INSIGHT CRIZ

The Eastin Hotel Penang has successfully carried out its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by sharing its successes with the community during the fasting month of Ramadan for the third consecutive year. This year, about 25 orphanage children from Maahad Tahfiz Al-Quran dan Pengajian Islam (Anak Yatim) Darul Tahzib, Teluk Kumbar, Penang, have the privileges to join the management for a delectable buka puasa buffet dinner at the Swez Brasserie on 25 July 2012 recently. Other than receiving goodie bags courtesy from Eastin Hotel Penang, the orphanage received RM1173.00 collected amongst the staff as donation. Eastin Hotel Penang General Manager, Ms Mary Ann Harris was happy to have all the children presence during a photography session. Thanks to the Eastin Hotel Penang team for putting up such a memorable Ramadan Buffet Dinner for all the orphanage children.

The amount of dishes served during the Ramadan Buffet Dinner was humongous. There was the hawker section serving dishes such as Roasted Whole Lamb, Roasted Whole Turkey, Shawarma with Stuffed Pita Bread, Gear Box Soup, Bubur Lambuk and Ice Kacang with condiments whereas the Action Counter had Popiah, Seafood Grill Corner and Laksa Johor.

The selections at the Salad Bar were impressive as well. There were Tomato, Carrot, Cucumber, Corn Kernel, Onion Ring, Marinated Olives, Lettuce served with Thousand Islands Dressing, French Dressing, Italian Dressing, Pesto Dressing and Vinaigrette Dressing with Condiments. There were also the Mushroom Salad, Kerabu Sotong, Jelatah (Pineapple & Cucumber Salad), Kerabu Ayam, Turkey Ham Salad, Egg Mayo Salad, Kerabu Udang, Hummus, Ulam-ulaman, Tempeh, Sambal Belacan, Sambal Cincaluk, Sambal Acar Buah, Acar Rampai, Sambal Ikan Bilis, Sambal Ikan Masin, Telur Masin, Keropok Ikan, Keropok Lekor, Keropok Udang, Ketupat, Lemang, Serunding Ayam, 5 types of Jeruk (pickles), Buah Kurma Madu Yusut Taiyoob, Fresh Oysters, Tiger Prawns, Scallops, Mussels, and Assorted Cold Cuts such as Smoked Duck, Turkey Ham & Chicken Ham.

The Soup Section consisted of Clam Chowder, Sup Ayam Berempah, Bread Roll and Butter.

The Curry & Hot Dishes Sections were also superb. It had Beef Rendang, Ikan Keli Masak Berlada, Gulai Udang Nenas, Sotong Kari Lemak, Bergedil Sayur, Kari Ikan, Ekor Lembu Masak Merah, Spanish Omelette, Lobster Thermidor, Baked Fish with Spices, Curry Beef with Bamboo Shoot, Ayam Kampung Masak Lemak, Pajeri Nenas, Lamb Green Curry, Stir Fried Bamboo Clam with Black Bean Sauce, Braised Beancurd with Seafood, Belacan Fried Chicken, Assorted Vegetable, Nasi Minyak and Steamed White Rice.

The Dessert Section was also remarkably mouth watering. They have a chocolate fountain with skews of dried fruits & marshmallows, Local Seasonal Whole Fruits, Assorted Fruits Platter, Assorted French Pastry, Whole Cakes, Coffee Mousse, Bubur Jagung Dengan Sagu, Bread Pudding and Local Kuih.

Beverage Section consisted of Air Bandung, Soya Milk with Cincau, Mata Kucing, Teh Tarik, Kopi Tarik, Ice Cream, Coffee and Tea.

Come and enjoy the vast spread of authentic style Ramadan Buffet Dinner at Swez Brasserie @ Eastin Hotel Penang. Adult would be at RM85++/pax while child would be at RM43++/pax. For MAYBANKARD, VISA, CIMB, UOB and CitiBank card members, you can enjoy 15% discount for the Ramadan Buffet Dinner from 6.30pm – 10.00pm daily (21 July – 18 August, 2012).

Eastin Hotel, Penang is located just next to Queensbay Mall. If you are coming from Georgetown towards Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone via Bayan Lepas Expressway, do watch out for the Pulau Jerejak signboard (leading to Pulau Jerejak jetty). Ignore the turning and drive on to the next left junction. Turn left into Jalan Aziz Ibrahim and drive on until you a roundabout. Turn 3 o’ clock and drive on until you see a big Eastin Hotel signboard at the first right junction. Turn right and drive on. Park your car at the basement car park. Take a lift to the third floor and you would see the Grand Ballroom where the charity event would be held.

