Almost Hungry?

Hyatt House KL - Gallery Kitchen & Ten37 Sky Bar

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 09:57:00 +0000

It's nice to chill and spend time with the hubs in a quiet place with view, especially during the pandemic. Located in Mont Kiara, right beside 163 Retail Park, is Hyatt House, an extended-stay concept hotel.

Gallery Kitchen is located right next to the hotel lobby and this is where hotel guest will have their complimentary breakfast.

We had our dinner at Ten37 Sky Bar, while enjoying the beautiful Kuala Lumpur Skyline. We were told, if we came in the evening, we will be able to witness the colourful and beautiful sunset. But nevertheless, we did enjoy our dinner under the star with a beautiful night view and cool breeze, as it just rained moments before we reached.

Some mocktails to quench our thirst, from L-R: The HH Signature (RM 15), Blueberry Mojito (RM15), Apple Spritz (RM15).

The HH Signature is my favourite as it was sweet with a tad of sourness as it contains rambutan (one of my favourite fruits), kiwi & calamansi. As for the hubs, he loved the Apple Spritz. If you prefer your drink to be on the sweet side, you could opt for Blueberry mojito.

A complimentary alcohol wet wipes to ensure the safety of all their patrons.

First up, we had the Mee Siam (RM19), which came with a side of sambal prawn. We both loved the flavourful & authentic taste of the bee hoon especially after a squeeze of the lime juice.

Ayam Percik with Briyani Rice (RM26) came with a huge drumstick together with prawn crackers and vegetable pickle.

Lamb Varuval with Briyani Rice (RM28) was my favourite dish that night. The meat was tender and flavourful and it fell easily out from the bone. The lamb shoulder was slow-cooked to perfection and was served together with poppadum and dhal.

Last but not least was the Ayam Rendang (RM28), served with white rice, ulam & vegetable pickle. The chicken meat was so soft & tender, again slow-cooked like the Lamb Varuval.

We spent a great night with delicious food accompanied by a beautiful night view. And we might return, as we heard you could also organized a private party with a small group in Ten37 Sky Bar. If we have any celebration next, this would definitely be on our list.

Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur, Mont Kiara

G-2 Arcoris, Kuala Lumpur

Jucy Snooze Christchurch, Wilderness Campervan & Castle Hill New Zealand

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Thu, 30 May 2019 09:12:00 +0000

On our 1st day, we reached Christchurch around 8pm local time and we stayed at Jucy Snooze Christchurch which is about 10mins walk from the domestic terminal. It is a hostel but we opted for the double bedroom with private bathroom.

The hotel is clean and check-in was a breeze. There is a huge common space whereby you can cook & chill.

Happy faces albeit tired from the long travelling

The double room is small, but enough to rest our tired body from the long flight + domestic flight.

There is a supermarket just opposite the hostel and within 5 mins walk there is KFC & Mcdonalds. this place is perfect if you touched down at night and wanted a convenient place to sleep in.

We paid about RM285 a night for double room with private bath.

The next day, Wilderness sent a van over to pick us up to their office to collect our home for the next 13 days. The process took us about 40mins, whereby they will brief you on the how-tos and what-nots.

We were so excited and off we went to our 1st destination : Castle Hill. The place is a location for the movie 'The Chronicles of Narnia'.

Us with the Castle Hill & snowy mountain backdrop

Along the drive from Christchurch to Castle Hill, we were awed by the scenery and the snowy mountains. and after a while, we got used to the views as it was quite identical all around New Zealand #firstworldproblem

We then drove over to Arthur's Pass and stayed the night at a Freedom Campsite. Do take note that only self-contained vehicle can park at Freedom Campsite. Self-contained meaning there's toilet & bath in the campervan or vehicle.

We were quite afraid when we stayed overnight as there is no other vehicle and it was pitch black. But after awhile, it was alright and we fell asleep instantly from all the driving.

If you need to find a place to overnight, you can try Jackson Retreat & Holiday Park (NZD 26 +/-) or Mt.White Bridge Freedom Campsite (we wanted to stay here, but we could not find it from our GPS) I got to know about the amazing and beautiful campsite from polkadotpassport.com, the photos she took from here roadtripping in NZ is amazing.

Lake Tekapo - Shoreline Freedom Campsite (source: polkadotpassport)

Lake Wanaka - Lake Outlet Holiday Park (source: polkadotpassport)

Queenstown - Remarkable Road Freedom Campsite (source: polkadotpassport)

Queenstown - Lake View Holiday Park (source: polkadotpassport)

New Zealand - Self Drive 14 Days Itinerary (North & South Island)

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Tue, 28 May 2019 08:28:00 +0000

If you are planning to visit New Zealand, you have made the right choice. It is a beautiful country with endless scenery and nice people. To enjoy both island you will need at least a 3-4 weeks to enjoy both island at the fullest.

As for us, we had only 2 weeks to tour both North & South Island in New Zealand. But, we had to, as we flew into Auckland via Airasia (back in 2018), fyi: Airasia no longer fly NZ as of now.

We had a bittersweet experience during our New Zealand trip.

1. We flew our 1st transit (stop at Gold Coast)
2. Our 1st camper van experience

3. We got robbed in a safe country like NZ (more on that later)
4. 1st time eating the yummy Bluff Oyster

5. Witnessed the Milky Way & managed to get a picture of it with our humble mobile phone (HuaWei), of course cannot compare with those taken with professional cameras ya, this is taken with mobile phone and a simple mini tripod.

