#FoodFri 10 yummy things I ate while travelling in 2012

It’s the last #FoodFri of 2012. Here at YQtravelling, I want to take a trip down memory lane and bring back memories of the best food I’ve eaten this year.

Seafood in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

I’m starting the list with a staple dish when I am back home for the holidays–seafood. In my case, seafood usually means crabs because they are cheaper than prawns and much fleshier than clams.

As for seasoning, I do not have a favorite and will eat crabs anyway it is cooked.

Do you have a special dish for the year 2012? Share it in the comments below.

A look back at my 2012 travels

Hello everyone,

I’m back home in Sabah for the holiday. My parents cancelled the house’s broadband service so I am stuck with using 3G on my phone. This means no aimless Youtube surfing or blogging.

Luckily, I’m now in a hotel lobby that has Wi-Fi so I can publish this post. My mom and I are in a 2-day roadtrip to Kudat.

Anyway, it’s the last week of 2012 so I want to bring you back to the different trips that I made this year. (A full recap of the towns I’ve been to later this week.)

First and last trip of 2012
First: I was travelling with D to Negeri Sembilan’s Seremban on New Year’s eve. We continued to Port Dickson the next day so that I could wash my feet in the ocean. (It’s a tradition for me.)

Last: I’m back home for the December break! I guess the Kudat trip I’m in now counts as the last trip for the year.

Best and worst Malaysian state this year
I haven’t been visiting as many Malaysian states as I promised myself last year. If I have to pick a favorite state (or town) this year, it would be Ipoh, Perak. Ipoh has lovely food and even one (kind of) historical ruin.

I’ve liked all the states which I visited but I totally hate the 13-hour bus ride–including 6+ hours of post-holiday traffic jam–that spanned from Kedah to Kuala Lumpur.

Longest bus ride
Related to the above, the longest bus ride I took was from Alor Setar to Kuala Lumpur. It caused enough travel trauma that I didn’t travel since then. (Kidding, I haven’t travelled in November because I’m trying to save more money.)

Longest flight
Tokyo to San Franciso: 9h, 30m, 8,224 km.

I took Delta for my business trip to the USA. The flight was better than I expected because they serve Coca Cola in cans. Gulp gulp gulp.

Unexpectedly nice and not-so-nice city
San Francisco was more awesome than I thought it would be: the buildings, the museums, the shows, the sea. Plus, lavender is planted as street plants there. I am sold!

Unfortunately, Jakarta wasn’t as exciting as I hoped it would be. The food wasn’t as fantastic as Yogyakrta.

Best and worst paid accommodation
I’m leaving out hotels that I stayed in as part of my business trip because it’s not fair to compare heaven with earth.

The best place I’ve stayed in this year is Manohara Hotel when D and I were in Yogyakarta. Well, the price is correlated to how great the beds are. The second place goes to Tune Hotel Asoke which was really 5-star hotel for 1-star price.

As for the worse accommodation. The Port Dickson room had thin walls and a common shower with only cold water. It was next to a night market which blasted music till 3 a.m.. The other guest had a kid who was screaming in the morning. But…the worst hotel award should go to the hotels in Yogyakarta where D and I caught bed bugs.

Funniest and least funny memory
Funniest: In Prambanan city, a random man called out to D and I from his stall: “AJINOMOTO!” It’s like a man shouting at two random white persons: “COCA COLA!”

Least funny: Being chat up by a hobo-like person on the San Francisco bus. I had to switch my seats to the front so I was sitting near the driver. The kind lady sitting at the front made up for the weird chat.

Yummiest and most disgusting meal when travelling
Cannot choose. TOO MUCH GOOD FOOD during the year.

As for worse meal: supermarket sushi.

Most and least productive trip
My weekend in Bangkok was really well planned, if I do say so myself. I’ll share the itinerary one day.

The least productive trip is either the Kuching trip or the Jakarta trip. I think Kuching might top the list because it was my second time there.

Well, that is all with the recap! I have to go. My people need me!

How has your year of travelling been?

