tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252344972024-03-19T18:21:53.077+08:00neko hime blogsNekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.comBlogger469125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-51935766889362183162013-03-24T21:28:00.003+08:002013-03-24T21:28:59.133+08:00Jamkkanman yo (잠깐만 요) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Wait a minute..... where the heck am I? One of the cons of going on your own tour is figuring out the location and terrain while travelling. Tours chauffeur you a long with you having zero sense of direction, on your own it's survival of the fittest. I found myself saying "jamkkanman yo" - wait a minute a lot in Seoul as when people start blabbering it's left or right or straight ahead I am normally gob smacked by the language. So the key is to get a good map while you are there in Seoul. Out of the airport, there is a lot of readily available maps. I also find sometimes the hotels give quite good maps as compared to the airport ones. When all else fails, walk into a pricey hotel and ask for "help". <br />
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My first day was just wandering around in Myeong-dong. That day was dark and gloomy and not to mention ... REALLY cold .... If you intend to take pictures, carry and umbrella, it really is very inconvenient. Every shop you walk into, they will give you a little umbrella bag to put your umbrella in to prevent drip. How cute and clean :D While there are plenty of shops here, some of them can be quite pricey. So just window shopping for me here. <br />
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If you are keen on Korean cosmetics, Myeong-dong has a plethora of it. Hanskin, faceshop, it's skin you name it, it's there. And do ask for free samples, they will load you with it.<br />
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After a few hours of wandering around Myeong-dong, i took the train to Insadong, got off Anguk station, exited Door 6. Insadong is an arts and craft area, if you love traditional korean arts and craft, this is the place to go. Note that it is still a bit touristy in price for some of the craft shops particularly the trinkets but if you want unique items such as pottery, brushes and korean traditional sweets, this is the place to go.<br />
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Though i did not take any pictures, there is a Hotteok shop at a corner near Fraser Place, that's the best street food i have eaten. For a 1,000(if i remember correctly) won you get a piping hot and thick Hotteok filled with brown sugar and chopped peanuts. My first day, i saw a lot of people queuing for this and could not resist the smell of the pancake frying in oil. Mind you the calories are fantastic but since you walk so much in Seoul, you can easily burn it off<br />
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The rain cleared up, and i walked to Cheonggyecheon Stream. It''s about 10 minutes walk from Insadong ( a lot closure to Myeong-dong actually ) It was refurbished in 2005 and provides the people a bit of greenery and a quiet walk path right in the middle of the city. In fact the Cheonggyecheon stream ends at Dongdaemun Market! You can actually walk there if you are up to it<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/7277618750/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Cheongyyeong Stream 001 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Cheongyyeong Stream 001" height="800" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7277618750_9786be262e_c.jpg" width="535" /></a></div>
It will be nice if KL developed some of the City areas to be like this. Now if you are wondering why there are lanterns there, because 2 weeks from then it was going to be Wesak day. It's a big thing in Korea and the river has lantern floats placed right in the middle and is super lovely at night!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/7277616940/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Cheongyyeong Stream 003 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Cheongyyeong Stream 003" height="535" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7277616940_16d379b577_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
Yup, you can cross from on side to the other on these stones .. and the water is nice and cold :D if you have tired feet, you can dip your feet in it.<br />
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After walking all the way to Cheongyyang, i went back to Insadong. Hungry... And tried another street food. Poop Bread!! (dong-bang in korean ). For another 200 won or so, you can get 3 poop bread. And they look like ....<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/8544631908/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="insadong-006 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="insadong-006" height="535" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8544631908_365cbfd739_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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... Ta da.... Poop </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/8544632966/" title="insadong-007 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="insadong-007" height="535" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8544632966_fece90852f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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Does not taste like poop lah. It has red bean inside and the texture of the dough is like our kai tan koh... Nice and not very sweet. There are other Poop bread stalls selling stuffing of chocolate, peanut butter and other flavors but i thought the natural ..ahem red bean is just nice enough. </div>
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While munching poop bread ... i walked around Ssamjigil. It's one of my favorite buildings... just because it's strange :D and colorful.. really and arts and craft area, you can walk around the lopsided building and explore the nooks and crannies. For those who love Mandu ( dumplings ) there is a very popular shop on the left in a very tiny lane next to Ssamjigil. The queue is so long every day, i couldn't get to try it. Further more... single kucing eat a big plate of mandu is hard T_T....... Ok.. not so good benefits of travelling alone. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/7277621310/" title="insadong-001 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="insadong-001" height="535" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7212/7277621310_01927e9f62_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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Next up... The real Samgyeopsal..... </div>
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NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-9759054757888732462013-03-03T18:55:00.002+08:002013-03-03T18:55:50.954+08:00Neko's first trip to South Korea! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One of the biggest challenges to go to Korea without a tour is how to navigate your way around. However with plenty of early research I don't think it is super hard but can be quite an adventure in my opinion. Second thing is price - the accommodations, the flight - is it going to cost you a bomb? Actually no. This is my budget version of travelling in Korea/ </div>
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Korea- How to get there? </h2>
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Thanks to my new obsession of K-POP, I had to fly to S.Korea for a holiday. Hoping to see Lee Min Ho, 2PM, CNBlue, Song Ji Hyo and the Running Man crew, flying to S.Korea now is not quite difficult but can be a bit pricey. So how do you get there - By plane of course! There are now many choices to fly to S.Korea, you can take Air Asia X or MAS. But here's a tip; try during Matta fair - MAS offer's really good prices in more comfy seats. I got mine for about RM800 ( Return ) + taxes and all- I paid about RM1.2K for my trip. *Daebak* However I do say i have preference for Mas due to comfort.</div>
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Did I meet any K-POP or K-DRAMA stars? </h2>
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No...........................................................................................i so-sad. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nearest I got to a KPOP star... Hello Nickhun and.. the other guy...</td></tr>
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<i>This is by the way not an advertorial for MAS or Korea Tourism. </i></div>
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Where do you stay? </h2>
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There are many choices of places to stay from BNB, Hotels, Motels to Traditional Accommodations at the Hanok Villages. I picked a budget hotel nearer to the University towns which is bound to be cheaper but quite a walk from the train station ( A good 10-15 minutes with a luggage bag is NO JOKE )<br />
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Good areas to stay are in near Insadong - i found 2-3 budget hotels that are decent, Hongdae, Edae and Hyewha area - where plenty of motels are located.<br />
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Will provide some links in the next write up ...<br />
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Is there a language issue in getting around?</h2>
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Not really though. But i did have some fear before i left of getting completely lost in Seoul. Most major transportation have English signs and each train stop the announcer gleefully announces the station in English .Taxi may be a problem getting around though, most taxi drivers speak Korean only. And it helps to have the directions written in Korean. However there are translation services available if you need to take cabs plastered all over the cabs. ( Taxis are pricey by the way ). </div>
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For shopping, most people understand the universal finger connotation for 1, 2 or 3. :) However, if it is much more complicated then it might a bit duck and chicken talking. People understood my Yea, or Aniayo ( No ) quite well though. </div>
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Amount of Travel time needed? </h2>
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If you are just going around Seoul, best to get 8-9 days. Travel time between towns take a bit of time and Seoul itself is so large to explore. I haven't even finish it yet. So if you plan to go down to Busan and what not, you need a good 10-14 days to enjoy the trip. </div>
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I love to travel on my own, if the country is relatively safe to do so. And after travelling in Japan for many years, Korea was my next choice. For one, 2012 was actually Visit Korea year, and it was quite a good time to travel. My initial fear in travelling in Korea was the language but actually turns out it is quite easy to manipulate my way around with minimal issues. I did get lost though on my first day, missed a station ended up a bit panicky! </div>
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Day 1 - Seoul</h2>
Incheon airport was large and overwhelming. However a lot of earlier research and i found my Bus Counters and got the bus that drops me off near Sungkyungkwan University. The first day in Seoul ... was rainy. Wet, Rainy and just wishing I had bought Rain boots. -_-. Supposed to be the end of Spring and start of Summer but it was cold. And wet. After depositing my stuff, i headed to Cafe Bene for a warm up drink and sample Waffles. It's the in thing in Korea :) How i wish there was coffee shop with waffles in KL. Taste wise, it's al-right, I should have gotten the Expresso instead but the waffles was to die for. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/7277599360/" title="Food 001 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Food 001" height="535" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7232/7277599360_bd9b91198f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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At that time when i was there, salty caramel was a big hit so I took a salty caramel. In Korea a lot of things are self serve. They give you this UFO like thing you see in Snowflake that beeps loudly when your drink + waffle is ready. Cool or what. And I impressed that it is ready by the time it beeps.<br />
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Will blog more about the rather wet trip in Myeondong. Ah... lucky I brought umbrella.<br />
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NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-16492991317553075802013-01-12T08:07:00.000+08:002013-01-12T08:07:34.622+08:00Annyeong..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7HUnbeddelzCZgPMg_9NTSYdxccHRdmpXl9XsFoqjFa4nN5pgkcV90S66uZvykx79pQPcsCbU0jLlUA22F3MQti8TS8lX6ZhfB7ONPSK19YSbf9aIoNkcw0d9V7ZLKQoYbd38g/s1600/Gyeokbeoung+Place+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7HUnbeddelzCZgPMg_9NTSYdxccHRdmpXl9XsFoqjFa4nN5pgkcV90S66uZvykx79pQPcsCbU0jLlUA22F3MQti8TS8lX6ZhfB7ONPSK19YSbf9aIoNkcw0d9V7ZLKQoYbd38g/s640/Gyeokbeoung+Place+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's been a long time since i blogged. But guess where I've been to the last year? :D .. Think Roof Top Prince Country. </div>
NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-84123176267602892232012-04-22T18:26:00.001+08:002012-04-22T18:26:11.986+08:00Surisit Kopitiam- Thai food junkie in me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's no secret, i like thai food a lot. Probably because the amalgamation of different type of flavors and textures, if anyone says "Thai Food" for lunch or dinner, i am game. While i have been to the mildly up end Thai establishments in KL ( Basil Leaf, but not Erawan or Rama V) I am always on the hunt for more simple Thai food and ones that don't kill my pocket. And serve Moo too :D { Thai for Pork ) and i am pleased Surisit exists for this purpose.<br />
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Surisit - is located in the depths of TTDI, along where Penang Village is. And behind Artisan Roast. I am liking this area a lot because it is quite and has a varied variety of eating places. Do not expect this place to be fancy, it is a simple Kopitiam yet clean and run by real Thai people. The deco throws you back to 2 decades, with medicinally smelling and drinkable green and red Fanta. { Brother tried Green today and declared it tastes like cough syrup } and his campy 1980's GREENSPOT drink.<br />
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Typical condiments from Thailand. The dry chilli flake is pretty awesome. Goes well in practically anything. I like this a lot with my fried noodles as well. :D </div>