Name: EASTIN HOTEL PENANG
Address: 1 Solok Bayan Indah, Queens Bay, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-612 1128, 604-612 1138
Business Hours: 6.30pm-10.00pm (Ramadan Buffet Dinner only)
Promotion Date: 21 July 2012 – 18 August 2012
GPS: 5.33643, 100.306345

The Penang State Tourism, supported by Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), Malaysia Inbound Tourism Association (MITA), Association of Tourism Attractions Penang (ATAP) and Penang Tourist Guide Association (PTGA), recently held the first ever Penang International Travel Mart 2012 (Penang ITM) over a period of 3 days from 4-6 July 2012. With buyers from 13 countries across the world, namely from Australia, Cambodia, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vietnam and of course our Malaysian counterparts, it was a unique opportunity for the local travel trade to meet, network and showcase their products for the international travel industries. On top of that, visitors were able to have the in depth experience to explore George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. This year, “Culture, Food and Heritage” has been chosen as the theme as it truly captures the essence of Penang and has always been the main factor that has drawn travelers worldwide.

With centuries old of unique history and heritage from the various ethnicities that had settled here, Penang of course has the reputation of being the “Food Paradise of Asia” amongst the gourmets throughout the world. Visitors were treated with a variety of sumptuous dishes for dinner at the Penang Equatorial Hotel on Thursday night. The dinner was graced by the Chief Minister of Penang, YAB Lim Guan Eng, Penang State Exco for Tourism Development & Culture, YB Danny Law Keng Hiang, MATTA President, Dato’ Mohd Khalid Harun, MAH (Penang Chapter) Chairman, Ms. Mary Ann Harris and a few dignitaries.

After a short speech by the Chief Minister of Penang, YAB Lim Guan Eng, buyers from the various countries were presented with a customized souvenir in the shape of our Penang ferry. There were some performances by a traditional dance group and the hotel’s house band.

We were treated with a buffet dinner thereafter with dishes that included CNNGo’s world #7 ranking assam laksa, oh chean (oyster omelette), chili crabs, char koay teow, roasted whole lamb with nasi briyani, chicken & lamb satay, pure sugar cane juice, ice kacang, sup kambing, roti Bengali, boneless tandoori chicken, beef strip loin steak, grilled tiger prawns, grilled red snapper with fresh dill sauce, grilled herbed vegetables, corn on cob, baked Idaho potatoes with condiments, golden phoenix fried rice, gado gado, sotong kangkung, taukua sumbat, German style potato salad, a selections of fresh greens with different dressings, cucumber salad with minted yoghurt and an array of local and Western desserts plus fresh fruits.

I’m sure the name Perfect Food Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. might not ring a bell in the minds of many consumers but the name “Julie’s” would. The company is actually behind all the Julie’s biscuits products sold in more than 60 countries throughout the world. During the recent “A Date with Bloggers in Melaka” event organized by 1asiafoodguide.com and bestmelakaguide.com, we had “A Date with Julie’s”. Romantic isn’t it? Well, it was as we got up close and personal with Julie’s production processes. LOL! Foreign bloggers from Singapore and Philippines joined the Malaysian bloggers team from as far as Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru gathered under one common roof for the first time to have a better understanding on the mission and vision of this biscuit manufacturing organization. The company’s motto “Baked with Love” says it all as they sincerely did share out their lovely bakes from the heart~

From a humble beginning more than 3 decades ago, the brand Julie’s has today become a well known household brand by winning many distinctive awards such as the Superbrands Award, Putra Award and Asia Excellence Brand Award, to name some. Throughout the years, the company has also received numerous certifications such as the ISO 1901:2000 (design, modeling, manufacture and delivery of products & services), HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points), HACCP (Ministry of Health), OHSAS 18001 (British Standard for Occupational Hazard & Safety Management Systems), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), ISO 22000 (interactive communication, system management, prerequisite programs & HACCP principles) and the latest being the HALAL (permissible food based on Islamic law) certification.

