 1ST AVENUE MALL
Address: LG-15, 16 &17, Lower Ground Floor, 1st Avenue Mall, 182, Jalan Magazine, 10300 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-370 5594
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.413186, 100.331222

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About Texas Chicken: Founded in San Antonio, Texas in 1952 by George W. Church, Church’s Chicken, along with its sister brand Texas Chicken outside of the Americas, is one of the largest quick service chicken restaurant chains in the world. The brands specialize in Original and Spicy Chicken freshly prepared throughout the day in small batches that are hand-battered and double-breaded, Tender Strips®, sandwiches, honey-butter biscuits made from scratch and freshly baked, and classic, home-style sides all for a great value. Church’s Chicken and Texas Chicken have more than 1,650 locations in 25 countries and global markets and system-wide sales of more than US $1 billion. For more information, visit www.texaschickenmalaysia.com.

About Envictus International Holdings Limited: On July 2012, the Group signed an exclusive 10-year International Multiple Unit Franchise Agreement with US-based Cajun Global LLC for exclusive rights to develop and operate Texas Chicken restaurants in Malaysia and Brunei from 2013 to 2022. This marked the Group’s Maiden foray into the fast food segment. These restaurants serve American-styled, big juicy full-flavored fried chicken, French fries, honey butter biscuits, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, burgers and sundaes to name a few. Since the opening of the first flagship store, Envictus has leveraged on the robust demand for the Texas Chicken restaurant concept by growing its presence at a good place to reach a total of 34 restaurants at present, mainly within Klang Valley area in Malaysia.

Nothing could be merrier than to be reunited with family members and friends during Chinese New Year over great food and company. One such place would be at Hakka Tree 客福家 (Tesco Tanjung Pinang & Gurney Plaza) where they would be promoting their Hakka Tree Poon Choi (RM328nett) and Hakka Tree Yee Sang (RM38nett for 1-2 pax/RM66nett for 6-8 pax). The promotion would last from 15 January 2017 until 6 February 2017. For any enquiries, please call +6016-229 6598 to make your booking. A minimum of 2 days advanced booking is required for the Poon Choi. Please also take note that in order to maintain the standard and quality, the Poon Choi is for dine-in only.

Let’s take a look at what’s in the Hakka Tree Poon Choi. The uniqueness in this Poon Phoi lies in the long simmering hours of plentiful bones with dried scallops and dried oysters to extract the concentrated stock which is rich in collagen. There would be more than a dozen of quality ingredients used to create this dish but the main attraction would be the generous amount of added pork knuckles, tender and melt in the mouth, on a bed of cabbages, yam, radish, slowly stacking up with deep fried bean sticks (fu chok), dried China-imported oysters, Australian sea cucumbers, New Zealand scallops, Chilean abalones, king prawns, Chinese mushrooms, broccoli, homemade pork tendon balls and topped with “golden” bags, a symbol of abundant wealth in the Chinese belief. The balance combination of meat, seafood and vegetables indeed made this a divine dish to savor during this festive season.

Other than the Poon Choi, you could also try out their Hakka Tree Yee Sang, a must have dish which symbolizes abundance, prosperity and vigor. The thin slices of vegetable pickles, crackers and more were mixed together thoroughly with some added fresh salmon slices and was further enhanced by a specially concocted sauce with distinctive flavors. What I like most was the generous amount of sauce, coating each and every strand of the ingredients, giving the dish a well balance taste.

If you have some place left in your stomach, you could always try out their desserts such as Purple Yam (RM8.90) and Fu Chok Yee Mai (RM5.90).

Overall, I’m happy with all dishes that were served on our table. However, I would suggest that the restaurant should advise their patrons on how to consume the Poon Choi properly, especially when there were abalones served as the abalones might get rather tough after a longer period of simmering in the pot. Moreover, this might deter some elderly patrons from enjoying this wonderful pot of goodness.

Hakka Tree can be located at both Tesco Tanjung Pinang (1st Floor) and Gurney Plaza (Basement). You can check out the address below.

