Showing posts with label food tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food tourism. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

RELAXING YEAR-END GETAWAY AT AMARI SPICE PENANG


A splendid haven to revel in. The Executive Lounge on level 25 of Amari SPICE Penang is not only a serene breakfast spot but also a great place to get some work done anytime of the day.
The team on duty is courteous and friendly, quick to attend to your every need; from serving breakfast to whipping up an evening cocktail, they’re ever-ready to lend a hand.
 
This time we stayed in an Executive Deluxe room which accorded us access to the Executive Lounge. We love lounging by the floor-to-ceiling windows where expansive views of the nearby golf course and the park adjacent to the SPICE Convention Centre and SPICE Arena are visible.
 
We were stoked to find an in-room coffee machine in addition to the regular kettle for tea-making. In addition to complimentary Penang tau sar pneah (mung bean biscuits) and nutmeg sweets, we discovered the mini bar stocked with water and soft drinks were on the house.
The smart workspace with international plug-points and Wi-Fi proved to be a boon when I needed to tackle some work. For a spot of reading, the cushy chaise lounge with ottoman was perfect.
 
As Executive level guests, we have the luxury of enjoying breakfast at Amaya Food Gallery or ordering our choice of complimentary breakfast in the Exec Lounge. We barely needed to lift a finger as the team pampered us at every turn; plying us with coffee and tea and serving our choice of breakfast.
Whether it’s Nasi Lemak and Fried Kway Teow to Welsh Rarebit and Breakfast Egg Set, guests can order from the a la carte selection listed.

Out of curiosity, I had Welsh Rarebit – basically a sandwich of rye bread with Cheddar cheese, fried egg, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and salad. Simple but I liked it. My hubby’s Boat Noodles passed muster.

Laid out on the counter are assorted cold cuts, cheese, cereals, dried fruit and nuts, fresh fruit slices, French pastries and condiments: butter, jams, honeycomb, etc for toast. Bottled juices, detox water, yoghurt and muesli are found in the chiller.

Opened from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm, light refreshments are served throughout the day. From 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm, you can order classic cocktails and creative mocktails, house pouring wine and selected liquor drinks to complement hors d’oeuvres whilst enjoying the view at dusk from the lounge.

Other privileges for Executive level guests include private check-in and check-out services, complimentary pressing of 3 garments on arrival and complimentary meeting room use (maximum 2 hours, subject to prior booking and availability).
Dinner at the spacious Amaya Food Gallery, the all-day dining restaurant on Level 4, also made our stay truly memorable. During our visit, Amari SPICE Penang hosted Thai chefs from its sister hotel in Bangkok for a promotional stint so the dinner buffet highlighted a myriad of delicious Thai specialities.
Among the tempting dishes we tried were stir-fried glass noodles with prawns, miang kham (wild betel leaves with condiments), som tam salad, mee krob, seafood tom yam, green curry, Thai iced tea, ‘crying tiger’ grilled beef with chilli dip and tom yam fried rice.
The hotel location is also strategic. Just a short drive away, we enjoyed watching the sunrise and went for a nice morning walk along Karpal Singh Drive, visited the Chew Jetty and as usual, went to eat our fill of local food.

Local life is best experienced at Chowrasta market and its surrounding environs: there’s a wet market, lots of mom-and-pop shops around the vicinity, hawker’s stalls and street-side vendors selling household stuff, casual wear, footwear and toys.    

   
For the year-end school and festive holidays, Amari SPICE Penang has been all decked up with pretty decor and a special 'gingerbread house' selling festive goodies. If you're keen to bring your family for a staycation, Amari SPICE Penang currently has some great packages online:

https://www.amari.com/penang/special-offers/hotel-packages

For reservations at Amari SPICE Penang, tel: 04 683 1188. Address: 2 Persiaran Mahsuri, Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

3 TIPS ON PLANNING YOUR HOLIDAY


“Travelling allows you to become so many different versions of yourself” 
– Anonymous

Perhaps that’s the reason why we love to travel. Our wanderlust is hard to tamp down and having our freedom restricted is possibly one of the greatest challenges we have to endure during the prolonged MCO period.

Now that Federal Territory and Selangor have transitioned into National Recovery (NRP) Phase 4, most of us are grateful we can once again travel domestically without restraint while practising the new normal SOPs stipulated.

In this aspect, we Malaysians are truly fortunate as we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing the type of holidays we prefer. Whether we plan to head for the beach or up to the hills, opt for a city staycation or escape to the bucolic countryside, the length and breadth of Peninsular Malaysia alone offers limitless possibilities. We have not even touched on the myriad wonders that beckon from East Malaysia.


No savvy traveller these days can afford to leave home without doing some homework aka research. The secret to a great holiday is to plan ahead. Start with these 3 tips in mind:

·       Your Budget

While everyone would love to holiday in the lap of luxury, let’s get real. It’s best to be realistic and set a budget for your holiday. Take into account how much you plan to spend on accommodation, transportation (flights, car rental, train tickets, etc), food & drinks, sightseeing and recreational activities, and personal spending money (gifts and souvenirs). Remember to set aside a small emergency fund.

