Cat's Birthday Treats: BaBa Phang • Secangkir Kopi Hitam

Cat's Birthday!

After returning from Chowrasta Market I began searching online for a suitable place to take Cat out to her birthday luncheon. I asked her what she was in the mood for, and she said she wouldn't mind trying the Peranakan cuisine here in Penang since we've been to so many such restaurants in Melaka.

I then asked Jen of SmokePapa BBQ for her opinion, and she immediately suggested we try BaBa Phang. It was an excellent recommendation since it was just a 10-minute walk away.

Instead of walking in I thought it best to call for reservations, and thankfully I did. Nicole kindly booked us for 1pm since the 12pm slot was fully booked.

We left the Green House at 12:30pm and walked along Jalan Transfer headed northeast for about half a kilometre before turning right onto Jalan Sri Bahari. Soon enough we had arrived at BaBa Phang.

After a short wait (we were kind of early) we were seated. Our first time here we perused the menu carefully and eventually settled on:

• Asam Tumis Ikan Pari for RM38.00
• Tau Ewe Bak for RM32.00
• Kerabu Kacang Botol for RM20.00
• Blue Pea Rice each for RM2.00
• a pot of Chinese Teams for RM15.00

We also added the following for dessert later:

• Pengat for RM6.00
• Pulut Hitam for RM5.00 
• Sago Gula Melaka for RM5.00 

Together with a service charge Cat's birthday lunch came to RM139.70 (approximately USD30/EUR28).

We were done at 2pm and then went on search of a cake shop for the birthday girl. The first shop, Passion Heart was full of humans while the second, 250C Boulangerie was full of fur! Third time was the charm as we settled on a cosy little cake cafe called Secangkir Kopi Hitam (roughly translated to a cup of black coffee).

The cafe had an interesting array of beverages and cakes, and we eventually settled on:

• My Butterscotch Maksu for RM12.00
• Cat's Mojito for RM15.00
• Brendan's Pesen Fruit Soda for RM8.00
• a slice of Nutella Burnt Butter Cheesecake for RM9.00
• a slice of Pistachio Burnt Cheesecake for RM9.00 
• and a slice of Pandan Gula Melaka cake for RM9.00 

Together with a service charge of RM6.20 Cat's birthday treat came to RM68.20 (approximately USD15/EUR13).

We then walked back to the Green House southwest via Lebuh Clarke; then northwest along Jalan Hutton and finally southwest again along Jalan Transfer.

We have lots of packing to do so we'll probably order in tonight.

Tomorrow we're leaving for Kuala Lumpur!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zc3ieNVt2L1WxYTZ6

BaBa Phang - https://maps.app.goo.gl/AU7ygm6LK8Txhfmg7

Secangkir Kopi Hitam - https://maps.app.goo.gl/uKPya6eBNuw2RZqC8

CHOWRASTA: Morning Market Stroll

Penultimate Day!

After our excursion to Hin Bus Depot we pretty much stayed home and ordered in. My fever got a lot worse, but several rounds of paracetamol soon took care of that.

It then rained heavily in the evening, further cementing our desire to stay home.

Today however was a different story. Not wanting our second last day go to waste we woke up bright and early, leaving the Green House at 8am.

Brendan did not join us as he pulled an all-nighter playing an online game with his international friends.

And by the way, did I mention that it's Cat's birthday?

We took a short walk to Chowrasta Market and had breakfast at the very place from our first morning here, the Old Market food court. This time Cat tried the Kueh Teow Thng from a different stall, while I stuck with the Western stall.

We settled on:

• Cat's Kueh Teow Thng for RM5.50
• My Western breakfast for RM5.50 
• a round of drinks for RM4.00 

Our simple breakfast came to RM15.00 (approximately USD/EUR3). 

As we strolled out of the Old Market food court several snacks stalls caught her eye, and Cat promptly got:

• 2 rolls of Chee Cheong Fun for RM3.00
• a set of 4 cream puffs for RM7.00
• a box of Sweet Potato Ball for RM3.00 
• a box of Malaiko Kueh for RM3.50

Our additional snacks came to RM16.50 (approximately USD4/EUR3).

We then took a stroll along the morning market before exiting onto Jalan Penang. We walked across then headed southwest where we eventually turned right onto Jalan Phee Choon.

Here we witnessed a long queue of at least 20 people lining up at the Hutton Lane Roti Bakar. We continued northwest along Jalan Phee Choon then turned right onto Jalan Transfer. We walked across and onto Lorong Popu, and got home.

