Fad for Bombay fashion
WITH Deepavali around the corner, Little India in Penang has exploded with colour, music and life.
Shops around the Indian enclave, covering a compact square in the heart of George Town, are literally spilling out into the streets in the run-up to the Festival of Lights.
While both modern and traditional Tamil music can be heard blaring from giant speakers outside stores, tasty traditional treats are seen on almost every street corner and the sweet smell of incense fills the air.
Adding to the carnival atmosphere are cars, motorcycles, trishaws, bicycles and people, many laden with bulging shopping bags, weaving in and out of the old, narrow streets.
Inside VKN Sivasamy & Sons on Market Street, sarees of every colour of the rainbow can be seen stocked from floor to ceiling.
“This year is all about Bombay fashion. Both our boutique sarees and Masakali Punjabi suits are selling like hot cakes!” declared company director P. Ramalingam.
He said the boutique sarees, also known as ‘part-ly sarees’ for their half-and-half design nature, were the latest craze among the younger generation.
“The part of the cloth that covers the top of the body is see-through, while the bottom is rich with designs.
“While the more traditional sarees hide most of the belly from sight, the younger generation don’t seem to mind showing the belly off,” he quipped.
“The boutique saree is the number one saree style of the year and we’ve sold over 1,000 of these since the middle of last month,” Ramalingam said, adding the handsewn sarees from Mumbai were priced at about RM280 each.
‘Bombay fashion’ has also penetrated the Punjabi suit market with a fresh style called ‘Masakali’.
The suits, made of stretchable materials, all come with unconventional long sleeves.
“However, short sleeves are also separately attached to the outfits, so people can send them to the tailor if they want shorter sleeves,” he said, adding he had sold over 2,000 Masakali Punjabi suits for the festive season.
Over at the B. Mathavon Store, colourful garlands and altar decorations are being snapped up quickly.
Store owner M. Kanagaratnam, 59, said these decorations from Madras and Bombay were very popular during Deepavali.
“Business is good so far, but we’re expecting the crowd to swell from Friday to Sunday when shoppers from Ipoh and Kedah come down,” he said.
And while shops continue to erect canopies around Little India, the Malaysian Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) Penang is keeping an eye out for outside traders aiming to make a quick buck.
Its executive secretary R. Sethupandian said dozens of outside traders had been seen setting up shop in Little India during the Deepavali season in recent years.
“Most of them are licensed with the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) to trade on other parts of the island, like Lorong Kulit or Penang Road, but come to Little India during this time to take advantage of the crowd,” he said.
He said outside traders, who did not pay assessment, quit rent or even electricity and water bills, could afford to sell products at cheaper prices than the shops.
“This had affected the business of the shopowners who even have to pay special fees to set up tents outside their shops and covered parking bays,” he added.
Sethupandian said MICCI had sent a letter to MPPP several weeks ago requesting for stronger enforcement during this festive season.
“So far, we have not seen outside traders yet and we hope MPPP will keep tabs,” he said.
MPPP licensing department chief Rafiah Mohd Radzi said the council would continue to monitor the situation until Deepavali on Nov 5.
“We will be sending enforcement teams to conduct checks over the next two weeks,” she added.
-News courtesy of The Star-
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Hidden goodies
Hidden goodies
To savour the best of Penang food in George Town, head for the stalls at the back lanes and alleys. The food there is appetising even if the surroundings are a bit derelict.
ONLY in Penang will you find good food in (literally) every nook and cranny. Here, even the backlane stalls are famed for their mouth-watering offerings.
Run by third-generation hawkers who use tried and tested secret family recipes and traditions, these stalls do not have signs screaming “Penang’s Best”, which are common at big hawker centres and tourists haunts.
Nevertheless, they are thriving, as can be seen in the backlane stalls dotting George Town’s narrow alleys and between drains, proving that location is not everything when it comes to food.
Backyard bounties: Despite the makeshift appearance, business at the backlane stalls in George Town is thriving.
