UntoldCityLife.com

An UntoldCityLife.com’s Travel & Places by Xiao Loong Zi on a Penang X’mas trip

From Cititel 11th Floor

For just 3D/2N, 2 Guys and 1 Girl nearly lost in the island of Oriental Pearl for the sake of Penang-style crazy X’mas. In fact, all 3 of us been to Penang before. This trip was actually initiated by a guy called “Mr. Right”. Yes, he called for the trip, he chased people to join his trip, he wanted Cititel so much and guess what ….. he cannot make it at last… (Anyway he was penalized to share part of the accommodation fare as a cancellation fee). Among us, 2 Guys and 1 Girl, the girl is known as “Miss Anything” because her opinion is always “anything”. The “2 Guys” were me and the “Mr Chauffeur”. Mr Chauffeur loves his only “wife” very much and he was so reluctant to let us touch it. So he drove all the way up and down.

Day 1 - Sunday 23, Dec 07 - From Broga to Mines to Kepong to Ipoh to George Town

The journey started around 8am++ from Broga reaching Mines at 9.15am to pick me up by “Mr Chauffeur” then heading to Kepong to pick Miss Anything. The story shall not began here but in Ipoh …

 

At 12.30 sharp, we reached Ipoh toll and was lead by a friend of “Miss Anything” to go for lunch in “Ipoh Oldtown”. In a very crowded restaurant, we tried Ipoh’s “Char Kuay Teow”, Rojak, “Sotong-Vege” and “Chicken Rice” as s.hown.

 

A unique and distinct Rojak using special kind of sauce

 

Feel the peanut in the curry sauce, a special Sotong-Vege in Ipoh

 

The best “Char Kuay Teow” I ever had. But very small portion - RM3.00

To our surprise, Ipoh served better foods than in Penang especially the “Char Kuay Teow”. Ipoh is a lovely town for foods and Chinese pastries. These are the famous and established shops we pass by, we bough more than 8 packs of “Xian Peng” here.

Each pack of the “Xian Peng” costs about RM6 - RM7 in “Kun Lum” (our lead brought us here because this is the best brand)

Another famous Chinese Pastry - Lam Fong

 

The locals know that this is the best Noddle shop

 

The “foreigners” always come here! (I was told the above is better than this)

We continued the journey towards Penang and enjoyed the following scenes:

A tunnel somewhere after Ipoh

Nice green Padi field

An expensive and terribly jam Penang bridge.

Yeah, we are on the Jelutong expressway towards GeorgeTown

A heritage historical strait-times buidling?

At 4pm++, we reached Cititel after terrible jam in GeorgeTown! We almost lost as most ways are one way.

The only X’mas decoration in Cititel

Our very “tiny” small bed room

Our room furnitures…. everything is just so small here

Another small corner

Small bath room

Small toilet

This is the only place to shower!

My mobile bed as an additional request or else I have to sleep on the floor :(.

Do you think Cititel Penang deserves a 4-stars rating? 3-stars will be reasonable!

After checking-in, we rested a while that took more than 3 hours. We wanted to visit Batu Ferringi beach to enjoy the sunset and white-sands walking but it was too late! We reaching there just-in-time for dinner. First impression of Penang foods….. very sucky! Went to Global Bay, an attractive food court and had “Char Kuay Teow” again.

An attractive food court called Global Bay

A disappointed “Char Kuay Teow” (Ipoh serves better than Penang)

Another disappointed “Kuay Teow Mee” with very little Kuay Teow

A kind of Penang-style Lam Mee that was just OK

***

After the dinner in Batu Ferringi, we went back to Cititel and walk around in George Town. Lastly, we found this Upper Penang Road, a hip-hop disco-like atmosphere with full of pubs and bars. We settled down in a cozy Japanese restaurant to drink Sake, supper and chit-chatting.

An old shop selling dim sum (very classic style)

The night scene of Cititel. Left of the Cititel is an Hindu Cineplex.

A happening disco-atmosphere street of Penang Upper Road. (Outside of MOIS)

Rakuya Japanese Restaurant & Sake Bar

Our drinks, a Japanese Hatkusuru sake rice wine and fruit juices

My seafood fried rice as my supper, very yummy!

Then, we called it off the day and went back Cititel to sleep :). Stay tune for upcoming Day 2 story.

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