D'klasik Kopitiam @ Kota Bharu

The D'Klasik Kopitiam we went to is situated in Kubang Kerian. It is a shop in the stretch opposite the HUSM Nursing College / Kolej Kejururawatan HUSM in Kubang Kerian.

My customary order of Sirap Bandung

Too many ice cubes, but still tasted nice.

Roti Bakar

As you would have probably guessed from the missing sets, the roti bakar was delicious.

Nasi Pataya

Nasi Pattaya; fried rice wrapped in egg. It was delicious.

Keow Teow Bandung

Nasi Lemak

All in all, the food was tasty whilst the service and pricing were adequate.

Enca Cafe n' Restaurant

During our stay in Penang, we stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel Penang. Check in was at 3. We had had a late and heavy breakfast. So, after we checked in, we decided to have a late lunch and did not want to venture far away from the hotel. We decided against eating at the hotel because we had planned to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe that night. In front of the hotel, there is a stretch of shops; sundry shops, eateries and also souvenir shops. Hubs randomly chose one, and I have to mention that he has a knack of picking out good shops (any kind of shop) and dishes, too.

The super soft nan

Fried Keow Teow

Reasonably priced, good service and the food was really delicious. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Famous Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng

A few years back when I went to Penang, I wanted to try this famous mee goreng. This shop had been featured on a television programme called Taste with Jason. But it was closed when we went there. Recently, when we went to Penang, we tried our luck again. The second time we went over, it was open. 

The Famous Shop

Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng

The shop was packed and everyone was fine waiting for their turn to to eat this famous dish. The thing is, most of the patrons of this shop were locals, you could see from their attire that they had come here for their lunch. This is a testament to the tastiness of this noodles with cuttlefish. Although it was red in colour, it was not spicy.

There was an uncle selling Pasembur at the front of the shop. We tried it too. It was okay. Not as good as the Pasembur in Gurney Drive, though.

Pasembur

There was also an uncle selling wan tan mee. He sells from his motorcycle shop..my apologies for not knowing the correct term. We ordered this for the kids.. It tasted okay...

Assam Laksa Kopitiam@Kota Bharu

During a trip to Kota Bahru, collegues of my husband recommended a restaurant to try out. Knowing that I am a big fan of assam laksa, Hubs took me there. The name of the restaurant is Assam Laksa Kopitiam.

Located at PT205, Lot 558, Jalan Pengkalan Chepa, 15400 Kota Bahru, Kelantan.

Tel: 09-7479018

There is a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Local delicacies, snacks, Malay food, Western food and Chinese food. Of course there is Assam Laksa, Laksa Penang and the likes. There is also Hainan Chicken Rice, Mamak Mee Goreng, Claypot Noodles, Chicken Chop served with rice/ french fries, curry puff, mantau with kaya or chicken curry, fried keow teow, fried rice and so on.

We were given an order chit and after we filled out our order, we pressed the service bell at our table. Unlike many places that have this bell, the service bells in this restaurant actually work.

The pricing is reasonable too. We ordered

Crabsticks

I didn't take a photo of my customary order of Sirap Bandung. It was to my liking. I went to this restaurant many times during my 4-month stay in Kota Bharu. Many times...hahaha I totally love this restaurant. Highly, highly recommend it. Everything we ordered was yummy : ) and their pricing was very reasonable.

Restoran Wau @ Kota Bharu

When we were in Kota Bharu, we tried out the famous Wau Restaurant.. they have their own facebook page where they periodically post photos of their dishes, You can look that up for more photos of what they have to offer. The decor and ambiance is pleasing to the eyes. The food was okay but nothing to shout about. Nevertheless, you should try this place at least once during your stay.

Popia/ Spring Roll

Add caption

my customary sirap bandung

During my stay in Kota Bharu, I decided to only order Sirap Bandung. The one served in this restaurant was sweet and to my liking. 

Restoran Wau

Jalan Tengku Petra Semerak

Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Best Popiah in Penang

Don't you love spring rolls or commonly known as popiah here in Malaysia. If you are Malaysian you will know what I am talking about, but if you are a foreigner travelling to Malaysia, make it a point to try our famous popiah when you are here. Basically, there are two types: fried and wet. The fried one is obviously fried and the wet one is well not fried! Haha : )

The best wet popiah I have ever eaten was in Penang. This popiah wins hands down. You can have the spicy one or ask for it without chilli paste/sambal. However, they give you some spicy soup that you can pour over the popiah or dip into before eating. As the kids were sleeping, we decided to ta pau/ take away. Hearing us ooh and aah as we ate, the kids woke up and they enjoyed their popiah, ones without the sambal. Let me tell you, the sambal is yummylicious! 

