Entree Kibbles

With both temples located right next to one another, it doesn't make sense not to visit Nan Tian Tong (NTT) temple when you are in Sam Poh Tong temple! There are in fact two more temples along the same stretch!

As of now, let's just focus on the Cavern of the Southern Heaven which originated in 1867 according to a legend; making it over 145 years old.

Compared to the boring Sam Poh Tong, NTT was more of a visual treat with colourful statues that liven up the premises. This one-horn green ox is supposed to be a mount for one of the Chinese gods.

This is a classic mount for young children in the past! Nowadays, children are more likely to ask for battery-operated toy cars instead of wooden horses.

An ancient bell that hailed from the 25th year of Emperor Guangxu (Qing Dynasty)! Honestly, it was pretty ordinary and appeared to have been given a fresh coat of paint.

Another sculpture of a dancing lion with blazing red eyes!

Jumbo incense sticks on the side, likely preparation for an upcoming ritual / ceremony. Talking about incense, mom wasn't as siao-on in praying as she normally does in temples. Strange indeed!

This is a true-blue Taoist temple with 太上老君 (Grand Supreme Elderly Lord) taking a center role on the main altar.

To be frank, despite being exposed to Taoism since young, i have difficulties in identifying most of the deities. You can't blame me as there are so many of them!

Secondary chamber at the back.

Spiritual tablet of the four priests who used to lead the temple. Notice those pails on the floor? They were used to collect water dripping from the cavern ceiling! If not for human intervention, we might see a few stalactites a few hundred years from now.

Shot from outdoor.

Painted murals adorning the natural walls of the cave. The artists actually did their best to incorporate the natural layer into their artwork (take a look at the waterfall) which definitely gave the murals a more natural feel.

Before we entered the temple, the ambassador who accompanied us informed us that we could climb up the stairs to have a fantastic view of the surrounding. You should see the excitement on our faces!

Well, our jaws dropped when this steep staircase appeared in front of us.

What's worse was that the railings were not secured in a way that could give us better comfort. Mom did an abrupt U-turn whereas Dad and i decided to give it a go!

The journey didn't end at the top of the staircase! There were other flights of stairs we have to challenge and certain sections were pitch dark; adding the risk of injuring ourselves! I could not resist the adrenaline thrill though.

Five minutes later, we reached the top!

In a way, i was glad those young kids behind me at the steep staircase decided to turn back. There was a hole in the fence that they might just step in for fun. That would not be of any concern except it was a drop down the limestone hill.

There wasn't any sign to warn visitors and maintenance was really an issue with wooden planks that were on the verge of breaking. Key advice: please be careful on where you tread. And bring along a torchlight.

View - okay lah, not really amazing lor....

Vandalism on the wall - as we all understand from newspaper articles, this has been an issue in recent years and i don't take kindly to people who put their stake on items that don't belong to them.

Contradictory, i thought this piece was well-written and spoke of the feelings one get when he/she is seated in this exact same chamber; quiet, peaceful and others.

Time to go back. Just to show you that there was no railing to hold on too!

This was taken using very high ISO on my DSLR and i did some adjustment on Photoshop to show you the pitch dark area we had to pass through in order to get to the top chamber.

Time to conquer the steep staircase again - given the steep gradient, it was much easier to walk backwards since humans have the tendency to lean forward.

A customary shot of dad!

On our way out, we chanced upon another staircase and this piqued our curiousity to check out the areas it leads to! For all you know, it could be interesting!

Came to an empty room.

What do you think i did when i saw another flight of steep but thankfully shorter staircase? At this point, my dad has gone missing and i was alone!

I climbed up the staircase of course and found a room with a few altars. Maybe it was just my imagination but i could not help feeling a bit eerie as i checked out the somewhat gloomy looking room.

Discovered Dad in another room on a higher floor. His hearing seemed to have deteriorated since i tried calling him a few times when i could not find him! Guess it is time to bring him for a checkup!

The room has a balcony that opened up to a view similar to what greeted us on the top floor i mentioned a few paragraphs ago.

Another altar in a very confined area; one has to stoop very low in order to get in to offer his/her prayers and incense. The deity being honoured here was Datuk Gong!

二九乾坤 - not sure what is the meaning for such naming.

We would have continue exploring if not for a booming voice in Mandarin "wa kao, how come you all take so long ah?! I wait until very sian liao"!!!

Yes, it is the all almighty mum.

Time to leave!

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Location

Gunung Rapat, 31350 Ipoh,

Perak, Malaysia

GPS Location

4°33'55"N 101°6'52"E

Website

For some of the old pictures, you can check out

http://namtheantong.jimdo.com/南天洞相片/

When anyone speaks of white coffee in Ipoh, the one name that frequently pops out is Sin Yoon Loong which was opened in 1937 and said to be the creator of the much loved white coffee!

I could not stomach another cup of coffee after having one at Nam Heong (note, this was also after a heavy dim sum breakfast meal at Ming Court) but made it a point to visit on the third day, before we left for Cameron Highlands.

While waiting for the caffeine loaded beverage, we ordered the chee cheong fun! Even without the sweet sauce, the smooth texture and palatable taste appealed to us, although i also have to give credit to the fresh shallots that added to the fragrance and made for a varied texture.

Toasted bread was a failure in my opinion - the bread had a bad tasting staleness that could only be remedied (albeit barely) by the thick and aromatic custard kaya!

Finally, the white coffee! Honestly, an utter disappointment as it was way too bitter with a lingering tardiness! And i think they neglected to add sufficient condensed milk! Mom and dad, veterans of Southeast Asian coffee, had Kopi O in the same shop and expressed similar disappointment!