The most well-known of these humble establishments is without doubt Toh Soon Cafe. A place where time seems to have stood still, its owner Y.S. Ooi still steams and toasts his bread over hot coals in a little “oven” that’s as old as some of the pre-war buildings around it.
Here, RM5 will get you a simple meal of coffee, toast and eggs – with change to spare.
Ooi, who has two young sons, says he’d like to see the third generation taking over. “I don’t want to impose this business on my children because it’s hard work but it would be nice if they could turn Toh Soon into a franchise,” he says.
Expanding the business in the immediate future is not on the cards, though. For one, space is limited at their current premises, Ooi says. “Besides, it’s very tiring. I am here six days a week because my regulars prefer I make their drink.”
Ahamad Ansari makes a mean cup of tea at his stall along Hutton Lane.
Toh Soon adopts an open kitchen concept and customers can see how their food is prepared. “They like to see us in action; it’s really the atmosphere that’s made this place so popular,” Ooi says.
Journalist Ang Tong Kai, who has been a regular for the last six years and sometimes comes two or three times a day “to have coffee while writing”, maintains that the kopi-o there is the best.
“It takes a lot of skill to make the perfect brew because the temperature of the water has to be just right,” he says.
He also recommends the toast and steamed bread, which he describes as special. “The kaya and peanut butter are homemade and the bread is from their own factory.”
Ang believes there aren’t many places left where people can find tasty toast made the traditional way, and points out that it’s common to spot cars bearing Singapore number plates blocking the alley.
Another regular patron, Lim Siang Siang, says the stall with its fresh green zinc facade has community leaders, Hong Kong celebrities, politicians, and prominent businessmen among its customers. Even celebrity shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo has visited the stall.
“The chairs and tables are beside a drain and there’s a huge rubbish bin nearby but nobody minds. If you come in the morning, you’ll see cars parked illegally along the road, and shouts warning of the police arriving are quite comical,” she says.
M.M. Abdul Jaafar, who has been operating a stall nearby since 1957, must be quite used to that commotion by now.
“This was my father’s business. We started selling roti Bengali bakar with half-boiled eggs one day before Merdeka,” says the 73-year-old. “Then we added apom manis, roti canai and nasi dalca to the menu.”
The apom manis was taken off the menu after his wife found the work of making them too much for her. His son now helps to run the family’s two stalls along Hutton Lane.
To sample Foo’s boh saik mee (above) and Aunty Ghen’s curry mee (below), go to the back lane along Magazine Road.
From 4.30am to 4pm daily, the sprightly white-bearded man with his friendly, toothless grin will be around serving customers.
Then there’s Gerai Kopi dan Makanan Abdul Hamid, a popular breakfast haunt that serves tasty nasi lemak and also charcoal-toasted Bengali bread.
Located on a back lane along Transfer Road and a mere 10 minutes’ walk away from Toh Soon CafĂ©, Abdul Hamid is always packed in the mornings.
And just across the street from Abdul Hamid’s is the famous and unassuming Ah Boy’s Koay Teow Thng.
Ah Boy, aka Lim Kah Beng, runs the business that was started by his grandfather.
“My grandfather’s stall was in Padang Brown. In 1977, my father moved the business here and now I am running it with my wife,” he says.
His mother, Lim Ah Moey, says their soup recipe has not changed at all. The family wakes up at about 4.30am every day to prepare the stock. “In the old days, a bowl was only 20 sen and his grandfather would make hundreds of ringgit in profit; it was that famous,” she recalls with pride.
Flanked on both sides by drains and with plastic canopies for shade, the stall looks quite makeshift but its rows of plastic tables are normally packed with hungry customers patiently waiting for a steaming bowl of Ah Boy’s Koay Teow Thng.
With a generous helping of ginger meatballs, fish balls, pork intestine and coagulated pork’s blood, the Koay Teow Thng there is among Penang’s finest.
Ah Boy’s Koay Teow Thng along Lebuh Clarke is a popular breakfast spot for workers in the area.
