36-Hour Food Trail Eating Marathon @ SkyAvenue, Resorts World Genting

You’ve heard of “Movie Marathon” and “Sleeping Marathon” but this is probably your first time hearing about “Food Trail Eating Marathon”.

It was my first, not only to hear but to personally experience it. The privilege to participate in the challenge of dining at 28 eateries located in SkyAvenue, Resorts World Genting within 36 hours was courtesy of both Resorts World Genting and SkyAvenue. Thank you for this priceless experience!

Obviously, to eat for 36 hours straight was not possible as there was time for bed, and time for the multiple toilet breaks we had to take! With all the food and beverages piled in, they had to go somewhere! Sorry, Indah Water Konsortium!

I have to say that from personal experience, eating a huge amount of food and had them washed down with a variety of beverages was certainly a great challenge but with team work and some strategy, such as eating light snacks in between the main meals, did the trick and I completed the challenge with two hours to spare.

Now, let me give you the lowdown on the eateries that we visited, in alphabetical order, and the food that we were served.

Ah Yip Herbal Soup
At first, I thought this was an easy stop. Soup only, right? But no, there was a good portion of duck as well, in the unique recipe of bean paste. Duck isn’t my favourite fowl to eat and the only time I like them is when they are roasted. However, I’ve not come across bean paste duck before, so I tried it and it was memorable!

It amused me no end that I found Ipoh Bak Kut Teh in Genting. Yes, I must try this, even though I can literally count the number of times I had Bak Kut Teh with one hand. I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Washed down with the Ginseng Stew Chicken Soup, indeed, I felt revitalised.

By the way, I was taken by surprise when I discovered that “Ah Yip” is from Tanjung Tualang, Perak. Hello, neighbour.

Babajia
Located on the ground floor of SkyAvenue, Babajia is one of the few eateries that opens 24/7. I arrived just before 7am for breakfast.

Serving home-cooked Peranakan cuisine, this is one “Baba House” that you must not miss, if you like Baba-Nyonya food and desserts.

It was indeed a huge breakfast serving but I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to eat, so I whacked both the Nyonya Laksa and Char Kuey Teow. Yummy, indeed authentic!

BMS Organics
I would say BMS Organics served the most healthy meal of all that I had over the 36 hours. I have to say that I was initially doubtful of the taste of such a “clean” lunch but I was proven wrong. Despite their names, they were very flavourful.

I was glad for the opportunity to be introduced to such a healthy selection of dishes that I probably would give a miss.

Organic, natural, no artificial colouring and flavouring, no MSG, as well as no microwaving – that’s the principles of the company.

Canton-i
I don’t know why Canton-i ended up being my final stop of the 28-eatery trail. Perhaps it was because of its location, at the end of the strip on ground floor. In any case, I was lucky that I spotted Canton-i!

The platter of luxurious traditional roast goose combined with honey-glazed BBQ pork was lip-smacking and would remind one of Hong Kong. As a Cantonese myself, I certainly appreciate a good Cantonese cuisine now and again and this was where I found it!

I just have to mention that the prawns used in the wanton were huge and fresh! I am actually very particular about freshness of seafood and I have no complaints here! Oh, I also would like to mark my appreciation here to the manager for serving us a glass of warm lemon juice to aid our digestion from all the food that we had eaten over 36 hours!

dal.komm Coffee
The Matcha Lava Cruffin is really to die for! Pair it with Chocola’de Shake from the Chocola’de Series made with 100% pure Belgian cocoa, it becomes a sinful dessert that you just want more and more.

Luckily, I shared the cruffin with three other friends, as you can see from the beverages that we were served. Less calories piled on: awesome!

DC Comics Super Heroes Café
If you love themed cafés, you must come to DC Comics Super Heroes Café. I do enjoy themed cafés and was impressed with the many super heroes that were brought to live in both the decor and in the themed dishes and beverages.

This Batman set was just one of the many items made available on the menu. There is also Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Superman and more! I could sit here the whole day and enjoy its colourful decor and super hero ambience.

Dome
Of all the 28 outlets visited, Dome was the only one that provided miniature offerings for food tasting. Therefore, these small dishes are not the true sizes of what you would get when you dine here.

Despite this, the joy of tasting their food was not reduced. In fact, I really enjoyed the crispy chicken nugget and was tempted to order more. But no way, I still had a long list of eateries to visit!!

Flavurs
Flavurs looks Chinese and serves a fusion of Chinese + Western, with a local touch. Although it does not boast a fancy menu, the important thing is actually in the taste of the food. Flavurs passed with flying colours in this department.

Oh yes, I need to mention that there is a good selection of mocktails. I ordered Citrus Blast to help me digest better!

GO Noodle House
When I arrived at GO Noodle House, the queue was growing longer and longer, with customers waiting for the diners to vacate their tables. I usually don’t like to be the one eating knowing that there are three generations of families waiting to dine. However, it can’t be helped when GO Noodle House is simply so popular!