Put it this way, it was bad enough for me to proceed to another coffee shop to have another cuppa white coffee!

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Location

15A, Jalan Bandar Timah,

Ipoh, Perak, 30000, Malaysia

Website

http://www.mycofe.com.my/

Price

Chee Cheong Fun - RM 3.00

1 Kopi, 2 Kopi O, 3 Slices of Bread - RM 6.10

Additional Information

Dad had yong tau foo from the same coffeeshop and commented it was cheap and good!

I am sure many business students would have heard of the following classic textbook example on "thinking out of the box" for creative business ideas.

A toothpaste company has reached a very stable level of sales with minimal growth for the past few years. The management was nervous as hell as stagnant growth would likely lead to the demise of the company and hence decided to hold a company-wide meeting on how to increase sales.

A low-ranked staff came out with an ingenious solution; make the hole bigger so that more toothpaste could be squeezed out, resulting in more usage per squeeze from just one tube of toothpaste! Viola, profits spiked a month after his idea was endorsed!

Now, that's from the business viewpoint.

As consumers, there are also ways for us to make full use of a product. Let's talk about a common problem that i bet most of us have faced before, regarding that supposedly empty tube of toothpaste.

You have exhausted your strength in squeezing any further and decided there and then, that there is no way you can force out any more toothpaste. That's when you are wrong.

To fully make your money worth, you need only one item; a simple pair of scissors in your bathroom to cut off the end of the toothpaste tube!

Look at the amount of toothpaste left inside?! From experience, what's left inside can probably last me around five to seven days! For hygiene reason, please only dedicate one person to use the leftovers.

Additional Information

The same money saving method can also be adopted for other products holding cream or paste like materials; for example hand cream. Strongly recommended to have a pair of scissors in your bathroom where you can cut the tube for ease of finding that elusive paste!

A stone throw away from Nan Tian Tong Temple is yet again another religious abode. And this time, we literally cut across the garden of 南天洞 along a connected pathway.

Ling Sen Tong is not really a cavern, at least not on the same scale as the others i visited on the same day. The Chinese name would be more appropriate to signify its true background as the character 岩 means rock / cliff.

The appeal of this attraction has to be the many statues of gods, deities and other characters installed all over the place; providing a fantastic backdrop for obsessive photo-takers! So, be prepared for many pictures in this post!

Essentially a mixed Chinese temple honouring both Taoism and Buddhism, Ling Sen Tong was set up in 1967 although the current vibrant design is attributed to 1983 when the temple was rebuilt.

On one side was the legendary flower-fruit mountain (it was somewhat small) where the monkey king resided together with his band of protective primates!

A relatively scary looking dragon without the majestic aura!

Datuk Gong - native to Malaysia and Singapore, it actually refers to local guardian spirits and is comparable to the worship of earth god (tu di gong).

I am foreseeing a serious maintenance problem in time to come! Look at the paint peeling off from the wall and ceiling. I can bet that it would not be long before the management decides to remove the incense coils altogether to prevent further damage to the paintwork.

It was already 1pm when we arrived at Ling Sen Tong and my stomach was already growling for food to replenish the energy lost in climbing up Nan Tian Tong! Hence, i didn't take as many photographs as i would love to.

From the second level where you can see my mom seated comfortably in the shade. Honestly, she was actually wondering what time i would finish my exploration!

God of Fortune! As Chinese New Year is coming, i make a small donation for a red packet that was packed with four numbers! Singaporeans would know the use of these four numbers; shall share the number with all of you at the end of the post.

Open rooftop that would make a fantastic spot for a barbecue session!

View where you can find Nan Tian Tong next door and Sam Poh Tong further away. A person who loves to explore temples should reserve around 3-4 hours to check out this stretch that has a total of four temples.

Four heavenly gods standing their ground, giving one the illusion that they were gigantic guardians defending the temple against any evil beings.

I did mention they were gigantic, didn't i?

Down the second level again - please hold on to your kids as the handrails might not necessarily be provided on both sides!

We had the whole place to ourselves! The perks of travelling on weekdays even though i am still surprised since it was the school holidays for both Malaysia and Singapore.

See, more statues!

Dad didn't realise this was the burial ground for the founder of the temple and his wife, and offered to help me take a picture of me standing in front of this "nice" pagoda! Piangz!

Ground level; albeit the other side.

Bodhisattva of Compassion and Mercy; Guanyin who is one of three popular Buddhist figures. The other two being Buddha himself and the Smiling Buddha.

The tallest statue in Ling Sen Tong; don't think you need to ask me who is she right?

A memorial plaque dated 1995 narrated the story of the temple, including the beginning, the rebuilding and the completion.

Step into the main prayer hall and the first thing that caught my eye was the black peeling ceiling!

Angle of my camera lens seemed to suggest that the statue had fused beautifully with the natural rock, creating an inferno from the stick! Truthfully, i could not remember if it was indeed so.

Some old pictures placed in the main hall.

Finally! Humans other than the caretakers and us to liven up the atmosphere in that stifling weather. They were kindergarten kids on a school trip; children nowadays are so blessed!

Another dog like stone lion!

As with many temples, Ling Sen Tong also has a wishing well. But what amazed me more was that there were a lot of "chances" for you to wish a wish.

The "well" was a long stretch of enclosures housing different statues for you to throw coins to your heart's content! That was so bloody considerate!

To deter thieves, it is necessary to install metal bars. When looking from afar, many of us would have thought they were metal enclosures holding animals!

Another deterrent using water.

Sighz, knowing fully well that this was a money making mechanism, i could not resist throwing a few coins to the zodiac animal i belong to; the adorable, mischievous, cheeky, clever monkey!

