Tour Kuching Penang Food
The packages are:
YB Datuk Zulpilip officiating the event
Promotional Phamplets
More phamplets
The Bandada scarf and Orang Utan Doll
Orang Doll Utan Up Close
Stick on the car window screen - looks cute
To quote YB Datuk Chairman's in the Borneo Post (19 Jan 2006 edition), "....the five packages should further enhance Sarawak as the preferred tourist destination and encourage industry players to come up with new ideas".
Yeaaa... I applaud that statement! At first glance, I would say I am happy that we have people who took the time and effort to work out this fabulous packages. Only something is missing for here.
Yup - where's the rest of Sarawak? I mean - here we are promoting Kuching in this grand launch (costing a few thousand ringgits I suppose)for the local and international tourists. How about a Kuching tourist like me who have been to all these spots ten times fold? What is it in for me - any promotional package for repeat tourists - I hope they have thought about that? Like if I go to Coffee Bean more than 10 times and sip their expensive coffee, I get one cup of coffee free!"
Okay okay, i think I will give these industry people a chance la...after all its the first tourism industry get together, even though we have been promotingtourism for ages. Next time around what I am hoping is a package that will cover the whole length of Sarawak - an more flexible too. Its like choosing your steak at a restaurant, you want it rare, medium rare, or well done, and would you want to top it up with seasonin.... something like that.
Let's say a tourist who comes in via Kuching gets to experience those five packages plus the experience of Pesta Benak in Sri Aman, Bukit Sadok Expedition in Betong, enjoy the Batang Ai Hilton experience, savor rthe taste of Sarikei pineapple and Bintagor's limau, experience the might of the Batang Rajang River, Pelagus Rapids in Kapit via the Sibu Tourism Gateway, explore the Niah Caves via Coastal Road and rest in Miri Resort City before continuing to enjoy the Mulu Caves. If they can add another extra two days maybe the Baram Regatta in Marudi or Limbang and Lawas can offer the excitement of Pesta Limbang and Pesta Lawas. Yes - industry players - be creative! If they have to promote 'Experience The Haze' in Sarawak at that particular month, why not! I am sure all the environmentalists tourist would love the place - if you do some analysis on the wierd tourists who go around in the world - Not the Rainforest Music type of tourist I mean, though they look unique when they are in Kuching every July - I mean those who go for the spooky 'visit the ghostly mansion' type - there are markets to be concentrated on - we have ours so our strength is still Nature and Adventure - pack that in a Conference package plus a bit of fun and hopefully we can attract Donald Trump and his Apprentices to come here.
Penang Food
Finally - Penang food is here at last to stay. A Penang Chef, Mr. Alex Boh opened up one in Kuching a few months back. I have been testing and tasting the various dishes offered so I can feel comfortable when promoting this food outlet in my blog. It has real Penang food taste - right from the sambal to the 'char ho fun' gravy... yummy yummy yum!
The Kueh Teow is definitely Penang taste
The oyster omellete - the plus point is the oysters are really big
So people - come to little Penang in Sarawak!
Comments
This Alex Boh place claims to be penang style but recently I brought my friend who is originally from Penang currently working in Brunei who happened to be here for holiday and bunk at my house, to go and have a taste of this authentic Penang food. To our Dismay, the food though have the taste of Penang (Should be flavour of Penang) but does not have the same feeling when eating them in Peninsular. My friend's comment is that the food is not Penang at all!!! Penang food is famous for hte "Hotness" though here we cannot consume to the hotness of the level they can tolerate, but to me, it is way below the standard in KL or JB. Needless to say if you want to compare to Penang.
Anyway, The kueh tiaw is too dried and not enough taste. But most important of all, the kueh tiaw is not hot at all.
The Penang Prawn Noodle that we've ordered socks. Though it only has the taste, but the same problem, the taste is dense not and not hot.
To us, it was a big dissapointment.
UK: That is why I was quite disappointed to - it would have been good to have something that grand in launching to include tprorgammes for whole of Sarawak.
Pierce: Thank you for your input. There are a few places in Kuching which claims to have Penang taste. The only one I always visited was Holiday Inn's every June Penang Hawker Stalls - now that is the real thing. But Alex Boh's standard is almost there - why I say this is that I had 8 great years in Penang while in my Pre-Uni and Uni years. The char ho fun, Assam Laksa, Kueh teow and Hokkien are quite nice (almost 90% real)- knowing that I don't have to fly to Penang (so i give the 10% discount for the Kuching localised input maybe) to try something like that :)
Vynne: Yeap, in fact my former USM Minden Penang Uni mates and I always eat there these past few months - hehehe to remind us of how we used to lepak at Tanjung Bungah - famous for these roadside stalls in Penang while waiting for our exams. I will intro you to the one that has Antonio's CD - I will sms you.