Recordings of Life

The Georgian Adventure - Hike to Chalaadi Glacier

2018-01-12T15:28:00.000+08:00

Our third, and last hike in Svaneti. There are so many more places to hike and explore around Georgia, it was a hard decision to prematurely leave Svaneti.

From our guesthouse, it is 5km to the bridge at the start of the Chalaadi Glacier trek. It is possible to start the trek from our guesthouse, but we chose to be dropped off at the bridge because the 5km trek didn't seem particularly exciting. Half of this road was busy with construction for a hydro power plant (!!), and muddy from heavy vehicles traversing in and out.

The entire trek was an easy 4 hours hike, return. Needless to say, it was another pretty trail. All of the treks we have embarked on: the trek off Mezari, The Cross halfway to the Koruldi Lakes, and the Chalaadi Glacier are all fascinating in their own, unique beauty. Mezari was more alpine forest, The Cross picturesque with its rolling hills filled with wildflowers; and the Chalaadi Glacier... well, you'll see.

Start of trek towards Chalaadi Glacier.

Rushing river on one side, and a mossy forest on the other.

Towards the end of the hike - the Chalaadi Glacier. The were small, loose stones as we trekked upwards towards the white patch ("this must be the glacier", we thought...)

What we thought were small hills, we found out later after scaling them, are in fact the actual goddamn glacier! Mindblown!

THAT. Is the Glacier. We didn't realise it, until we scoured the place and went to the mouth of the glacier where the melting ice and snow have formed a fast moving river.

Only a wide angle lens could show the extent of its majestic beauty, but this was taken on a phone. I have deposited the DSLR safely before climbing to the mouth of the glacier, hehe.

I got nervous and freaked out when Vinnie went really close to the gap under the glacier. Even as we took photos, loose stones and chunks of ice tumbled from the "hill" and splashed into the river. It gave me a chill, and that wasn't from the cold.

(1-2 months after this trek, a Georgian trek group we followed on Facebook posted a death of a hiker on this very site - due to a large rock that had dislodged and killed him on the spot....RIP, fellow adventurer)

We spent a good 30-40 minutes just admiring the site before leaving the glacier. Our good host/driver even had some cherries waiting for us in the car when we finished the trek, it was a great end to an exquisite hike.

The Georgian Adventure - Hike To The Cross (Koruldi Lakes)

2017-10-03T18:18:00.001+08:00

After our scare on Mezari with insufficient food and water, this time we came prepared. We asked for packed lunch from our guesthouse (they only packed us, each, a kachapuri, an apple, a whole cucumber and a whole tomato..... we took the kachapuri and apple).

This trail starts from Mestia, so marshrutkas and non-English speaking drivers are unnecessary :) From the town centre to the start of trail took 10-15 minutes, with us taking a wrong route and doubling back.

This hike was rated "Difficult", with steep gradients averaging 11-12%. To me, the most challenging part was getting a solid footing on the loose stones. At particularly slippy areas, I had to get down on all fours otherwise I would fall splat on my face! This was while ascending - can you imagine the terrors of going DOWN the slippery slope?!

This is another beautiful trail in Georgia (all of them are, really!), and still very different from Mazeri. In Mazeri, the highlights were the alpine forest, here we have vast rolling hills, and quaint wooded forest complete with stiles - scenes straight out of children's storybook. The day itself was pleasant for hiking - cloudy, with drizzles of rain.

The Cross is a halfway point to the Koruldi Lakes. Total hiking time to the Koruldi lakes is estimated 7-8 hours. Most opt to camp in Koruldi Lakes for a night and head back the next day.

We met this Ukrainian couple who are set to camp for the hike to Koruldi Lakes.

The hike took us 3.5 hours one way (done leisurely as we went off-trail to photograph, should be faster for some) to reach The Cross.

Panorama at The Cross. The base of the actual Cross is taller than my head! I had wanted to do a pole pose on it, hehe but couldn't even reach the pole. Here, you get a great bird's eye view of Mestia town. At this point, it started pouring heavily. We sought shelter under a viewpoint structure -with a stray dog that followed us up the hike. We shared our kachapuri with the dog (it seemed to enjoy the bread). It got colder from the rain, and we decided to start our dreaded descend - which took another 3.5 hours, for a total of 7 hours hiking time. This being our longest hike in Georgia.

The Georgian Adventure - Mazeri & Ushba Waterfall Hike

2017-09-12T14:00:00.002+08:00

Can anywhere else be prettier than the stunning Mazeri?!

From Mestia town, we hired a marshrutka - comes with a driver who barely speaks a word of English. No problem, we thought. We only needed to send the "Mazeri" message across. The drive is approximately 30-40 minutes and we were charged 100 GEL (~USD42) for a return trip. It's a fair rate as it includes waiting time for us to finish hiking.

(In all our marshrutka rides, we did not attempt to bargain. All of them priced the rides accordingly, and thus far, we've not met any crooks who overcharge us. Let's hope Georgia retains its honest tourism!)

On the way out, we realized a huge mistake on our part: we were hardly prepared for the hike! We expected to purchase some chocolate bars and drinking water from nearby Mazeri town, but as we approached the start of the trek, we realized the nearest village is going to be another 15-20 minutes drive. We got annoyed at ourselves, it was getting late, and we are missing precious time we could be outdoors.

We gestured to our driver that we needed water, and he signalled back that he can bring us to a nearby water source where we can fill our bottles. We came to a little water well, and our driver proceeded to fill up his bottle. I took a sip, and just couldn't swallow, so I spat it out. It's fizzy, and tasted a lot like sparkling water - something I cannot stomach. "Borjomi!", he exclaimed proudly, naming one of Georgia's biggest drinking water regions.

Frustrated, we tried to relay to him that we needed to head to town to stock up. We called Davit, a Georgian who we have been consulting for hiking advice, to translate our needs. Davit informed us that there is a military outpost 30-40 minutes into the hike where we can fill up our bottles with mountain spring water. What a relief!

On the drive from Mazeri, towards the Ushba Glacier hike. We were already wowed by the view from the car - beautiful alpine forest, complete with snow capped mountains.

Every turn unveils a jaw-dropping sight. Tall alpine forests towered over us, only to be dwarfed by mammoth snow-capped mountains. Rumbling streams rushed past us and the thundering of waterfalls could be heard from a distance.

The trail continues on to the Ushba Glacier, which requires a full day hike. We'd started out late, with insufficient water and food. We have to give the Glacier a miss, but the waterfalls halfway into the trail more than make up for it.

30 minutes into the hike, we found the military outpost. Here we gratefully refilled our water supplies (crisp, fresh mountain spring water) and politely refused an invitation for cha-cha (Georgian vodka) from the militants on duty, hehe.

Another 10-15 minutes hike later, we diverged from the main trail and trekked towards the waterfalls.

We spent a good 15-20 minutes just snapping photos, and basking in the view. I am still in awe of such view! I fear my photos do not do justice to the beauty of this place. The intensity of the panaroma is diluted on a 2-dimensional photo.

It started drizzling, and we decided to move before the rain gets worse. Cameras + water = not a good combination!

Good thing we left when we did:

An ominous-looking cloud that poured heavily 5 minutes after this shot was taken.

The Georgian Adventure - Ushguli, Svaneti

2017-07-22T22:41:00.003+08:00

Svaneti is a region north of Georgia, forming part of the Caucasus range. It is easily one of the most beautiful places I've been. We spent 5 days just in this region, exploring and hiking different trails each day.

This remote area is home to majestic mountain ranges of over 4000 meters high, ruins of old defense towers, rolling valleys and flower-speckled fields. Due to its location, access is confined to warmer seasons. In the old days, treasures are hidden here for safe keeping, due to its difficult access.

Getting to Mestia, the largest town in Svaneti, wasn't very straightforward. From Tbilisi, we took an overnight sleeper train to Zugdidi - a first for me on a sleeper train!

The train looks old, but we were given clean sheets for the "bunk" and pillow. It is tight squeeze for V, but serves me fine, hehe. There's a door on every sleeper unit for privacy. Slept through the night, and woke up to stretches of green valleys!

Out of focus, but you get the idea.

From Zugdidi, we took a marshrutka (a shared taxi/minivan) onwards to Mestia. The marshrutka was filled to the brim with 12 travellers, plus luggages. Our bags had to be stowed on the roof of the marshrutka, which got me nervous.

The driver sped on the road, and 10 minutes into the drive, the rear doors opened suddenly and several luggages fell onto the road. Our vehicle screeched to a stop, bags were reloaded and we continued the journey as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Still, views were gorgeous as we approach Mestia.

It was 10am once we arrived Mestia. That's 8 hours on the train, and 4 hours on the road. Our hosts picked us up and we settled into our guesthouse.

Georgian hospitality is a thing of legend. We were served nothing short of a feast at every meal in guesthouses. I do wonder, what happens to the leftovers? We could only manage to finish half of this!

Kachapuri, chicken salad, bread, tomato and cucumber slices, cheeses, fish stew, apples, banana cake and plum juice!

At Mestia town centre, several marshrutkas stood idle with its destination written on cardboard propped on dashboards. It takes 2.5 hours to Ushguli, and costs 150 GEL total. English is not commonly spoken, especially further away from the city. As it will be difficult to communicate with the driver, it may be worth to hire an English-speaking guide.

I love fruits stalls. How can you resist taking photos of this myriad of colours??

2.5 hours of bumpy, potholed winding roads and driving over streams...

That white block with brown specks is a little glacier!

Our hike towards Shkara Glacier -

We did not finish the hike, as we only have 3-4 hours daylight left, even during the long summer days.

Old defense tower with Mount Shkara in the background.

Small village Ushguli.

Mount Shkara.

Wild flowers - aren't they just so pretty!

Ushguli was just the tip of the glacier, next we ventured to Mazeri, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous alpine forest mountain.

The Georgian Adventure - Tbilisi

2017-07-10T13:24:00.000+08:00

I can't honestly say I've always wanted to travel to Georgia, hehe - not that Georgia is short on breathtakingly beautiful destinations, mind you, but we've just been ignorant about this little-known country.

Why Georgia then? We were chatting about where we should head next for a holiday, and really just throwing out suggestions. Italy, Iran, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia? - Oooh, hey. That resulted in frantic typing and googling. Our screens were filled with surreal photos of valleys, majestic snow-capped mountains and magnificent ruins. We ooh-ed and aah-ed, and by the end of it, totally convinced that we have been wanting to visit Georgia all our lives.

We spent 2 weeks in Georgia (I had initially suggested a week each in Armenia and Georgia, but V insists that isn't enough time to explore Georgia). And to give credit to V, he has dedicated a significant chunk of his time to design our itinerary. We combed through websites after websites, got in touch with a Georgian guide and exchanged calls to fine tune our itinerary!

A few friends have asked to share our itinerary, so here goes:

Day 1 : Arrive Tbilisi

Day 2 : Explore Tbilisi

Day 3 : Explore Tbilisi, night train to Zugdidi (to Mestia)

Day 4 : Mestia, day hike to Ushguli

Day 5 : Mestia, day hike to Mezari & Ushba waterfall

Day 6 : Mestia, day hike to the Cross (towards Koruldi Lakes)

Day 7 : Mestia, day hike to Chalaadi Glacier

Day 8 : Return to Tbilisi, drive to Signagi

Day 9 : Explore Signagi

Day 10 : Drive to Davit Gareja, en route to Mskheta

Day 11 : Drive to Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) along Georgian Military Highway

Day 12 : Drive to Juta

Day 13 : Short hike to Chaukhi Pass

Day 14 : Drive to Roshka

Day 15 : Roshka, day hike to the Abudelauri Lakes

Day 16 : Drive to Shatili, explore Shatili

Day 17 : Drive back to Tbilisi, departure.

I'll link them up once the posts are ready.

***

So what's Georgia like?

That's a tough question. There's no other country quite like it. Although it sits on West Asia, Georgia appears more European than Asian. An Orthodox Christian country, with motorists who drive possessed. We have met some truly welcoming and generous people in our trip. Always accommodating, always too much food on the table, genuinely friendly people who would have loved to chat with us, had there not been a language barrier.

The food is as complicated to describe: A hodgepodge of culture, not surprisingly, considering its geographical location on ancient crossroads of trading routes. Herbs and spices are used in excess for curing meats, flavouring stews and lending to a beautiful aroma and flavour. Bread is a staple, cha cha (vodka) or wine for breakfast is encouraged here.