6. I fell down twice at camp site, due to my own careless-ness, luckily my backbone is still alright
7. We rode the Sky Swing at Rotorua, North Island

Before I go into the details for our NZ Winter trip, below is the itinerary for our 14 days New Zealand North & Island winter trip:

Total Spent for 1 person: RM 7,100

Cost breakdown (2 person):
Flight to KL-Auckland = RM 2,800+ [2x30kg & quiet zone seats]
Domestic Flight Auckland-Christchurch) = RM 752
Hotel (Jucy Snooze Christchurch - 1 night) = RM 285
Camper van 13-days (5 seater) = RM 4,100*
Camp sites, grocery, petrol, etc = RM 6,100

Camper van costs include full excess & ship from Christchurch-Auckland

Our 14 days self-drive itinerary

We missed the Milford Sound & most of the hiking trails, as we are not fit & lazy. Also, our itinerary is quite packed as we covered both islands in the span of 14 days. Some of the travellers we met, spent 14 days touring only the South Island.

Day 1: Reached Auckland in the evening & stayed at Jucy Snooze Christchurch Hotel
Day 2: Take Camper van (Wilderness Christchurch) - Castle Hill- Arthur Pass
Day 3: Arthur's Pass - Fox Glacier - walk to Lake Matheson (1.5 hours walk)
Day 4: Fox Glacier - Wanaka - Rippon Vineyard (wine tasting)
Day 5: Wanaka - Queenstown
Day 6: Wanaka Snow Farm - Lake Tekapo
Day 7: Lake Tekapo - The Church of the Good Shepherd - Astro Café - Christchurch
Day 8: Christchurch - Hanmer Springs
Day 9: Hanmer Springs - Picton
Day 10: Picton - Wellington
Day 11: Wellington - Taupo
Day 12: Taupo - Hobitton (Matamata) - Rotorua
Day 13: Skyline Rotorua
Day 14: Auckland - KL

What to do for your mum on Mother's Day?

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Tue, 08 May 2018 03:29:00 +0000

Mother's Day is approaching and for those who did not know when it is, it falls on the 13th May 2018 this year. Mother's Day is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of May, and this time, let us list down what can we do for our special women on this Mother's Day.

1. Send her flowers

Women's of all ages loves flowers. If your mum thinks that flowers are expensive and not practical, get her an organic vegetable bouquet. With this, she can show off to her friends on FB and you can have a yummy homecooked meal the next day. One stone kill 2 birds..

Image from myfave.com

2. Prepare a yummy breakfast for her

A simple breakfast will make sure she starts her day right. Why not try making her an American breakfast.

Image from lmeichil.blogspot.my

3. Clean the house

Ensure the house is clean & tidy, but if you're too lazy to do it yourself, hire a cleaner to do it for you. You can easily get cleaner/maid services from kaodim.com or get a younger siblings to do it for you, with a little bit of fees of course.

4. Treat her to a Mother's Day dinner at The Art Coffee

A special sharing menu for 6 pax, you can even bring your grand mother along for this sumptuous meal. With a total of 20+ dishes from the sharing menu, guaranteed to leave your mum's tummy satisfied on her special day.

1st up, Fresh Garden Salad

Nachos with Cheese Sauce

Brocolli Soup with Garlic Bread

Aglio Olio Pasta

Nasi Hujan Panas with Ayam Masak Merah

A cup of Latte

Bonus: Popcorn Latte (RM16) *NEW*

You can follow The Art Coffee for more upcoming promotions or new menu: https://www.facebook.com/theartcoffeemalaysia/

And remember to treat your mum like a queen everyday and not just on Mother's Day. Wishing all mummies a Happy Mother's Day!

Bali 2017 - Water Blow, Pandawa & Padang Padang Beach & Uluwatu Temple

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 05:18:00 +0000

Our 1st location for 2nd day is Nusa Dua's Water Blow. Did not managed to captured a good picture of the blow, but you have to see it to believe it.

It was when a strong waves hit in between the limestone edges which created a powerful burst/blow of water.

You can google 'water blow bali' to get a feel of how it looks like.

Nusa Dua Water Blow Semenanjung Nusa Dua, Nusa Dua, Bali 80517, Indonesia Entrance fee: Free
Next, our driver drove us to Pandawa beach with clear blue sea.

We also went kayak-ing at Pandawa Beach, we reached around noon and the sun was shining brightly.

There were a lot of stalls at Pandawa beach, and we settled at one random stall for lunch. They were all selling the same types of foods - Bakso, Nasi Campur, Mie Goreng, Nasi Goreng & Gado Gado.

Pandawa Beach Jl. Pantai Pandawa, Nusa Dua, Kutuh, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80361, Indonesia
We moved to Padang Padang Beach with a full tummy. And according to the BIL, the sate babi (pork satay) at Padang Padang parking lot is yums, but our tummy were too full.
So, off we go to the beach to chill. We have to go down a flight of narrow stairs in between the limestone cliff face to reach the beach area. The beach is famous or surfing, but we ended up just lying around under the shade snapping photos (typical Malaysians).

Padang Padang Beach

Padang Padang Beach, Pecatu, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia

Our final location is Uluwatu Temple, we went there around 5-is, so we did not managed to catch the sunset. But we took tonnes of poser shots.

