Photo By: Elin Chow
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all my overseas travel plans have been disrupted. Nations across the world have imposed travel bans to help to curb the spread of the virus. This means that it has become impossible for us to fly and travel overseas.
With domestic travel resumed in Malaysia, we started to travel within the country just to satisfy my travel itch. The first place we visited was Penang.
This was my first time visiting Penang, so I am actually quite looking forward to the trip. We traveled as a family of 5 people and drove there from Kuala Lumpur. The journey took about 4 hours.
Jetty Seafood @ Bukit Tambun 船头海鲜楼
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all my overseas travel plans have been disrupted. Nations across the world have imposed travel bans to help to curb the spread of the virus. This means that it has become impossible for us to fly and travel overseas.
With domestic travel resumed in Malaysia, we started to travel within the country just to satisfy my travel itch. The first place we visited was Penang.
This was my first time visiting Penang, so I am actually quite looking forward to the trip. We traveled as a family of 5 people and drove there from Kuala Lumpur. The journey took about 4 hours.
Jetty Seafood @ Bukit Tambun 船头海鲜楼
Before heading to Penang island, we decided to stop over at Bukit Tambun for lunch. Bukit Tambun is a tiny sleepy fishing village located on Mainland Penang, along the river banks of Sungai Jawi.It is a paradise for seafood lovers.
Due to its close proximity to the sea, Bukit Tambun has an abundance of fresh seafood. As a result. you will find quite a number of seafood restaurants lining its main street. With a dozen of restaurants to choose from, it is hard to differentiate which are good and which are bad. So we randomly choose to eat at Jetty Seafood Restaurant, which is one of the popular restaurant in this area.
The dining area was spacious and pretty comfortable. It offers a tranquil view of the river and the lush green mangrove forest.
Unlike most other oyster omelette I have eaten so far, this one has a hard and crispy crust. It looks more like an oyster pancake than an oyster omelette to me. The crust was dry, the oysters were tiny and there was very little or no eggs used. Something different, but unfortunately, we did not like it at all.
Stir-Fry Kangkung Belacan
A very simple dish, but taste so good. It was nicely cooked and goes especially well with white rice.
Stir-Fried Kam Heong Clams (Lala)
I always love Kam Heong clams, but this one is not to my liking because a lot of curry powder is used. Other than that, the clams were fresh but a little small.
Steamed Mantis Prawns
The snapper was very fresh but the sauce was a little lacking. It feel that it was not salty enough but other than that, everything was good.
Overall, the food was good, but nothing amazing. Prices are not very cheap but still reasonable. You might want to stop over at Bukit Tambun if you are craving for seafood.
Bay View Beach Resort Batu Ferringhi
After lunch, we drove straight to Batu Ferringhi, a popular beach attraction that is located on the northern coast of Penang. For this trip, we will be spending a night in Batu Ferringhi and the other two nights in Georgetown.
We stayed at Bay View Beach Resort in Batu Ferringhi. Situated along Batu Ferringhi beach, Bay View Beach Resort is a 4-star resort located just beside Hard Rock Hotel, Penang.
The resort offers 360 different rooms and suites to suit different needs and budgets, ranging from Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Grand Deluxe Room, Family Room and Family Suite. Each room and suite comes with a private balcony that either overlooks the hill or the sea.
Other in room amenities includes a LCD TV with international channels, a mini safe, a mini fridge, coffee and tea making facilities and complimentary WiFi. The room also comes with complimentary two bottles of mineral water. A Coway water dispenser is provided at the Ground floor where you can refill your empty bottles.
Due to its close proximity to the sea, Bukit Tambun has an abundance of fresh seafood. As a result. you will find quite a number of seafood restaurants lining its main street. With a dozen of restaurants to choose from, it is hard to differentiate which are good and which are bad. So we randomly choose to eat at Jetty Seafood Restaurant, which is one of the popular restaurant in this area.
The restaurant is built on wooden stilts by the side of the river, overlooking a mangrove forest. As its name suggests, the restaurant is located next to a jetty where you will be able to board a ferry to Pulau Aman previously. However, the jetty in Bukit Tambun has been replaced by Batu Musang jetty a few years ago.
Colorful fishing boats bob gently in the water and rustic wooden kampung houses dotted the coastline. A few times a day, you will see fishermen boat docking at the jetty, bringing in all the live catch and selling them to the restaurant.
Oyster Omelette
Stir-Fry Kangkung Belacan
Bukit Tambun is well-known for its live giant mantis prawns due to its close proximity to Pulau Aman where they are available in abundance. If you are willing to pay, you can choose the biggest mantis prawns they have and have them cooked in whatever way you like.
