TuneHotels.com Downtown Penang Review

*If you're not interested in the long winded complaint, you might want to scroll down for disgusting pictures first and then, that might triggered your interest to read the whole post!

Just very recently, I stayed with TuneHotels in downtown Penang. I remember writing a very positive review for this hotel sometime back.

I love the hotel cause it provides me what I wanted when I travel - cleanliness and simplicity. I mean when we travel, we don't actually spent 24 hours in there. All we need was a place to lay our tired bodies after spending the whole day discovering a new culture.

So, last week was my convocation. Penang was a transit for us and knowing that we will only be in Penang for few hours for two stops, I booked the hotel. It wasn't exactly cheap but I like the hotel cause I stayed there multiple times.

For the first night I had accidentally booked the rooms for the wrong dates - it was supposed to be 2 rooms for the 2nd of October and 1 room for the 4th of October. Turns out I was booking all 3 rooms to be checked in on 4th of October.

The receptionist show no empathy or any courtesy at all but I was pretty cool with that - I mean, what do I expect? This is not a full service hotel.

However I just wish there was a slight flexibility - I made it clear to her " i don't mind the payment for the room being forfeited, can I just have the towels that I paid for that room on 4th of October, since I'm not taking the room after all." She gave no explanation but push me to dead end with a 'no.period' reply.

Of course, the main point for this post is not about me not given the towel that I paid. I returned two days later for another pit stop before I return to KL the next two days.

This time tho, was a horror of all. I arrived after a very tiring day of my convocation - I woke up at 3.30 am in the morning. Such an early morning and the day only ended 8.30 p.m - with no rest in between , when I arrive at 10.00 pm, needless to say I was exhausted.

I was given a room that made me feel like my car is a better place to sleep.

The toilet reeks of urine the moment I open the glass door , the toilet roll look like it has been re-rolled (if you get what I meant - you know, the fall off and the worker re-roll them) and the whole shower place was with yellow stain. I didn't take a picture of that cause I was really tired and the next day I just couldn't wait to check out!

And then after taking my bath, I also discovered one of the ugliest side. I don't mind the room not being maintained, scrapes of old paints - accepted. But the fact that the previous guest had spilled water and it leaves such an ugly stain and they didn't even bother to clean up just make me questioned the hygiene of the hotel. If they didn't care - one may wonder if they even wash the bed sheets!

My parents room on the other side had this leaking roof top - which we brush off the thought that it might be from the toilet above our room. This was like a night mare for all of us.

At that point of time, I seriously questioning why was I paying RM 180+ for Tune Hotels when that is exactly the same price Cititel - a prominent 3 star hotel in Penang is charging. Not to mention everything cost me more than RM 250 as I had another unoccupied room due to wrong booking. To begin with, I did not book the place cause it was cheap. I could afford a better place - heck I was bunking in a suite the night before! I book the place cause I like the hotel but these experience totally screw up everything.

I'm gonna be honest here. While I sound very frustrated since the beginning of this post - the only point why it triggers me to write this was the receptionist. I told the receptionist what happen to the room I was given, not only he did not respond to me, he did not even look at me! The quote 'talk to my hand' totally applies here.

Just typing this and just thinking back of the facial reaction of that receptionist make my blood boils! A quick check in tripadvisor.com shows that a guest experience the same of what I felt. Exact quote "Humanity is therefore kept neutral or none if you call it. Hopefully it can be improved - basic courtesy."

I tweeted, and the manager of TuneHotels.com called me two hours or so later. I didn't think the complaint ends from that call because that call was merely addressing my complaint, there was no solution nor an apology. I do not expect compensation of any sort but just by calling me to ask me 'what I have tweeted' is not the solution.

And, I am still waiting for the solution. My only conclusion for now is that the hotel is only good for stay when it's still new.I just recently stayed the one in Bintulu and it was beautiful cause it was still very new, but hell no will I be staying there another year later!

Nasi Kandar Pelita, Penang

It's true when they say Penang spoil your taste buds. Anything you've tasted in Penang, you just won't find the same food tasting as good as it had in Penang. This especially applies for Nasi Kandar. I didn't actually visited much Nasi Kandar joints in Penang but just this particular one nearby where I used to stay in Penang is enough to make me think the ones in anywhere else is a joke. :P

For the uninformed, Nasi Kandar is very much like nasi campur except they consist of mainly curries. I love curries so this was actually one of my loyal dinner when I was still in Penang.



