FoodieChat

I just got back from two gluttonous weeks in Penang, KL and Singapore, thanks to the very cheap airfares floating around.  In Penang, everyone goes to Gurney Drive, the biggest and best hawker food centre there. 

It’s right across from the water behind their newest shopping centre, Gurney Plaza, and is two loonngg rows of stalls selling specialties such as popiah, assam laksa,

meat and fish ball skewers,

satays,

and of course the famous char kway teow.  You can easily get dinner for under 10 ringgitt which is approx A$3, and the best thing is that the servings aren’t huge, so you can buy and try lots of things!  It’s eating under the stars – and everyone in Penang goes – locals and otherwise.

We also enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the Parkroyal in Penang.  Two egg stations, fresh char kway teow, Asian breakfast items (curries, nasi lemak, congee), as well as an amazing bakery station with cakes, croissants, pancakes and every other naughty thing your mum doesn’t let you eat for breaky  

And for the diet conscious who pigged out at Gurney Drive the night before, the best tropical fruit spread with jackfruit, dragonfruit, starfruit, longans, paw paw and bananas making regular appearances. 

As Malaysia is a Muslim country, you’ll have to make do with chicken sausages and beef bacon instead of pork bacon which I found very interesting!

At the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, the most exclusive resort on the island, the Spice Cafe offers the usual Shangri-La amazing buffet spread.  Go on Monday night if you can as it’s BOGOF (buy one get one free) night!  At 102 ringitt for two, it means yo udefinitely don’t need to stuff yourself silly.  The usual seafood specialities of prawns, oysters, sashimi were complemented by yabbies as well. The hot food had an indian bar with fresh tandoori, a laksa bar,

 Asian – with jumbo huge cooked prawns.  But all of these pale in comparison to the dessert buffet. I think a picture speaks a thousand words….

where do you start!

You start with dessert that’s what! hehehe. 

There’s also DIY ice kacang – something I found I wasn’t too keen on.

Something interesting is the black chicken soup… only for the brave!

The Rasa Sayang also does high tea.  it’s not a very good ambience as there were hardly any others there, and it appears to be served in their lobby lounge which is deserted. Only 30 ringitt for high tea!