Soon Lai Seafood Restaurant, Greenlane, Penang

A friend of mine brought me here for dinner one day.. she says they serve yummy crabs at very reasonable price. Besides crabs, seafood and list of choices from chicken to pork, tofu to vegetables, you name it, they would have it… But since it was only 3 of uc, we did not order too much…. just enough to accommodate our tummy… you can check out Food Galore’s page for more recommendation since this was my first visit and I’ve tried only minimal dishes…

We had steamed crabs with chinese rice wine, garlic, ginger and chili paddy.. Love the gravy… i have this thing with chinese wine.. love the aroma in most cooking… crabs was really fresh, but perhaps a little bit too much chili paddy, the gravy turned more spicy towards the end, it had the hint of spicy bitterness from the chili paddy..

Not sure what chicken is this but it was recommended by the lady who took our order.. it seems to be like house special sauce… and it’s yummy too… gravy goes well with the rice and chicken is tender and not over fried.

Sizzling tofu with eggs.. also nice.. I could just eat white rice with the gravy alone…

Simple vegetable, bigger version of Brussels sprouts or as we called it “chai tnah” or “kana kia”..

Overall, happy with the food and will go back and try the others… looking at the other dishes served at other tables… yum.. salivating~… i wanna go back and try all of them! But do try to go early… or slightly later… peak hours starts at 7:00pm to around 8:30pm.. very crowded with patrons! It does not look like a seafood restaurant though… so you might miss it… It’s located at the same row with Sabai Sabai thai food, but the other end of the row.

Soon Lai Seafood Restaurant

15, Lintang Batu, Greenlane

11600, Penang

Contact ☎ 04-6589799

Business hours: 6 pm -12 am (open daily)

I am watching… America’s Next Top Model Cycle 13!

Premiered on 9th Sept 09, and this time the cast are all 5’7” and under. So I'm gonna be slightly busy watching… and slow down on… blogging :D (giving self some excuses to slack :P) You wanna be on top!

 

 

Hard Rock Cafe, Penang

It was the opening day of the Hard Rock Hotel, also Hari Raya Eve. Went to Hard Rock Cafe to check it out for the first time and am loving the life band. Hard Rock Cafe caters more to upmarket, that explains the over priced beverages.. MYR 60 per jug of beer, MYR 60 for a Margarita! One of my colleague went with her Japanese customer and ordered a bottle of Bacardi and a bottle of vodka, cost her around MYR800! One thing I like about this place is it’s not that packed.. they won’t just simply allow patrons in if there is no seats available… so you might see a long queue outside.

I happened to meet an ex colleague, Kevin who is already in there, so I got to go in direct… muahahaha…. a lot of tourist I would say and they were indeed very fun people.. dancing around to the music and songs played by the band. There’s one grandma at one of the tables with her family.. haha… one of the white tourist went to her and asked for high five, and she gave the high five back.. so cute… hahahaha… Went there again on 3rd day of Raya, on Tuesday to try out the food!

So again with photos photos photos… haha… coming up! I made full use of my camera okie.. :P

This was the scene of the first night I went… pretty happening.. and guess what… If you count from right hand side, the stripe shirt guy, the white shirt guy and the third, black shirt guy… he is actually the Hong Kong TVB actor… I don’t know his name actually… but hm… he’s Dr.J, Ray’s manager in King of Snooker (one of the latest TVB drama series)

Full house… and we got the table directly in front of the stage.. wahahaha… good place!

The same lighting as the hotel’s entrance, smaller version…. above the stage..

Save cost kot.. they uses hotel’s napkin….

Menu was okay, selections not bad… they serve food like Friday’s and Chilis concept… bottle water cost at MYR6.00 per bottle, MYR8 after 10:30pm. Same goes with the lemonade, soft drinks, iced lemon tead, cannot recall, around MYR8.00 each, an extra MYR2.00 to MYR 4.00 after 10:30pm. I had the fizzy lemonade..