Steamed with egg whites, ginger and rice wine, the prawns were very fresh, sweet and firm to the bite. Personally, I think the price was fairly cheap, considering its large size.
Steamed White Snapper
Overall, the food was good, but nothing amazing. Prices are not very cheap but still reasonable. You might want to stop over at Bukit Tambun if you are craving for seafood.
After lunch, we drove straight to Batu Ferringhi, a popular beach attraction that is located on the northern coast of Penang. For this trip, we will be spending a night in Batu Ferringhi and the other two nights in Georgetown.
We stayed at Bay View Beach Resort in Batu Ferringhi. Situated along Batu Ferringhi beach, Bay View Beach Resort is a 4-star resort located just beside Hard Rock Hotel, Penang.
The resort offers 360 different rooms and suites to suit different needs and budgets, ranging from Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Grand Deluxe Room, Family Room and Family Suite. Each room and suite comes with a private balcony that either overlooks the hill or the sea.
Measuring 32 square metres, the superior room is incredibly spacious. The room features a king-sized bed, en-suite bathroom and has a sitting area. Every room at the hotel also comes with a private balcony that overlooks the hill or the sea.
The room is clean and well-maintained even though it is a little old and outdated. It would definitely need some refurbishment, but it is still cozy and comfortable. The bed is extremely large and can comfortably sleep up to three persons. However, I find the pillows a little too soft for my liking.
The room comes with a sitting area with a sofa and a small coffee table for lounging.
The room opens out to a private balcony that comes with two tables and two chairs and overlooks the lush green hills. However, there is nothing spectacular about the view, unless you are staying in a sea view room.
The en-suite bathroom consists of a changing area equipped with a sink and two separate bathrooms with walk-in shower and toilet/bath. Basic toiletries such as shower gel, conditioning shampoo, body lotion, shower cap, cotton buds, hair dryer and disposable toothbrush and toothpaste are provided.
At the lobby, beside the reception area, you will find a bar where you can order some cocktails, coffee and tea to drink while playing pool.
The resort has four swimming pools, offering guests of all ages a place to cool off in the hot weather. It features an adult pool for swimming, a children pool for kids to play in, a wading pool with slides and play equipment for the toddlers and a Jacuzzi for relaxing.
Right in front of the beach, next to the swimming pools, you will find a beautiful tropical garden filled with palm trees. The garden is huge and comes with a lot of sun loungers for relaxing while enjoying a foot massage.
The Ship Restaurant @ Batu Ferringhi
The restaurant has a nautical theme with servers dressed in maritime uniforms and the place is decorated with ropes, buoys and ship wheels. Eating here will make you feel like you are dining in a sailing vessel without ever getting sea sick.
The entire place is dimly lit, which creates a cozy yet romantic atmosphere. It is a perfect place to celebrate any occasion with your loved ones!
The restaurant was having a set dinner promotion when we visited. The set dinner consists of half a dozen of Escargot as appetizer, a soup, a choice of Rib Eye steak, grilled seafood or Leg of Lamb for main course and a cheese cake as dessert at only RM 72.90++. It was cheap and if you follow their Facebook page, you will be entitled for another 20% discount on this set. However, each table is only allowed to order 1 set of this only.
After placing our order, we were each given a warm bread bun roll and butter to amp up our appetite.
Escargot Bourguinonne, a French delicacy of edible land snails. The Escargots are baked with herbs and served in garlic butter cream cheese sauce. It was amazingly delicious and we love it so much!
The Escargots were quite big in size and does not have much initial flavor. It was chewy but also delightfully soft and firm, almost melting in the mouth. The sauce was deliciously buttery and cheesy as well! I cannot stop dipping my Escargot into the sauce again and again!
Mixed Salad
Grilled Australian Rib-Eye With Black Pepper Sauce
For the main course, I had Grilled Australian Rib-Eye served with Black Pepper Sauce since steaks are their forte. Served with baked potato, corn on the cob and some boiled broccoli, the steak is grilled until lightly charred and drizzled with black pepper sauce. The steak is tender with the right amount of fat. The sauce also complements the meat really well.
Charbroiled Rib-Eye Steak
The resort offers a direct access to the beach, so you can easily go for a dip in the sea. The beach is long with soft, white sand. Even though the water is not transparent clear, it is clean and calm. The resort also offers a variety of water sports such as jet-ski, parasailing and banana boat for the adventurous ones. You will never get bored here as there are so many things you can do.