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One of the specialties in Surisit- their Moo Thod Gapi. It's fried pork lor coated with some asian herbs. Pretty addictive stuff. And i was wondering how come i did not come across this in BKK?? #feelscheateditellyou. Rice is served in big aluminium pots so you can eat as much as you like. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Behold! Moo Thod Gapi ... yumz</span></td></tr>
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Surprisingly we had an order of Prawn. Lil Bro R-A-R-E-L-Y likes to order prawns because he is the kind that does not deal well with shells. However i realized why when i saw the prawns later. Cooked in tumeric, curry and all, this is one dish that swipes the rice clean. Note: however, it is not potent. Prawns were sufficient, though i thought there was more gravy then prawns!<br />
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While the other 2 dishes was a hit ( can't remember if i ordered Tom Yam ) i did find their stuff chicken wings dish a bit of a let down. It felt a bit un-cooked in my opinion.<br />
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For desserts, we had the sea coconut with longan. Was ok nothing really to shout about. Didn't get to try the red ruby dessert because i was pretty stuffed as well. <br />
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Overall price wise, Surisit is not that bad - definitely below RM100 for 3 persons drinks included. I like the simplicity of the food without having to fork out a lot of $$ to eat decent thai food. If i want slightly fancier but still reasonable- i will head over to Smokehouse, they have the best Chor Ladda out of Bangkok!<br />
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The Locale:<br />
No 17, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13<br />
Taman Tun Dr Ismail<br />
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</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-63499433180040538552012-03-11T20:30:00.000+08:002012-03-11T20:33:19.769+08:00Nabe Bakery & Cafe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Coffee and Bakery places are popping up in KL. I am always a big fan of such places particularly if you have studied long enough overseas where the culture of popping into a cafe is like a common past time. Most attractive of such places is the smell of coffee and fresh bread wafting away in the shop. Friends working overseas also have been plugging Korean coffee culture to me ( however, we are unfortunate not to be graced by the likes of Caffe Bene, or Angel-like-Us and Cafe Tiamo ) but 1/2 similar to it i am fine.<br />
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I found this place via KampungBoyCityGirl, in the far reaches of Ampang, a sole Korean Bakery called Nabe Bakery and Cafe among all the korean bbq places. The ahjeossi manning the shop has been in malaysia for almost a year, and it seams he runs a similar business back then in Seoul. Guess the standard of living in KL is by far better(Translated: Cheaper) than in Seoul. Sometimes i wonder what makes people up and leave your country like that.<br />
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A word of warning though -if you are looking for early breakfasts, please note, he only gets his engine going by 12pm :) The shop is pretty simple, nothing fancy. You can choose to have fresh bread, pastries or go for sandwiches or pastas. My friend and i decided on bread. [ How i wish he had waffles ] </div>
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That's Ahjeossi in the background, looking at his one sole helper that day. Ahjeossi doesn't speak really good english but he is a cheerful soul who will willing try to explain to you what the bread, pastry is made of. Funnily enough, when my friend and i walked into his shop, first thing he asked the both of us are "Are you Korean?". (?_?) Must be thinking - " ah crap, have to speak in English now" ... However, don't be put off, as he has little sign on his shelves giving you a clue of what that pastry is! While I thought this place may be a bit far to attract a lot of attention, turns out local Koreans flock to this place to buy his breads. They must miss their type of bakeries. Now if only more will flock to less far off areas such as PJ/bangsar or hartamas.<br />
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We decided to pick a few bread that was at the shelves ( some needed a bit of warm up ) to have for lunch and call a patbingsu later. A very Korean dessert i would say is a Walnut Tart. I have to say it is an acquired taste. Initially i thought it was okay but takes one or two more bites for me to give it a thumbs up. That purplish bread next to the walnut tart is Taro Bread. I found that interesting. Normally i am not a fan of Taro except for in the form of Yam Basket and Yam Cake but i thought the Taro Bread is interesting!<br />
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Another shot of the Taro Bread - looking a bit over exposed. [ The picture that is ] If you need a bit of warm up for your bread, there is a microwave for you to zap your breads :D </div>
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I think this is Hawaiian Pizza bread and Garlic Chicken Bread. Pretty nice. I like savory breads! The bread here is extremely soft and fine not like those in the Roti Boy type.<br />
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Koreans also have "ice kacang" which they call Patbingsu. Kinda less creamy version slightly healthier. Lots of fresh fruits here in this and of course a dollop of red bean and rice cakes. Don't be fooled by the picture, it was an extremely large bowl of patbingsu - good for 2 persons. It was quite interesting to have mochi/rice cakes in a ice dessert but it gives this dish that strange umami kinda of taste</div>
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I had expresso after that ( which was quite strong, was like an owl after that ). Ajeosshi's wife is the person who mans the Patbingsu machine and the barista as well. Here is a sample of her coffee art. Not sure where they get their beans from but according to my friend, this is the typical type of beans they have in korea and it is normally quite strong and flavorful.<br />
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Later we bought a bread made from Glutinous rice (fresh made that day ) - that is quite a staple in Korea. I can guarantee you this shop does not use a lot of preservatives in their bread, my last small piece of the Glutinous bread which i forgot to finish actually fat mou about 2-3 days time :) Good news for me no preservatives - bad news, before i put food in my mouth must check first if got blue dots!<br />
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If you are looking for something different in the area of Little Korea, drop by to Nabe Bakery and Cafe.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Nabe Bakery Cafe</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">No. 16-11, Ground Floor,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Jalan Ampang Putra,</span><br />
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</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com1Jalan Ampang Putra, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.150319 101.7482343.1463555000000003 101.7432985 3.1542825 101.7531695tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-28608817355459685452012-02-12T21:43:00.005+08:002012-02-12T21:43:53.105+08:00Croisette's - French Food at reasonable prices<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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French Food it's Haute Cuisine to many. The epitome of culinary skills < which i lack off > However, my last attempt (of tasting) of French food in Nice was not what i quite expected. Chalk it all up to toursity kitschy places tours take you to. And it is hard to find good french restaurants around town ( La Maison in Ampang is one that is pretty good ) without having to pay and arm and a leg for. However, i fancy food from the Burgundy region of France as it is influenced with the use of wines in their cooking bringing out more earthy and rustic flavours. Think Beef Bourginon and Coq Au Vin! <br />
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So when scouting other people's food blogs to find out there is a French Cafe in the midst of Bangsar... Voile! One could not resists this. <br />
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I heard it is helmed by a French man who has probably been staying in malaysia for some time. And amusingly so, it's situated in an apartment block. For those who are not sure where to park, you can park inside if the visitor's parking is not full. However, for those who have rather large cars... tell the guard not to let you park in those weird shape parking bays right at the front.<br />
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Croisette is not fancy in terms of decor. Its sparse in decoration but with small simple touches such as a flower here and there - I do enjoy simple restaurants like these instead of the over hyped and over decorated places. So place your orders and you wait. And wait. And wait. T_T. Maybe i am not sure, but French cooking is decidedly slower than the rest? A quick peek in the kitchen, i only see a one Chef Show. I didn't even want to think of ordering starters in case i upset the balance of nature by making food later. After about 1/2 hour ( or longer ) food arrived!!<br />
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< While this is a typical French Restaurant, they also serve some American and Italian favourites in which you will see in subsequent pictures ><img alt="CROISETTE-003" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6835230797_656cea7b06_b.jpg" width="685" /></div>
I gather little bro is not a fan of French but more on the Italian side of things. So he went for .... Lasagne ... Yes, Mashi and i went T_T French Restaurant and Lasagne? His Lasagne was the first to arrive and mind you extremely aromatic. And one bite of it, it puts any Italian chef to shame.<br />
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Mashi's choice was Duck Confit - Speciality in the region of Gascony (synonymous to French food) . I must say this is quite a good version i have eaten and came with some lovely rostis ( i think ) Thumbs up for this one. Tender and not dry, it's good duck confit.<br />
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One of the reasons why i suggested this reason because it served Beef Bourginon.... Best dish ever made, basically it's beef stew with red wine. You can eat this with Bread/Pasta or rice ( Malaysian style ) but it is such a hearty dish, you can't go wrong with this. I like all this one pot dishes where there is meat and veggies all thrown in. Actually i am not sure what potato i ordered with but it was quite delicious. Simple. Only wished they throw in a baguette piece or 2 for me to wipe the sauce off the plate! <br />
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Okay, the other non french food found is a choice of Steak with mushroom sauce. No complaints from Becks though as the steak looks tender and reasonably decent steak. Though he did mention he was still a tad hungry after the steak.<img alt="CROISETTE-010" height="724" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6835232785_675d660436_b.jpg" width="1024" /></div>
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We ordered desserts, originally we opted for Peach Melba but was told it was not fresh so we had Tiramisu and 3 types of chocolate dessert. I love the chocolate powder sprinkles. Such a sucker for pretty stuff. Taste wise, it's alright. Good that it is not over sweet. </div>
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Price wise, Croisette is not very expensive and most dishes are around RM20 but less than RM30. However if you don't mind the wait and enjoy the chit chat while waiting for your grub this is a good place to be. I don't mind coming back to try the Coq Au Vin and other french dishes. </div>
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Address? Look @ the first picture! </div>
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</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com4175 Jalan Penaga, Taman Bandaraya, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.1407303584267261 101.666707992553713.1397393584267261 101.66547399255371 3.1417213584267261 101.66794199255371tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-56723936811055859952012-02-05T20:39:00.001+08:002012-02-05T20:39:53.692+08:00It's all about eating in Hong Kong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hong Kong. Is a food heaven. After being deprived of good Chinese food for a good while, being in Hong Kong was like a massive eating spree. Every nook and corner there is something good to eat. (Depravity also induces your mind to think like all food is good :D ) My dream to go to Hong Kong involved a few crazy notion or things i always wanted to do<br />
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1) See a TVB star: Nope, hardly saw any<br />
2) Eat HK egg tart: eat a few... Best was at this small place on Carnavon Street<br />
3) See a Hong kong Police man and say to him "Ah Sir.": Yeap, did that hehehe and giggled like a school girl. Funny part is Ah Sir spoke perfect English!. < impressed ><br />
4) Shop till i dropped: Yes! And after that when see credit card... After that, menangis kau kau ....<br />
... and so forth however at such short time ... can only achieve a few lah...<br />
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Years ago ( like about 20 years ), my mom told me HK was dirty, people were rude etc... but i am totally amazed at the modernization blended with the old. I think their public transport rocks. Rude people - we can get in any country any time. But if space was not an issue - HK is my next most livable country. Besides Japan. Of course.<br />
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Before i left for HK, i did a lot of research on what's the best place to eat and all but i would say some are hit and misses. My advise for first timers - go with the flow. Some places are really over hyped i found better places to eat in tiny nondescript places.<br />
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I didn't have a super long stay in HK to try EVERY dim sum place, but i tried the one called Luk Yee teahouse in Hong Kong island. This place comes with some history. Apparently the triads frequent this place a lot and one such person was murdered in broad day light in this tea house. Seems to be a popular tourist spot, lots of foreigners here. Menu comes in english but some how i fail in my order for Char Siew Pau.. Came out something else.<br />
