Off on holiday - Mamil in Malaysia?

Monsta_AU

Monsta_AU

...can I interest you in some vintage blades?
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We are 5 nights in Penang at the East Indies Mansion..... right in the middle of the Heritage area!

Oh yeah, we gonna eat real good. They will need to roll me onto the plane back home.
 
Monsta_AU said:
We are 5 nights in Penang at the East Indies Mansion..... right in the middle of the Heritage area!

Oh yeah, we gonna eat real good. They will need to roll me onto the plane back home.
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That's the one part of the island I don't know that well to suggest good eateries.
I have definitely not tried any of the more expensive / touristy places around that area but can ask the wife where she recommends if you want?
There are a free decent coffee places opening up around there though including a syphon bat I'd that's your thing

Be very careful of ice if it looks like it had been chipped from a big block. Gets me sick every time.

While the wife's family wouldn't necessarily recommend the places Anthony Bourdain went to the show might whet your appetite a little
And looking at the addresses they mostly seem local to the area you are staying
http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/anthony-bourdain/travel-guides/penang-travel-guide
 
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Yeah, fully aware of the Ice thing. My stomach is usually pretty good but I am expecting a bit of queasy at some point.

I am a big fan of Bourdain (completely up to date on Parts Unknown) so I have definitely seen that episode and will take it under advisement.

If your other half has some suggestions on places to try, feel free to PM them to me. I was told of an Indian place opposite the ferry terminal which is apparently very good, although trying to find details is difficult.
 
The places that really stand out in my mind are quite out of the way. Bayan Lepas for a fantastic thai restaurant, Butterworth for Ah Chong seafood restaurant (with coconut toddy for sale), Maxim dim sum restaurant in Taman Pekaka, Sri Ananda Bahwan along Macalister road for decent Indian (they have a veggo option in Penang Road near where you stay).

I think you will find plenty of good food no matter where you go. Lebuh Chulia isn't far from the heritage area, and that has great streetfood as well as a few nice restaurants.

Don't dismiss the food court food if you get stuck in one of the shopping centres. There are some great restaurants in there too. I had a massively spicy schezuan noodle soup in one at Gurney Plaza which was amazing.

I'm just jealous as we won't get back there until CNY next year at the earliest.
 
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Ooh, taking of which I've never found decent blades out there so I would slip a pack in your luggage if you are not doing carry on only.
You will be near Little India where you are staying so if you are lucky you might be able to buy some Gillette Guard disposables.
 
Where is your wife partner's area of expertise, @Monsta_AU ?

My in-laws are thinking of doing a bit of a tour to Taiping, Ipoh and Melaka on our next trip just after CNY next year.
 
She is from Sarawak so this side is not her strong suit.

Personally, I hear good things about Ipoh, and Taiping. I would leave Melaka (south of KL) and just go Ipoh, Taiping, Penang. It's certainly a foodies dream.
 
We go to Penang every visit, so somewhere else will be a change.
Think we will be in Georgetown for CNY feasts and then head out of the island to other places.
 
I'd probably just head towards KL then so Taiping & Ipoh after lah.

Or you could jump the shark and head to Sarawak instead. Swap Assam laksa for Sarawak laksa.
 
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Trying to organise 10 odd people over there is beyond what I consider fun on a holiday. Especially when parts of the family live in US and expect a certain level of refinement while the rest of us love our streetfood.
I've been to Sabah, but not Sarawak.
 
It's certainly different. I say dump the Yanks in Singapore and the rest of you head to Kuching instead.
 
Okay, so I am here and the flight was uneventful apart from the departure being about 90 minutes late due to the weather in Sydney. I saw the FO of the flight and was a bit unnerved as he looked like he was about 22 years old and maybe 60 kilos wringing wet.

Decent hotel - scored some brownie points with the other half as the bedroom is separate from the main room. Ran down the block to a hawker stall to get a bite as it was about 10.30pm AEST and hadn't eaten yet. I grabbed a pepper chicken & rice, the other half had a sweet & sour pork & rice. Total cost of 15 Ringgit for both dishes, or AUD$5. And it was damned delicious.