After a short briefing on the company’s profile by Mr. Ng Teng Chai, General Manager of Perfect Food Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. (Julie’s) and staff, we were then taken on a tour to the production line. As there was a rule against any recording in the production room, I’m sorry to say that there would not be any photos available here to share out but I’ll try my best to get every detail in here as possible. As food safety and hygiene are extremely important in their daily operations, we were required to dress up with protective gears from head to toe. This is one of the standards set to ascertain all activities carried out within the premises have the required quality and safety at all stages from primary production through processing, storage and distribution prior to reaching the consumers. Even with the “bathing cap” to prevent hair droppings, mouth piece to prevent unnecessary bacteria, below knee covered overcoats and shoe covers to prevent foreign matters, we were also required to wash our hands with anti micro-organisms hand lotion and rolled with adhesive tape prior to entering the production room. Upon entering the room, we were again asked to sanitize our hands with some antiseptic lotion. That’s how serious Julie’s is in hygiene to ensure their food safety.

Here’s a group shot of the future “operation room surgeons and nurses”. LOL!

Upon entering the production room, you can feel the intense humidity from the long line of conveyor belt baking ovens. We were shown all the stages of producing the aromatic biscuits, from ingredients weighing, mixing, fermentation, forming, baking, cooling, metal detection, sandwiching, wrapping, weight checking, cartooning and right up to storage. Thereafter, the end products would be dispatched to respective retailers before being sold to consumers. Below is the summarized overview of the whole procedures.

The end products would look like these little packages with crunchy biscuits inside. In the production of these biscuits, no preservatives have been added. Only permissible natural colorings have been added and these colorings are ten folds costlier than artificial coloring. Anything displayed on the shelves for more than 9 months would be taken back to ensure the freshness of all Julie’s products. Rejected products would not be resold on the market place, resulting in roughly a million ringgit worth of product being destroyed yearly.

Perfect Food Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. (Julie’s) produces 4 types of biscuits, namely crackers, sandwiches, wafer rolls and assorted biscuits in tins. You can purchase any of these products practically off the shelves in any of the leading supermarkets, hypermarkets or even grocery stores throughout the world. More varieties such as the upcoming productions of Sultana Biscuits would be available soon. Do keep a look out for the launching.

On top of their “Aloha” principle in instilling a clean and harmonious working environment, Perfect Food Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. (Julie’s) also carries out their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by sharing their successes with the community by executing their “Share the Love” campaign frequently. Apart from rewarding those “unsung heroes” with some little tokens of appreciation for working at odd hours or days to have a better living, they also have many sponsorships and charity drives to help out those underprivileged society. It’s all about friendship and solidarity in expressing “LOVE” as one entity in humanity. Some of their achievements and events can be viewed at their official website.

After a brief lunch at the cafeteria, we adjourned to the main entrance of the factory and took a group shot of the Julie’s management with “A Date with Bloggers in Melaka” participants.

Eventually, we had to bid farewell to the management of Julie’s with Mr. Ng Teng Chai, General Manager of Perfect Food Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. (Julie’s) personally handed out some giveaways for our memorable visit to the factory.

Coincidentally, I have a true story to share out here. I’m a pet lover and I owned 5 cats at home now. Johann L was the latest stray cat to be adopted into the J Family Kitties on 10 May 2012, barely 9 days away from my trip with “A Date with Bloggers in Melaka”. He was all run down with injuries sustained from some dog bites and is still recovering from those bad wounds. I can’t leave him there to fend for himself right? Our first encounter was with Julie’s and he loves the biscuits ever since. No doubt human food would not suit animals for a long period of time, but I still do pamper him with small bits of the biscuits from time to time as it was that moment of fate that brought us together. What a lucky fella!

Lastly, I would like to thank to Perfect Food Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. (Julie’s) for sponsoring the event as well as giving us the first hand opportunity to witness the production line.

Name: JULIE’S @ PERFECT FOOD MANUFACTURING SDN. BHD.
Address:
AG 6876 Jalan Industri 4, Kawasan Perindustrian Alor Gajah,
78000 Alor Gajah, Malaysia.
Contact: 606-556 1401
GPS: 2.361314, 102.20007
Website: http://www.julies.com.my

Criz Bon Appetite together with a few bloggers from Penang had the privileges to be invited to join other bloggers, Facebookers and student chefs from Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Johore, Singapore and Philippines respectively on a field trip organized by the management team from “A Date with Bloggers in Melaka” to the historic centre of Malacca (Melaka), which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 7 July 2008 together with George Town, the capital of Penang. The trip included visitation to Julie’s biscuits manufacturing factory (Perfect Food Manufacturing S/B), hands on cooking lessons on producing some of Malacca’s local delicacies, food reviews on local Hainanese, Portugese and Nyonya cuisine as well as visits to some of the heritage and historical sites in Malacca. I’ll just write a brief here while elaborating more on individual eateries soon at Criz Bon Appetite.