The traffic was bad on our way back to Kuta, so our driver stopped by one of the street stall, to get one of the famous Indonesian street food - Martabak (it is similar to our Murtabak here, but it is wrapped with a thin layer of fried dough with generous savoury fillings).

The picture is not doing the Martabak any justice, but I swear it was so good, crunchy on the inside with the right amount of savoury filling inside. We did not get the Terang Bulan (sweet version, similar to our thick apam balik, but alot more guilty, as the outer layer is coated with a generous amount of butter/margerine).
For dinner, we walked to a street located at the back of Legian for local food, Nasi Tempong at the famous Ibu Sri. The sambal was so good but spicy at the same time, the hubby was sweating a river of water.

Good food with affordable prices. If you are there, do remember to try the tempe, it was so good. Tip: try to go with a local, as the place is frequented mostly by locals only, to ease communication.
Ibu Sri Jl. Mataram No.48, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Bali 2017 - Ubud Day Trip

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 05:40:00 +0000

Just got back from a 8-days long trip to Bali. It was my 2nd time to Bali and I am still loving the place alot.

Photo taken at the lobby of our Kuta accomodation, Bounty Hotel. The hotel is located at Legian, Kuta. A party hotel with good location, whereby they host the Rasa Sayang Party every Friday, we missed it during our stay.

If you love parties and drinking, this will be the right place for you, but if you are looking at comfort and nice hotel, you may want to look else where.

A double room per night costed about MYR 120+, comes with buffet breakfast (everyday) and buffet dinner (on certain days only).

We had some Pork Satay (Sate Babi Bawah Pohon), recommended by a local friend. And it was very good, served with rice cakes (lemang in our language). You can also opt for white rice. The sate was very meaty and the charcoal bits and meat is just nice.

Location:Jl. Patih Jelantik, Legian, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Opening hours: 0900-1700

Price range: 20k Indonesian Rupiah (about MYR6, depending on exchange rate)

Source: http://www.wheretoeat-bali.com/2015/06/sate-babi-bawah-pohon.html

Some snacks we bought from Beachwalk Bali, an open concept shopping mall located less than 5 mins from Bounty Hotel. There is a supermarket, located on the lower ground floor of the mall.

A picture of us with Tegenungan Waterfall at Ubud

After taking tons of pictures, we went to fill our hungry tummy with Bebek at Warung Dewa Malen, recommended by our tour guide.

The view from the restaurant.

A table full of food. We had Bebek Goreng & Bebek Betutu and a Hawaiian Pizza and we ordered some drinks, and the bill came up to about 600k INR (about MYR180) for 4 pax.

The service was slow and the food was just okay but our tummy is filled though.

Location: Kemenuh, Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali 80582, Indonesia

To our next destination, Pura Tirta Empul, simply translates to 'holy water spring', according to source, it's best to inform your tour guide if you are interested to participate in the bathing ritual.

At the entrance to the temple, with 'kamen' wrapped plus a sash.

We did not get wet but we managed to took tons of pictures again...

People performing the bathing ritual, it was crowded the day we went.

Clear holy spring water, and the Koi fish was huge~ee!

We went to Kintamani, inactive volcano, to take in some cool air, as it is located in the highland area.

Last but not least, we went to Tegallalang Rice Terrace, and took some pictures again before we went back to our hotel for the complimentary buffet dinner. No pictures as they served simple rice and noodle with some local dishes.

Anniversary foodie trip PENANG

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 09:24:00 +0000

We travelled up-north for our 12th anniversary. Although we are legally married for 3 years now, we still celebrate our dating anniversary.

We booked One Pacific Hotel through Agoda for our 2 nights stay. Total was RM 340 for a standard room, decent size located at Jln Macalister Georgetown (close to Ghee Hiang, about 2mins drive).

Room was clean and new but we have to drive out everytime we need to fill our tummy.

1st meal that we had when we reached, *drums roll*

Lorong Selamat Char Kuey Teow (fried flat noodle)

Location: 82, Lorong Selamat, George Town, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Priced at RM12, with 3 huge prawns and chinese sausage (lap cheong). Perfectly seasoned and full of wok hei. We went there at about 1pm, but there isn't any crowd, we got our plate after 5 mins.

We felt thirsty after the flavourful plate of CKT, too much salt/msg, maybe.

We also had the Fried Oyster Egg, RM 14 or was it 16?

It was from a kopitiam nearby, they came and asked if we want a plate, being oyster-lover, we can't say no. Plenty of oysters but the egg was a bit dry. The one in Muar - wai sek kai is still the best.

We went to Ferringhi Garden for our anniversary dinner. The place serves Western and seafood.

Went there twice and still in love with the garden settings. We went at 5.30pm before the crowd.

Seafood Platter for 2

The platter consists of grilled seafood- 1 lobster, clams, tiger prawn, fish fillet and crab meat. Too much for 2 small eater.

We ordered a glass of house wine and total bill came up to RM440!! Gotta work harder to earn back!

Location:

34, Jalan Batu Ferringhi, Kampung Batu Feringgi, 11050 Batu Ferringhi, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Parking is available at the back of the restaurant.

Since we had early dinner, we went for a stroll at Ferringhi beach (located just at the back of the restaurant-a street away) to catch the sunset.

We then drove to Lebuh Chulia for wanton mee. Hubs favourite.