Stay tuned as I take Cat on a special luncheon for her birthday!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zc3ieNVt2L1WxYTZ6
Chowrasta Market - https://maps.app.goo.gl/F1HP5i6zoKR3JFBq8
老街巴剎早餐美食 Pasar Food - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LTCaMwM6GoZ32QKz8
Hutton Lane Roti Bakar - https://maps.app.goo.gl/3MxJFijS3HedczcV6

It's Our 300th Video! Hin Bus Depot • McDonald's Birch House

Hin Bus Depot!

Described as "a creative community hub in George Town. Home to a gallery, arts & events spaces and creative business outlets, we are working towards a sustainable community and providing a platform for artistic execution."

Cat was especially interested in the Hin Market, an arts and crafts fleamarket that happens every weekend.

I got caught in the the rain yesterday and started to run a temperature last night. Feeling a little feverish I still did not want our last few days in Penang to go to waste, so we walked out of the Green House at a quarter past eleven. 

We walked along Lebuh Dickens then walked across Jalan Penang where we immediately caught a Rapid Penang bus #202 that took us to Gama Supermarket just two stops away. We then walked south along Jalan Gurdwara for a few hundred meters and arrived at Hin Bus Depot soon after.

I took plenty of photos of the place, and twenty minutes later we left in search of Brendan's favourite McDonald's. We walked north along Gurdwara before turning left onto Jalan Trang then right onto Jalan Kampung Jawa Lama before finally left onto Jalan Dato Keramat.

We had arrived at McDonald's Birch House! Brendan and Cat walked in to order while I took some photos of the exterior and its surroundings. Since it was noon they both had something to eat, while I settled on a latte.

We left McDonald's Birch House half an hour later and made our way to 1st Avenue Mall where I bought a backpack for the trip back to Kuala Lumpur. We then strolled over to Starbucks to take advantage of the buy-one-get-one-free offer.

We exited 1st Avenue Mall and walked over to the CAT Station 9 bus stop to catch a free CAT bus back to Jalan Transfer.

We stayed home for dinner as I felt unwell. Tomorrow will be a busy day as we celebrate Cat's birthday!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zc3ieNVt2L1WxYTZ6

Hin Bus Depot - https://maps.app.goo.gl/hvjsy4591jxtaLwi9

McDonald's Birch House DT - https://maps.app.goo.gl/7BYet9bF19qf9enJA

1st Avenue Mall - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ykjmbkyNxSDYuBmq9

CAT Station 9 - https://maps.app.goo.gl/xhvkJV7HuiQTYJp4A

ZULAIKA Pasembur Rojak

Pasembur!

I only had a relatively small pie for lunch, and experienced hunger pangs by 5pm. We decided to to have an early dinner and walked to the bus stop in front of 7-Eleven along Jalan Penang.

We had planned to take a bus to Padang Brown but it started to drizzle so we hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM8.00 (approximately USD/EUR2) instead.

We arrived ten minutes later and tried Mohabath Pasembur the last time we thought we'd give Zulaikha a try instead. In the end we went for:

• a large plate of Pasembur for RM33.00
• Chicken Chop Cheesy for RM15.00
• Cheesy Fries for RM7.00
• a round of drinks for RM7.80

Our early dinner came to RM62.80 (approximately USD14/EUR12).

We then walked to the Padang Brown bus stop and caught a Rapid Penang bus #11 to Jalan Transfer.

Stay tuned as we head to a flea market at an old bus depot tomorrow!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zc3ieNVt2L1WxYTZ6

Zulaika Pasembur Rojak - https://maps.app.goo.gl/KB7GvREcqDgtYHbk7

The Lighthouse Cafe [Church of St. Francis Xavier]

Lighthouse Cafe!

I woke up at a quarter to eight this morning, ordered breakfast through the Grab app and began working on editing our videos.

I then took a shower at half past ten; Cat showered soon after and we were out the door by half past eleven. Brendan declined to join in our excursion today as we head out to a cafe that we've been eyeing for a while.

We walked northeast along Jalan Transfer for half a kilometre before walking across onto Jalan Sri Bahari then turning left onto Jalan Penang continuing norteast.

Situated within the compound of St. Francis Xavier's Church was the Lighthouse Cafe. Described as "a cozy place for a quick meal or a jovial gathering. An array of local and western dishes coupled with free flow ice cream and salad."