For dinner, we ate at The Ship Restaurant, which was located just 10 minutes drive away from our hotel, next to Starbucks. It is hard not to notice the restaurant as it is tucked inside a life-sized wooden sailing vessel.
The Ship is undoubtedly one of the most popular place to enjoy some good quality steak. It prided itself on serving the best steak in town.
The entire place is dimly lit, which creates a cozy yet romantic atmosphere. It is a perfect place to celebrate any occasion with your loved ones!
The restaurant was having a set dinner promotion when we visited. The set dinner consists of half a dozen of Escargot as appetizer, a soup, a choice of Rib Eye steak, grilled seafood or Leg of Lamb for main course and a cheese cake as dessert at only RM 72.90++. It was cheap and if you follow their Facebook page, you will be entitled for another 20% discount on this set. However, each table is only allowed to order 1 set of this only.
Escargot Bourguinonne
The Escargots were quite big in size and does not have much initial flavor. It was chewy but also delightfully soft and firm, almost melting in the mouth. The sauce was deliciously buttery and cheesy as well! I cannot stop dipping my Escargot into the sauce again and again!
Mixed Salad
The soup never came, but instead, we got a bowl of mixed salad with a choice of dressing: French, Mayonnaise or Thousand Island. And I only realized this while I was writing this post! What happened to the soup?
Charbroiled Rib-Eye Steak
Charbroiled Rib-Eye Steak is one of their best seller, and for a good reason. Served with baked potato, corn on cob, a roasted tomato and boiled broccoli, the steak was nicely grilled to perfection.
I actually love this more than their normal grilled steak. The meat is well-seasoned and pleasantly charred. It was so delightfully tender and juicy to the bite!
Roasted Rack Of Lamb
Besides beef, I would recommend their Rack of Lamb too. This was mouth-watering delicious as well. Each individually carved lamb chop is so tender, juicy and flavorful. So tasty! Topped with kebab sauce, it is served with baked potato, corn on cob, a roasted tomato and boiled broccoli.
Grilled Premium Lamb Chop
The Grilled Premium Lamb Chop, however, was disappointing. Served with french fries and boiled mixed vegetables, the meat was a little dry and hard to eat.
Black Pepper Chicken
I actually love this more than their normal grilled steak. The meat is well-seasoned and pleasantly charred. It was so delightfully tender and juicy to the bite!
Roasted Rack Of Lamb
Grilled Premium Lamb Chop
Black Pepper Chicken
For people who do not like beef or lamb, the restaurant also serves chicken. This was just grilled chicken fillet drizzled with black pepper sauce. Nothing particularly special about it.
Besides beef, lamb and chicken, the restaurant also serves seafood like grilled lobsters, tiger prawns and salmon. For those who do not feel like eating western dishes, there are a variety of Chinese and Thai dishes that you can order too.
Cheese Cake
Besides beef, lamb and chicken, the restaurant also serves seafood like grilled lobsters, tiger prawns and salmon. For those who do not feel like eating western dishes, there are a variety of Chinese and Thai dishes that you can order too.
Cheese Cake
Lastly, a small slice of cheese cake was served for dessert. Taste nice but nothing special about it.
Overall, we had an enjoyable experience dining at The Ship. Prices of food are definitely not cheap, but the portion sizes are quite large. Service was great as well.
After dinner, we went back to our hotel to rest. It was slightly drizzling, so there was nothing much we could do outside.
Char Koay Teow
We checked out of the hotel next morning. It was a pity that we did not have time to enjoy the facilities in the hotel. After checking out, we drove to one of the food centre nearby for lunch. It was pretty small food court with no much choices. I ordered a plate of Char Koay Teow to try. Even though this was not charcoal fried, it was still super fragrant. It was greasy and slightly charred - so tasty!
Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee)
Overall, we had an enjoyable experience dining at The Ship. Prices of food are definitely not cheap, but the portion sizes are quite large. Service was great as well.
After dinner, we went back to our hotel to rest. It was slightly drizzling, so there was nothing much we could do outside.
Char Koay Teow
Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee)
In Penang, Prawn Mee is known as Hokkien Mee. Prawn Mee is a pride of the Penangites, so it a must eat. Rich, flavorful soup topped with vermicelli noodles, a half boiled egg, French beans, shrimps and garnished with crispy fried onions. So tasty!
Prawn Mee is a must try in Penang! This one is delicious, but definitely not the best in Penang.