We tapau-ed and ate in the hotel. Just Google
lebuh chulia (or chulia street wanton mee).

The stall is located on Lebuh Chulia around the corner of Lebuh Carnavon. Look out for a queue and you will know you have come to the right place. The stall is usually open around 6 pm.

Other than wanton mee, there is also curry mee, penang lobak and Satay.

The next day, we went to another wanton mee place, recommended by Henry's colleagues.

The noodles is smooth as theu added Cantonese style (wat tan hor) gravy over the noodles. With generous serving of fried wanton, shredded chicken and mushroom, it was priced at RM9 for a large plate.

The place is quite famous among locals.

Location: Wanton Mee house Pulau Tikus (located next to Swee Kong Kopitiam)

Opening hours: 7.30am-3pm, closed on Thur

We then went for Air Itam Asam laksa, not a fan but I felt that it was too diluted compared to the last time I was here, about 7 years ago.

Hui Kee At Larut Road for Fish Head Hot Pot

Perfect comfort food to warm the tummy. Fish fillets, yam cubed, white tofu with sourish hot soup to warm the soul. We also ordered a pork rib, and total bill was RM56+

The hotpot was priced at RM30+, perfect for 3 pax.

Location: 1, Larut Road, Georgetown, Penang.

Opens daily, 5.30pm to 10pm.

We were lucky cos they had this when we went there, my bro went there the other day, and they did not have it.

Last meal before we leave Penang was at Joo Hooi cafe Georgetown.

We had the famous trio - char kuey teow, chendol and Asam laksa. The laksa here is way better than the one at air itam.

After that, we ordered another round of chendol and some tidbits, popiah, nyonya kueh and yam cake.

The chendol here is to die for. Glad that we came here on weekday, ordering was a breeze and no problem getting a table.

Location:475, Jalan Penang, George Town, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

We left Penang with a happy tummy and a few hundreds poorer. We'll definitely meet again, when we have another ckt, laksa and chendol cravings.

All photos taken with huawei p10 plus. Thanks for the annv gift, I loved it very much :3

Our Food Diary in Korea

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 13:55:00 +0000

Just got back from our 2nd honeymoon from the cold and dry Korea. Wanted to celebrate 2017 New Year over there, but we were too old for that kind of thing.

So we ended up using most of our time & money for food.

We had Udon with various fish cakes nearby our Airbnb stay (near Sindang station). Price is at 7,000won (approx.RM28). Perfect for the cold weather.

At the same restaurant, we also ordered the Potato pancake. It was huge and expensive, 12,000 won for 2 pieces. But it was good, similar to Rosti back home.

Next, we had spring onion & seafood jeon (pancake) at Tosokchon

The satisfying Samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup) at Tosokchon. Came here 3 times and it never disappoints me :)

After a few days of korean food, the hubby needed some pork fix, hence we dropped by Hong Dae and went into on of the hippie restaurant and ordered the bacon-like pork meat with seasoned vegetable. This plate here costed us 19,000 won. But the portion is huge though.

And I ordered the beef patties with cheese, tasted so-so but it was crazy spicy. Priced at 19,000won. We had this on NYE, so we splurged as it was the last meal for 2016. Total spent for this meal was almost RM80!

We also had Jeonbokjuk (Abalone Porridge) at Jeju shi. We did not know which restaurant to go to, hence we used foursquare for recommendations. This restaurant is located about 10mins drive from Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak, Jeju. I think the price was 10,000 won.)

The porridge was flavorful with abalone sweetness, but it was a little bit bland. Goes well with the banchan.

One night at Jeju, nearby our hotel area, Jungmun, I was craving for Korean Streetfood, hence we walked into this humble shop selling the above combo - Gimbap, Mandu, Teokbokki & Eomuk - it is basically stir-fried rice roll, rice cake, dumpling and fish cake with an extra serving of egg. It was priced at 6,000won. So satisfying, but I think i gained 2kg after finishing this :)

Top view of my satisfying korean street food all-in-one plate and hubs stir fried pork.

We chanced upon a restaurant serving noodle with a lot of korean nearby Yeongmeori Coast. We had the Pork Broth Noodle and Egg Noodle. Portion was huge and each bowl costed 10,000 won. We wanted to try the Sashimi Noodle (dry noodle with generous servings of vegetables and sashimi), but the owner informed us that it will be very spicy, hence no sashimi noodle for us. But most of the tables did order the 'super spicy' noodle and we regretted not ordering :(

On our last day, we had huge scallop for dinner.

It is a huge pot of shellfish - scallop, oyster, lala (clams), octopus, abalone, tiger prawn with the price of 59,000 won (approx. RM240). Do take note that this is not hot-pot, no soup whatsoever, as the seafoods are steamed. And the lalas come in all diffrent sizes. Seafood was fresh, but we did not managed to finish it all. And after the meal, we are afraid with the sight of clams for some period of time :(

Japan Honeymoon: Day 3 - From Hakone to Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:15:00 +0000

On the 3rd day of our honeymoon, we travelled to Osaka via Shinkansen reserved seat, which is covered under our 14 days JR pass.

The ride took almost 3 hours and we reached our Air bnb stay around mid afternoon.

Above pictured grabbed from airbnb site. The place is about 10mins walk from subway. The room was spacious for 2 pax with ensuite, kitchen (with appliances), bathtub and washing machine.

Overall, the hubby loved the place so much that for our upcoming Seoul trip, he wanted to stay with airbnb again.