Penang ferry ride from Georgetown to Butterworth and back

Penang’s ferry service is supposedly the oldest ferry service in Malaysia.

My parents and I went for a ride during our trip to Penang. We planned to take the bus back on the bridge but we couldn’t find the bus so we took the boat back again.

From Georgetown, there is no fee for passengers.

But it was about RM1.20 on the way back.

Passengers share the upper deck with cars. There are only a few seats by the side of the ferry and these are usually taken up if you do not run fast enough.

Child's life jacket — Child’s life jacket

Since I do not take water transport much, I really liked the ferry ride to and from Georgetown.

For those who are too lazy to plan things to do in Penang, consider taking the boat. The scenery might be better at night when the city sparkles.

#FoodFri Traditional Taiwanese breakfast

My parents and I stopped by a Taiwanese breakfast place when we were in Taipei in 2010.

Salty soy milk, pan fried buns and fried dough 烧饼油条豆浆水煎包 — Traditional Taiwanese breakfast

The shop was divided into two sections. In front, the shopowners cooked while the back was reserved for customers to sit. The customer sector was warm from the cooking in front which was good because we were caught in a drizzle before that.

I requested for shuijianbao (水煎包) which were pan fried small meat buns. I had loved meat too much to forgo it even for breakfast.

Here’s a breakdown of the meal:

Savory soy milk

Instead of the sweet warm soy milk that I had been used to, I was served salty warm soy milk. It even tasted slightly burnt which didn’t help a lot with the taste.

水煎包 Shuijianbao

Even though eating something as oil as mini pan fried meat buns wasn’t good for the stomach early in the morning, I had to have some of them before I start the day.

The buns were tasty and had vegetable filling. Compared to xiaolongbao, shuijiabbao is less soupy and has a thicker flour skin.

烧饼油条 Shaobing Youtiao

烧饼油条 Fried dough wrapped in fried dough — Fried dough wrapped in fried dough

Before that meal, I had never seen the shaobing youtiao combo in real life. I was used to eating the two twin fried doughsticks called youtiao but I’ve not tried it as a pair.

It was rather unusual, eating fried dough wrapped in fried dough. I think I left most of the shaobing youtiao for the parents.

After the meal, I concluded that I was more used to the traditional breakfast found in Singapore and Malaysia.

Other Chinese food featured on #FoodFri:

Biángbiáng noodles in Xi’an
Da pan ji in Luoyang

A walk among the dead in Montparnasse cemetery

Montparnasse cemetery, cross against a blue sky

[To increase the level of spook, check out My visit to the Empire of Death before this post.]

I didn’t plan for my third day in Paris to be full of death.

In the morning, I visited the Catacombs. When I was doing my travel research, one guidebook or another recommended Montparnasse cemetery where among the dead laid Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre.

I do not know much about de Beauvoir, apart from her being a famous feminist and a on-and-off partner of Sartre. I learned fake existentialism from a French-teaching armadillo on the University of Austin Texas’s Web site.

I do not remember how I got to the cemetery. I might have taken the train to Rapsail stop, since Google Maps is telling me that it’s a 1.5km walk from the exit of the Catacombs.

Following my trusty portable map and some road signs, I reached the Montparnasse cemetery area. There was a high wall separating the dead and the living. I wish it was a short gate so I could have jumped over it and get finished with my itinerary.

There was a high wall separating the dead and the living. I wish it was a short gate so I could have jumped over it and get finished with my itinerary.

I walked the a long stretch of road to the gates. For someone who do not know what is behind the walls, the vine-covered bricks might mean a private garden lay behind. A garden of the dead.

When I did reach the gates, I studied the map of the cemetery. The map was too high up for me to take a good picture to use as a walking guide. Instead, I studied where de Beauvoir and Sartre laid and mentally mapped my way there.

Looking for de Beauvoir

It wasn’t that easy finding their graves. I was expecting something grand with wreaths decoration which was why I missed out the grave when I walked past it a few times.

The tombsone was a pale marble, hidden among the other gray grave markers. Craved on the tombstone in gold were the names of de Beauvoir and Sartre and their birth year and death year. (Is there such a thing as a “deathday”?)