On top of the curries, most joints also usually have beef soup - from all parts of the cow to choose. They're usually ordered by men as it is believed to "make men stronger." I do think it's true in a way as it is really heaty but whether or not it makes your bed sessions better is something I cannot justify. I also don't know if it works on women and the few times I had it, I was alone. Plus, I don't have any bed sessions experience. *cough!cough!* :p



And of course, you have the roti-s. I am not a fan of any of the flat pastry though. Always felt like they're made too oily for consumption. :p



This is my usual plate of Nasi Kandar. One piece of ayam madu and one vege (usually go for the spinach), on top of a bed of rice with kuah pedas. Just typing this has got me salivating!



I also really enjoyed the tandoori chicken. Now, the picture doesn't really do much justice to the taste but I can assure you it's very good, juicy, well spiced and tasty! It's eaten with some lime juice and you would be surprise how the tangy lime could go so well with the slightly charred tandoori chicken! The naan was however just mediocre.



Funny how food like this only goes well with teh ais or teh O ais. :P I usually go for teh ais though.

On an unrelated note, my long time boyfriend - Lenovo is infected with spyware again. Our relationship has been on the rocks of late. T.T This entry is posted from an Acer - I couldn't wait as I was really excited to blog about this after coming across a number of "funny looking" Nasi Kandar in Klang Valley. :P

P/s : Lenovo is back and I am RM85 poorer!

Oh and and ... today's the father bear's birthday.



Happy Birthday, Dy. :)

Paddington House of Pancakes (PHOP) Queensbay, Penang

You know how some eating establishment tend to give you this intimidating entrance? PHOP always gives me that kind of impression. Hey, I have a thin wallet mmkay? So when I saw their tea set promotion for only RM 7.90++ , I jump at the chance to dine there! The promotion came at the right time too - I had promised my friend for a meal here and I wanted to clear my "debts" before I leave Penang for good. hehe



I love the interior. Simple yet very classy with a slight Victorian touch. To top that up, it was a weekday afternoon so we pretty much had the place for ourselves. The only problem was that I am not (and won't be!) romantically involved with my dining partner! Lol


Their menu is extensive. Endless list of very tempting and alluring pancakes (sweet or savoury, you name it they've got it!) on this large and heavily colored laden book.

Since I was there for their tea set, my options were narrowed. If my memory served me right, there should be about five choices of pancakes and drinks to choose from.



For myself, I had the Pot of Gold and it was absolutely good! Dollar sized pancakes, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then top with marshmallows and crushed peanut on drizzled chocolate sauce. Nothing could really go wrong when everything sinful comes together eh?



My weakness is maple syrup and PHOP is definitely generous with it. Mad love!



My friend went for the Strawberry Swirl. It's basically just pancakes with added caramelized strawberries plus a scoop of ice cream as sides. Does not require much science to whip this up. Heh. Taste wise, it was just alright.



I've always love my pancakes coupled with a good cup of coffee so for drinks, I ordered the flat white for myself. It was nicely brewed with perfect ratio of micro foam milk. True enough, the coffee beans used was not of high quality, but who am I to complaint if taken into consideration the price I pay?



The friend went for ice lemon tea. Boring. haha!

I'm not sure when the promotion ends, but do drop by PHOP yea? On top of the good pancakes, they have excellent service as well! Chef Mel highly recommends!

p/s : Pancake never fails to remind me of ahbing!! Remember the heart shaped pancake I made for him last year? Haha. and so I am dedicating this post to him! :D

Kek Seng Kopitiam

My four months internship was without a question not a bed of roses. But like they say, everything has its pros and cons. So, the pros was that my office was located in the heart of Georgetown, where good food are within reachable radius.



Above all the places we went, Kek Seng is one place that has captured my heart in many ways. I'm a sucker for coffee shop that gives me a nostalgic rush and Kek Seng, being one of the oldest coffee shop in Penang has just that. I thought I had the picture of the place but after going through all my folders, I couldn't find any. :(

The first time I came to this place was actually for their star item - the ice kacang with homemade durian ice cream. The home made ice cream was what they got their fame for - so famous that an Australian man wanted to have this before he die! However as good as the ice cream tasted, I didn't feel like it complemented the ice kacang. It's better eaten on its own.



The multi layered jelly on the other hand gave the ice kacang a nice touch. The taste of the jelly is not something unusual or unique but it made the ice kacang different from any other place in Penang. Other than the ice cream and jelly, the ice kacang is like in any other place. Comes in a bed of shaved ice covered in sarsi and rose syrup, then topped with red bean and cream sweet corn.