Attire for women - it is best to dress conservatively. While there is that odd miniskirt or two, in general, the women are dressed modestly. I noticed the older women are dressed all in black, complete with a babushka (headscarf tied under the chin). When entering places of worship, it is necessary to cover your hair. Long skirts are permitted in churches, whereas pants are not. Fret not, there are wraparounds available at church entrances to cover yourself.

We felt very safe in the city, too. We chatted with our taxi driver, and he confirmed that crime rates are low. Police presence is strong in the city.

***

Now, I'm not an advocate of speedy tours around the city, but we were so excited to be in Georgia, we revved up and completed most sights of Tbilisi in a day. If you're short on time, it's manageable! Be warned, you'll have tired, jelly legs by the end of the day (which explains our relaxing and mostly chilling out the following day).

We stayed at Hotel Sololaki, an apartment unit turned into a hotel. The place was humongous, complete with a sitting area, a hallway leading to wardrobe and a balcony. We were warmly greeted with homemade Georgian wine.

Our walk started from Freedom Square (a mere 100m from where we stayed), and from there we made our way towards the Old Town, stopping for breakfast of kachapuri (baked dough with cheese filling) in between.

Ubiquitous bakeries scattered throughout Tbilisi.

The typical Tbilisi building façade, complete with intricate balustrade on balcony.

In addition to bakeries, churches are also found in abundance throughout the country. Georgia is the second country to formally adopt Christianity in the 5th century.

Inside one of the oldest church in Tbilisi, the Anchiskhati Basilica.

A Tbilisi fact - in 1795, the Persians invaded Tbilisi and had the entire city burnt. Sadly, most of the city is gone with some salvaged remains.

V managed to make some friends, surprise, surprise! Throughout Georgia, he's been exceedingly popular with numerous dogs and even horses. I blame his perfume, they were probably similar to doggie pheromones.

The Peace bridge, a modern addition over Mtkvari river, all glass and steel structure.

Sioni Cathedral, home to the sacred cross of St Nino

Those knobbly things hanging from top of shop - they look deceivingly like sausages, but they are not. Churchkelas are walnuts coated in layers of thick grape juice, dried out and sold as snacks.

Outside the Parliament along Rustaveli Avenue, a protest was taking place to free a Georgian teacher, Mustafa Emre Cabuk, who was captured by the Turkish government although he was innocent.

Even here, a local took time to explain to us what the protest was about!

We used the metro to get around Tbilisi - each MetroMoney card is 2 GEL, and can be shared between a few people. What boggled me was how deep the subway was! I swear, judging by the depth and speed we were traveling down the escalator, the metro must be at least 8 or 9 storeys below ground.

Ok, that just prompted me to do a quick search: The Tbilisi metro station opened in 1966, is 60m underground and the escalators are 120m in length!

Rustaveli metro, 60m underground.

The Dry Bridge market:

... where I got a couple of Pirosmani-esque paintings on a wooden board, perfect for the kitchen!

Georgian books, remnants of Soviet era knick-knacks, drinking horns, paintings, and all manner of souvenirs can be found here. I'm not sure about haggling, but the painting that I bought were discounted because I purchased two of them. And besides, they weren't atrociously priced.

I love browsing through markets, both the dry and wet variety. In a wet market, the produce are in beautiful, vibrant colours which I love to photograph (V can vouch for that), while in a flea market, there's so much to see and a great chance to interact with the locals.

Between 2-3pm, it got increasingly warm, so we popped into the National Museum. We spent a good couple of hours there, poring over a whole floor documenting the Soviet Union rule.

By the time we were done, we were keen to photograph sunset over Tbilisi. We walked towards Tromba monastery, when a passer by warned us about vicious dogs in the area, and offered to drive us up towards the monastery. V was shrewd enough to reckon he was doing us in, and we politely declined his offer.

No dogs were seen along the way, although we do have to do a bit of trespassing and climbing over ledges, hehe.

The reward is great -

Colours grew more intense, lights turned the city into a dramatic scenery.

By dusk, the city lights turn on and transformed the city once again.

Photo is not crisp - did not have a tripod at this stage.

Probably the only photo of myself in this trip!

A mosque in Tbilisi, with a synagogue, and a church within close distance to each other.

Cable car towards the Mother of Georgia and Narikala Fortress.

Statue of Mother Georgia, holding a bowl of wine on one hand, and a sword on the other. Its wine is symbolic for friends, and sword for foes.

Monument of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, a former king of Iberia, with the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the background.

Abundance of summer fruits in anticipation of our long train ride tonight!

Next, our overnight train ride to Zugdidi, then to Svaneti, one of the most beautiful regions of Georgia!

Nylon Coffee Roasters, Singapore

2017-05-21T15:04:00.002+08:00

While I was in Singapore, I'd taken a 2-day barista course with BettrBarista (highly recommended for those interested to elevate their coffee education) and needless to say, I've never been so saturated with caffeine before! We experimented with brewing, cupping espressos, and foaming milk. It's a real mind-opener, to realise the amount of hard work that goes into a good cup of coffee! My respect for baristas have increased since.

In my steadfast effort to source that good cup of coffee, I was led to Nylon. Both baristas and trainers alike have unanimously agree that Nylon is one of the heavyweight players in the coffee scene.

Cradled in an unassuming corner of a HDB residential flat in Everton Park - a location least expected for a hipster coffee bar to be nestled.

Drinks menu are streamlined, offering black, white (with milk) or brew coffee. Additional options are hot or iced, and sizes in increments of ounces. I tried to order my usual Piccolo, only to be asked if I will have the 3 oz white instead.

Nylon is the only coffee bar that does not serve food. For them to survive and achieve such popularity says a lot about their focus on brewing that perfect cup of coffee. Roasting is done in-house - few niche cafes can say the same.

Coffee aficionados of all age and types congregate here. A group of senior citizens chat over coffee (occupying the only chairs in the shop), while others finish their coffee standing.

No fancy latte art (too mainstream). Expectations vs reality? It's legit. The coffee is fantastic. It is heavy on the sour side, slightly bitter, with a hint of sweetness.

So good, I had to have an iced white as well (thanks to Grace who highly recommended an iced latte!)

Nylon
#01-40
4 Everton park
Opens daily, except Tuesday from 9:00am - 5:30pm

Flurys, Kolkata

2017-05-15T15:44:00.002+08:00

Along with Peter Cat, Flurys is another heritage culinary institution of Kolkata.

They have been around since the 20s, so that's got to be saying something. Located smack in Park Street, the tearoom is most notably known for their sweet delectables and breakfast fares.

We arrived at 11am, on a Sunday morning. Huge mistake. A crowd of people are also waiting to get in. We put down our names, and asked for the waiting time. The host doesn't know. But you have a list, surely you have an estimate, we argued. He shook his head and discussion over.

Total waiting time was 40 minutes, but was it worth it?

The interior has an old grandeur to it, projected by large, fussy armchairs, linen tablecloths, and silverwares, complete with chandeliers. Service is slow and apathetic (not uncommon in Kolkata). A section of Flurys is dedicated to their pastries and cakes. I poked my nose in there and see that the selection consists mostly of old-fashioned cakes, such as black forest, with ample cream topping. I could not comment further on their cakes as I did not try them.

I ordered a Croissanwich, with bacon, served with crisps.

Croissant was a disappointment. It tasted stale and flat, instead of flaky and buttery. Bacon was greasy, but good, hehe. Fillings of capsicum and onions were generous. You could adjust your preferred level of spiciness with cut green chillies provided on the side.

I later asked the waiter if their pastries/croissants are baked fresh daily. He insists they are. I am doubtful but did not probe deeper.

Vinnie ordered their signature baked beans on toast-

It does not look very pretty... and I can't think of a more unsavoury combination or less worthy dish to order in a restaurant, to be frank. This has got to be an easy, no-brainer dish to whip up?

Taste test - is okay, if you love baked beans and toast.

Eggs benedict - poached eggs are overly done. The yolks are 90% cooked and did not ooze out when cut, in a most anti-climatic fashion.

I tried their Viennese coffee - espresso with a dollop of whipped cream. Coffee is strong and bitter, with a hint of sweetness from the whipped cream. Loved it.

So was Flurys worth the 40 minutes wait? I think not.

Flurys
18A Park Street
Kolkata
Opens daily, 7:30am - 10:00pm

Peter Cat, Kolkata

2017-05-13T18:24:00.000+08:00

A culinary heritage of Kolkata, Peter Cat has been around for over 40 years. I first heard of it from V (who else?!), whose last visit was over 20 years ago. We planned for a visit, a late lunch, so as to avoid the lunch hour crowd.

Little did we know, there is hardly ever a lull with Peter Cat.

We arrived past 2pm, put down our names on the waiting list... and waited. We were told it'll take 20 minutes for a table. Unfortunately, they do not take reservations, and poor V's mom had to sit on the edge of a pillar. Eh hello, Peter Cat, at least have the decency to provide seats if you are not willing to take reservations?!

A congregation of both locals and tourists, dutifully recording their presence at Peter Cat (as is yours truly!).

While waiting, the group of expectant diners swelled in size; I overheard a conversation between the host and a customer - waiting time has increased to 40 minutes! We were lucky just to arrive ahead 5-10 minutes!

Finally, our names are called and we were ushered to a table at the back of the restaurant. Inside, the lighting is dim, but the setting cosy. Servers are friendly, and looked regal in their outfits.

We both agreed the cat on the menu card looked more like a koala than a cat.

Lighting so dim the photo turned out noisy. Or perhaps iPhone7 needs to work on their low light photos :-)

We placed our orders, and the waiting resumed. Service is quite slow here and we only got our food some 40 minutes later. That's more than an hour of waiting around!

Top to bottom: Kabuli Naan (naan bread with stuffings), Nalli Gosht (lamb shank) and Chelo Kababs.

Chelo Kababs are Peter Cat's signature dish, (under the "Aphrodisiacs For the Harem" section, hehe) -

Special Kebabs prepared in rare spices, blended with Persian herbs, and served on a bed of rice with butter and an egg.

The "Original" Chelo Kabab comes with a combination of chicken and mutton kebab, long-grained rice (most likely basmati), a dollop of butter, and a fried egg. While Vinnie liked the Chelo Kebabs, I wasn't all that wild about it. The rice with butter felt very greasy; and while chicken kebab is very flavourful, I felt like there was something off about the mutton kebab. I also bit into something hard in the mutton kebab, that might have explained my lack of enthusiasm for it. The poached egg also does not complement the dish, I felt.

On the other hand, the Nalli Gosht was excellent. The gravy is rich and beautifully flavoured, the mutton falling off the bones and deliciously tender. We pretty much wiped the dish clean, mopping up the last drop of gravy with naan.

I got my caffeine dose and dessert all at the same time. Saw "Coffee with Ice-Cream" and made a mental note to order it later. Ice-cream was chocolate chip, but coffee tasted like instant stuff. Not saying it's bad, but I think I'll go for affogato next time....

Post meal: we both had upset stomachs later that evening and remnants of it the following day.... Not sure if it was the richness of the spices that our stomachs couldn't handle, or the greasiness of the rice......

Peter Cat

18A Park Street

(Around the block, right turn at Flury's)

Kolkata

Opens: Daily, 11:00am - 12:00am

Nobu, Kuala Lumpur

2017-05-13T14:27:00.000+08:00

Overpriced, bad service and mediocre food - those were the reviews by close friends. We have been there a couple of times since, and although we agree that the service is bad, we absolutely enjoyed the food here.

Nobu represents a fusion of South American and Japanese cuisine. Subtle Japanese flavours, combined with strong South American flavours - these are exciting on the palate.

High praises lavished for Nobu's food, but disappointment is reserved for their service. Or the lack of it.

Most notable faux pas:

1. First visit, we were shown to our seats by apathetic staff. We then spent the next 10 minutes waiting for the menu, even flagged the staff several times. The final straw was when one of the wait staff delivered the menu to another guest (who turned up later than us) and then stood chatting with him for a good 5 minutes while we stare at our hands.

2. Second visit was pleasant enough, although we also had to flag the staff several times due to their inattentiveness (to order, to ask for desserts, the list goes on).

3. Most recent visit: My girlfriends and I had come to try their lunch menus. We all opted for a 3-course dish. My main course arrived FIRST. I told the waiter that I haven't had my appetiser and it didn't seem to bother him. He asked if I'd want him to take away the main course. Errr, maybe not. Appetisers have milder flavours, and should be consumed ahead of the main, otherwise the stronger flavours in main courses will overpower the starters.

