Friday, January 20, 2017

Hakka Tree Prosperity Poon Choy @ Hakka Tree(Tesco Tanjung Pinang / Gurney Plaza)

Chinese New Year is when we usually gather with friends and family and celebrate it with feast and usually gain some weights from it.
This year,  Hakka Tree(客福家) introduces their very first year of cooking a pot of auspicious and prosperous Poon Choy, a Chinese delicacy that has got all the quality and luxurious ingredients and braised to perfection.

There are 2 outlets of Hakka Tree(客福家) in Penang so far, one can be found at the Tesco Tanjung Pinang established in 2011 and another one at Gurney Plaza Penang in 2013.
Since then, Hakka Tree(客福家)  has been the locals' favourite restaurant for all the Hakka specialties and goodies. 

Before we start our meal, we were invited to do the Lou Sang ceremony together!
The Yee Sang selling at Hakka Tree(客福家) features fresh ingredients such as all the cut cucumber, carrots, sesame, salmon slices pickled ingredients and many more, then topped with crackers, sauces before we start tossing it. 
The Yee Sang cames in 2 different sizes, you can order the small one at only RM38nett that serves 2 to 3 pax and the big one(as shown on the photo) is priced at RM66nett, serves 6 to 8 pax.

Lou Sang has been a tradition since the past until now.
It is also known as the Prosperity Toss and we must give all the auspicious wishes during the tossing ceremony to bring a better and greater year ahead.

The happiest thing in Lou Sang is when you get to do it with your friends, though it is going to be very messy but still we are very happy to do it!

Then we shall introduce you the highlight of the day!
Hakka Tree Prosperity Poon Choy
featureing 14 delicacies such as Chile abalones, prawns, Chinese black mushrooms, broccoli, preserved oysters, fried golden bags, pork knuckle, Australian sea cucumber, yam, radish, deep-fried foo chuk and New Zealand scallops. All have been placed carefully layer by layer to follow the tradition as we have to eat it from the top to the bottom.

So what's your favourite food when it comes to Poon Choy?
A pot of grea goodies like this will never be enough especially when you are enjoying it with your friends and family.
The Hakka Tree Prosperity Poon Choy is priced at RM328nett that serves 6-8pax with all the quality ingredients that braised to perfection especially the mushroom, abalone, prawns and sea cucumber.

PROMOTION
If you were to purchase the Hakka Tree Prosperity Poon Choy, you will also get RM150 cash vouchers that you can use it again for your next visit.
So in short, you are only paying the Poon Choy at RM178! How great is that?

One thing I have to highlight is the broth that nicely braised with pork knuckle, dried oysters, dried scallops for long hours did plays an important part of this Poon Choy. The soup tasted really flavourful and it gives you a very hearty feeling just like how you savour your mom's cooking at home.

After the delicious meal, we also tried another Hakka delicacy, the Taro Rolls that wrapped with thin and crispy layer of bean curd and deep fried to perfection.
The Taro Rolls here features the combination of 2 types of sweet potatoes(purple and orange) that further added the sweetness in this dish and you can savour it with highest satisfaction.

To end the great meal, we all had a bowl of their signature dessert, the Barley Fook Chuk dessert in Soy Milk. 
Unlike what we usually had out there, they boiled this tong sui with soy milk that gives it s smoother end to your meal.

With every RM50 spent, you will also get a set of their limited edition ang pow + RM10 cash voucher for your next visit. All the promotions happen only during Chinese New Year!