“The dry version of the dish is really good and I always ask for extra ingredients like the quail eggs,” says lawyer K.N.S. Lim who has been having breakfast at Ah Boy’s since she started working five years ago. “It’s near the court so my friends and I usually have our morning rendezvous here.”
Smartly dressed in their high heels and office wear, the ladies don’t seem to mind the humidity.
“And the coffee here is also really aromatic,” Lim adds.
If you fancy curry mee, the city’s tastiest is just a stone’s throw away from Ah Boy’s stall.
Tucked in an alley opposite the iconic Komtar tower (along Magazine Road), this curry mee stall is run by a lady who introduces herself as “Aunty Ghen”.
“This is my husband’s business but he is 80 now and can’t be here all day,” she says. “He started in the business, helping his mother, when he was 14.”
Aunty Ghen says the secret behind the rich, tasty soup is the santan. She says she herself prepares it every day, waking up very early to do so. “If you buy the coconut milk from the market it won’t be as fragrant because it’s diluted. That’s why I do it myself.”
If you chance to look across at the next stall, you will see Foo dishing out his boh saik mee (uncooked noodles), a traditional Hokkien dish, and Chinese desserts.
“I believe I’m the only one still selling boh saik mee in Penang. The youngsters have never tasted this dish so most of my customers are from the older generation,” says Foo, 46.
“Boh saik mee is very filling and used to be popular among the trishawmen because it was cheap and the portions were huge.
“During my mother’s time, it was five sen per bowl and was cheaper compared to Hokkien Mee, which was double the price. I charge RM1.50 now,” Foo says.
He says not many can stomach the strong smell of the tapioca flour that’s used in the dish. And he’s right: you either love it or hate it as the raw noodles are left to simmer with vegetables and lard until they become thick and starchy.
As backlane food enterprises go, there seems to be no end to the line of customers at Line Clear as well.
Known for its nasi kandar, Line Clear is just a stone’s throw away from Magazine Road and is bound to satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
So, for those with an insatiable appetite (and a willingness to explore), George Town’s meandering back lanes are worth checking out for some of Penang’s best lipsmacking food!
-Info courtesy of The Star-
To savour the best of Penang food in George Town, head for the stalls at the back lanes and alleys. The food there is appetising even if the surroundings are a bit derelict.
ONLY in Penang will you find good food in (literally) every nook and cranny. Here, even the backlane stalls are famed for their mouth-watering offerings.
Run by third-generation hawkers who use tried and tested secret family recipes and traditions, these stalls do not have signs screaming “Penang’s Best”, which are common at big hawker centres and tourists haunts.
Nevertheless, they are thriving, as can be seen in the backlane stalls dotting George Town’s narrow alleys and between drains, proving that location is not everything when it comes to food.
Backyard bounties: Despite the makeshift appearance, business at the backlane stalls in George Town is thriving.
The most well-known of these humble establishments is without doubt Toh Soon Cafe. A place where time seems to have stood still, its owner Y.S. Ooi still steams and toasts his bread over hot coals in a little “oven” that’s as old as some of the pre-war buildings around it.
Here, RM5 will get you a simple meal of coffee, toast and eggs – with change to spare.
Ooi, who has two young sons, says he’d like to see the third generation taking over. “I don’t want to impose this business on my children because it’s hard work but it would be nice if they could turn Toh Soon into a franchise,” he says.
Expanding the business in the immediate future is not on the cards, though. For one, space is limited at their current premises, Ooi says. “Besides, it’s very tiring. I am here six days a week because my regulars prefer I make their drink.”
Ahamad Ansari makes a mean cup of tea at his stall along Hutton Lane.
Toh Soon adopts an open kitchen concept and customers can see how their food is prepared. “They like to see us in action; it’s really the atmosphere that’s made this place so popular,” Ooi says.
Journalist Ang Tong Kai, who has been a regular for the last six years and sometimes comes two or three times a day “to have coffee while writing”, maintains that the kopi-o there is the best.
“It takes a lot of skill to make the perfect brew because the temperature of the water has to be just right,” he says.