I was still full from this morning's breakfast so Cat went out with her meal. We eventually settled on:

• My Mushroom Chicken Pie for RM6.80
• Cat's Hainan Pork Chop for RM18.90
• My warm and Cat's cold Lemongrass Pandan Tea for RM4.90 each 

Our Western lunch came to RM35.50 (approximately USD8/EUR7).

Our sumptuous lunch sorted; we then took a stroll along the grounds of the church. We took a few photos and left the church grounds, walking across Jalan Penang to the Hotel Cititel bus stop.

Here we waited to board any random bus just to get out of the humid heat. As luck would have it then first bus to arrive was there free CAT bus, that eventually took us to KOMTAR, then Jalan Transfer and back to the Green House.

Stay tuned as we head to Padang Brown for dinner!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zc3ieNVt2L1WxYTZ6

The Lighthouse Cafe - https://maps.app.goo.gl/6CTodjFps8hRxkPu8

St. Francis Xavier's Church - https://maps.app.goo.gl/XqA4ekjvxCN3fqG86

Improvised Walkabout: Lebuh Cecil • Red Garden Food Paradise

Improvised Walkabout!

Evening came and Brendan declined our invitation to go out to dinner yet again. His feet were probably still sore from the excursions of this afternoon.

Remember my phone's screen protector that was replaced earlier? Turned out it was for the wrong model, and as a result the face unlock didn't work.

So first on our agenda this evening was a walk to ICT Mall. We left the Green House at half past six, soon as we got to Standard Classic Mobiles on the 2nd floor and explained our predicament they apologised and immediately replaced the offending screen protector.

We thanked them for their prompt and excellent service while they continued to apologise profusely. Kudos to the team at Standard Classic Mobiles, a truly 5-star shop that's highly recommended to all!

We then crossed over to 1st Avenue Mall and suddenly had the urge to try Cecil Street Market Hawker Centre again. We exited 1st Avenue Mall and walked across Jalan Magazine onto Lebuh Mcnair.

We then walked the kilometre or so due southwest and to our dismay the hawker centre was again closed. We turned back and enquired with a kind gentleman who confirmed that Cecil Street Market Hawker Centre only operated in the daytime, from morning  till about 4pm.

Shame on you Google Maps!

We then continued until we reached Presgrave Street Hawker Centre only it packed to the rafters. Desperate times called for desperate measures, so we hailed a Grab car for a fare of only RM5.00 (approximately USD/EUR1) to where else but Red Garden Food Paradise.

We arrived close to eight and we're relieved to find plenty of empty tables. Partly to comfort myself with the disappointment of earlier went overboard, and we settled on:

• My Mixed Grill Platter for RM45.00
• Cat's Char Kueh Teow with Duck Egg for RM9.00
• Vietnamese Spring Rolls for RM16.00
• Cat's Abra juice and my Apple juice for RM11.00

Our extravagant dinner came to RM81.00 (approximately USD17/EUR16). I was able to finish everything but the fish and waved the white flag.

Cat then texted Brendan who asked us to take away two Classic Beef Nachos for RM44.00 (approximately USD10/EUR9).

I eventually ordered a small bottle of Heineken for RM14.00 (approximately USD/EUR3) to wash down the voluminous amounts of meat I had just consumed. A lame excuse, I know.

Our perut filled we then took a very slow stroll, first headed southwest along Jalan Penang then northwest along Lebuh Dickens until we reached the Green House.

We don't know what lies in store for us tomorrow, so please stay tuned!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zc3ieNVt2L1WxYTZ6

ICT Digital Mall @ Komtar - https://maps.app.goo.gl/MFP2SjfmqkRFQLqx5

Cecil Street Market Hawker Centre - https://maps.app.goo.gl/TEovnno3Rg829bEJ8

Presgrave Street Hawker Centre - https://maps.app.goo.gl/6ym9i6862iVUfLFw7

Red Garden Food Paradise - https://maps.app.goo.gl/mgMhA1zSvYU8tcDE8

FORT CORNWALLIS and Beyond!

Fort Cornwallis!

This is another place that we've been meaning to visit for a very long time. 

Soon as Brendan was up and ready at 11am we walked out to the bus stop at Wisma MCA and caught the Rapid Penang bus #201 to Padang Kota Lama.

We were dropped off near the Queen of Victoria Memorial Clock Tower and made our way to the entrance of Fort Cornwallis where we paid RM10.00 each (approximately USD/EUR2).