Starters up… Jumbo Combo MYR 48.00, quoting the menu, a delectable array of our most popular starters that’s big enough to share. Includes Santa Fe Spring Rolls, Hickory-Smoked Chicken Wings, Onion Rings, Potato Skins and Tupelo Chicken Tenders. Served with four different sauces for mixing and matching

The onion rings was crispy, chicken wings was nice, potato skin was okay, spring roll was urm…not enough filling, got salad outside to make it up though and chicken tenders was okay too… overall, not great, but just okay… enough for4 person… ideally 3…

The choice of main was Hickory Smoked Bar-B-Que Combo, comes with either Duo Combo MYR55.00 and Trio Combo MYR62.00. Quoting the menu again, Your choice of Bar-B-Que Beef ribs, Bar-B-Que Chicken or Bar-B-Que Beef Brisket. Served with seasoned fries, ranch beans, and fresh coleslaw. Duo means two of the 3 choices, or trio, all three of them. Beef brisket wasn’t available, so we had to go for the Duo Combo, chicken and ribs. This is not nad too.. both chicken and beef were tender and evenly seasoned. Portion is actually quite big.. I think it’s a quarter chicken and just 2 pieces of beef ribs. Enough for 2, or a big eater can finish everything up alone. Haha…

This order though was a mistake.. it’s actually the same dish in Jumbo combo… in bigger serving with celery sticks with dressing. My friend did not notice it… Tupelo Chicken Tenders MYR18.00, quoting the menu, boneless seasoned and breaded chicken tenders, served with Honey Mustard and Hickory Bar-B-Que sauce on the side or tossed in our classic rock, Heavy Metal or Tangy Bar-B-Que sauces with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. I’m not sure what sauce it came with but it did not taste exactly like the one in the combo platter though… sauce was too sourish, flavour was too strong I had to swallow it and down it with my drink… I prefer Friday’s… they have a dish something similar…

Fresh Apple Cobbler, MYR 20, is says in the menu, A country favourite, served warm with vanilla ice cream, topped with walnuts and caramel sauce, is good and sweet tooth people will surely like it… problem is, it was served together with the main… so what do I eat first? Main first and let the ice cream melt beyond recognition, or just end the meal with my dessert and put the main aside? Aih… next time must tell them, desserts last, when I ask for it ok? I thought they would know, cos the crew didn’t ask if I would like my desserts serve early or later. But I don think I’ve eaten any walnut lo…

Overall meal was okay… and definitely priced for the up market. I saw the next table lady had 10 oz burger… gosh… the burger patty is really huge, fat and juicy… perhaps next time… must share though…

Finished our meal and while waiting for the band to start at 10:30pm, take photos first la.. :D

The life band is good, I like them a lot… there are a few numbers that I personally like , Dancing Queen, American Boy, Hatin’ at the Club and a few others… vocals are good… makes me wanna just stand up and dance.. muahaha… My friend told me they are available every night at 10:30pm except for Mondays…

Hard Rock Cafe Penang is actually not that big, it has got dining area, the bar and upstairs seatings over looking the bad and pool tables.. not as hebat as the ones in LA or San Fran though, my sis says got car revolving at the ceiling inside the cafe… Worth going for the band though…

Rock shop is available in the cafe itself too, selling Hard Rock Cafe merchandise only, and another Rock Shop, walking distance from the Cafe and Hotel, a small bungalow selling both hotel and cafe’s merchandise… Shop can be seen from the main road..

Hard Rock Hotel, Penang

2 weeks before the opening, a good friend of mine invited me for a pre opening stay, just to experience the Hard Rock Hotel before it is opened to public. Am indeed honoured, having the opportunity to experience the stay before hand :D During my stay, contractors were still very busy working on each and every corner of the hotel till wee hours to rush for the opening in the next 2 weeks.

Now that it’s completed and opened to public, I’m sure many have actually gone to experience both the hotel and cafe. Official opening was in 19th Sept 09 and Cafe on the 11th Sept 09 and was believed to have caused the traffic jam along road to and fro Batu Feringgi, addition to the festive season and school holidays. 

*photos overload coming your way.. 

Simple reception with a bar.. when you check in, you can collect you welcome drink from the bar, or have a seat at the lobby area while waiting for them to process your check in, the crew will bring you your welcome drink :D

Interior and deco within the lobby area with lots of  the Beatles… :D and mosaic art of The Beatles’ at the entrance of the diner… Starz diner…pretty…..

Cute washroom signs, Rock Shop Too selling Hard Rock Hotel merchandise, and along the walkway to rooms… Abbey Road, Graceland and Paisley Park, if I’m not mistaken are meeting rooms….

