Malaysian Cuisine at Penang in Lodi, NJ


After not being home for almost 2 years, my supply of spices and pastes are running extremely low. I'm out of Sarawak laksa paste and my once filled to the brim curry powder bottle will soon be a distant memory. Thank goodness, I'm going back to Malaysia in 4 weeks :) Time to restock!

All right, back to Penang. When Penang opened up in Lodi earlier this year, it was a dream come true. We had heard rumblings of Penang from a fellow Malaysian we met at a local eatery. At least, we don't have to drive all the way to Hoboken or Edison to satisfy our satay, roti canai, nasi lemak, etc. cravings.

Several weeks ago, we went to Penang for a nice Sunday night dinner before heading back to our usual work day routine. Adrian is more of a regular than I in Penang because his office is only 5 minutes away from the restaurant. Did I mention that Penang is also a good place to eat if you are looking for an express lunch? Anyway, back to dinner...

Doesn't this look like kampua mee? The dish is called BBQ roasted pork lo mee* (dry).

*Mee = mein = noodles.

Hint: Could have been better if the soy sauce doesn't have a slight bitter after taste.

Steaming hot Bak Kut Teh

Our favorite dessert - peanut pancake with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream *yum*

Colonial Williamsburg & Yorktown Battlefield State Park

With very little leisure time in my hands these days, I'm struggling to keep an up-to-date blog *sigh*. However, I'm glad to have completed our Virginia road trip photo album. I hope our photos will inspire you to visit this "Old Dominion" that Sir Walter Raleigh named after Elizabeth I.

Scenic Drive

More fall foliage adventures this weekend! This time we started off nearby at Hackensack River and then, drove further north on the Palisades Parkway to Sunnyside in Irvington, New York. For those who are not familiar with Sunnyside, it was the home of Washington Irving - author of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle, etc.

Sunnyside was the only home owned by Washington Irving. He bought the house (then a neglected cottage) when he was 52 years old and added extensions to it over the years. Irving never married but came close once. Unfortunately, his intended fell ill with tuberculosis and passed away. Although Irving remained a bachelor until his death on the eve of the American Civil War, Sunnyside was never empty. He had many nieces that stayed in the house and the kitchen was one of the most modern during the classical/romantic eras, with running hot water and a kitchen stove.

It's a Small Word After All


Somebody went to Disneyland for work and still found time to have fun. Yup! Adrian recently spent 5 days in Anaheim, California. Apparently, he attended a Market Research event. Yeah, yeah. Adrian isn't exactly a Disney virgin having been there twice and to Disney World in Florida. I believe he once told me that he went to all these exciting places, even before he started college back in the 90s. What would Daddy have said, huh?! Well, it's always good to get the distraction out of the way before diving into some serious studies ;)

You know that you're in Disneyland when your hotel toiletries have Mickey ears

Check out these photos from Adrian's brief adventure in Anaheim.

Halloween Fever

Earlier this evening, we went for a drive around Hackensack and found a street of houses that were dead serious about Halloween! If you pass by Clinton Place and Prospect Avenue, you'll find curious people like us enjoying these over-the-top Halloween decorations.

This is our favorite house

Love the sign!

Zombie mannequins

Monsters by the window

Brilliant name for a ghoulish band - Dead Beats :)

Cemetery theme + skulls and bones on the front lawn

Another cemetery

Something more kid-friendly

Take a look at this house and the orbs surrounding it! I bet the spirits are loving it, too.

Back to Blogging

Guilty! I've not completed the road trip to Williamsburg posts and have been absent for more than a month from blogging. Work has been hectic and year end demands are looming. There are 2 more events that need to be worked out and coordinated before I can take my long awaited vacation back to Malaysia.

Oh, about that, MAS air fares to Malaysia has increased significantly. Well, by a freaking $600 smackaroos. When I looked at the breakdown, I was surprised that we have to pay fees for passing by Guam. Guam?! We're not even flying that direction! Of course, that's not the chunk of it. The biggest goes to - MISCELLANEOUS charges. This universal term used by businesses everywhere to gouge prices at the expense of customers e.g. fuel/gas charges, more $ into the pockets of crony suppliers, etc.

By the way, did you know that MAS also charge customers "passenger service" fees? If we are already paying tax on the ticket, does this mean that the $15 are tips for the flight attendants? Do their employees really get a cut out of it or is this another quick buck for the airline executives? In short, there are too many shady charges. Unfortunately, MAS still has the best flight connection to Kuching, so our hands are tied. *sigh*

Anyway, back to more interesting things in Serenity's Jersey Life...

First of all - "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADRIAN!"

The lovely Fraisier birthday cake from Financier - with a hint of Grand Marnier!

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Celebrated Adrian's 35th. birthday last weekend with a brunch at Blue Smoke's, 27th. Street, New York City

Blue Smoke is a barbecue joint/jazz bar. They are live jazz bands on Mondays and whenever they feel like it. Sunday is the antithesis, just perfect for families and burnt-out-from-work folks like us. Hmm...

The interior

Bar sitting section for the lonesome

Dining area for those who brought company

Humongous stars - definitely won't be caught underneath it unless you wanna risk getting stabbed by those pointed tips!

Appetizer - BBQ Mussels. Tangy, lots of zing to it. Sauce has BBQ bits ;)

Table and meal

Host with beefed up muscles and accentuated southern drawl sat us next to the little garden by the window. Nice but look at the condiments and sauces below.

I love the one which read "Magic Dust". My favorite is Kansas City BBQ Sauce. Magic Dust is a Texan rub. It's ok, but I'm not partial towards the drier type BBQ. Saucy is my style.

Adrian's choice: Rib Sampler for one - Memphis Baby Backs, Kansas City Spareribs and Texas Beef Ribs

Serenity's choice: Breaded toast with fresh berries and maple syrup.

Let's just say, ribs for brunch is just too much for me. Anyway, the day isn't about me. It's Adrian's birthday. He can have his cake and ribs and eat them to his heart's content!