Our Island Getaway

The recent long four-day weekend (i.e. the weekend plus two public holidays) was our chance for an island getaway. To balik kampung actually, to Pulau Pinang (PP). We did not drive but flew with Malindo Air there (and Firefly back). It was my first Malindo flight and it was good, smooth all the way. Just the way I like any flights I take.

We had no car to go around, but we had very kind friends of B (Santhi and See Toh) to drive us places. Santhi (and niece) fetched us from the airport (seriously I have always thought that PIA stood for Pakistan International Airways, duuh! But then I recall PIA advertisements during my childhood years when Penang International Airport did not exist yet!).

We had our nasi kandar fix at two popular eateries - the Line Clear and Kampung Melayu. Also tandoori at Kapitan's and banana leaf rice at Passions of Spices. We walked along the Esplanade, checked out the History Museum and went on the inner city street art trail. I went on the trail twice this time, the second time with my niece SR, introducing her to the delicious cakes of China House.

I felt almost like a tourist during this visit because I visited the Rat Island/Pulau Tikus Market for the first time (despite having lived in PP for more than thirty years). With Santhi and niece, we bought some delightful nyonya cakes for breakfast there. But then again, I also felt most at home because I got to spend some time with my two older siblings for that long weekend.

P.S. I have lots of pictures of our PP getaway but then something is not right with the computer and I cannot upload anymore for now. Sheesh!

Sixty4 at Thirty8

                        Thank you for the wonderful surprise!

Batu Pahat and 'Mee Racun' Part 2

My taste of Johor continues in Batu Pahat (after Johor Bahru) with the unique 'poison noodles' or Mee Racun. This three-generation-old concoction may be enjoyed from three eatery outlets and my Bro AG got our takeaway dinner from the eatery below (serendipitously captured when I clicked the camera randomly as B and I arrived into Batu Pahat town).    

The next day we were treated to lunch at the cafe/bakery, Cuppacake B'Licious in Taman Flora Utama, BP. Although their specialty are cakes obviously, my sister-in-law recommended their Laksa Johor and Asam Pedas. We had both, and the dishes were rather delicious although I still think that the best Laksa Johor was the one made by my sister-in-law's mum a long time ago when we visited Batu Pahat the very first time in 1990.

After our lunch we went on a short tour of Batu Pahat town, stopping by the rather kitschy 'chisel and rock' monument in the town square. Kitschy or not, of course we abadikan the moment at this BP landmark and its surrounds.

We also noted the many new shop lots, three big shopping malls and new housing estates for BP's 500,000 residents. Looks like big-time development has come to this one-time sleepy, backwater town of Johor.

Later, on our way back to get on to the North-South highway (and home), passing through town again, we did spot a spruced-up Crystal Inn where I'd stayed in 2008 to attend Bro AG's daughter's wedding reception. Oh, also that rather infamous hotel The Katerina, which involved a certain politician in a certain incriminating video there. But of course I don't remember who and what?! I must be suffering from selective amnesia!

28 Feb-1st Mar 2015

Batu Pahat and 'Mee Racun' Part 1

                                             Floating hands chisel a rock in Batu Pahat

After the International Kite Festival in Pasir Gudang (Johor), we drove up to Batu Pahat town, second largest urban area after Johor Bahru. Because we have family there - my Bro AG and his Batu Pahat born-and-bred wife. Batu Pahat is also known as Bandar Penggaram, both conveniently 'BP'. But Batu Pahat is also the district which includes BP and Yong Peng.

Anyway Batu Pahat means "chiselled stone/rock" and local history (or legend more likely) has it that this name was gotten in the 15th century when an invading Siamese army chiseled rocks at the coastal village of Kampung Minyak Beku (another legendary story to this name?), in the hope of finding fresh water. Another story is about the Portuguese building a fortress of granite rocks from quarries near the (Batu Pahat) river mouth.

My Bro AG's late father-in-law was a local historian of sorts but unfortunately I never had the opportunity to find out more about Batu Pahat from him*.