So I started on my main course, and a couple of bites later, my appetiser shows up. NOW I have a main course sitting cold, while I switched back to the appetiser. No apologies from wait staff were made.

After we were done with the main courses, it took them some 30 minutes before serving our dessert (we had to request for it). It annoyed me that they hurried with our appetisers and main courses, but then decided to delay dessert..... Finally, our request for the bill took 10 minutes (restaurant was almost empty at this point), so there was no excuse for the slow service.

A most Insta-worthy presentation of the Salmon Anticucho. Salmon on rice, served with anticucho sauce (a South American sauce that reminds me of Peri-Peri!), mushrooms and greens. I love this dish! A hearty meal and the anticucho sauce is a delight.

The starter that arrived after the main course. Such a pretty presentation too! Ceviche of cubed tuna, salmon, octopus, sea breem and quinoa. Superbly yummy. Just remember to stir it all up, or you'll have an excess of the sour lime ceviche dressing at the base.

Salmon in (most notably) soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Very light and refreshing.

My friends ordered the chicken with truffle sauce (soooooo yummy), and tenderloin (not bad but portions are quite small) - no photos though!

Ah, desserts. I've tried quite a few of their desserts here in Nobu and they do not disappoint.

In fact, the desserts have all been phenomenal. My favourite is the chocolate sphere (this option is not available for lunch set menu, though). Nobu's balance of flavours (salt/sour with sweet is impeccable), texture (crumble, crunchy nuts, ice-cream...) are well put together.

Clockwise from top: Whiskey cappucino (very small portion), banana fritters with passion fruit (deliciously made) and Sata Andagi (deep fried doughs filled with melted chocolate, served with crunchy nuts and pandan ice-cream). Drool!

Lambir Hills National Park & Niah Caves, Sarawak

2017-05-02T19:30:00.002+08:00

Finally, a 3-day weekend in Brunei. We toyed with the idea of hiking the Pinnacles in the Mulu National Park, but there are no direct flights from Brunei into Mulu. I was keen to explore more of Sarawak, so I did a quick search for some trekking/hiking near Miri that we could do in 3 days. Lambir Hills and the Niah Caves were the closest proximity to Miri, so they were obvious choices.

We rented a car from Miri (a Perodua Viva @RM310 for 3 days) and started driving to Lambir Hills National Park after a hearty breakfast of Sarawak laksa (I am addicted to this stuff!). The drive took 40 minutes from Miri. I was expecting a pretty drive, with dense rainforests flanking the roads.... but what a naïve thought! For the majority stretch of roads, lands are barren and leaden with palm oil plantation. Miles and miles of it. Crossing over into Sarawak felt like entering a vast and grim industrial land.

We lost data coverage halfway into the drive. But there were signages to help us find our way.

(All photos taken on iPhone 7 Plus)

Day 1: Lambir Hills National Park

Lambir Hills National Park

We reached Lambir Hills National Park just after noon. As we are staying here for the night, we located the administrative office and checked in. I have booked a 2-bedroom chalet with ensuite. The place is basic, but decent and clean. They also provide towels, soap and air-conditioning (in my defense, an American friend was traveling with us and he requested for a/c). All this at only RM150 for 3 of us! You can view and book online at the Sarawak National Park e-booking website.

If staying for the night at the NP, you should also inform the canteen if you intend to have dinner there because they close very early (6pm is the last order!). Also buy enough water to stock up for the night.

We dropped our bags, changed into our hiking things, and purchased permits from the Park Office - RM10 for Malaysians, and RM20 for foreigners. We started with an easy trail, with the intention of returning to the canteen for lunch. The trail branched out into 3 separate waterfalls. Very pretty, and of course it started raining heavily in the middle of our hike!

Drenched, as if we'd gone for a swim ourselves.

The first hike was only 15-20 minutes. It took more time to avoid stepping on squishy, muddy spots than actual trekking. When we got to the last waterfall, we consulted a map of the NP. We realized that where we are, it's already 1/6 of the way in towards the peak of Bukit Pantu. We weren't keen to head back and start over. Also, if we return, have lunch and head out again, we may not have enough time to hike up Bukit Pantu - all visitors are required to return to the Park Office by 4pm.

And so, we trudged on. Without extra supplies of water, nor lunch. The beginnings of a bad idea, no doubt...

I particularly enjoyed the hike, unlike the other two, hehe. There are some pretty steep sections, and we had to tread carefully because of the slippery rocks from the downpour. I was in a paranoid state the entire hike, frequently checking for leeches. I spotted two! One of them was a right stubborn one that clung to my shoes for dear life. I was squealing for V to flick it off and he took quite a while to do so, while my squealing intensified.

3 hours later, after some precarious steps and even ladders - we were rewarded with this view.

Amazingly, the phone reception on the peak of Bukit Pantu was good! My phone detected 3G and Vinnie even tried to book movie tickets while we rested and took in the view, hehe.

The journey back to the Park Office was uneventful as we hurried to end the trek. By 4:45pm, we made it to base and made a beeline towards the canteen, heh.

A quick order with the canteen kakak - veggies, chicken and omelette. Dinner is served within 10-15 minutes. While waiting for our food to arrive, we did a thorough body inventory check... for leeches.

I gingerly took off my shoes, and socks, and was relieved not to see any. So I sat cross-legged on the chair and when my hands brushed against my feet, I felt something soft and wriggly T_T Another round of squealing ensued...

The portions served for dinner were generous. Stir fried long beans, omelette and chicken curry with a large helping of rice. After 4 hours of hiking and missing lunch, this was what we needed.

Later that evening, we drove to Tusan Beach (some 45 minutes from Bukit Lambir NP) to catch the glowing bioluminescence. Unfortunately for us, the waves weren't crashing with enough force to activate the glow, so we humoured ourselves by snacking at the beachside stalls.

Most notably being sold in excess at the stalls were grilled chicken buttocks - something V is quick to point out. There were coconuts being sold, as well as other drinks and shakes. After ordering a whole coconut to myself, I noticed some very black coconuts on display as well. These were charred, and the juice of these coconuts are supposed to be creamier in flavour.

Day 2: Niah National Park

After a quick breakfast at the canteen (half-boiled eggs and roti kahwin, with a very grossly diluted cup of coffee), we were back on the road heading towards Niah National Park. It took us 1 hour 15 minutes to arrive. As we registered ourselves at the NP office, we were briefed on directions.

A short boat ride across the river, then a 3km walk before reaching the Niah Caves. The two guys were dreading the walk, as it was blazing hot - while I insisted we keep on, after all, we are here.

We have truly learnt our lessons after yesterday's ordeals. We deliberately HAD lunch, even though none of us were hungry yet. The sun was baking hot when we were about to start. So I shifted the car to park it under the shade of the tree.... and in that short period of time, the skies grew overcast.

Seriously, wtf?

And true enough, after the river crossing, it started raining. Heavily. Like, proper rainforest downpour.

The 3km walk is otherwise an easy trail. Raised platform of wooden planks make it easier to walk and mentally, you are assured from leeches.

At the end of the 3km boardwalk, naturally the rain stopped....

The caves are impressive! Long bamboo poles suspended from the highest part of the cave (15-20m height) were used by the local people to harvest birds nests!

Deeper into the caves, torchlights were required. At one descend, it was so dark below that it creeped me out. V exclaimed in the dark that this was akin to the Mines of Moria and even threw in a few choice dialogues from the book.

We spent about 2 hours within the caves. Expect to climb and descend lots of stairs. The Painted Cave, which required you to venture towards the opposite end of the cave, exit and enter another cave - was frankly a disappointment. The painted cave section was a restricted area, so you can only gaze from some distance away as you convince yourself that the various shadows make up the paintings.

What I didn't know was, this cave has been in existence since the Stone Age days, and the painted cave was 40,000 years old! I would have paid more reverence had I known this fact then.

The entire Niah Cave experience was approximately 4 hours, including the 3km walk in and out. We were absolutely reeking! We entered the cave soaking wet, sweated buckets in the cave, and the lack of any ventilation only made the stench worse.

Imagine driving back to Miri for 2 hours in this condition.

Along the way, we stopped by a "Hawaii Beach", just after Tusan Beach.

This is the only stretch of beach with coconut trees, and hence the moniker.

Btw, stripping off all that disgusting damp clothes and that shower in a hotel, was absolute bliss.

Finally finishing off the night with dinner at a seafood restaurant - Meng Chai.

Stir fried fern leaves in red wine sauce, grilled squid and a barbequed fish in sambal which I forgot to photograph.

The fern was a delight. Crunchy and tender, the sauce is also delicious. The grilled squid could be better, I reckon - it was too chewy to my liking. There is a dipping sauce (you'll have to take it yourself, where all the cutleries are stored) of chilli and a prawn paste - fantastic combination.

The barbequed fish was also very fresh, and tender. Delish!

Hawker Chan HK Soy Sauce Chicken

2017-04-28T13:45:00.000+08:00

The Mr Chan of the famed Hawker Chan in Singapore was originally from Ipoh, Malaysia. He later moved to Hong Kong, where he acquired the skills in making his signature HK style soy sauce chicken - before settling and opening a hawker stall in Singapore. His rise to fame was documented, from a humble food court stall, to being awarded one Michelin star rating from the Singapore Michelin Guide.

I did not go to the original stall in Chinatown Food Centre, because I googled and got this address on Smith St instead. It is a new establishment, from investors who had bought Hawker Chan's recipe and set up a shiny, fancy, new restaurant to accommodate the growing number of curious diners.

I arrived at 11:50am, and already a line was snaking out from the shop. The motion sensor sliding door could not close due to the line of people extending out to the entrance. A staff later asked us to step back into the outside queueing area so the door could close and regulate the interior air-conditioning.

Well, that was certainly a first.

There was a healthy mix of locals and foreigners queueing, compared to the 1-Michelin star Bak Chor Mee (only locals there, perhaps unsurprising). Total waiting time in the first queue was ~15 mins. The first queue is where you order and pay. There is also an automated kiosk for you to place your meals, and pay! Fancy schmancy!

Once paid, you are handed a receipt with a queue number. This is the second queue where I waited some ~25-30 minutes before my number was pinged to pick up my food. Tables are also limited especially during the rush hour, resulting in people hogging tables, even though their queue numbers were still a long ways off.

Total waiting time for both queues = 45 minutes, before lunch rush hour. Actually, the queue kind of died down after 12:30. May be a good idea to come really early, or a little later.

Finally! Two dishes with soy sauce chicken - one with rice for myself and another with noodles for my sister.

Most friends/family have told me to order their noodles - and I concur.

Noodles were springy and comes with a mushroom-y sauce. Quite a delight to eat. The star of the meal - soy sauce chicken - has a very subtle, delicate flavour. Chicken is tender, but I have had more tender chicken, sous vide style. The chicken is certainly nice, although I can't say I understand the one Michelin award, sorry. Perhaps for the real experience, I should have gone to Hawker Chan's original stall?

Rice was dry and semi-hard. I also ordered a side char siew (rBBQ pork) with the rice. It was nice and well-caramelised. Yummy, but not worth 45 minutes queue I think. I would much prefer to go back to the Bak Chor Mee for queues!

Still, a very affordable meal at under SGD$20 for the two dishes, including beverages.

Hawker Chan Soy Sauce Chicken
78 Smith St
058972 Singapore
Opens Thursday-Tuesday, 10:00am - 8:00pm
Closes Wednesday

See my other hawker Michelin post in Singapore here.

The Proposal

2017-04-25T15:18:00.000+08:00

It all started with dinner.

They usually do, right?

In front of the Hong Kong harbour, on a chilly wintry night, he didn't drop onto one knee. No, sir....

I'll leave it to your finest imagination!

Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee

2017-04-13T00:05:00.002+08:00

Ah, Singapore! And Bak Chor Mee! Bak Chor Mee (BCM) is a pork noodle in vinegar sauce, and an acquired taste. When I first moved to Singapore, I did not take to BCM readily. Neither did my Malaysian family and friends. They all complained of the intrusive vinegar taste and preferred instead to have the regular pork noodles without vinegar.

On top of the vinegar, some hawker stalls will pile on mushrooms, creating a very strong taste to your palate. Despite all of that, I have eventually started to appreciate BCM and do crave for it from time to time! To make it even more desirable, BCM can only be found in Singapore (no business elsewhere kot, heh).