Now, here's the 4D number i was given.

Let's buy for the two days. HUAT AH!

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Location

Gunung Rapat, 31350 Ipoh,

Perak, Malaysia

GPS Location

4°33'58"N 101°6'50"E

Whenever i chanced upon an Ipoh travelogue programme on television, the narrator / guide would usually recommend this dish known as beansprouts chicken (芽菜雞 / nga choy kai)! And the most famous of them all is Lou Wong (老黄) which was the first to offer it.

Before i start with my review, let me ask you a question; when you first heard of beansprout chicken, what was the image that came to your mind? Mine was a chicken stuffed with an enormous amount of beansprouts!

Beansprouts

The truth wasn't as complicated as i expected - it was, simply put, a plate of very plump beansprouts that wasn't as spectacularly tasting as claimed by many patrons. Whatever the case, i heard that these special Ipoh-cultivated bean sprouts were supposed to be very nutritional.

Steamed Chicken

Coming from a person who loves chicken rice, i have to say the steamed chicken in Lou Wong lacked the smooth, juicy tenderness i personally enjoyed although the use of kampong chicken had resulted in a more muscular texture that was pleasurable as i slowly chewed down the meat!

Kuay Teow

This was quite a surprise! The flat noodles were extremely smooth and slurpy; sending the broth splashing all over my mouth as i unknowingly took a big scoopful. The soup wasn't elaborately seasoned yet exuded a plain deliciousness that appealed to my parents and i. By the way, the beansprouts tasted much better in the soup!

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Location

49, Jalan You Tet Shin,

30300 Ipoh, Perak

Food Map

As above (red border)

Price

Bean Sprouts - RM 4 for 2 Persons

Steamed Chicken - RM 23 for 3 Persons

Kway Teow - RM 1.50 a bowl

The last of my excessive temple stops in Ipoh; Kwan Yin Tong is, similar to the rest of the temples i visited, located by the side of a picturesque limestone hill known as Gunung Rapat.

Divided into roughly three different sections, i am trying my best to categorise the pictures so that they appeared consistent even though i was running all over the place in search of my dad, who went missing momentarily.

Let's start the journey by crossing over the red metal bridge.

Don't belittle this narrow stream of muddy water; it brought down tonnes of mud and sludge that literally submerged the temple grounds thirty over years ago.

Temple (觉慧寺)

Paying homage to the numerous enlightened beings in the Buddhism realm wasn't the first thing i did but for the sake of easy remembrance, it was the first building ahead of me.

Painted wall mural depicting the Gautama Buddha under a Bodhi tree where he gained enlightenment at the age of 35 years old after 49 days of meditation.

Temple interiors - featuring mainly white washed walls and artificial flooring that betrayed the true natural origins of the millennium-old cavern.

Eighteen Arhats - i am going to spare you the details of their origins and purposes. For more information, just click on the following wikipedia link; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighteen_Arhats

Divination lots - how many of you have actually tried this? I have yet to do so although on one hand, i am curious to know what the lot would say if i ask about wealth and fortune.

On the other hand, i am also afraid that this simple piece of paper would affect my thought, motivation and followup action if it turns out negative.

Not only that, you likely would have to defer to the divination of a fortune teller (especially for individuals like me who don't really know shit about traditional Chinese poems and their inferences), which means you are subjecting your fate to another person.

Anyway, the temple is currently undergoing a donation drive for funds to replace the current building.

Proceeding to the second section where i am going to scale a hill after finding my dad missing from the temple compound! I presume he was somewhere near since he is hard of hearing and hence, might not be able to hear my loud voice calling out to him.

Gigantic chess set!

A Chinese poem on the cliff that was beyond my comprehension; it sounded somewhat along the line of past and present life for the limestone hill. I think.

Mom taking a photo with her zodiac animal; the horse which would be the upcoming animal for the Chinese new year. A post on the decorations at Chinatown (Singapore) would be posted soon!

Looks a bit like me hor! I thought it bears some resemblance to a personal friend; Jeffrey Lim! On second thought, it was said both of us could pass off as twins! haha.

True to its name, Kwan Yin Tong was blessed with a lot of statues on the bodhisattva associated with compassion; according to one website, there were over 75 life-like sculptures on her.

They were numerous enough yet i didn't find them as impressive as the 500-Arhat temple in Bintan Island where each luohan was uniquely special with different posture, expression etc.

Hill (慧峰)

After hollering a while to seek the attention of the missing father without any success, i decided to climb up the hill as Dad was known to be more of an avid explorer than me (that's where part of my adventurous genes came from).

Unlike me, he wasn't terrified of heights!

The uphill trek was worth the climb as you would be guaranteed of a better view of the surroundings. Provided you climb all the way to the top though.

The pathway up appeared to be incomplete yet it remained open to the public.

Maintenance of completed items also seemed to be weak with signs of apparent neglect. A pity especially when it could have benefited for offering a good view via a not too difficult climb.

A pair of pandas on the rock along the way.

Getting quite high up without a sign of dad. I was getting worried as there weren't many visitors around and accidents can take place in unfamiliar areas.

A notice on the side barring visitors from proceeding further added to my worries. What if my dad decided to go ahead and met with some accident?!

With rail-less staircase adding on to my fear of height, i was apprehensive to advance further yet had to because of my dad. Was about to step forward when i heard someone calling me from the bottom of the staircase; my dad.

Others

This area i unwittingly put as "others" was the most fascinating as in there were many things to see and do, despite it taking up not a very big space.

With the building taking three sides and the cliff on the sideline, the open area was effectively boxed up and well-protected from the rain although it continued to have natural sunlight streaming in to light up the many artifacts within the compound.

