22 Penang : Wat Chaiyamangalaram, The Reclining Buddha

I blogged about the Reclining Buddha at Wat Chaiyamangalaram, a Thai temple in Penang about four years ago. If it was impressive before, it is more so now.

Back then, the dragons and serpents at the entrance were painted in matte gold. Today, it is adorned in coloured glass tiles lending it an air of royal grace and strength.

The Serpent Guards at Wat Chaiyamangalaram

The Back Of The Serpent, Wat Chaiyamangalaram

I'm skipping straight to the photos since I've already written about this place before. Within the main building lies the famous 33-metre long (108ft) Reclining Buddha.

Reclining Buddha in the Main Hall at Wat Chaiyamangalaram

Reclining Buddha, Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

Some of the other statues outside the building.

Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

The Guardians of Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

Mythical Statues at Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

The Grounds of Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

Entrance to Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Lorong Burma, Penang

Entrance is free. If you have not been here for many years, it's time for a revisit!

Wat Chaiyamangalaram
Address: 17, Lorong Burma, Pulau Tikus, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
Telephone: +6 016 410 5115

22 Penang Eats

There's good food in every corner of Penang island - at least I think so. And I'm really glad I don't live there because you'd never find me cooking in the kitchen then. Haha!

These are some of the yummy food I've enjoyed over a couple of trips there. I didn't note down exactly where or which stall we ordered from so forgive me for leaving out accurate location details.

Macalister Road's Char Kway Teow. Good wok hei (that wok charring taste) here. The Chee Cheong Fun is delicious too with silky strips of rice noodles and thick gravy. Couldn't shake the image of rat glue out of my mind though.

Char Kway Teow (Fried Flat Rice Noodles)

Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Noodle Rolls)

Bali Hai Restaurant on Gurney Drive is one of our favourite dim sum hangouts. I love the place because of the ambiance. The waterfront view and sea breeze makes the experience of eating here so satisfying.

Bali Hai Restaurant - Dim Sum

Bali Hai Restaurant, Gurney Drive

Hameed Pata's Mee Sotong. This is the stuff of legend in Penang. Fried noodles paired with super spicy squid that's guaranteed to draw out beads of sweat. I consider it a great achievement to finish a plate of this.

Hameed Pata Mee Sotong, Fort Cornwallis Food Court

Edgecumbe Road's Fried Noodles. It was ok-ish. Satisfying but not something I would purposely make my way here for.

Fried Noodles, Edgecumbe Road

The pork belly and pickled veggie dish at a hawker stall in a shop along Jalan Burma. This was served with plain rice and an egg on top. It's the kind of meal that says comfort food, Asian home-cooking style. I totally enjoyed this one.

Pork Belly with Pickled Vegs

Finally, the famous Penang Road Teochew cendul! An iced jelly, coconut dessert that will always be the perfect thing to have in Penang because of the humid weather.

Penang Road Teochew Cendul

What's your favourite Penang food? For me, Batu Lanchang's jelly fish pasembur (not pictured here) takes top spot. I'll try to take a pic of it one day.

19 Penang : Gurney View Inn

With a waterfront view, Gurney Drive is one of the most happening places to hang out in on Penang island. It's a stretch of road known for high end condominiums and pricey hotels. There are many eateries offering authentic local food along it, modern shopping malls and even a local products center for the tourists . Across the road is a promenade lined with trees and tiled benches.

Gurney View Inn, Penang

Nestled between impressive tall buildings is the hidden gem that is Gurney View Inn - a small, cheap hotel for budget travelers. It was RM130 per night for a family room. A surprise find considering the expensive hotels along the stretch! Housed in the same building is a Thai restaurant on the ground floor.

Gurney View Inn - Entrance

I was pleased with the compact sized room - one single bed, one double bed. Bath area was clean with nary a hair nor mould. An old rickety aircon kept us cool at night. The bonus was the unobstructed view of the waterfront. 

The only thing that would have been a put-off was the worn out peeling wallpaper, but hey, we're not fussy people! A comfy bed at a reasonable price to lay our head and within walking distance to several tourist attractions is a dream thing for us.

Gurney View Inn - Family Room

Gurney View Inn - Family Room

Check-in was quick and efficient. Arriving hours early than recommended check-in time, I was prepared to be turned away but the hotel staff was kind and accommodating, and we got our room after half an hour of waiting.

Gurney View Inn, Penang

There is a smoking corner right behind the reservations counter.

Smoking Corner at Gurney View Inn, Penang

The view from our window.

Gurney Drive, Penang

Gurney Drive, Penang

A short walking distance away behind the hotel is the famous Thai reclining Buddha temple and a Burmese Temple with an impressive Golden Pagoda Bell Tower. If you're into wet markets, the famous Pulau Tikus wet market is a street down.

To summarise, this is a good place to stay because it's convenient to get around. I saved on taxi fare. It's near several tourist attractions, has great scenery and food is abundant. I loved the sea breeze walks and having my cuppa at Mr. Pot, a roadside cafe that sits under a big old tree that looks out into the blue of the horizon.