Grave of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre

The tombstone was small, I had expected something flashier given how big they were when they were alive. There were a lot of souvenirs on the tombstone. If it weren’t for the seriousness of being in a graveyard, I might have laughed out loud at the gifts.

Souvenirs from fans of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre

Souvenirs from fans of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre Love the family portrait — Souvenirs from fans of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre
Love the family portrait

I particularly like the drawing of de Beauvoir and Sartre. A few lines from a de Beauvoir admire were scribbled on a piece of paper, probably torn out of a journal bought especially for the trip to Paris. A train ticket stub. A withering flower.

I regret not buying a bunch of flowers near the gates of the catacombs although it’s a little silly since the dead would not be able to smell them.

I didn’t expect de Beauvoir and Sarte to share one grave, like they aresharing an apartment. I thought that they each had their own plot of land, instead, they laid next to (or even on top) of each other.

Knowing what had passed between them during their final years, I wonder if the people who buried them were too romantic and decided that they must be together even in death.

While looking at the grave, I was overcome by sadness and wiped a few tears. What does it mean to live and be famous when in the end, we all would die and end up buried in the ground.

A walk in the park

Road sign in the middle of Montparnasse cemetery

After contemplating life at the grave of de Beauvoir, I decided to walk about in the graveyard.

The graveyard was shady, and very much like a park or a garden. I sat down at one of the benches and regretted not buying a picnic. Come to think of it, I might have lost my journal in the graveyard. I guess that’s much more poetic than losing it in the public toilet.

There was a grave marker in Chinese but I do not know the history of the two people who laid inside.

Chinese grave at Montparnasse cemetery — Chinese grave

There was another lady in the graveyard that day. She was refilling her bottle at one of the taps. I was worried that she might be drinking non-potable water.

The cemetery ground was large. I didn’t find other famous people’s graves even though there are supposed to be more.

I did find some lovely graves.

Yes, really large.

Cordoned tower of Montparnasse cemetery — Cordoned tower

Statue of sad lovers at Montparnasse cemetery

I was surprised to see an apartment next to the graveyard. Being raised in a Chinese culture, any accommodation next to a graveyard means “bad things will happen”.

But Montparnasse didn’t look that much like a graveyard, so I suppose not much bad things will happen.

Do you have a favorite cemetery?

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#FoodFri Chicken rice from Chatterbox, Singapore

Have you eaten yet? Sorry for keeping you hungry with this late #FoodFri post.

I was watching Rurouni Kenshin (good show by the way) and returned home late. I also had a cupcake before I writing this post so that took up another 5 minutes.

Let’s get the show started.

Today’s #FoodFri is the famous chicken rice from Chatterbox. It’s not your regular hawker center chicken rice, but a S$28 set served in beautiful ceramic (I can’t tell my plates) on a Japanese lacquer wood-like tray.

From the Meritus Hotel’s website:

Featuring a spread of local heritage cuisines, Chatterbox was the first hotel restaurant that made local food famous both locally and worldwide. Feast on the legendary Mandarin Chicken Rice, which has become a household name around the world and remains as one of the most desired Singaporean dish among celebrities, ministers and connoisseurs for 40 years.

While the dish was too pricey, the drumstick which I ordered was smooth and tender. It was like biting into soft boiled chicken (not the tough breast meat).

The bowl which the chicken was served in was deep and the yummy soy sauce was left down the bowl. I had to set the chicken aside before I could scoop the soy sauce to go with the rice.

The soup wasn’t the regular clear water with a drop of sesame oil and some scallion. Instead, it tasted faintly of peanut.

The rice wasn’t very fluffy and felt like it was slightly undercooked. Despite these little faults (aggravated by my high expectations), I finished every thing in my plate except the raw cucumbers. Eek.

Well, now that I’ve tried the world famous Chatterbox chicken rice and ticked an item off my bucket list, I don’t think I will return to have it for a second round. I do prefer having 10 plates of $2.50 chicken rice to this one set.