There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of tiny golden Buddha statues screwed to the wall that shimmered and shined upon a magical touch by the sunlight.

Items placed precariously in a little cavity.

A shrine for dogs?! Come to think about it, is there really a temple dedicated to dogs? The most i can think of is one honouring the canine that followed the deity, Er Lang Shen.

人缘树 - the tree that would enhance your popularity!

Tie one red string (RM 1) around the branches and you shall be blessed with better relationship in love, friendship, family ties and even with strangers!

Thai wishing gong - you are supposed to rush your hands on the gong and make a wish concurrently; your wish would come true if you manage to hear an echo.

Saw this in the attached administration office cum shop. For those who don't recognise Chinese, it talked about an interested subject - Spirits of babies who died before they were borne.

An existing room on the second level was actually converted into an altar where the tablets / ashes of those spirits were enshrined for a nominal fee. Would love to check them out but public access was discouraged.

More of "let your wishes come true" stuff surrounding the building!

In this case, the overhanging tablet can also double up as a message board. Gosh, if only i can write so beautifully. Honestly, even i cannot recognise my handwriting sometimes!

A one-off sculpture of a skinny man holding on to a kid who has supposedly passed on due to hunger.

I have seen this before and their origin was definitely from Japan although i am not sure what you call them.

Each of them came attached with a jingling bell and blessings like safe, prosperous etc. As you can see, the bells have rusted and i don't see any place where i can purchase and add on to the entourage.

A Japanese style wishing pond - you are supposed to go in barefooted and walk on the twelve stone steps while mumbling your wish and keeping your eyes closed. As you reach the end, toss the coin behind you.

Another one; i have seen on some blogs that there were love locks as well even though i didn't remember seeing any. With five temples since morning, i am already facing fatigue and i bet so are many of you who have been following my Ipoh updates!

To conclude on a lighter note, let me post you a question with reference to the above photograph; how old do you think she is? Don't be dirty minded okay!

No answer but it didn't matter since the laughter was on the subject which was a cow!

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Location

Batu 4½, Jalan Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah

(Jalan Gopeng), Ipoh, Perak.

Additional Information

There was another temple further down even though we didn't have the time (nor the energy to check it out). The big board indicated that the temple had resurfaced after being buried under the soil for 32 long years!

I woke up at 5.30am because both parents were already up and gunning to get out of the hotel for breakfast! The sleep was great although i 'nua' a while longer before dragging myself out of bed for a necessary bath.

Out of French Hotel by 6.30am and was greeted by a dead quiet road scene. Amazingly, it was the same scene the morning before but the feeling this time, after having had sufficient sleep and a refreshing rain shower, was vastly different.

Dim sum for breakfast two days in a row is seriously no joke; albeit this time, we patronised the imposing Foh San that was modernly designed with a nicer ambience! For my review, click here.

Mom goofing around with the power lines that stretched from building to building. This is a scene not commonly seen in Singapore as most of the power lines are located underground.

Feline waiting for something; food, i presume.

Very old school, non air-conditioned bus sighted on the street! The cute bus was quite petite with only one entrance that also served as the exit. Can see from my parents' face that this brought back some nostalgia of Singapore's public transportation a few decades ago.

TOUR

Took a dump in the hotel and it was time to meet up with Daniel, our tour ambassador arranged with Jammy from MyIpohHoliday, at 8.30am at the lobby of French Hotel.

The eight-hour itinerary was customised by us with initial inputs and recommendations from Jammy, who is an Ipoh native! Our criteria was simple; an air-conditioned car (petrol included) that can seat three of us with a driver cum ambassador who can speak Mandarin.

Daniel turned out to be a real gem as he shared with us attractions in Ipoh that we can visit next time and his childhood memory of places like the cave temples and Kellie's Castle. Planning for a trip to Ipoh, you can send an email to Jammy at myipohholiday@gmail.com; she also advises on other tour-related queries like accommodation! You may also visit the facebook page here.

Our itinerary brought us to a quite a number of places, first of which was the eerily beautiful Kellie's Castle! For more details (and photographs of course), click here.

Kellie's Castle was actually out of Ipoh city and took us roughly 30 to 40 minutes each way.

However, the ride wasn't boring as we chatted a bit with Daniel and there were plenty of sights including abandoned houses and even an entire street devoid of any human resident!

Visited four cave temples in one go! Starting with Kek Lok Tong Cave Temple [極樂洞] - Cavern of Ultimate Bliss (the latter was my cannot-make it translation). As with Kellie's Castle, a post has been dedicated to the temple and you check out this link for the details.

Following which was Sam Poh Tong Temple [三寶佛洞] - Cavern of Triple Gems,

Nan Tian Tong Temple [南天洞] - Cavern of the Southern Heaven,

And lastly, Ling Sen Tong Temple [灵仙岩] - Cavern of the Immortals.

Lunch was at Sun Yeong Wai [新扬威烤鸭饭店], restaurant famous for their roasted duck! I was elated to find char siew that was just a notch lower than Kay Lee! The only regret i had was not asking for takeaway for another session of indulgence back in the hotel.

Two doors away was Yee Hup, a brand synonymous with Heong Peng (香饼) which was a type of pastry biscuit that Ipoh was famous for. I didn't get any as the shop didn't provide any sampling! :(

What i did manage to purchase were a few boxes of coconut biscuits! Sampling was provided and i must say it appeared dry yet tasted surprisingly delicious and crunchy with a trailing coconut fragrance.

After the fulfilling lunch, it was time to walk a bit to digest the food - visitation to yet again another cave temple known as Kwan Yin Tong Temple [觀音洞] - Cavern of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Truthfully, visiting five temples in merely five hours was a very tiring affair! Time to further indulge in my favourite activities; food hunting!

