My Kaleidoscope

HK Boy Cart Noodles - Kepong

2017-07-14T16:50:00.001+08:00

This restaurant was first opened at Cheras, and has since become a hype, then it opened another at Kepong.

Well... After eating this, disappointment is the best word to describe my feelings. Maybe I had high expectation since everyone is talking about it. Other than the fried fish skin, egg waffle, cordiment-smoked duck and the ice milk tea are decent, the rest are just ....... hmmmm......

HK Boy Cart Noodles

79, Jalan Kepong, Kepong, 52100 Kuala Lumpur

Opium - Changkat Bukit Bintang

2017-07-14T16:07:00.000+08:00

It was a happy yet sad dinner because it was a farewell dinner for someone who is respectable, brilliant, diligent, unassuming, energetic, quick witted, versatile......

We ordered a whole lot of food... Overall the food was very tasty and the environment and ambience is very romantic... dark... we could hardly read the menu. There's live chinese classical music playing, it's a great evening chill out place but people may need to talk a little bit louder for others to hear because the music volume was abit too loud.

Scallop with Soya Glaze - RM12

Scallop was so fresh and yummyyyy....

Can't get enough of this...

Salt and Chili Squid - RM22

The squid was alright, but the chilis in the bowl were more than the squid.

Mango Salad with Softshell Crab - RM28

Softshell crab is always my favourite, especially when it was served hot.

Chicken Satay - RM20

What's this? I dont remember....

Cheese Samosa - RM15

Err.... This samosa.... nothing great... just ok.

Peppery Lamb Soup - RM18

This soup has super strong lamb flavour, contain lamb cubes, carrot, potato, local spices, coriander and fried shallots. Just nice for a sip or two, not too much because it's over empowering.

Angus Beef Rendang

Creamy Butter Prawns

Before I came here to eat, I went to check on what are the recommendation of this restaurant, and this dish - creamy butter prawns is one of most recommended dish to try and turned out it really didn't disappoint us.

Creamy Butter Prawns

Guinness Battered Halibut Fillet

When we first saw this on the menu, we weren't quite sure what is halibut, but looking at the word "fillet", must be fish we guess. lol. and yeah... it's fish and chips. Guess what... This is the most expensive main dish in the menu.

Curry Spaghettini with Salmon

Apple Lychee Mint & Mango Asam Boi

Apple Lychee Mint vs Mango Asam Boi. The winner is Mango Asam Boi!

Opium Ice Glass

The ever famous drink in this place. It's shaved ice with grass jelly, water chestnut, basil seeds, peanuts, corn, mung bean paste, coconut milk, gula melaka and also coconut ice cream. Although it's very rich and sweet, it's still a delicious cup of opium ice.

Menu:

Opium KL

50, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur

Phone: +603-2142 5670

Grand Seasons Hotel - Ramadhan Buffet Dinner

2017-06-01T23:07:00.000+08:00

I came here to join someone's farewell party, the most memorable food for the night was the satay. It was juicy and succulent, grilled to perfection, and the peanut sauce was awesome. Thinking about it make me craving more for the satay. Another "hotel satay" I had that was equally awesome was at The Gardens Hotel (Midvalley). Other than satay, the rest of the food served in the buffet was quite decent but not much variety and the area is not big.

We came here on the just because Ramadhan started. There were lots of beautiful local delights especially Malay foods and desserts.

Hwa Ga Korean BBQ - Solaris Mont Kiara

2017-05-22T16:57:00.000+08:00

We happened to pass by this restaurant and after looking at what they had to offer, we just walk in to give it a try. It's another meat day, a "Carnivore" day because with RM45++, we can enjoy the a-la cart buffet dinner. Yum yum...

Next time I'll choose the marinated meat over this. This meat has so much fat in it and because it's not marinated, it taste blend. I hope they would give leaner meat than this. Look at the fat!

The staff cook this for us at first, and the middle we took over the whole cooking process. Sometimes I think why are we paying money and still need to cook by ourselves? Why don't we just cook at home? Actually it doesn't matter really, it's not about who does cooking the matters, so long as we can still sit comfortably, it's about the companionship, to being able to have a meal with someone can be a great thing.

Another favourite of mine...squid. Never overcook the squid if not the texture will become as chewy as the chewing gum.

Yummy meat... this really taste like Chinese cuisine Char Siew, very well marinated.

We shouldn't have ordered the pancake, it's too filling for 2 person to share this because it's huge and most importantly it didn't taste great. It's took up way too much space our tummy.

I always love Korean spicy soup with egg, I enjoyed this except the cucumbers, way too much cucumbers......

I'm grateful for every meal I have, and grateful to be able to dine with someone.

Sky Avenue @ Genting & late lunch at Madam Kwan

2017-05-10T00:09:00.003+08:00

I spent one weekend at Genting and there was so much renovation going on. The newly opened Sky Avenue is another nice place to walk around during free time if feel like want to change place for shopping. All the shops are the same like any other shopping mall by the way, but it's so brand new, so it gives a really different high class feeling and lifts the mood.

