year of the monkey 2016 (part one)

4.04pm


gong xi fa chai, kong hei fatt choi and happy chinese new year to all my loyal readers. we got back not too long ago from our annual break for the lunar new year. man, i always look forward to spending time up in penang and in kuala lumpur. food's the best over in malaysia especially local hawker fare. plus its also a bonus for me coz i get a break from not cooking and putting myself through the mental torture of thinking of what the hell to cook from mondays to fridays. ugh. bleeah

well anyway, in today's blog, im going to share with you heaps of photos taken during this holiday period. so bear with me ok. 

those 3 photos was taken just before we left for the holidays. it was at vivocity, ground floor and there was a foodfare going on. lots of stalls selling their snacks, cookies, pastries etc and generally that's what you'll see at the malls in singapore and in malaysia too especially during the festive season and you'll be spoilt for choices, trust me! oh by the way, there's free tasting too.


the pix on the left was taken at changi airport, terminal 1, just after clearing customs and immigration. well since its the year of the monkey, voila! you've got monkeys on display with cherry blossoms. those giant baos or paos (peached shaped buns really) is to signify longevity, if im not mistaken.

i took the above photos at 7am in the morning, the day after we arrived in penang. as you can see, the market was bustling already. people getting ready for the lunar new year and the last minute buying of foodstuff. just so you know, its a pretty big deal for most chinese folks because thats when family members go back to their hometowns for the big feast or as we call it, reunion with the family. from far and near, they will try to make it back for this once-a-year occasion so thats why it is a pretty big deal. 

i happen to chance upon this indian man selling his famous claypot "apong manis" (its like sweet crepe but indian version, sorta kinda) so i bought a few to try and it was indeed yummy. this "uncle" speaks hokkien too, which is a dialect widely spoken in penang. he's gotta know some words because he's been selling it for years! oh and by the way he has appeared in the asian food channel under axian's food adventures (you can google it if you want to find out more). his stall is located at solok moulmein street, in pulau tikus. the coffee shop is called swee kong. 

next we have what we call "roti benggali" . this pretty loaf of bread was introduced into penang back in the late 1920s i think, by an indian muslim dude from madras.  not alot of shops in penang sell this kinda bread anymore. i think probably about 3 bakeries left in penang that still make these breads. well lucky me, a friend of ours bought a loaf
(its huge!) to let us try. its actually white bread thats freshly baked daily. the bread is light and crusty on the outside and soft on the insides! my god so heavenly. it goes well with almost anything, jams, curries, dips...you can eat it as is or you can even toast it! oh boy! if you're ever in penang, go look for this ok! you wont regret it!

this time round, i went to check out a relatively new cafe called moody cow at transfer road in penang. their bestseller is the salted egg cheesecakes. yes, you read right. salted egg. whaaatttt??? this cafe makes 3 different versions of the cake which is the original salted egg, then there's the yam and salted egg and finally porkfloss and salted egg. on top of that, this bakery/cafe sells monster cookies, yes super huge cookies and an array of other types of cakes! just so you know, its not cheap for a slice of that cake! under RM$25!! if you're not a big eater, this cake should be shared. its a pretty big slice ok, no joke! and if you wanted to buy a whole cake, it could set you back a couple of hundred ringgit. you have been warned! 

so we bought 2 versions to try which was the original and the one with pork floss. now after having tried it, i gotta admit, i didnt know it was cheesecake, until after i had gobbled down a few bites and i heard a friend saying "damn good cheesecake!" and i was like WAAAATTTT?? (coz fyi i dont like cheesecakes and i will never ever eat it coz i've tasted it before and i didnt like the taste at all!). oh oh too late, too late. cant gag! it was that good ok and i didnt really taste the "cheesey cheese" flavor thank god! oh well...i guess for now THAT would be the only cheesecake that i'll ever eat. 

this is one of my fav dishes. bee hoon or vermicelli noodles in hot porky soup/broth, with green veggies and minced pork and deep fried fish fillets. this is what i call soul food. i dont know the name of the shop but i do know that its along mcallister road. its full of flavor and the fish is so tender and crispy!! yums yums! 

 so in between all that binging and eating non stop, my hubby and i went to get a foot massage at gurney paragon and this was what we saw! amazeballs innit?? our view was facing the ocean! i've always loved coming to penang. why? coz of the beach front views, the beaches, the night life, the glorious food (i've said it once and i'll say it again, penang is food haven and its relatively cheap too and its my 3rd home, after singapore and kuala lumpur...lets not count jakarta, indonesia (home for 2 years) and also kota kinabalu, sabah (almost a year). 

ok people, im getting tired. gotta go prepare dinner before the husband gets back. stay tuned for part two ok. i shall try and finish it by the end of the week as i may have to start work probably next week! ugh. so take care and god bless! have a great monkey year guys!


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5.31pm