Char Koay Teow
The BBQ Chicken Wings were so-so only. Each piece is coated with a layer sweet sauce before it is grilled over charcoal fire. The meat is tender and you can bite it off the bone easily. But I did not like it because it was a little too sweet. I prefer my BBQ chicken wing to be more salty than sweet. The skin is crunchy, but not crunchy enough. But luckily it was not very greasy.
BBQ Stingray
This was slightly disappointing as well. The meat was a little too hard and dry but the portion size was decent. Other than that, it taste okay.
Stir-Fried Sea Snails (Balitong)
We bought the two-way Standard ticket because Fast Lane ticket costs more than double the price of the Standard ticket. With 5 persons, we will be RM 140 more. That was crazy!
Astaka Bukit Bendera or Cliff Cafe is a three storey food court. You will find a lot of Penang local food like Penang Laksa, Rojak, Char Koay Teow and many more here. I am not sure whether the food are good because we did not eat here. But prices are definitely not cheap.
Located 823 metres above sea level on an observation deck behind Astaka Bukit Bendera, you will find the Lover's Promenade (also known as Love Locks). Launched on Valentine's Day of 2014, visitors can purchase padlocks of various sizes, decorate them and have them locked to a fence on the observation deck.
Fortunately, the sky starts to clear out after a while, so we managed to catch some view of Penang island. The view was farily good, but nothing amazing.
The queue to get back down to the Base Station was pretty long as well. It took us almost an hour to get down. Overall, I feel that Penang Hill is an overrated and overpriced attraction. There are very few things to do on top and everything costs money. Certainly not worth the long wait at all.
It was almost 1 pm when we came down from Penang Hill and we were starving. For a late lunch, we went to try out the famous Assam Laksa stall located by the road beside Pasar Air Itam or Air Itam Market, at the foot of the famous Kek Lok Si Temple.
Other than Assam Laksa, we also ordered some Lor Bak and Prawn Fritters from the nearby stall to try. They were very delicious and crispy every bite!
Muah Chee
My bowl of Prawn Mee consists of a mix of rice vermicelli and yellow noodles, an half boiled egg, sliced chicken and mini shrimps. It is served with a spoonful of chill paste and fried onions. I also added extra pork ribs to my noodles.
The noodles should come with beansprouts too. But unfortunately, the stall ran out of it because their business was so good. Even so, this is so delicious! I would certainly say that this is one of the best Prawn Mee I have eaten so far!
The bright orangery-red prawn broth is thick and flavorful. Before you eat, remember to stir in the spoonful of chili paste into the soup. It will enhance the taste of the prawn broth greatly.
Fried Oysters Omelette
Lebuh Keng Kwee
Since it was still early to check into our Airbnb apartment, we decided to visit Lebuh Keng Kwee or Keng Kwee Street to do some shopping. Lebuh Keng Kwee is a relatively short street that is well known for two of the famous roadside Cendol stalls in Penang island - Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul and Penang Road Famous Chendul.
Other than Cendol, there are also a wide variety of food and drinks available such as Assam Laksa, Rojak and Prawn Mee. But most people flock here for the Cendol.
The two famous Cendol stalls are located just opposite each other near the junction between Lebuh Keng Kwee and Jalan Penang. Among the two, I believe the Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul is the more popular stall because it has an incredibly long queue when we visited. Their business is so good that it has expanded, with franchises in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru.
However, we did not try it as we are not a fan of Cendol. For those who are interested to try, please note there are no tables or chairs for you to sit down and eat. You have to eat while standing at the road side. Oh, do watch out for the cars coming through the street.
Passing through Lebuh Keng Kwee, we walked to Pasar Chowrasta or Chowrasta Market, which is one of the oldest markets in Penang. Located about 10 minutes walk away from Lebuh Keng Kwee, the market is known to be one of best place in Penang to go if you want to buy Jeruk Buah or pickled fruits.
Penang is famous for its pickled fruits for many years. For those who do not know, pickled fruits are fresh sliced fruits or vegetables soaked in brine and later drained and rinsed before being soaked in heavy syrup.
There are a few stalls selling pickled fruits inside the market. The pickled fruits sold by each of the stall will taste slightly different. Some may be sweeter while some may be more sour.
All of the stalls here offer a wide varieties of pickled fruits. However, in Penang, the popular fruits used are nutmeg, unripe papaya, guava and mango. Prices are cheap and you can choose to buy ready-packed ones or pick and choose from the large containers of pickled fruits. The pick and choose one are sold by weight, but I would prefer to buy these than ready-packed ones because I think they are fresher.