Regrettably, my time in Singapore was not spent enough on discovering BCM places, thus I have not tasted enough BCM to gauge how superior one is to the next. So, this trip to Singapore, I made sure one lunch slot is dedicated to the recently awarded 1 Michelin Star eatery by the Singapore Michelin Guide.

It wasn't hard to locate the restaurant, if you consult Google map (I also realized with a jolt that I have been here before, to dine at the western food stall next to the BCM). The BCM stall is located on the right-most corner of the kopitiam.

If you're having problems locating the BCM stall, just look out for the long queue! There were approximately 7 people ahead of me already in line when I arrived at 1:20pm on a weekday. Protocol here is a little different from the others. First, you get into the existing line. Then eventually, one of the uncles will gesture for you to approach the stall. You tell him which type of noodle you'd like, and of any additional ingredients requests. He tells you how much your order is, but you don't pay yet. Then you go back to the spot in line where you were waiting.

The noodles come in a variety of upgrades, starting at a base of $5, then $6, $8 and $10. It was my first visit, so I asked for a "regular" order, which turned out to be $6.

The turnaround per customer is approximately 2 minutes; so my wait was a mere 15 minutes. Based on friends' waiting experiences and from what I gathered online, the usual wait is 30-45 minutes or up to 2 hours! I'm not complaining over a 15 minute wait, now!

The $6 bowl comes with a bowl of seaweed soup. Minced pork, slices of pork fillets, pork balls, dumplings, pork liver and a piece of fried fish sole are arranged prettily on a bed of flat noodles. I tried the soup first, very sweet and not too salty. Mixed the noodles up so everything is coated in sauce. Took a bite of the pork fillet. Wow, it is tender and just about cooked, the vinegar sauce beautifully balances the meat. The pork liver was just as impressive - almost melting in the mouth! It is a far cry from other noodle stalls who overcook the pork liver. Those are usually chewy or crumbly. The noodles are wonderfully al dente, adding a whole dimension to the dish.

The dumplings, on the other hand, I wasn't wild about them. I felt the dumpling skin was a tad too thick, but everything else shined. It was so good, I polished the entire bowl clean. I'd wait 45 minutes for this bowl, and next time, I'll take the $10 premium upgrade.

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle
#01-12 Blk 466
Crawford Lane
Singapore
Opens daily, 9:30am - 9:00pm
Closed 1st & 3rd Mondays of the month

Brunei: Our Favourite Cafés

2017-04-10T22:37:00.000+08:00

**Updated 2nd May 2017

We've uncovered a large number of wonderful cafés and restaurants during our stay in Brunei. My initial thoughts on Brunei were, well, boring. But the beauty of this country is: if you take your time to get to know it, gradually peeling off the outer layers, you'll be rewarded with a wealth of exciting activities and eats!

Before we move on, there are some presumptions that need clearing up. Yes, you CAN get pork in Brunei! And contrary to popular belief, the non-halal eateries are not shrouded in secrecy and nor are they rare. These restaurants will usually have a notice on their premises - Food not suitable for Muslim people.

***This list is not comprehensive, we are still subjecting ourselves to various experimentats... anything to ensure hypotheses and results are consistent before we present them here :)

1) Danes Cafe

Whenever we make a trip out of Brunei, one of the first things we crave for when we return is kolo mee. So far, the best version (in Brunei) can be found here.

Coffee is decent - cakes are a hit or miss. Sometimes we get very dry cakes (which may have been left in the chiller for a while), and sometimes, deliciously moist cakes.

Our usual orders are the Charsiew Kolo Mee (for him) and Danes Kolo mee (for me). The Danes kolo mee is an exercise of self control. Springy noodles with pork balls, pork crackling, minced pork, pork lard and topped with a slice of bacon and sunny side up egg! Best eaten with pickled chillis. Bliss!!

Other choices available at Danes are ribs, pork burgers and other cafe food. I'm predictable and I ALWAYS order the Danes kolo mee, hehe.

Danes Cafe

Unit 102, Bangunan Batu Bersurat

7:00am - 10:00pm
Must have: Danes Kolo Mee

2) Brew Cafe & Brewery

Brew Cafe & Brewery (wish they'd change to a less generic name... try looking for THAT on Waze!) is under the Mr Baker umbrella branch.

We arrived at 11:30am, and completely missed out on the breakfast options. Breakfast is only available till 11am, with the usual breakfast fare of scrambled eggs, sausages, toast - that sort of options.

The herbed bagel with roast chicken, cheese, tomatoes and salad leaves combination goes really well together! Bagels are also chewy, without being overly dense.

Half boiled eggs and flat white. Hands down, Mr Baker has the best coffee in town! The espresso brewed here has a medium acidity and a slight bitterness. My only gripe is they put too much milk in their coffee beverages.... good for diners who like a large cup of coffee, I suppose.

Our second visit, we managed to get there in time for their breakfast menu. This is the Croissanwich - with chicken, cheese, tomato and a side salad.

Croissants are well-made, with defined lamination. Although, I wish the staff had used a better knife to slice my croissant - because it turned up looking squashed, heh.

The cafe also has an in-house bakery. They sell a variety of bread options like sourdough, baguette, croissants, tarts and much more. We weren't wild about the desserts here though. Pandan sponge cake was incredibly dry, and the egg tart shell was a disappointment (hard, not crumbly).

Brew Cafe & Bakery

Unit 47, Block C, Gadong Central

Brunei

7:00am - 10:30pm

Must have: Coffee, breads, croissants, bagels.

3) Alter Ego

We passed by this cafe, and I was immediately attracted to its exterior but we were already leaving. As soon as I got back, I searched it up online. Strangely, there wasn't much information other than some commenting on its decor.

I was pleased to see that they offer French pastries (digressing, we drove 15 minutes to a patisserie called Le Doux Patisserie only to be massively disappointed by their pastries) such as Petite Antoines, and fusion choux pastries.

Espresso machine looks promising.... but the coffee was mediocre. All I could taste was milk :(

Steak and Unagi rice bowl -

That poached egg is perfect - all jiggly and indecently squirmy and glistening. I really liked the unagi, whereas V prefers the steak. Served on rice with Japanese seaweed, this was really yummy.

Karaage chicken with a spicy sauce-

Crispy, crunchy and tender chicken strips. Great for snacks.

Matcha Religeuse-

I was a little disappointed with the choux pastry, to be honest. It is obviously an "old", stale choux. The choux shell should have a bite to them (not crunchy, but at least with a bit of texture). The choux pastry I got was soft, stale and lacking body. Its saving grace was the matcha cream, though. It was fluffy and light.

We also tried the Petite Antoine... and it was forgetful. This used to be one of my favourite desserts in pastry school but I don't quite know what went wrong here! The chocolate ganache didn't have that intense chocolaty flavour... it was really meh.

That pink pastry in the background is a Bandung St Honoré.

Bandung is an Indonesian beverage, pink in colour and usually sickly sweet. Alter Ego's interpretation of the St Honore tasted like cough syrup. On the upside, this choux wasn't as stale as the Matcha Religeuse (I had the Matcha Religeuse on a different occasion - at brunch - so it may have been an overnight product. Whereas the St Honoré was purchased at night and probably freshly made).

Alter Ego

Unit No 2 & 3, Block E, Ground Floor

Lot 5788, Kampung Kuilap

Brunei

10:00am - 10:00pm
Must Have: The Grains and snacks

p/s Alter Ego is on the same street as TWO escape rooms!
p/p/s After our second visit here, we have exhausted our options for desserts because the menu is limited. Although, it did state on the menu that it is still in a soft launching mode. Let's see.

4) Rack & Brew

As a special mention, Rack & Brew also has one of the nicer coffee in town! Hot meals are average. We suspect their cake is sourced from the same baker as Danes Cafe (because, they carry the same cakes). So it is a hit or miss with the dessert too. The yam cake is delicious!

There is also a boutique on the upper level of R&B. Personally, I think the style is cute and gorgeous, but the quality is on the lower side, and the price tag on them does not justify the purchase.

**Edit - Since taking a barista course, I have become a coffee snob (as my fiancé is quick to accuse me of). The coffee at Rack & Brew is good, but not great. Definitely one of the better ones in town.

Rack & Brew
Opposite The Mall Gadong, next to McDonald's & upstairs International House of Pancakes
Brunei
9:00am - 11:00pm
Must Have: Coffee & Cakes!

5) Roasted Sip

Yaay! A specialty coffee maker, or third wave coffee brewers have entered the Brunei market! Plus point - they are really close to where we stay, so I could grab the car in the early hours and have a satisfying cuppa before the fiancé goes to work.

I was there on two occasions - both times, I ordered a Piccolo latte. I know, I should have ordered an espresso to really appreciate the coffee, but I REALLY, REALLY enjoy my coffee with milk!

Anyway, the first try, I really liked the strong espresso - but I also find it lacking in acidity. The barista is very friendly, though. He chatted with me about the coffee beans, and how they roast the beans in house.

Piccolo latte, and a salted egg mini croissant.

The roasting is done once a week, so if you're lucky, you can even witness it while getting your caffeine fix!

My second trip there, the coffee was much better. It was well balanced: the acidity and bitterness.

They also serve a small selection of pastries. I tried their salted egg croissant - which was quite good. Their chicken puff was alright, puff pastry wasn't as flaky as their croissant. Which is absolutely fine, because the coffee here takes the centre stage.

Roasted Sip
Complex BG3122
Jerudong, Brunei
7:00am - 7:00pm
(Opposite GK Restaurant)

Miri: Weekend of Swine and Booze

2017-03-19T01:35:00.000+08:00

The entire Internet was drowning in numerous websites, all covering different ways to get from Bandar Sri Begawan (BSB), across the Malaysia-Brunei border, and into Miri, Sarawak.

Any information from Kuala Belait to Miri by bus, however, seemed to be strictly top secret.

(Kuala Belait, or KB, is the last township North West of Brunei before the Malaysian border).

We wanted to depart from KB as it'll be faster to drive directly into the town, then hop onto a bus to Miri from there. Things would have been less complicated if we could drive the car into Malaysia, but the Brunei-registered car needs to carry a Vehicle Import Permit - which then requires all sort of paperwork, and nobody likes paperwork.

So, here we go.

Bus to Miri from Kuala Belait

Bus departs twice a day from the main bus terminal in Kuala Belait @ 9:30am and 3:30pm. Tickets are BND$15 one way. We did not book these tickets in advance.

The bus from KB is the same PHLS express (a bus service company) from BSB (departs at 7:00am and 1:00pm). So it took the bus approximately 2.5 hours from BSB to KB (plus a stop in Seria town). Driving from BSB to KB only took us slightly over an hour.

Whoa, that is a fair bit of abbreviations! Ok, here's a table to simplify things.

Bandar Sri Begawan	Kuala Belait	Miri
7:00AM	9:30AM	11:00AM
1:00PM	3:30PM	5:00PM

The 7am bus from Bandar Sri Begawan will arrive at 9:30am in Kuala Belait, then Miri at 11am, and so on.

We'd wrongly assume that buses depart frequently from Kuala Belait, and so, arrived KB at 12:30pm.... only to find out the next bus is at 3:30pm. With 3 more hours to kill, we checked for places to eat in KB. We drove to a popular duck rice only to find out that they've sold out. The shop next to it said they're closing (at 1pm on a Saturday??), and so we drove back to the main square on KB.

We scavenged for food on the main street and popped into a Chinese eatery for some pork!

Well, orange pork chops for him, and beef with ginger and spring onion for me. Food was decent, but the coffee was gag-inducingly diluted! Sorry, but I didn't take note of the shop's name! It was a few shops after a Chinese eatery that sells pastries.

By 3pm, we were already back at the bus terminal. Only 3 people were waiting to board the same bus. Our ride pulled into the bus terminal at 3:15pm, with only a handful of seats occupied. The bus attendant took our passports, and processed our payments. Off we go!

It was a pretty drive, with lush rainforest flanking the roads. From KB, it took 30-40 minutes to the Brunei immigration checkpoint.

You could tell when you're in Malaysian land, the difference is stark. The greenery is now replaced by palm oil plantations... concrete buildings got denser, and the river is just...... inky.

Miri

Hello Sarawak! We arrived Miri at 5:20pm (got hold up at the Malaysian immigration because of one passenger - we were told the bus usually arrives at 5pm).