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<b>The Not so bad but a bit overhyped... </b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since the weather was freaking hot in Hong Kong, what a good excuse to try their desserts. There was Gong Cha and Cha Time there, but skipped that, every where you have that, i decided to try their famous Hui Lau San Dessert branches. You can see this any corner of Hong Kong, however i went to the Mongkok one, after wandering around in Lui Yan Kai, Goldfish street and what not.. All the shops of Hui Lau San is normally packed. You can either order take out or wait in line ( patiently ) to get a seat in the shop. Thankfully, we got our seat fast, and placed our orders. It's a place known to be serving Healthy Desserts. Mango is the key fruit served here if i am not mistaken. :) </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
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My travel partner likes samplers - because according to her "you can practically eat 3 types of dishes in one go". So she ordered the Mango sampler. Comes in a tiny wee bowl of 3 different ways to serve mango dessert. I dunno about her, but i was a bit shock the sampler was quite large! She thinks it is okay. It was cooling on a super hot day. </div>
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I was a bit full from all the water consumed during my walk around Mongkok, so i decided for the Durian mochi instead... I am quite amused to find out that the Hong Kong people quite like durian desserts but judging by the fact they can stomach Stinky tofu, durian shouldn't be a problem. </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not bad, i expected stronger smells - but actually it was quite lite in taste. It's not paste durian they use, more like pureed durian which i find nice but only wish the durian smell was stronger. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Pretty Good, living up to expectations ... </b></span><br />
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Then housemate swore by the Milk Pudding in the Australian Dairy place in Jordan. She says it is packed like crazy. Day 2 saw travel buddy and me waking up by 8am to catch a cab to Jordan ( yes we are lazy , actually it is only a 10 minute walk from Nathan road ) The place was hard enough to find, we had to turn here and there but the Q in front of the shop was a dead give away. What is Hong kong famous for ( besides dim sum? ) Milk pudding of course. So after lining up for 10 minutes, we squeezed into this tiny tiny spot in the corner for some cold milk pudding. It is is quite silken in texture and a hint of ginger inside, gets rid of any potential moo smell. Best eaten cold but you can ask for the hot version if you like. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6450202593/" title="Hong Kong Day 2-010 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Hong Kong Day 2-010" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6450202593_d34835835c_b.jpg" /></a></div>
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We sampled Australian Dairy's scrambled egg, which i suspect uses lard as well. Explains that why i was not hungry till after 1pm that day. I am not really a fan of using animal fat to cook as i find it overwhelms the actual taste of the food. But the egg done, is quite nice. I still prefer my version without the lard!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Things i ate between lunch and dinner that i thought rocked! </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Countless ice creams i ate in Hong Kong, but i love the one in Lan Kwai Fong called I SCREAM FOR ICE SCREAM! It was so hot that day when i saw this shop, t'was like the movies ... i found salvation * big tears in eyes * .... I SCREAM actually is a quite little shop along Lan Kwai Fong where the shop is actually pretty sound proof the the traffic and over looks the street, so you can sit there , enjoy your gelato and the funky drink that i now cannot remember! </span><br />
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My favorite coffee brand, my night cap in Hong Kong. And i can still sleep like a baby after that... No frills coffee, Italian style. Illy has a lot of small coffee places in Hong Kong. Quite sure KL has but wish they will open in PJ areas. This one i had was the new shopping mall in Carnavon street.<br />
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Quite tired of Chinese food one day, on our last day in Hong Kong, we went to I-SQUARE to eat. ISQUARE is a new shopping place that you can see from the Peninsular Hotel' highest restaurant ( yes i had a RM400 dollar dinner there but unfortunately no pictures, shy!! to take photographs there ). Decided on japanese because nothing was really pleasing that day. One of the best yakuniku don i have eaten. Tender, flavorful and full of moo goodness :D And extremely generous portion of moo as well. </div>
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<img alt="Hong Kong Day 2-006" height="685" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6450209053_a5d652ae21_b.jpg" width="1024" /><br />Best trip ever made in 2011. Not to mention the stash of clothes, and food i bought from Hong Kong! :) Hope to make a return trip in 2012 to makan and shop more! </div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-59281133005880993682012-01-25T22:36:00.000+08:002012-01-25T22:36:53.475+08:00Daorae - ... KPOP Promoter...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's official. Malaysia is stuck in the Hallayu wave. Even I have to confess of late i am also stuck in the KDRAMA series ( of the non weepy kind ), how can one resist the sometimes good looking heroes and er ... kinda carbon copy actresses in the show. I used to dislike kdramas because all i got was those weepy, really worst luck (Guy is blind, or some one has a fatal disease, they die etc ) in the world kind of stories. Of late, there are more general funny ones that came out that is worth watching. You can say i was 'k-drama-fied'. So i shouldn't be suprised when i stepped into Daorae recently, and they were kpopped/kdramafied as well. The walls of Daorae Sri Hartmas was adorned with the likes of Rain, U-KISS, did i see SNSD as well all signed and autograph adorning the walls of the shop. Unfortunately my Rain pic had my brother's head 1/2 way there, and i could not photoshopped him away. I will be very happy if they can bring Lee Min Ho round to the KL parts *hehehehe*<br />
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Daorae is my current go to place for Korean food, besides Ko Hyang and my office area's sole Korean shop. However i should start venturing to other areas for Korean food ( just that Little Korea is a wee bit far to go for dinner. Attempted once, food very good. Got lost 1/2 way )<br />
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In my first months back to KL, my usual makan gang and i decided to have a "eat together" session. Since i left for overseas work, rarely everyone caught up and during flybacks, it was too short to catch up. Most of the time was spent 1) Sleeping 2) Doing chores that i cannot do online 3) Eating malaysian food to the max.<br />
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I haven't been to Daorae since a year back and i wanted to introduce everyone to Makgeolli :) My preference of alcohol as compared to Soju. I normally don't drink but if i do, i like alcohol that is sweetened. Makgeolli is actually rice wine and served in a chilled cup. It looks like pale diluted milk. Doesn't really smell like milk. Drinking it before and after you have eaten food is helluva difference. Before we had food, the taste felt like cheap toddy... however after a few bites of food and especially with barbecue, the makgeolli changed taste a more sweetish taste. Weird. But that's how i felt it tasted like and the more everyone started to drink. Initial taste -everyone was giving me disdainful looks >_<. [ i swear!] But paired with BBQ meat, the sweetish taste started to come out.<br />
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Bachans in Daorae is plentiful and unique. However, we always like the potato salad, which we only got it once after that, it seldom re-appeared. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>And then there is more Banchan ..... my favorite of the day is the marinated lotus root. Think there were cockles or mussels which i passed on ... meh, shellfish.<br />
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Smelly but otherwise good for your colds food - Kimchi. I find if i am feverish or sick, especially down with a cold, this is a good veggie to take. Firstly, it unclogs your stuffed nose - probably because it is spicy. Gets away your bone aches from flu, because it makes you sweat. And mostly if you are sick, your taste buds are bleh, so spicy food helps.<br />
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Korean food is never complete without the BBQ meats, we had the usual beef and pork. I can never get my order right of how much is needed but suffice to say their version of Order for 1 persons, normally is enough for the 5 of us. And naturally - we smell like BBQ meats after that. Whoopee. Meats in Daorae are flavorful and tender, just as good as Bonga, in Solaris and you can tell it's good by the fact 80% of their customers are mostly their own countrymen. You feel like an "alien" in the restaurant. Even the waiters are young korean chaps. </div>
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Before you are served your banchans, you get complimentary soup from Daorae, while sometimes we get spicy clear soup with big head sprouts. But this time we had beef with cabbage soup. Quite a nice soup, slightly spicy and good to be eaten with rice. </div>
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Always favorites of Pajeon and Jap Chae - Daorae does the best version of Jap Chae i have eaten so far. Normally this dish is finished @ the blink of an eye < ok, serving a bit kecik as well ><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6418550973/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Daorae - 009 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Daorae - 009" height="685" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6418550973_c9a5698739_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">JapChae- with lots of prawns and pork</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Pajeon - Seafood Pancake</span></td></tr>
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We also had this cold pear juice noodle in soup that we all feel is an acquired taste. (Sorry no pic, didn't come out clear ) The soup was sweet because of the pear, initially felt weird but after all the heaty food, it was pleasantly nice. However, if you ask me to eat it on it's own, i'd probably think twice.<br />
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Overall good meal - but hopefully i can get everyone to venture to Little Korea in Ampang for other types of korean food :) heard they now even have a blood sausage restaurant in Little Korea ... if you like those kind of stuff. Me? I like safe food.<br />
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Those who intend to visit: p/s: lotte mart downstairs sells a lot of sikhye ... weee............<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">27 Jalan 23/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">50480 Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan</span>
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</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-56007938382193780142011-12-04T10:37:00.001+08:002011-12-25T22:31:56.427+08:00Hong Kong Trip last June... Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Hong Kong Day 1-008" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6450200229_4f78e2f290_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: small;">Hong Kong - On EMO mode. It was raining at the Avenue of Stars. But made great picture day</span></span></span></td></tr>
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I am quite sure by now people know i am one for late posting. No wonder people don't ask me to write Adverts! Will fail!. Last June, during a long weekend, i flew to Hong Kong. Yes, country of residence at that time was extremely dull and i wanted to shop till i drop, Hong Kong seems like a reasonable place to be. And yes, i got tired of failed dim sums in the place i used to stay, wanted real authentic hong kong dim sum.<br />
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The flight just took 2 hours and i have to say this- never go hong kong during their start of summer. The word ... hot is just not able to describe it. You start off the morning nice and clean but by 1/2 hour, you are all sweaty and dirty. Nevertheless, with plenty of malls and shops in Hong Kong, you can always duck into the shops for a quick breather. Heavy amount of my budget was spent on 1) Ice Cream 2) Lots of cold drinks 3) Lots of Desserts in cold places - if you want to go June, prepare to sweat it out. But it is a good time to go as there is a lot of sales going during that period. <br />
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<u>From Airport to Kowloon</u><br />
For those who are afraid to travel on their own, Hong Kong is quite an easy place to get around. Once @ Chep Lak Kok airport, if you want to go to Kowloon - take the airport express. I was quite impressed with this service as it only takes 24 minutes to central locations in Kowloon and Hong Kong. You can even buy a return pass like i did, so the day i left hong kong, i just went to Kowloon station and hoped on to the Airport express. I paid about Hong Kong 90 Dollars for this, but i thought it was much cheaper than taking a taxi to the airport. I find countries with advance transportation planning are awesome! And, if you are lucky, and you can also get a free ride to your hotel - depending on where your hotel is located- now how is that for transportation.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6450196067/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Hong Kong Day 1-001 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Hong Kong Day 1-001" height="685" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6450196067_6002943860_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a>
Next at the airport, grab an Octopus Pass. This little handy card where you can buy a certain amount is useful for MRT travel within Hong Kong and Kowloon. (Think you can also use it for buses as well as trams ). Some of the more popular hotels are drop off points for the free shuttle bus from Kowloon station.<br />