Please be advised that non-Malaysians need to pay RM20 each (approximately USD/EUR4) per entry.

Fort Cornwallis is a bastion fort built by the British East India Company in the late 18th century. Named after the then Lieutenant-General The 2nd Earl Cornwallis (1738–1805), the Governor-General of Bengal at the time of the fort's construction, it is the largest standing fort in Malaysia. The fort never engaged in combat during its operational history.

We strolled around for about half an hour then decided to have drinks at the Kota Cafe situated within the compound of the fort.

We perused the menu and went with:

• Brendan's Iced Lemon Tea 
• My Hand Crafted Coffee 
• Cat's Signature drink of Lemon Grass, Calamansi Mint, Chili, Ginger and Torch Flower 

 

that came to RM45.00 (approximately USD9/EUR10). In hindsight it cost more that our eventual lunch.

We chilled for half an hour happy to be out of the heat, then exited Fort Cornwallis headed back to the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower. We continued walking along Lebuh Light before we walked across to the Bank Negara and immediately caught a CAT free bus to KOMTAR.

Fifteen minutes later we disembarked and walked into ICT Mall where we rode the escalator up to Level 2. Here at the first phone accessories shop I had my phone screen protector replaced for RM40.00 (approximately USD9/EUR8).

We then walked across they pedestrian bridge into First Avenue Mall and rode the escalator back down to the ground floor.

We exited then walked across Jalan Magazine where we continued northeast until we reached Kassim Nasi Kandar. Our lunch of Nasi Kandar with various dishes of Chicken together with a round of drinks came to RM27.00 (approximately USD6/EUR5).

Stay tuned for our next video where we go on an improvised walkabout!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Fort Cornwallis - https://maps.app.goo.gl/oDHFXgrjUyep4x86A

ICT Digital Mall @ Komtar - https://maps.app.goo.gl/MFP2SjfmqkRFQLqx5

Kassim Nasi Kandar - https://maps.app.goo.gl/AEEVzUgfHFTaqwsc6

Breakfast in Air Itam [and Tawfid Pawanchi!]

Air Itam!

We were up bright and early and left the Green House at 7:30am. Brendan spend the night online with his friends and declined to join us in our morning excursion.

We walked out to the bus stop in front of 7-Eleven along Jalan Penang and immediately caught a Rapid Penang bus #201 to Pekan Air Itam.

We arrived at around 8:00am and took a stroll along the morning market here before making our way to the hawker centre.

We browsed and settled on:

• Cat's Kueh Teow Thng for RM5.50
• My Roti Canai Telur for RM2.20
• A round of drinks for RM3.20

for a humbling grand total of RM10.90 (approximately USD/EUR2).

We then walked back to the bus stop we got off earlier and caught another Rapid Penang bus #201.

We arrived at KOMTAR at 9:30am. I headed to Maybank to replenish our Federal Reserves then Cat went for a potty break. Although we already had breakfast I couldn't resist having Nasi Lemak and the very fragrant Teh Tarik at Tawfid Pawanchi.

Together with Cat's Iced Tea it all came to a mind boggling RM4.20 (approximately USD0.90/EUR8.80)!

We then hopped on a CAT free bus back to Jalan Transfer.

Stay tuned as we woke Brendan up and headed out again to Fort Cornwallis!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zc3ieNVt2L1WxYTZ6

Pekan Air Itam - https://maps.app.goo.gl/Qb494gg6DYcnCoPo6

Air Itam Hawker Center - https://maps.app.goo.gl/xHERVpDvFNWkYpT19

NANA Tomyam

Nana Tomyam!

Each time we were starved (pun intended!) of ideas Nana Tomyam always saved the day. So it was to our surprise that we have not featured Nana Tomyam on our channel.

Located at the intersection of Lebuh Dickens and Jalan Transfer, and right across from Lorong Popus, Nana Tomyam has always been our default destination for authentic Thai cuisine.

With one hundred percent Siamese personnel their authenticity is undoubted, and the flavours genuinely Thai.

On this particular night we were knackered after our day trip to Padang Besar, so yet again Nana Tomyam came to our rescue.

Brendan did not join us for dinner since he had a very late lunch, so we proceeded with:

• Cat's Anchovy Kerabu
• My Beef Bone Soup 
• Our shared Daging Masak Merah 
• Iced Tea 

Our truly authentic Thai dinner came to RM29.00 (approximately USD/EUR6).