As soon as our bus pulled into the bus terminal, a horde of people started clamouring at the bus entrance. I remember idly commenting to Vinnie that this must be the next group of passengers heading back to Brunei.

Well, I was wrong. Those were the taxi drivers! They charge a flat rate of MYR20 to the city centre, for a 7-8 minutes drive. Ridiculously expensive, but there are no Uber service available yet here.

We were booked into Imperial Hotel (because I read somewhere online that it's right next to the Imperial Mall, the biggest mall in Miri). Decent selection of shops, a little better than Brunei's best mall, but only took us a few hours to get our shopping done.

A quick google brought us to Ming Cafe for a night of booze and pork ribs. Hehe, we're not big drinkers, but it is one novelty to cross the border and to redeem one's horns and forked tail.

The music is really loud here though, so expect to shout to be heard. Their food is yummy and value for money, too!

Breakfast, top on my list - Sarawak laksa!

A friend from Miri, Jocelyn, recommended the 28 Food Centre for Sarawak laksa. This is just opposite our hotel.

We were there at 10am, and already the shop was packed! There are three stalls operating in the kopitiam - Sarawak laksa, kolo mee and a chicken rice stall which hasn't started operating yet). We shared a table with a nice guy, turned out he's a medical doctor from Kuching. He told us that good Sarawak laksa and kolo mee are ubiquitous in Kuching, but in Miri, this is the only one he frequents. After his comment, I only realized all good stalls proclaim to be from Kuching, much like this Sarawak Laksa.

We both opted for the regular Sarawak Laksa. The special bowl boasts a few extra prawns and fish balls. Since both of us are not wild about fish balls, regular it is.

A squeeze of lime and some sambal were added to the broth. The prawns were seductively displayed, de-veined and de-shelled. I prodded my chopsticks on them and could tell they were cooked perfectly. None of that tough, overcooked, rubbery texture. A bite of the noodles, these were al dente and chewy.

Now, the broth.

Oh my. I was mindblown.

It is a rich, flavourful broth of chicken and prawn, with coconut milk. Every slurp sweeps me into contentment. It is THAT good.

My verdict? I'm hooked!

Oh, and the coffee at this kopitiam is also pretty decent.

We came back again for lunch. I debated briefly if I should go for the laksa again, before deciding on the kolo mee.

I should just have the Sarawak laksa! While the kolo mee isn't bad (nice springy noodles), the ratio of noodles to toppings were way off. The three charsiew slices and some minced meat were all there is, drowned in a mountain of kolo noodles. The noodles are nice, and springy though.

We have turned into hard-to-please kolo mee snobs, I guess, as we have found ourselves a good kolo mee rendezvous in Brunei (which I should blog at some point) and so, the lost chance of a Sarawak laksa meal is staggering.....

By the way, compare this photo and the one displayed on the stall. Massive difference!

Miri to Kuala Belait

For transfer to the bus station, we took one of the many taxis parked by Imperial Mall. There are two buses that depart from Miri for Brunei every day - at 8:15am and 3:45pm.

The taxi charged us the same flat rate of RM20 to the bus station. As soon as we arrived, a number of touts approached us, but they got disinterested and dispersed when we said we were heading for Kuala Belait, hehe. They did point us in the right direction, though. The Brunei-bound ticket counter is on the furthest end. Tickets are RM38 one way.

We got our tickets at 3:10pm and could board the bus immediately - the bus was already waiting in the station, so there was no need to wait in the heat ;) We departed on time (bus was 80% occupied on presumably the busiest slot of the week), but there was heavy traffic at the immigration, being a Sunday evening and all. It was almost 6pm by the time we were dropped off in Kuala Belait.

Now I need to go back and have that second bowl of Sarawak laksa.

Chinese New Year of the Rooster

2017-02-27T12:49:00.000+08:00

What better way to begin a post on Chinese New Year than a photo of delicious home-cooked meal?

Mom's pork chops with a citrus twist. She added oranges to the tomato base gravy for that zing. So yummy! Her cooking and presentation has improved over the last couple of years after joining a cooking-based group on Facebook. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

Even Pickles got fancy - finally we bought her a doggie bed. She avoided the bed initially, preferring to nap on the kitchen rugs instead. Until Mom kept all the rugs did she finally consent to sleeping on her new bed.

Snugglespuff.... What a cute sight...... awwww...

The usual steamboat fare for reunion dinner. There's been a definite scaling-down due to lesser number of diners. Nonetheless, moms and aunties put in so much love and care into the pot, all of us had quite a few helpings!

Prawns, fishballs, assorted vegetables, fish maw, mushrooms, fish meat, PIG'S STOMACH!! my favouriteeeeee!!! Topped with fried garlic oil, nom nom nom.

But first, tossing the yee sang to usher in the new year. Also lovingly homemade by mom and aunties - julienned green apples, carrots, with roasted crab sticks, just to name a few. Newspapers are there to contain the mess that usually comes with yee sang!

Dad is a mahjong junkie. He relentlessly invited us to play mahjong with him and here he is, giving me a much needed tutorial.

A game of a zillion rules, and even when you have the opportunity to finish the game, you can't do so if your points aren't sufficient. Then each tile cluster, combined with the order tiles are accumulated, points are counted differently.

Leftovers are a norm after steamboat dinners, so here it is, recreated into noodles soup hehe. (Pig's stomach again!!) We don't waste good food!

Another feast prepared by mom and aunties again (the young 'uns are not as adept...) consisting of all my favourite things - jiu hu char (stir fried turnips with cuttlefish), lor bak (marinated minced pork in a beancurd shell), assam prawns (tamarind), chai boay (a potpourri of all sorts of leftovers with mustard greens... deliciously tarty and spicy), sambal petai (stink beans with sambal and dried prawns).... and a plate of pasembor we bought from a mamak store.

This is plain torture typing this! NO ONE should be subjected to this pain :(

Also baked an early birthday cake for Meagan. It was supposed to be a shared birthday cake amongst the February and March babies, hehe (about 5 of them). But I guess the youngest gets priority.

This is an almost easy, fuss-freeest (if that is a word) cake I've made. No mixer required, no oven required! A moist chocolate cake, covered and layered in chocolate ganache. And all those M&Ms.... were the first candies Meagan has had in her life! At three years old! Hehe, she couldn't stop popping them into her mouth until mommy has to step in.

Here she is, looking all docile before her birthday cake. We have extreme difficulty trying to get Meagan to put the child party hat on, hehe.

And finally the customary group photo with a notable addition to the family :)

Gong Xi Fa Chai!

Apply for an Indian Tourist Visa (Malaysians)

2017-02-26T12:07:00.001+08:00

Here's a compilation of procedures and required documents to apply for an Indian Tourist Visa. I usually use the application at one of the Indian missions because I require multiple entry into India. However, there is a simpler application via e-TV, where your application is done online. This is only limited to a number of countries (Malaysia included) and a single entry into India allowed. You can do this here https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/Registration, but I've not used this!

For a multiply entry visa - this will require you to visit one of the Indian missions scattered around Malaysia. The process is simple enough. Register yourself on the web page, fill up the forms, print forms, bring these and other required documents to the any of the IVS Global Center (third party who deals with Indian visas; the Indian embassy no longer do it), then collect your passport within 3-4 days. Easy peasy.

These links are your best friend.

Main page-

http://www.indiavisa.com.my/index1.php

Extensive information on the tourist visa can be found here

http://www.indiavisa.com.my/visa_type/tourist_visa.php

Apply for an Indian Tourist Visa

1. Go to https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/info1.jsp and fill form.

Some information that may require digging are parents' places of birth, and referees in both Malaysia and India. Others are pretty standard stuff: travel dates, job role, etc. It takes me about 15 minutes to complete this part.

2. Once confirmed and electronically "signed", print a copy.

3. Go to any one of the Indian mission (check if they are open first! They are sometimes closed in conjunction of a public holiday in India) for submission of your documents.

You can visit the India Visa Centre at any time, to your convenience - they are open Mondays- Fridays from 9am-2pm for visa submission.

Bring these with you

Your passport
A photocopy of your passport
A photocopy of your IC
A printed application form
2 x photographs (2"x2" on a white background)
**Confirmed ticket to India (eg confirmation ticket from agent, or flight itinerary)
Sufficient cash for visa fee payment

4. If the queue is long, note that you can opt to go to the "Express Counter". There will be an additional charge of RM50 but you skip the queue.

You MUST apply for the Indian visa in person for the biometric registration. There are a couple of exceptions:

You're older than 70 years old;
Children below 12 years of age
The VFS already have your record (this is usually noted at the bottom of your completed online application form)

In these instances, it is possible to have someone apply the visa for you.

5. Submit your documents when your number is called. Make payment and keep the receipt. This receipt will be required for your visa collection.

Collecting Your Visa

Your preferred option (whether to courier or selecting which Indian mission to collect) is selected when you are filling up the visa form.

If you are applying from the main centre in KL, expect three working days before the visa is ready. This 3 working days include the day you apply. So, if you apply on a Monday, the visa should be ready for collection by Wednesday.

If applying from another Indian mission (Penang, Johor Bahru), 4 working days is needed. This does not include the day you apply. If you apply on Monday, the visa will be ready on Friday. Don't ask me why, but this is from my experience (most likely they courier your passport to the main center on the first day, so it didn't count).

Photo taken at the Indian state of Uttarakhand

Good luck!

Macau: In A Day

2017-02-25T18:19:00.000+08:00

Who'd ever think to explore a new country, all on a day trip?

I'm ashamed to admit, but that's what we did... Obviously there isn't enough time, especially if you got up at 10am, and then went on to queue for breakfast at the ADC instead of immediately proceeding to board the ferry to Macau.

And when I say "explore", I really meant "stuffing our faces".

Getting to Macau from Hong Kong

From Central MTR, go to the Hong Kong Macau ferry terminal. It was a bit tricky trying to locate the tickets office (even with the help of signs). You'll have to go up a few levels to find the counters.

Alternatively, it is possible also board the ferry from Kowloon in Tsim Sha Tsui. However, the ferries leave every 30minutes, as opposed to the one from Central MTR - every 15 minutes. It does not sound like a large difference, but if tickets are sold out for the time slot you want, then the wait can be as arduous as 45mins-1 hour, just killing time at the ferry terminal!

The ferry ride takes about an hour, but also set aside some 15-20 minutes or so for tickets purchase and queueing at immigration.

A few tips:

Remember to bring along your passports!

We didn't need to exchange currency for the Macau Pataca. The shops in Macau (both large and small establishments) are happy to take Hong Kong dollars because the rates are very close to the Pataca. Some places may also accept RMB.

We bought ferry tickets from Turbojet. At the boarding gate, seats were assigned based on a first come first served basis.

**On the return trip to Hong Kong (almost 10pm), tickets for the next two time slots were sold out. We found out some opportunist locals hoard the tickets, and then sell them at a slightly higher rate.

Free shuttle to the casino strip. At the Macau ferry terminal: simply ask the Information Centre after immigration for the free shuttle buses. There is a long row of buses that shuttle passengers to different casinos, for free. We took the one headed for The Venetian, becos all our food hunts are nestled here.

***

I think, for an eatery to be truly desirable and to create that viral longing - does not solely depend on its food. The vibe/ambience plays a huge part. This does not necessarily mean a fancy setting. It can be as memorable as a cafe by the beach, or even squatting by a large ditch and sucking on bloodied clams (you read that right... only in Malacca).

Which is why I usually steer away from eateries housed in malls. They lack any charisma, the experience is totally forgettable.

Those are precisely why our planned Macau food hunt failed. I was overly ambitious: I had initially arranged for the original Lord Stow's bakery in Coloane (south village of Macau), the pork chop bun shop called Tai Lei Loi Kei in Taipa village (western part of Macau), and then also wanted to see the Venetian.......

You may laugh but we (sort of) did it...

Instead of traveling all over Macau, we settled for their branches in the Venetian, heh.

Tai Lei Loi Kei

The Venetian Macau

(at the large food court, ask concierge for directions)

Order: Pork chop on bun

We thought we'd be one step ahead and order the pork chops WITH polo bao. Well, bad choice. The sweetness of the polo bao does not go well with the pork chops.

The pork chops, however, were really tender. One of the better pork chops I've had, for sure.

Now, THIS is the pork chop bun you want to have:

Vinnie went for a second serving, and opted instead for the pork chop bun (original). Sandwiched between mini baguette breads. It's the perfect marriage! The slightly chewy baguette goes wonderfully well with the pork chops.