Hakka Tree Prosperity Poon Choy
- Available from 15 January to 6 February 2017
- Available at Hakka Tree Gurney Plaza & Tesco Tanjung Pinang
- 2 days advance booking required
- RM328nett inclusive of RM150 cash vouchers.
-Available for dine-in only. You can bring your own pot for take-aways

Hakka Tree Yee Sang
-Available from 15 Jan - 6 Feb 2017
-Available at Hakka Tree Gurney Plaza & Tesco Tanjung Pinang
- Small @ RM38nett serves 2 to 3pax
- Big @ RM66nett serves 6 to 8pax

Hakka Tree Tesco Tanjung Pinang
Address: F27, 1 Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang
10470 Tanjong Tokong, Penang
Business hours: Daily 9:30am to 10:00pm
Contact no: +604-8993887
GPS: 5.4589012,100.3087109

Hakka Tree Gurney Plaza
Address: 170-B1-06/07 Solok Gurney 1, 10250 Penang
Business hours: Daily 10:00am to 10:00pm 
Contact no.: +604-2283887
GPS: 5.4376482,100.3068963
Facebook page

Monday, January 16, 2017

Thai Shop @ Kimberly Street Penang | Aunthetic Thai Hawker Food

SAWASDEE KRUP! 

Started their businesses humbly at a quite secluded corner of Penang Kimberly StreetThai Shop opened its door welcoming all Penangites to try their authentic Thai food.
Thai Shop features an affordable menu with a list of authentic Thai hawker food which can be easily seen all around Thailand if you have been there before.
The workers are mostly Siam who are specialized in Thai food. They even wear those traditional clothes as their uniforms to serve the customers. And something not forget to mention, they are really friendly and similar to what I've experienced in Bangkok and Hat Yai before.

The place is rather cozy though it looks just like any other kopitiam. It was rather clean and pretty windy hence you don't have to worry about the hot air, furthermore it is covered in shades hence it was pretty cool even if you are sitting outside.
The way the restaurant/kopitiam designed was pretty similar to what I've seen in Thailand before, it really brings back memories.

The place carries many products from Thailand hence you can taste the authentic flavours of Thai here in Penang. It is once of its kind and the very first Thai hawker restaurant in Penang so let's see what they can offer below.

Cha Khiao(left) - Thai Green Tea Latte
Cha Yen(right) - Thai Milk Tea
We ordered the 2 signature drinks from Thailand and pretty satisfied with the taste! The staff knows that the locals prefer our drinks to be less sweet and he was pretty caring to fulfil our requests too! 

Som Tum is also known as Thai Papaya Salad, a Thai delicacy that most people like it spicy and sour that tasted rather refreshing and addictive. The way they serve this Som Tum is rather sweet which fits the original Thai style. It suits me perfectly as I am not into something over spicy that will numb my taste bud.

Moo Ping, also known as Thai Pork Satay is my all time favourite. I had this every day when I was in Bangkok and Hat Yai whenever I see any stalls selling these. The pork satay comes with a thick layer of pork belly which also consists of fats that add extra fragrant to the dish itself. This is the best Moo Ping I can find in Penang so far!

Want a bite?

Khao Phad Saparod a.k.a Pineapple Fried Rice was simply fragrant and fried to perfection. The portion was perfect for a meal and you can also squeeze the lime provided just like how the Siam savour this dish. I like how the fried rice was cooked, just perfect!

Another fried rice we have tried is the Khao Phad Tomyum a.k.a Tom Yum Fried Rice.
The flavour was rather strong and every rice was fried to perfection. I was the only who find it a bit overcooked but the rest of my friends love it though. Nevertheless it is still delicious!

Gaeng Saparot a.k.a Pineapple & Chicken Curry is our top favourite among all. The curry was quite thick and creamy, the first spoonful of curry soup gave me a "WOW" feeling and I immediately fell in love with this dish. I like how well balanced the herbs are used to create this wonderful dish.