Ming Xiang Tai Pastry 名香泰广东饼家
Then, we went to Ming Xiang Tai Pastry Shop to get some traditional handmade Cantonese pastries and biscuits.
Ming Xiang Tai has several branches across Penang island. We visited the branch that is located in the back alley of Lebuh Keng Kwee, along Jalan Penang.
Ming Xiang Tai has a fairly wide variety of great pastry delights to choose from. But the brand is best known for their signature Trishaw Egg Tart because they were sold on a Trishaw back in the early day of 1979.
All their pastries are fresh from the oven and there are limited quantities available daily. Some of the popular pastries tend to sell out very fast if you are late.
We bought quite a lot from the shop because everything just looks delicious. Prices are not cheap but the quality are really good. I especially love their Pandan Salted Egg Pastry, Wife Pastry and Siew Pao. Their Salted Egg Pastry and Egg Tart are equally good as well.
Most people who visit Penang would buy Tau Sar Piah or Tambun biscuits as take-home souvenir. But I am not fan of Tambun biscuits and would like to try something else. I am glad that we just happened to find Ming Xiang Tai online. It is like a hidden gem in Penang because surprisingly, not many people know about it. Most people who visited Penang would usually tell me to go to Ban Heang, Him Heang or Ghee Heang when I asked them where I can buy some traditional Chinese pastries.
Maritime Luxury Suites
Once we were done with shopping, we headed to check in our Airbnb apartment. We stayed at Maritime Luxury Suites, which is quite a popular place to stay in Penang island.
The development comprises of duplex suites ranging from 2 to 3 bedrooms. We were staying in a 2 bedrooms duplex apartment that overlooks the sea. Modernly furnished, the apartment was clean and comes with a living room, a small dining area, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchenette and a yard. There are air-conditioning in every room, as well as the living area.
Tall floor to ceiling windows allows plenty of natural sunlight into the apartment and offers a great view of the sea. I wish that I can wake up to this beautiful view every morning!
The apartment also features a kitchenette for simple cooking. It comes equipped with a microwave oven, a water dispenser, a fridge, an electric stove, plates and utensils. But I would not recommend anyone to do any cooking herebecause the air ventilation is bad since the entire place is air-conditioned.
The master bedroom is located upstairs and comes with a king-sized bed, a baby cot, a dressing table, a TV and a large built-in wardrobe. The second bed room is located downstairs and features a queen-sized bed and a single bed. With two bedrooms and three beds, the apartment can comfortably sleep up to 6 persons and a baby.
Both bedrooms come with en-suite bathrooms with rain showers. Only very basic toiletries such as hair shampoo and body wash are provided.
Overall, we had an enjoyable time staying here. It is a perfect home away from home for travel with family or friends. The location is also very convenient with lots of restaurants, convenience stores and pubs located just below the property.
Clan Jetties
Around 5 pm, we decided to head to the Clan Jetties to take a look. The Clan Jetties are water villages that are over a century old. There are eight jetties but unfortunately, two were demolished by the government for development plans. Each jetty is named after a Chinese surname and the ones that currently remain are: the Chew, Lim, Tan, Yeoh Lee and Mixed Clan.
The Clan Jetties are part of Penang heritage trail and have earned the city recognition as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Among the six that remain, the Chew jetty is the most famous and tourist friendly one.
Each jetty is a small community of water villages that are made up of rows of wooden houses on stilts built above the water and connected by wooden plank walkways. These cluster of houses were built by poor Chinese immigrants from Fujian Province who worked near the port in the late 19th century.
Chew Jetty
We visited three of the six jetties. The first one we headed to was the Chew Jetty.
Chew Jetty is the largest among the other seven Clan Jetties. It is the homeland for the generations of the Chew. There are hundreds of residents still living in this water community today.
However, most of the residents at Chew Jetty have converted the front pouch of their houses to business outlets selling all sorts of things. It was very touristy and I feel that it was losing its authenticity.
At the end of the jetty, you will arrive at an open area with a temple, which is also known to be one of the most instagramable spot in Penang. The open platform provides a panoramic view of the sea. But it was overflowed with tourists and I could not squeeze myself in to get a nice photo. Anyway, the view was nothing spectacular as the water around the jetties are all seriously polluted due to a lack of proper sewage system.
If you are interested, you can also book a 10 minutes boat ride around the area and take a look at the different clan jetties.
Tan Jetty
We headed to the Tan Jetty next, which is located between the Chew and Lee Jetty. Comparing to the Chew Jetty, the Tan Jetty was so much smaller and less commercialized.