GO Noodle House’s signature noodle (San Xian Tang Mi Xian) is said to be fit for an emperor, with a secret recipe passed down from a chef from the Imperial Palace. To get a stronger “oomph” out of the bowl of noodles, diners can separately purchase a bottle of rice wine and add a spoonful of it into the bowl.

The bottles of rice wine are imported from China. They are 3 or 5 years old. Which you choose depends on what you look for in your bowl of “San Xian Tang Mi Xian”.

I Love Yoo!
I was reminded of home when I went to I Love Yoo! Yootiao, or more popularly known as “Yau Char Kway” used to be my breakfast and/or tea. I still love it but rarely have the chance to eat it lately.

This was supposed to be a three-item set but I added on tau fu fah. I simply enjoy them so much!

Inside Scoop
This modest ice cream kiosk has more than ten different flavours to choose from. I wanted to go for sorbet but I was afraid that it would be too sourish and I couldn’t finish it. I didn’t want to waste, so I ended up choosing my all time favourites, Nutty Nutella and Rum & Raisin. These, to me, are safe flavours, that I can enjoy anytime!

I could have opted for just one scoop of ice cream, actually, but I caved in to temptation and took two instead. Aih, evil!

Just Heavenly
This cake kiosk offers a wide selection of cakes. When I was there, the cakes were still untouched – I didn’t have the heart to be the first person to get a slice from a new cake, so I choose Black Velvet.

It was still a good choice as the cake was “just heavenly”! That’s the only two words that came to mind to describe its taste.

Koong Woh Tong
Every time I go on the road, I try to look for beverages that would reduce my body heat. When I am moving about and do not get enough of rest, I can literally feel “heaty”. I usually go for coconut juice but could not find it in SkyAvenue.

But it’s all right. I discovered Koong Woh Tong which offers so many varieties of herbal drinks for the different ailments that we may be experiencing. There’s something to cool down the body, energise us, revitalise us, etc. And the herbal jelly known as Gui Lin Gao, ah, it was ages since I had one this good!

KyoChon 1991
This Korean fried chicken outlet was packed when I was there for dinner. To accompany our garlic fried rice was the wingette and drumette set in two varieties: soy garlic and red pepper.

I was crying when I ate the red pepper version. It was sooooo sooooo hot! Never let it touch your lips, I tell you or you will also cry for water like me! I can still feel my tongue tingling as I am writing this! Gosh!!!

Madame Waffle
I could feel the calories piling on as I indulged in this Banana Nutella! It was only one of the two desserts ordered. The other was Tiramisu – photo not shown as I want the uniformity of just showing two photos per outlet, OCD me!

Both were soooo good, it is taking me awhile to calm my craving for it. Hey, I’m not up on the mountains anymore and this artisan premium Belgium Liège waffle café is not available in Ipoh yet! Argh!

Morganfield’s
Although I was told that Morganfield’s in Greentown Ipoh is just so-so, I was glad that I still went ahead to give Morganfield’s SkyAvenue a try. The Hickory BBQ Spare Rib was soooo tender and juicy. It’s been some days since I had it and I can still feel how the meat melted in my mouth. The Bacon Wrapped Meatballs were awesome as well.

To be honest, I couldn’t finish the Onion Blossom. I do eat onions every day but not that huge a portion! I’d really love to give the Ipoh outlet a fair chance. If they are as good as the SkyAvenue outlet, at least I don’t have to travel so far for my ribs!!

Palsaik Korean BBQ
Of the few times that I have had Korean, I didn’t really know how to appreciate the cuisine. At Palsaik Korean BBQ, though, I enjoyed myself, not only when it came to eating but in the entire experience of seeing how the food was cooked. It really is an art form.

The rolls of pork came marinated in eight different flavours, such as curry, miso paste, ginseng, garlic, pine leaves, wine and more. The sequence for the rolls of pork to go into the hot plate makes for an exceptional tasting experience.

PappaRich
It has always been a toss between PappaRich and Oldtown White Coffee because they have a similar menu. Coming from Ipoh, obviously I opted for PappaRich when I had the chance. I can always go to Oldtown when I am home, eh?

These are some of Malaysians’ all-time favourites and I am no exception. Yes, I needed my dose of curry laksa, nasi lemak and char kway teow and PappaRich did not disappoint.

Richdad
Richdad was also my breakfast stop one morning. I don’t take beef so I left it alone but I had the rice and its accompaniment. Of course, I must try the grilled chicken masak merah.

I don’t remember having had masak merah for grilled chicken before, so this was a surprise. The chicken was so tender, too. May I have more of this gourmet food?

Royale Vietnam Restaurant
The spread prepared by Royale Vietnam Restaurant was really generous. This was good enough for at least six people. There isn’t much opportunity for me to savour authentic Vietnamese cuisine living in Ipoh, so I really indulged, but again, left the Wagyu beef alone! Whack first, settle the fat later, even if I have to walk back to Ipoh from Genting!

The lady boss was very friendly but was quite disappointed that I’m a banana and had to converse with me in English. LOL! Nonetheless, she treated me to an ice-blended avocado milk shake to, you got it, help with my digestion! It was really helpful. Thanks, boss!