There is convenience store about 5 mins walk from the apartment, and we bought breakfast and prepared it in the apartment the next day.

After settling done, we went to Den-Den Town for some toys and electrical goods window shopping. Not much photos for the day, but we had Buta Don (grilled pork don) at a random shop and it was sooo good!

Also, we came across a shop that sells retro games and it brought back alot of memories.

Picture taken from taiken.co

At night, we went to the famous Shinsaibashi & Dotonbori area for dinner. The place is a food paradise, you can find the osaka specialty here, from takoyaki to Kushikatsu (fried skewers) and famous Pablo cheesecake here. Where to eat? Just follow the queue!

We were too full, on all 3 days we were at the street, so we did not managed to eat any of the foods there :( even Pablo, but luckily we did had our taste of Pablo Cheesecake in Tokyo (I will share in another post).

We got confused, as there is Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, even up till now I am confused. But, after some research, Shinsaibashi is for shopping and Dotonbori is for food and where the famous landmark, Glico running man is located.

We spent about 10mins looking for this o.O

Also, if you are near the area, remember to drop by Don Qoijote (it's a one stop shop where they sell everything from food to appliance. Just look for the 'penguin'!

Picture from google.com

We did nothing much on our 3rd day, just explore Osaka and back to our apartment to rest.

The next few days at Osaka, we went for buffet (IKR, go travel, die2 also must eat buffet) & visited Kyoto! Stay tuned!

Japan Honeymoon: Day 2 - Hakone (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 07:06:00 +0000

As we are trying for baby, we went to the famous Baby Tree at Hakone Jinja Shrine. After reading about how Cheeserland and QiuQiu touched the tree and got pregnant, we die2 have to go and touch also..but alas, I only have food tummy post 6 months of touching the tree :(

We alighted at Motohakone-Ko and walked for approx. 10mins to Hakone Jinja Shrine.

There is a place for you to wash your hands before entering the shrine, I think you start with holding the ladle with your right hand, then pour the water to your left, then switch and lastly use your right hand to wash your mouth. Voila, instructions from a noob :)

Another flight of stairs to reach the baby wishing tree...

Another wash before the mighty tree..

BEHOLD...the mighty 'Baby Wishing Tree'...

Looks just like an ordinary old tree, but I supposed we did not managed to absorb the 'baby making power' from the tree.

After purchasing some amulets, we went to tour the place. Zen is the only word to describe the place.

Overlooking Lake Ashi.

Overall, both of us really love the place a lot as it is really peaceful and beautiful, will definitely be visiting again!

We rushed back to our Hotel - Mount View Hakone for dinner.

Dinner spread wasn't impressive, there was udon, sashimi, crab claw, tofu, fish, rice and some veges. But I guess for RM990+ per night, it was ok as there's dinner+breakfast+futon bed :)

Fresh sashimi for dinner.

We prepared for our private onsen (hot spring) session, priced at 2000yen (RM76).

There's a nice view from the open onsen. The tub is basically a small round tub with milky hot spring water. The water was hot, but with the wind blowing, you will get used to the temperature very soon.

Breakfast the next day. Loved the pork sausage, crab soup and the coffee...

The ryokan was spacious with nice fluffy futon beds. The only cons is there wasn't any shower in the room, so we had to go to the public hot spring on the Lobby level.

Apart from the public hot spring, there is also a private hot spring for family (no charge), and the difference with those that you have to pay is that there is no view. So, use the onsen as much as you can during your stay!

And that's the end of our Hakone 2d1n trip. We will definitely include Hakone in our next trip to Japan again, or at least any other place in Japan with Ryokan + hot spring experience!

Japan Honeymoon: Day 2 - Hakone (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 07:13:00 +0000

Woke up early as we need to catch the train to Hakone. Reserved our seats with the JR pass, reserving seats is easy, just walk in to the ticket office and show them your JR pass. There are few different ways to get to Hakone, but since we have the JR Pass, we took the 'by JR way'.

We bought the Hakone Free Pass once we alighted at Odawara. Priced at 4000yen (RM152) / pax, the Free Pass provides unlimited usage of transportation (bus, ship, cable car, train) at Hakone.

We took a bus to our ryokan, Mount View Hotel from Odawara station, journey took about half and hour. And it was a fun uphill ride, with view of foggy forest, it feels like we are on our way to find Totoro :)

We left our luggage at lobby and also reserved for the private open air hot spring, 2000yen (RM76). We wanted to reserve for a better looking one, but it was fully reserved.

We walked down the street, about 5 mins walk to take a bus to the nearest Hakone Tozan Railway.

Pretty-looking flowers on the way to the bus stop.

We had trouble taking the bus, but there was a friendly obasan, although not being able to converse in English, she helped us on the directions and bus to take.

With her help we managed to reach where we wanted to go. Can't remember where we stopped, but our intention is to experience the Hakone Tozan Railway.

Some warm Hot Spring bun @ 110yen

To fully utilised the Hakone Free Pass, we took all mode of transportation :)

We took the ship last, and there were 2 stops for the ship, we stopped at Hakone Machiko. Do take note the last ship leave at 16.20pm.

Went to a random restaurant for late lunch at 3pm, and the place was empty.

My Chirashi Don was good, with plenty of fresh sashimis, me likey!

His Spicy Salmon Don, abit too spicy but fresh nonetheless!