Each floor has a corner with different themes and seats… 

Entrance to Hard Rock Hotel, with pretty LED lights with stringy light showers…

The biggest guitar in hard Rock Hotel… perhaps biggest in Penang too :D Everyone will not miss taking photo with this giant..

The outside of Starz diner next to the ballroom…. and that’s the lobby’s washroom :D

Seaview room, overlooking the pool and the beach… that’s the ballroom and again the infamous guitar…

Simple room with basic interior needs, but most importantly comfy bed and pillows… even the comforter has got guitar images prints on it… cuteezz…. room is not very big… slightly smaller than G Hotel but, rooms here has got balcony… some rooms even give you access to jump down to the pool from the balcony! And a LCD TV with a list of channel and a music player…

Bathrooms are not as big… some rooms has got a small tub and some it’s only stand in cubicle with rain shower! Each toilet has got a huge portrait of either Elvis, James Brown and many others more… so, no privacy when bathing.. musahahaha… it actually has sliding door between the bathroom and bedroom… so you can be bathing in the bathroom and get to have the view of your whole room…. Basic amenities available…

Coffee making corner…. cooffee, tea or me… :P

Each corner of the pillow has got guitar embroidery.. cute eh… and each bed has got one tiny throw pillow… Even the couch has got the hotel name embroidered.

Entrance to the diner…. Starz Diner… I was entitled for dinner and also breakfast at the diner inclusive with the stay… thanks to Branda :D

Table setting…. and I’ve got 2 knives for dinner.. haha.. wrongly set… and perhaps it’s just on trial run, the crew is still not very much train-equipped… halfway eating you can hear cutleries and plates falling on the floor… the selections in Starz Diner, very frankly speaking is very very minimal..  haha.. not sure if it’s because of trial run or it’s just meant to be this way… I saw one my second visit after the opening that buffet dinner as Starz Diner is at MYR78++. If the spread is the same of what I’ve had, I would rather go to Evergreen or City Bayview for relatively cheaper price, or just pay slightly more to Park Royal, Rasa Sayang or E & O.

Mussels….

Very simple spread with majority of Asian fares… fried rice, noodles, pea sprouts, beef satay, stir fry chicken, stewed lamb if I’m not mistaken, and black pepper fish meat.. something like that…. can’t really remember…

Pumpkin soup, which was okay, thick and creamy….hardened pasta with 2 choices of sauce, marinara carbornara and meatball bolognaise.. the carbonara was my choice and i regretted it… the sauce is thin, not rich, and they used brown squid instead of the white squid… I’m not sure if others like it… but it certainly did not appeal to my palate… the quiche, pie and another sweet potato something wasn't the dishes I really enjoy as well…

Desserts were cakes mostly…. and fruits… can’t recall if there is ice cream or not… it was also just so so… and too many people handling the desserts, it in the end became a pile of unrecognizable cake.. with the name tags all over, I don’t even know what I took…

The diner.. is not a very big place….ceilings are not that high, but somehow it’s pretty cozy…  I suppose it’s more of the diner concept.. perhaps that explains the spread selections and variety too…. it’s a diner… not a huge restaurant…   

Breakfast was okay.. simple with the basic eggs, sausages, breads and stuffs… they even have sautéed mushrooms, with butter or not I’m not sure… but the mushroom smell is too strong it kind of overpowered everything, it became a little bit bitter… different of toast and soft rolls available with different types of jam…

Nasi lemak is available.. also porridge with condiments… salad and fruit bar as well…  

Different types of pastries but they somehow tasted the same.. or it’s the theme, or is it my taste bud… everything taste like they have banana in it…. it was pretty and appealing though… fruit juices available to quench your morning thirst… Overall, I would hope that the food quality will improved in Starz Diner… it should be living up to Hard Rock standard lo….

Pool view from my room…. pretty eh.. but the sea wave was rough that day… looks scary cos it’s like so near!!

Pool area…The Beatles get to enjoy the sea view to, day and night :P it has got the beach pool, private pool, main pool, kids pool and whatever pool you call it.. the pools are inter connected and huge.. nice.. I like! There’s also a pool bar whenever you feel like getting a drink while swimming… also a podium for life bands as the beach pool…

Private pool with direct access from their rooms… not sure if this is the Kings Club suite or something else.. slides for the kids too…

Accessing from the lobby, to the pool area…

And coming up… Hard Rock Cafe…. MJ is guarding the main door… jeng jeng jeng…..