Penang

Penang on a Budget (Part 1)

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Old / Modern.

Satellite dish on a Penang shophouse

Penang Old and Modern

Prosperous / Budget.

Bustling, noisy, energetic, dirty / Quiet, peaceful, meditative, clean.

Late. Frustration / Early. Satisfied.

These are all adjectives I would use to describe my time in Penang recently. Penang is such a city of contrasts that sometimes it is hard to put your finger to what makes this city work so well. When I was here this time, I came looking with different eyes.

And what I saw gave me a new perspective on this city that I love.

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Hawaii

Alan Wong’s Restaurant, Honolulu Review

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Following my sister’s Hawaiian-style wedding reception, Annie and I had an intimate dinner for 2 at the venerable Alan Wong’s Restaurant to celebrate her 40th birthday.

Alan Wong's Restaurant Honolulu

Alan Wong’s is one of the most recognised, award-winning fine dining establishments in Honolulu. It was noted as one of the Top 10 best restaurants in the nation by Gourmet Magazine in 2006. Presidents and chiefs of state dine there. Chef Alan Wong himself, credited as one of the founding fathers of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, garnered the James Beard Foundation award for Best American Chef – Northwest in 1996. It has a well-deserved reputation.

Annie has long wanted to go to Alan Wong’s but we never got the chance to during our previous trips back home to Hawaii. So when we started planning for this latest trip for my sister’s wedding, she made her wish very clear: “You better take me to Alan Wong’s!”

About a month before we left, I called them and made the reservation.

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Hawaii

Hank’s Haute Dogs, Honolulu Review

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Authentic Chicago hot dogs, and more, found in the heart of Honolulu.

Hank’s Haute Dogs

Hanks Haute Dogs Honolulu

It occurs to me that I haven’t finished blogging about all the places we ate at when we last visited Hawaii for my sister’s wedding back in February. One of those places is Hank’s Haute Dogs, located in the Kaka’ako district of urban Honolulu. Our friend Billy (who introduced us to Pah Ke’s Chinese Restaurant in Kaneohe) arranged to meet us there for lunch.

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Making you hungry for the good things in life