MY BANDAR PENAWAR GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE - PART 2

   16th SEPTEMBER 2026   ~ We had to drive more than 20km for dinner to Dapur Kembar. I had bought a hotel in room in Pengerang and the original plan was actually to stay in Desaru. My gastronomic adventure buddy discovered this place on TikTok so we wanted to give it a try.

When we arrived at about 8:00 p.m. all the tables were taken. We had to wait for quite some time and at one point, we decided to make a move and find another eating place. Then only, people started leaving and we managed to be seated for our meal. Guess people came at that same time for dinner that evening.

The foods ordered were Sate, Fried Rice and Fried Noodles. The portion was big and the food was quite spicy but that was alright for me.

Based on the crowd we met at the restaurant, this could be a popular place among the locals. One place you would consider for a decent dinner in Bandar Penawar.

ATTENDING THE SECOND WEDDING RECEPTION OF THE FAMILY THIS YEAR

Puan Izzati Shafinaz Abdullah, and ex-colleague of SMK Taman Universiti, and her husband who was also a teacher, Mr. Azmi Zainal Abidin, threw the second wedding reception of the family. The first one was done during the Eid month [READ HERE] and this one was for one of the twin boys.

The event was held at the Hall of Masjid Taman Sri Pulai.

I managed to be seated with other ex-colleagues of SMK Taman Universiti.

Congratulations one more time to Puan Izzati on the addition of another new member into the family. Guess there will one more similar event for the family and hopefully she will still remember to invite me.

ATTENDING THE WEDDING RECEPTION OF A NEIGHBOUR

My neighbour got married for the second time after the passing of his wife about two years ago. I was invited to the reception which was held at Casa Cendana Event Hall.

The only people whom I knew were the parents of my ex-students of SMK Dato' Jaafar, who were the friends of the groom.

someone posted this video in the Whatsapp group

I didn't get to take photos with the groom and at the same time, I had to attend another reception right after. I still managed to congratulate him before leaving the wedding venue.

EXPLORING THE MUSLIM QUARTERS OF XI'AN

   2nd SEPTEMBER 2026    ~ After visiting the mosque, it was time to explore the Muslim Quarters. The street was flocked by tourists. locals and foreigners alike. It was actually a shopping street, rows of stalls and shops, selling all kinds of souvenirs and food items.

Trying the ice cream

flat bread with beef filling

This should be the place for Muslims to try halal Chinese food. We were told that all the food in this area was halal. Unfortunately, the shops and restaurants were not properly labelled so it might cause lack of confidence for us most of the time.

buying pomegranate juice

We definitely needed more time here, either to shop or to try the food available. At the same time, we were already exhausted after the long day without rest and were so looking forward to get back to our hotel.

MY BANDAR PENAWAR GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE - PART ONE

16TH SEPTEMBER 2026 ~ In conjunction with Hari Malaysia public holiday, a staycation trip to Pengerang was set with my regular gastronomic adventure buddy. Initially I wanted to stay in Desaru area but only realized that I had booked a hotel in Pengerang after checking in.

The first stop was lunch at Bandar Penawar and the chosen venue was Khaira Celop Tepong.

When we arrived at about 12:30 p.m., the place was already full with diners. I guess this place was popular, especially during weekends and public holidays.

Even though there were many people, the service was fast. We did not have to wait long for the food to be served.

The centre piece of the table, which was also the restaurant's specialty, was seafood like prawns and squids that were coated in flour and fried. We added on Chicken Tom Yum as the fried items were too dry to go with our rice.

The meal set that we ordered was more than enough for two. If you are looking for food originated from the East Coast, i.e. the fried seafood, then you could consider this place as an option.