With a full tummy, we walked around the pier and took some photos :)

Will continue with Part 2 in a separate post..till then!

Japan Honeymoon: Day 1 - Arrival at Tokyo, Narita Airport

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 11:50:00 +0000

As mentioned previously, we flew ANA Air, ticket price was ok, approx. RM1,350 / pax. Departed at 7am (local time) and we touched down at 1500 (Japan time - 1 hour ahead of Malaysia).

The perks of travelling full service airline, in-flight meal & free booze :)

His American breakfast.

Mine - Asian Burger with rice.

Once we touched down, we went to get our pocket wifi and JR Pass. You can exchange your JR Pass at Narita Terminal 1 station - ticket office or JR East Travel Service center. Just walk in, and the friendly staff will guide you in filling the forms and exchanging the pass.

We bought the pass, as we wanted to travel to Osaka and all the way to Hokkaido :)

We took the airport transfer to town and then subway to our 1st night accomodation - Flexstay Inn Higashi-jujo. The guesthouse location is good, situated 2 mins away from train station and there is 2 convenient mart located within 1 min walk.

4,400 yen (RM172) for 1 night stay with private toilet. Small room but with good location. After checking in, we walked to the quiet street nearby hunting for dinner.

It was quite chilly, although it was summer.

Bought some street food from Oba-san. Was too hungry, didn't managed to snap a photo of the food.

The street was quiet but there were quite a number of eateries and we settled down for ramen and fried rice.

The menu - i guess the place's specialty is Tsukemen, but since it was our 1st night, we need to budget a bit, not sure our cash is enough for the rest of the trip. So we ordered the ramen+rice combo at only 600yen (RM22.80) with free drinking water.

Portion a little small, but it was just nice for us. Fried rice was flavourful, ramen broth was good and it was perfect for the weather.

After the meal, we have a short stroll around the old street, and there was a small market by the corner of the street. We bought sashimi back to our room, but ended up cooking it in kettle. Too chicken to eat the raw fish as we are not sure if it is safe to eat.

But found out that if the packaging is with an artificial leaf, by right it is safe to be consumed raw. ;p

We then went to bed early as we need to make a move to Hakone the day after. Stay tune for our 'zen' Hakone trip and also a visit to the 'Baby Tree' at Hakone.

13 days Japan Honeymoon with JR Pass

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 17:55:00 +0000

After our simple & small wedding at the beautiful and peaceful Enderong Resort at Janda Baik, we packed and are ready to go for our honeymoon at Japan!

It was quite a last minute plan (the honeymoon, not the wedding!), as we need to calculate all the budgets accordingly before deciding whether or not to have a honeymoon.

At last, we decided to just go ahead, as money can be earned back, but honeymoon is once in a lifetime....excuses! And as I am writing this, we are planning for our upcoming South Korea Winter Trip!!!

This will be a short & sweet summary of our not-so-summer trip to Japan. Will update in details soon!

Here's a rough itinerary & cost of our Japan Honeymoon in June 2016:

Cost
Based on 100yen = RM3.80
Flight Tickets (ANA Air) for 2 pax : RM2,757.80
JR Pass (14 days) for 2 pax : RM3,447.48 / 92,780 yen
Pocket Wifi (Ninja) - 4 Days : Free with ANA Ticket Promo
Pocket Wifi (Pupuru) - 9 days : RM263.44 / 6,912 yen
Hotel (mostly guesthouse) : RM3,388.64
Meals, Transport, Souvenir : RM 7,524.00 / 198,000 yen
TOTAL : RM17,381.36

Basic Itinerary
Day 1 Arrived at Narita Airport, Get JR Pass, settled down at Tokyo
Day 2 Travelled to Hakone, Pirate Ship, Hakone Jinja Shrine
Day 3 Shinkansen to Osaka, Den Den Town, Shinsaibashi
Day 4 Kyoto - Fushimi Inari Shrine, Arashiyama Bamboo Groove
Day 5 Osaka Castle, Tempozan Ferris Wheel, Shinsaibashi (BBQ Buffet)
Day 6 Back to Tokyo - Akihabara
Day 7 Depart to Hakodate - Red Brick Warehouse, Chinese burger & Omu Rice, Izakaya
Day 8 Sapporo - Susukino
Day 9 Farm Tomita - Lavender ice cream
Day 10 Otaru Canal - Suitengu Shrine, BBQ Buffet Dinner (crab fiesta)
Day 11-13 Explore Tokyo City

Thanks for reading! Till the next update..

Thanks for reading!

The Baboon House @ Malacca

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 03:59:00 +0000

A cosy, warm cafe located not far away from the busy Jonker Street, The Baboon House is a place to go if you need to escape from the heat and crowd and have a nice cup of coffee with good burgers.

I did not managed to take any pictures of the cafe, but believe me, when you are at the cafe you would not want to leave.

As usual, we are always on the look for food in the makan city aka Malacca and the sis recommended that we should chill at The Baboon House instead of the usual Wantan Mee, Chicken Rice ball or even Nadeje.

Enough of babbling, let's have a look at what we had:

Of course it has to be the burger as it occupied the biggest space on the menu, and as not all of us can take beef, we ordered the pork chop burger instead. My take? The meat is rich in flavour but is lacking on juicy-ness. And if you're a bacon lover, they are not stingy on their bacons.