Do come and visit Nana Tomyam if you're ever in the neighbourhood. Satisfaction guaranteed!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Nana Tomyam - https://maps.app.goo.gl/tMnEc9TkFyo19xjn8

Padang Besar Shopping: Padang Waremart • Aked Niaga

Padang Besar!

Soon as we stepped off the Padang Besar KTM station a large group of overzealous 'taxi' drivers swarmed us. Overwhelmed by the situation, we took a step back and tried hailing a Grab car, to no avail.

Unwilling and unable to withstand the constant onslaught of these overzealous  men we decided to walk out of the station compound. A few hundred meters away we stopped to try our best luck with the Grab app again.

We were in luck! A Grab car was on its way to pick us up up and take us to where we wanted to go: Aked Niaga Padang Besar.

We arrived at a quarter past eleven and without hesitation headed to the nearest eatery we could find, which is this case was Kori Corner.

We did not have a bite to eat all morning so we both went for rice dishes. Our orders consisted of:

• Cat's Belacan Fried Rice 
• My Chicken Pad Khra Pow
• Iced Green Tea 

that came to RM23.00 (approximately USD/EUR5).

With our early lunch out of the way we then went for a potty break before making our way into the vast retail centre known as Padang Waremart.

Top on our list was Madam Heng's herbal soap, that we found at the very first shop that offered RM40 for a half dozen (or RM6.67 per soap). Not contented we continued browsing but all other shops were only able to offer RM8.00+ per soap.

After more browsing we circled back to the first shop and got ourselves two dozen of these awesome herbal soaps for a grand total of RM160.00 (approximately USD35/EUR31).

In the meantime Cat kept an eye out for her compact powder, to no avail. We then exited Padang Waremart and headed across the street to Aked Niaga Padang Besar to continue our search for Cat's compact powder.

We remembered buying it at a stall on the first floor, so we walked up and eventually found it. Priced at RM15 per refill I asked Cat to get 5 refills for a grand total of RM75.00 (approximately USD16/EUR15).

We then doubled back to the general vicinity of Padang Waremart to buy some fruits and siamese snacks including Cat's favourite Miang Kham.

With our shopping done we tried hailing a Grab car back to the Padang Besar KTM station, to no avail. Then a 'taxi' offered to take us there for RM10.00, an offer we accepted given the circumstances.

The driver was a friendly local chap who bemoaned some Siamese with not scruples that smuggled our petrol (gasoline) from Malaysia to Thailand. A liter of RON95 costs RM2.10 here, and RM4.80 in Thailand precipitating the smuggling activities.

We soon arrived at the Padang Besar KTM station, so be sure to catch our previous video to find out what happened next. In the meantime stay tuned as we have dinner just across the street from the Green House!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Padang Waremart - https://maps.app.goo.gl/6oU7YNL6skerKwXi8

Kori Corner - https://maps.app.goo.gl/XWob8geRXgehdeKi7

Arked Niaga Padang Besar - https://maps.app.goo.gl/SWK8XVambxjT88if6

Buses, Ferries & Trains: To Padang Besar and Back!

Buses, Ferries and Trains!

Today is the day we experience the Malaysian northern region's public transportation to the fullest.

We woke up at the crack of dawn and left the Green House at ten to seven. Brendan's badly blistered feet meant that he did not tag along.

We walked to the Wisma MCA bus stop and caught the CAT free bus a short while later. We disembarked at its final stop at the Jetty Bus Hub and walked a short distance to the Ferry Terminal.

We bought our tickets for RM2.00 each (approximately USD/EUR0.40) and had about a fifteen minutes wait for the next ferry scheduled to depart at 7:30am.

A few minutes before departure we were allowed to board, and the ferry promptly left the port at the appointed time.

Fifteen minutes later we arrived at the Butterworth Ferry Terminal. We got off and walked towards elevators that would take us one floor up to Penang Sentral.

At Penang Sentral we veered right and continued along a long ramp that eventually took us to the Butterworth KTM station. Here we purchased tickets for RM11.40 each (approximately USD3/EUR2) to Padang Besar.

Yes, we were going to spend the day two states over, in Perlis' (almost) northernost town bordering Thailand.

The next train to Padang Besar was scheduled to arrive at 8:35am so we had about half an hour's wait.

Fifteen minutes before departure time the train arrived, and after the last of the disembarking passangers exited we were allowed to board.