Gaeng Khao Wan a.k.a Thai Green Curry Chicken is rather flavourful as well! Unlike the greenish curry that we usually tasted in other Thai restaurant, the authentic Thai green curry is suppose to be this light green colour like what I've tasted in Thailand before. The green curry here is also very addictive like the pineapple curry. It was quite thick and creamy too hence it is best to go with plain white rice best for a complete meal.
Image may contain: food

If you have visited Thailand no matter it is Bangkok or Hat Yai or any other places, I'm sure you would have tried this pork delicacy before. Khao Kha Moo a.k.a Signature Pork Leg Rice is a must try dish in Thailand! I'm not surprise that I can find it here as this is one of the best dishes in Thailand. The thick whole pork knuckle was braised for hours until it became soft and tender, then it will be served with some vegetables and salted vegetables by the side. By the time the pork leg was served, it would absorbed all the flavour from the soup and taste amazing.

A great meal that features all the dishes available at Thai Shop. I was told that they will further add in more dishes to the menu after some time.

Chargrilled Pork Satay


Braised Pork Leg

We ended our meal with a traditional Thai dessert but a localized version. Tub Tim Krob a.k.a Thai Red Rubies in Coconut Milk & Shaved Ice is a mouthwatering yet very addictive Thai dessert. It is also my favourite Thai dessert other than Mango Sticky Rice, this dessert put an satisfying end to our meal.

The menu is simple yet features some of the well known authentic Thai dishes. I was also told that they will change their menu and add new dishes from time to time. The current menu is reasonably priced and this place would be great for lunch or dinner.

Thai Shop @ Kimberly Street Penang
Address: 257 Lebuh Kimberley, 10100 George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
Business hours: Daily 11:30am - 9:30pm (No off at the moment)
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ThaiShop.Penang/
GPS: 5.4174281,100.3288638
Map


Google Street Earth

樱花生活馆 Sakura Living @ M Mall Penang

Penang is a place filled with different cultures that attracts expats to reside here. We have expats from Japan, Australia, China and even people from the Europe and America that retired or migrated to Penang.
If you are a fan of imported products from Japan, then this newly opened store that sells all sorts of premium Japanese products is the right place for you to shop now!
We all know that there are many stores in Penang that sells all sorts of imported Japanese snacks, but other snacks, Sakura Living can get you variety of products such as kitchen utensils, beauty and facial products and more many.

樱花生活馆 Sakura Living is located at the ground floor of M Mall next to 六鼎轩(The Six). You can find it if you are standing in the middle of the mall next to the main stage occupying 3 shoplots and became one of the newly joined tenants in M Mall.  

What makes 樱花生活馆 Sakura Living is the products they imported from Japan are mostly premium products. Though you can find some of these products from other stores in Penang, but I can say that 樱花生活馆 Sakura Living carries the most premium products here and some cannot be found at other stores. 

What attracted me was the variety of snacks and sweets available here. Compare to the other stores, here has the most completed collections and also offering most candies that I have never seen before. Also there are all sorts of cute facial masks and instant noodles which are my favourites. The bowl instant noodles that you can see from the below picture is my favourite, it is great that I can find them all here!

There were also varieties of Pocky flavours, so many that it gave me dilemma when I was selecting it. Also I've spotted some cute snacks that has got Pikachu printing and the snacks that Shin Chan loves in the anime!
Hello Kitty fans will be very delighted to find all sorts of products with Hello Kitty packaging too!

One of the best premium chocolates, Ishiya - Shiroi Koibito Chocolat Blanc Langue de Chat.


Also here you can find all sorts of sake and Japanese wines. They are well furnished imported wines and whiskey that looks really interesting. I've never seen most of them but was told that all those are premium wines & sake from Japan.

Other than food and beverages, you can also find other stuff like clothes, kitchen utensils, equipments and many more. This place is like a mini grocery instead of a snacks store. Something different from other stores is because even all their other items are also imported stuff from Japan.
With 樱花生活馆 Sakura Living here, I don't have to worry where to find Yukata and girls you can also find Kimono here! There are also clothes for kids too!

There were these classic and elegant handpouch, came in different sizes for different needs.
Ladies must have a look on what they offered here.
Also there were special items such as their "Kiss You" toothbrush that features special functions and helps in teeth whitening and deep cleaning. 
Not forget to mention the machines they have here that can create shaved ice and many more.

