On the 15th of November 2008, the new wing of Gurney Plaza, Penang finally opened its doors to the public. No doubt the number of new shops was not that many, and not all of them were open yet, but as early as 11am, I heard a loud drum sound from afar. Saucer and I followed the sound, to be greeted with a large crowd around a lion dance. It was apparently the opening day for Nike in the new wing, and as with most conventional Chinese belief, the lion dance was a significant event to mark a grand opening for a prosperous business ahead. Of course, with such loud noise, it was already the main attraction of the day, gathering people from all over the building.
Lion dance
I wonder why they need two Nike shops in Gurney Plaza itself. There's already one in the old wing, and let's be honest, the entire Gurney Plaza is not exactly very huge. Unless the old one is not in operation anymore, I'm not too sure.
New Nike store
The good thing is, opening ceremony always comes in tandem with food! The food that was served in this event was very tidy and creative, I'd say. There were small bowls of either fried rice or curry chicken rice, complete with a cute spoon. Everything was just neat, unlike the usual way of having a big tray of noodles and everyone has to queue up with their paper plates and plastic cutlery. Besides that, there were also the usual finger food like mini tarts and sausages.
Finger food
Couldn't resist to take a picture with the nicely decorated Christmas tree. :)
witch at Gurney Plaza new wing
On the same day at night, Saucer and I went to visit the classy restaurant just near the E&O Hotel, called 32 at the Mansion. It was a Saturday and it happened to coincide with a wedding reception on the same night. Fortunately, Saucer made reservations beforehand, so we had our table safe and sound. :)
Our first order was the Caesar's Salad, which was Saucer's all-time favourite. There were bits of bacons with the salad to make it crunchy and delicious. Very interesting combination.
Caesar's salad
And how could I miss out on garlic bread, my beloved? :) Just from the look of the picture, you could already tell that they're nicely toasted with a generous amount of garlic and butter. Indeed, they were good!
Garlic bread
Our table was situated near the bar area, probably because of the wedding reception taking up the rest of the restaurant. Nonetheless, we're not complaining, because we got to listen to the band that was hired by the wedding for free! *LOL*
Bar area
The first main course arrived was the basket of seafood, including king prawn, scallop, salmon, mussel and something else. This dish was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Even Saucer agreed. Every piece was a delicate creation, grilled to perfection and tasted nothing less than excellent. The dish gave the impression that every little detail was being paid attention to, right down to the garnishing and the vegetables. The carrot on the side was very juicy and sweet. Both Saucer and I were wondering how did the chef boil the carrot to be so tender and yet flavourful? We were definitely in love with this dish and Saucer agreed that it was well worth the money.
Basket of seafood
As for me, I was a little hungry, so I ordered pasta. At first, I wanted to order something with squid ink in the title, but the waiter told me that it's an acquired taste. Apparently the squid ink has a fishy smell to it, and not many people would enjoy it. Since I had never tasted it before, I did not dare to take the risk. (I know, I'm playing safe) The waiter recommended the carbonara pasta instead, and I thanked him for it, for it was wonderful! It was creamy but not too overly done, and the linguine was just perfect. The Italians would have been proud of this. :)
Linguine carbonara
Overall, the dinner was very satisfying, albeit the high price tag. It was for a special occasion, so I'm sure Saucer didn't mind. :P I would highly recommend this place again to anyone in the mood for fine dining. Remember to reserve!
Saucer and witch
32 at the MansionLion dance
I wonder why they need two Nike shops in Gurney Plaza itself. There's already one in the old wing, and let's be honest, the entire Gurney Plaza is not exactly very huge. Unless the old one is not in operation anymore, I'm not too sure.
New Nike store
The good thing is, opening ceremony always comes in tandem with food! The food that was served in this event was very tidy and creative, I'd say. There were small bowls of either fried rice or curry chicken rice, complete with a cute spoon. Everything was just neat, unlike the usual way of having a big tray of noodles and everyone has to queue up with their paper plates and plastic cutlery. Besides that, there were also the usual finger food like mini tarts and sausages.
Finger food
Couldn't resist to take a picture with the nicely decorated Christmas tree. :)
witch at Gurney Plaza new wing
On the same day at night, Saucer and I went to visit the classy restaurant just near the E&O Hotel, called 32 at the Mansion. It was a Saturday and it happened to coincide with a wedding reception on the same night. Fortunately, Saucer made reservations beforehand, so we had our table safe and sound. :)
Our first order was the Caesar's Salad, which was Saucer's all-time favourite. There were bits of bacons with the salad to make it crunchy and delicious. Very interesting combination.
Caesar's salad
And how could I miss out on garlic bread, my beloved? :) Just from the look of the picture, you could already tell that they're nicely toasted with a generous amount of garlic and butter. Indeed, they were good!
Garlic bread
Our table was situated near the bar area, probably because of the wedding reception taking up the rest of the restaurant. Nonetheless, we're not complaining, because we got to listen to the band that was hired by the wedding for free! *LOL*
Bar area
The first main course arrived was the basket of seafood, including king prawn, scallop, salmon, mussel and something else. This dish was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Even Saucer agreed. Every piece was a delicate creation, grilled to perfection and tasted nothing less than excellent. The dish gave the impression that every little detail was being paid attention to, right down to the garnishing and the vegetables. The carrot on the side was very juicy and sweet. Both Saucer and I were wondering how did the chef boil the carrot to be so tender and yet flavourful? We were definitely in love with this dish and Saucer agreed that it was well worth the money.
Basket of seafood
As for me, I was a little hungry, so I ordered pasta. At first, I wanted to order something with squid ink in the title, but the waiter told me that it's an acquired taste. Apparently the squid ink has a fishy smell to it, and not many people would enjoy it. Since I had never tasted it before, I did not dare to take the risk. (I know, I'm playing safe) The waiter recommended the carbonara pasta instead, and I thanked him for it, for it was wonderful! It was creamy but not too overly done, and the linguine was just perfect. The Italians would have been proud of this. :)
Linguine carbonara
Overall, the dinner was very satisfying, albeit the high price tag. It was for a special occasion, so I'm sure Saucer didn't mind. :P I would highly recommend this place again to anyone in the mood for fine dining. Remember to reserve!
Saucer and witch
32, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah
Penang
Tel no.: 604-262 2232
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5 comments:
Looks like the food at 32 has improved! The last time I was there, I was only there for the music! Hehehe...
Luckily you didn't order squid ink dishes for your special day. Your teeth will stick with black squid ink and ....
giddy tigress: Yea, I think the food was great! But probably only depends on what you order. My friend told me the lamb shank was not that good anymore.
soo sean: Haha.. Oh yea, the aftermath would be disastrous. :P
very nice place. this place serves buffet as well right?
perfect for a date.
Hmm.. I don't think they serve buffet. It's a fine dining restaurant. :) But the environment is nice! Perfect for a date indeed :)
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