·       Your Needs

     The needs of a solo traveller differ great greatly from those of a couple, a group of singletons, and those of a family with small children. If you are the holiday planner, then a reliable online portal such as Hotel in Kuala Lumpur is a boon in determining your holiday needs i.e. What kind of accommodation do you need? Would child-friendly accommodation or hotels with a swimming pool be a priority? Traveloka has plenty of useful tips and resources to help make your holiday planning a breeze.

·       Your Itinerary

Plan ahead and determine the type of holiday you want. Would it be a laidback, laze by the pool kind of vacay or would it be an activity-filled one with lots of sightseeing and shopping thrown in?


A holiday is also a chance to pursue your leisure interests or do something different from your daily life. Is it time for you to unleash the spirit of discovery and learn more about mother nature through hiking and nature walks? Perhaps you yearn to fly high and conquer the sky through paragliding or swim with the fishes by learning to snorkel or scuba-dive?


It goes without saying planning for a solo traveller is easier than planning a holiday for a group of friends with different interests or a family with small children or teenagers. 


In such instances, you may want to rely on a fun getaway with a flexible itinerary at a family-friendly resort such as Grand Lexis Port Dickson where the young and old can enjoy the best of both worlds. The whole family can expect a splashing time in the private pool within the privacy of their own suite, or proceed to engage in the myriad outdoor activities offered by the resort.


More adventurous souls may prefer an adrenalin-fuelled itinerary with hiking, paragliding, kayaking, or river-rafting as the highlight. Bear in mind though some of your intended holiday activities may have a set limit on the number of participants and advance booking required so it pays to plan ahead.



Whatever type of you have in mind, just remember online resources abound at your fingertips. Traveloka has plenty to offer: useful tips on travel planning, price comparisons on accommodation, things to do, etc. 
After all, the journey of your holiday planning begins with a single step. Do it now!

Sunday, October 13, 2019

CULINARY JOURNEY TO WONDERFUL INDONESIA AT CURATE


Kambing Guling and Bakwan Malang are two of the interesting dishes
crafted by guest chef Robert Wisnu Untoro (right) for the Indonesian Food and Culture Week at Curate, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Held from October 7 – 13, the special food and cultural promotion was organised in collaboration with the Embassy of Indonesia in Kuala Lumpur. The sumptuous daily lunch and dinner buffet features specialities from across the Indonesian archipelago.
 
Chef Wisnu, who is also as a DJ, kept diners entertained while cooking up a storm with his inimitable flair.  We were smitten at first bite by the tender, spiced-rubbed Kambing Guling – roasted leg of goat sliced on request from the carvery.
 
Interestingly, Bakwan Malang isn’t unlucky despite its unfortunate name. In East Java, bakwan refers to fried wontons with a mixture of meat or fish and flour filling while Malang is the name of the East Javanese city. Basically, it’s a soupy noodle dish with fried wonton, fish balls, beef ball and fried beancurd. Chopped spring onion, fried shallot and a dollop of  green chilli sambal add subtle pops of flavour to the offering.

Aromatic spices like cloves and pepper are evident in clear, tummy-warming Sop Buntut (Javanese oxtail soup) which has chunky pieces of bones and tender cubes of beef in it.

 
 

A plethora of salads such as Urapan Sayur, Lalapan, Tahu Gejrot (fried tofu and beansprouts in sweet spicy sauce), Ketoprak (tofu, shredded vegetables and pressed rice cakes in peanut sauce), Salada Ayam Bumbu Bali, Pecel and Karedok piques our palate before we descend on the main courses. The lightly blanched salads are mostly tossed or served with peanut sauce.
 
 

 
Spicing the meal up are an array of curries; some flaunting lush, fragrant coconut milk-enriched gravy, others accentuated by drier spice blends. Notable dishes worth sampling include Telur Pop (deep-fried hardboiled eggs in pale coconuty gravy), Bebek Sambal Hijau (duck in dry green chilli curry), Ayam Gule (Sumatran chicken curry) and the classic Rendang Daging (beef braised in thick coconut milk, ground chilli and spices).
 
 


Different combination of spices are employed with finesse to produce delicious specialities such as Terong Belado (eggplant stir-fried with coarsely pounded chilli), Ikan Bakar Padang (grilled fish with spice rub), Gule Kapau (young jackfruit curry with long beans & cabbage) and Sambal Goreng Uti (stir-fried chicken liver & potato dices with sambal).
 
 

Dessert bears close similarity to our local kuih such as the colourful renditions of Kuih Lapis (steamed multi-layer rice cakes) and Kek Lapis (baked Indonesian layered cake enhanced with spices). Simpler street-food delights like Timus Ubi (baked tapioca cake) and Bubur Sumsum (thick gruel of coconut milk with rice flour complemented with palm sugar syrup) are also served.

A showcase of hand-drawn batik, pretty and traditional Indonesian apparel and handicrafts beckon at the mini Indonesian bazaar outside the bright and breezy Curate.

Dinner guests were also entertained by the percussive melodies of gamelan, a musical ensemble combining Javanese and Balinese influences together with the genteel movements of trad dancers.

For reservations, call Curate, tel: 03-23828888. Address: Level 5B, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Ampang, KL.

Featured Post

EXPLOSIVE SURPRISE FROM CAKE RUSH

Whimsical. Fun. Impactful. Imagine a flock of butterflies fluttering up once you open Cake Rush’s latest Explosion Gift Box. We were thrille...