There was nothing much to do or see here. We strolled down a long narrow boardwalk with loose wooden boards and a kennel full of dogs locked in small cages. It was hard to look at.
Lee Jetty
The finally jetty that we visited was the Lee Jetty. Among the three jetties that we have visited, this was the most eye-catching one. The narrow boardwalk is decorated with colorful neon lights and red lanterns. We expected it to be touristy too, but it was not.
Surprisingly, unlike the Chew Jetty, the Lee Jetty has remained largely residential, without much businesses or a kennel full of caged dogs. I actually like this jetty more than the other two. It was so much quieter and peaceful here.
Just like all the other jetties, you will find a long wooden bridge stretching to the sea at the end of the jetty. This is also where you will normally see a group of tourists gather to take countless of selfies.
I guess this was all. Overall, the Clan Jetties are a nice place to visit if you would like to learn more about the history of Penang. As there are still quite a lot of residents living at each of the jetty, please try to keep your noise level down. Also, do not enter the houses and take their photos without their permission.
Street Art @ Lebuh Armenian
Leaving the Lee Jetty, we crossed the road and walked to Lebuh Armenian to search for some of the famous street artworks in Penang. But we were sad to see that most of the street arts are fading and some could no longer be seen.
We only managed to take photo with this "Little Children on a Bicycle" artwork. There is usually a long queue of tourists waiting just to take photo with this famous artwork. But we were really lucky when we arrived on that day because there was no queue at all.
New Lane Night Hawker Center @ Jalan Macalister
We left once we had our tourist photo taken because we were starting to get hungry. For dinner, we ate at New Lane Night Hawker Centre located at Jalan Macalister, at the end of Lorong Baru, or New Lane Street.
This is more like a street food night market than a hawker centre. It is basically a street lined with food stalls. The street is closed to traffic after 4.00 pm when dozens of roadside food stalls set up for business. Located beside the street is a small open area with a number of tables and chairs where you order and sit down to enjoy the food.
You will find most of the famous Penang's street food here. But they might not be the best in Penang. Even so, it is still a great place for you to sample some of the famous local food.
Lor Bak
Lor Bak is one of Penang famous food. They were perfectly fried and well-marinated. Paired with their homemade chili sauce, they were sinfully satisfying.
Prawn Mee
Char Koay Teow
Of course, we have to order a plate of charocal-flamed duck egg Char Koay Teow to try too. But this was a little disappointing. I prefer the one we ate for lunch earlier that day more. It does not have enough wok hei, so it was not as charred and fragrant.
Oyster Omelette
Large, juicy and plump oysters atop crispy, yet slightly sticky egg batter and fried to a perfection. Served with a sour spicy chili sauce, the oyster omelette was really delicious. It has the perfect combination of oysters, egg and starch.
Assam Laksa
This was my first time trying Penang Assam Laksa, but sadly I did not like it. The soup was too sweet as there was too much prawn paste added.
BBQ Chicken Wings
BBQ Stingray
Stir-Fried Sea Snails (Balitong)
We also ordered a plate of Balitong to suck on from the stall we ordered the BBQ Stingray. The snails were very fresh and stir-fried with chili sauce.
Stir-Fried Cockles
Also from the same stall, we ordered a plate of stir-fried cockles. I am not sure whether this was nice because I hate cockles.
Overall, New Lane Night Hawker Centre is a street food paradise even though it was a little too touristy. Prices are a little on the higher side but the food quality was average. But it is still a great place for those who would like to sample a variety of local food.
Bukit Bendera (Penang Hill)
The next morning, we visited Bukit Bendera, or Penang Hill, which is one of the most well-known tourist attraction in Penang.
The only and most convenient way to get to the top of the hill is by the Penang Hill Railway, a funicular railway. The funicular will climb the Penang Hill from the Base Station at Air Itam. Tickets for the funicular can be purchased at the ticketing counters located at the Base Station.
There are two types of tickets available - Standard and Fast Lane ticket. Prices for a 2-way ticket are as below.
However, we did regret for not getting the Fast Lane tickets because the queue for the funicular was terribly long with no social distancing. In the end, we have to wait over an hour just to get on the funicular. Thus, I really recommend you to buy the Fast lane ticket if your budget permits. It will allow you to skip the horrible long queue and save a lot of time.
Built in 1923, the Penang Hill Railway is one of the oldest funicular systems in the world. It has the steepest tunnel track in the world, and with the ability to accommodate about 100 passengers per trip.
The entire track is 2,007m long and the journey will take you through lush greenery. It will takes about 5 minutes to reach the top. A very short ride but a very long wait!