He also recommends the toast and steamed bread, which he describes as special. “The kaya and peanut butter are homemade and the bread is from their own factory.”
Ang believes there aren’t many places left where people can find tasty toast made the traditional way, and points out that it’s common to spot cars bearing Singapore number plates blocking the alley.
Another regular patron, Lim Siang Siang, says the stall with its fresh green zinc facade has community leaders, Hong Kong celebrities, politicians, and prominent businessmen among its customers. Even celebrity shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo has visited the stall.
“The chairs and tables are beside a drain and there’s a huge rubbish bin nearby but nobody minds. If you come in the morning, you’ll see cars parked illegally along the road, and shouts warning of the police arriving are quite comical,” she says.
M.M. Abdul Jaafar, who has been operating a stall nearby since 1957, must be quite used to that commotion by now.
“This was my father’s business. We started selling roti Bengali bakar with half-boiled eggs one day before Merdeka,” says the 73-year-old. “Then we added apom manis, roti canai and nasi dalca to the menu.”
The apom manis was taken off the menu after his wife found the work of making them too much for her. His son now helps to run the family’s two stalls along Hutton Lane.
To sample Foo’s boh saik mee (above) and Aunty Ghen’s curry mee (below), go to the back lane along Magazine Road.
From 4.30am to 4pm daily, the sprightly white-bearded man with his friendly, toothless grin will be around serving customers.
Then there’s Gerai Kopi dan Makanan Abdul Hamid, a popular breakfast haunt that serves tasty nasi lemak and also charcoal-toasted Bengali bread.
Located on a back lane along Transfer Road and a mere 10 minutes’ walk away from Toh Soon CafĂ©, Abdul Hamid is always packed in the mornings.
And just across the street from Abdul Hamid’s is the famous and unassuming Ah Boy’s Koay Teow Thng.
Ah Boy, aka Lim Kah Beng, runs the business that was started by his grandfather.
“My grandfather’s stall was in Padang Brown. In 1977, my father moved the business here and now I am running it with my wife,” he says.
His mother, Lim Ah Moey, says their soup recipe has not changed at all. The family wakes up at about 4.30am every day to prepare the stock. “In the old days, a bowl was only 20 sen and his grandfather would make hundreds of ringgit in profit; it was that famous,” she recalls with pride.
Flanked on both sides by drains and with plastic canopies for shade, the stall looks quite makeshift but its rows of plastic tables are normally packed with hungry customers patiently waiting for a steaming bowl of Ah Boy’s Koay Teow Thng.
With a generous helping of ginger meatballs, fish balls, pork intestine and coagulated pork’s blood, the Koay Teow Thng there is among Penang’s finest.
Ah Boy’s Koay Teow Thng along Lebuh Clarke is a popular breakfast spot for workers in the area.
“The dry version of the dish is really good and I always ask for extra ingredients like the quail eggs,” says lawyer K.N.S. Lim who has been having breakfast at Ah Boy’s since she started working five years ago. “It’s near the court so my friends and I usually have our morning rendezvous here.”
Smartly dressed in their high heels and office wear, the ladies don’t seem to mind the humidity.
“And the coffee here is also really aromatic,” Lim adds.
If you fancy curry mee, the city’s tastiest is just a stone’s throw away from Ah Boy’s stall.
Tucked in an alley opposite the iconic Komtar tower (along Magazine Road), this curry mee stall is run by a lady who introduces herself as “Aunty Ghen”.
“This is my husband’s business but he is 80 now and can’t be here all day,” she says. “He started in the business, helping his mother, when he was 14.”
Aunty Ghen says the secret behind the rich, tasty soup is the santan. She says she herself prepares it every day, waking up very early to do so. “If you buy the coconut milk from the market it won’t be as fragrant because it’s diluted. That’s why I do it myself.”
If you chance to look across at the next stall, you will see Foo dishing out his boh saik mee (uncooked noodles), a traditional Hokkien dish, and Chinese desserts.
“I believe I’m the only one still selling boh saik mee in Penang. The youngsters have never tasted this dish so most of my customers are from the older generation,” says Foo, 46.