Gurney View Inn
Address: 75, Gurney Drive, Pulau Tikus, 10250 George Town, Penang
Telephone: +6 04-226 1668

22 Toast Egg-ventures

It all started in Penang, when I was there for a holiday last month. I had a craving for poached or soft-boiled eggs on buttered toast aka 'roti telur goyang'  (roti - bread, telur goyang - wobbly egg) . So, I had it for breakfast two days in a row and even after I was back in Kuala Lumpur.

Lucky this was a short obsession that lasted only a week. I really should be running for curry noodles or tok tok mee when I'm eating out. Telur Goyang  is, after all, something that can be easily made at home.

This is a post on which I thought was the best out of the three I tried that week.

First one's from Hang Chow Hotel cafe along Lebuh Chulia, Penang. It was OK. Presentation-wise, it kind of says, "You're here to answer the call of your growling stomach. What more do you want leh.. "

Poached Eggs On Toast - Hang Chow Hotel, Penang

Hang Chow Hotel Cafe, Penang

The next day, I ordered the same from a hawker stall at Restaurant 77 Food Yard, which is across the road from Pulau Tikus Wet Market's fruit and vegetable stalls.

A visually exciting version arrived on our table. The eggs were just the way I loved it and I admired the extra bit of effort this guy put into such a simple meal. It made a huge difference in how I felt about it. I enjoyed this thoroughly. Heavenly stuff - the yolk was oozing out like melted gold. An A-plus if someone were to ask me to rate this!

Soft-Boiled Eggs on Buttered Toast aka Telur Goyang - Penang

I was eager to poke the yolks.

Soft-Boiled Eggs on Toast - Penang

The Golden Yolk From My Eggs on Toast - Pulau Tikus Wet Market, Penang

Back in KL, and after tempting my husband with an awesome pic of the above-mentioned Pulau Tikus eggs on toast, we ordered a set to try at Hup May Kopitiam one morning. What they served us was eggs on kaya toast. This combination didn't hit it with me. Kaya sweetened egg? Ugh. Hubs didn't find it appealing either.

It just wasn't our thing. One man's meat, another man's poison is what I'm saying for this one. Some people like it this way.

Eggs On Kaya Toast - Hup May Kopitiam, Kuala Lumpur

Hup May Kopitiam, Dataran Sunway

I'm sure you know which egg breakfast I liked most out of the above since I have been quite obvious about it - the one at Pulau Tikus Wet Market, of course!

Typically, people who visit Penang will be aiming to get their fill of authentic Char Kueh Teow, Curry Mee, Assam Laksa,  Nasi Kandar  and Cendol. Me? Here I am with Roti Telur Goyang  in mind for my next trip down. 

This is the other stuff Hubs and I ordered at Hup May Coffee Shop that morning. Curry noodles, which was delicious and nian gao fritters, a yummy snack layered with yam, sticky cake and sweet potato.

Curry Noodles - Hup May Kopitiam, Kuala Lumpur

Nian Gao Fritters - Hup May Kopitiam, Kuala Lumpur

Anyone here a fan of Roti Telur Goyang? ;)

12 Penang : A Night At Time Capsule Hotel

A couple of months ago, a friend offered me a night's stay at Time Capsule Hotel, Penang - something she'd won from an online contest. I said yes. Days later, we settled on a date in October, made the necessary hotel reservations and purchased the train tickets weeks in advance. No turning back now, as they say!

Time Capsule Hotel, Penang

It was one of the best holidays. I was excited to experience a night in the minimalist futuristic-looking hotel. It had a "I'm in a spaceship" kind of feeling. A great chap named Jason handled our reservations. Patient, kind and friendly, he was our go-to guy for food and sightseeing suggestions.

We were each given a keycard and a bag containing one towel, bottled water and headphones. I collected a pair of slippers from the small shoe locker beside the lift before heading up to the floor where our 'capsules' were and was impressed with what I saw - cosy, neat and clean! It comes with a shared bathroom. There were sufficient shower cubicles, hairdryers and toilets.

Our Sleeping Quarters - Time Capsule Hotel, Penang

Bathroom - Time Capsule Hotel, Penang

I kept my backpack in the large locker located in front of my sleeping chamber, swiping my keycard onto the one with my capsule number to release the lock. The place was quiet with well-behaved guests. I was thrilled to be there.

Keycard and Capsule - Time Capsule Hotel, Penang

The hotel is located within walking distance from many touristy areas and at night, the street is quite happening with bars and restaurants lighting the area up. Night owls we were not, so we were back in the hotel 9pm-ish.

After a shower and getting into comfortable clothes, I plonked myself onto the lower capsule, plugged my keycard in to power up the space and closed the shutter. The blue lights were definitely my favourite feature! It added to the whole being in a spaceship feel.

My Bed - Time Capsule Hotel, Penang

I spent nearly an hour fiddling around with the controls from lighting, aircon to TV before I dozed off but it was a restless night as I couldn't contain my enthusiasm  - the day's activities playing over and over in my mind. It was 2am, then 3am and soon, 5am! I got up to shower, deciding sleep was a lost cause. Haha. It was zombie Sharon on the loose in Penang that day!

