Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel Blog

#1 – Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Bacon and Toast (AUD4.80/RM14.90) – Back to basics stuff, yet worked exceptionally well after a LONG flight with transit in between. Almost like nasi lemak to Malaysians, can’t imagine breakfast in Australia without some bacon and eggs.

And thus, after the brief solace we found at Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, our tummies started grumbling and off we went in search of good grubs to fill the void. After all, the said resort ain’t a stone’s throw away from town. One thing we noticed was that the cabs there are EXPENSIVE. A one way trip from our hotel to Surfer’s Paradise cost AUD65/RM201.50 (!!), while our trip to Harbour Town Outlet Shopping cost AUD35/RM108.50. Bear in mind that the journey took no longer than 20 minutes at most.

Harbour Town @ Gold Coast – There’s No Town Like It. Okay so that’s the tagline, but here you can seek retail therapy, comfort in knowing that you can find bang for your bucks, and of course …. food round every corner.

Since I projected no leisure time for sight-seeing, food hunting or even souvenir shopping, the first day was thankfully allocated for us to overcome the jet lag (or lack thereof, since the time differs only by an additional two hours) and fatigue owing to the 8 hours or so of flight time.

A quick check with the receptionist at our hotel revealed that even the locals go to Harbour Town for good bargains and of course … I did a tiny bit of preparation before departure; and the same factory outlet shopping haven popped up in more than one resources.

Star Coffee Cafe & Restaurant – Amidst the slew of eateries (from Japanese to Italian, and fast food to seafood restaurants), this cafe parked at the first cross junction (if entering from Reading Cinemas side; southern end) attracted a sizeable crowd that morning.

We had some beef stew with potatoes, and several pieces of cold bread, cheese and crackers etc on board Singapore Airlines, but stuffing your face in the middle of the night just ain’t conducive somehow. Thus, hunger pangs struck the instant we reached our destination.

Latte with a full-bodied, creamy and smooth finish. Came with the Scone set.

A typical cafe with a dominantly al fresco setting, Star Coffee serves a myriad of Western delights; from steaks to fish & chips (naturally), to pancakes and sandwiches. Since the offers on the board screamed Eggs/Bacons/Toast for AUD4.80, and Scone+Coffee for AUD3.80, I chose to have BOTH. Just in case we were deprived of lavish feasts back in Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove (to which I completely forgot that this was AUSTRALIA we are talking about …. where portions rarelycome smaller than your average dinner plate!)

Can’t vouch for this scone though, being gritty with a dry texture rather than soft, fluffy and buttery. But the artery-clogging dollop of cream (not sure it’s clotted cream or not) and the strawberry jam saved the scone from mediocrity. Passable, at best.

Poached egg with a dash of vinegar. Beautifully done, but would have been stellar had the yolk been slightly runny-creamy. You can choose how your egg to be cooked.

T-Bone Steak for brunch anyone? (AUD21.80/RM67.60) – One of us had a larger appetite than the others. Not me, don’t accuse …..

Macadamia Shake – Interesting choice of container to serve the shake in, but this was a decadent treat indeed.

You can also find several other eateries to suit your fancy – you can choose from the directory listing HERE. But of course, don’t expect gourmet class of culinary wonders here. People come here for ONE main reason obviously; the SHOPPING.

Delicious sounding brands all with prices slashed to a reasonable extent. Just don’t forget the conversion rate, and the fact that some of the sportswear can be cheaper back in Malaysia, or even Singapore.

Felt almost like strolling through a fun fair/amusement park; Harbour Town covers quite a vast ground, hence be prepared to walk under the sun from one row of outlets to another.

You can find great deals, bad deals, and anywhere in between here at Harbour Town. So be wise, and don’t go all out before comparing prices. Generally, shopping here is very much cheaper than in say, Brisbane city for these are factory outlet stores. Remember the G2000 in Hong Kong I wrote about?

Bought some dirt cheap wears from Cotton On (AUD2-5 per piece of clothing, and AUD5 for a pair of canvas shoes, anyone?), various sportswear from several brands (but Nike-Adidas ain’t exactly cheap per se), and of course, Fossil watches since they’re cheaper by almost 50% even after conversion.

Time was a constraint, as we had to adjourn back to our rooms and rest up before the welcome dinner later on the same evening. And if you’re out and about in Gold Coast, or Australia for that matter, remember that most (if not all) of the shopping outlets close very early. Harbour Town operates at these hours :

Why the “so far”? As in the coming days, it will be all about meetings, meetings and more meetings. Ho-hum. But of course, being the Motormouth that I have always been, I squeezed in ample time to find the slightest joy in eating, snapping and walking about.

HAPPY WEEKEND MY BELOVED READERS. YOU CAN NEVER IMAGINE HOW MUCH I HATE WRITING NOWADAYS, BUT I PROMISE TO KEEP THIS GOING ….. AT LEAST UNTIL THE PASSION FIZZLES OUT COMPLETELY.