“Boh saik mee is very filling and used to be popular among the trishawmen because it was cheap and the portions were huge.
“During my mother’s time, it was five sen per bowl and was cheaper compared to Hokkien Mee, which was double the price. I charge RM1.50 now,” Foo says.
He says not many can stomach the strong smell of the tapioca flour that’s used in the dish. And he’s right: you either love it or hate it as the raw noodles are left to simmer with vegetables and lard until they become thick and starchy.
As backlane food enterprises go, there seems to be no end to the line of customers at Line Clear as well.
Known for its nasi kandar, Line Clear is just a stone’s throw away from Magazine Road and is bound to satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
So, for those with an insatiable appetite (and a willingness to explore), George Town’s meandering back lanes are worth checking out for some of Penang’s best lipsmacking food!
-Info courtesy of The Star-
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Temple to hold float parade
Temple to hold float parade
TOW Boh Keong Temple in Hong Kong Street, Penang, will hold a grand float procession tomorrow to mark its 168th anniversary celebration.
Organising committee chairman Khoo Khay Hock said 35 floats of various themes would be parading through 15 streets.
Starting from Hong Kong Street, the procession will then move on to Lebuh Carnarvon.
It will then proceed to Jalan Magazine, Jalan Gurdwara, Lebuh Macallum, Lebuh Mcnair, Lebuh Sandilands, Jalan C.Y. Choy, Gat Lebuh Prangin, Pengkalan Weld, Lebuh Light, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Lebuh Chulia, Jalan Penang, Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong and back to Lebuh Carnarvon before returning to Hong Kong Street.
All the above-mentioned roads will be cordoned off to vehicles in stages during the procession expected to start at 7.30pm.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is expected to kick off the event.
-News courtesy of The Star-
TOW Boh Keong Temple in Hong Kong Street, Penang, will hold a grand float procession tomorrow to mark its 168th anniversary celebration.
Organising committee chairman Khoo Khay Hock said 35 floats of various themes would be parading through 15 streets.
Starting from Hong Kong Street, the procession will then move on to Lebuh Carnarvon.
It will then proceed to Jalan Magazine, Jalan Gurdwara, Lebuh Macallum, Lebuh Mcnair, Lebuh Sandilands, Jalan C.Y. Choy, Gat Lebuh Prangin, Pengkalan Weld, Lebuh Light, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Lebuh Chulia, Jalan Penang, Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong and back to Lebuh Carnarvon before returning to Hong Kong Street.
All the above-mentioned roads will be cordoned off to vehicles in stages during the procession expected to start at 7.30pm.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is expected to kick off the event.
-News courtesy of The Star-
Tour packages featuring the King of Fruits
Tour packages featuring the King of Fruits
TRAVEL agencies in Penang have introduced durian packages to woo tourists.
Penang Tourism Development and Culture Committee chair- man Danny Law said the packa-ges included tours at durian plantations and feasting of the fruit.
“The durian tour packages are aimed at wooing tourists from Hong Kong and Singapore,” he said.
He was speaking at a press conference yesterday when announcing the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association’s (MITA) Penang Tourism Expo 2010, which is scheduled to be held at the Penang International Sports Arena from Dec 3 to Dec 5.
The event, jointly organised by MITA, PenEvents Sdn Bhd and unique Pacific Resources, is expected to draw 30,000 to 50,000 visitors.
Law also said the state’s durian festival, which was held in June this year, would be held in May and June next year.
On tourist arrivals, he said China, India and Indonesia were alternative tourism markets for Penang.
“In July, when we visited Chennai in India, we realised that Penang was not well marketed there.
“By working with Chennai tour operators since then, Penang is now better promoted over there,” he added.
Law also said that in promoting and marketing domestic tourism, it was necessary to look at market segments rather than just family holidays.
“Potential segments include local business travels and gatherings of youth and student groups,” he said.
-News courtesy of The Star-
TRAVEL agencies in Penang have introduced durian packages to woo tourists.