The interior is modern and huge screens everywhere with soothing music playing in the background that give a very relaxing feeling. It was pleasant to walk around, It's simple, clean, modern and spacious.

New casino is opened here... alot of patrons are foreign tourists. Some people said this Sky Casino is like the Venetian in Macau... well, I don't know... it really has nice interior inside, especially the ceiling.

It's been years since I last visited Madam Kwan's restaurant. The impression of this restaurant to me is non other than 'expensive local food'. We thought of having something else, but need to line up at some of the restaurant, so we chose the one with no queues, we want a quick lunch because we're damn hungry.

Madam Kwan's brand Keropok ubi Kayu - RM4.90

Two packets of the tapioca chips are always places each table. I can't help but opened one of the pack to eat while waiting to be served.

There's only few pieces in a pack. It's a good snack still, I enjoyed it.

Here comes my curry laksa. The coconut based creamy curry and the robust flavour have satisfied my appetite. I wish they would give more curry and more supporting ingredients with such premium price :D

Nasi Bojari is still as tasty and aromatic like the first time I tried many years back.

Overall we enjoyed the food and the ambiance of the restaurant very much, but not going to visit again so soon because sometimes when thinking about having local food is like really common, and could get them anywhere, some even tastier. Nonetheless if spending for the ambiance and once a while just want to splurge on ourselves and family & friends, it's still worthwhile for a visit. Sometimes it's not about the place or food, it's about whom we have the meal with.

Hua Diao Lala Bee Hoon - Restoran Keng Nam Hai (Kepong)

2017-05-04T17:20:00.003+08:00

Lately I've found a new place for lunch. My friend recommended me to try this Siu Heng Wine LaLa Beehoon, and it turned out to be very pleasant and I was happy and satisfied to have had eaten this.

RM10 for 1 bowl with generous amount of clams/lala, and also alot of ginger. The broth is full with flavour of the clams' natural sweetness. I drank til the last drop.

I did notice those tiny black spots in the soup, maybe they didn't clean their pot well..., I don't know... and the ginger slices also abit burnt. Anyway, I finished'em all... everything except the shells and the ginger.

It's sold by one of the stall at the corner kopitiam at Metro Prima Kepong. Not to be deceived by the lousy looking stall, it sells very tasty noodle, located just behind OCBC bank of Jalan Kepong. I left the place happily after enjoying my meal and had better mood to continue my work. :D

Melting Pot Cafe - Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur

2017-04-17T16:04:00.001+08:00

I enjoy a peaceful weekend afternoon out with my favourite people. Having high tea buffet is one of the best options.

The food varieties at Melting Pot Cafe are not that extensive, but the taste of the food will not disappoint. I spent a good few hours here filling up my stomach until I reached my maximum quota. Good news is they are now having promotion 25% (Details are the bottom of the page).

Concorde Hotel is now having promotion:

25% DISCOUNT FOR A LA CARTE & BUFFET

It’s all 25% Discount for a la carte and buffet. From now till June 30, dine at Melting Pot Café and tuck into our all time faves like Hainanese chicken rice, mee mamak, nasi lemak or even a glass of frothy the tarik at special prices. Here’s a festive offer that’s too good to miss and before you know it we will have a brand new menu!

Terms & Conditions :
*Discount does not apply to alcohol and tobacco
*Offer is not applicable during festive promotions, eve and actual public holidays

Date	December 5 – June 30, 2017
Time	Outlet’s operation hours
Price	25% Discount for a la carte and buffet (T&Cs apply)
Location	Melting Pot Cafe

Morganfield's - Publika

2017-04-17T15:47:00.002+08:00

This is the place for whoever who loves meat, especially pork. I had so much pork here it made me feel like a carnivore.

Smoked peppercorn Spare Ribs (Half Slab) - RM54.90

These ribs were slow cooked with black pepper, but not really spicy. Served with red skin mashed potatoes and garden veggies.

Pork Should Chop - RM38.90

Succulent pork shoulder loin served with red skin mashed potatoes, garden veggies & homemade creamy mustard grain sauce. The meat is a bit tough though.

Overall it's a nice place for a relaxing evening with family and friends.

Next round I would like to try out the sharing platter.

Menya Musashi 麺屋武蔵 1 Utama

2017-04-17T15:29:00.002+08:00

It's been years since I last visited this restaurant. I didn't remember how good the food was when I first visited, I could only remember the staff was making all sorts of noise, it's like they were calling for their own special slogan, so loud and energetic, that makes them sound and look extraordinary.

However, this time I went, the staff were much quieter... :D

Ramen (shiroi) - RM27

Ajitama Ramen (Kuro) - RM25

The Ramen was delicious. The noodle was springy and mixed harmoniously in the thick, flavourful broth which had incorporated a variety of aromatics. Every mouthful was a real enjoyment.

Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory - Pavilion

2017-04-17T15:05:00.002+08:00

Ever since I came back from Korea, I had been craving for Korean fried chicken because I have tasted a really awesome fried chicken.

Fried chicken has always been a famous food in this modern society. It's a finger licking classic for all ages and it's a great food for any occasion and any time of the day. Chir Chir is restaurant chain originated from Korea which specializes in fried chicken and varieties of fusion korean dishes.

Crispy fried chicken (original) - RM49.90

This plate like this is one whole chicken which is perfect for 2 persons.

Spicy chicken topped with crispy garlic flakes - RM56.90

Having tried both original and spicy chicken, I personally preferred the original as the spicy chicken stronger in flavour and also saltier. Besides, original is crunchier and gives a delightful taste of the soft warm chicken meat.

The utensils provided to us to enjoy the meal.

Pure Heart Vegetarian 心灵之素

2017-04-12T15:53:00.001+08:00

I wasn't really a fan of vegetarian food until these recent years I have started to learn to appreciate vegetarian food and have been having vegetarian food quite often. Some of the restaurants are quite good, they can really bring out the best flavor of the raw ingredients.

Why do people drawn to eating vegetarian food these days? Some for religious reasons, some believe vegetarian is the basic for a healthier life, some just simply eat vegetarian food just because they like it. For whatever reason, vegetarian diet tends to consume less saturated fat and cholesterol, provided we are really eating more greens, coupled with a healthier way of food preparation, instead of choosing processed vegetarian products, which may not serve the point of the healthy vegetarian diet. For me, I just eat for the sake of eating.

This restaurant serves pretty decent food, and their menu has a lot of varieties from Asian style to Western fusion. The prices are reasonable too.

Deep Fried Enoki Mushroom - RM6.50

Deep fried enoki mushroom wrapped in popiah skin with a small slice of seaweed in it. It's a very tasty snack... nom nom...

Sigature Nasi Lemak with Curry Mutton - RM8.90

I think the proportion of rice to sambal is not balanced, there's too much rice but too little sambal. I hope they give more generously on the sambal, look at the small pitiful amount of sambal, it didn't even enough to eat with half of the rice there. Taste wise is not bad for vegetarian food standard.

Vegan Fish head Noodle - RM8.90

Many patrons who came here would order this fish head noodle. Decent vegetarian style and it's quite big bowl and surely can fill the stomach and feel full for the next couple of hours.

Healthy Salad Popiah - RM6.90

One pieces is never enough for this popiah, it's crunchy from outside out. A simply perfect popiah snack.

Signature Burger - RM8.00

This burger is nice, just that you know Asian likes to eat with of sauce... I just hope they give more sauce.

Overall it's a good place for lunch and dinner. I'm going to be a regular here. :D

Address: 3, Jalan Seri Utara, One Selayang, 68100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Phone: +60 3-6241 2910

Close on Wednesday.

Phua Chu Kang and Friends

2017-04-12T12:16:00.004+08:00

Sometimes life so stressed we need to have somewhere that allow us to destress and forget about all the nonsense temporarily.

So I went to watch Phua Chu Kang's live comedy show at HGH Convention Centre located at Sentul.

Last time I used to watch his comedy on the TV, it's been years now and I can't believe this show is still alive, this time is "live". and this year Phua Chu Kang comedy will be celebrating 20th anniversary.

I thought I was going to be late because it says the show will start at 7pm. Ironically it's a norm / culture to be late, the show didn't start at 7pm, it dragged til almost 8pm.

This is the cheapest ticket (RM162). Seating was pretty far behind, almost near to the exit and only popcorn was given for free. (1 free popcorn for 1 ticket).

There were other finger food and drinks available for purchase outside the hall. I bought the coconut water and regretted it big time because it tastes super weird, doesn't taste like coconut at all. >.<

Enjoying my popcorn while waiting for show to start. I managed to finished them all before the show starts.

Here comes the funny guy. When he first came out, the hall's atmosphere came alive at once as the famous Phua Chu Kang music started playing. All of his jokes involved audiences, at the meantime, he could give out backstage passes to those who were sporting enough to go on the stage and have a fun time with him. I had a good laugh, really. However, he shared the stage with a couple of his friends, where they took turns to come on stage to put on their show. I think Phua Chu Kang's part simply wasn't enough.

There was a performance by a local artist like warm-up performance - Kael and the Gangster Squad. I'm not sure who is he, and no one was paying much attention to him because everyone was waiting for the main character of the night. Nevertheless, Kael had put a good effort in this show for the that night. It was like his own mini concert. When the whole Phua Chu Kang & friends show came to an end, Kael came out to sing again, but this time no one really cares because everyone was leaving the hall:O. I feel a sense of compassion for him and so I guess he deserved abit of shout out, so out of curiosity I wanted to find out who is this guy.

Who is Kael?

I went on to google and found his facebook page.

