Eating around Sunway Hotel Georgetown Penang [Malaysia]

I arrived at the hotel after 2pm, and the taxi drove past a shuttered shop with a sign “Restoran Zim Sum”.  I had no idea what “Zim Sum” was, but it sounded suspiciously like Dim Sum, so I hoped that whatever the shop was, it was not out of business but merely shuttered for the day.

The hotel was surprise surprise surrounded by awesome penang street food.

Just a few steps from the hotel entrance were 2 coffeeshops and mobile foodcarts that came every evening.  Char Koay Teow was fried to order and had great wok hei, duck rice from the coffeeshop was really value for money both on quality and quantity (and I was really lucky to decide to buy that on the first night, as the stall closed subsequently) and almond tea that was not sweet but so intense that I had to have it every night because I have not had almond tea that was sooooo good ever.  And because the food stalls were literally just downstairs, dinner was always buying take-out from the stalls and eating in the air-conditioned comfort of my room while watching TV.  Although there were also mobile seating near the stalls, I thought the stall owners or cleaners did a really good job because the next morning, the roads were always clean, with no stray bones, or rancid cooking smells from the previous night.  I thought the place was cleaner than some of the night markets in Taiwan.

The hotel breakfast buffet looked good, but Restoran Zim Sum was like Wah!  It was a yum-cha place that opened from 6.30am and closed at 2pm – hence it was shuttered the first day I arrived at the hotel.  I ate breakfast there everyday and everyday (I stayed at the hotel weekends and weekdays) I had to wait for an empty table as the Restoran was apparently popular with the locals, with many families driving to have their breakfast there.

Many varieties of Dim Sum were offered, so many in fact that the menu changes on alternate days, and despite eating there for more than 1 cycle of menu changes, I could not manage to try everything.  In addition to Dim Sum, there were also noodles such as 海南炒，福建炒，鱼头米粉，云吞面 with portions that were at least 2 or 3 times of those I saw at typical coffeeshops in Malaysia.  Many of the local elderly ordered those noodles, and I thought they would not have been able to finish the food at a single seating, as they often order Dim Sum as well.  Indeed, many of them had the service staff pack half of the noodles when they called for the bill.  Even for me, a portion of the noodles could make 2 meals, if I had ordered Dim Sum as well.  The Dim Sum was buffet style, and customers could pick their choices of piping hot Dim Sum as much as they want.  At the end of the meal, the bill would be tallied by the service staff counting the different types of plates.  The Restoran was generous with tea leaves too.  Although the 普洱was not of the top grade, there was enough tea leaves for the tea to remain very full-bodied despite 2 further additions of hot water.  I can’t help but think of some classier restaurants that used weak teabags instead.

Despite being initially disappointed that I wasn’t able to stay at a refurbished heritage hotel in Georgetown, Sunway Hotel Georgetown Penang more than made up for my disappointment with a good room and great street food and Dim Sum just within walking distance.  I am quite tempted to stay there again as I did not manage to visit Penang Hill this time, and I am missing the almond tea already.