Penang Tourism Development and Culture Committee chair- man Danny Law said the packa-ges included tours at durian plantations and feasting of the fruit.
“The durian tour packages are aimed at wooing tourists from Hong Kong and Singapore,” he said.
He was speaking at a press conference yesterday when announcing the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association’s (MITA) Penang Tourism Expo 2010, which is scheduled to be held at the Penang International Sports Arena from Dec 3 to Dec 5.
The event, jointly organised by MITA, PenEvents Sdn Bhd and unique Pacific Resources, is expected to draw 30,000 to 50,000 visitors.
Law also said the state’s durian festival, which was held in June this year, would be held in May and June next year.
On tourist arrivals, he said China, India and Indonesia were alternative tourism markets for Penang.
“In July, when we visited Chennai in India, we realised that Penang was not well marketed there.
“By working with Chennai tour operators since then, Penang is now better promoted over there,” he added.
Law also said that in promoting and marketing domestic tourism, it was necessary to look at market segments rather than just family holidays.
“Potential segments include local business travels and gatherings of youth and student groups,” he said.
-News courtesy of The Star-
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Ah Heng’s char koay teow
Ah Heng’s char koay teow
WHILE the Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow is not available, why not try other alternatives? One that is worth checking out is Ah Heng (pronounced Ah Hiang) Char Koay Teow at Island Park Kopitiam, George Town. Ah Heng started in the business as her uncle’s helper when she was in her teens. She has been frying char koay teow and char mee for almost two decades in Island Park Kopitiam. In 2005, she won an award in the La Moon Best Cooking Competition for the tastiest char koay teow.
There’s normally a queue during peak hours for the tasty char mee and koay teow. Ah Heng’s noodles have more gravy but she can accommodate the needs of those who like their char koay teow a little dry. You do not need to worry about her manners as she is a soft-spoken person. The price starts at RM3 only!
-Info courtesy of The Star-
WHILE the Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow is not available, why not try other alternatives? One that is worth checking out is Ah Heng (pronounced Ah Hiang) Char Koay Teow at Island Park Kopitiam, George Town. Ah Heng started in the business as her uncle’s helper when she was in her teens. She has been frying char koay teow and char mee for almost two decades in Island Park Kopitiam. In 2005, she won an award in the La Moon Best Cooking Competition for the tastiest char koay teow.
There’s normally a queue during peak hours for the tasty char mee and koay teow. Ah Heng’s noodles have more gravy but she can accommodate the needs of those who like their char koay teow a little dry. You do not need to worry about her manners as she is a soft-spoken person. The price starts at RM3 only!
-Info courtesy of The Star-
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Tracking Dr Sun’s footsteps
Tracking Dr Sun’s footsteps
THE mapping out of the Dr Sun Yat-sen heritage trail in Penang is set to become a reality after more than 10 years.
Among the historic buildings along the trail are the Penang Philomatic Union’s second premises (120, Armenian Street), Penang Philomatic Union (94, Jalan Datuk Keramat) and Penang Philomatic Union’s fourth premises/Xiao Lan Ting (65, Macalister Road).
Regarded as the Father of Modern China, Dr Sun made Penang his base where he sowed the seeds of the Canton Uprising in Guangzhou in 1911.
Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) president Khoo Salma Nasution said the trail was proposed in the late 1990s but no one pushed for it due to lack of funds and verification for research findings.
She said the buildings identified along the trail were important places where Dr Sun had lived, held meetings and given talks while in Penang.
“He came to Penang to source for fundings and to recruit members for his movement. He was planning a revolution in China right here in Penang,” she said in an interview.
PHT had received a RM100,000 grant from the George Town Grants Programme for documentation purposes.
Started last December, the two-year programme is part of a RM20mil seed-funding initiative by Think City Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Federal Government’s investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd, for urban rejuvenation projects within the George Town World Heritage Site.
Khoo said the funds would be used to put up signboards at the buildings which would provide a background of the place and its connections with the Chinese revolutionary leader.
Khoo said the trail would also highlight how the people of Penang contributed to Dr Sun’s movement.