Here's his facebook page... https://www.facebook.com/officiallykael/

OK, apparently he is a local singer who has release his own debut Malay single.

See you again ....

Goon Wah Restaurant - Opposite Atria

2017-03-14T23:16:00.000+08:00

I had been to Goon Wah Restaurant at Kuchai Lama many times and this was the first time I tried at PJ. The fish taste good, it's delicious , it's fresh, but the soup was abit too sour as compare to the one at Kuchai Lama. When I dined at Kuchai Lama, I loved the soup so much I would keep on asking for more soup, but here, the soup is too sour...... how to drink more... :(

The chicken wings are as awesome as the one at Kuchai Lama. Very yummy... I love it. I always want to return to this restaurant near Atria because it's nearer but when thinking about the soup is so sour, I will hesitate abit. :(

Claypot XO Fish Head Noodle

Fried Guiness Stout Chicken Wings

Johnny Rockets - The Curve

2017-02-21T17:27:00.002+08:00

Wanted to try this for a long time, but after I have tried it once then............

It was an expensive and average dining experience. Food taste average, drinks is quite good though.

hmm....

Swenson's Sunway Putra

2017-02-21T17:14:00.000+08:00

It's time to eat again...

Spicy Seafood Pasta with Grilled Scallops - MYR 27.90

Pasta is decent, I think it can be better.

Creamy Mushroom - MYR13.70

Very tasty and creamy mushroom, combination with the bread is perfect. The bread crust is crunchy, and dip it into the soup give a different kind of food enjoyment.

Banana Crumble - MYR29.90

Nice to watch and feel the heat when the staff poured the caramel onto the banana crumble which is topped with ice cream.

Banana Crumble - MYR29.90

But I guess apple crumble would taste better.

But it's nice to try something new.

Little Penang + Kyochan 1991

2017-02-21T17:01:00.001+08:00

Recently my life revolves around food, here's some I had... don't know when...

~Little Penang ~

Mee Jawa - one of my favourite, but the quality sometimes ok, sometimes not so.

Prawn Mee - OK

Fried Kuey Teow - OK

Nowadays Korean fried chicken has become like the hit food in town. More and more Korean fried chicken house is opening up. I tried the Kyochan 1991, they offers set come with rice and drinks.

The Fried chicken is juicy and taste wise is decent , just that kinda oily (it's fried of course is oily), but I think it's like a little bit oilier than usual...

All in all, not bad...yum yum.

Serai @ Jaya Shopping Centre

2017-02-21T16:53:00.000+08:00

Spent a yummy Saturday afternoon at this quiet and classy Thai - Western fusion restaurant - Serai.

Forgot what's the name of this chicken.... doesn't matter, it's nice anyway, it's tender and taste mild.

Tom Yam Chicken - RM9

Clear soup type tom yam, fiery sour spicy.

nice hanging lights

Salon Du Chocolat At Publika

2016-12-29T16:10:00.001+08:00

What a perfect place for chocolate lover.

Yes, it's sinful, it's fattening, and has high calories, but it's simply irresistible....

I had this pancake topped with milk chocolate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Every mouthful is a luxurious melting moment, so smooth and soothing. It's undeniable that chocolate is a food of comfort that give us a great of contentment.

I could taste a slight bitter sweet sugary taste of cinnamon. It tastes just fine as it doesn't over empowering.

Three fountains of dark, milk and white welcome us as we stepped in. Then bid us a Bitter sweet farewell.

Anyway, I am coming back soon for more.

Lijiang - Charming and Fascinating

2015-12-21T17:11:00.000+08:00

Before this trip, I have not heard about Lijiang before, and had no idea about the existence of the place.

I'm totally taken away by the beautiful scenery, such as the ancient towns, the rich cultural experience, the natural landscape, the river, lakes and mountains. Here is where I could totally forget about the annoying city life, fully indulge and enjoy the warm sunshine despite the cold weather, a healing adventure that one can never forget.

The charm of Lijiang is still not very well known to the outside world, still awaiting to be explored. I think this place shouldn't be missed by anyone who loves to take photos.

~Jade Water Village (Yu Shui Zhai)~

The water stream here is the main sources for the Lijiang river. This is the place where the Naxi ethnic group worship the Goddess of Nature .

view of the Jade Water Village

Inside the pool there are tonnes and tonnes of Salmon fish.

salmon fish... some are in gold colour too

wind chimes with wooden plaques

thousands of wooden plaques hanging

water flowing down

The water from the upper stream can be consumed. Apparently the water is holy and pure and can is good for health.

~Dong Ba Wan Shen Yuan~

This is an interesting place. From the entrance, it looks like a typical ethnic group village, but from inside is the window to the beautiful world

Entrance

The wall full of ancient arts

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain behind

some wooden houses at the side of the compound

Most beautiful view here.