Decent breakfast at the hotel, really big buffet with everything from Cereal to Indian vegetarian dishes. Could even have Nasi Lemak for breakfast which was a step too far for my western stomach. Then headed off to KL Bird park, got to have pictures with the Macaws. Ticked that one off the list - macaws are definitely my favourite birds.

Lunch was freaking amazing. Ended up in Brickfields which is the Indian area, at a Banana Leaf restaurant. This is where there is no plates, then just bang a banana leaf down on the table in front of you and start dumping all sorts of pickles, rice and curries down onto it. Oh, and no cutlery - it's all eat with your hands. It set up back 48 Ringgit - mainly because of Byriani, some extra crispy chicken and a Mango Lassi to die for. The other half was quite put out because so expensive lah, until I pointed out to her that we think nothing of a couple of value meals at Maccas, and the $16.65 we paid for this meal is about the same price. So damn cheap.

First shave will be in the morning, Brought the Slim, an open pack of GBE's, the Plissitane and the B&M Ferox.

Heading off to Petaling Street shortly.... more purchases and eating.
 
Monsta_AU said:
.... more purchases and eating.
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Sounds like the perfect holiday for Malaysia! [emoji106] It's going to make me very hungry reading your thread.
 
Monsta_AU said:
First shave will be in the morning, Brought the Slim, an open pack of GBE's, the Plissitane and the B&M Ferox.

Heading off to Petaling Street shortly.... more purchases and eating.
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Ahh, you did go with the Ferox and vintage blades.

BTW, when is the MTB arriving ?
Going to need the extra structural integrity in the frame after the holiday by the sounds of it ;)
 
Just renting one for a couple of days in Penang, if only to try and reduce the amount of weight I will put on.
 
I wouldn't. The traffic is horrendous.

So expensive, lah!
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You are not the only one that hears that phrase frequently
 
eggbert said:
I wouldn't. The traffic is horrendous.
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Got mountain bike lah, need roads for what? But yeah, probably will have a look around the heritage areas on it. After watching the way the moped guys ride, I will be fine.

eggbert said:
You are not the only one that hears that phrase frequently
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Yeah, I must admit it is becoming one of my phrases too, usually prefaced with walao.
 
Well as you may have seen in yesterday's SOTD post, I turned up at a new Barbershop in Penang called "Son & Dad" and they had a treasure trove of old things in there. One thing I noticed was a 60% full bottle of circa 1930's 4711 cologne. This is complete nostalgia to me as my dad had a bottle of that around when I was a kid.

Really great guys in there and really love their craft. They did mention to me that they have trouble finding some decently sharp blades as they were using Trig.... and lets just say there was some pulling at times, the whole time. Faizal worked with what little sharpness he had to deliver a mostly outstanding shave - a couple of spots would just not cut but he did the right thing and didn't force it.

I went back later in the afternoon to show them what I bought in my kit - Faizal absolutely loved the Plisson and the @Barrister & Mann Ferox. The look of shock on his face when he saw the lather it produced..... priceless.

Being that it cost me 30 Ringgit ($10) for the shave and and the same in Sydney would be somewhere around $80, I have just ordered a 200-blade pillar of Feathers for them from Dr Idiot (double edge Shaving Place) in Singapore. Should be on their doorstep in a week. Cannot wait to tell them the good news later today.
 
Whats that expression.....pictures or it didn't happen? ;)

Would love some pix of the place but sounds like all the really good stuff has already happened! - did you explain to them in a deep menacing tone laced with mad bursts of laughter that you are the evil overlord of an Antipodean Wetshaving fiefdom?

I have to say somewhat amusing to picture you, of GBE riches trying not to wince away too much as the new (sure it was!!!:whistle:) Trig blade (I'm sure @Pjotr would approve!) is hauled over your travel stubble with all the smoothness of an old farmer out plowing his backpaddock with a farty, diabetic, gout ridden Bullock! Haha and I'll bet you were doing your very best to smile away from underneath whatever lather they put on you....haha you'd have been wishing it was Arko goodness instead.

But fair play it'd have been VERY high on the intangibles and I'd have loved to have been a fly on the wall when you were showing them your cache of wetshaving Nirvana. I'd imagine you'll have made a thousand or so Malays very happy if those Feather's get into service as they'll be stropping them like crazy to keep that sharp goodness in use for many moons to come. Nice work! (y)
 
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