As for those of us from Penang, we started off our journey late due to some bus engine malfunctions and departed only at 1.00am on the Saturday morning. However, luck wasn’t at our side and the replaced bus also broke down an hour later. Eventually we had to hijack a passing bus and managed to reach Kuala Lumpur by 5.15am. After having an expensive breakfast experience at Petaling Street, we left for Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) at Bandar Tasik Selatan, KL via Pudu Sentral LRT station.

We spent around 2 hours at TBS utilizing the hi-speed broadband before leaving there by a charted bus for our visitation to Julie’s biscuits manufacturing factory (Perfect Food Manufacturing S/B) located at Alor Gajah, 20km away from the Malacca Central. We were given some briefing on the company profile by the GM, Mr. Ng Teng Chai and staff. Eventually, we were all dressed up like operation room surgeons for a tour into the production line. We had some buffet there before ending up for a group photography session. Everyone was given some biscuits to bring home.

We then departed to our designated lodging place to check in. My team mates who consisted of the Penang bloggers and chef students from the Berjaya University College of Hospitality and Malaysian Institute of Baking were assigned to Motel Sayang Sayang, just a stone throw away from the famous Jonker Walk (Jalan Hang Jebat).

After a short rest and freshening up, we walked to Uncle Keong Delicacies for some desserts and light meals. It was great to be served some chilled desserts on such a hot and humid day.

Immediately after that, we adjourned to Eleven Bistro to savor our Melaka Portuguese dinner. The amount of food served here were humongous. Almost every dish came in large portions, including the Sambal Crabs. We were given a model ship each for our visit.

After a short rest back at the guesthouse, we departed to Mahkota Parade for the welcoming ceremony, officiated by YB Datuk Wira Latiff bin Tamby Chik, Chairman of the Malacca’s Tourism, Culture and Heritage State Committee. More souvenirs were given by Julie’s and Mahkota Parade.

The function ended slightly around 9.15pm and some of us managed to linger around the shopping complex for a speedy shopping spree. Well, Nadeje Patisserie, the milli crepe cake house was our target, having a 10% discount given earlier by the management.

Upon leaving Mahkota Parade at around 10.00pm, our next move was to get back to our respective guesthouse and have a free and easy stroll down Jonker Walk to savor the local delicacies. The night ended with stuffed tummies.

Surprisingly, my team mates all managed to wake up rather early after a hectic schedule the previous day. By 8.00am, we were already hitting the streets for some sightseeing adventures on our way to breakfast at Cheng Ho Café along Jalan Tokong. It was a nostalgic walk down the Malaccan heritage trail, witnessing the historical structures such as the Kampung Kling Mosque and many other unique architectural and colorful buildings with nicely drawn wall arts.

Breakfast at Cheng Ho Café was simple with just Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli, Omellette, watermelon and hot beverages.

The actual action began right after the breakfast as the café was within the premises of the Cheng Ho Cultural Museum. Although the entrance was RM10 (adult) and RM5 (child), we had the privileges to tour around the 3 level museum for free. It was a great experience to learn more on the history of Malacca and the Cino Malay cultural exchange which brought about the trade and commerce, agriculture, industry, fishery, culture, religion and much more in the region.

We then had a changeover to yellow t-shirts sponsored by Julie’s and headed down to the Malacca Hainan Association for some food demonstrations and hands on practical lessons. Two of the main highlights were the making of the Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls by the women wing of the Association and Suncakes by the proprietor of Mei Zhong Yuan Confectionary S/B.

Lunch was also provided by the skillful Hainanese ladies from the Association, Nyonya cuisine by Restoran Anak Nyonya and beverages by Jonker Gallery.

The lunch gathering was graced by the Chief Minister of Malacca, Y.A.B. Datuk Seri Hj. Mohd Ali b. Mohd Rustam. Appreciation certificates signed by the CM were also presented to the sponsors and participants. The lunch ended slightly after 2.00pm.

While waiting for the next review at Mei Zhong Yuan Confectionary S/B at 3.00pm, we went for a quick shopping spree along the heritage stretches, grabbing whatever items we like. After a short refreshing and repacking at the motel, we headed to Mei Zhong Yuan Confectionary S/B for the review. It was a simple one with us getting samples tasting on some of their signature confectionaries.