Name: HAKKA TREE @ TESCO TANJUNG PINANG
Address: F27, 1st Floor Tesco Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-899 3887
Business Hours: 9.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.458739, 100.308488

Name: HAKKA TREE @ GURNEY PLAZA
Address: 170-B1-06/07, Plaza Gurney, Solok Gurney 1, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-228 3887
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.437987, 100.309818

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Let’s welcome the arrival of the Red Fire Rooster during this coming Chinese New Year 2017 with wonderful spreads of Chinese delicacies from Sukkah Coffee House @ Olive Tree Hotel, Penang. Olive Tree Hotel ensures only the best and finest dishes are served in the Chinese New Year menus. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, Olive Tree Hotel will be offering both buffet and 8-course dinner in its Grand Ballroom. It is indeed an opportunity not to be missed for those who want to get a taste of traditional and authentic cuisines from various Chinese people groups such as the Hakka, Cantonese and Teochew. This will be accompanied by live performances like lion dance, Chinese orchestra and many more, guaranteed to keep the evening exciting. Skip the hassle of cooking and cleaning and spend more time with your family. Celebrate the first and second day of Chinese New Year with a buffet lunch or dinner with your loved ones. Large families can benefit on the Buy 5 free 1 promotion for buffet lunch on both days. Ongoing 7-course and 8-course meals are also available for pre-celebration until the 15th day of the Chinese New Year. These meals are available by advanced booking and each booking will be held in a Chinese New Year-themed private function rooms – ideal for private groups, family celebrations and company meals. For reservation and enquiries, please contact Sukkah Coffee House at +604-637 7873 to make prior booking to avoid any disappointment.

Let’s dive in and savor the best of the best during this auspicious celebration with their RM888nett package. As how it should be, the Olive Tree Yee Sang Platter would be presented to the diners to “lo hei” in a great year of great fortune, a symbol of abundance, prosperity and vigor.

Next on the line up would be the Double Boiled Chicken Soup with Sea Cucumber and Scallops, a rich and nourishing soup which had obvious taste of the long simmering hours to pep it up.

The Crispy Golden Roasted Duck was something that had us gobbling up more as it was done to perfection with crispy skins and tender meat.

We also tried out their Steamed Garoupa with Superior Soy Sauce, fresh and succulent until the last bit. The size of the fish was just nice for a table of 10 pax.

The Braised Mushrooms & Homemade Tofu with Scallops & Broccoli may look simple but the overall dish was filled with just the right flavors and “wok hei”.

On the other hand, the Stir Fried Tiger Prawns with Butter Cream Sauce was something quite unique in flavors. I quite like the portion served too.

The Authentic Claypot Chicken Rice was something that I did not expect to see on the menu but it was so skillfully prepared with some charred flavors to pep up the flavors more. How I wished there with some deep fried bits of salted fish added to make the dish more Malaysian.

Lastly, we had Snow Fungus with Ginkgo Nuts in Soya Bean Milk which was a great dessert to end the meal.

Overall, the package deal of RM888nett for 10 pax was more than adequate for consumption as the portion could be rather big compared to some of the eateries available out there. The dishes were flavorful and had some nicely pepped up dishes such as the roasted duck and claypot chicken rice.

Set menu spreads and other promotions as below:

The Sukkah Coffee House @ Olive Tree Hotel Penang is located just opposite the Subterranean Penang International Conference & Exhibition Centre (SPICE – formerly known as PISA aka Penang International Sports Arena) along Jalan Mahsuri. If you are coming from Bukit Jambul via Jalan Tun Dr. Awang towards the Penang International Airport (PIA), turn left into Jalan Mahsuri at the traffic lights immediately after you have passed the SPICE. Keep right and drive up until the traffic lights and make a U-Turn. You can see the hotel on your left. Park your car and use the elevator or escalator to Level 2 and you can see the Sukkah Coffee House there.

