Bangkok is not just well-known for the congested traffic (on the road) during the peak hours, but also another type of transportation that gives the hectic jam (in the canal); Yes… the canal that full with boats.

Located about 100km southwest away from Bangkok, there is this most famous floating market – Damnoen Saduak Floating market in Ratchaburi Province. On the way back to Bangkok (from Hua Hin), we had this little small sight-seeing activity here.

Boarding up onto the “speed” boat and be ready to get tan if you are taking the most front seat.
The boat itself can accommodate 4 passengers; it costs us about 3600 baht for a boat after negotiating with them. Our boat took us to a few stops – temple, main attraction of the floating market, and finally, a souvenir-shopping-centre.

If you wish to save on the boat fare, you could always check out this type of manual boat.

or this that can fit more than 4 passengers…

Along the journey…

One get to see the Houses by the canals; their way of living…

First stop, stopped by at this temple, prayed and headed for a bowl of hot piping kuey teow nearby the temple.

Priced at 20 baht. Brimmed with lots if ingredients.

and then there we were…

Countless merchants paddled along the congested canals with their canoes laden with fresh fruits and vegetables; food, spices and souvenirs; selling to the customers on the bank or on the boats/canoes.

The way to make purchase from the bank.

Of course, you could bargain but don’t expect to get the price down a lot (especially on the souvenirs).

The sexy beast

Moving to the souvenir-shopping-centre, the tourists get to check out the coconut candy making process and have a hands-on experience on it.

Lots of souvenirs to choose from but i ended up with empty-hand

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
To get here: travel from Bangkok via Thonburi Paktoh Highway to Samut Songkhram Town, follow the sign to Damnoen Saduak (Highway No. 325)

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Officially unveiled on the 20th of April at The Gardens in Mid Valley, the SOUNDFORM Fluid bar was designed by renowned architect and interior designer Philip Michael Wolfson for Glenmorangie, and inspired by the sonograph reading of the sound of Glenmorangie whisky being poured into a crystal glass.

The SOUNDFORM Fluid was an evocative sight. Its bold jagged edges are covered in a black aluminium finish on the exterior, while the golden orange interior, which mimics the colour of Glenmorangie, is lit up to create an aesthetic, visual counter balance. Complementing the stunning display was commentary by Glenmorangie Malaysia’s Brand Manager, Michael Tan, who explained the concept that sparked the creation of the “Unnecessarily Well Made” SOUNDFORM Fluid bar.

“The SOUNDFORM Fluid is an awe-inspiring representation of the brand’s philosophy on ‘Unnecessarily Well Made’. It is a creative showcase and extension of the philosophy behind Glenmorangie’s deliciously complex single malt whisky brought into being.”

“Philip Michael Wolfson has always brought on a tremendous complexity to his work that pushes the boundaries of design. His design philosophy exactly mirrors our philosophy with the birthing of a standout custom made bar showpiece created through the distillation of the sound of a pour of Glenmorangie. From the outset, while the bar may look like a twisted form of metal; but it is truly the meticulous attention to detail and the spirit of innovation that has went into the formulation of the final showpiece that serves as a perfect tribute to the whiskey that birthed it,” Tan said.

with the forever gorgeous Ciki…

And what’s Glenmorangie single malt whisky?! Do check it out over here!

“It is the superiority of the ingredients: local spring water from its own Tarlogie spring and locally grown Scottish barley, combined with the skill of the craftsmen who follow the same time honoured approach that the company has used throughout its long history, results in Glenmorangie’s smooth spirit of distinction,” explained Glenmorangie Ambassador Ben Ng too, who conducted an informal whisky tasting session that evening.

And well, the night went on with party all night long in Vertigo, featuring US DJ duo Manufactured Superstars ….

“Unnecessarily Well Made” Glenmorangie

Since 1946…

One of the very old taste (古早味)… Lian Bee Hokkien Mee 联美福建面

Tucked in a back alley in between buildings, there is this stall that serves great plates of Hokkien Mee. Operating for more than 60 years, they are still serving plates of Hokkien Mee in the traditional way which is stir-frying by using charcoal fire.

