Genting Highlands Presents Mountain of Food 2011

For fellow Malaysian, Genting Highlands is place where millions of us has visited before. When was the last time you went up there? I always feel excited to go up there, either to enter the casino, the theme park or just to enjoy the fresh air up there while enjoying a cup of coffee outside. Now, the City of Entertainment” is also a Mountain of Food. Launched recently on the 15th of January 2011, Resorts World Genting aims to make Genting Highlands not only a “Fun City Above the Clouds” but a food paradise with over a 100 restaurants serving over 200 dishes on any day and time at the resort.

Above: Wifey and I with Celebrity Chef Datuk Chef Wan

“Like the gigantic version of the Ice Kacang, this Mountain of Food is swathed in a blanket of nature’s rare green forest. Instead of kidney beans, corns and peanuts, it is embedded with delightfully edible gems and trinkets of palatable food outlets. The magnitude and extensiveness of food gets beyond one’s imagination!” – Mr Kevin Sim, Executive Vice President of Genting Malaysia.

This time around, we packed with a mission – to hunt the best hawker food in Penang but wait….. it’s not Penang that we’re heading to but it’s Genting !

“It’s a discovery, the entire journey up to Genting Highlands. It’s a trail of food by itself dotted with little food treasure spots all the way to the peak” – Datuk Chef Wan.

From now till 23rd January 2011, Genting is offering Penang Hawker Food Festival. Various famous Chefs who have made themselves popular in Penang have been specially brought over to Genting Highlands exclusively for this promotion. Feel the privilege now? The best of the best hawker food owners come to Genting themselves just to serve you !

Above: Datuk Chef Wan getting ready for his speech

Above: Gurney Drive

Above: Kickstart of the Mountain of Food ! Ok now, let’s feast ! Without further ado, we took a good look around the buffet spread and capture pictures of the food that screamed “Delicious!”.

Above: Pulut panggang – Rice wrapped in banana leaf with filling made from grounded dried prawns and grated coconut

Above: Mee Rebus stall

Above: Desserts galore!

Above: Penang trishaw / Beca

Above: Preparing a giant ice kacang

Above: Datuk Chef Wan giving his thumb of approval

Above: Indian-style fried chicken

To make you life easier, we listed the Top 10 Penang Food that you must try.

#1: Lor Bak

Above: Lor Bak stall

Above: Lor Bak with chilli and thickened corn starch sauce

#2: Satay

Above: Satay – Skewers of marinated meat

#3: Roti Canai

Above: Tossing it up and about

Above: The final product – roti canai

Above: Wifey and Myself

#4: Oh Chien

Oh Chien, also known as Fried Oyster Omelette is yet another famous street food in Penang, since seafood is in abundance there.

Above: Oh Chien – Fried Oyster Omelette

#5: Pasembur & Rojak

Pasembur - A dish of Indian salad with shredded cucumber, potatoes, turnip, bean sprouts, prawn fritters, spicy fried crab and other seafood served with a sweet and nutty spicy sauce. This was among the best that we had! The seafood was fresh and sizable, and the sauce was delightfully appetizing.

Above: Pasembur

Rojak - A dish of mixed fruits and vegetables topped with a sweet and thick sauce topped with finely chopped peanut.

Above: Rojak – Mixture of fruits

#6: Hokkien Mee/ Hokkien Prawn Noodles

Hokkien Mee/ Hokkien Prawn Noodles – A dish of egg and rice noodles in fragrant shrimp stock, which is usually served with slices of fresh prawns. Do not be deterred by the bright red colour of the stock for it is just the colour emitted from the shrimps, and it is nothing close to fiery hot or spicy.

Above: Hokkien mee/Prawn noodles

#7: Char Kuey Teow

Char Kuey Teow – Stir fried flat noodles over very high heat with soy sauce, belacan, cockles, prawns, eggs and bean sprouts. This is extremely popular in Penang, so much so that it is synonymous to Penang food. One hasn’t been to Penang if one has not tried this dish.

Above: Char Kuey Teow

#8: Chee Cheong Fun

Chee Cheong Fun or Rice Noodle Roll comes in a variety of versions. Even within Malaysia, the chee cheong fun found in Kuala Lumpur is not the same as the one found in Penang. What differentiates Penang chee cheong fun from the rest is the usage of the shrimp paste, dark in colour, gooey and pungent. Some might say that it is an acquired taste, but really, you’ll find yourself loving it after the first bite.

Above: Penang Chee Cheong Fun

#9: Muar Chee

Muar Chee is a Penang local dessert made from steamed glutinous rice balls, topped with finely chopped peanuts,  sugar and sesame seeds. Usually sold in Penang hawker stalls, these balls are meant to be eaten right after served to maintain the crunchiness of the peanut and the softness of the rice balls.

Above: Muar Chee

#10: Ice Kacang

Ice Kacang, or Ais Kacang in Malay, is another popular dessert made from shaved ice served with sweet syrup and various condiments within. The usual suspects are corn, grass jelly, cendol, kidney beans and agar-agar, later topped with either fresh fruits or a scoop of ice-cream. Found widely on Penang streets, you would see this stall crowded with people usually in the afternoons, with people seeking solace in the bowl of glorious ice.

Above: Ice Kacang with a scoop of ice-cream

Above: Coffee Terrace at Maxims Genting Hotel Lobby

The Top 10 Penang food, just before your eyes up at the mountain. Hurry, this promotion ends on the 23rd of January 2011 ! Did I get your drooling now?

Buffet Lunch – Price: RM53.00++ (Adult); RM26.50++ (Child)
Buffet Dinner – Price: RM61.00++ (Adult); RM30.50++ (Child)

Address:

Coffee Terrace
Maxims Genting Hotel Lobby
Genting Highlands
Buffet Hours: Lunch: 12.00 noon – 2.30pm & Dinner: 5.00pm – 9.30pm