The Ipoh man, Daniel that is, brought us to his favourite food haunts which were all within walking distance from our hotel. One which was the smooth soya beancurd from Funny Mountain.

Another one that came strongly recommended was Sin Eng Heong, renowned for their kaya puffs! Coincidentally, it was opened by the relative of my secondary school senior.

In my three days, two nights in Ipoh, this was the first time i saw people queuing for food! Daniel mentioned that the weekend queue would be all the way out, past a few shophouses.

Trays and trays of fresh kaya puffs came and went for twenty minutes before it was our turn! Each piece cost RM 0.80 and we requested for only five since this would be a pain to bring back to Singapore.

Food map for Sin Eng Heong as above with red border.

Pomelo was another Ipoh's specialty even though Daniel didn't appear to be too fascinated with it. Nonetheless, the parents wanted to try and we chose a fruit stall located right opposite Sin Eng Heong.

Two types were available; the more expensive red meat and the cheaper white meat. Since the difference in pricing wasn't much, we went with the red one (tied with red string).

Our only condition was for the stall owner to help us remove the skin! The way she manoeuvred the knife and the speed she removed the skin were simply a jaw-dropping show!

Back at the hotel where we can finally take another bath and rest our tired feet, it was also time to attack the food we bought; the kaya puffs and the pomelo!

Let's start with the puffs - they were marvelous and featured the yellow type of custard kaya that i personally preferred over the green one. The skin was thin, extremely flaky with a light crispiness that tasted very satisfying in conjunction with the incredibly generous kaya filling!

The pomelo was another story altogether; not as sweet as we expected with an unwanted tardiness that made us wondered why we bothered buying it in the first place.

Rested for 90 minutes before stepping out once again for dinner! Amusing wall painting finally spotted even though such street art was not as prevalent as Malacca or Penang.

Clay wrapped beggar chicken with herbs! Salted baked chicken seemed to be another must try in Ipoh as i can see quite a number of shops selling them. It's a pity that i am travelling to other parts of Malaysia and it would not be convenient for me to haul them from one place to another.

Mom perked up at this shop selling traditional Chinese biscuits and pastries! I am so glad she didn't buy tonnes of stuff - imagine the weight i have to endure back to Singapore! One torturing memory was a trip to Kuala Lumpur with her; thanks to her, i had to hand carry thirteen paper bags filled local goodies!

Lou Wang beansprout chicken which was overrated in my opinion. Check out my review here. A Facebook friend has corrected that the original beansprout chicken is supposed to be the one at Cowan Street. Maybe i would check it out the next time i visit.

Another reputable one serving the same dish, Ong Kee, was located diagonally from Lou Wang. If i am with the Gang of Four, chances are high that we would visit it straightaway after Lou Wang!

It was barely 8pm and i didn't want to sleep so early! Hence, it was chill out time at the Jose & Deli Eatery which resided on the second level of French Hotel.

While our time away in the cafe under a canopy of soothing music as the parents read the Chinese dailies and i thumbed at my mobile for facebook updates and blogging. Not to mention there was also dessert involved! Blissful indeed!

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For Day One, click HERE.

For a summary of my trip, click HERE.

Happy New Year, peeps!

I am going to take a breather from the overwhelming blog postings on my recent trip to Malaysia and focus on a place that many readers of a generation ahead of me would remember fondly; Satay Club!

Satay Club was actually a namesake for food centres that has a high congregation of satay stalls; the last was at Clarke Quay although the most famous has to be the one located at the old Esplanade.

In my opinion, this was an appropriate remake of the old Satay Club as it was just next to the Marina Reservoir where diners can enjoy the sea breeze as they did in the past at the Esplanade. Difference is that there is now also sheltered seating! No more scrambling to find shelter whenever it rains!

Having just satay and nothing else was hardly fitting for dinner and i could not resist ordering a plate of sambal sotong and oyster omelette from Marina BBQ Seafood! Average tasting and not worth my time dedicating an entire post to it.

There were quite a number of Satay stalls to choose from and i took my pick from the one that appeared to be more popular; Sri Geylang Sate (Halal). Prices throughout seemed to be standardised at 70 cents a stick (the neighbourhood average currently stood at 50 cents) and there were packages to be selected; do keep in mind that prawns would spike the overall payable amount!

I was a bit too ambitious and bought twenty sticks; 10 mutton, 10 chicken for just the two of us! We waited for 15 minutes before the above was served.

Surprisingly, the wait didn't result in the mutton satay being served hot! Other than that, the mutton tasted tender without the toughness usually associated with this red meat. I particularly enjoyed chicken satay due to its strong tumeric marination that totally enhanced the flavour.

Satay sauce, an important companion in this dish, was an immense failure! It was too oily, lacked the fragrance and had a lingering bitterness as you bite into the peanut bits.

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Location

18, Marina Gardens Drive

[It's actually nearer to Marina Barrage]

How to Get There

Can walk from Gardens by the Bay although accordingly to the website, there is a free shuttle bus from Mondays to Fridays, during lunch hours and from 6pm till 12 midnight. Problem is, the official website wasn't clear in where to take the bus!

Drivers would be pleased to note that there is a car park right next to "Satay by the Bay".

Price

Sambal Sotong - S$10

Oyster Omelette - S$10

Mutton Satay - S$0.70 a stick

Chicken Satay - S$0.70 a stick

Additional Information

Enjoy the view after taking a pee!

*p.s. applicable to gentlemen only*

I realised pork belly satay was for sale only at the end of the meal! Those who remember my blog post on Kwong Satay should know i would insist on having this just to compare the differences!!! Guess i have to leave it for another visit!