Disclosure: I had this meal during a business lunch. I try not to take photos of the food served at business lunches but this was just too good not to miss.

Trip to Pinang Peranakan Museum

What do you do when you are planning a trip to a place where you’ve been to with Person A but now you need to Person B to the same place.

That was the question I had to answer when I was planning my parents’ trip to Penang. Previously, I went to the Pearl of the Orient once with L. I didn’t really want to visit sites which I’ve visited because it would be a waste of time for me.

However, I made an exception for the Pinang Peranakan Museum.

Background of Pinang Peranakan Museum

Pinang Peranakan Museum's facade — Pinang Peranakan Museum’s facade

The museum was previously the house of a rich Peranakan family.

Even though the mansion is big, it doesn’t seem be to big enough for a family with 3 generations, including the multiple concubines and their kids. Perhaps the lower ranking people lived in the compound and not the main house.

Pinang Peranakan Museum's interior — Pinang Peranakan Museum’s interior

The museum is divided into two levels. The lower level is the place where guests visit. It includes a gigantic dining table, a room for card games and loads of antique.

Many of the wooden panels or carvings were decorated with a layer of gold (probably only paint) which made the whole floor look a little like the showfloor for houses targeted at the nouveau riche.

The upper floor is similarly packed with antiques but is more “personal”.

The wedding room is a little ominous with the red lighting which made the room feel like a brothel instead of the suit of a newly wed couple.

After seeing Singapore’s Peranakan Museum, the Pinang Peranakan Museum feels like everything was thrown together in haste for the exhibition. This isn’t a bad thing because it feels more approachable. It’s easier to imagine how the family might have lived..

I’m a star

Based on the fading movie posters at the entrance, the house was the filming location for multiple period dramas.

A popular Singapore period drama, Little Nyonya, might be filmed here. I’ve never watched the drama but after reading the character bios, I think I might like the show because it doesn’t have a “Happily Ever After” ending.

The parents and I at Pinang Peranakan Museum

The compound of the museum had a few bamboo-like plants. They were decorated with the entrance stickers which were stuck on by tourists. I like that it gave the green tone of the wall and plants a pop of color.

Comparing Pinang Peranakan Museum and Singapore Peranakan Museum

If I must choose between Pinang Peranakan Museum and Singapore Peranakan Museum, I would choose the museum in Penang as my favorite.

The site feels more friendly and human because all the wares are right in front of you.

If you like reading explanations in museums then Penang’s peranakan museum might not suit your taste.

Singapore’s Peranakan Museum is housed in a beautiful building but the content of the exhibition is a little sterile. It played up the peranakan nostalgia to the highest volume.

Visiting information:

Location: 29 Lebuh Gereja George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Entrance fee: RM10
Time required to look around: ~1 hour

Like Penang? Check out my other posts on the Pearl of the Orient.

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I’m in Dec 2012 issue of Jetstar Asia magazine

Hello folks! I’m finally published in a print magazine.

Ta da! It’s Dececember 2012 issue of Jetstar Asia’s magazine (page 111). It’s a short piece on the Blue Mansion in Penang. The house was lovely but we couldn’t take photos inside. :(

YQ on Jetstar Asia, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion — YQ on Jetstar Asia Magazine

OK, maybe my article is not as glamorous as a full spread photo + text article but it’s a step, isn’t it? (Although a rather small one.)

Full story appears at Jetstar online mag.

If you are interested in the competition, here are the details.

Wait a minute, it seems like I’ve not written much about Penang. I’ll do just that in the following weeks. Stay tuned.

Travel happy.
-YQ

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#FoodFri Cheap breakfast at McDonald’s Singapore

Singapore’s not the most budget friendly destination in Southeast Asia. But it’s one of the most popular transit points so it means that you, as a traveler, might need to spend a bit of time here.

If you want to save money in Singapore so that you can stretch your penny in Thailand/Vietnam/Laos, look no futher. I’ll be featuring a few cheap meals that can save you money while in Singapore.

For today, I recommend the S$2.50 breakfast set from McDonald’s.