Spicy Wet Popiah

Where is this stall? It's at the Padang Brown Hawker Centre in Jalan Perak. 

Chinese Food Stalls

There were other stalls that  I would have loved to try but we were early and they hadn't opened yet. There were stalls selling fried oyster (oh chien), penang laksa, fried keow teow, ABC with ice cream and many more. These are all my favourites and I am looking forward to my next trip to Penang to try them out. 

Malay Food Stalls

If you are worried about the ambience or lack of it, don't fret. New stalls (brick ones) like the other Hawker Centres that can be seen around Penang, are being built for these stalls.

Sabah's Red Tide

We are in Miri (Sarawak) back again for about 2 weeks and I want to share about the current red tide that is now affecting Sabah's waters. A 23 year old woman and 40 something people have been hospitalized after consuming red tide infected toxic mussels.

According to The Star, dated 15 February 2013, 

'the "red tide" refers to the contamination or infestation of marine waters by microscopic algae whose concentration is so dense that they cause the water to look brownish orange or red. Some species of these algae produce potentially fatal toxins. Should humans consume marine creatures that ate these algae, there could be fatal consequences. Minor poisoning results in numbness around the mouth, neck and face. More serious poisoning causes major headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. The initial symptoms include tingling lips and tongue, a sensation of "pins and needles" on the skin, followed by loss of control of arms and legs, and breathing difficulty.'

The red tide warning was first issued by the Fisheries Department on 12 December 2012. The first red tide in Sabah to be reported was in 1976, after which it is said to be a yearly occurrence  The red tide often takes place in stagnant waters and Sabah is known to have many lagoons. 

Sarawak Marine Fisheries Department is keeping a close watch on the red tide. Fortunately, Sarawak does not have as many lagoons so the water is constantly flowing. The toxin from the red tide tends to accumulate in shellfish (crustaceans) because they are filter feeders and sedentary. Pelagic fish may also be affected because they feed on plankton, but they swim freely and thus the level of toxin in them may not be as critical as in shellfish. 

All shellfish or pelagic fish caught in a red tide zone, even when cooked, are considered poisonous.'

All right, pelagic fish? What's that? According to Wikipedia, "pelagic fish live near the surface or on the water column of coastal, ocean and lake waters, but not on the bottom of the sea or the lake."

www.borneopedia.com

Hope this was helpful! Be safe, eat safe...

Best Western Sandakan Hotel and Residence

Looking for a spacious, clean hotel with a modern design that is affordable and has tasty food? Read on..

Sandakan, Sabah has been our temporary home for 6 months so far. 4 months (Dec 2011 to April 2012) and then we are here again since August. During our stay here, we have been at the Best Western Sandakan Hotel and Residence. We absolutely love it here. This hotel is part of a large chain of hotels all over the world and Malaysia.

Newly opened in July 2011, this hotel still has a 'new' look and feel to it. Our room is the Deluxe Room and my first impression when I saw our room was that it resembled a show unit. At that time there were even white pebbles in the bathroom that have since been removed. 

Members of the staff are friendly and attentive further creating a homey feeling. The food is nice and the best part is the Internet speed and accessibility. You can access the Internet using the LCD television in the room.

Here are photos of this hotel that we have called 'our home away from home'. Would I recommend this hotel? You betcha!

F.Y.I they don't even know I blog so this is definitely not a biased post..

Surf the Internet using the tv.. or your laptop via WIFI

You can turn the TV to face the bed...

My trusted luggage..not part of the room : )

As you can see, there is ample space for my kids to run and play.. It's really our home away away from home..will post more about this hotel soon...

They're having a weekend special package promotion valid until 31 Dec 2012... Check it out here!

Best Western Sandakan Hotel and Residence,
Lot E-1-G, Lorong Letat 3,
Bandar Letat Jaya, Mile 4,
90000, Sandakan, Sabah.
+6089 243 000
+6089 243 188

HoHo Bento @ Merdeka Mall, Miri

Ho, ho, ho belongs to Santa Claus and Ho,Ho i guess belongs to Ho,Ho Bento.  There is a food court in Merdeka Mall but the word bento was appealing to me. Isn't for most mummies? This Japanese restaurant with no Japanese anywhere as is a norm in many places is situated at G32, Merdeka Mall in Miri, Sarawak.

The lady or rather young girl who took our order was pleasant and helpful. We ordered three dishes. Two were tasty but the noodles were under cooked and so it was hard and chewy...

The Menu Board

Wall Design

The noodles I'm never going to order again

Yummy!

We all loved this dish

I think the trick is to order the right dish. How do you do that? Beats me. Trial and error perhaps...