We left the Jonker Walk area around 4.00pm and headed down to Kota A’Farmosa for a nice group shot. There were many interesting sights surrounding this historical site.

We left Malacca at around 5.00pm and with the weekend traffic jams along the Seremban/Nilai highway stretch, we arrived at the TBS slightly after 7.15pm. We bid each other farewell before departing to our own destinations. The Penang bloggers left for home slightly after midnight, arriving safely back in Penang at 4.30am.

It was a fun-filled but tiring journey for us Penangites but it was a great experience to mingle with old and new found friends. If only we have more time, we could have tied in a closer bond between every participant. All are without lost as we managed to receive many sweet memories from our short visit to Malacca. Thanks to the sponsors for these lovely take home gifts and souvenirs.

Even my cat loves the smell of the cheesy puff sandwiches given by Julie’s. Thanks for the great hospitality ladies and guys. Let’s hope we can have trips like this in the near future. Until then, let’s keep in touch always~

The Eastin Hotel Penang has always being part of the community to share their success with the less fortunate and this time they would be holding a charity dinner entitled “Don’t Just Play Play, Give Away Also” in aid of the Tun Sardon Foundation (Yayasan Tun Sardon). Of course, the main highlight of the night would be the 45 minutes hilarious performance by the award winning sitcom actor Gurmit Singh aka Phua Chu Kang, a popular and iconic contractor from Singapore. The charity dinner will be held on 23 April 2012, Monday, 6.30 pm at Eastin Hotel Penang at RM300 per pax. The nett proceeds from the show will be donated to the Tun Sardon Foundation where they would redirect the funds to the necessary beneficiaries.

The Tun Sardon Foundation is founded by the late Penang Governor, YAB Tun Datuk Haji Sardon bin Haji Jubir in 13 June 1978. The objectives of the foundation is to give relief to the poor and needy, in particular the widows and orphans, victims of fire, floods, famine or other calamities and to those in need of moral or social rehabilitation or welfare. Present for the press conference were Mr. Andrew Koay, Honorary Secretary of Tun Sardon Foundation and Mr. Cheah Phee Guan, Honorary Treasurer of Penang Cheshire Home, together with the General Manager of Eastin Hotel Penang, Ms. Mary Ann Harris.

The event will begin with an entertaining drum performance, a string quartet by Digital Music, games session with Ah Beng and King Kong, lucky draw prizes such as a 4D3N cruise to Phuket and Krabi on board Superstar Libra, Venessa Diamonds pearls and Danai Spa treatment vouchers, followed by a grand performance by none other than the multi-faceted comedian, singer and actor, Mr Gurmit Singh aka Phua Chu Kang.

The set dinner menu for the night would include:

Appetizer:
Seafood Terrine, Grilled Mussel served with Pickle Carrot, Beet root Puree and Sun-Dried Tomato Essence

Soup:
Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Pine nut

Main Courses:
Baked Chicken Stuffed Horseradish Topped with Tomato Basil Jam, Shitake Lentil and Orange Emulsion with Asparagus

(For Vegetarians):
Vegetarian Saffron Ravioli with Asparagus and Portobello Mushroom

Dessert:
Classic Tiramisu with Clear Vanilla Sauce

Coffee & Tea

Thanks to the Eastin Hotel Penang team who had put in the extra effort to fly in Gurmit Singh for a great experience for Penangites and at the same time make the lives of the less fortunate more bearable through this charity event. A job well done!

Eastin Hotel, Penang is located just next to Queensbay Mall. If you are coming from Georgetown towards Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone via Bayan Lepas Expressway, do watch out for the Pulau Jerejak signboard (leading to Pulau Jerejak jetty). Ignore the turning and drive on to the next left junction. Turn left into Jalan Aziz Ibrahim and drive on until you a roundabout. Turn 3 o’ clock and drive on until you see a big Eastin Hotel signboard at the first right junction. Turn right and drive on. Park your car at the basement car park. Take a lift to the third floor and you would see the Grand Ballroom where the charity event would be held.

Name: EASTIN HOTEL PENANG
Address: 1 Solok Bayan Indah, Queens Bay, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Ticket Purchase: 604-612 1111
Event Date: 23 April 2012 (Monday)
Event Hours: 6.30pm-9.30pm
GPS: 5.33643, 100.306345