Now, the moment we have all been waiting for.

Lord Stow's Bakery & Cafe
The Venetian Macau
Order: Portuguese Egg Tarts

Portuguese egg tarts are quite unlike the regular egg tarts. The tart shells are laminated dough, like puff pastries. Whereas the regular egg tarts have shells similar to a quiche.

My expectations were high. I mean, these are supposed to be the best Portuguese egg tarts in Macau! Some say they are better than the egg tarts in Portugal!

They do not disappoint.

Oh my. The tarts are kept at a very warm temperature (50-60C?), and we struggle to hold and eat them! The flaky layers of puffed pastry make an orgasmic contrast with the soft egg custard filling. The custard is incredibly soft and gooey, they quiver at the slightest movement.

If you'd prefer to visit a proper Lord Stow Bakery (not in a mall), they also have one branch in Taipa Village.

***

The village is a real pleasure to take a walk in. Roads are small and totally pedestrian-friendly. Hardly any traffic, except for the occasional vehicle.

A park being dolled up for the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations.

A bad-ass photo V took of me, heh.

And last (surely not least) on our Macau food hunt-

Cafe Litoral

53/57 Rua do Regedor

Taipa

Order: African Chicken

African chicken in Macau does strike as odd. But Macau was a Portuguese colony, along with parts of Africa. The African influence of spices, chilis and piri piris soon spread to Macau. We were told this African chicken goes through three types of preparation: roasting, deep-frying and grilling.

The chicken is slightly sweet to the palate, with a tomato paste, and piri piri sauce. And not remotely spicy. It is very tasty and I would highly recommend it. This does remind me of Mom's ayam ros from home.

It's a damn shame we only have a day here, but we'll surely be back to explore Coloane and Senado Square. Plenty more to see and eat.

Hong Kong: The Big Round Up

2017-02-15T12:50:00.001+08:00

I love Hong Kong.

It is bustling, it is full of energy, it is efficient.... and it is a gastronomic heaven. I love the constant flurry of activity that surrounds the city. I love the diversity of the people here, and I love the city in winter. 15-18C. Think boots, chic coats and dapper jackets!

This is the round up of places we frequently go, (with some editions from the original list) and for good reasons (in no order of preference).

There are, however, no dim sum pick here. We've gone to a few highly rated dim sum restaurants, but have been underwhelmed all times. I'm still uncertain if that was because we not know what to order, or Hong Kong dim sum isn't one of their stronger points...

***

1. Kam's Roast Goose

226 Hennessy Road

Wan Chai

Closest MTR: Wan Chai (Exit A4)

This is easily our favourite and we would fly all the way to Hong Kong just so we can have this every meal, all day (ok, so I lied about the order of preference)...

Queueing time for a table is 30-40 minutes - applies for most of the restaurants on this list here. Probably goes without saying.

We've tried numerous combinations on the menu: sausages, roast pork, roast goose.... and the choiciest item goes to the roast goose leg with rice, along with a plate of roast pork to share (if you're not too possessive).

Roast goose leg is charged at a slight premium, but it's totally worth it. More meat to bones ratio. Regular roast goose cut have lots of oddly-shaped and oddly-placed bones and it's just way too much work with chopsticks when all you want to do is gorge yourself silly.

Ah... this photo is sending me happy, happy thoughts....

Oh, and don't be tempted to order the pork sausages - an absolute meh. Century eggs are decent, if you're into that kinda stuff (still a bit too alkaline to my liking - I think they're only acceptable in century porridge).

***

2. Little Bao

66 Staunton Street
SoHo, Central
MTR: Sheung Wan MTR (Exit A2)

This is a new find for us - I was expecting the place to be a lot like Kam's, with practical seatings and attention on food. What we discovered in Little Bao was a pleasant surprise. Modern and youthful, with a gastropub vibe. The menu is a twist on old favourites.

We arrived at 8:30pm, but was asked to wait 40-50 minutes for seats. The eatery was chock full of people! We left our numbers and took to exploring the SoHo until we received a call from them.

We got counter seats, yay. Service was prompt, but our orders took a while to arrive.

This is the Pork Belly bao - slow-braised pork belly, leek and shiso red onion salad, sesame dressing, hoisin ketchup.

Soft bao (steamed and toasted before assembling), tender meat, yum.

Szechuan Fried Chicken bao - Chinese black vinegar glaze, Szechuan mayo and coleslaw. A delight - crispy chicken, crunchy 'slaw and soft baos.

Roasted Pork Cheek - Cumin-spiced, fennel, burnt apple puree.

This. Is. Just. Orgasmic.

That first bite into a perfectly pan-fried crispy skin, followed by the tender meat and ended with an explosion of juicy layer of pork fat.

***

3. Kam Wah Cafe
47 Bute Street
Nearest MTR: Prince Edward (Exit B3)

Kam Wah Cafe is unanimously voted as best place for Polo Bao, also called the pineapple bun. Despite its name, the bao does not contain pineapple. Instead, the criss-crossing design on top of the bun earned its moniker.

They have two shops side by side - we placed our order for 3 Polo Baos, one for me and two for V. Aaaaaand V had actually thought that the Polo Baos have some sort of filling inside (pork, no doubt) - so he was very disappointed to find out otherwise.

Me, I think they're really great, soft on the inside and decadent with butter; and the crust... oh my. They add a wonderful contrast to the spongy buns. Texture is sort of like crumble. They remind me of the char siew baos crust from Tim Ho Wan.

And washed down with the quintessential HongKi drink - yin yong.

Btw, this photo of butter sticking out of the polo bun looks almost indecent....

***

民聲冰室

16 Wun Sha Street,

Tai Hang

Nearest MTR: Tin Hau, Exit B

I have no idea how to pronounce or read this shop's name, but this search came up for a local eatery.

This was the store front of the address that I have in hand... but we can't be sure initially, as the addresses aren't clearly shown.

Still, the shop was almost full, that's surely a good sign as any. We signalled to the waitress, and she led us into ANOTHER eatery.

We suspected this second eatery, which looked more like a pub, is used during the day time to accommodate their growing customers.

The eatery is so local that there isn't an English menu.... and the servers only speak Cantonese. My Cantonese failed me here...... I wanted to order the highly recommended steamed minced pork with salted egg but for the life of me, I couldn't remember what "salted egg" is called in Cantonese! I should know this! Anyway, it is "ham dan"!!

Our server was very patient, though. She waited for me to struggle and sputter incomprehensible Cantonese. I tried to order a char siew dish with omelette - this wasn't so hard... cos char siew is universal ;)

Steamed minced pork with salted egg yolk. Just a tad oily but this defines home-cooked comfort food! Simple and yet packed full with flavour. A bowl of rice is all that's needed to complete this divine image.

Char siew with omelette. This one didn't wow us so much. Interestingly the omelette and the steamed pork both have similar ingredients (pork and eggs), but very different preparations.

This is a spicy pork thingie that we spotted on another table and ordered, cos it looks good. We still don't know what it is called, hehe.

***

Australia Dairy Co
47 Parkes Street
Nearest MTR: Jordan (Exit C2)

This needs no introduction. It's all over the Interwebz and appeared on every Hong Kong eating guide.

We paid homage to ADC every day when we were in Hong Kong. Incidentally, one of those times, we shared table with a Hong Konger whose father was a Malaysian. And there's definitely the Malaysian hospitality there cos she helped us to order some items and clarified a couple of misunderstandings with the impatient ADC staff ;)

Don't miss out on their scrambled eggs and ham sandwich. Fluffy eggs and ham on thick toast.

And you can't say you've been to ADC without trying their steamed milk pudding. Pick the one with egg whites, the almond steamed pudding did not catch our fancy. And choose warm cos the flavours are more defined when the pudding is warm!

***

Mak's Noodles
51 Parkes Street
Nearest MTR: Jordan

Mak's noodles eatery is just right next to the ADC. The noodles are the best I've ever had in my entire life. Light and springy, with a perfectly al dente texture. The soup and wantons are alright, though - so do manage your expectations.

Vinnie likes to order their dry noodles with spicy pork, which is really nice, if you're not into soupy noodles. Dry noodles come with a bowl of soup as well.

***

2016: A Year In Review

2016-12-31T18:04:00.001+08:00

7 measly posts this year! Well, 8 if you count this one....

And I can't believe that I didn't post a year in review for 2015! I was looking very hard for it, to see if I feel the same way, or if generally things have been rosier this year. But non to be seen! grumble grumble....

Now, let's see... 2016 has largely been devoted to earning an Advanced Diploma in Pastry Arts. I've learnt so much, coming from someone who barely knows the difference between sugar and brown sugar, to baking and decorating a good friend's wedding cake! Not too shabby, I reckon.

Coming back to KL after a few years' hiatus, has been a different experience. I enjoyed this year much better than I did, back then. I got around to cooking more often, at my own place and even started dancing airborne... pole dancing!

New countries visited this year is at an all-time low, hehe. We did visit Turkey for the first time (highly enjoyable and such a charismatic country!), and then Brunei for V's project.

Those long locks are gone now, too. They look pretty and everything but I hated the fuss of blow-drying after washing them, and the tangles that sneak into your hair! Right on, chop 'em off. Btw, this photo is after a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia in Turkey.

I've not blogged much on Brunei - I must get on with it - there are a number of favourite restaurant haunts that I would love to share!

Also been busy creating a new website largely focusing on pastries - will reveal it once it's ready!

Overall, it's been a great year of learning and discovering my newfound passion in baking. Next year, this spatula-wielding will be put to good use, I promise!

Aaaaaand for New Year's Eve, my parents and I are celebrating with dinner in a Japanese restaurant (Dad insists on treating us), and then probably early bed so I can be up for a morning jog the next day :) now THAT is bliss!

Happy New Year, roll on 2017!

Kapadokya: An Aerial View

2016-10-03T15:00:00.004+08:00

Smack in the center of Turkey with a vast and rugged terrain is Kapadokya. The region strongly reminds us of the rough but ethereal beauty of Damaraland in Namibia. My biggest regret this trip was not packing in my DSLR as photo ops here are abundant!

The weather could have been better too. It was quite warm! On the bright side (heh), long daylight hours and it wasn't humid.

We took the flight from Istanbul's Ataturk airport to Nevsehir. Relatively short flight - just slightly over an hour.

We got straight to business as soon as we dropped off our luggages at the hotel (Sultan Caves Hotel - they claimed to be a cave hotel, but it was a faux!) and rented mountain bikes to explore Kapadokya.

Hardy choice! It was tough riding on the mostly sandy terrain - no traction but that's, um, part of the fun! (that is, if you're into self-inflicted pain). Hardly surprising we were the only ones on MTBs - others, with more sense, were in ATVs, motorcycles and even horses, I kid you not.

Check out the landscape - funky phallic boulders (a lot of them look an awful lot like the menhirs Obelix transports!! Ah, fond memories of them Asterix comics), barren mountains.... all looking like a scene out of Ants.

Under the shade, it is quite pleasant. But the barren terrain means minimal protection from the sun and within 2-3 hours of riding, I was sweating buckets. The heat eventually got unbearable and increasingly uncomfortable to enjoy the scenery.

So we made a pit stop at a village - and discovered a little gem of an eatery.

And just opposite the eatery was this view:

Breads baked with a traditional wood fire oven. The two men worked methodically, churning beautifully baked bread every time.

Those beautiful golden bread - fantastic! Pillow-soft on the inside, and just slightly chewy in texture.

Then there was this roasted lamb thingie - with spices, tomatoes and the likes. It was a little on the greasy side, but hey, we were both starved after a monstrous workout.

After a couple more hours of baking in the sun, I called it quits, I know... shameful... - I had started to develop a mild headache. Vinnie continued on while I crashed in our faux cave hotel room.

Restaurant choices weren't exactly highly rated in the area, and we settled for the restaurant at our hotel, Seten. Because a quick search gave us above average reviews of the place. Huge mistake! It was easily the worst meal we've had in Turkey - incredibly sour entree of lemon fish of some sort, some very salty dishes and nonchalant service.

After that disappointing dinner, an early bed was in order for the following day's sunrise hot air balloon ride. Only I went for the hot air balloon - Vinnie preferred to sleep in (and also heights don't match his hair...). I was told to be ready at 4am (gasp!!!) and a shuttle to the hot air balloon office is arranged.