The road to heaven

~Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Snow Mountain)~

Before we continue to the mountain scenic area, we had our lunch at this restaurant. The restaurant is very crowded, the line is super long to get our food. It was a buffet lunch but the choices are limited, it's more like a mixed rice buffet lunch, just fill my plate with the dishes that I want to eat. I wouldn't want to go back queue up again.

Here's my lunch of the day. Doesn't look great but edible, the peanuts were nice, the crackers were tasteless, the corns were fine, overall is just OK.

my mixed rice buffet lunch

After done with lunch, the way to take the cable car up to the foothill is amazingly beautiful, the entire mountain as the background.

Small pone nearby, very calm and beautiful

Even the trees and the grass are so nicely maintained. Felt so happy and relaxed to be here.

I fell in love instantly with beauty of Lijiang

Already reached the foothill via cable car.

Enjoy the nature

The wooden path for visitors to walk on to get a closer view and enjoy the surroundings.

Untouched beauty of nature

At the foothill - so close yet so far

Wild life near the foothill

Next time I had the chance to come again, I would definitely go up to experience the glacier, the view surely is more magnificent and memorable.

~Blue Moon Valley~

It is called Blue Moon Valley because of the crescent shaped of the valley and the water is blue colour on a sunny day, which look like a blue moon on the foot of Yulong Snow Mountain.

This place is also known as the mini version of Jiuzhaigou. The mini version is already so super breathtaking, I could really imagine how amazing Jiuzhaigou is. Haven't been this close to nature for a long time, all the time spent on the journey are well worth.

I was stunned to see this. Felt to thankful to be here. <3

the clearest, bluest water

The flawless blue waters were so inviting

amazing view

so clean, so pure...the water is so clear can see straight to the bottom

a mini waterfall, again with the snow mountain in the background

~Shuhe Old Town~

The Old Town is smaller scale as compared to Lijiang Old Town. The atmosphere is slow in the sense that it is very relaxing and quiet.

Interesting thing I saw... water plants in the super clear water drain.

I felt this pony looks sad ;(

~Black Dragon Pool~

Black Dragon Pool is actually a park, if the weather is good, the snow capped mountain's reflection can be seen in the water.

~Old Town of Lijiang~

In the old town of Lijiang, there are rows and rows of shops selling souvenirs and food. It's abit touristy, but definitely pleasurable to stroll along the streets, see the locals, shop, drink and eat.

As compared to Shuhe Old Town, this place is more happening and lively.

There was a flower exhibition. Lucky me again...

full bloom

beautiful flowers blooming along the street

Two days in Lijiang wasn't enough at all. There are so much to see and explore, so many places need to be spent more time on to truly enjoy. One more amazing place not covered in this trip is Lugu Lake, a beautiful high altitude lake.

It's been weeks now, I am still blown away by the sheer beauty of Lijiang.

Shangri-La County of Yunnan - Eden in Dream

2015-12-17T23:41:00.000+08:00

~Potatso (Pudacuo) National Park 普达措国家公园~

I have heard many times how scenic Shangri-la County is. (NOT the Shangri-la Hotel LOL), so I was really excited to witness this pristine paradise on earth.

It was a freezing morning when we reached here, the temperature was only -3 °C . The visitors especially from low altitude area are advisable to get oxygen tank because this park is located at a high altitude of above 3000 meters above the sea level, and when travelling on the way up, some part of the journey is even beyond 4000 meters.

Get the entrance ticket here

The entrance ticket also include the shuttle bus ride to tour around the area. (I had a tough bus ride due to motion and altitude sickness)

It looks sunny but it was super cold because of the high altitude. Here is where I found the purest of nature amid the pollution and civilization around us. Everyone can feel the joy of taking a deep breathe of cooling fresh air.

the leaves just starting to change colours

A sign showing the whereabouts of the area

Overlooking the Bita Lake, an amazingly unspoilt paradise on earth.

nature view 1

nature view 2

Some water plants in the lake

We went on a ferry ride instead of taking the wooden walkway which saved us an hour to reach the rest station. If I were to go there again, I would take a slow walk to enjoy the scenic view.

Short ferry cruise ride

On the ferry, there were seats inside but I'd prefer to go up the deck and enjoy the cold breeze and nature around.

standing on the deck of the ferry

Blue sky, sunshine, calm water, inviting natural landscape, fresh air......

view around seen from the ferry

I can't get enough of this moment <3 <3 <3 super love this!!!

view around seen from the ferry 2

Last part of the tour, we got closer to the wild species on the lush meadow.

nature view 1

nature view 2

wild horses seen from far

Don't know why, but all the animals are black .

Cows are everywhere

close up of the high altitude cow

The animals go closer to the humans because the visitors have been feeding them! Now they are always here waiting to be fed.