The set includes a Sausage McMuffin without the egg and a coffee or tea. If you are eating in, there’s free refill at the corner where they put the sugar.

Whenever I have morning duty which requires me to reach the office around 8am, I usually buy the set. It’s quite filling. The coffee also gives quite a good jolt for the morning.

But beware that the set is only available on weekdays, until the end of breakfast hours which is 11am.

Stay tuned for #FoodFri next week where I feature another cheap breakfast in Singapore

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Non shopper’s visit to Platinum Mall, Bangkok

When I was making my plans for my first trip to Bangkok, I asked for travel recommendation from those who have been there. Platinum Mall was high on the recommendation list as the mall had the cheap clothes that would be even cheaper if you buy them wholesale (meanning, more than 2 pieces).

Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of clothes shopping, I replied that I will see if I can visit. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for shopping, I included it into my itinerary to find out for myself why they say Bangkok is a shopper’s heaven as well as everyone’s strange devotion to the mall.

Plus, Platinum Mall is just a short walk away from Erawan Shrine and I did not have much planned for the day anyway.

Entering Platinum Mall

I entered the building which was labelled Zone 3 on one the directory and was quite stunned by all the stalls that were there.

The shops were never ending, each packed from floor to ceiling with merchandise.

The first and second floors were dedicated to Women Fashion Clothes, the third floor was for Bags, the fouth for Leather while the fifth was for Shoes.

The stalls take up a small rectangle of space. There was no visible fitting room in them but I suspect they have curtains hung from the ceiling for buyers to change.

The clothes were nice and rather trendy but the quality did not seem very good. Maybe that’s why they are considered fast moving consumer goods (along with shampoos and soapbars).

I almost bought one of the handbags. A sign said they sold at 299 baht each, but after close examination, I realize that they are the types that will easy breakoff after some use.

I also saw the stall selling Naraya knockoffs. The brand is famous among tourists who go to Bangkok. I do not know why they like it since the material of the bags are shiney and look cheap (not the low price type of cheap.)

One of the stalls was cordoned off with a sign saying: “Employees go to toilet. Please wait. –Saralee.” I don’t think the customers would have missed anything since the clothes sold there were likely exhibited at other stalls too.

I saw some customers dragging large suitcases which led me to suspect that they buy in bulk to sell back in their home countries. (At the airport, there were a lot of Singaporean dragging large suitcases with them to checkin, perhaps they are the entrepreneurs.)

I visited all the levels in the building, trying to find an excuse to buy something–anything–but nothing caught my fancy.

When I left the building, it felt like I had been walking in the mall for two hours but a check of my photo timestamps showed that it was only a 30 minute visit.

I guess clothes shopping malls are not my cup of tea, I prefer second hands clothes better especially those that look more sturdy than the regular FMCG stuff out there.

Category: Countries

#FoodFri 10 yummy things I ate while travelling in 2012

Do you have a special dish for the year 2012? Share it in the comments below.

A look back at my 2012 travels

How has your year of travelling been?

Penang ferry ride from Georgetown to Butterworth and back

#FoodFri Traditional Taiwanese breakfast

Savory soy milk

水煎包 Shuijianbao

烧饼油条 Shaobing Youtiao

Other Chinese food featured on #FoodFri:

A walk among the dead in Montparnasse cemetery

Looking for de Beauvoir

A walk in the park

Do you have a favorite cemetery?

Follow me on Twitter or share a thumbs up on Facebook.

#FoodFri Chicken rice from Chatterbox, Singapore

Trip to Pinang Peranakan Museum

Background of Pinang Peranakan Museum

I’m a star

Comparing Pinang Peranakan Museum and Singapore Peranakan Museum

Like Penang? Check out my other posts on the Pearl of the Orient.

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I’m in Dec 2012 issue of Jetstar Asia magazine

Follow me on Twitter or share a thumbs up on Facebook.

#FoodFri Cheap breakfast at McDonald’s Singapore

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Non shopper’s visit to Platinum Mall, Bangkok

Entering Platinum Mall

Are you a shopper? Have you visited Platinum Mall, how was your experience?

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