Coffee for him, flowers for her

Bittersweet combo: (From left) Cammy Truong, 31, preparing Vietnamese coffee with her partner Huynh (in yellow) at their stall in Armenian Street, George Town. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Coffee for the guys and flowers for the girls for Valentine’s Day season? Why not?

Give the guys a shot of strong coffee for alertness and flowers for the girls to melt their hearts, this is how two young hawkers put the two together in the heart of the heritage enclave here.

Running a stall along Armenian Street, Emily Lu, 31, and Carolyn Huynh, 35, began offering this combo since a few days ago.

Lu said one can just buy the coffee or even tea and the flowers separately but if they buy it as a Valentine’s package, the price will be cheaper.

“We decided to collaborate since Valentine’s Day is approaching and it seemed like a nice idea to offer a package,” she said yesterday.

Going with strong Vietnamese coffee, Lu said, is baby’s breath, a single rose or soap flowers.

Huynh said she recently opened her coffee stall and thought it would be nice to collaborate with Lu after she saw a steady stream of couples visiting Armenian Street to soak in the heritage vibes here.

“People usually come here to take photos and, most of the time, we see couples walking hand in hand past our stall.

“We are usually closed on weekdays but will make an exception for Valentine’s Day,” she added.

Elsewhere in Penang, love is in the air too.

Up on Penang Hill where the air is a few degrees cooler, one restaurant is heating things up with a romantic hilltop dinner.

Its general manager Hanson Li said the garden Valentine’s dinner layout has been so popular that there are hardly any slots left.

“We have been receiving bookings for Valentine’s Day and have a special menu for the occasion.

“It is a yearly thing and we realise many enjoy coming up and celebrating here,” he said.

Penang Hill Corporation general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said to make things easier for those heading up to celebrate Valentine’s Day, they will extend the funicular train hours to 11pm.

“Then couples won’t need to rush back down. Take your time. Go for a walk on the hilltop after dinner and enjoy the night air on Penang Hill,” he said.

And there will be wedding bells in Penang on Valentine’s Day too.

Penang Chinese Town Hall registrar Ooi Beng Geh said this time, 28 couples will be tying the knot on Valentine’s Day through them.

“We are fully booked for marriage solemnisation this Feb 14.

“Every year, many couples approach us to register on special dates including Valentine’s Day.

“We usually look out for special dates on the calendar and offer our services,” he said.