Melawat kedai makan baru - Kedey Kamek
Last week, aku terperasan ada orang post pasal kedai makan baru di Sunway Putra Mall. Boleh tahan jugak deko kedai ni, dan yang paling penting kedai ni menjual makanan Sarawak. Wah, menarik!
Since Sunway Putra Mall ni memang dekat dengan rumah kiteorang, maka kiteorang dengan tak menyabarnya pegi melawat kedai makan ni.
Kedey Kamek (atau terjemahan BM dia 'Kedai Saya') ni memang tak asing lagi dari warga Sarawak yang berada di KL. In fact, Kedey Kamek ni ada beberapa cawangan di KL tapi semua agak jauh dari rumah kiteorang sebelum ni. So ni first time la kiteorang nak merasa masakan Kedey Kamek ni since dia dah bukak cawangan dekat dengan rumah.
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| Hiasan dalam restoran memang simple tapi wow |
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| Grand Old Lady terletak di Miri, bersempena owner kedai berasal dari Miri, Sarawak. Tok Nan tu memang ikon kebanggaan orang Sarawak |
At first glance, aku memang fall in love dengan decoration restoran yang moden & ceria. Sudut aku suka pandang ialah dinding putih yang berlakarkan the Grand Old Lady (telaga minyak pertama di Miri / Malaysia) dan petikan kata-kata arwah Tok Nan (Ketua Menteri Sarawak yang paling disayangi rakyat Sarawak).
Pelanggan boleh pilih nak duduk di meja ada armchairs yang empuk, bangku berlatarbelakangkan gambar Tok Nan, atau kalau siapa yang datang makan sorang-sorang tu boleh jugak duduk di bar chairs di bahagian belakang kedai.
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| Suasana kedai yang santai dan chill je |
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| Maksud 'kamek' |
Bila aku baca review, ramai orang cakap laksa dia sedap & ada banyak variasi. Nak laksa udang galah? Laksa udang besar? Semua ada. Tinggal nak standby duit dalam dompet je.
Tapi memandangkan malam tu aku tak lapar sangat, maka aku decide nak order mee kolok super special abis sebab ada tendon. Aku suka mee kolok ada tendon tau. Rasa kenyal je bila gigit. Suami Terchenta pulak order mee jawa kambing dan budak-budak ni nak makan mee kolok ayam.
Air tak banyak pilihan, semua air tin je ada. Mungkin sebab kedai ni baru bukak belum ada tukang buat air lagi. Tak kesah sangat pun, sebab tujuan kiteorang nak merasa menu makanan kat sini je.
Bila makanan sampai, mak aih... besarrrrrnyaaa portion dia! Aku pandang Suami Terchenta, Suami Terchenta pandang aku balik. Masing-masing tengah fikir camane nak habiskan makanan kiteorang hahaha!
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| Mee jawa kambing, harga dalam RM20++ |
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| Mee kolok ayam, harga RM10++ |
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| Mee kolok super special abis (aku ambik set dengan pisang cheese & air), RM30++ |
Pada pendapat aku, boleh laaa... mungkin akan kena di tekak aku kalau sup tu dia memang ikut resipi sup mee kolok dan bukannya sup tulang. Lagi satu, aku suka mee kolok yang kenyal ('springy' kata omputeh) tapi mee dia pulak hari tu aku rasa kembang / 'soggy' sikit. Hirisan ayam tu pun tak berapa kena dengan tekak aku and the girls. Bak kata Khadeeja, 'Mommy, the chicken tastes not like chicken!'
Bila aku rasa mee jawa kambing dia pulak, bagi aku ada something yang kurang. Mula-mula aku ingatkan sebab dia lupa bagi limau kasturi hiris (sebab bila makan mee jawa ni, kena perah limau kasturi baru ada 'uumph') tapi bila dah request limau kasturi still rasa macam ada benda yang kurengggg. Tapi aku tak tau apa sebab tak penah tau camane nak buat mee jawa hehe. Cuma bila bandingkan mee jawa Pulau Melayu @ padang golf di Miri yang femes tu (makan dengan chicken wing goreng dia sedap perghhhh) aku rasa jauh beza sangat rasa mee jawa di restoran ni.