I don't usually eat rice for my lunch for fear that I will fall into post lunch coma but when my colleague ordered the chicken rice, it looks so good I couldn't resist ordering it. And I didn't regret! For me the pre requisite of a good chicken rice is the rice and they pass with flying colors! The rice was fragrant and each grain of the rice came as individuals while the chicken was undoubtedly well flavored and tender.



There was this afternoon where I was practically starving and ordered char siew to go along with the normal serving of chicken rice. The char siew is not like any of what i've tasted before but it is very, very good. Not overly charred, slightly sweet, tender and very juicy. Practically all the good adjectives of a well cooked meat dish!



The minor hiccups is that "chai buoy" soup they served is just slightly above par. I've had better one. But it's all forgiven! Really. Hehe.



The place is also famous for other Penang affairs - loh bak, assam laksa and popiah.

I wouldn't be able to do taste justification for the assam laksa and popiah tho'. Assam laksa to me is an acquired taste. Not everyone can take the pungent smell of "he ko" and noodles served in fish based broth. I don't take fish so naturally assam laksa is one food I stay away from.



Popiah on the other hand gives me no excitement due to the absence of meat in this dish. HAHA. But really, an all vege dish usually don't impress me a lot. hehe. That being said, I do have a very famous popiah in Penang in the line up post! :D



I was told that the loh bak here is quite famous back in decades ago. I personally think loh bak is "ze dish" for Penangites. Go to any place that serve loh bak in Penang and you can hardly be dissappointed.



The place is not very difficult to locate. Situated opposite Bee Cheng Hiang Komtar (the one along Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong) . Don't bother looking from Google Maps - for I once got lost using that as a guide. hehe.

Yet, another chapter closed

Wow, I have so much to write, I don't know where to start! I usually try to stray away from being too personal in my blog, but i'll make an exception for today, kay?



Four months ago, I embark into what I call a "new adventure". I chose to do my internship in Penang, a city I have visited endless times but never once based at. A lot of people question my decision as to why I would want to be away from home just for an attachment. My answer is simple. I want obstacles! Doing it at home just make me less independent - a trait I forbid myself to instill.



I've grown to love Penang so much (as I always had) that packing everything and come back home was a little bitter. It wasn't the initial plan but after having seen so much drama during my internship, I decided I wasn't ready to work just yet. All I need is a break, and some time to think through what's in store for me in the future.



The first week of my homecoming totally flew by. It felt like it was yesterday I was counting hours (was hundreds of hours then!) till I am back and next thing I know, I was already waving goodbye to Ben from KFC in the airport and him walking to the terminal.



It's already been ten days since I'm back and only today I felt like I am starting to regain my consciousness and ..stepping on the ground.

I still have a very important assignment to rush, and i'm still trying to find the mood to do it!



p/s : Thanks for the e-mails and comments complimenting the blog! Appreciate it much and do keep it coming! I'll be back once I finish my practical report! :D

Kuih Bulan

*updated!


This year marks the fourth year of me celebrating the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese calendar away from my parents. It's not that we actually have huge celebration back home but it's just nice to be home with your family during festivals like this.

I always make it a point to get myself a moon cake even though I don't really favor the taste of this sweet pastry. Somehow I always believe it was eaten for prosperity. Lol!



Legend has it that, moon cake was actually a way the Yuan (some say Ming?) Dynasty passed the messages around without letting the Mongolians know. The message is slipped in the moon cake! Not too shabby for a wedding proposal also eh! :P

Anyway, happy moon cake festival everyone!

****

I celebrated my Mid Autumn festival the truly 1Malaysia way. Lol



Had awesome Nasi Kandar with kuah campur for dinner (instead of you know.. stir fry pork?lol)! Huge piece of chicken! =D



And since it's Pink Day, i head over with my friend to Baskin Robbins for awesome Brownie Ala Mode (Chocolate Fudge with two scoops of ice cream topped with caramel, M&Ms, whipped cream and cherry!) Just look at the caramel. It was sex!! :D



Finally, a picture of the full moon I took on the way back to my apartment.

Hope you guys had a great night. I certainly did!

New Lane, Penang

If you're coming to Penang for a short trip and do not have ample of time in hands, New Lane is the one place you can visit to savor all the good food the island offers. It basically has everything Penang is famous for in one street!

Patrons here consist of mainly tourist, or locals hosting tourists and such. It's a common thing to sight people with cameras snapping the food, the people and the place.