Pork meat soup 肉饺汤 wowed my heart. Very flavourful bowl of soup; the pork slices were lightly coated with corn flour, smooth and tender and served with lots of greens in the soup. A tummy warmer it was.

One of their signatures – Hokkien Mee
Looking glossy in dark soy sauce; the plate of noodles was tossed with real wok hei. The secret weapon in the noodles?! That will be the handful of lards that were deep fried and stir-fried with the noodles. I couldn’t stop myself from munching the crackly crunchy lards; the aromatic moment was unforgettable. And I did find it better than the other one.

Hokkien mee suah was quite a special one. The mee suah was coated in dark colour too (as usual, that’s the hokkien style); soft but not too mushy, there were still texture in between each strand of mee suah. Next time, I am going to try out their mee hoon as I was told that they used quality imported mee hoon which is very unique in terms of texture!

His efforts in serving a good plate of Hokkien Char…

Lian Bee Hokkien Mee
Lorong 1,
Jalan Cheng Lock
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 019-335 9203

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“Unnecessarily Well Made” Glenmorangie – the complex single malt whisky; layered with multi layers of flavours that stimulate the senses and tempt the palate.

This single malt whisky obtains its flavour from the wooden casks used in maturation. Many of Glenmorangie’s bespoke casks are made from white oaks grown on the Ozark Mountains in Missouri, USA. They are grown slowly over 100 years and seasoned naturally in the open air for two years to preserve their porous texture. These casks are only used twice in order to ensure the optimal amount of flavour is extracted into the whisky.

While there are many perfectly good single malt whiskies made in shorter stills, the Glenmorangie Distillery utilizes swan-necked stills that are the tallest in Scotland. Glenmorangie stills stand at a dizzying sixteen feet, ten and one quarter inches (5.14m) high.

The superiority of the ingredients – local spring water from its own Tarlogie spring and locally grown
Scottish barley, combined with the skill of the craftsmen who follow the same, time honoured approach that the company has used throughout its long history, result in a smooth spirit of distinction.

And not long ago, I had an opportunity to experience the “Unnecessarily Well Made” Glenmorangie here in Malaysia. Allow me to share my experience with you in the coming up post….

Mr. Siaw Kek Kwee, the founder of Siaw Kah Restaurant is generous to share his secret family recipes with all of us. Therefore, we get to enjoy their lip smacking hot soup at a very affordable price.

The signature – Siaw Kah Spicy Hot Soup 萧家辣汤 (RM 20; RM 10 per portion)
A very nutrient-enriched soup; it is believed to replenish the vital energy, improve blood circulation as well as keeping the body warm. Made with lots of ingredients such as Ginger slices, pepper, preserved vegetables, kampong chicken, pork belly, pork liver, pork kidney, and Chinese celery and spices of course.

Flavourful clear peppery hot soup that was soothing (yes, not spicy) and tummy warming; something me and my family loved. If you don’t fancy the offal, you could always ask to change for pork belly and/ or kampong chicken! As for us, we had everything mix in!

Spicy Pork Belly with Dried Shrimp 火爆肉 (RM 11 per portion)
Seductive pork belly that is hot, spicy and addictive; extra rice please!

Claypot “Hua Tiao” Chicken 花雕鸡 (RM 10 per portion)
Overdose with Chinese wine, it turned out to be extra fragrant.

Spring Roll 春卷 (RM 10)
Made with minced pork, radish slices, carrot slices, a bit of squid and spices; deep fried into golden brown. The outer skin was extra fragrance; the bit of squid gave an extra kick to the spring roll.

Vegetable (RM 7 for small portion)

Do take note that their spicy hot soup is always selling fast; drop by earlier to avoid disappointment especially during weekends! That’s what they told me.

Restaurant Siaw Kah
No. 274, Jalan Berjaya 9,
Taman Berjaya,
Sungai Chua,
43000 Kajang.
Tel: 03-8734 1087
Business hours:
Mon- Fri: 10am – 10pm
Sat – Sun: 9am – 10pm
Closed every two weeks, Tuesday

What’s that?!
That’s the Glenmorangie Orange Retro Funk Night at The Pool, KL!