A number of guests from our hotel were picked up at 4am, and dropped off at the hot air balloon agency. After a quick registration and signing our lives away, we were ushered to take breakfast. Some rushed to the loo to get business out of the way, heh, no toilets in the balloon. Finally, we were asked to board the vans and for a 10-minute ride to the launching field. Honestly, the whole breakfast affair could have been scrapped and I could have gotten an extra 45 minutes of sleep... grumble grumble.

I was keen to capture shots of the sun rising but by the time we got to the launching field, it was a quarter past five...... It isn't looking well - sun rises at 5:30am in these parts!

I was starting to get just the slightest bit annoyed. The whole breakfast affair was unnecessary, in my opinion. And I started bugging our pilot, Kaan. I applied pressure on him, asking if we are able to take flight before the sun rises because I had signed up for the balloon ride for photos, and he confidently said of course. But I suspect he had to change the order of flights so we could take off first. We were initially scheduled to launch last but we eventually went second last.

Hehe. I call this, the Asian basket.

Each hot air balloon basket has a capacity of 16 pax. The baskets are partitioned into 4 sections, with a maximum of 4 to each section. On that day, there were 12 of us (we were all Asians! Now, I wonder if they do a racial segmentation?!), so there will be 3 to each partition.

When the balloon was ready to load us in, I was assigned to a section with an Indian couple. As I started to clamber into the basket, the female said, "sorry, this is only for 2 pax". Me, already annoyed at the increasingly late departure, snarked, "oh? Got yourselves VIP seats?", and continued climbnig in through her displeasure while her boyfriend gave me an apologetic smile, hehe.

I know, I know, I am such a bundle of joy.

And, we're off!

Up, up and awaaaaayy!

Totally mindblown with the scenery.

An hour of airborne later, we got ready for landing. I have to give credit to our pilot. He was extremely skillful, narrowly dodging cliffs and, get this, we landed RIGHT onto the trailer upon landing! That's some serious maneuvering there!

Breakfast champagne and snacks to celebrate our safe landing -- I suspect it was the champagne that eventually gave me a stomachache the whole evening...

Even got a certificate from hitching a ride ;)

I got back to the hotel close to 8:30am, and crashed for an hour. In the midst of a stomach discomfort, we booked a day tour to visit the highlights of Kapadokya. My favourite was touring an underground city which was 7 levels below ground! The openings are narrow and can sometimes only fit one person, so people had to take turns going in and out!

It's like stepping into an air-conditioned room as soon as you enter the caves, a welcome respite from the heat.

Stopped for lunch at this beautiful apple tree orchard:

And that's the last of the Turkey series! Wish we could have explored more of Turkey but with the current circumstances, we were lucky to be able to fit a week in.

Istanbul: From Kofte to Sütlaç

2016-08-27T21:22:00.006+08:00

What an amazing gastronomic adventure to be had in this wonderful country!

We had a grand time gorging ourselves silly on succulent kebabs, with a tantalising combination of fruit with meat, and of course, sickly sweet desserts!

Starting with our dinner at the Sultanahmet Köftecisi.

When we arrived at some time past 7pm, there was already a long line snaking from the restaurant! I was shocked, are the Turks a lot like Malaysian and Singaporeans on the inside? Patience to queue for good food? No matter how long it takes?

Well, fortunately for us, the answer is not quite. The queue was meant for the iftar crowd: they were in line for dusk to set in before grabbing seats. So we got a table immediately. Phew.

Of course, V will have a different version on how we managed to get seats quickly.

Behold!!!

These totally rocked my world! Check out the glistening meat on that Izgara Köfte Porsiyon (bottom on photo) - Grilled beef meatballs with onion, salt and bread. Comes with pickled green chilli (packs a spicy punch!) and some sambal. The sambal wasn't particularly spicy nor very flavourful. So the focus is all on the preparation of the delicious meatballs.

Above the köfte is Lamb Shesh Kebap - tastes so-so (can you tell that we're both very spoiled in the food department?). The accompanying bread was very flat, meh. The texture was too dry, bread wasn't fresh and for heaven's sake, at least toast it if it's stale! That would have made so much difference.

Still the kofte was so good, we were back for more - lunch the following day

This time, we opted for the takeaway sandwich and took it to the Hippodrome park (I was educated by a very distinguished historian that this was where the race of hippos take place. Maybe I'll bring my pet hippo here some other time). Again, that annoyingly dry bread does not do the köfte justice!

Sultanahmet Köftecisi
Alemdar Mh., Divan Yolu Cd No12
34122 Fatih, Istanbul

We scored another big win, thanks to V:

This was located on the Asian side of Istanbul. We took the novel ferry across the Bosphorus Strait to Kadikoy. Being wiser after a false alarm with queues for iftar the night before, we arrived well and early, ahead of dusk.

A recommendation by the friendly waiter - kebab with cherries. The saltiness of the kebab goes superbly with the sweetness of the cherries (which is in season). Delish!

Even the colours are inviting us to tuck in!

Perde Pilavi : Rice cooked with pine nuts, chicken and raisins and baked in dough. The external bread -shell was quite hard and tough to chew. The rice and nuts was fantastic though, crunchy and flavourful. I am totally digging the whole savoury combination with pine nuts and fruit!

Check out the colours!

That thingie at 2 o'clock was amazeballs - Iskandar kebab (Must have forgotten to take a solo photo!). Marinated beef and grilled, served with pickled green chilli and a dollop of yoghurt - we wiped it clean.

Çiya Sofrasi

Caferaga, Günesli Bahçe Sk No43

Kadikoy/Istanbul

Simit (a bagel of sorts with sesame seeds) and coffee are quintessential to the Turkish breakfast. Peddlers selling simit and other Turkish breads are ubiquitous in this city, along with corn and chestnut peddlers. Grilled corn is simply addictive! We have had countless number of corns - so juicy!

My take on the Turkish coffee: it was really quite bitter and very strong. I noticed the coffee is always served with a glass of water - for good reasons, so you better not refuse that glass!

Hamsi Tava - Deep fried anchovies served on a bed of rocket leaves with a squeeze of lemon juice - another addictive snack! We were supposed to share this but V hates the strong smell of fish so it was all up to me to clean this plate up hehe. We spotted this small eatery while browsing through the Spice market. It was small and cramped, but damn, those anchovies were yummy.

Just your friendly neighbourhood hamsi tava seller.

More firsts: Turkish pide, washed down with Turkish beer.

Here's a tip. If it's oblong, it's pide. If it's round, it's pizza.

Moving on, dinner at Zübeyir, courtesy of V's searches again. I gotta give him credit - he's done all the food research this trip. Usually the foodie is me but look how much he's grown now (literally!! hehe), so proud of you! :D

It has a little roasting pit right in the middle of the first floor of the restaurant. Good hood though, cos we caught no sniff of that thick smoke.

Fantastic breads! Soft on the inside, crunchy shell on the outside. Paired with a yoghurt and roasted red pepper dip - oh my.

A kebab platter for sharing - roasted chicken, lamb and beef.

V contemplating where to start first.

Zübeyir Oçakbasi
Şehit Muhtar Mh. Bekar Sk. No 28
Beyoğlu/İstanbul

A delightful breakfast we had in Beyoglu - a small cafe tucked in a residential area. I wasn't expecting much, until we were served with a soft bread and clotted cream with honey. I couldn't stuff myself enough!

That glorious honey.... and clotted cream. Carve this on your must-eat list in this lifetime. Seriously.

Menemen: a scrambled egg dish with tomatoes, peas and of course, sucuk (beef sausages), if you are Mr V.

My breakfast of pancake stuffed with sucuk - was alright - much preferred the menemen actually, as a breakfast option.

Van Kahvalti Evi
Kiliçali pasa mah, Defretdar yokusu 52/A
Istanbul

Climaxing to the creme de la creme:

(This is where we were headed and the whole neighbourhood disapproves of my 'revealing' outfit)....

We had a lot of fun picking out our dinner! Too many tempting options -- A little trivia, Asitane offers historical renditions of the Ottoman cuisine. The menu includes the year a particular dish was created!

We arrived for lunch - and were the only diners in the establishment.

Stuffed Vine Leaves with Sour Cherries (1844)
Grape leaves stuffed with blend of sour cherries, rice, onions, pine nuts. Cooked lightly in olive oil and seasoned with black pepper and cinnamon.

The combination worked really well: grape leaves was ever-so-slightly crisp, with a soft center of cherries, rice and an intermittent crunch of pine nuts.

Stuffed Calamari with Shrimps: Oven baked calamari, stuffed with blend of rice, pine nuts and currants; flavoured with cinnamon and fresh mint.

Delicious! I absolutely loved the combination of calamari, rice and pine nuts - that crunch! And coupled with peppery rocket leaves.... perfection!

"Mahmudiyye" (1539)

Cinnamon and clove flavoured chicken stew cooked with apricots, Rezaki raisins and almonds.

The flavours in this dish was mild - not quite spicy, not quite sweet and not quite salty. Interesting idea but not wild about its execution...

Stuffed Melon (1539)

Cored melon stuffed with a blend of minced meat, rice, herbs, almonds, currants and baked in the oven.

This is our fave of the lot (along with the calamari with rice). The juicy, sweet melon complemented wonderfully with the minced meat, currants and nuts. Lip-smacking!

As much as we loved the food prepared by Asitane, I find it lacking in a certain something (je ne sais quoi?), and would have gone back to Çiya Sofrasi in a hearbeat. You know how no matter the premium ingredients a hotel could incorporate in their dishes, but the street side hawker's version still tastes better? This metaphor is apt in the case of Asitane vs Çiya Sofrasi.... Although an accomplished gastronomer may opine that they are both incomparable.

Asitane
Kariye Camii Sokak No6
34240 Edirnekapi, Istanbul

And to top off our culinary adventure - our favourite dessert in Turkey:

The Sütlaç! Caramelized milk pudding, served chilled. I fell in love with this from the first bite! It reminds me so much of the steamed milk pudding in Hong Kong. Wow, wow and wow. Can't get enough of it. But we only tried out this dessert on our last day in Istanbul! Wish we had more of this than the pile of baklavas.... Admittedly, that may have been a blessing in disguise.....

Saray Muhallebicisi
Kuloğlu Mh., Istiklal Caddesi No:105,
34433 Beyoğlu

Sweating It Out At The Hamam

2016-08-22T23:59:00.001+08:00

I admit it, I am a kiasu when it comes to holidays. I *do* have a checklist of quintessentials. Be it the food, the culture, the sights... even the baths.

Enter hamam.

Hamam - is a spa, or a public bath where the Turks go for a bath, scrub and a massage, and are usually segregated by gender. I was keen to try out the centuries-old tradition.

Since there is a hamam close to our hotel (and pretty much scattered everywhere else throughout the city), V 'dropped' me off so he can dust his hands off from babysitting me.

The hamam was a small family-run business. A fan lazily creaked from the ceiling, a couple of middle-aged woman lounged and chatted, while a chunky telly was playing some telenovela. Furnitures look old and a little tacky.

No turning back, now.

A few options are provided - soap massage, oil massage, male or female masseuse. I opted for the regular hamam - just a soap massage, no oil massage.

Payment was made in advance, and I was shown into a small little massage room, to change out into a towel - and nothing else.

One of the masseuse, a middle-aged matronly woman, led me further into the establishment. She showed me the sauna and indicated for me to bask in the heat for 20 minutes. So in I go, towel and all. It started getting hot, until it got almost unbearable. I contemplated. It's hot outside. I was already sweating earlier. And now this sweating business indoors isn't enjoyable. It'll be nice to soak in cool water. I stayed just a teensy bit longer, debated that thought and sweated for 5 minutes. Finally I got out and searched for my masseuse.

I called out to her (from the entrance of the women's section). No answer. I spotted a young male washing towels in another room. He heard me and hollered to my woman. She came over, indignant. "Not yet -- twenty minutes!". I said, no, too hot. Okay, she said, and ushered me into a bath area, about 4mx4m large.

There are 3 wash basins, and she indicated for me to take off my towel and demonstrated scooping water from the basins. Then she said: 10 minutes; and left.

For the record, I honestly tried being cooperative. I scooped some water, and rinsed. And I was finished in 1 minute!! The bathing duration could have been stretched further, had there been soap. But there wasn't! And let's be realistic, there's only so much water you can go on scooping!!

Yet again, I crept out and called for my masseuse. She came around, definitely with a hint of annoyance - "But 10 minutes!", I insisted I was done, and she said, ok wait, while she goes to change.

