Pastries, The Local Way @ Ming Xiang Tai

One cannot talk about Penang and not have food come up as a red hot topic. There is something for everyone here, be it Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan, anything ranging from the humble hawker fare to restaurants, cafes, coffee shops. The options are just mind boggling if you are a keen foodie (and have the stomach space for a sampling of this and that). Unfortunately I do not have a bottomless pit for a stomach and I can only consume so much (so many more I've yet to sink my teeth into), and also, unfortunately, with age hurriedly catching up with me, the waistline is also rapidly expanding with every mouthful of food I consume, and every gaspful of air I breathe.
I discovered this yummylious little shop just next to the where the famous Chendol stalls are, and a quick visit there yielded me some extra kilos in weight after succumbing to the wonderfully aromatic local Chinese pastries freshly baked in-store.

Rara And Reddy Goes To Penang - Muntri Grove

Penang! It was a short 1.5 hour of drive from Alor Setar, after dozing off for a snooze in the taxi we hired, the next thing we know, Penang Bridge has come in sight. It was somewhat a surreal experience, as the only time I have seen the bridge was on the telly, or from school textbooks from (obviously) many years ago. Penang is located almost way up north (northwest to be exact) of the Malayan Peninsula. It shares its borders with (the other small) state of Kedah and Perak. Despite being the second smallest state (by land mass) in Malaysia, it is the second largest city by population. Yup , that is how dense this little state is. Penang also holds the esteemed recognition from UNESCO as a World Heritage Site (the other 4 in the country being Lenggong Valley in Perak, Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, Kinabalu Park in Sabah and the historical town of Melaka). Can you believe that this is my first visit here! So close to home and yet it took me many years to find myself landing in this fascinating place steeped in years and years of rich history. I am such an ardent fan of anything old, and judging by the sheer amount of "oldness" within the vicinity of where I chose to bunk in for a 2 nights, I am thrilled beyond words and cannot wait to share what Rara and Reddy been up to in the city also known as the Pearl Of The Orient.

 
What more appropriate a choice than a charming boutique hotel housed in a compound of refurbished old shophouses. Simply lovely :)