As for the star of the night, that definitely goes to the fine single malt whisky.

Such a lovely evening with the fun crazy crowd and I couldn’t make my way over (due to the long working hours as well as long travelling hours the next day; so I had to give it a pass).

For those giving the Glenmorangie Orange Night a miss (like me, huhu), do check out another not to be missed opportunity to familiarize with all things ‘Unnecessarily Well Made’.

From 11 April to 1 May 2012, Glenmorangie’s SOUNDFORM Fluid bar will be showcased in the North Atrium of The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City. Whether you are a single malt aficionado, a fan of contemporary design, or just plain curious, be sure to head to The Gardens to catch the SOUNDFORM Fluid, which is a striking yet sculpturally functional illustration of Glenmorangie’s ‘Unnecessarily Well Made’ concept.

The greasiest ever.

Seriously, will you take it?

Photo credits to Broughtup2share

Ayam Special (RM 4)

It was a late evening/ night and ken brought us here for the sloppiest burger ever – the ultimate OM burger. Located here in Ampang Jaya, just right in front of the brightly lit 7-11 convenient stall; manned by this friendly OM (pak cik in Javanese).

Once we placed orders, pak cik will then grill the patties in the pool of margarine.

Same goes to the eggs and the buns and the sausages too (if you love having it in your burger)

Messy, messy and it’s messy everywhere.

The burger, layered with patties, onions, tomatoes, cabbages, eggs and cheese; heavily drenched with mayonnaise and chilli sauce and touched with pepper.

What so special about their burger?!
The burger was very flavourful and delicious, the patty was very juicy with a lil’ crispy edges and the bun was soaked up with all the juicy bits (or oil from the margarine) from the patty.

I would say, this is not just an ordinary street burger. And do forget about the greasiness while you are enjoying the burger. Eat first, and think later larrrr!

OM Burger
Lorong Kolam Air Lama,
68000 Ampang Jaya, Selangor
(In front of 7-11 Convenience Store)
Opens at night only from 8pm daily

Another hidden gem! Tucked behind the Viva Residency is this humble little bakery – Tommy Le Baker.

The settings and furniture are all very down-to-earth type, which reflects the personality of the owner.

The owner, Tommy who is passionate in sharing his hand-crafted bread and pastries with all of us, started up this bakery after years of living in France and mastering his skill there. His creations are 100% natural and created based on the nature of the ingredients; free from preservative as well as sugar too.

Different types of bread like the wholemeal bread, sourdough country bread, normand bread, grains and cereal bread, traditional French baguette, croissants, quiches and occassionally some sweet savouries are displayed on the counter.

Was here with Christine one day. Hot drinks for 2

Had the Chicken quiche (RM 8.30; additional RM 3 for cheese)
Perfectly baked quiche and we had it topped with cheese; served with fresh tomatoes. It was not overly creamy, something we loved and and and… generous in portion too.

Apple Pie (RM 9.50)
The apple puree was sweet and sourish; went great with the pastry crust. Best apple pie I have had so far.

I was eyeing on the baguette that sat on the counter but I ended up packing with fluffy soft bran sandwich loaf (RM 4.50). Very yummy to go with Nutella or butter or just hot from the toaster. 

Try Tommy Le Baker, if bread and pastries are your kind of thing.

Tommy Le Baker
B-LG-7, Viva Residency,
378, Jalan Ipoh,
51200 Kuala Lumpur.
Business hours:
Tues – fri: 10am – 8pm
Sat, Sun & Public Holiday: 10 am – 6pm
Closed on Mondays and some big days.
Tel: 03-4043-2546

After Donald & Lily’s and the porky Satay, we decided to hop over for an afternoon high tea.

Mille Crepe!

We screamed!!!
Yes, we were in need of a piece of sugary pastry and a cup of caffeinated hot drink to keep us awake (from the lack of beauty sleep and long journey we have traveled) in that afternoon.

Nadeje Patisserie is the place we were looking for the thousand layer crepe cake.

Cappuccino (RM 6.90)

Cafe Mocha (RM 8.90)

Cafe Vienna (RM6.80)

Vegetable Yakult (RM 9)

Original slice (RM 9)
Each layer of thinly crepe was covered with the velvety smooth custard and vanilla cream. Every forkful melted just right on the tongue. Creamy-licious!

