Seafood Dinner nestled in beautiful sunset - Batu Ferringhi, Penang

Tonight, we decided to try Thai style seafood.

The Market place where customers get to select live seafood, have them weighed and specify the cooking style. 

While waiting for the dinner to be served, enjoy the sea view and sunset. 

Dinner is here. Although there were only three dishes, I assure you that the two chilli mud crabs were very substantial. 

The chilli sauce was a bit bland, dominated by chilli spice without the accompanying fresh herbs and spices. 

The marble goby fish was tender and bouncy. No reason to complaint as it's to be expected of fresh seafood.

                                                         Malay dance performance 

While the cooking is not the best of Thai cuisine that we've tasted, it was a satisfying dinner. 

As expected, it is a little pricey because of it's location at a touristy area.

Dinner Choices, Night Market @ Penang Beaches

Food places are abundantly located amongst Pasar Malam stalls marketing wares made locally or imported from nearby China and Thailand.

The partially open-air Food Court or what locals call Hawker Centre is conveniently located on the same side of the hotel. There are hundreds of dishes to choose from and are cooked to order.

Given its colonial past, Penang is known for English cuisine.

We're really not sure if we would try steak having tasted the freshest and best cuts from home and previous travels to cattle growing states.

Snake Temple of Penang - Fame vs Popularity

The famous snake temple has been refurbished. Even though it's supposed to be the peak tourist and holiday season, the only "crowd" were a group of students from interstate.

Unlike many years ago, visitors came close to the snakes which were allowed to roam freely, with larger snakes placed on the altar. It was said that the snakes had been made drowsy by the burning incense. While some make fear that snakes would harm them, it was more probable that humans injured these reptiles (accidentally or deliberately)?

Today, the snakes are kept away from the main shrine.  To have a close up view of these colourful creatures that come in all shapes and sizes, one has to either pay for taking photographers with the snakes hanging around the neck and shoulder or holding the larger ones.

At another section of the temple, entrance fee is charged to get into what we would call a snake zoo. There are more than 20 species on display. As the weather was warm, the snakes are having a restful nap, oblivious of being watched.

The following pictures may be disturbing to some readers. Please do not read further if you're unsure if you could take it.

Kek Lok Si - Extra Happy Temples of Penang highlands - Island of thousands of temples

Penang Hill hosts an Indian Temple. The other side of the hill is the more well-known Buddhist Chinese temples. Kek Lok Si has expanded from its humble beginnings to upmarket designed fittings with huge awe inspiring golden Buddha statues.

                                                     Thousand hands Bodisattva

Many shrine halls provide devotees serene environment to pray, make offerings or meditate.

Yet another temple, and to get in, you need to climb, symbolic of reaching for the heavens.

Smooth, shiny and cool granite flooring

Beautifully painted murals of divine beings, patterns and a chandelier centrepiece.

The tortoise pond with hundreds of long-life creatures. Though not overcrowded, the environment is not exactly comfortable and natural.

Most tourists would be encouraged to pass through thousands of stalls have been set up on the steps leading to the peak. Otherwise, you need to take a family car, a four wheel drive, van or mini-bus to bypass the crowded market. Coaches, however, have trouble negotiating the steep and narrow roads uphill.

There's really nothing much to excite an avid shopper. Except for religious gifts and charms, most of these goods can be bought from shops in town or night markets that line the streets in Penang. You do need to bargain hard.

Besides Buddhist and Taoist influenced temples, there are many Hindu temples on Penang Island which is steeped in religious rituals, culture, history and arts.

Penang Hill - on a warm and cloudy day

Navigating the maze of narrow lanes and small shops up the slope, we reached the foot of Penang Hill station. Expect crowds and long queues. 

On the tram which has been refurbished and modernised. It can run at higher speed and less creaky than the previous generation models. 

The roast nuts stall is doing a brisk business. They are traditionally typically Indian managed - micro sole proprietorship or family business.

As good as it gets ... this is quite a nice view despite being a cloudy day. Nothing spectacular.
It was warm up here despite at 735 m (2,450 ft) above sea level.

Time to leave Flagstaff Hill (the lesser known British name) and move to the next sight-seeing destination.

Hotel's Complimentary Welcome Dinner - Penang Greetings and Hospitality

There are two hotels fronting Batu Ferringhi beach that are owned by Shangri-la Group. If you like ethnic and traditional local idlyllic Malay village decor, go for Rasa Sayang. 

Just next to it is the modern and posh Golden Sands Resort, where the rates are apparently slightly cheaper. Both deservedly belong to the upmarket 41/2 star league.

This 3-course dinner which is marked at $40 per person is nice for a set meal.  It is thoughtful and convenient for the tour booking agent and hotel to include this deal.  

Arriving in the evening and braving the after-office hours traffic, you would like to rest and check out the surroundings after an quiet and easy dinner by the pool.

Choices for entree : battered calamari or mushroom soup
Main : Chicken or Salmon
Dessert : chocolate cake with ice-cream

The Best Penang Fried Kway Teow, Lor Bak, Lor Mee and Chendol : Be your own Judge

For convenience, we headed for a one-stop shop after hours navigating through the city centre. A corner coffee shop along McAlister Road has most of the Penang favourites.

The fried koay teow (kway teow) is certainly not the best available whether in Penang or the rest of the world. Despite rave reviews touting how marvellous the hot noodles are, it was not to be. Understandably with hordes of crowds ordering and waiting impatiently, even three cooks working non-stop may not be able to whip up the perfect fried rice noodles. Though the key ingredients of cockles, prawn, sausages, egg, chives and bean sprouts were present, the noodles were not properly fried. Not given sufficient wok fire and too much liquid added, the noodles turned out to be rather soggy.

The saving grace was the lor bak and combination fried stuff such as tofu (beancurd), prawn fritters, fish cake and sausages. The thick braised soy dipping sauce with egg white tastes very good. So was the chilli sauce.

Lor Mee is a Hainan specialty. Though a minority in the Hokkien dominated Chinese community, the Hainanese cooks have asserted their trademark. The  dish prepared by an elderly lady was pretty good.










Most vendors don't make chendol (ais cendol) like they used to. Not many modern day hawkers bother to take pains to make the mung bean dough and mix with pandanus juice. This one tastes quite authentic. The green is natural, a sign that it is not from industrial made food colouring.

They are probably quite hygienic despite the setting of century old shop.  With high quick turnover, the coconut is given some assurance of freshness. No stomach upset after the meal.