Aloha Burger (with pork chop) at RM19.90

Look at how thick the burger is. There's the patty, pineapple, veges, and streaky bacon.

Then we also had the Baboon Green Salad at RM14

It is not your average healthy salad, there's bacon, popcorn chicken, toast, apple and cheese. Good if you want something healthy but still need to have some unhealthy-ness..get what I mean?

As we felt that the popcorn chicken in the Baboon Salad is insufficient for us the meat lover, we ordered additional Popcorn Chicken at RM6.50

Shūkaku Shabu Shabu House @ Bukit Tinggi 2, Klang

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 08:00:00 +0000

We went to try out the newly open Shabu Shabu place (Shūkaku Shabu Shabu)nearby our house the other day. And yes, buffet, again...I can't believe myself either. It is priced at RM28.80 per person for dinner eat-all-you-can buffet.

With Groupon deal, it is priced at RM20.

Like the usual shabu shabu place, the ingredients is placed on the kaiten belt and you were to serve yourself. There were 4 types of soups to choosed from: Herbal Soup, Szechuan Spicy Soup, Signature Clear Soup & Tomyam.

We had the first 2, service was prompt and the waiter was helpful.

The beef slice was good, but the mui found the pork slice a bit tasteless. The scallop was big but lacked it's 'scallop' taste.

After first few rounds of snapping, I gave up as the stomach is growling and that explained the lack of picture.

We also had some of the fried stuff and my favourite is the fried sweet potato ball (1st picture).

You will get an additional 5% off if you check-in to their Facebook page.

So the next time you have Shabu Shabu craving and do not want to drive all the way to Puchong, you may drop by at:
No.9, Lorong Batu Nilam 21C,
Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2 Klang 41200
Tel: 012-609 3293

HK Trip: Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum (添好運)

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:19:00 +0000

Tim Ho Wan craze has finally come to KL, Malaysia. And this reminds me of my visit to the original Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum Specialty store in Hong Kong. Since it is located at Mongkok (place where we stayed during our trip), we decided to wake up early and the naive us thought we are early enough. But I read somewhere that the first shop in Mongkok has been closed down since 2013 :(

While queuing, we got bored and so the little mui took an artsy pic of us.

And it is the first and only Michelin star restaurant (cheapest Michelin rated restaurant-that's what I heard) that I had tasted.
When we arrived, there was already a queue and so being the kia-su us, we quickly rushed to queue and by then the shop is not even opened yet. After queuing for about 15 mins, the shop finally opened but as we were late we did not managed to get a table as the shop is quite small.

The waitress then passed us a queue no and asked us to come bout after 30mins. Since we were so hungry, we just walked in to a random shop nearby to had some breakfast.

Fried Noodles

Zhar Leong (炸樑) & porridge

Maui Japanese Buffet @ The Place, Damansara Perdana

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 07:38:00 +0000

I have been craving for buffet a lot lately and that explains the reason why I had buffet 4 times in 2 months. Every time when people think about buffet, it is all about spending lots of money on eating food that you always cannot finish. But afraid not, Maui Japanese buffet is a place that we always go when we need a quick buffet fix without burning our wallet (RM48.80+)

The star in all Japanese buffet - Sashimi

FOC - Fried Salmon Fin, filled with juicy fish fats/oil all over

Read more »

Roasted Pork @ Wong Kee Pudu

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 14:51:00 +0000

The boy has been raving about this particular Siu Yoke aka Roasted Pork he had once tasted with his boss at Pudu. And since we will be dropping by at the for-ever jam KL, we typed the location of Restaurant Wong Mei Kee (王美记) on ever-helpful Google Maps and off we go!

With Google Maps, the shop is not difficult to find and e managed to find a parking nearby the shop, lucky us.

And to our surprise, the shop was not too crowded when we arrived. We then proceed to order the Siu Yoke.

After approximately 15 mins wait time, the 'star dish' is served before our eyes.

Ngong Ping 360 & City Gate Outlet

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 08:41:00 +0000

After filling up our tummy with breaktfast at Kam Wah Cafe Mongkok, we proceed to our next destination, the Big Buddha @ Ngong Ping.

Old Mongkok Street

Cable car tickets can be bought from the hostel that we stayed, Ah Shan Hostel or you can buy the tickets online from Ngong Ping 360 website, here.

We took the MRT to Tung Chung station, to board our Crystal Cabin for our appointment with the Big Buddha. Going up the hill we took the Crystal Cabin, where you can have a 360 degree view during the whole ride.

Nothing much to see along the journey - trees, sea & bird.

When we arrived at our destination, the wind got stronger, but that didn't stop us from snapping pictures. Apart from the Big Buddha, we also met with TVB stars.

I think they were filming for some Chinese New Year greetings, as when we were there it was very near the CNY.

Breakfast in Hong Kong @ Kam Wah Cafe, Mongkok

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:04:00 +0000

On our second day at Hong Kong, we woke up early, as you can see all the shop's not opened yet. Semangat ma...but the sis's face already looking tired....

On our way to our traditional Hong Kong breakfast, we walked pass the 'Goldfish street'. Really alot of gold fish lo I tell you...

We ate at this particular cafe "Kam Wah Cafe" in Mongkok, only a street away from the place we stayed. Apparently, the cafe is famous for its Polo bao/Pineapple Bun but when we tasted it....

It's not that bad, the bun is crispy and soft on the inside, but the pineapple taste, we find it tasted artificial.