The train left the Butterworth KTM station at precisely 8:35am. The journey took about two hours and we arrived at the Padang Besar KTM station at 10:26am.

Be sure to catch our next video to find out how our shopping at Padang Besar went.

Our little shopping spree was done in a little over two hours, and we hailed a 'taxi' back to the Padang Besar KTM station, arriving at one in the afternoon. We then bought our tickets back to Butterworth and had more than an hour's wait since the next train was only scheduled for 2:35pm.

There was a slight delay and the train arrived at 2:40pm before leaving 10 minutes behinds schedule at 2:45pm. It was another 2-hour journey and we were back at Butterworth KTM station at 4:53pm.

Much like earlier this morning we exited the station, walked down the a flight of stairs then strolled along the long walkway that led us backed to the Ferry Terminal.

We caught the 5:00pm ferry back to Georgetown, then caught a CAT free bus back to Jalan Transfer, and back to the Green House.

Stay tuned for tomorrow as we head to a morning market in the suburbs!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/3TDU6tDCk3XARGZM6

Jetty B Bus Terminal - https://maps.app.goo.gl/hKoqPSsHxcv3SFmq5

Penang Ferry - https://maps.app.goo.gl/4w7pwRQbyriQC2Ze8

Butterworth Ferry Pier - https://maps.app.goo.gl/iJBkHiqW3eABvEiV6

Penang Sentral - https://maps.app.goo.gl/sKGYzvz7W5iJ4Sop6

Butterworth KTM - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZMPWkTHdNnfKPdHY6

Padang Besar KTM - https://maps.app.goo.gl/jTck4NE5yMsmLLbA7

Boxing Day Walkabout: To Macalister and Back

Boxing Day!

After an afternoon of editing videos I began to develop a stiff neck. The remedy? A walkabout, of course!

We left the Green House at a quarter past six and walked along Jalan Transfer headed southwest before turning right onto Jalan Burma. We then walked across Jalan Burma onto Lorong Madras and continued southwest till we reached Jalan Macalister.

We then walked across and headed southeast towards Lorong Baru, towards the New Lane Street Foodstalls. We then explored this hawker centre for a bit but nothing here struck our fancy.

We then walked back across Jalan Macalister and continued northwest till we reached Sih Jing San Coffeeshop, another old favourite food court. The place was packed to the rafters but after a short wait a table availed to us.

We were not in the mood for rice so we went ahead with noodle-based dishes. The best thing? All noodle dishes cost RM7.00 each, which included:

•  Brendan's Char Kueh Teow
•  Cat's Kueh Teow Thng 
•  My Hokkien Mee

A round of drinks cost RM11.00, and a plate of Lor Bak was RM12.00 plus Brendan loved the Char Kueh Teow so much he a second helping. In the end our typical Penang dinner came to RM51.00 (approximately USD11/EUR10).

Our perut filled we decided to go back the way we came from, but not before stopping by a Health Lane pharmacy so that Brendan could get fresh supplies of band aid for his blistered feet.

We then headed home in exact reversed order, namely Jalan Macalister > Lorong Madras > Jalan Burma > Jalan Transfer. We then stopped by Hassan Briyani House on the way to the Green House to take away a couple packets of Teh Tarik.

Stay tuned for tomorrow as we go on a surprise day trip to a neighbouring state!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/3TDU6tDCk3XARGZM6

New Lane Street Foodstalls - https://maps.app.goo.gl/pD4FrZz48K1Bpgne6

Sih Jing San Coffeeshop - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ktphSjrBFkvMinnWA

Hassan Briyani House - https://maps.app.goo.gl/rr8Ykc5coCuicpBR6

Boxing Day Excursion: To Gurney Plaza and Back

Boxing Day!

I woke up at six and did some editing work before having a shower. Cat followed suit, while Brendan opted to sleep in.

We left the Green House at 7:30am and walked to the nearest bus stop at Wisma MCA hoping to catch a CAT free bus.

One eventually arrived and after a ten-minute ride we disembarked at Padang Kota Lama. We then walked across Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling onto Lebuh Gereja headed southeast.

We walked for about 5 minutes and soon arrived at Hwa Pin coffee shop for breakfast. Hoping for Cat's favourite Kueh Teow Th'ng we were however not in luck.

In the end we opted for:

• Seaweed Soup Noodles for RM8.50
• Western breakfast for RM7.50 
• A round of drinks for RM3.90

Our simple breakfast came to RM19.90 (approximately USD/EUR4).