I personally like that plates and cups that they have here. All of them are printed with Sakura flowers that looks really beautiful!
They have been sold separately but you can find a complete set here including pots and bowls!

One of the best sellers here would be none other than the facial products by Ashiya!
Ashiya is very popular in Japan and it is not very easy to find them. We were told that even the Japanese in Japan have to visit the local clinics or hospitals to get them as Ashiya do not simply distribute their products to any stores. 
Ashiya products specialized in skin healing and skin recovering especially towards burnts or scars. Glad that we can now find them at 樱花生活馆 Sakura Living in M Mall Penang.    

The item that attracted my attention was the Whey Soap that also priced reasonably. It helps in skin whitening and moisturizing. I was looking for products like this for ages but most of them were very costly and here they are only selling them at RM58 per piece and RM158 for 3 pieces. How great is that!?

So it was a shopping spree for all of us!
Special thanks to 樱花生活馆 Sakura Living for hosting us that evening and for the fun-filled shopping session.

It was a heavy damage and I've got all these delicious snacks in my house!
Now it is time for you to visit and do your shopping!

樱花生活馆 Sakura Living @ M Mall, Penang
Address: 79-G-12A,12B, M Mall O2O, Penang Times Square, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 Penang, Malaysia.
Business hours: Daily 10:00am - 10:00pm
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sakuraliving
GPS: 5.4119159,100.3260165
Map

Google Street Earth

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Chinese New Year Steamboat Buffet @ Eastern & Oriental Hotel

It's the time of the year again that we celebrate the prosperous season with some traditional steamboat. This year in Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang, they are bringing sumptuous steamboat buffet at the Sarkies Corner.

Featuring all sorts of seafood, meats, vegetables and more, the traditional "Ooi Lor" is gonna be different from your ordinary steamboat this year. The experience of having steamboat in a 5-star hotel surely gives you and your family an unforgettable experience.

Yee Sang will also be served to all the customers, especially if you book a table with minimum of 6pax in a table.
The Yee Sang comes with fresh salmon slices and it tasted rather refreshing and even better with the "Pok Chui" that added some crunchiness in this dish.

Part of the menu: Assorted vegetables, mushrooms and many more.
How can we not add those vegetables in our steamboat? If you are not a meat lover, you would love the vegetable selections available on the spread.

In Eastern & Oriental Hotel, you are not gonna expect the usual meatballs and fishballs kind of food.
What they are serving are mostly fresh and real ingredients other than those processed food. What we can find are ingredients like fish maws, tofu, all sorts of seafood and many more.

Meat and seafood lovers would be more than happy to see the available selections including crab, fresh prawns, sea cucumber, sea asparagus, mussels, squid, chicken, beef and many more.
All these are essentials to eat with steamboat, and you are enjoying it here with unlimited supplies. 

When you are ready, throw everything into the pot and start boiling it!
The steamboat buffet here comes with 3 types of soup for selections:
Chicken, Herbal & Tomyam

For after-meal, there were plenty of mouthwatering desserts available on the spread.
There are selection of tarts, puddings, cakes and even traditional desserts.

Mango pudding

Refreshing and delicious tart.

Assorted pastries & cakes

Semolina Almond Cake

Assorted CNY cookies, a must for CNY celebration!  

They also serve the traditional dessert like rice ball in ginger soup.
It would be best to have some of these chewy rice ball that filled with black sesame and finish it with ginger soup after a sumptuous meal. Simply hearty and great.

Chinese New Year Steamboat Buffet Dinner
Eastern & Oriental Hotel
27 - 31 January 2017(5 days promotion only)
7:00pm - 10:30pm
RM108nett(Adult) | RM54nett(Child)
Limited to 80pax per night only
Special promo
10% early bird discount for bookings between 2 - 15 January 2017 for buffet only!

Call 04-2222000 ext:3175 or email fbcentral.resv@eohotels.com for enquiries or bookings.