Wonder.Food.Travel

I was in Miri to undergo my T-BOSIET and HUET. In other words, i learned to fight fire and escaped a smoke house, performed CPR, stepped into a pool and survived capsizing of helicopters. Training was informative and fun; i thoroughly enjoyed each practical session. The instructors were casual but professional too. Even the food was good- and you thought i'm just going to speak about my training? After each day, i spent time to explore the bits and pieces of Miri, the land of the seahorse. With the help of my friends, no two nights were the same- and on Saturday just before i flew back to KL, we took a drive into Brunei. I stayed in Imperial Hotel, which is in the city itself and close to popular eateries. The Grand Old Lady and Canada Hill What would a trip to Miri be if not a photo at the pride of our nation. Unfortunately, it was overcast on the evening that i was there; otherwise, i heard the sunset is pretty. Reminded me of KK city. Muara Restoran Lalapan isn...

How good can a claypot chicken rice be? That was the question in my mind. Tucked in the neighbourhood, hidden amongst the houses, we went in to a fully occupied restaurant with tables of hungry and half-eating customers. We queued up and got a number. Not long after, we got a table. We placed our orders- the menu was limited and every table had similar dishes. The wait for dinner took longer. Signature dish- Claypot Chicken Rice with salted fish to add to taste. Once stirred, the rice was well coloured and well cooked- grain by grain, i chewed and swallowed. But it was the chicken pieces that i dug more for. Chunky, meaty but tender and tasty. This came with chinese sausages too. Usually eaten with claypot chicken rice, this Raddish Soup was simple but sufficient. Frankly i was expecting lotus root soup but i enjoyed this mix of raddish pieces, meat and chicken feet. Price was reasonably cheap. Service was ok (sometimes due to the crowd they can be a little rough). Food...

It's been awhile since we last visited this Thai restaurant. How we got to know this place- i can't remember, but i remember that the food was good (and authentic, at least to me). It was no different in this recent visit. In fact, we felt more than satisfied. We made a reservation but when we arrived, it wasn't crowded yet- it was, when we left. We sat in the shop across the road, air-conditioned and more spacious, flipped through the menu and then placed our orders. The appetizer was quick to be served but the others took some time. Cockles aren't usually my favourite but here, i'd make an exception. Opening each cockle, slowly digging it from its shell, dipping it in the spicy sauce, devouring it all at once, my steps to enjoying this fresh and succulent starter. It wouldn't be a complete Thai cuisine dinner without this- Red Tom Yum with Seafood, less spicy. The sweet-sourish taste of the soup was good to start the night. Looking at it now mak...

When i got back home, my brother told me (or bragged) about a Hokkien Mee he claimed to be the best he ever tasted til this day. Tawakal was what i heard next. I assumed it got its nickname from its close vicinity to Tawakal Hospital; then i realized not only did my brother call it Tawakal but others too. It has been around for many years and when i asked my dad why hadn't i know the place, he replied, "We brought you here when you were young". So young at the time i wasn't yet a foodie. The open kitchen. Especially for Chinese noodles, usually this type of roadside table and chair attracts me more. It was hard not to miss- with my brother's thumbs up and my family seconding him, and literally- off Bulatan Pahang towards the Tawakal Hospital. I was there on a Sunday night and it was crowded with customers; i saw two groups of at least 5 tables joined. We went for what it's famous for. My expectation was high but when i sank my teeth onto the f...

If i said i didn't drink, i was lying. If i said i didn't step into a massage parlour, i was not telling the truth. Just... they are not how you would have imagined. And oh, if i said i didn't buy any chocolate, you can stop reading. That pretty much sums up Labuan, eh? Well, not exactly. After a week being on the oil town/island, i realized that Labuan has some attractions worth visiting and food worth tasting, and possesses potential to be a preferred tourist destination. I couldn't manage to squeeze the entire island during my time-off, so my little adventure revolved around town, a limited radius from my hotel, all within walking distance. One of the roundabouts (near Labuan Square) beautifully decorated and lit. Labuan is a duty-free location, so alcoholic beverages and chocolates are supposedly cheaper (supposedly because i don't exactly know or remember the prices in Peninsular Malaysia to compare). Cars are cheaper too- but to bring it out the ...

Playing with art If the other post of my journey in Penang (Penang here refers to the Penang Island) made your mouth water, this post will not. Penang is also known as the Pearl of the Orient in Malaysia. We entered the island using the old bridge and left with the newly opened one. It was really hot while we were in Penang; nevertheless, it did not deter us from walking under the sun. Needless to say, an umbrella or cap, a bottle of water and good walking shoes would be nice. With George Town listed as a UNESCO site, i was eager to dive in and immerse myself in the heritage-rich, a melting pot of culture, township. Pulau Tikus is a name to be familiar with while on the island- i actually thought we were going to another island ('Pulau' is Malay for island), or the island is occupied by rats ('Tikus' is Malay for rat). Upon further reading, well, it got its name from a rocky outcrop 2 km off the northern coast of Penang Island, just opposite Tanjung Tokong th...