I have never been a "volunteer" kind of person and have rejected countless requests from friends who are keen to introduce me to the caring and passionate world of "volunteerism".

Hence, it should surprise quite a few friends that i finally took on volunteering work last Sunday although it has nothing to do with the welfare of any living bodies! There's a reason why i don't want to volunteer at animal shelter, old folks home etc but that would be explained in a future posting.

Anyway, the intention of our visit that day was to clean up the unkempt tomb of this lady who passed away back in 1934; she was Japanese and married into a Chinese family which could possibly mean she could be one of the earliest Japanese immigrants to Singapore!

Reached the tomb without any difficulty, thanks to the two veterans who have been involved in such voluntary work in Bukit Brown for god knows how many years. It was hard work clearing the tomb with so much foliage surrounding it!

A tree has also toppled across the tomb and there were only so many branches i can saw away using my half-past six skill! The ground was wet and muddy and i found irritating tree roots that have spread to the tomb mound! By the way, the above picture was taken when we were halfway done!

My gloves at that stage. It gradually darkened by the end we were done with the clean up.

There were tonnes of earthworms buried in the ground; plump ~~and juicy~~ ones okay! I think i could have sold them for a good price to the anglers if i had collected all of them.

Sweeping is considered an easy chore for many. Try sweeping floor that was thickly caked with mud! We had to use a spade to scrape away the top layer before we can even attempt to sweep the tiled floor.

Woah, it was a great satisfaction to see the "before" and "after"! Contrast the above photograph with the fourth one in this post and spot the differences! Tiles previously covered with green moss can finally show their beauty to the outside world!

With only five of us equipped with basic tools, we did the best we could in three hours although it would be a bonus if we could remove the toppled tree! However, i agreed with Ee Hoon that the tree did give the tomb a different vibe compared to the rest.

The final "product" after much sweat!

p.s. Muscle ache is a definite for the next few days.

Keen to Volunteer / Know More about Bukit Brown?
Join https://www.facebook.com/groups/bukitbrown/

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Additional Information

Things have changed a lot since i last visited Bukit Brown cemetery! There is a immensely helpful map that clearly charts out the various blocks and divisions.

Directional signs have also been improved with pictures of the tombs and even distance required to reach them! Now, this would really help those who are interested to pay the cemetery a visit yet worried that it would be hard to navigate!

Be fast if you want to visit. Exhumation work for some sections of this cemetery has already started that would clear the land for the eventual building of new roads that are supposed to alleviate the traffic condition along Lornie road.

Enjoy the beauty while you still can.

For the past few times i visited the cooling constituency of Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, i had chosen to stay in its second largest town, Brinchang, where i can benefit from its close proximity to surrounding farms and to the area's only night market!

The above would explain why i would only stay in Rosa Passadena, which is right in the heart of the town. Maybe it was also for the sake of familiarity coupled with one past visit when i selected another close by hotel which turned out terrible.

As a whole, the concept of the hotel was pretty dated (it was completed over twenty years ago), playing heavily on the flower that gave it its name; roses. Renovation work has already started to spruce up the place in order to compete with the newer hotels.

From the pictures so far, the decoration evoked a sense of nostalgia as there was none of the contemporary conception prevalent in recent times and seemed to be stuck in the late 80s.

Well, at least the television has been upgraded to LCD!

For those tourists who could not stand not checking in to their facebook and uploading pictures to their instagram would also be pleased to note that free wifi was available in the room.

Basic amenities like complimentary drinking water, mini-fridge, safe deposit box etc were provided like any decent hotel. Mom, of course, was happy to see the hair dryer!

All 115 rooms came with a long bath! When i was much younger, seeing a bathtub meant a foam bath which translated into a longer bath (at the expense of others)! Now, i see it as a waste of time since time should be spent outside, not inside the hotel.

It's about time the management does something about the above packaging. Other than this minor issue, i had no complaint and slept soundly (and comfortably) in the one night i was there.

Oops, almost forgot about the free breakfast that came with our stay!

Featuring very normal Malaysian hotel staple like noodles, nasi lemak and Western toasts and cereals, there was nothing much to expect even though i would have loved to see an egg station where i can get my sunny side-ups.

SCS butter!!!! Classic butter that every household in Singapore used to have in their fridge. There are many other brands nowadays but SCS butter continues to take a special place in a corner of my heart.

Breakfast, in all, was satisfactory. If not for the insistence of the dad, i would have gotten out of the hotel, ordered a plate of freshly made roti prata and enjoyed the pleasure of having it in the natural comfort of cooling morning mist.

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Location

1 Bandar Baru Brinchang,

39100 Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Hotel Rate / Price

Rates are more expensive on weekends and i paid $124.64 via Agoda for a night stay on a Friday at its superior triple accommodation type.

Tim Ho Wan's grand opening in Singapore was back in April 2013 yet i have not been totally enthusiastic to visit any of its outlets after hearing quite a number of negative feedback.

But, my weekly temple visitation with my mom brought me to Toa Payoh central a week ago. As mom must be quite sick of having cheng mun chee kee for breakfast, i decided to bring her to the dim sum restaurant's second outlet in ERA centre (formerly known as Toa Payoh Entertainment Centre) instead.

Heng the queue was short! Even though it was another thirty minutes to its opening, i was half expecting a lengthy queue numbering more than thirty outside the restaurant.

Our stomachs were growling and it didn't help to see mouth watering pictures lined up along the queue poles, motivating hungry diners again and again to wait patiently for their turn!

10am - we were the second group to get in! It's finally time to try the world's cheapest Michelin starred dim sum restaurant right here in Singapore!