Tapi aku taknak berputus asa lagi sebab kena la support bisnes orang Sarawak kan. Next time aku datang sini aku nak try la laksa Sarawak dia yang orang kata sedap sangat tu. Mungkin specialty kedai ni ialah laksa Sarawak. Lagi satu, ada menu ayam penyet dan linut (orang Sabah panggil 'ambuyat'). Harap-harapnya menepati citarasa aku la menu-menu lain ni.
Kawan-kawan negeri lain yang nak merasa makanan popular Sarawak boleh datang ke Kedey Kamek ni. Sebenarnya ok je rasa makanan dia cuma as orang Sarawak yang dah selalu makan mee kolok & mee jawa, tekak kiteorang memang cerewet sikit sebab dah sebati dengan mee kolok & mee jawa di tempat sendiri 😋
Geng KAMIE Reunion
Dah lama Geng KAMIE tak bersiaran. Lepas bertahun-tahun tak ber ‘hoohaa’, akhirnya terbuka semula peluang kiteorg berkumpul sekali lagi sempena kedatangan Sis Lin ke KL. Apa lagi, riuh la group Whatsapp yang sekian lama sepi tu.
Hari Sabtu lepas, kami masing-masing berpakat reunion di Restoren Original Kayu Nasi Kandar di Kota Damansara. Walaupun jauh, kami tetap bersemangat waja hadir sebab ye la, bukan selalu peluang muncul untuk buat reunion kan? Apa lagi sejak aku pindah dan menetap di Sarawak selama 6 tahun.
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| Bila dah jumpa aktiviti wajib ialah ambik gambar dulu! |
Walaupun dah lama tak lepak sama-sama, bila berjumpa tak terasa kekok pun. Masing-masing riuh je nak bercerita. Tapi kalau dulu-dulu topik berkisar anak-anak, plan melancong dan membawang, gathering kali ni padat dengan topik penyakit dan ubat-ubat. Maklumlah, masing-masing dah fasa senior citizen ni, memang tak lari dari sakit yang sewaktu dengannya! 😆
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| Semua tekun dengar Che Mat bercerita |
Mulalah compare ubat sakit darah tinggi, ubat kencing manis dan ubat jantung. Waktu ni la keluar cerita siapa yang dah buat operation, ubat siapa paling mahal, sampaikan alarm ubat Sis Lin & Suami Terchenta berbunyi pun tepat waktu yang sama hahaha! Memang berdekah la semua kat meja tu bila dengar alarm ubat dieorg! 😂
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| Kecoh sekali lagi bila roti tisu yang besar ni sampai ke meja, Sis Lin terus tak jadi diet 😜 |
2 jam dihabiskan dengan bersembang tapi masih rasa tak puas. Mana tak puas, dah bertahun-tahun tak jumpa banyak giler benda yang nak dibualkan. So apa lagi, buat la plan breakfast esoknya. Breakfast pulak kiteorang set di Nasi Lemak Marvelous, Taman Melati. Sebelum balik sempat lagi posing lagi di luar restoran.
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| Ambik gambar pun ikut SOP pakai face mask 😷 |
Esoknya Suami Terchenta tak ikut sebab dia balik kampung. Asalnya aku plan nak ambik grab je tapi terus batalkan niat bila tengok harga tambang ke Taman Melati. So sis tawakal je la bawak kereta walaupun tahu area Taman Melati tu susah nak cari parking.
Bila Waze kata dah sampai, aku tercari-cari signage Nasi Lemak Marvellous tapi tak jumpa, so ingatkan dah sesat & patah balik. Nasib baik Kak Ret call, bagitau dieorang dah nampak kereta aku & lambai-lambai tapi aku tak perasan pulak. Rupa-rupanya kedai tu dah tukar nama... Patutlah tak jumpa huhu...
Dah duduk order makan apa lagi sambung la bersembangggggg...
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| Ni cerita pasal jumpa doktor gigi pulak |
Seronok sangat bersembang plan nak buat trip naik keretapi ke Kelantan, sampai Abg Sabar barkali-kali tepuk bahu Sis Lin bagitau dah nak gerak balik JB, so sudah-sudah la berborak hahahaha! 😝 Ampunnnn Abang Sabar, maklumlah bukan selalu dapat jumpa kan.
