The Twelve Cups at Whiteaways Arcade

For those that can't get enough of mille crepes, there's a new kid cake on the block.

The Twelve Cups is a trendy cafe offering mille crepes, drinks and an overall cool spot to relax for a while. It's located within the newly restored Whiteaways Arcade, a charming, colonial building.

There are lots of cosy spots to settle down for a slice of cake within the cafe.

We had a slice of the Hokkaido Milk mille crepe (RM10.90). It was nice, not too decadent or rich but had a very pleasant, creamy taste. I'd have loved to sit there and peel layer by layer off but Bubs and Hubs insisted on less talk, more cake. Hmmmph.

We walked around the Whiteaways Arcades which was where the first departmental store in Penang, Whiteaways, was located. Granite slabs from part of the original building are used to form stone benches and a makeshift stage in the open air courtyard. Isn't it amazing how the past and the new can co-exist so happily and doesn't restoration of old buildings make so much more sense than just demolishing everything flat to build new malls? It might not be exactly cheap but these reminders of our history doesn't come with a price tag :)

The Twelve Cups

12, The Whiteaways Arcade, Beach Street, 10300 Penang.
04-2626 812
Business Hours: 8am-10pm (Sun - Thurs), 8am-12am (Fri & Sat)

Ben's at Gurney Paragon

The wait is finally over - Ben's has landed in Penang, yay! Hubs, Bubs and me totally loved the food and ambiance at of Plan B and Ben's General so we were more than excited to head over to Gurney Paragon when Desmond told us that Ben's has opened an outlet there.

Ben's is located at St Jo's, Gurney Paragon (boy, that was a lot of sss!) and I couldn't help but feel that the yellow of the building was a perfect match for Ben's. There's ample space for dining outside but as it was raining that evening, we eschewed the wet seats and moved promptly indoors.

I was a little surprised at how small the inside dining was with only just a few tables so to be safe, better call for reservations. Can I tell you how much I loved the contrast of the funky furniture (you have got to check out those drops lamps) and the pre-war geometric tiles? I felt like doing a happy dance inside but Hubs was already giving me the you-better-behave look.

It wouldn't be Ben's now, would it, without its signature black and white framed photos against a sunshine-y yellow wall and breezy rattan furniture? Though I must admit my heart skipped a beat when Bubs ran pretty close to those giant glass table lamps.

The menu has a pretty standard mix of sandwiches, salads, pasta, pies and Asian fare such as curry laksa. And lest you get bored waiting for your food to be served, there's a wooden box filled with small cards with thought provoking questions designed to get you and your companion talking and also recipes should you feel the urge to create some dishes back home. Perfect for those awkward first dates, no?

We decided on the vegetarian options: portabello mushroom burger and mushroom salad. The mushroom salad was good with chunks of cheese and sugar encrusted nuts giving it a nice twist. Hubs said the mushroom burger was good though it looked a little on the petite side to me so I didn't want to deprive the poor guy of his food and left it alone.

Saving the best for last ... desserts! It is utterly cruel to tempt people with such a dazzling array of cakes when you only have a limited tummy capacity. The serving size for the cakes are generous so better not be greedy. 

Bubs and I picked their classic chocolate cake which was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and the lemon meringue pie. Please excuse me for this blurry shot because Bubs couldn't be bothered waiting and grabbed my hand, wailing "caaaaake, mummy!". The chocolate cake was nice and balanced, not that rich or too sweet to the point where you'd get turned off easily. If you're a fan of tangy desserts that leave your mouth puckering and drooling for more, then the lemon meringue will be your thing. I loved it, Hubs hated it, Bubs took one mouth of the lemon custard (my bad, I couldn't resist feeding him that just to watch his reaction) and his whole baby mouth just twisted up in disgust. He is not one for lemony desserts ;)

Did we like the food there? It didn't wow us as much as Plan B or Ben's General did but we still think that the food is great and prices are decent for the quality and service. The staff are friendly and experienced which is rare for a newly opened restaurant. Desserts are their strong selling price and already I am tempted to go back for their afternoon set to try their scones. 

Couldn't resist this photo of Bubs admiring the Xmas tree at G hotel. Ho ho ho, someone was on a sugar fueled rush that night :D

Ben's

St. Jo's, Gurney Paragon, Persiaran Gurney, George Town, Penang.
Telephone: 04 228 8909

Merry Xmas!

Hope everyone had fun this Christmas :) Bubs was royally spoiled with all his pressies. He was so chuffed that he could say "Merry Christmas" to people but still insisted on calling Christmas trees as "Christmas Houses" because he believes that gingerbread men live on them!

On Christmas eve, we had dinner at my parents' place with my great aunt and her family. It was an amazing spread: steamboat, roti jala with chicken curry, lor bak and pie tee. To top it off, Mum made tang yuen though I pointed out that it was a week too late for it. Bubs couldn't get enough of the roti jala and happily polished off 3 pieces right after his dinner.

 If he wasn't reading his pressies, he was wearing them ;)

Leave your mum alone with your kid for just 15 mins and this is the end result. I was a little stunned to see him holding onto a helium balloon that was 3/4 of his size. We tried teaching him the Smurfs theme song but Bubs is just singing "la la laaaa" tunelessly.

At risk of sounding like a bad ad, nothing says Christmas better than a tin of Quality Street! I kept looking at Hubs with puppy dog eyes asking him if I could get the tin of Quality Street when I saw them at Cold Storage. These bring back soooo many memories of my granny buying a tin every year and me sneaking pieces off every other day until the tin was half gone. I'd then blame it on my brother *angelic look*

The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house ... Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse ...

 Can't wait until tomorrow before a certain little gremlin is awake and tearing off the wrapping ;)

This Christmas, I've learnt so much. Having Bubs reminds me to view the world more often through a child's eyes. That it's better to give than to receive and the simplest things in life can be the happiest. From plump little cheeks to kiss to mischievous grins, I count my blessings. 

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and have a happy new year!

Baby Bro's Graduation and Muntri Mews

Congrats to my Baby Bro who has finally graduated. I nearly choked up watching him in his black gown - can't believe this is the same kid that I used to torment by taping over his Ultraman video tapes with X Files episodes.

I missed his speech because a certain 2 year *ahem* couldn't keep still in the hall and I'd to bring him out for a walk and feed him with snacks to stop him from kicking up a fuss. Bubs spent a loooong time learning how to say his first 5 syllable word and it came out quite decent - "cong-gwa-choo-lay-shensss". He was very proud of his long word and kept repeating it.

Met up with SY and her friend and they wanted to do tea time at the heritage area. I gave her a couple of options and we ended up at Muntri Mews. Unfortunately it was pouring cats and dogs by the time we reached so we didn't get a chance to sit in the lush garden and watch the world go by. Boo :(

The inside is small and cozily lit with very basic furniture to give it an authentic kopitiam look, complete with marble topped round tables and vintage style chairs. Check out the amazing sketches of familiar Penang scenes framed high on the walls.

Since everyone already ate we just ordered something light - ginger tea, sago gula melaka, scones and the berry crumble. We were a little stumped at how fusion everything was. The ginger tea (which tasted like the sort of teas you get at spas) was served with a side serving of milk and sugar, the sago gula melaka was incredibly thick and almost kuih-like while the scones had a soft, almost bun-like texture. Interesting :)

A colleague mentioned that they sometimes have live, jazz bands in the evening. It's a nice place to chill and we'd be back ... as long as the weather is sunny.

Muntri Mews, 77 Jalan Muntri, Georgetown, 10200 Penang

Phone:04-263 5125