Now on to the food, yum yum. Only quite recently, I had heard and read about the famous 'Mee Racun' (or poison noodles!) in Batu Pahat. So that very evening, we got to taste this uniquely-named noodles cooked in a chili & tomato-based sauce and enhanced with bones. Huge 'gearbox' bones with some meat, and marrow you can suck out with a straw! So, so sedap! (Thank you Bro AG for sportingly going out to buy this especially for us. We were too tired to bother to dress up and leave your beautiful home to get to the Mee Racun eatery.)   To be continued...

* Note: My librarian DNA says I have to get on with doing more research about BP. I will update when possible.

A Road Trip to Johor Bahru

                         
We are just back from a road trip to Johor Bahru (JB), capital city of Johor, doing our part in promoting local travel by 'staycationing' in our southernmost state of Malaysia. At first we planned to stop by Tangkak (in the district of Ledang) to visit friends and spend a night in nearby Muar. But then we drove straight on to JB, only stopping by the Pagoh R&R for our lunch and bio-break. The drive along the North-South highway was pleasant as the weather was fine and the vehicular traffic light in most places.

In JB we checked into the Berjaya Waterfront Hotel in Stulang Laut for a 3 day/2 night-stay there. From our window, we see Singapore just across the Selat Johor/Tebrau (Tebrau Straits) and spot the causeway to the island, also the ferry terminal for Batam Island, Indonesia. So near and enticing, but then we are reminded that we are really on a 'cuti-cuti Malaysia' trip, so no foreign countries to be involved, please.

                                           Sunrise over the Straits of Tebrau (from Room 1308)

I have been in JB only twice before on rather very short stints, so this time its more of a familiarisation visit. We have family in JB so we (A actually) 'Waze-d' our way to Skudai to visit my niece and her young family. There we also met up with my nephew Iman (the one who lives in Kota Tinggi).

We went into downtown JB to check out the Chinatown and Little India areas. The former although small, is most interesting (especially Jalan Tan Hiok Nee) because we came across some street art there, a 'red house' and a wedding party, also an art gallery cum cafe and 'old school'/colonial era kopitiams including the rather famous Hua Mui (where we went twice for late lunch, once because the other famous Dapur Jendela was closed/not yet open).

Any travel, even if locally, will surely involve new foods to savour or to try. I will save 'my taste of Johor' for the next post.

21-23 January 2015     

Our Family Day 2014 in Pulau Pinang

Over the weekend we went on a road trip back to the kampung. It was for the occasion of our end of year Family Day. With B in the driver's seat, we started off from Shah Alam in the afternoon and it was good weather along the North-South Highway until we reached the vicinity of Taiping. As if on cue... black clouds engulfed us and the rain fell. But then there was light ahead. Though we moved towards the light... the black clouds followed us for quite sometime... This wettest place in the country certainly never fails to shower on us every time we pass by.

When we got on to the Second Penang Bridge it was quite lengang (quiet, traffic-free) so it was a fast and smooth ride across the 24 kilometres of it. But then we run right smack into the Island traffic jam as soon as we got off. Such is life!

We reached our family home after stopping by the Queensbay Mall for dinner at the Seoul Garden, B's choice of course (after discovering yet again that Tasha Dhal Kandar in Sungai Ara was closed! Note to ourselves: this TDK eatery is closed on Fridays).

The Family Day activities started early the next morning with a big breakfast of roti canai, serabai (my favourite), and other kueh-mueh. For lunch it was a catered kenduri menu of nasi hujan panas, kambing (aqiqah) masamah, kerabu timun nanas, dalca daging, ayam ros. All very delicious. Later in the evening, we all got together (some forty of us) for lucky draws where every single one was a winner. Your luck is really what you get to take home - there were hampers, vouchers, kitchen appliances, and other goodies including some coveted handphones. The day ended with a 'serious' meeting of the 'elders' of the family, including moi.

The very next day at noon we had to drive back to Kuala Lumpur. This time we used the (first) Penang Bridge to cross over to the mainland. (Certainly much busier than the rather traffic-free Second Penang Bridge. Which begs the question - do we really need an undersea tunnel to connect the island and mainland? I say definitely not!).

The sky was downcast when we were in the vicinity of Taiping and there was some drizzle, also in the area of Ipoh and the verdant blue hills there. But soon enough we reached KL and home long before dusk.