Time Capsule Hotel
Address: 418 & 420, Lebuh Chulia, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Telephone:+6 04-263 0888
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeCapsuleHotel/

r u l e s

16 Eat Out : Ji De Lai San Ding (JDLSD Seafood Restaurant)

On the second day of Chinese New Year, we had an amazing dinner at a seafood restaurant nearby, alfresco with fingers crossed that gloomy skies and windy conditions were not a sign of rain. It wasn't, bless us.

What excited me about this meal was the pig stomach dish, a specialty of Ji De Lai San Ding (JDLSD Seafood Restaurant). Yummy? It was good or should I say an acquired taste? I like it because it was oh-so-interesting. The stomach or hog maw was stuffed with a whole black chicken filled with ingredients like dried mushrooms, dried scallops and lotus seed. It is a nutritious soup dish.

Hog Maw stuffed with Black Chicken Soup

Hog Maw stuffed with Black Chicken

A short clip of it being cut up:

The rest of the dishes are common but no less delicious. I enjoyed the sweet, sticky pork ribs the most (no picture because it was served late) ; addictive, finger-licking stuff.

Vegetables, Tofu and Hog Maw

The restaurant and its surroundings - a laid-back, old style ambiance.

Ji De Lai San Ding (JDLSD Seafood Stall)

Neighbouring Food Stalls at Taman Hijau 3

Ji De Lai San Ding (JDLSD Seafood Stall)
Address: 14-24, Taman Hijau 3, Taman Green Lane, Jelutong, 11600 Penang.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, we had breakfast at Maxim, an extremely popular dim sum restaurant. It was crowded but fast moving so we got our table within minutes. The eatery runs on a self-service concept where you go to the counter, select the food you want and bring it back to the table yourself.

Dim Sum at Maxim

 Restoran Maxim spreads across several shop lots to cater for their huge breakfast crowd.

Restoran Maxim, Penang

I really like this place. The food is delicious!

Maxim Dim Sum Restaurant
Address: Bangunan Lip Sin 2-G-11 & 12, Lebuh Pekaka 1, Taman Pekaka, 11700 Gelugor, Penang.
Hours: 6AM–2PM
Telephone: +6 04 - 656 0915

Is that the end of my festive feasting? ... NoooOo. Wait 'til you read my next post.

10 Penang : The Golden Pagoda Bell Tower

The Golden Pagoda Bell Tower

The Golden Pagoda Bell Tower - there's a feeling of grandeur in its name and this is further reflected in the intricate gold-painted carvings that surround the building.

The tower is located within the vicinity of Dhammikarama, a Burmese Temple founded in 1803, along Jalan Burma.

I had a lot of fun exploring this place. The temple site is well maintained, housing several beautiful religious structures and sculptures, some really small, some huge! The bell tower is a fairly new addition and an interesting one. 

I must warn you that this place draws large tourist crowds, by the way. The best time to visit? When you don't see buses around. It's the best advice I can give, if you know what it's like to have large groups of people circling around, going ooh and aah around you.

And don't get me started on my photo-taking experience. I have occasionally bumped into natural photobombers, the ones who don't even realise their uncanny talent of appearing out of nowhere. Here I am ready to take my shot of this amazing sculpture. My finger is halfway down and poof! I see a family in my snap.

The smiling wife is halfway towards me, "Hello there, would you mind helping us?" whilst handing out her camera.

"Uhh, sure...." I smiled in return. What! No! Yes, I do mind! Grrr, be nice now.

The 4-storey Golden Pagoda Bell Tower was built in 2011 to house marble replicas of ancient Buddhist shrines from 22 countries.

This is what it looks like inside (photo below). At the top of the gold pillar, the word 'ANONYMOUS' is inscribed, for a donor who doesn't want to be named. I've always found that a little weird and if given the opportunity, I would rename 'ANONYMOUS' to 'A Friend '. 

There's a lift at the end. This makes it very convenient for visitors. Penang's humid weather makes taking the stairs a challenge. On a cool day, I wouldn't complain.

Ground Floor - The Golden Pagoda Bell Tower

The marble replicas, an ambitious idea by the chief monk, are displayed in the first two floors. I have a close-up of one.

Marble

The work of Burmese artisans. An amazing piece.

Marble-carved

The view at the top is great. This corner overlooks the temple grounds.

The temple grounds of Dhammikarama

I bet this crow feels on top of the world. It stood confident against the wind and threat of rain.

Aah, a crow

The higher floors of the bell tower hold various religious sculptures.

Kassapa Buddha

Akasind Deva

Statue in front of the tower (left), Kakusanda (on the right)

A little note on the Golden Pagoda Bell Tower.

About Penang's Golden Pagoda Bell Tower

I enjoyed walking around this wonderful place, so this is one stop I would recommend to anyone visiting Penang, especially if they're into religious history.