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<u>Accommodation:</u><br />
It's pricey in Hong Kong. I paid a bit more because i wanted to stay in proper places but for those on the budget you can check out Hop Inn budget hotel. It's clean and in the middle of Kowloon. When i was there in June, i chose to stay at Luxe Manor because Agoda was offering discounts! It's quite a boutique hotel ( i loved the toilets ) but i felt the deco made me feel like a gangster's moll. Service wise the place was awesome. Deco took some getting used to. Location: excellent - 2 minutes walk to my favorite mall and food food all around in Nathan Road.<br />
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"> <span style="font-size: small;">Complementary Breakfast at Luxe Manor Hotel</span></td></tr>
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<u>Food: </u></div>
If you are booking via agoda - read the fine print if the deal comes with breakfast. For hong kong, mine did but when i book for bangkok the room was cheap because it had no breakfast provided. However, along Nathan road there are abundant of those small "char chan teng " which you can pop in and have a quick meal. I found a great little tiny shop that sold the most awesome egg tart and er ... spam bun on my last day in Hong Kong. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6450209299/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Hong Kong Day 4-009 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Hong Kong Day 4-009" height="737" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6450209299_3e0ac8dbcd_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Egg Tarts at the corner of Carnavon street</span></td></tr>
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<u>Things to do in Hong Kong: </u><br />
Hong kong is one of those super vibrant cities that never sleeps My first night there, after reaching my hotel at 8pm ( Traffic in Nathan road on a Friday is hectic ) i showered and headed off around Kimberely road and shopped till at least midnight. The damage for 4 hours was quite ... extensive i would say and sometimes bordering on silly :D There are way too many cute stuff in Hong Kong to say no to. But Hong Kong has a lot of activities all year round - so time your visits to events which you can find on the <a href="http://www.discoverhongkong.com/login.html">Discover Hong Kong website</a> I was lucky, i got to see my first up close Dragon boat race and met Mickey rowers <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Hong Kong Day 1-011" height="529" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6450202371_b0bf0a3109_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="1024" /></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Row, Row, Row your boat... Gently down the ... er Harbor</td></tr>
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<tr style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M.I.C.K.E.Y M.O.U.S.E - Team Disney's rowers for the day</td></tr>
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However, everyone goes to Hong Kong mostly for this... Shopping.What is there not to buy. I almost bought jelly colored galoshes back to KL. For what reason i have no idea but just because they were there! Hong Kong island is too expensive? Go to Mongkok's Luen Yuen Kai ( Lady's Street )... While i think it is good to go there for the experience, i don't recommend buying stuff there, it's quite a tourist trap and you need to bargain your way there. Plus the quality of goods are quite meh in Luen Yuen Kai. There are plenty of malls in HK for you to buy reasonable stuff from. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6450207551/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Hong Kong Day 3-001 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Hong Kong Day 3-001" height="685" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6450207551_6efdaaed38_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Across the waters in Hong Kong Island</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So this is just a short teaser of what i saw in Hong Kong. Next up, what i ... ate while in Hong Kong- Yes the other " To- Do" things in Hong Kong is enjoy the glorious food. </span></div>
</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-21184272822681985892011-11-20T16:24:00.001+08:002011-11-27T21:17:33.085+08:00Fancy a spot of Thai food in an English Smokehouse?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Really, sometimes some restaurants surprise me. I used to hunt for Thai food around KL. Often, they are either very far away or they have small servings or they are too fusion i can't tell it is really a Thai dish. So i was pretty surprise after some googling - i found that the Smokehouse in Jalan Telawi 3 actually served Thai food. Yeap, an english smokehouse with Thai food. Don't ask my why, probably the owner woke up one day that was a spot on good idea to work on.<br />
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However, i am not really complaining because Thai food is my latest craze. On one recent meet up with a girlfriend who was about to get married, we decided our meeting ground was The Smokehouse in Jalan Telawi 3. And yes, they are related to the one in Cameron's and Fraser. Being a typical english smoke house, this place is filled with men of a age > 50 who were busy smoking and discussing the previous days' English league games. So suffice to say when 2 working ladies walked in, i bet a pound they were surprised. On top of that, one with a camera. After a while, they got used to us and they went back to the football game on the TV. </div>
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Since we wanted something sour and spicy, we decided on the Thai menu. I will come back though to explore the English menu some other time. </div>
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First up - a veg dish or rather salad. Ya Ma Moung - young mango salad was our choice. Have to say this was quite an excellent dish. With rather green sourish mango, with plenty of onions, fish sauce and nuts and a few weapons of mass destruction (Chilli padi ) hidden along there, if you are not hungry that day, the right mix of sourness and spiciness will get your appetite going. </div>
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Now, i was meaning to try this in Bangkok. However because we had so many other choices of food, i decided to skip it. So when i saw this on the Smokehouse, i decided to call for this purple dish - known as Chor Ladda. It's a traditional Thai dumpling stuffed with chicken and peanuts. The dumpling was shaped into a pretty flower and then drizzled with sweetened coconut milk. While it sounds a bit overwhelming, it was actually quite an umami moment for my friend and myself. Only thing we need to mention, the flour used to make the skin of the dumpling smells a bit "hong".<br />
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Can't tell if this really a Thai dish or just because Softshell crabs are very popular, but we had the soft shelled crab deep fried. It was ok nothing really spectacular. Good food to accompany beer though. <br />
<img alt="The Smokehouse-003" height="685" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6218/6367839495_d4a24c1d78_b.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="1024" /><br />
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Meat is up next with a standard carbo required. Our choice is Thai Green Chicken with pineapple fried rice. I find that Thai Green curry is the epitome of Thai cooking. Either you do it well or you don't. Like the one i had at City Square in BKK, twas horrible ( chicken was soft and felt uncooked ) however, the smokehouse version was just right. The pineapple rice was a bit meh ,nothing special, should have just ordered plain rice. I could just drown in green curry sauce. Plus, the amount of meat provided was quite substantial. <img alt="The Smokehouse-004" height="685" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6367839829_fa0daf205a_b.jpg" width="1024" /></div>
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Some how or rather, i felt we should have skipped the rice, cause we were like super full after that. So much for dieting for the wedding :P . We couldn't even stomach a try for the Thai desserts. I should try it with a bigger crowd later.<br />
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For those who are craving for decent Thai food but ain't willing to fly to BKK just yet, try the Old Smokehouse.<br />
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The SmokeHouse Restaurant<br />
67, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar<br />
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</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com539-69 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.1302961160250531 101.671020984649663.1283141160250532 101.66855348464966 3.132278116025053 101.67348848464965tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-66529178330681445422011-10-30T19:04:00.003+08:002011-10-30T19:05:51.838+08:00Cabbages & Condom, Soi 12, Sukhomvit, BKK<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This post is dedicated to the people in BKK. Hope everyone there stays strong in the face of the flood disasters.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Floating Markets in Bangkok - Bringing a new meaning to cooking on the fly</span></td></tr>
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Some time back during the raya breaks, i made a beeline for Bangkok. To be honest, it's my first time there, though i have been to Hatyai and Chang Mai. When i was younger, where i went was dictated by my parents ( cause they paid ) and i was poor ( pocket money those days and now so different leh ) but as you grow older... with your own money, you can practically go any where. Provided there is no civil war, no floods, no tsunami, no earthquake and of course ... doesn't break your bank to go there ( Like Europe ).<br />
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My initial plan was to go back to HK but heck, i find Air Asia DOES not excel on cheap flights on the last minute [ Tony, are you reading this? ]. So BKK was not extremely pricey and i manage to get good rates @ the Ramada Encore, so i went to BKK instead. The plan was to shop, eat, shop, eat, pretend to be tourist then eat and shop. Actually i ended up eating more than shopping. (Some how or rather, i couldn't get anything nice there ) At the point when i was there, it was actually raining quite often already, i remember my rather unpleasant flood walk in Chatuchak. Not impressed. T_T<br />
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One of the famed places to eat in BKK was this place called Cabbages and Condom. The name was a shoe in for "must visit place" even for the heck of it. Situated in Sukhomvit 12, this restaurant cum education place is quite an attraction for tourist. In conjunction with the Population and Community Development, the aim is to educate people about safe sex ( we are in thailand after all :D ) and at the same time, hey feed you well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amazing Condom Varieties - are these really sold in the world? </span></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>You would think this is a tourist trap and it serves horrible and expensive food? But no, your are absolutely wrong. The food here is actually quite good and the price not too bad. So good, i went there twice during my stay there. Also if you fear eating street food but want to try Thai food, here is a good place to go.</div>
<img alt="Cabbages and Condom 002" height="710" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6112/6285739481_727a4b6964_b.jpg" width="1024" />
Many years back, when i went to this place called My Elephant, i was introduced to this dish called Mieng Kam. Made up of betel leaves, topped with onions, coconut shreds , ginger, dried shrimp and fish sauce, this is one interesting crunchy snack to chew on. Since then this is always on my "must order" thai dish. Unfortunately now, i try to flick out the peanuts so as they don't crack my teeth too much. The combination of ingredients is quite addictive and surprisingly healthy.<br />
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No trip to Thailand is complete without some Tom Yam Goong. Not so very spicy ( thank god ) but enough kick still to keep it nice. It was particularly cold that day in Bangkok due to the rains ( i hate rains ) so the warm and spicy soup was a good end to the day. Plenty of seafood and stuff in the soup, only wish the rice was delivered to us faster because i wanted soup rice! </div>
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There was a veggie dish here but normally i don't take pics of veggie unless super special. Think we had the perennial favorite of morning glory! Couldn't think of any other veggie we wanted to eat! </div>
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One of the things i heard a lot about thai curries besides the usual green or red curries was the Massaman Curry. This is a southern thai dish normally made with Beef, chicken or duck. Why is this curry different from other thai curries? The use of the cardamon pods which is not normally used in Thai dishes. Cardamon pods are an influence from India so the smell of the curry is quite aromatic. Not really spicy though yet has this sweetish taste. Not pretty in picture, but the taste i assure you will want you reaching out for the rice pots to heap the sauce on to it. I could eat seconds here. </div>
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Thank god i needed to walk back to the hotel, i was so full could not even think about desserts. Though we did return a few days later to sample their thai mango dessert. I find i like the one in BKK alot better than the ones i had in KL! Mango is sweet with a hint of sour and the glutinous rice was nice ( without the hard bits. My mom would say someone "kan mai" )<br />
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So, after the floods, if anyone is heading towards Thailand, particularly bangkok, do try out Cabbages and Condom. By the way, they go with the byline "Our food will guaranteed not to cause pregnancy!"<br />
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Cabbages & Condom,<br />
Soi 12, Sukhomvit,<br />
Bangkok </div>