5-7 December 2014

A Birthday Celebration at Acme Bar & Coffee

Happy Birthday B!

B & b'day cake slice @ Alexis

We celebrated B's recent birthday today at the Acme Bar & Coffee (ABC) at the Troika, Jalan Binjai. It was our first visit to this eatery, on the ground floor of tower B of this Norman Foster building (more on this in another blog post maybe). So it was a combination of the celebration of birthdays, food and architecture. Birthdays? Oh, its also Malaysia's 51st today. Happy Malaysia Day!

It is 'summer' at the Acme Bar & Coffee (ABC) and their decor was colourful Hawaiian, including a really gaudy Tiki Bar as all tiki bars should be. They had some new introductions in their summer menu too. Although we had no reservation and there was a waiting list, we were lucky to be seated within 10 minutes of arrival.

Overall the food was good; we had duck and steaks. And the ambiance was fun! Aloha!

We skipped dessert here because the mains were pretty generous, so later we went to Alexis at the Great Eastern Mall to have our tea/coffee with B's birthday cake - a slice of zucotto complete with the mandatory (?) lighted candle. Once again, happy birthday B! Have a great year ahead.

A Birthday Celebration at Cafe Cafe

Happy birthday A!

We celebrated A's birthday recently at an eatery that was new to me - Cafe Cafe in Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur. Timeout deemed it to have "Continental European charm and a top class French/Italian menu in the unlikeliest of places - a dim, candle-lit nook of Jalan Maharajalela". (www. timeout.com/kuala-lumpur/restaurants-and-cafes/cafe-cafe)


The food was good, the decor mainly antique, and the ambiance, 'very the French, very the noir' (according to moi). You actually need a torchlight to read the menu! We all had either fish (salmon) or seafood. Before the main meal you get a nice sorbet (raspberry) each. Thank you SB for the wonderful treat at a restaurant with attitude!

Anyway I would never be able to find Cafe Cafe on my own but I know now its just next door to the Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka.

A Purple Wedding in Shangri La

A 'purplicious' wedding reception (CNB 2014)

No, it was not purple in the Shangri La of the mystic mountains but at the hotel in Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. The bride is a grand daughter of a second cousin so it was good to be able to meet up with relatives, mainly from Kedah. The food was good, enhanced with lobster from Sabah, while the entertainment interesting, with Anuar Zain, Den Bisa and Igal/Daling daling dancers from Semporna.

With mother of the bride DS Yani (BB 2014)

'Roaring' B (CNB 2014)

Wedding receptions/kenduris are always a good opportunity to keep up with family, even distant relatives. You realise that time flies because you do not recognise some of your own cousins any more and think they have grown old! (In fact some times I don't know who the old lady in the mirror is! Well, duhh!)

Father of the bride blessing the couple (CNB 2014)

Kak Harison and family from Kedah (CNB 20140

9 August 2014

Retro: A Trengganu Vacation Album (1999)

Our Trengganu vacation in July 1999 15 years ago was a prize won. Yay! My second time to this East Coast state of Malaysia with family - A, B and my sister CY. I do love Trengganu and it was a fun trip based at the Sutera Beach Resort. We also did get about to see the wonderful sights in Kuala Trengganu and thereabouts and meet up with B's college friend and family.
Note on the trivial: A third time for me in Trengganu was official for a meeting, so not much getting about then.
Note on the not so trivial: These are re-photos, so they are rather so-so ...

A very early dawn arrival in Kuala Trengganu ...

Trishaws in front of Pasar Payang, Kuala Trengganu

Market jetty opposite Seberang Takir

The Sutera Beach Resort at Kg Rhu Tapai, Merang, 35 km from Kuala Trengganu. Beautiful beach front and infinity pool.

A batek shop in the Marang district

A dried fish sundry shop

The fishing village of Rusila in the district of Marang, 12 km from Kuala Tregganu. Famous as an Islamic learning centre for the common folks of the state.

Another batek making place

The Masjid Terapung Tengku Tengah Zaharah (floating mosque), 10 km for KT town centre.

With B's friend and her parents at the Sutera Beach Resort

July 1999