I would recommend you to stand at the front cabin of the funicular for an uninterrupted view even though there was nothing really spectacular to see.
After about two hours of waiting, we finally reached the top. But the top was disappointing. It was a foggy day and we could see anything. Everywhere we look out, we only saw white fog.
Other than the view, there was nothing much to see or do at the top. There are a few attractions, but nothing interesting.
There is a British Colonial restaurant at the top known as the David Brown Garden Restaurant and Tea Terraces. The restaurant serves afternoon tea and full meals for lunch and dinner. It is a nice place to relax after walking around Penang Hill. However, I believe the price will not be cheap.
You will also find a shop where you can get a Henna tattoo or a cool face painting.
Astaka Bukit Bendera or Cliff Cafe is a three storey food court. You will find a lot of Penang local food like Penang Laksa, Rojak, Char Koay Teow and many more here. I am not sure whether the food are good because we did not eat here. But prices are definitely not cheap.
Located 823 metres above sea level on an observation deck behind Astaka Bukit Bendera, you will find the Lover's Promenade (also known as Love Locks). Launched on Valentine's Day of 2014, visitors can purchase padlocks of various sizes, decorate them and have them locked to a fence on the observation deck.
Fortunately, the sky starts to clear out after a while, so we managed to catch some view of Penang island. The view was farily good, but nothing amazing.
The queue to get back down to the Base Station was pretty long as well. It took us almost an hour to get down. Overall, I feel that Penang Hill is an overrated and overpriced attraction. There are very few things to do on top and everything costs money. Certainly not worth the long wait at all.
Assam Laksa @ Pasar Air Itam
This is certainly not the most hygienic place to eat at. But it is usually packed with both locals and tourists. There are very limited seats available, so we were really lucky to secure a table straightaway when we arrived.
Even though it was really busy, the service was fast. You do not have to wait for long to order and get your food.
Assam Laksa
Made from a generous amount of shredded mackerel, tamarind, chili and peppermint leaves, the orangery-red broth is thick and rich of flavors. The broth is a combination of sweet, sour and spicy. It comes with fine slices of cucumber, onions, mint leaves, red chili , Bunga Kantan and prawn paste. The thick vermicelli noodles are silky smooth, soft and slightly chewy.
Comparing to the Assam Laksa we had at Jalan Macalister last night, this one taste so much better. The serving size is very small though if you are a big eater. But for me, it is more than enough because I am not really fan of Assam Laksa.
Lor Bak + Prawn Fritters
There was a guy selling Muah Chee on a motorbike by the road, just beside where we were sitting. I bought a packet of it to try since I was craving for it.
Served warm, the Muah Chee was delightfully soft and chewy. Each piece of it was nicely coated with peanut bits and sugar. The peanuts were fresh and aromatic and I love that it was not overly sweet as well.
Kek Lok Si
After lunch, we headed to Kek Lok Si Temple, which is known to be the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. Perched atop of the slopes of Air Itam, the temple is a famous tourist attraction in Penang. To get there, we have to drive up a steep hill to reach the entrance of the temple.
The temple consists of multiples large prayer halls and pavilions, fish ponds and flower gardens and a bell tower. However, the main attraction here is the seven-storey Pagoda that is home to 10,000 alabaster and bronze statue of Buddha and the 36.57 metres (120 ft) tall bronze statue of Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.
Admission to the temple in general is free, however, there are specific area where you will have to pay an entrance fee. We were surprised to find that we have to buy a ticket to take the funicular lift up to see the famous Goddess of Mercy statue (RM 6 per person) or just to enter the Pagoda (RM 4 per person).
It is a pity that we did not get to see the Goddess of Mercy statue or explore the Pagoda because we did not want to pay for the tickets. Personally, I feel that the temple is far too commercialized and certainly does not feel like a sacred place for peaceful worship. There are dozens of souvenir shops and stalls inside the temple selling all kinds of tourist souvenirs! It makes the temple looks more like a bazaar than a place for worship.
It is sad that the temple looks spectacular from a distance, but less impressive up close. The temple grounds are pretty old, dirty and worn out. There are also a lot of stairs and is mostly inaccessible to people with limited mobility.
We did not stay there for long because it was disappointing. Since we did not have any other plan for the rest of the day, we decided to head back to our Airbnb apartment to take a rest first before dinner.
888 Hokkien Mee @ Lebuh Pregrave 三条路 888 福建虾面
For dinner, we decided to head to Lebuh Pregrave to try out the famous 888 Hokkien Mee. Crowned as one of the best Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee) in Penang, the small food stall is located 'outside' Pregrave Street Hawker Center.