Famous HK Polo Bao : How to eat it (as thought by the sis)- As it is thick and crispy, biting into it will cause it to crumbles easily. Hence, a fork is provided, what you have to do is use the fork to press the bun flat so that it is easier to eat.

Love the strong tea aroma.

Jolie Nana Boutique

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:24:00 +0000

Hi all. Million apologies for the absence. Work has been taking up alot of my time.

And when I'm not working, I'll be managing my new found online store-Jolie Nana Boutique Why Jolie Nana and not any other names?

I don't know too, just hoping our stock will help to make all girls pretty. For those who doesn't know Jolie Nana is the French word for pretty girl.

Come over to our FB page to support us.

Skater Dress with Lacy Back (RM49)

Pretty in Lace (RM36)

And when I'm not doing the above 2, I'll be dreaming of travelling all around the world. But with the recent competition between airlines, it is actually benefiting us the consumer.

To me it is more travelling #happy#, which also means no $$. I know I have not been updating on my HK trip, promise will do so once I'm free.

Have taken tons of pictures during the trip to be shared with all. But just got no time to edit it all. Sorry sorry..

Ending this post with stinky tofu girl with her yummy-licious HK Stinky Tofu. buhbye~

Off to Hong Kong We Go

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 05:59:00 +0000

I've always wanted to vising Hong Kong, it must have been all the TVB series that I've watched since my childhood. Always wanted to try 細蓉 (sai yong),咖哩魚蛋 (curry fishball), 臭豆腐 (Smelly Tofu), Porridge, HK Egg tart and a lot more.

Being able to visit HK (12-17 Jan'13) is really a dream come true and a true gastronomical adventure. And also what made this trip so enjoyable and interesting is because I went with all my favourite people in my life.

And I'm now documenting all the details of the trip in my blog, so that I'll be able to read back and help reminds me of all the wonderful memories of our trip.

We of course travel the affordable way, which is Airasia, tickets were bought a year before our trip which costed around RM400, which is dirt cheap comparing to other airlines.

Our in-flight food, Chicken Rice & Mushroom Soup.

My 2012 Oink Oink Bday - El Cerdo

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 09:11:00 +0000

Pardon my nerdy/act-cute photo. On my ahem, not-so-young-anymore-bday, I decided to go cute with the big-ass specs. I suppose if I didn't act cute this year, I cannot afford to do it the following years.

Before the dinner, we had tea at Dreamz Bakery at Kota Damansara.

My darlings ♥

Carbonara @ RM12.90. Not much of food selections, but I love their spaghetti, very creamy, with 3 fresh prawns, mushrooms and bits of smoked salmon.

Chocolate cheese. Japanese-style I assume as the cheese is very light-weight, to our liking.

Address:
Dreamz Bakery
No 32-1, The Strand Jalan PJU 5/20D
Pusat Perdagangan Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya (Close on every Tuesday)

And now to the star of the day, El Cerdo at Changkat Bukit Bintang.

First of all, a happy picture of me with my 2012 present.

And next, Xmas present from the big sista ♥

El Cerdo means 'The Pig' in Spanish and the place is famous for its pork dishes from around the world.

The place is very cosy with good service and with good food. A highly recommended place for a good family dinner or even for an outing with friends.

We are first greeted with soft, complimentary bread with pork liver spread?

Jamon Serrano. Imported Spanish cured & air-dried ham served on rock melon and salad. There are alot of thin ham varieties on the plate. Some of the ham is a bit salty, recommended to be eaten with the condiments which are served together.

Read more »

Free Mori @ Shah Alam

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 11:58:00 +0000

Free Mori in Shah Alam is a very nice place for teatime with delicious bakeries and cakes. The bakeries are inspired by recipes from Taiwan.

The bakery is situated in the middle of Shah Alam's industrial area. When we reached, the whole place is empty, with us being their only patrons. Hmm...I wondered what's their strategy by having a bakery in the mid of factories.

Nice seating for you to enjoy their freshly baked bakeries.

The cake above is labelled 'Black Forest', RM7.50 in their shelf. Although it tasted nothing like black forest cake, it tasted good, with layers of rich chocolate.

Terry Pork @ SouthGate, KL

noreply@blogger.com (meichi) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Hey there, apologies if I scared you with my close-up. I'm growing my hair long again and the length is really bothering me right now...it's making me wonder whether should I go short all over again...Ahhhh~ don't bother..

Today's food post will be on....BIG ASS sausages...ta-dahh

We get to know Terry Pork from Living Social which quote the following, "If you dig pork and you want to dine on nothing but pork, then head to Terry Pork for some porky goodness".Us being pork-lover, we head on to Southgate for some Porky Goodness.

Before heading to the porky-licious yummies, we stop over at H&M Malaysia for some stress-relieving session and damn we felt so good after the session and a little poorer.

Terry Pork has 2 outlets, 1 in Kuchai Lama and the other is in Southgate, where we went and to my surprise the one in Southgate is so small and they only have 2 chefs and a waitress. I think there's only about 20 tables max?

And here's what we have for RM70 coupon :

Early Grey Milk Tea, RM4.50. The drink is to my liking as it is not too sweet.

Sausage Bacon Rolls, RM9.90. Not good, you can see from here the cocktail sausages is too dry and we cant even taste the bacon, the Pork in Blanket @ Brussels Cafe is way better. We didn't even finish it.