Breakfast sorted we continued along Lebuh Gereja headed east before turning right onto Beach Street. We continued southwest for half a kilometre before turning right onto Lebuh Armenia.

We walked northwest for a few hundred meters before turning left onto Lebuh Acheh and continuing onto Ghat Lebuh Acheh.

We reached the end of our loop and turned left onto Pengkalan Weld for about half a kilometre. We walked across and arrived at the Jetty Bus Terminal.

Here we caught another CAT freedom bus back to the Green House. All in all our morning excursion took two hours as we arrived back at the Green House at 9:30am.

All the above would have made great content, but for the fact that almost all of it was shot with the DJI Action 3. For some reason I accidentally deleted all the footage!

Oh well, it is what it is. We picked you up again as we woke Brendan up and left the Green House at 11am. The Moovit app instructed us to walk a distance to the TM Point bus stop along Jalan Burma.

After a short wait we caught the Rapid Penang bus #101, and fifteen minutes later we arrived at Gurney Plaza. First order of business: Brendan's socks. His new Converse was causing blisters, so we had to look for thicker and longer pairs.

JD Sports didn't have any, so we're headed up to them Converse store while he went down to a pharmacy for a band aid. Converse did not have the appropriate socks as well. Turned out Uniqlo did, so apart from that we went on a small shopping spree getting t-shirts and such as well.

Done with our errand we walked out and caught a Rapid Penang bus #304 to Pulau Tikus. Then something strange happened.

3 stops away from our intended destination (Belissa Row) the bus driver declared that it was his lunchtime, asked us to get off while he was abandoned the bus and walked away!

We then hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM7.00 (approximately USD /EUR) to resume our journey to Restoran Hup Kee. We first got a bagful of Eu Char Koay and other cakes for RM12.00 (approximately USD/EUR2) from the stall outside.

Then we walked in and ordered:

• three plates of Chicken Rice for RM28.00
• assortment of beverages for RM6.70

Our lunch came to RM34.70 (approximately USD8/EUR7). Truth be told the Chicken Rice was just so-so, so much so that I barely ate half of it.

We then caught a Rapid Penang bus #101 headed to KOMTAR at a quarter to two. Turned out this bus would traverse Jalan Transfer, so instead of KOMTAR we disembarked at Wisma MCA just a short distance from the Green House.

Stay tuned as we walk to Jalan Macalister for dinner!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/3TDU6tDCk3XARGZM6

Gurney Plaza - https://maps.app.goo.gl/vXxaKnvYheniTLd39

Restoran Hup Kee - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ffGN9BdohzAPuog1A

Christmas Day Walkabout: To Lebuh Cecil and Back

Merry Christmas!

We spent the afternoon indoors as I managed to complete the first video from our first day in Penang. With the sumptuous Christmas feast at SmokePapa BBQ still percolating in our perut we decided on a no frills down to earth dinner.

We ventured out again at 6pm and walked across Jalan Transfer onto Lebuh Dickens before turning right onto Jalan Penang. We continued southwest and at the Octopus Pedestrian Bridge rode an elevator up. To our horror there was human faeces strewn all over the floor of the elevator, and when the doors opened there were even more strewn across the walkway!

We gingerly watched our step and eventually got across to Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong. We continued southeast before walking across onto Lebuh Lintang. We walked southeast to its end then turned right onto Jalan Magazine before walking across onto Lebuh Mcnair.

We walked almost a kilometer headed southeast along Lebuh Mcnair until we got to Cecil Street Market Hawker Centre. To our dismay the hawker centre was closed!

We then doubled back and walked onto Lebuh Cecil before turning right onto Jalan Gurdwara to have dinner at an alternative venue, Deen's Maju. WE've been meaning to pay this Nasi Kandar joint a visit for a very long while, and were glad that we finally did. Our Nasi Kandar together with a round of drinks came to RM29.25 (approximately USD/EUR6).

After dinner we decided to make it back to the Green House on foot, so we continued along Jalan Gurdwara before first walking across Jalan Dato Keramat then Jalan Macalister. We eventually ended up back along Jalan Penang before turning left onto Lebuh Dickens and across Jalan Transfer onto Lorong Popus, and back to the Green House.