There is usually a long queue in front of the stall and you might have to wait long to get a table. But we were really lucky to be able to secure a seat when we arrived without waiting. Please make sure you find yourself a place to sit first before ordering your food.
A small bowl of Prawn Mee costs RM 5. You can choose to add on some extras like pork ribs, pork legs, roasted pork, egg, eggs or pork intestines to your noodles at an extra cost. However, due to a lack of manpower, everything is self service here. That means you have to queue up to order and take your food back to your seat yourself.
Prawn Mee
The noodles should come with beansprouts too. But unfortunately, the stall ran out of it because their business was so good. Even so, this is so delicious! I would certainly say that this is one of the best Prawn Mee I have eaten so far!
The bright orangery-red prawn broth is thick and flavorful. Before you eat, remember to stir in the spoonful of chili paste into the soup. It will enhance the taste of the prawn broth greatly.
Fried Oysters Omelette
Other than Prawn Mee, we also ordered a plate of oyster omelette from the 3888 Fried Oyster stall that is located just beside 888 Hokkien Mee. This was quite good as well. Fried to a perfection, the oyster omelette has a right combination of starch and egg batter. We love the sour spicy chili sauce as well.
Toh Soon Coffee @ Lebuh Campbell 多春咖啡
The next morning, we went to Toh Soon Coffee for a late breakfast after checking out from our Airbnb apartment. Toh Soon Coffee is a traditional coffee shop that is located in a narrow back alley of Lebuh Campbell, not far away from Pasar Chowrasta.
The coffee shop was flooded with people even though even though it was already late morning on a weekday. We have to wait for 30 minutes to be seated.
Toh Soon is famous for its Hainanese Coffee. But I am not sure how good their coffee are because I am a non-coffee drinker.
Other than coffee, Toh Soon is also famous for its Roti Bakar or charcoal toasted bread. The white bread are toasted over a charcoal fire by a staff who had to squat down the whole day. The bread have to be flipped occasionally to prevent them from getting too burnt. Once toasted, the staff will scrap off the overly burnt parts with a knife. Butter and kaya are then spread on each slice of the bread and sandwiched together before serving.
We have to wait for 20 minutes for our bread. But we were not impressed. The toasted bread are crispy and has a very subtle smoky flavor. But there was nothing extraordinary about it. I actually expected a lot of butter and kaya, but the spread was thin. They are definitely not worth the long wait!
Besides toasted bread, the coffee shop also serves steamed bread if you prefer something less 'heaty'.
Be sure to follow me on my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to get the latest updates on my travel adventures! Also, do not forget to share my blog posts with your family and friends if you find them helpful. In the meantime, you might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.
The coffee shop was flooded with people even though even though it was already late morning on a weekday. We have to wait for 30 minutes to be seated.
Toh Soon is famous for its Hainanese Coffee. But I am not sure how good their coffee are because I am a non-coffee drinker.
Other than coffee, Toh Soon is also famous for its Roti Bakar or charcoal toasted bread. The white bread are toasted over a charcoal fire by a staff who had to squat down the whole day. The bread have to be flipped occasionally to prevent them from getting too burnt. Once toasted, the staff will scrap off the overly burnt parts with a knife. Butter and kaya are then spread on each slice of the bread and sandwiched together before serving.
We have to wait for 20 minutes for our bread. But we were not impressed. The toasted bread are crispy and has a very subtle smoky flavor. But there was nothing extraordinary about it. I actually expected a lot of butter and kaya, but the spread was thin. They are definitely not worth the long wait!
Besides toasted bread, the coffee shop also serves steamed bread if you prefer something less 'heaty'.
It is ridiculous that we have to wait almost an hour for these soft-boiled eggs because they either mixed up or forgot about our order.
Other than toasts and eggs, Toh Soon also serves Nasi Lemak. But sadly, they were sold out by the time when we secured a table.
So, this was how we spent our 4 days 3 nights in Penang. Overall, I find Penang a bit overrated, but it is still a nice place to go for a short getaway.
Other than toasts and eggs, Toh Soon also serves Nasi Lemak. But sadly, they were sold out by the time when we secured a table.
I really wonder why this coffee shop is so famous. Service is non-existent and the queuing and ordering system is in a mess. Everything is so disorganized. Orders are often mixed up and there are nothing special about the food. Hygiene is bad as they prepare the food and drink beside the trash. White bread are seen laying around on the counter top as well.