LOL... the cow gets to the entrance

Piggie also!

piggie was also here

The area is huge, I believe there are much more to explore, but due to time constraint, we only had the time to see the must see. I will be back here if I had the chance in the future <3

~Tiger Leaping Gorge~

Tiger leaping gorge is the most looking forward place and may be the one of my main reason of the trip. This day came finally. This is part the most spectacular of the famous Yangtze River

stop by to snap a few picture before continuing the journey

back view of the Jade Snow Dragon Mountain

Introduction to the area

The water is calm at the part of the river. ≧◔◡◔≦

Yangtze River

Then it starts to get ferocious ≧❂◡❂≦ ≧❂◡❂≦

Be prepared for some physical exercise to get a closer view, one needs to go down 600 staircase, then again climb 600 steps to go up to where you get down from. ↁ_ↁ However, there are option available. There are people to carry the visitors down and up again, for a cost of RMB200. These workers are only allowed to carry people a maximum of 3 times a day to ensure they won't get overly exhausted to carry out this important task, and crucial part is to ensure no one gets hurt.

What I can say is ... this is 100% worth every step I took. I had so much expectation in this place, and I wasn't disappointed at all.

That was a lucky, it wasn't crowded at all in a late October. The water wasn't ferocious enough yet. The thundering waters effect is even greater during the rainy season. But still, this is a pleasant experience. ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ

The famous piece of rock in the canyon. There was a legend says tigers used this rock as a stepping stone to leap from one side to the other.

This huge stone is where the tiger usually leaping to cross the river

Can it get more exciting? The flowing water is rushing real fast. (〃^∇^)ﾉ

Scenic view 1

Scenic view 2

Enjoying every bit of it ┏(＾0＾)┛┗(＾0＾) ┓

scenic view 3

It is one of the world heritage and national park of China.

This day was well spent and very fruitful. Being a city person, I haven't had much chance to get so close to the nature and realised there is so much more to see in this world. This has been a really wonderful memory for myself.

Dali Ancient City

2015-12-13T01:03:00.000+08:00

Continuing from where I left, after I left Kunming, the journey continued to Dali. I wasn't expecting to see anything exciting since it was already late in evening when I reached there. When we turn in a road, there was a pleasant surprise... there was a super-sized biggest brightest full moon I ever saw. It doesn't look great on the photo :P, but the whole scene is printed in my memory, so mesmerizing.

super full moon over the Erhai Lake

~N Hotel Dali~

We checked into a pretty cool hotel - N-Hotel Dali, a funky boutique hotel with modern futuristic concept with a traditional chinese garden around.

N Hotel - bedroom - not well lit at night

N Hotel - night view outside 1

N Hotel - night view outside 2 ~ there is place for people to gather for a few shots

N Hotel - outside the room is a small Chinese garden

Outside the room is an open area, it will get kind of noisy in the morning when people pulling their luggage over the cobblestone road.

N Hotel - outside the room

N Hotel

~Tian Long Ba Bu Film Studio~

This is a fun place we dropped by the next morning. This is a not any ancient city, it's just a fake city built for the TV series filming purposes. It imitates the Dali downtown streets during the Song Dynasty. I have not this drama before but it was still interesting to step in there.

main entrance - view from outside

entrance - view from inside

a broken piece of stone telling what this title of the story means

another view from inside

some sort of vehicle used for war

a huge piece of imperial edict

criminal carriage - saw this alot of times on tv... lol

not sure who is this pretty lady

walked through this enter the 'imperial palace'

'ancient' door handle

I really like the blue sky and the hills around.

this place is surrounded by range of hills

Here is fake palace - nothing interesting here.

'imperial palace'

costume jewelry sold here

toy swords are available too

Haha... there was a free show of how ancient people getting a husband for their daughter.

receiving the imperial edict from the officials

the bride is pretty

~Dali ancient city~

Dali ancient city is one of the top scenic spot in Dali. Unfortunately the whole time spent there was quite wasteful as this old city is too commercialised.

entrance ticket for Dali ancient city

Dali is known as city producing lots of silver, be it silverware or jewelry.

workers working on the silver

very diligently carving the piece of silver

As we walked along the streets, we noticed most shops selling the same thing, silver, shawl, textiles... things get a little bit boring as we walked on.

row of shops in the ancient city

some of the silverware displayed infront of the shop

Some of the weird stuff Chinese people enjoy eating...

wanna have some exquisite food?

Although it's very commercialised, it still remained authentic

walking along the street

... Still giving good impression of the past... feel not bad at all walking around on a cooling late morning.

ancient city view

Another kind of weird food... fried milk piece. I didn't like it.

street food in ancient city

Overall, Dali hasn't much interesting places to offer. It is only good for a short stop by while on the way to Shangri-la County.

Kunming 昆明, the City of Spring

2015-12-07T00:38:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I traveled for holiday, This time I traveled to Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province in China. This would be the second time I traveled to China after spending a holiday some years back in Beijing.

In Yunnan, there are three main things to experience.

1. Mountain - comprise significant landscape of the province.

2. Water - surround by river valleys, rivers run through most part of the land

3. Rich local culture - there are 50 over minority ethnic group in China, and over 90% is in Yunnan.

View from the plane, so awesome, all I saw was series of mountains

After about 4 hours flight, we finally touched down. The Kunming Airport is not bad at all.