Tiramisu (RM 9)
Strongly infused with coffee and made with mascarpone cheese from Italy.

Rum Raisin (RM 9)
Quite similar to the original version except there were the additional of preserved raisin in the Rum. and of all three I have tried, I fancy the original version the most.

Mango Tart (RM 9.90)
Custard cream pastry tart topped with lots of fresh mango. We found the mango tart was just so-so, and a little pricey too. Well, I still love their refreshing custard cream.

Monday blue?! Get a quick fix with a piece of mille crepe. A little bit of sugary stuff could cheer your moody Monday up! Nadeje is too far away?! You could always order one from Humble Beginning and share with the others. I have tried their French Vanilla and Peanut Butter Chocolate. Both of them were amazingly good and were intensified with the flavours.

Alright, time to run back to work… Ahhhh, hectic Monday

Nadeje Cafe Sdn. Bhd. Pahlawan
Lot UB051, 052 & 053,
Dataran Pahlawan Melaka,
Jalan Merdeka,
75000 Melaka.
Tel : +606 284 3469
Bussiness Hours: 10am-10.30pm

Nadeje Sdn. Bhd.
G-23 & 25, Jalan PM 4,
Plazza Mahkota,
75000 Melaka.
Tel : +606 283 8750

Tik… tok… tik… tok…

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Something sweet to cheer up on Monday??? That will be my favourite – Desserts!

Pick Me Up

A close to four months old desserts house; tucked here in the forever busy food hub Kuchai Entrepreneur Park. Unlike the other desserts houses that focus on only a type of desserts, Pick Me Up serves a variety of desserts as well as some light savoury snacks that fit for all.

Ice cream burritos – Mango or Banana (RM 5.50 per roll)
The pancake-burrito is filled with vanilla ice cream, crushed peanuts and choice of Mango or Banana. Something new and different to me; all of us love the banana one as we find banana was more compatible with the ice cream

Chilli Chic Quesadilla (RM 8.50)
Stuffed with Flavourful minced chicken

Chilli Fries (RM 8.0)
Minced chicken chilli with melted cheese on top and served along with fries. Savouries are great to go along with the sweet ones.

Fruity Tower (RM 12.90)
Pick Me Up’s signature dessert.
Layers of blueberry shaved ice, mango shaved ice and strawberry shaved ice were hold together by thin layers of vanilla ice cream. On the side were the toppings such as mango chunks, taro balls, pearls, and nata de coco. This dessert is designated for sharing and it can be shared among 3 to 4 persons. When having it, you could mash the shaved ice for the medley of flavours or have them flavours by flavours.

Taiwanese Tower (RM 12.90)
The Taiwanese version of Fruity Tower is something new on the menu!
Layered with glass jelly ice, palm sugar ice and soya milk ice at the bottom; thin layers of red bean are sandwiched in between the ice. The sides consist of barley, taro balls, sweet potato balls and pearls. A very innovative idea it is, from the simple normal bowl of Taiwanese desserts to this Taiwanese Tower.

I love the idea, as well as the flavour they mixed and matched.

If ice-based desserts are not your thing, you could always try the frozen yoghurt. Priced at rm 6.50 and comes with 3 toppings of your choice. For us, we had the cornflakes, toasted oats and blueberry sauce. Yummieeee…

Nutella French Toast with Peanut Butter (RM 5.50)
Comes with 2 slices of toast that was thickly covered with sinful Nutella and Peanut butter each and topped with a scoop of ice cream. Who doesn’t love these?!

Nutella French Toast with Blueberry (RM 5.50)
Another version if Nutella French Toast where one of the toasts is spread with blueberry jam
Still prefer the peanut butter version over this.

I would say, here is a great place to hang out with friends and family, share a bowl of dessert or two. And do remember to check out the Towers as they are very special =)

Special thanks to Annie and Jared for the wonderful invitation and EatOnlyLar! for the arrangement for the evening.

Pick Me Up
35, Jalan Kuchai Maju 8
58200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 03 – 79814983