Have Perut Will Travel...: 24H @ Central Market │ Pacific Express Hotel

Chinese New Year Eve

In the Hokkien dialect, the eve of Chinese New Year was known as Sa Cap Meh, which meant the “thirtieth night.” It marked the final moments before the new year arrived and always carried a special feeling of anticipation.

Last year, we celebrated Sa Cap Meh in Melaka at Kocik Heritage. This year, we decided to stay closer to home.

Checking In Near Central Market

At three in the afternoon, we took a Grab car to Pacific Express Hotel Central Market. The ride cost RM21.00 (≈ USD/EUR4), which felt a little higher than usual. We guessed it was because many drivers were taking the day off before the festival.

The check in process was smooth and pleasant. The hotel kindly arranged for our two rooms to be side by side, just as we had requested. We booked two twin rooms for RM316.52 (≈ USD67/EUR62), which included 6% VAT and a 10% property service charge. Once inside, we let the footage tell the full story of the rooms.

Drinks and Desserts

After dropping off our bags, we went back out for drinks. We first walked over to Central Market to check out the cafés there, but nothing really caught our eye.

Brendan had his heart set on Secret Recipe, so we headed there instead. After scanning the QR code, we ordered:

1 cup of Ipoh White Coffee
1 glass of Iced Honey Lemonade
1 glass of Apple Citrus Fizz
1 serving of Shinjuku Caramel
1 slice of Chocolate Indulgence
1 slice of Strawberry Rose

With a 10% service charge and 6% service tax, our drinks and cakes came to RM65.30 (≈ USD14/EUR13).

A Quiet Night In

Before heading upstairs, we stopped by a nearby 7 Eleven to buy bottled water. We then returned to our rooms to rest and soak in the calm of Chinese New Year Eve.

It felt nice to slow down and celebrate simply, knowing the new year was just hours away.

Stay tuned for our next video, where we explored Precious Old China and continued our festive journey.