Even with so many stalls in one lane, business are generally good for all the vendors. Just look at the amount of eggs this particular stalls used! However, as the tables are limited by numbers, getting a table during the weekends can be a tedious task.



Fried chicken skin is something I've just started to be accustomed to eating. I've seen this on sale in many places in Penang but because I don't take chicken skin (not for health reasons, I just don't like it) it never occur to me that it could taste so good on its own! It's perfectly fried to crisp so you don't get the oil from the chicken skin squirting out. It's really, really good! :D



My friend also ordered fried tofu from the same stall he ordered fried chicken skin. Both friends gave thumbs up for it but i wouldn't be able to comment on that. Tofu.. errr , doesn't appear in my food dictionary. :P



I love pork coagulated blood and the vendors here are very generous with the portion! :D For only RM4 a bowl, I can have more than 10 pieces of that gem! *feeling vampire-ish* :p Taste wise, I find curry mee taste similar in most places. It's also not something you can finish by yourself if you plan to order a lot of dishes as the soup tend to be really rich and fills you up.



It took me more than 10 visits to Penang before I finally tried char koay kak - and I didn't like it. It's more or less like the Kuching version of char kueh but tasted very differently. It was in between salty and spicy with a sweet after taste. Apologies to char koay kak fans, I find it a little too confusing for my taste bud. hehe.



My weird friend ordered wantan mee in a place that has so many better food choice. Lol. I didn't try though, cause I don't really like the taste of egg noodles - hence making wantan mee my least favourite food to eat.



Satay in my opinion is not the forte of Penangites. I've had it a couple of times and non of it is remarkable. This particular one here is supposed to be pork satay but taste a lot more like chicken.

Guleng Peng! I don't know if this drink is a specialty in Penang but i first had it in Penang and love it! It's the Chinese version of air bandung and instead of using rose syrup, they used grenadine. Absolutely refreshing!



The vendors only operates at night. During day time though, there's a coffeeshop right beside this lane that has excellent fried pork intestine porridge - supposedly famous also.

Word of Advice : According to locals, this place has got very high snatch thief cases, so becareful with your belongings when you're there kay?

Northam Beach Cafe, Penang

First and foremost, sorry for the 3 weeks hiatus. My long working hours has totally sucked my creative juice dry! By the time I'm home, all I want to do is to stay in bed. I hope this 9 pictures post make you all happy though. ;p

Northam Beach is an al fresco food court over looking the sea that is supposedly very famous in Penang. It's a shame that I only got to know about it recently from my colleagues! Unlike the typical Penang food courts that are flooded with Char Kueh Tiaus, Pasemburs and Assam Laksas. 80% of the stalls here comprises of Western/Italian food and from what I observed, their patrons consist of mainly Caucasions.


I haven't eaten the whole day prior to my visit and I didn't want anything too heavy nor oily so I ordered a pizza to share. I thought it was quite cheap for the size - RM 16 for a large. Taste wise, It was definitely above edible but it was not very good to the extent that you want more.


I was told that the mua chee here is the best in Penang. I'm a sucker for "claims" like this so ordered I did! They have many flavors and me being the adventurous one, ordered all the flavors in one serving. It turns out tasting a little weird. Having said that, I have to agree that the mua chee is a class of its own, especially with the peanut butter sauce drizzled on top - Just don't order all the flavors at once. hehe


It's never complete if Honey Chicken Wings is not part of the menu when dining in places like this. The ones they had here were satisfactory. The chili sauce could be better though.


Another famous dish they have here is the Foot Long German Sausage. Taking into consideration my current peanut pay, I find RM 9 a little too pricey for a sausage (unless it's the other sausage you're talking about.lol). I wouldn't be able to tell if the price do justice for its taste though, cause it was my friend boyfriend's sausage...errr.. I mean order. ;p


I saw this stall selling something similar to Mille Crepe but it turns out to be Durian Crepe! Now I'm a durian lover - as in the fruit, but somehow my taste bud doesn't agree with "refined" durian. I end up ordering the other cake available, which was blueberry cheese cake out of courtesy. It was only RM 4.50 per slice, so there's really nothing much to expect out of it.

The rest of the pictures are food my friends ordered - and of which I didn't try.

Bak Kut Teh


Hokkien Mee


Porridge


Fried Rice


I really love the place! It's a lot more calm than any other tourist spot in Penang, and the breeze from the sea accompanying the dinner was quite therapeutic in many ways. Me love!



p/s : Thanks so much for dropping by despite my lack of updates!