Kunming Changshui International Airport

~Stone Forest 石林~

The first place I have visited is the Stone Forest. To save some energy so that can walk further today, hop onto a battery car is a great option to get the park entrance (3km from the ticket booth to the entrance)

At the battery car stop

The ride was about 2~3 minutes, the car has got no windows, so it's fun and refreshing as the cold breeze blowing over me.

These blooming flowers at the park entrance welcomed the visitors.

We need not walk far to get a picturesque view, just a few steps away from the entrance, already able see this beautiful lake.

Just like the name of the place, Stone Forest, here we can see the most miraculous natural phenomenon karst formation. This is said to have begun taking shape around 270 milion years ago and was once under the ocean. With the movement of the earth crust, the land rose and broke through. The limestone left behind went through the harshest weather and earthquakes, finally developed into the beautiful stone forest.

Stones everywhere... the size is super huge

Started exploring the area...

Need to be cautious here, this area is large and like a maze if took the wrong way.

The local people called this piece of rock the evil rock. No one knows if this rock would ever fall, but the myth says it would fall on people who have done bad evil things.

Awesome view from the top ヾ(＠＾▽＾＠)ﾉ

A group of "Ashima" dancing. Ladies of the Yi ethnic minority group is known as Ashima, which means pretty lady who shines. Men are called Ah Hei Ge (literally means black guy), for Yi ethnic group, men who have black skinned are more hardworking and be relied upon, where as those who have fairer skin are deemed to be lazy.

Never ever call the ladies there as "xiao jie", it is considered very rude. If they were being called "xiao jie" either they will scold you or ignore you.

Don't know what kind of plant is this, is this edible? lol.

This are the handicraft items from the ethnic minority group.

Bottle gourd with face :D

I love the grass... I feel like wanna roll myself in the green green grass

Everywhere is so scenic

So relaxing and peaceful <3 <3

Lake in stone forest

Another shot of the stones before we get to the next stop... Jiu Xiang Scenic Area

~Jiu Xiang 九乡风景区~

In the morning I saw stones; in the afternoon I saw stones again, but in another form - caves. In this area, there are over 100 karst caves of different sizes. Jiu Xiang has the biggest cave clusters in China, it has the greatest number of limestone caves and one of the most wonderful in-caves scenery. Jackie Chan's movie - The Myth, was filmed here too.

The main entrance

Entrance Ticket RMB120

Before we enter the cave, we went for a boat ride to see a short section of the gorge.

Getting ready for the boat ride

cruising through the water

the name of the small valley

Just a short ride, now only the real journey started. It takes about 1-2 hours to complete the whole cave tour. One thing awkward this tour is it let you enjoy first then hardwork later. There is an elevator for us to get down, but when getting out the caves, there are 300 overs steps to climb up. <('o'<)

walking in now

As we were walking in, it was so cooling.

Well constructed walkway above the river.

Inside already, no more sunlight

An interesting fact that I learned. There used to be river flowing in this caves. Later don't know how many thousand million years, the river flow changes its course and left behind many different caverns.

At a large area in the cave ヽ(〃＾▽＾〃)ﾉ

There are many travetine terraces, known also as fairy's paddy fields. So excited to see these. (*・∀・*)人(*・∀・*)

fairy's paddy fields

One of the main attraction of the cave - the twin waterfalls, which cascade to the terraces. One of the scene of the movie "The Myth" was shot here, where Jackie Chan did some stunts here.

More Fairies Paddy Fields...

The water cascade to one of the largest terrace pool

More pleasant surprise while I was climbing up the 300+ steps, this is beyond imagination. For people who don't want to walk up the stairs, they can choose to pay to get guys to carry you up.

It was super tiring but very well worth it!
After getting out from the caves, we have to take the cable car to exit. Getting on and off the cable car was abit thrilling though.

It was a short ride but fun. (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

Shangrila-Dynamic Yunnan

After a long day, we went for a show "Shangrila-Dynamic Yunnan" at the National Centre for the Performing Arts - Opera House.

The performance exhibits essence of the classifcal folk dances of the Yunnan ethnic minority.

Dance of the moonlight #1

Dance of the moonlight #2

Yi Ethnic Group performing

Peacock Dancer

All the performers on stage

Grand View Pavilion 大观楼

This is a park located in the suburb of Kunming. There was Chrysanthemum flower exhibition and we were lucky the flowers were still blooming. (◠△◠✿)

mid autumn chrysanthemum

More flowers....