Harapnya jadi la plan trip naik keretapi ni supaya Geng KAMIE meriah kembali macam dulu-dulu. Yang penting bila buat trip, ubat jangan tinggal! 😂😂
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| Semoga Geng KAMIE meriah semula! |
The Edison, Georgetown Penang
Have you ever felt like living in a mansion? Of course, owning one can be a daunting feat if you are not one of the 'atas' citizens.
I have never aspired to own a mansion but staying in one is another story. What better way to experience the life of the past wealthy society other than being a guest at one of Penang's heritage hotel, The Edison in Georgetown?
The moment we drove up to the mansion gates, I immediately fell in love with the building colonial architecture. The whitewashed outer wall adorned with olive green louver windows stood majestically against the blue sky. A fountain laid in front of the building and the topiary plants adds to the grandeur of the beautiful mansion. I can almost picture an European antique car driving up to drop off a family member at the grand entrance during those days. As the sun disappeared over the horizon, the whole building is bathed in golden lights, appearing more elegant and proud.
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| The Edison mansion |
We arrived at 10am, hoping to store our luggage at the concierge while we went about on our sightseeing agenda. The front desk staff in-charge helpfully checked us in even though we arrived a few hours earlier than the designated check-in time, and told us that he will help to send our luggage to our room once our room was ready.
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| The lobby area where we checked in |
After checking us in, he brought us around for a tour of the mansion. During this tour, we learnt of the building's colourful history. The mansion used to belong to a Chinese tycoon back in early 19th century, where he stayed with his family. He had many children and each had their own room. Tragically after he passed away, one of his sons who was a heavy gambler gambled on the mansion and lost. The house then passed hands to outsiders. In 1940s, during the Japanese occupation, the mansion briefly served as the Japanese army's administrative building.
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| Spacious open-air courtyard past the lobby |
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| View looking up from The Courtyard |
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| Staircase leading up to the first floor |
When we came back much much later that evening, the same staff warmly greeted us and told us that our luggages were already sent to our room ready to be unpacked. It was welcoming to step into the room with the aircond already turned on and the room has been cooled before our arrival. After making sure that we were comfortably settled in, the staff informed that we could help ourselves to cold juice and canned beverages in The Lounge and some snacks if we were feeling peckish. Our girls were excited and made several trips getting fruit juice, Coke and crisps from The Lounge as if they were at home!
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| Deluxe Room |
I couldn't help but gush when I first entered the room because the 33sqm-room was spacious enough to accommodate two king beds. The kids had great fun chilling and watching cartoon from the iPad on the carpet while we lounged on the bed after a tiring day trip.
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| Closet & bathroom area |
The bathroom was separated by a thick heavy curtain for privacy. I was attracted to a beautiful woven handbag in the closet which the hotel provides for guests to use and could purchase if they want to bring it home. There is also another handwoven basket on the floor under the sink that serves as laundry basket.
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| Standard hotel toiletries are provided |
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| Shower area is separated from the toilet by a glass screen |
Perhaps due to its tiny space the shower area was without enclosure, which I found bothersome because my younger child tends to splash water everywhere, therefore soaking the bath mat and the area beyond the shower.
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| Comfortable bed draped in rich linen to ensure guests get a good night sleep |
The room also comes with complimentary Wi-Fi should you need to quickly check your email or do some work.
The next day, we woke up early for complimentary breakfast that came with the room package. Breakfast is served at the Lounge, an inviting and exclusive space for socializing which also serves as breakfast venue. A waiter greeted us and showed us seating area that fit our large party of eight people. We chose to have our breakfast at The Cabanas, the outdoor area of The Lounge nearby the pool because our kids wanted to go for a swim while the adults enjoyed a leisure breakfast. While the tables could fit the eight of us nicely, occasionally we had to swat the mosquitos that were trying their luck to have us for their breakfast.
We were served continental breakfast with choice of scrambled / omelette eggs, bread, butter, kaya & marmalade.
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| Coffee machine is also available in the room |
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| Breakfast section After breakfast, while the kids swam to their heart's content, we strolled around the tastefully decorated outer area. Sofas, chairs and chaise were plentiful for guests to lounge about either to work / surf internet / read a book. |
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| The Cabanas |
The recreational pool is located on a strip of land next to the building, where guests can enjoy sunbathing or reading books on the deck chairs by the pool, or take a dip in the cool water on hot sunny days.