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</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-89817377379057319372011-10-23T17:53:00.003+08:002011-10-24T21:58:42.573+08:00Restaurant Robson Heights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I feel like i am the last person on earth to blog about this. :) But yes, just a few short stops away from my office, there is a gem or 2 of restaurants hiding in the hills of Robson. ( Can they be called hills?) The Makan Gang 2 has not gone out in ages because most of us were in the far reaches of the earth but that day was a rare day everyone manage to get together to makan. Inclusion of 2-3 new faces, one or 2 we may have possibly scared with our frantic picture taking and whatsapping of the food. < sorry ><br />
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The favorite choice of food of course in such a gathering is always Ketam. And each time, we always always over order. ( Never learn one all of us , either that ore we are just greedy piggies, the waiter was already giving us the look for over ordering) But naturally eating crabs is always most fun with a large group of people, otherwise a small group could be an overkill. <br />
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For the uninitiated to Robson Heights Restaurant, there are so easy ways to get there:<br />
* From Federal highway, direction of PJ to KL, first turning to KL Sentral, go on that road and make a u turn at the old Brickfields police station, go straight up turn left. Can't miss this restaurant.<br />
* From KL, to PJ still on the Federal high way, look for the SSF building on the left and then turn left, and turn left - can't miss this high up restaurant<br />
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I am amused that you need to climb up a flight of stairs ( not very high lah ) to get up this restaurant, kinda like a work out before you eat and after you eat. The interior is typically chinese not very exciting, clean and not stinky like some chinese restaurants are. And surprisingly cooling. ( Thank God, with the weather these days, aircons are a must )<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6203107881/" title="Robson's Seafood 003 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Robson's Seafood 003" height="571" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6203107881_8b20382e0d_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a>
Since this is a crabfestival, naturally most of the orders are about crab. First up was the Spicy Chilli Crab. Generous serving of sauce and a bit of a mustachioed crab here. The crab was fresh and meaty. However sauce wise, i still feel King Crab has the best sauce. King Crab seems to have that extra oomph in the sauce that keeps you going back for more.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6271833578/" title="Robson's Seafood 004 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Robson's Seafood 004" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6037/6271833578_587d0267f5_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a>
Next up, Crab in salted egg. Look @ the coated claw. Cholesterol heaven. I think most of us were licking the outsides of the crab. Again superbly fresh crabs but luckily this was not a very large order, can be jelakky if cold.<br />
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There was one crab pic that did not make the show here ( as in the blog ) because my hands were already about filthy diddling with the salted egg crabs was the Cheese crabs. That was in my books less jelakky than the salted egg but also the sauce cheese dib was awesome! I liked it more than the other crab dishes i had.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6203621784/" title="Robson's Seafood 002 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Robson's Seafood 002" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6150/6203621784_3fd21f5d79_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a>
One of my all time favorite dish and rather cholesterol laden is the Sang Har meen. I have practically eaten quite a few dishes from various restaurants in PJ/KL ( Greenview, King Crab, the reasonably priced one in Sg Wang, have not really tried Pan Heong yet) but Robson height does a mean version of this dish. Personally many years ago Greenview's one was pretty good, but the quality dipped. So now i think the one by Robson is not too bad. By far my favorite of the night. Fresh noodles, not jelakky and large and luscious prawns. And the odd broccoli there :D<br />
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And then there is pork. Of Course. Pork is a must in most makan sessions. Marmite, Guinness and Honey pork, how can that not be a killer combination. Tender and finger licking good, the meat just flies off the bone. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6203106423/" title="Robson's Seafood 001 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Robson's Seafood 001" height="1024" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6203106423_d73f4dd581_b.jpg" width="685" /></a><br />
Veggies and others usually fail to make the picture cut :) but nevertheless i swear we did consume some fiber. Good to catch up with the gang after so long. I heard the glass noodles prawn was pretty good. If you want some nice eats at reasonable prices, Robson Heights Seafood won't disappoint.<br />
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Address for those who fail to understand my poor directions:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #232323; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">ROBSON HEIGHTS SEAFOOD RESTAURANT<br />10B, Jalan Permai,<br />Off Jalan Syed Putra,<br />50460 Kuala Lumpur,<br />Malaysia.<br />Telephone/Fax No : 603-2274 6216.</span></span></div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com4Lorong Permai, Taman Persiaran Desa, 50460 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.1244683214238838 101.685440540313723.1234773214238838 101.68420654031372 3.1254593214238837 101.68667454031372tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-13711793826077872742011-09-24T12:03:00.002+08:002011-09-24T12:03:14.440+08:00Ipoh Style Fish ball noodles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I never get bored of eating in Ipoh. In fact, every trip back is like fattening the cow session. :) Food is cheap and good in Ipoh and nothing ever really has ever tasted awful in my opinion. Let me think. Nope, rarely.<br />
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Noodles is a big part of the chinese breakfast in ipoh. I don't think anyone eats bread a lot unless it's with Kaya or you dump some soft boiled eggs on it. Unless you suffer from too-much-to-eat syndromes where you require plain wholemeal toast to detox, Noodles are a something that is eaten a lot in Ipoh.<br />
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My usual 3 favorite typo of noodle brekkie in Ipoh is 1) Curry Mee ( with Siew Yoke no less ) 2) Chee Cheong Fun Ipoh style [ light soya sauce and loads of fried onions ] 3) And Ipoh Style Fish ball noodles. Of all 3, item 3 is the healthiest by far.<br />
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<img alt="Fishball Noodles 001" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6177060174_4f5796dece_b.jpg" width="1024" />
Some how, noodles in ipoh is crammed into a small tiny bowl of Mihun and yellow rice noodles. And to top this off, you need a decent crushed chilli to go with the noodles. Sometimes i just take plain noodles ( when i feel fat ) and then when i am not, i need my fish ball toppings. It is not the KL style yong tau foo but still it's simplicity is what makes it different.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6176532151/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Fishball Noodles 002 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Fishball Noodles 002" height="1024" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6176532151_8ba1b0c311_b.jpg" width="685" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">oooh.... can see my mom topping up the chilli behind. </td></tr>
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There are many of these fish ball noodles in Ipoh, however this one in Jalan Bijih Timah is only selling Fishball noodles. Yes. One shop of only fish ball noodles. If you are looking for choices, be forewarned there is none! The funny thing about Ipoh is, you can always walk over to the next shop and order the food to be brought into a different restaurant. Never see that in KL, you'd probably might get whacked.<br />
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Noodles can come in soup or dry version ( black soya sauce ) , with either kuey teow, mihun, mi, or even loh si fun. I normally like mihun/mi. Don't be fooled by the small bowl, actually it is quite filling. My favorite is the pork balls with minced squid, can't see from the picture, cause all the foo pei is covering it up. I like this style of Fish balls because it is not those plastiky bouncy feeling type. Can't really describe it but i like my fishballs less springy yet not soft. <br />
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Along Jalan Bandar Bijih Timah - there are 2 shops selling the same stuff above - and is actually run by 2 brothers! Many moons ago, their mom used to run it, but now the 2 brothers spilt their shop in the same row and both are equally cramped and crowded. Their elderly mom can be seen pottering around the older brother's shop packing chilli sauce and trying to make herself busy :) <br />
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Can't remember the other brother's shop name, but this one i ate was Restaurant CT - Can't miss it, his shop has like the only noodle shop inside and a lot of people milling around it. </div>
NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-32453519973204410772011-09-04T09:00:00.002+08:002011-09-04T09:00:09.969+08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6108092797/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Salted Veg & Mince Pork by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Salted Veg & Mince Pork" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6197/6108092797_72db6d0108_b.jpg" /></a>
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When i was a kid, my aunt always used to called me a Ham Choy Mui...because i was a grubby kid. Ham Choy means grubby, like you know, the unwashed bantal busuk kind :). However, i hope that did not really translate to er the fact that i like salted veggies a lot. Ham Choy is just one of the types of salted preserved vegetables found in the Chinese cooking. There is the mui choy that you find in Mui Choy Kau yoke, or Tung Choy or even Char Choi, in which you find in Szechuan noodles.<br />
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The salted veg adds zest and sometimes spice to your dishes, but don't necessary are the healthiest kind of food around town. I have to say i love all of them but of late with the wave of fake food around and the high salt content, i try to limit the dosage i need to eat. :)<br />
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Ham Choy Chu Yoke or Salted Veg and Mince pork is one of the dishes i used to eat when i was a child. Being extremely fussy with food, pork was of the ways my grandmother and mother tempted me to eat. I guess this dish must hit a spot. Very simply, you just need mince pork { marinate sikit with some soy sauce and cornflour [ gets rid of smell ] ) and ham choy. This ham choy is from Ipoh by the way. You need the dark leaves kind, which so far i only see in Ipoh.<br />
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Soak in water before cooking sprinkled with a bit of sugar to take the edge of the sourness. <br />
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Heat the wok, add a bit of chopped garlic, and stir fry the pork. Add salted veg in the pan, when almost done, a bit of dark soya sauce and water. Thicken the sauce to your liking. As we grew older, fresh chilli was added in to give it a kick. With a bowl of fresh, hot white rice, this will surely whet your appetite. Alternatively, you can replace Ham Choy with fresh belimbing ( yeap, starfruit - the tiny kind )<br />
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Note: in most KL supermarkets you find the Ham Choy with no green leaves, you can use that but add in onions and carrots to give it a different twist. Or, if you don't like this with pork, boil soup!!!<br />
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<b>P</b>/S: This is quite a simple dish to replicate at home. <br />
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NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-24637158311751697822011-08-21T22:17:00.001+08:002011-08-21T22:17:27.508+08:00Arigatou Malaysia :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Something i saw in this year's Bon Odori in KL. I admire the Japanese for their resilience in rebuilding their country. Very little blame, just good old fashion hard work. <span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ja"><span class="">がんばって!!</span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5990315433/" title="Bon Odori 2011 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Bon Odori 2011" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6008/5990315433_4092a330e4_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a>
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NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-7047680775410611312011-08-14T21:35:00.002+08:002011-08-14T21:35:42.644+08:00KFC - Korean Fried Chicken! From Bonchon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6037877276/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Bonchon-011 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Bonchon-011" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6206/6037877276_a2a92a9397_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Er... what happened to Team Edward or Team Jacob</td></tr>
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<i>Be forewarned. The England in the photos are not my doing </i>:)<br />
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One of the best things that floated their way to Makati is Bonchon. Actually... i think it is an American Korean chain ( never hear my korean based ex colleagues mention this place ) but it is a type of Korean fast food. And it kicks Kentucky Fried Chicken to the curb! I used to be a fan of Kentucky Fried Chicken when i was a child. The crispiness was the most enticing bit. But when KFC started to "outsource" and really franchise out i found the quality went down hill. Sogginess and oily feeling was really a put off.<br />
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When Bonchon opened in Makati a few months back, the queue was stupendous. The shop is in the Ayala park shops, a tiny small shop that only had about 5-6 tables but hell, the crowds were long. My observation is that anything new in Makati is something worth queuing for. Out of curiosity, naturally we all try it.<br />