Don't be mistaken by the last photograph; the level of Tim Ho Wan's popularity was still going strong and the eatery quickly filled up after we were seated. Before we knew it, the whole place was bustling with noise and activity!

Pan Fried Carrot Cake

This was nothing befitting its impressive title as a renowned member of Tim Ho Wan's big 4 heavenly kings; strips of carrot cake were felt as i chewed although there wasn't any exceptional flavour that particularly caught me by surprise.

Steamed Egg Cake

The soft fluffiness caught my immediate attention and the first thing that came to mind as i took a bite of the steaming hot cake was gula melaka! However, according to ieatishootipost, ordinary white sugar was used to make the batter and its brown tinge actual came from two days of fermentation. Not too bad, not too bad.

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork

Oh my god, this was to die for!!!! I love Crystal Jade's polo bun with char siew and thought that was already very good. This baked bun from Tim Ho Wan took things a few more levels up!

Despite messing up my mouth like a child who hurriedly chomp down his favourite biscuits, i totally loved the delicious combination of thin, flaky crust and savoury char siew filling. Heard the ones from Canton Paradise are better but before i literally sank my teeth into one, Tim Ho Wan's version is still the best!

Vermicelli Roll with Prawns

Out of the four kings, the only one we didn't had was vermicelli roll with pig's liver. However, i could not resist having the common one with prawns. It was alright and i had much better ones at Mayim!

Beancurd Skin Roll

With pork and prawn filling, this was yet again another average item on the menu. Okay, i admit i have always preferred crispier beancurd skin!

Spring Roll with Egg White

I am a huge lover of egg white but that obnoxious egginess i desired so much was missing from this deep fried item. Furthermore, i think i still like my usual spring rolls with sweet, crunchy vegetables.

Mom thought differently and preferred this version better. Oh well, just note that it tasted nicer when cold though.

Har Gow

The initial first bite almost resulted in extreme discounting of this dim sum item typically served in dim sum restaurants; the texture of its skin was just way too thick!

Only when i managed to bite into the prawny middle was i mildly taken aback. It was nothing like the common ones from other dim sum restaurants and featured a taste that could likely be the increased addition of mashed Chinese chestnuts.

Siew Mai

Very moist with a tinge of sweetness (thanks for the Chinese wolfberry); me very like the uniqueness in them!!

Glutinous Rice Dumpling

The actual Chinese wordings were translated into Lo Mai Kai, a classical dish in the typical dim sum spread. Hence, imagine my bewilderment when i saw this big piece of wrapped lotus leaf!

Friends would know i am not a big fan of lotus rice and it was the same sentiment i had for the above!

It was ingredients rich but the taste was too strong tasting for my liking! p.s. i think there were parts of internal organs like liver in the sausages. Yucky! To be fair, it's just me!

Osmanthus Cake

Served cold, the jelly (not cake in my opinion) was not overly sweet and would be the darling for the older generation. What i particularly fancied were the natural palatableness of Chinese wolfberries and fresh bites of osmanthus flowers! Yummy! Those warm ones from Peach Garden paled in comparison!

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Overall, there were hits, and there were misses. Pricing was kind of steep for dim sum fare and this was one major grouch for many Singaporeans who have been to the original store in Hongkong. Bet i would do the same if i ever visit sham shui po in the future!

Location

Block 450, Lorong 6 Toa Payoh,

#02-02, ERA Centre

Map

As above

Price

Pan Fried Carrot Cake - S$4.50

Steamed Egg Cake - S$3.80

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork - S$4.50

Vermicelli Roll with Prawns - S$5.50

Beancurd Skin Roll - S$4.00

Spring Roll with Egg White - S$4.20

Har Gow - S$5.50

Siew Mai - S$5.00

Glutinous Rice Dumpling - S$5.00

Osmanthus Cake - S$3.50

Chinese Tea - S$1.20 per person

[Subject to GST and Service Charge]

Menu / Ordering List

As above

Additional Information

Like many restaurants nowadays, you have to ensure that everyone in your group is present before a table would be allocated to you. I don't know about you but i honestly thought this was a great policy!

I was adamant that i would not be signing up for the boring countryside tour this time to Cameron Highlands, after knowing there were a lot more tours to choose from!

Therefore, we decided to sign up for the Agro Delight Tour offered by Titiwangsa Tours. Remember, i was with my parents and the last tour we had in Cameron Highlands was a bit too strenuous for their creaky bones and weak hearts. For those who are not too sure what i am talking about, click here.

Anyway, the mini van for agro tour reached Rosa Passadena at around 2.30pm and proceeded to Equatorial Hotel, reaching at 3.00pm, to pick up another group.

Vegetable Farm

First stop - the place where we can see using our own eyes how vegetables are grown. Actually, that's what this tour is all about; agriculture which would likely be interesting and educational for city dwellers

For a semi urban man like myself who has been through kampong life, this was not an eye-opener although it was a pleasure to immerse myself in greenery under super cool weather.

This man, Mr Jason Cheung, was a superbly jovial man who didn't stop making us laugh at his jokes yet at the same, impart the farming knowledge to laymen like us.

Due to the terrain, many vegetables were planted on hillsides and i, despite my fear of heights, have to challenge by climbing as high as i could to take this picture.

Another side of the farm which had a small corn plantation! I would say more about the incredibly famous Cameron Highlands corns later.

The father doing the same for the spectacular view! We would have climbed up higher if not for the muddy ground ahead of us. Since i only had one pair of shoes with me, i decided not to risk having to endure relentless nagging from my parents.

Checking out the vegetables in their natural form. For one, i didn't know cauliflower comes with leaves! The ones i saw in markets were just the white portion!