Name: SUKKAH COFFEE HOUSE @ OLIVE TREE HOTEL PENANG
Address: 76, Jalan Mahsuri, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-637 7856
Business Hours:
Breakfast: 6.00am-10.30am
Lunch (Monday to Friday): 12.00noon-2.30pm
Lunch (Saturday & Sunday): 12.00noon-3.00pm
Dinner: 6.30pm-11.00pm
GPS: 5.327101, 100.279070

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About Olive Tree Hotel: Nestled along the industrial and corporate corridors of Penang, the Olive Tree Hotel is a Green Building Index (GBI) compliant hotel that boasts easy access to major landmarks and hosts a convenient and conducive environment for business and leisure travelers alike. A 25-storey statement of well profound architecture and hospitality with a choice of 228 rooms and 24 suites, guests can expect not only a functional space that is sure to give the utmost comfort, but also a memorable experience. The Olive Tree Hotel Penang is also built to cater to meetings, conventions, banquets and weddings. It houses a Grand Ballroom with a mezzanine gallery that that can comfortably accommodate up to 720 people and 7 function rooms with various dimensions for various events.

Vistana Hotel Penang Bukit Jambul had always been one of the main banquet providers, with support from the corporate and public sectors for quite many years. This year again, diners would have the privilege the Chinese New Year spreads from the Hong Kong Master Chef Ng Wing Lam with more than 40 years of culinary experiences from Hong Kong and Asia. The Chinese New Year Yee Sang Banquet 2017 promotion would start from 8 January 2017 until 11 February 2017 (Lunch: 12.00pm-3.00pm & Dinner: 7.00pm-10.00pm). For more information, you can email vispg@ytlhotels.com.my or call +604-646 8000 for enquiries and reservations.

You have an option to choose from the menu as shown below with pricing starting as low as RM688++ per table for 10 persons. However, the hotel does also provide the flexibility to customize your dishes as what we had earlier.

I would be sharing with you some of dishes plucked from the 3 different menus available. The main highlight of the dinner was the Prosperity Salmon Yee Sang, a rather out of the norm dish with jellyfish, freshly julienned carrot and radish plus some deep fried julienned yam on top of the usual other ingredients.

The next on the list was the Double-Boiled Chicken Soup with Ginseng and Chinese Herbs, packed with herbal flavors and chunks of boneless chicken thigh meat.

We were also served with Fried Boneless Chicken with Spicy Mayonnaise, a set of 3 batter fried boneless chicken served on a bed of spicy mayonnaise. It was a rather unique dish, except that the portion might be quite small for a table of 10 pax.

As usual, there would be a fish dish to symbolize years of abundant wealth and we had the Steamed Red Lion Fish with Superior Soya Sauce. Not bad but it could be better in size.

The Braised Broccoli with Black Mushrooms, Pacific Clams and Fatt Choy was another usual dish you would get in a banquet style of serving.

We also had the Chef’s Special Deep-Fried Prawns. The sizes of the prawns were indeed bigger than the normal servings.

The Gemini Fried Rice with Assorted Meat & Vegetables might not look appetizing as I would expect some additional julienned iceberg lettuce to be added in like last year to add in more colors and flavors to the dish. However, look can be deceiving as the dish was quite palatable.

We ended our meal with Double-Boiled Dried Longan and Red Dates with Glutinous Rice Balls. It was a rather balanced Chinese dessert with tasty sesame paste filled glutinous rice balls.

The bonus dessert of Sweet Rice Cake was something that caught our attention most as they could be rather addictive. There were hint of sweet potatoes, yam and lotus paste in each of the mini ball.

Overall, the dishes served for the night was quite fulfilling but it could have been better in terms of portion. The ballroom can only cater up to 500 pax at one time, so do email vispg@ytlhotels.com.my or call in +604-646 8000 to make your advance reservations to avoid any disappointment.

The ballroom is located at the left side as you enter the hotel lobby of Vistana Hotel Penang along Jalan Bukit Gambir. You can park your car at the basement which would require you to get a magnetic card from the receptionist to scan your way out.

Name: GROUND FLOOR BALLROOM @ VISTANA HOTEL PENANG
Address: 213 Jalan Bukit Gambir, 11950 Bukit Jambul, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604- 646 8000
Business Hours: 12.00pm-3.00pm & 7.00pm-10.00pm (8 January until 11 February 2017)
GPS: 5.336334, 100.291527

RATING:
Ambience: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)