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I googled a bit on Korean Friend Chicken and realized - that this although a traditional korean dish, is more like a beer snack - kinda like yakitori to the japanese. Explains a lot why i don't find it in Korean restaurants. The real name is Dak Kang Jung. Bonchon serves 2 types - the Soy Glazed or the Spicy. Note the spicy is SPICY. The use of Gochujang was quite liberal and i prefer the Soy Glazed which is lightly spicy. <br />
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Actually @ one stage i got quite sick of this dish because for 1 whole week, my users decided lunch meeting was fun and each day they had Bonchon! Much as i like it, i normally try not to overkill my self with this.But eating it every was quite a torture. Anyway, this post is done after a 3 month self imposed drought on Bonchon! And it tasted so good after the drought.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6037327635/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Bonchon-002 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Bonchon-002" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/6037327635_5808d10902_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aha.. the secret .... i am on a roll with this strange language thing</td></tr>
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One thing about this chicken is that, you only get the wing and drummet part. There is no chicken breast ah, chicken thigh ah... only wing and drummet. And the price is a bit pricey. A pack of 6 is 100+PHP but i got the 12 pack one so it was 200+PHP. Greedy mah... so get more lor. And i had this grand plan of eating one half for today's dinner and save it for the rest. And ta-da, my box of 12 wings and drummet.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6037877498/" title="Bonchon-003 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Bonchon-003" height="1024" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6066/6037877498_3d25cc56d8_b.jpg" width="685" /></a>
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You may wonder what is the difference between Korean Fried Chicken and Kentucky Fried Chicken? Well Korean fried chicken is double fried. <u><b>Apparently</b></u> by double frying, it is less oily and makes it crunchier! IMHO, it's the sauce coating on the skin that makes it yummy. Single fry or double fry, any frying is still oily lah. Eat in moderation people. I must admit this was so tasty, i ate about 3/4 of it and only left 4 measly pieces for dinner the next day. I skipped the rice that was given because rice = carbs = fat. ( Remember i was in the country of Unlimited rice, so had to keep fit ) The piece de resistance is the sauce. Pick the Soy Glazed one. The spicy one is just too hot. My tolerance level for GoChujang is not very good apparently.<br />
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All your meats need to be balance with some greens. but i picked up a box of Kimchi coleslaw which was quite interesting much to say. Not very spicy yet gives you the zing. Ah.. no left overs, had to stir fry veggie next day as well. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/6037327809/" title="Bonchon-004 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Bonchon-004" height="1024" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6183/6037327809_05365c6b94_b.jpg" width="685" /></a>
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Typically, I won't eat it every day as it is not cheap food though it is fast food. However if you want fried chicken that is different - try the Korean Fried Chicken. I was telling housemate if we ever franchised this to Malaysia, tasty as it is, the Malaysians might find this really pricey. And because it doesn't have all the parts of a chook, might be a tough sell!<br />
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Anyway, folks who are dropping by Makati - head over to the Ayala Gardens or Greenbelt 1 to look for this place. Tar Pau lah.. not a lot of place to sit. p/s: i got craving. please bring some back for me :P No unlimited rice please. ktxbai!<br />
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Restaurant Chicken Bon Chon,<br />
Ayala Gardens<br />
Makati, Manila.<br />
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NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-4534342981246691042011-08-07T19:51:00.002+08:002011-08-07T19:51:49.930+08:00Boracay Trip -Day 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After you have stayed in Makati for awhile, exhausted all the shopping centers and tired of flying back to home country only to fly back again in 48 hours, sometimes we fly to other areas. Pack a small back and just head on to the islands over the weekends is our quick time away from the city.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5915825804/" title="Boracay-009 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Boracay-009" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5915825804_6da5e69f1e_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
However my planned trip to Boracay less than unexciting. For one, this was a second attempt to fly to Boracay. My first trip was plagued by 1) Typhoon 2) Outbreak of hives. I think my outbreak of hives was due to excessive ChaTime drinking. I could be allergic to it! However, i can't resist the 80PHP drink which is soooo much cheaper than Starbucks. However, after the breakout, i had to go back to coffee - but upped the level by going to the Korean Cafe Tiamo ... ( poorer than before .... -_-") But back to Boracay story tellling<br />
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<b>Good travel times: ( Peak Period )</b><br />
* Between April - July - but watch out for typhoon. Philippines is famous for typhoons and can really ruin your plans.<br />
* Check PAGASA or GMA to find out the expected weather.<br />
* For the guys - Early June - plenny of Korean (Feel like i was in Busan only) /Taiwanese tourists. July, the Russians appear ;) <br />
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<b>How to get there</b><br />
Of course get yourself to Manila first, ( there is no direct flight ) and you can take either:<br />
* Cebu Pacific Air<br />
* Zest Air<br />
* Air Philippines<br />
Note: The Arrival and Departure prices are slightly different and check the airports. Best to land in Caticalan and fly off from Caticalan because Kalibo is 2 hours away from Caticalan. But that's not all, upon arriving at Caticalan, you need to take an equivalent of a "tuk-tuk" car to the jetty and a boat to Boracay. Really after all that transportation by the time i arrived in Boracay i was pooped. Oh, if you are squeamish about walking the plank be forwarned. Alot of plank walking on the jetty. So don't pack heavy bags simple knapsack will do.<br />
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<b>Accommodation: </b>Go via Agoda - prices are the cheapest there. I stayed in the funny 2 SEASONS. Funny because 4 seasons is famous 2 seasons sound like a rip off ( But it is not!)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5915830560/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Boracay-021 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Boracay-021" height="1024" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5319/5915830560_22a94d39c7_b.jpg" width="685" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking the plank - see the Ahjeossi in blue pretending to be kakkoii...</td></tr>
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Anyway boracay is famous for their white sands. To be honest, this place makes Bali pale in comparison ( beach wise ).The place is a small island bustling with people all out to have a good time. If you are looking for historical things to see in this place like Bali forget it. But if you are looking for a place to unwind, this is the place. Made up of 3 famous "beach stations" of 1,2,3 they make a difference which one you pick to say in. Station 1 has the most hotels and the more pricey hotels. 2 is the happening place, the food and entertainment are mostly here... to be honest i never walked to 3 though. I was staying in Station 1 and walking to 2 for most of my makan needs and not to mention coffee needs :P<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5909116084/" title="Boracay-001 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Boracay-001" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6048/5909116084_85da0e5fab_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
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I have to say, i love this island. While i am not such a big fan of Makati, i feel i could stay in Boracay forever. Probably because it is such a lovely and blue place. People are relaxed here, walking around in surf clothes and swimsuit, good food... it was my heaven on earth. And i finally lost my pale "Edward Cullen" look within the day i got there!<br />
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Before we go to any food photos, where is the good place to stay in Boracay? If you have the moolah's i recommend Station 1. You can stay in station 2 as that is the hub of the activities, but i find it noisy and if you want to get a good night's sleep, that ain' the place. The whole reason i was there in Boracay was also to Tan, Surf and sleep ( not to mention eat ) so i picked 2 seasons in Station 1. It's not too bad i would say, the hotel people were extremely friendly and accomodating ( they allowed me to shift my room booking because of my hives earlier with a small fee otherwise i would have to pay the whole charges! ) Rooms are clean, has free wifi ( to download series from hehehe ) and aircon (albeit quite freezing aircon ) i was quite happy with this place. Only that ... did you notice the bed is so low? Easier to roll out of i guess. Be forewarned. In Boracay, if you look outside your hotel room - don't expect to see nice surroundings, despite the price you pay, you will see slums. Breakfast wise this place was meh - but i actually didn't really mind as i was scouting around D'mall for food. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5915258627/" title="Boracay-003 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Boracay-003" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6007/5915258627_7fac9994b9_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
Because i reached Boracay around 6pm, i was actually kinda hungry. Kinda hungry was mildly putting it, and i was starving actually. So i decided to grab some early eats. Note that Seafood is abundant here! My housemate who came some time back say, there is a "danpa" ( Seafood hut ) further down but i decided to just try my luck with the shops in D'Mall station 2 ( was sleepy as well and lazy to walk too far ) One thing is about Boracay, i felt pretty safe here as compared to Makati. People are very trusting and seriously... er if you kinda did anything weird on the island, everyone knows, so it is safe to walk along the island with very little fear except the drunken tourists!<br />
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The beach were full of people surfing and paddle boarding. These guys were trying to catch some skids nearer to the beach...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5915269229/" title="Boracay-027 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Boracay-027" height="1024" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6046/5915269229_7bb1200b4a_b.jpg" width="685" /></a><br />
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For me i headed straight to the makan areas. Very clear on what my focus is. "Heal the tummy"<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5915259053/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Boracay-018 Lobster Day 1 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Boracay-018 Lobster Day 1" height="1024" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023/5915259053_7be924ef72_b.jpg" width="685" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MY LOBSTER- HAHAHAHAHAHA.</td></tr>
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I selected this guy who was busy setting up at 6pm and had this humungous lobsters. He was busy trying to convince a few local pinoys to try his seafood, they left unconvinced. For some reasons, in philippines, Chinese and Koreans get mixed up a lot, so he immediately started thinking i was a korean and offered me kind of a high price for the lobster, in fact this dude was pretty smart to pick up a smattering of korean like "it's this price" etc.. After some dubious stares, he realized i wasn't and the price was lowered. I got this baby for 1000php ( RM70 ) and 3 biggish prawns thrown in. The style of Danpar is that order your seafood and get the cook to cook it the way you want. I wanted mine butter garlic grilled. It was pretty awesome, the smokey flavor of the grill with garlic and butter was simply a divine combination. I just ate mine with rice and downed it with a pina colada. The size of the lobster was as big as my arm and everyone was looking @ this tiny girl with a big lobster. Still i managed to finish it and had to walk around the beach for a good 1/2 hour before sleeping :P. If youare unconvinced of the seafood here, there is a host of international and local food found here at D'mall. You can't go hungry here. And i am also convinced that the cooks in Makati all migrated to Boracay. The food is so good here, i swear anything i ate in Makati paled in comparison.<br />
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Will continue in the next post....... too stuffed to move...</div>
NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-3059428152319089642011-07-06T23:27:00.000+08:002011-07-06T23:27:23.085+08:00Next Post..... Boracay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="Boracay-000" height="685" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6050/5908558537_a95b1cd0e1_b.jpg" width="1024" /></div>While the postings have started to take a turn to more like a travelogue, i assure you there is some food pics involved here. This is.. Boracay in the Philippines, also known as the party island. Where can you get, see, feel such white sands!!!! While it was a damn short holiday, ( i still got tanned ) i thought this place was one of my nicer experiences in this country. More in the next posting. Tired, sleepy. Need to koon. <br />
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</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-27746049635544397892011-06-26T18:40:00.001+08:002011-06-28T00:20:34.148+08:00Corredigor Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">For the geographically challenged, Philippines is "the" island place. And it has to be as it is an archipelago surrounded by 7107 islands!! While many are tiny and probably in accessible by air, there are some pretty famous ones like Boracay, Bohol, Batanes, Palawan ( yes they seem to all start with B and P ) and Corredigor. Of late, i was told there is an island here that looks like the islands in Santorini, with the blue <strike>sees </strike>sea <strike></strike>and white buildings. That would be interesting ... cheaper than flying to Europe and probably less expensive.<br />