“He inspired people through his ideas and developed the Three Principles of the People which are nationalism (people’s rights), democracy (people’s voice), and socialism (people’s livelihood).
“When his movement overthrew the Manchu government, he became the first provisional president of China, which was also the first republic in Asia. He banned old practices like the wearing of pigtails and foot binding,” she said.
Khoo described the heritage trail as a way to educate the public.
“It is enriched by the past, as it is another layer of awareness of our history,” she said.
She hoped the attention brought upon the trail would lead to renovations of some of the buildings that were in dilapidated conditions.
Project coordinator Ho Sheau Fung said a group of researchers and local historians had only come out with the first draft of the trail.
“The next step is to concretise the trail and continue to verify the collected data. We also need to determine the sequence of the sites in the trail, based on historical facts.
“More sites will be identified after this and research is ongoing for the sites where Dr Sun had actually been to. We are also including places that are not directly related to him but associated with his followers,” she said.
The trail will be launched at the centenary celebrations in November to mark the 100th anniversary of the Penang Conference on Nov 13, 1910, where Dr Sun planned an uprising of a larger scale in Guangzhou.
-News courtesy of The Star-
THE mapping out of the Dr Sun Yat-sen heritage trail in Penang is set to become a reality after more than 10 years.
Among the historic buildings along the trail are the Penang Philomatic Union’s second premises (120, Armenian Street), Penang Philomatic Union (94, Jalan Datuk Keramat) and Penang Philomatic Union’s fourth premises/Xiao Lan Ting (65, Macalister Road).
Regarded as the Father of Modern China, Dr Sun made Penang his base where he sowed the seeds of the Canton Uprising in Guangzhou in 1911.
Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) president Khoo Salma Nasution said the trail was proposed in the late 1990s but no one pushed for it due to lack of funds and verification for research findings.
She said the buildings identified along the trail were important places where Dr Sun had lived, held meetings and given talks while in Penang.
“He came to Penang to source for fundings and to recruit members for his movement. He was planning a revolution in China right here in Penang,” she said in an interview.
PHT had received a RM100,000 grant from the George Town Grants Programme for documentation purposes.
Started last December, the two-year programme is part of a RM20mil seed-funding initiative by Think City Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Federal Government’s investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd, for urban rejuvenation projects within the George Town World Heritage Site.
Khoo said the funds would be used to put up signboards at the buildings which would provide a background of the place and its connections with the Chinese revolutionary leader.
Khoo said the trail would also highlight how the people of Penang contributed to Dr Sun’s movement.
“He inspired people through his ideas and developed the Three Principles of the People which are nationalism (people’s rights), democracy (people’s voice), and socialism (people’s livelihood).
“When his movement overthrew the Manchu government, he became the first provisional president of China, which was also the first republic in Asia. He banned old practices like the wearing of pigtails and foot binding,” she said.
Khoo described the heritage trail as a way to educate the public.
“It is enriched by the past, as it is another layer of awareness of our history,” she said.
She hoped the attention brought upon the trail would lead to renovations of some of the buildings that were in dilapidated conditions.
Project coordinator Ho Sheau Fung said a group of researchers and local historians had only come out with the first draft of the trail.
“The next step is to concretise the trail and continue to verify the collected data. We also need to determine the sequence of the sites in the trail, based on historical facts.
“More sites will be identified after this and research is ongoing for the sites where Dr Sun had actually been to. We are also including places that are not directly related to him but associated with his followers,” she said.
The trail will be launched at the centenary celebrations in November to mark the 100th anniversary of the Penang Conference on Nov 13, 1910, where Dr Sun planned an uprising of a larger scale in Guangzhou.
-News courtesy of The Star-
Friday, 10 September 2010
A treat by the seaside
A treat by the seaside
THE halal-certified Oriental Seafood in Gurney Drive, Penang, has indeed withstood the test of time having been around for over two decades pleasing taste buds all over the world with its signature seafood interpretations.
