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...