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Well for this write up, it is not Bohol, Boracay i am going ( Boracay will be another write up ) but to Corredigor. It is .. a war island to be exact. Yeah, i know, i seem to favor a lot of this army related stuff. Hard not to, 3/4 of my family are army enthusiast, so some how you absorb whatever everyone is talking around you.<br />
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If you are thinking this is a beach write up ... er can turn away now. Corredigor is the island that is in the face of Manila Bay. It was considered the stronghold during the second world war and also one of the President's of Philippines hid there for 6 months during the attack of the Japanese on Manila. <br />
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Funnily enough, not a lot of Pinoys travel to this, this place is more of a attraction to foreigners who are history buffs, former WW2 survivors and insanely bored people like me and my house/flat mates. Really, after so many months, we have gone to ALL the shopping malls, ALL the areas surrounding Makati and still we remain bored. There is really nothing much to do in the city so sometimes we do have to look outside of town ( and some times over the sea ) to find excitement. Unfortunately for my poor housemate, traveling to Corredigor meant she had to wake up at 6am!!( horror ) to take the 8am ferry to Corridegor. To be honest, even an early riser like me... it was hard :(.... There is only 1 ferry there at one time and no other :(<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5600859978/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Corredigor - 003 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 003" height="685" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/5600859978_b656c74ff1_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
How to get there: By Ferry. Via the <a href="http://www.corregidorphilippines.com/">Suncruise</a> company. No other ferry services runs there. For PHP 2999, it includes the ferry ride ( free transport from suncruise to the ferry jetty), tour of the island ( yes, don't be adventurous to self walk it is a big island) and free lunch at the <b>one and only</b> hotel on the island. You can also pick the package that allows you to stay in the hotel overnight but we only took the day trip. <br />
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So.. the 4 of us trooped to the Ferry (very sleepily) at 7am in the morning, while everyone was getting their coffee kicks at Starbucks ( some got the super large size coffee hehehehe ) i was busy taking photographs around Manila Bay. It has been ages since i took my camera out and it feels good to do so! The trick to photographing Manila bay is ... crop the bottom... cause there is a lot of crap at the bottom of the photograph that i didn't show. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5602033125/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Corredigor - 005 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 005" height="685" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/5602033125_17bc632ddb_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
There is this fake/copy of that famous restaurant in Hong Kong. Only this looks a tad dilapidated and very ignored. I am not even sure it is open to begin with. But against the skyline behind, it makes a good picture! <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5600940014/" title="Corredigor - 004 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 004" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5146/5600940014_113025793a_b.jpg" /></a><br />
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8am sharp we were all rolled off into this large Ferry, glad it wasn't dodgy looking. It was pretty comfortable, though i'd preferred it to be open air it wasn't. Again, 80% of the people traveling with us were Japanese (!!) , a lot of Americans and a small amount of Pinoys. During the 45 minute journey there, the guides gave a brief history of the Island and what we need to do when we reached the island. For the rest of the journey, most of us zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzed our way to the island.<br />
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On arrival, we were shuttled to these little orange... trams, trains? All the english speaking people in one train the rest, follow your mother language ! Yes, they cater for people of different languages so it makes it easier for you to understand the descriptions on the tour. Those truck look fun but after a few rounds of getting up and down it<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5619662614/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Corredigor - 021 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 021" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5619662614_c63772efc9_b.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Like my apartment mate, is considering if he should climb back up. Kudos to the guy in the car who refuse to get out!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5619079633/" title="Corredigor - 018 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 018" height="685" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5619079633_03eb29c7ee_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
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Corredigor is no party island like Boracay as there are only 200 people on the island itself, so don't expect any life on the beach. In fact some of these beaches are scenes to some of the bloodiest battles during the second world war. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5619077337/" title="Corredigor - 017 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 017" height="685" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5062/5619077337_e51ecb8e73_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div>The island was home to many US soldiers during the second world war who made the place feel like home with buildings that remind them of home. But a lot of have been destroyed by bombing or by wear and tear and make very creepy places that you won't want to be alone in at night. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5619669234/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Corredigor - 012 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 012" height="685" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5264/5619669234_24251e6d71_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><br />
And the whole place is littered with buildings of such. Legend has it, the most haunted place on the island was the old hospital and the Malinta tunnels. Naturally so for the hospital as many people have died here and some i heard quite painfully. I have to be honest, while the building looks bright and shiny in the pics below, but step into the dark areas of the building, you can feel presence of people or some how memories of people who used to be there. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5619668384/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Corredigor - 019 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 019" height="685" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5108/5619668384_0e104ef30f_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But this ain't the old hospital, this is one of the many barracks in Corredigor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I guess along time ago, people are more directionally challenge with a GPS. So you need large signs like this. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5602033349/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Corredigor - 007 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 007" height="685" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5225/5602033349_b9933cdfea_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
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Since this is a War island expect a lot of memorials and a lot of cemeteries. The war memorial was quite interesting to see memorabilia from the era, from army fatigues to money used during the Second World war. Kinda like History class without the teacher talking. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5621601787/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Corredigor - 025 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 025" height="685" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5149/5621601787_c9357f872e_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
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Ah, no food shots here ok, there is only 1 restaurant here in Corredigor and that's at the hotel which serves okay food only. But we were so freaking hungry we just wallop every thing tasty or not.<br />
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After lunch we had a tour of Malinta tunnels. Interestingly enough Linta means leeches in tagalog ( yes leeches ) and Malinta - means ..... alot of leeches!! The tunnel is where President Quezon stayed for 6 months, housed by the Americans for his own safety. And it is a seriously depressing place to be in. No light, tepid air and claustrophobia can really drive people mad. The tunnels here are deep and the expand through out the hills on the left and right. You can see below everyone is just glad to get out of this place! All smiles @ the sunshine<br />
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</div>The tour ends at 2pm where we took the ferry back to Manila bay. It was not a bad day tour for us, a chance to get out, spend some time in the sun and not spend money ( ahehehhe ) and get some history @ the same time. Recommended for history buffs and people who like to see how people lived during the second world war.<br />
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More pics, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/sets/72157626454809436/with/5621604019/">click this link</a>. </div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-36423218219438941942011-06-05T17:00:00.002+08:002011-06-26T07:38:50.944+08:00Hello Corredigor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This is a short post before, while waiting @ the Airport for my flight back to Pinoy land. I can hear the people calling liao. Back to some travelogue writing later. Toodles. </div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko1712/5771046955/" title="Corredigor - 000 by neko1712, on Flickr"><img alt="Corredigor - 000" height="685" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/5771046955_2c0f06c399_b.jpg" width="1000" /></a></div></div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-36626062540118821932011-05-15T17:10:00.000+08:002011-05-15T17:10:41.201+08:00The People's Palace, Greenbelt III, Makati<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The funny thing about working in Manila, is that we end up eating food from Thailand, Vietnam , Hong Kong and sometimes Singapore ( toastbox is my current haunt because of the quite awesome fried chicken there and SPAM sandwich ) and we rarely eat local food. Sometimes the pinoy food either can be too expensive ( like Fely J's and Abe [ which we sacked and banned due to hairy pork ] )or they are too streety that may warrant an unnecessary trip to St. Luke's Hospital. Street vendor food is alive and well in Manila. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chap Fan on the Go.</td></tr>
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You will find all this little vans around Makati and various parts of manila selling food for the masses ( its like tau pau in a van ) and i bet it does not cost more than 100 pesos. However, i am not too sure about the cleanliness and never really tried it. Oh, this is picture is taken where i stay right now. <br />
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Don't get me wrong though there are <b>some</b> tasty food around, if you do come here, look out for Ineng's barbeque chicken. It is so awesome, i can eat it every day. While other food here did not really capture my attention, i have to say the filipinos make good barbeque. Unfortunately today's post is not about BBQ Chicken. It is about .... Thai food!<br />
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I don't see a lot of Thai people here, but Manila has a lot of Thai restaurant that are pretty decent. In Greenbelt itself there are already 3 thai restaurants, i have tried 2 and Glorietta has the Dusit ( which we confused with the hotel at one stage ) People's Palace is in Greenbelt 3 and i call it the Posh Place. Firstly, .... i think i want my house decorate like how it is in People's Palace. Nice ambient lights , lovely dark floor wood. This place is packed all the time mostly by expatriates. Here is a tip in Manila: if there is a lot of expatriates - normally it is a good place. If otherwise ... meh. <br />
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Initially before my MASAS post, i wanted to come to this restaurant but there was a 1/2 hour waiting time for a place. Bleh. However, a second visit, and it was a early visit, the crowd was not there. People's Palace specializes in modern Thai cuisine. But some old favorites are still retained. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="People's Republic-003" height="428" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2188/5718578088_6798a6b10e_o.jpg" width="640" /></div>My remedy for-flu-and-poor-appetite is the piping hot Tom Yam Goong soup. Goes nicely with rice and if you have a cold, it really makes you feel better. People's Palace's version is slightly sourer and not as spicy as some, but i like this version. Well, truth be told Tom Yam tastes almost similar in any restaurant, it is a question whether it is either sourer or spicier. Topped with a lot of seafood, this should be something you should order in any Thai restaurant. And top it up with rice :)<br />
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<i>On a side note, rice is so important in Philippines, that restaurant even advertises "Unlimited" Rice. I find it amusing, where else in K.L everyone says "1/2 rice please"</i><br />