This ‘floating’ restaurant is popular not only for its extensive seafood and Chinese dishes but also for its seafront dining under the stars.
Lining one side of the premises are tanks filled with all kinds of live seafood which are an attraction in itself.
The lunch menu features dishes which are fast, good and value for money. Choices include nasi lemak (RM5.50), tomyam maggi mee (RM4.50), fried hor fun with fish meat (RM12 for two persons) and buttered mantis shrimp with mixed vegetable rice (RM6.50).
More varieties in the form of homemade Hailam choon pneah (spring roll), which is a delight with every mouthful, aromatic curry fish head and yummy mee udang are also available.
Dinner is a sumptuous affair with dishes such as grilled mutton, deep fried salted mantis shrimp, sang yue soup (steamboat style), kam heong crab, loong tan (potato grouper) cooked in two styles and crispy deep fried soft shell crab.
The mutton is nicely done minus the usual gamey smell while the sang yue served with beehoon, vegetables and bean curd is a pot full of oceanic sweetness.
Best complemented with cold beer, the mantis shrimp is fragrant and tasty. The grouper with its luscious and succulent meat is delicately sweet and simply delicious.
Besides its innovative interpretation of dishes, there is no compromise in the ingredients used and the seafood are caught daily by local fishermen. Thus, it is no wonder that the restaurant is so popular especially at dinner time.
In fact, Oriental Seafood with its strategic location in Gurney Drive is almost a landmark of Penang. Mention seafood and the outlet will immediately come to mind.
It also caters to tourists by the busloads and this has given rise to the wrong impression that the food here is overpriced. The management would like to state that they only charge RM10 per person for student groups and RM13 for tourist groups for six dishes and a soup.
The restaurant has six VIP rooms equipped with karaoke systems and is able to host functions and weddings. Diners are also assured of warm and friendly service.
Business hours are from 11am to 11.30pm daily. For reservations, call 04-8904500.
-Info courtesy of The Star-
THE halal-certified Oriental Seafood in Gurney Drive, Penang, has indeed withstood the test of time having been around for over two decades pleasing taste buds all over the world with its signature seafood interpretations.
This ‘floating’ restaurant is popular not only for its extensive seafood and Chinese dishes but also for its seafront dining under the stars.
Lining one side of the premises are tanks filled with all kinds of live seafood which are an attraction in itself.
The lunch menu features dishes which are fast, good and value for money. Choices include nasi lemak (RM5.50), tomyam maggi mee (RM4.50), fried hor fun with fish meat (RM12 for two persons) and buttered mantis shrimp with mixed vegetable rice (RM6.50).
More varieties in the form of homemade Hailam choon pneah (spring roll), which is a delight with every mouthful, aromatic curry fish head and yummy mee udang are also available.
Dinner is a sumptuous affair with dishes such as grilled mutton, deep fried salted mantis shrimp, sang yue soup (steamboat style), kam heong crab, loong tan (potato grouper) cooked in two styles and crispy deep fried soft shell crab.
The mutton is nicely done minus the usual gamey smell while the sang yue served with beehoon, vegetables and bean curd is a pot full of oceanic sweetness.
Best complemented with cold beer, the mantis shrimp is fragrant and tasty. The grouper with its luscious and succulent meat is delicately sweet and simply delicious.
Besides its innovative interpretation of dishes, there is no compromise in the ingredients used and the seafood are caught daily by local fishermen. Thus, it is no wonder that the restaurant is so popular especially at dinner time.
In fact, Oriental Seafood with its strategic location in Gurney Drive is almost a landmark of Penang. Mention seafood and the outlet will immediately come to mind.
It also caters to tourists by the busloads and this has given rise to the wrong impression that the food here is overpriced. The management would like to state that they only charge RM10 per person for student groups and RM13 for tourist groups for six dishes and a soup.
The restaurant has six VIP rooms equipped with karaoke systems and is able to host functions and weddings. Diners are also assured of warm and friendly service.
Business hours are from 11am to 11.30pm daily. For reservations, call 04-8904500.
-Info courtesy of The Star-
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