San Francisco Coffee
Sandwiches made fresh, I had too many choices to pick that one visit was insufficient. At first, I chose smoked salmon and then I had to choose what bread I want that in. Errrr…… wholemeal?

Ordering drinks was easy. It is not that they only had one to offer. It was just that I decided to go for my all-time favourite, chocolate. This was Extreme Chocolate, though, so it was a hundred times better than my usual chocolate beverages.

I had the sandwich packed so I could eat it on the go. Needed to work out a bit by walking. Every step helped, I hope!

Starbucks Reserve®
I noticed two Starbucks outlets in SkyAvenue. One is the Starbucks Reserve®, which has a long table for coffee tasting session.

That was the outlet I visited and had the opportunity to learn about Starbucks coffee for the second time. The first Starbucks taste testing that I was invited to was in 2012 in Sabah. That was a long time ago and I still remember how I burnt my palate, so I was smarter this time.

Ayesha is actually the store manager of Starbucks Reserve® The Gardens Midvalley but she came to SkyAvenue to give a hands-on demonstration on how coffee is brewed and to teach us how to let the aroma and taste of the coffee take us to wherever we imagined ourselves to be.

TAI’BAE
Sounds like Taipei? That’s because this is a Taiwanese restaurant that serves popular Taiwanese dishes, particularly noodles and fried chicken.

As I have yet to visit Taiwan, I took the opportunity to try these Taiwanese food. It helps that diners can opt for set meals, or just small bite items, like the yam & pumpkin puffs

Tampopo Delicieux
I have no idea what Tampopo means but this Japanese restaurant is unforgettable. Even if I may forget the taste of its food one day, I am sure the name will stick in my mind forever.

Again, I do not take beef, so the beef curry udon was just a prop for photography. Do you like cream puffs? Even if you do not order anything else, the cream puff is a must if that’s what you usually like. Sinful, I tell you! I can still recall how the cream oozed out from the puff.

Tian Ma Bird Nest
Since the time I had bird’s nest during my trip to Sitiawan, and my pimples got under control, I never failed to look for this luxurious drink whenever I have the chance.

Tian Ma Bird Nest’s Signature Double Boiled Bird’s Nest is not to be missed and I quickly gulped everything down. It just tasted so refreshing, with or without added sugar. The Ginseng Tea was naturally bitter, but the pear version was cooling. I hope that with this combo of three bird’s nest recipes, I will have skin as soft and smooth as a baby’s butt.

Tokyo Secret
Cheese cakes and tarts are the rage these days. When Tokyo Secret does not come to me in Ipoh, let me go to it. Yes, Tokyo Secret is in SkyAvenue and I finally had the opportunity to try their popular Hanjuku cheese cake and tart!

Tokyo Secret has recently introduced a line of beverages and this Oolong Cheese Creama is just one of the four currently available. The others are Black Tea, Green Tea and Japanese Matcha. Those who love Japan or enjoy Japanese food will certainly appreciate Tokyo Secret as all ingredients used are imported from Japan.

Wanhoi YAMCH’A
What was supposed to be my third breakfast stop ended up more than that with dishes more suitable for lunch or dinner. LOL! What to do? Wanhoi YAMCH’A is by Oversea Restaurant and Oversea is a household name in Ipoh, so of course must try!!

Serving a great selection of Dim Sum for breakfast, I had no particular preference but just requested for cute ones and look what I was recommended! A cage with a pair of birds, which are actually salted egg yolk with lotus paste filling, little piggy BBQ pork bun and custard buns. Definitely worth a second visit. By the way, there were more dishes on the table but I decided not to show them in case you fainted.

Zok Noodle House
I had only intended to eat one bowl of noodles at Zok but with so many chef’s recommendations and the longer I sat there enjoying the view of the passing cable cars, the number of dishes on my table grew till five! I also had custard buns here but I can’t compare which one is better. I would say that both Zok Noodle House and Wanhoi YAMCH’A have their distinctiveness.

One thing about Zok Noodle House is that we can order extra stuff for our bowl of noodles, and just pay accordingly, instead of buying one more bowl of noodles. Oh yes, the fresh prawns used for the wanton were really huge. It was a whole piece in each wanton. By the way, it was my first time eating a tofu of this preparation. Yum!! I can have this the whole day, like eating popcorn or groundnuts, so addictive.

So, yeah, this was how I conquered 28 restaurants and cafés in under 36 hours. It was a huge undertaking, and I am not joking. Would I do it again? Certainly, without a second thought! Do remember that all these eateries are located in SkyAvenue, either on the Ground Floor or 4th Floor, which are designated for dining.

Exciting things are happening on the mountains. When are you going up?

If you are also from Ipoh, you might want to know that it is very convenient to visit SkyAvenue! There is a bus that departs daily for Genting Highlands from Terminal Amanjaya at 10.30am. The fare is only RM35 one way (adult). Passengers disembark at First World Hotel, which is connected to SkyAvenue. The trip takes about 3.5 hours one way. Enjoy yourself!

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