The Grand View Pavilion building. At both side of the entrance, there were the longest couplets of 180 characters written by a scholar during the Qing Dynasty. Apparently it describes the beautiful natural scenery, the history of Yunnan and the expression of thoughts and frustration of the writer.

closer view of grand view pavilion

The lake infront of the Grand Pavilion

the lake

full view of the 3 storeys pavilion

cotton candies

bing tang hu lu - candied snack fruits

Pool of waterlilies, but unfortunately they are withering already (◡﹏◡✿)

Flower appreciating session ❀‿❀❀‿❀❀‿❀

flower shot #1

flower shot #2

flower shot #3

flower shot #4

flower shot #5

flower shot #6

Some cute stuff...

peacock?

not sure if this is a horse ?

elephant obviously ﾍ(￣▽￣*)ﾉ

It was also nearing Halloween, so the flower show is coupled with some Halloween feel.

spider web everywhere

spider crawling on flowers

That's about it with Kunming, next stop is Dali where I saw the biggest moon everrrrrrrrrrrr...

＼(▽￣＼(￣▽￣)／￣▽)／

Leaf & Bean Cafe ~ Kepong

2015-11-08T23:57:00.000+08:00

One day I tagged along with friends to a warm and lovely neighbourhood cafe at Kepong area - Leaf & Bean. Looking from outside, I thought it was only selling drinks, I didn't know it serves food as well. The interior is pretty funky and simple with a little bit mixture of Chinese Japanese feel as well as a sense of spookiness of the green lighting showcasing some anime and cartoon characters display.

There is quite corner behind the displays if ones need more private moment and want to be remained unnoticed.

inside the cafe

where the drinks were made

The drinks very yummyyyyyyy..... There are a wide variety of choices for drinks, the prices range from RM6++ to RM8++. If want to add toppings like aloe vera, red bean, pudding, grass jelly, etc... then need to top up RM1. Really quite tasty and refreshing, can fight with other more well known brands, if wanna try something different, there is another choice now, especially for Kepong people.

Smoothes Mountain Green Tea (RM7 for Regular) & Wintermelon Tea (RM7.50 for Regular)

Strawberry Au Lait (RM7 for Regular) & Hazelnut milktea

Mini Pork Patty were quite OK also, these are ground or minced meat rolled together. The size is slightly bigger than the regular fish ball.

Mini Pork Patty (RM8.50)

Hawaiian Burger Deluxe come with choice of either pork or chicken. We had the burger with pork patty. With grilled pineapple ring, egg, pork patty, fries and some vegetables, topped with special made sauce, make it a good combination.

Hawaiian Burger Deluxe (RM17.50)

Boneless chicken thigh marinated with paprika, garlic, salt and pepper and grilled until golden texture then served. There a few choices for the sides, like mashed potato, fries, white rice, potato wedges etc... The meat is quite tender and juicy. I hope they give more sauce for the mashed potato.

Mexican Grill Chicken Chop with Cajun Sauces (RM17.50)

Mommy Secret Receipt's Chicken Burger...Receipts??? Obviously there's a typo error on the menu, sound like it should be recipe rather than receipt, lol. The chicken patty is dipped with bread crumb and deep fry. The sauce is tasty, it matches perfectly with the chicken patty.

Mommy's Secret Recipe Chicken Burger (RM18.50)

Most of the time, restaurants that are serving dishes with fish fillet will use dory fish, no exception here. This dish needs 20 minutes of preparation, the fish fillet is baked with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, plus stir fried garlic and butter. The flavor and aroma of the cheese is quite pleasant especially the toasted cheese, it's even more flavourful, but it can be abit salty because of the amount of cheese, so if can eat this with rice would great.

Oven Cheese Baked Fish Fillet (RM21.50)

There are a number of choices of desserts available, from shaved ice desserts to cakes. The durian shaved ice is quite flavourful

This cafe is a one place for all, for beverage, meals and desserts, the food quality is commendable and did not fail to deliver despite being very Asian style trying to go Western.

Money Changers in town

2015-10-21T17:25:00.002+08:00

2015 is the year I check the money changer exchange rate most extensively (check the rates almost daily), the main reason being Ringgit hit a new record low, that has impacted so much on people's life. Almost everyday I hear people complaining about the rate especially parents who have children who are currently studying overseas, but for me, I just want to get the best rate to buy some foreign currencies for travelling purpose.

These are the sites of money changer around KL which I find useful.

E-Globex @ Kepong, Berjaya Times Square, Puchong, Cheras

http://www.e-globex.com.my/rates.php

My Money Master @ Midvalley Megamall, KL

http://www.moneymaster.com.my/

Vital Rate @ Pavilion, KL

http://www.vitalrate.com/

Yusul @ Tesco Village Kepong

http://www.yusulmoneychanger.com/

Jalinan Duta @ KL Sentral , Bukit Bintang
http://www.jalinanduta.com/flag.php

Keep going keep going! Fighting! Fighting!

2015-08-16T00:45:00.003+08:00

Life ain't easy. Yes... no one says it's easy. Good things could turn bad, negative energy is everywhere and it weaken the soul and making our body sick, so we need more positive energy to fight them, and now is the time to make life a little cuter... to comfort the poor souls of mine or ... maybe yours...

credit to chibird <3 great art work