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| Swimming pool |
After the kids were done swimming, I decided to roam inside the mansion and take more photos. Everywhere the combination of old and new design elements awed me, from the checkered small tiles on the floor, to the bright and colourful Chinese vases on display, to the unique chandeliers hanging off wood beam ceiling, to the elegant staircase and beautiful print canvas arts on the wall - every single thing was carefully curated to present an elegant enclave worthy of photoshoots.
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| In front of the Lounge |
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| Elegant European design staircases with wainscoted banisters Going to the first floor, I came across more picture-perfect sections of the mansion. While the ground floor was mostly tiled, the first floor almost entirely used wood flooring, perhaps from its original structure. I can only imagine the hard work to preserve the polished look of the flooring. |
I like the subtle use of rich colours contrasting with the whitewashed walls in the hotel, such as the yellow shuttered door and the deep green panels with the room numbers. It highlights and brighten the areas without being overpowering.
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| Yellow louver door decoration painted in bright yellow |
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| The hallway |
I took a lot of photos and these were my favourites:
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| French windows overlooking the courtyard below |
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| Scene overlooking the staircase and the reading room |
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| Another angle of the staircase |
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| First floor common seating area with this interesting shape rattan sofa |
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| Courtyard view from the French windows above |
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| Another angle of the staircase |
Everything about The Edison charmed me, from the warm and personalised hospitality shown by the staff to the elegant luxurious designs throughout the mansion and down to the all day snacks and beverages provided by the hotel - it was a delightful experience that I look forward to being a repeat guest of the Edison when we are in Penang again. Perhaps the next time we are here, I would make sure that we spend the day just enjoying the hospitality of The Edison.
Rating: 10/10
Loop on Leith Georgetown, Penang
Hello, it's 2022 already and here I am, just about to start writing about our Penang trip last Christmas. Better late than never!
We were in Penang for a 2 days & 2 nights trip with a childhood friend of mine and her kids. Although we just spent 2 nights there, we got to experience 2 different hotels - a budget hotel and a luxury heritage hotel set in a century-old mansion.
Our first night was spent at Loop on Leith located in the heart of Georgetown, Penang. I purposely chose this hotel for two reasons - the low-budget rate (below RM150 per night) and complimentary on-site parking facility (but there's a snag - the parking is very limited and on first-come basis).
Stepping into the brightly lit lobby, I was impressed with the lobby that successfully marries brick walls and Moroccan tiles to achieve a modern chic design. While Le Hubby went to find a parking (because we arrived late hence parking was full), I waited at the comfortable lounge area while admiring the contemporary design blue and white carpet. It was then I noticed ironing boards and irons at the other side of the lobby for guests' usage.
Checking in was breezy as we had paid for our room through Agoda. We booked Cyan Premier Room which was more spacious but since we arrived late at night, we were assigned a different room (I believe it was Magenta Standard room) because the staff regretfully informed us that our room had been let to other guests due to the hotel booking glitch. I would probably felt disappointed if not for the fact that we just need the room to crash for a restful sleep ahead of our packed itinerary the following day.
We have experienced hospitality everywhere in Malaysia but Penang seems to bring hospitality to the another level - be it a budget hotel or a premium accommodation, the front desk personnel welcomed us with genuine warmth. After checking us in, the front desk staff asked us if we are tourists and helpfully provided us with two maps - local attractions and popular food spots in Penang.
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| Hotel lounge area |
The room was done in black and white with the furniture (the sofa and the bedside table) in bright colours. The room comes with standard amenities - a mini fridge, bottled drinking water, electric kettle, instant beverages, a safe (which probably ran out of battery hence did not work), a small standing garment rack, flat TV, aircond, toiletries and bath towels.
Other than the safe which was not working, I also found fault in the room's thin walls - we could hear people slamming doors and even loud conversations through the walls. Clearly, the walls were not sound-proofed so if you are a light sleeper, it's highly recommended for you to bring along your noise cancellation earbuds.
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| Guest room |
The bathroom/toilet was decorated with Moroccan tiles in beige and white to match with the black and white concept. Although small, it was clean and well-maintained.
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| Hotel bathroom |
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| Shower area is separated by a clear glass screen and comes with hot/cold water |
Overall, for a budget hotel, Loop on Leith came across as good choice for those seeking clean and aesthetic accommodation at the heart of Georgetown, Penang. Although make sure to turn up early to get the complimentary parking underground and the room that you booked.
Rating: 8/10