She returns in a pair of tank top and shorts and I was led into yet another room. In the middle of the room was a marble table top. She indicated for me to lie on top of the marble (with only my thin, wet towel on it - not comfortable, I assure you). She was out of my radar for a few minutes, and when she returned, just entering my peripheral vision: She had undressed - she is in her underwear.... and just that. Mammaries in full display, she scooped some water and unceremoniously splashed me.

It was a most strange sensation. I have never quite been bathed by a stranger before, but this, an adult being washed by a matronly woman - it does feel like my mother was giving me a shower.

Why do people pay for this experience, remind me?

With about 100litres of water splashed on me, she started with the soap bubbles. A long, thin cotton cloth (looks like a bolster cover) was soaked in soap water. She then blew into the pseudo-bolster-cover and transformed it into an airy sausage. She then squeezed the bolster sheet and a thick layer of soap foam covered me almost entirely. It was wonderful (for a change), light and tingling.

Then came the "soap massage". Armed with a loofah, she climbed over me and started scrubbing me vigorously. It sure felt like she was trying to remove my epidermis - I could feel myself being rubbed raw! From my neck, down to my butt and to my legs. She showed me the dead skin accumulated on her loofah (grimace), and then gestured for me to flip around, facing upwards.

This has got to be the most awkward feeling I've EVER had to endure. Me, staring at the algae-covered ceiling, determinedly averting gaze with the woman (and her hanging bosoms) while she hovers over me and scrubs my armpits, breasts, and well, everything else.

Once that was done, I was asked to sit upright, and she started shampooing my hair and briskly massaged my scalp. Rinse, and a dry towel handed to me. I accepted the towel gratefully.

The hamam experience is finally completed by lying face down on a heated marble slab (10 mins, please), presumably to relax a bathee. I finished my 10 mins of hot marble relaxation, got up, got dressed and anxiously left the hamam.

The entire experience left me feeling like a baby - raw and red, but clean - reborn again.

Istanbul: An Asian Girl's Guide

2016-08-01T22:44:00.007+08:00

I was going to have a week-long break for the Eid holidays - so we were brainstorming how and where we should spend it. Europe remains a favourite during the summer (what's there not to like??) - but I reckoned one week is too brief to properly enjoy and fully utilise the time there (what with jet lag and all). We debated Philippines for a bit - for a spot of diving, though it isn't at the top of my bucket list.

After throwing ideas back and forth (over a few months, mind you), we finally settled on Turkey. Both feeling quite excited as we've not been, and so exotic!

.....So.... the obvious subsequent events to take place is a multitude of dangerous incidents bound to change our minds, right? And that, is precisely what happened. Deja vu!

Case 1: Planned a fun weekend in Phuket. Red shirt protests happened just the week before our trip. Curfew announced at parts of Thailand. We stubbornly proceeded. Everything was normal in the touristy part of Phuket. Holiday fun, check.

Case 2: Bought tickets to Hong Kong for a few days. Coincides with Occupy Central. Luckily, it was a peaceful protest and other than some roadblocks, nothing else hampered our trip.

Case 3: Turkey. She upped it a few notches for us though. A month before our trip, there was a bombing in Istanbul where 11 people died - claimed by ISIS. Then, just days prior to our departure for Istanbul, another ISIS bombing was reported at the Ataturk airport. Messages poured in from friends who asked us to reconsider the trip. Mum was best of the lot - instead of the usual barrage of nags, she reminded to go shopping for souvenirs, and specifically to purchase hand-painted plates for myself, hehe.

Despite all of the bad rep surrounding Turkey, we made up our minds to visit. And we are really, really glad that we made the final call.

Turkey is one of the most beautiful countries I've visited. More accurately, it is unlike any other city I've been to. The diversity of its food, the grandeur of its monuments, the friendliness of its people, the beautiful handicrafts... I could go on and on.

When we first arrived, we were surprised to see how empty the city is. Not that we were complaining. Long queues to the Hagia Sophia? Didn't happen to us. Jostling with the crowd in Grand Bazaar? Shopkeepers were practically shoving freebies into our hands to get their first sale of the day. It's great for us shoppers, but it's also sad to see the locals having a hard time to get by. Saying all that, I do wonder if it was all for show? Make a sob story and bank in on the sympathy of the tourists. I guess I'll never know.

The slow tourism was a temporary respite. Soon after the Eid, the streets were filled with people again, with an almost tangible festive cheer in the air. We realize later, that the locals usually leave the country for a holiday overseas over Eid.

Anyway, jibber-jabber aside, I am here to give you some nifty tips 'n' tricks. Your holidays in Istanbul won't ever be the same again! *wink wink*

Itinerary
Our itinerary of 8 days are made up of 4D in Istanbul, 3D in Cappadocia, and one final night on the Asian side of Istanbul - Beyoğlu.

From Kuala Lumpur, I flew in to the Sabiha Gökçen International airport via Abu Dhabi (that rascal actually tricked me into thinking he is flying through Dubai and suddenly plopped on the seat beside me at the gate in Abu Dhabi! <3)

Dresscode
Before the trip, I searched on the Interwebz for some clues as to how to dress. Some were most conservative, advising to cover up; whereas some were more liberal - dress like how you will in any other European cities, they said.

Well, I beg to differ. In, say, Paris or London, I could put on a pair of shorts and a tank top - nobody bats an eye. In Istanbul, as far as major cities go, the local Turks are dressed conservatively. Some with headscarves, mostly in long skirts or pants and covered up. The only instances of shorts or sleeveless tops are worn by foreigners - and even then, they are the minority.

Digressing, we were on a food excursion to Asitane, somewhere on the outskirts of the city. To get there, we had to pass though residential area and the quieter neighbourhoods. On that day, I decided I will wear shorts (I had been wearing long dresses the past few days, but after noticing some people wearing shorts, I thought I'll be more comfortable in the summer heat). Throughout the walk, I started to become acutely aware of how my exposed legs were drawing attention (I actually thought I heard an old, geezy man letting out a sigh). Feeling increasingly conscious, I withdrew an emergency scarf from my bag and transformed it into a makeshift knee-length skirt.

My advice, go conservative. Respect the local culture and cover up! This means, wear something that reaches your knee at the very least, and a sleeveless top as your maximum exposed limbs. Cleavage - don't even go there!

To enter the mosques, you need to be fully covered - long sleeves, long pants, the whole works - and a headscarf to cover your hair. No biggie if this slips your mind, cause at the entrance of the mosque, scarves and long robes are provided at no extra charge for visitors.

These are some of the thoughtful little things I like about Istanbul. A far cry to Milan: we were queueing to enter the Piazza Duomo, I got a bit of a rude shock when I was told that my dress was too short (a couple of inches above the knee) and was refused entry. A bunch of opportunists then shoved an armload of colourful scarves in my face, hoping to cash in on my need (but we did not enter eventually).

Our trip was free and easy: we do try to plan our routes so we don't double up too much. It is not an easy feat, what with the various foodie spots we were keen to go!

The majestic Hagia Sophia. I stepped in and felt my jaw drop to the ground. And this with an entire wall covered in scaffoldings - the awe that would have inspired otherwise...

Strays lead a good life here. Bowls of cat food and water are put out for these ungrateful creatures. Dogs too, wander freely, even though it is a predominantly Muslim country. Something you'll never in Malaysia, sadly. Quite a mystery it is, with the vast number of strays in the city, we've not come across poop! (Paris, learn!)

And the Hagia Sophia at dusk...

Chomping on a simit - a Turkish bagel with sesame seeds - from a street side peddler. Various snacks are being sold by peddlers: roasted chestnuts, grilled whole corn (my fave!) and other baked goods.

The Blue Mosque:

The tall ceiling but low chandeliers are quite a sight. I can only imagine the hall filled with men in white robes.

And moving on to the Topkapi Palace.

We spent a good few hours exploring the palace/museum - do go and visit! My favourite is the kitchen quarters - studying how preparations were made, and the changing wares used through the times.

An epic quote from the palace: "During the Ramazan, the royal family refrained from using gold wares. Instead, yellow plates are used due to their resemblance to gold".

The Harem - such luxury!

Next stop: The Grand Bazaar. I am in love with this market!!!

Markets are my absolute favourite haunts in any city. Of course, not all of them are pleasant. Some can be downright nasty, while some a total ripoff before you even step in. In Vietnam, we were harassed and practically bullied into buying goods! I've had some shopkeepers who had rattled to me in Vietnamese when I said I'll come back later. In contrast, Laos, the people are friendly without being pushy. European markets are more relaxed, some of the sellers look like they can't be too bothered whether you purchase or not!

The Grand Bazaar (and some photos may be from the Spice Bazaar) is a feast for the eyes, ears and nose. Intricate and high quality handicrafts, I have to say. I go all mad over the hand-painted ceramic bowls and plates! I bought 2 plates and a bowl - wish I had gotten more now! Then there is the copper coffee pots, pepper grinder, colourful glass lamps, ceramic wares, a billion types of spices, sweets... plenty to keep you busy poking your nose in!

Suleymaniye mosque

This mosque seems to be more low-key compared to the Blue Mosque. We sat for a bit at the tourists' section (the praying area for Muslims is a separate section), while enjoying the cool breeze.

Speaking of weather: the summer is warm, but not humid. In the shade, the breeze is a delight. But the sun is harsh, and can be uncomfortable. Pack a hat and slap on sunscreen!

All covered up for the mosques:

Exploring the Taksim Square in Beyoğlu. The streets are vibrant: live music, food vendors, decadent sweet shops (which we frequently popped in), antics of the ice-cream sellers..... there is constantly something going on!

We also did the Bhosphorus cruise, heh. I know, it all sounds very touristy, but hear me out on this. Some of the sights aren't possible to view through land, just like this photo below.

On the cruise, we were ushered to the top deck with at least 30 other tourists, including small children. We had to quickly grab our plastic chairs and parked them strategically for best viewing point (without having raindrops splashing on us, oh yeah, it rained). Loud, dance music blasted on the boat (strongly reminded me of the Andaman's Green Ocean, which blasted Indian dance hits, hehe) and occasionally, the tour guide speaks over the PA system in Turkish. Too funny!

Aaaand, there you go. By now I'm betting you're exclaiming, but there are no food photos! Blasphemy!

Indeed, that's cos Turkish food deserves a post of its own. That'll be up next!

Siem Reap - Recaptured

2016-06-19T14:55:00.002+08:00

Woot! It's been ages since I've penned any "recordings"! Blame that on a less-than-glamourous lifestyle of an aspiring baker/pastry chef...... On the other hand, I do have a number of drool-worthy photos. Which isn't going to help with waist size.

Sooo.

It's been a record of sorts - the longest I've been in one place. Usually, it's a different country every few weeks - not that I complained, mind you. I loved the idea of being whisked from one foreign city to the next. It's been 6 months now acting all normal, just another student's life. I think it's safe to say that I've had my fill of a stable, predictable few months.

A short break to Siem Reap is in order:

It was hot and muggy - off season. The upside is there are less tourists to be jostling space with. After a long nap (we departed from KL at stupid o'clock), we headed for a leisurely lunch before proceeding to temple-raiding around the Angkor Wat, Angelina Jolie style.

Temple ruins without much air flow on hot, muggy days are a sweaty combination - but great photo ops :)

Our strategy this trip was to get up really, really early (4:30am), trudge over to the temples, get some fabulous sunrise photos, trudge back to hotel and sleep through the afternoon before emerging sparkly-eyed for the evenings.

Outcome: this very pretty shot of the Angkor Wat in sunrise hues and a new moon just perched above the iconic temple.

Grand total of temples raided: 2.

Sorry to disappoint, we did spend a lot of time in the Angkor Wat, clicking away. A fact Vinnie lamented once we've set foot onto the Ta Phrom.

He refers Ta Phrom as the more 'exciting' temple. I was almost quite assured that this has nothing to do with Angelina Jolie.

No Recordings of Life is complete without its signature food photos, right? There ya go.

Lunch on our first day in Siem Reap - received good reviews online but it was too forgettable that I could not remember the name of the restaurant.

Flavours washed down to suit Westerner's tastebuds. Meh.

Spring roll and papaya salad starter.

Amok - was nice but lacking that je ne sais quoi?

Chicken green curry - was okay but not the best. I think we'll stick to local, roadside restaurants next time ;)

Damn shame, both times I was in Siem Reap was during the hot season. I do need to come visit in a more pleasant weather. Let me know what you think of the shots!