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Undecided on what veg to eat, i ordered a simple Thai salad with chicken to try. By the way the portions in this place are fairly large as compared to the typical thai places. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="People's Republic-001" height="428" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3650/5718577664_e5fa2a1fcb_o.jpg" width="640" /></div>This is a Pomelo, Green mango and Chicken salad with a lot of sweet basil. And a lot of keropok or chicharap in tagalog. Pomelo is a popular fruit here in Philippines and here they like the red and sourish kind Adding to salads give it that kick. This dish will work on a really hot day. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><img alt="People's Republic-002" height="428" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3591/5718578514_a9495fe612_o.jpg" width="640" /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Curry is another Thai staple and People's Palace has a good version of Red Duck Curry. A lot of food in Manila, you can specify the heat factor - "very hot, hot or mild". I remember eating Gising Gising in recipes forgetting to specify the "spiciness" ... felt like those Steven Chow movies after 2-3 bites. Back to the dish, not to sure about the white stuff drizzled on this dish but i think it is coconut milk. The dish is creamy and with a hint of spiciness. The duck tender and not gamey. However as big as the bowl looks... there is not a lot of duck here. And this is the most expensive dish of all 3. Plenty of veggie though in this dish. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
The price though is far from a People's price. The cost of 3 dishes are about PHP900 - 1K. And that would set you back around RM80-90. The kinda of place you only come if you 1) want to entertain clients, 2) feel the need to eat luxury and 3) aiya, no other place to eat. It's good to come to such <strike>palaces</strike>, place once in a while but in the mean time, it is still Ineng's for me. <br />
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The People's Palace. <br />
<strong></strong> Greenbelt 3, Greenbelt 1<br />
Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St., Ayala Center<br />
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div></div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-10947341682567304662011-04-17T17:11:00.000+08:002011-04-17T17:11:20.433+08:00Brux Ale - Bangsar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Me likey alcoholic food.While i am not a heavy drinker nor do i like drinking a whole lot ( a lot depends on the type of alcohol and the company ) i am more partial to food with alcohol in it :) So, i do like these beer places cum restaurants that have been sprouting around KL. I saw this place in<a href="http://eatdrinkkl.blogspot.com/2010/10/brux-ale.html"> Eat Drink KL's blog</a>, and i had to try it. And try i did, like 2 months ago! Yes, this is another one of my delayed post. This blogging funk has been pretty bad. I have been so not inspired of late. There are tonnes of photos in my camera but i don't feel really in the mood to write. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Axel-Brue-001" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5172/5515028752_d8de7de91e_o.jpg" width="428" /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Brux Ale was one of the places Mashi and i picked for a our long delayed catch up. I miss our monthly eat out sessions. It was a good chance to catch up and relax and not let work worry us. By the way, this is a lunch session. :) So early in the day the alcohol comes into the picture already -_-". </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Brux Ale specializes in the lager from Belgium so you will find a few of the quite famous brands already and some that are new to us Malaysians. So you will find some gems here that are not found in the other pubs - such as my Apple Beer! And appropriately named Newton. I like the fruity flavor of the beer, rather than the bitter Heinekens or Carlsberg that is usually found outside. On a supremely hot day that day, this cool fruity beer tasted good. And i prefer this taste compared to Hoegaarden! Mashi had the Barbar Tok with Honey but the picture did not make it here because it was blurry. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Serving Belgian beer, also means serving Belgian food. I find this quite rare in KL where we are bombarded with Italian and German food, Belgian food seems like a refreshing change here. ( Not that i am complaining :P compared to what i normally eat now ). First dish up is a warm salad dish of peas and bacon and bacons. Who would have thought that something so simple can be so tasty. I originally wanted the Asparagus dish but they were out of Asparagus that day. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Axel-Brue-004" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/5514439323_ce23d7ecc6_o.jpg" width="428" /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">We ordered the flemish beef stew next. Comes in lovely colors below. For some strange reason i am tempted to ask the owner "do you have rice" so i can wipe the rice with the sauce!! To not sound too malaysian of course i did no such thing. However, with bread i think this will go very well as well. I was quite inspired suddenly to make er Guinness stew for some reason. I just drool thinking of this dish.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Axel-Brue-005" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5515034946_b3e4546b88_o.jpg" width="428" /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">The next dish is quite my favorite dish in Brux Ale. I noticed when the Europeans were colonizing a lot of countries, one of the good things that came out of that are the fusion dishes as a result of this. Belgium colonized part of Africa ( Congo particularly ) The name of the dish itself is a mouthful - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Belgian Congo Koukouyakalanga chicken. </span></span>It is in short curry chicken. Strange to find curry in Congo, eh? I like the curry, it is non too spicy but does have that slight kick and the rice is soft and moist. Oddly, i found the banana fritters on the side a rather strange combination. Didn't really like the Banana though.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Axel-Brue-003" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5133/5514437811_f975b6ebd6_o.jpg" width="428" /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Final order for the day was pasta, Carbonara to be exact. While i never like cream pasta, i have to say this version is not cloying creamy. Taste wise, not too bad but compared to the other dishes this was a bit normal.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Axel-Brue-006" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5515103894_7e22bb467b_o.jpg" width="428" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I give this top marks for pretty excellent and unique food ( compared to all the German and Japanese food that are popping up like mushrooms ) . There is some desserts on their menu which i didn't get to try, i was too full already to try it out. But if you are hankering for beers around other parts of Europe, try out Brux Ale. Sure not to disappoint. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The locale:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><a href="http://bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&pc=FACEBK&mid=8100&where1=4+Jalan+Telawi+2%2C+Bangsar%2C+59100+Kuala+Lumpur%2C+Malaysia&FORM=FBKPL0&name=Brux-Ale" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">4 Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brux-Ale/129893953701746">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brux-Ale/129893953701746</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div></div></div></div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-63317012243126043602011-04-09T14:34:00.000+08:002011-04-09T14:34:23.440+08:00Spotted!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Spotted, in Damansara Uptown .... a gender confused Starbucks sign<br />
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</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-43952676983121772172011-03-27T09:59:00.000+08:002011-03-27T09:59:23.004+08:00Greenview - a revisit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Sometimes, when i look at my old food photos, (such as this ) .... i really, really, really, really(x100) crave good Chinese food. I have not found really fantastically good chinese food here in Manila, there are some hits ( like David's teahouse for some good sweet and sour pork ) and plenny of misses ( like the crumbling pao i had today, all stuck in my mouth, that i felt i was eating cotton -_____-" ) or my hairy pork stories ( O_O ) . While the logical me knows Chinese food here is so so and should avoid it with a 10 feet pole, the masochist in still goes and try such food and then get sorely disappointed.<br />
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So, right now, i have to content with just the pictures. -_-" and drool at my own photographs. Or others. -_________-" Anyway, this is quite an old old post. It is at Greenview restaurant. The perennial old school chinese restaurants, such as New Paris which was here many years ago and still going strong. My first time to Greenview many years back, i was introduced to one of their 2 greater creations ... quite excellent crab dishes and their superb sang har meen. And mind you the later is not cheap. However all my family's attempts to eat there either ended up quite ... dramatic... by getting a ngau yuk kon ( saman ) or ... car scratches. Greenview is and still is, notorious in terms of parking. Either you go there early or very late. So, after a while we stop going to this place to avoid paying extra ;) <br />
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Armed with a DSLR many years later, i thought i will retry this place again with a group of friends.Greenview has changed over the years. They "air-cond" themselves, added a new floor, improve the parking somewhat, however their menu remains the same as many years ago.<br />
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Surprise the first pic is not about crabs or sang har meen :)? Actually i think this dish is the real comfort food material. It is simply siew yoke with greens ( can be kailan or choy sum ) and the above is with Choy Sum. My mom <b>used</b> (past tense because ... siew yoke is no good for the cholesterol now) to make this for us to eat with left over siew yoke from family events and everyone laps it up. However, i rarely see this in tau chau restaurants. I was surprised to find it here. Nevertheless, this was quite an awesome dish to try. By the way............... this was the only veggie dish <br />
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The stars of the night was of course their Sang Har Meen. The first time i ate this, was with Dad and Bro, many years back and it cost us RM70 just for this dish. I think that time, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. I liked the taste of Greenview because of the fragrant prawn taste in the sauce, however, over the years, i preferred the taste of King Crab's Sang Har meen, which was a bit more chinese wine infused. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Greenview-001" height="800" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5295/5501074656_dea4c5aae1_o.jpg" width="535" /></div>However, i still like Greenview's dish after having not eaten this dish in ages. Look at the size of that prawn, all gooey with the sauce and succulent ( with prawn roe etc ). I think i can just eat this dish on my own and then worry about the cholesterol later. <br />
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<img alt="Greenview-002" height="800" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5098/5501074592_cf6d0d8ccc_o.jpg" width="535" /></div>Prices of Sang Har Meen vary in different places. Lyrical Lemongrass introduced us to the RM9-10 version in <a href="http://www.awhiffoflemongrass.com/?p=216">Sungai Wang</a> which i thought was pretty awesome, then there is Wong Soon Kee's brother's version which... for a tai chau cost me RM52( my dad's eyes' popped ) and the prices of the likes of Greenview and King Crab. So, depending on your budget, you have varying choices. <br />
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Look at my lovely er crab body.... This was the curry butter flavor i think. Surprisingly this was much tastier than our usual dish of sweet and sour.Did i see a crab eye below???<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Greenview-004" height="428" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5133/5501074792_ab0ec9d619_o.jpg" width="640" /></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Greenview-005" height="428" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5500480215_6d0c0c4071_o.jpg" width="640" /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Though it looks very small, trust me, the crab had a lot of meat. The sauce was pretty awesome as well to go with the fried mantau. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">More shellfish to clog up our arteries ..... kum heong clams. Not really my favorite though i heart the sauce, shellfish and i don't get a long very well. Actually i think they are lala, but they look like those clams in the vongole dishes. My friends all say it is yummy so i guess it is :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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I do find that over the years, Greenview's taste has some what changed, or i have more preference has changed after eating many other restaurants. However, as the old school restaurants in Petaling Jaya, for a mildly luxurious meal ( as in high cholesterol kind ), this would be the right place. <br />
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Ah......... i am so craving for Sang Har Meen now. -__________-". <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">The locale: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Green View Restaurant</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman;">6 & 8, Jalan 19/3</span></span></div><div> </div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">46300 Petaling Jaya</span></span><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"></span><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Tel No: 03 - 7958 1076</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25234497.post-31828039701573633002011-03-06T16:02:00.000+08:002011-03-06T16:02:40.276+08:00Summer's here?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It feels like summer.................. Every time i am back home, it is freaking hot... but ..... i love it :) <br />
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</div>NekoHimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12854182218806937308noreply@blogger.com3