With nothing planned tomorrow we'll probably let our feet lead the way, so please stay tuned!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/3TDU6tDCk3XARGZM6

Octopus Pedestrian Bridge - https://maps.app.goo.gl/d1dXq9LN5KtrouPY8

Cecil Street Market Hawker Centre - https://maps.app.goo.gl/TEovnno3Rg829bEJ8

Deens Maju Nasi Kandar - https://maps.app.goo.gl/sWrCGX9e8P8pC9VY6

SmokePapa BBQ: Christmas Feast!

Merry Christmas!

I woke up at eight, heated up the Teh Tarik from last night and began work on editing the video of our first day, trying to make sense of the 10 hours spent on the bus.

Brendan and Cat were knackered from last night's walkabout and slept in. At eleven I took a shower then woke them up.

By twelve we left the Green House and walked to the nearest bus stop at  Wisma MCA. Traffic was gnarly so instead of waiting for a CAT free bus we decided to hail a Grab car for a fare of RM8.00 (approximately USD /EUR).

We were headed to a smoke house we had visited for Cat's birthday last year. We made reservations well ahead of time with the proprietress Jen and thankfully so since eateries small and large everywhere were filled to the rafters!

We arrived and were quickly seated at a cosy corner of the restaurant. At Jen's suggestion we went with the Moo & Roost Platter that consisted of:

• 500g of Smoked Angus Brisket
• 4 pieces of Chicken Leg
• 8 soft rolls 
• 1 big sharing side of mashed potatoes 

We also added a serving of Cheesy Fries as well as a helping of Mini Cranberry Orange Dark Chocolate Pie for dessert and had the following beverages:

• Soursop Calamansi Oolong
• Passionfruit Jasmine 
• Coca Cola

Our sumptuous Christmas feast came to RM309.85 (approximately USD67/EUR61). In the end we did not manage to finish our platter, so together with the pie we asked that the leftovers be taken away in a doggy bag.

We then bade Jen and company a fond farewell, then walked over to the bus stop to catch a CAT free bus back to Jalan Transfer, and back to the Green House.

Be sure to catch our next video as we have something a little more down to earth for dinner at Jalan Macalister!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/3TDU6tDCk3XARGZM6

SmokePapa BBQ - https://maps.app.goo.gl/JeNdzaP4MCLxMgAo7

Christmas Eve WALKABOUT!

The weather was intermittent throughout the day. It cleared up somewhat in the evening but by the time we left the Green House it began to rain again. Thankfully we had acquired a couple of umbrellas earlier this morning from the Chowrasta morning market.

We walked out onto Lebuh Dickens then walked across Jalan Penang headed northeast till we reached the intersection with Lebuh Leith.

A few hundred meters later we had arrived at Red Garden Food Paradise. If not for the fact that our arrival yesterday was much delayed we would have had our dinner here then.

Later with our perut filled we decided to walk of the calories and went on a walkabout to Padang Kota Lama. We walked northeast along Lebuh Leith before continuing onto Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah then onto Lebuh Farquhar.

We continued southeast along Lebuh Farquhar before turning left onto Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling then right into Lebuh Light.

We walked across the first pedestrian crossing we could find and then turned left onto Jalan Padang Kota Lama. We continued north till we reached the Esplanade Viewspot.

We walked east to its end then exited through Jalan Green Hall. We eventually ended up at Lebuh Light and walked across the same pedestrian crossing and turned left all the way to its end.

We then turned left onto Beach Street and headed southeast for quite a distance before turning right onto Lebuh Pasar. We reached its end and turned left onto Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling before turning right onto Chulia Street.

Traffic was heavy here, so we darted left into Lorong Sekchuan then left onto Jalan Buckingham then eventually onto Lebuh Campbell.

We walked to its end, and here was where our DJI Pocket 2's battery ran out. We then stopped by 7-Eleven along Jalan Penang to get a large bottle of drinking water. We switched to the Lumix GX85 and walked across Jalan Penang onto Jalan Transfer then darted through a small lane that took us back to Lebuh Dickens.

We then walked across Jalan Transfer onto Lorong Popus and back to the Green House, which was precisely when the Lumix GX85's battery ran out as well.

We will be having our Christmas lunch at a favourite smoke house, so please stay tuned, and Merry Christmas everyone!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Green House at Popus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/A5N5shY1RiUqEegV9

Red Garden Food Paradise - https://maps.app.goo.gl/mgMhA1zSvYU8tcDE8

Esplanade, Padang Kota Lama - https://maps.app.goo.gl/gz7sdp54eCbhpBfx6

7-Eleven Jalan Penang - https://maps.app.goo.gl/yjTMU6pMp3UqZZTAA