Young strawberries!

Fresh vegetables and fruits for sale here! Unlike those sold in other places in the highlands, you are assured that most of these vegetables and fruits were freshly farmed just a few meters away.

Dad taking photographs in the flower garden attached to the shop. He has not been touching cameras for a long time and i hope he rekindles his interest in the hobby he fervently pursued when he was younger.

Don't these flowers look like mini Chinese lanterns?!

Jason took out an ear of corn, removed the soft husks, cut it up into smaller pieces and offered everyone of us. We were skeptical as it was raw and god could only imagine how tardy it could taste!

It was freaking delicious and so juicy!! The taste was similar to Chinese chestnuts, albeit sweeter and without that awful residue. The lady boss highlighted that many sold in the nearby markets were actually imported from Ipoh but continued to be branded as Cameron Highlands' corns. Obviously, they were not as nice!

Even though the price was a bit steep and it was a long way back home, we bought six ears for RM 20! To be honest, i regretted not buying more!!!

Leaving for the next item on the itinerary. For those who wanted to try the Cameron Highlands corns may keep in mind the 188 Vegetable Farm (the location was quite near to Kea Farms; you could even walk from Equatorial Hotel).

Watercress Farm

The mini van trudged for less than a hundred meters before stopping and asking us to step out. We were like "ha"? That was hardly a ride and we could have just walked!

Nevertheless, we were pampered with a breathtaking sight of layered terrace farming.

Ever been to the rose centre as part of the countryside tours? I remember climbing all the way up to the main signboard brandishing the words "Rose Centre". Once again, you can also check out the post here.

The group proceeding down the slope for a clearer picture of the watercress farm.

A simple altar was installed, likely to protect the area from landslides which are extremely common in Cameron Highlands, so much so that tourism is badly affected whenever there is news of yet another landslide.

Watercress ponds; although they appeared deep, the depth of each pond was just a few inches. Notice those dark green patches? It means they were nearing to being harvested.

Would you eat your vegetables if you see snails and worms? You should as the existence of those "pests" only serves to remind us that pesticide was not used.

Dad absolutely loves the scenery and asked me to take quite a few pictures of him, for him!

Cactus Farm

I am not looking forward to cactus point; not because i am afraid of those spiky plants. Instead, i have seen so many of them in my trips to Cameron Highlands that they no longer fascinated me.

Pictures of what you can get from the cactus farm. You are free to purchase although i understand there could be restrictions from AVA on importation of plants and seedlings.

Dad again; he is quite a cam whore!! Hahaha, no lah, i was the one who persuaded him to be my "model" as it serves as good memories in the family's photo albums.

More Cameron Highland corns!! It was cheaper at 7 ears for RM 20. The taste was as exquisite and i had to resist really badly not to buy any! :(

Does this remind you of those paper cranes we used to fold for origami!?

As the others were marveling at cacti of various shapes, sizes, length, width, height, i chose to indulge in herbal eggs! They could seriously do with a stronger herbal brew!

Even the buttered corn was not terribly good; by the way, the Cameron Highlands corns should be eaten raw!! You can choose to cook them but the exquisiteness would not be as apparent.

Typical of Cameron Highland's weather, the sky started pouring and our dear Jason performed what a good tour guide would always do; by ensuring the customers remain dry.

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How to Book?

You may check out Titiwangsa Tours website at http://www.titiwangsatours.com. Booking can be done online and payment would be made after the tour has ended. The reason why i chose Titiwangsa this time was because they agreed to have a Mandarin speaking guide.

Price

RM 65 per adult. There is more to the tour and you would find them in part 2, which should be published by the end of this week! I have too much backlog to clear!

Vanilla Bar & Cafe was closed on Sundays and without wanting to travel too far, i suddenly thought of this cafe i strolled past when i last visited Gardens by the Bay!

The Verandah Contemporary Asian Bistro is conveniently located next to the Visitor Centre and serves both Asian and Western cuisines. As a local who doesn't see the point of paying rocket pricing for Asian fare, i shall only touch on "ang moh" food in this review.

Now, let's take a look at the decor and furnishing! Often evaluated with the same level of importance as the quality of food, i thought the ambience here was similar to the white and black colonial bungalows that we can find in some heritage estates, for example Sembawang.

More pictures of the comfortable and tranquil environment for your viewing pleasure.

We were not seated at the side which was more heavily decorated. However, near to our table was a row of clocks which i initially assumed were the respective time of major cities in the world. Only upon a closer look did i realise they were not! The above timepiece would likely result in many Singaporean men nodding their heads in agreement.

Cream of Mushroom

Although it was generously filled with real chunks of mushroom bits, the flavour turned out to be too bland for our liking! And the funny thing was that the bistro had already run out of soup and this was served from a fresh pot! Maybe it would be better to have the soup sitting a while longer.

Truffle Fries

The crunchiness of the fries was welcomed by all of us, especially Alex who loved the light saltiness. I, on the other hand, felt that this was a great plate of fries yet disappointing for its lack of authenticity. Splash more of that delicious truffle oil please!

Beef Bourguignon Stew

One word; marvellous! Those beef briskets were absolutely delightful in that pool of flavourful (but not overly strong) wine sauce! We finished the beef pretty fast and the remaining yummy sauce was then used as an alternate dip for the fries!

Banana Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream

Everything about this was perfect; the deliciousness of sliced bananas, lusciousness of gelato vanilla ice cream, the caramelised sweetness of the banana sauce! Except for one thing; how can the toasted batter have such soft, almost rubbery texture!?!?!?!?

Pot of Tea

With such nice bistro's atmosphere, of course we had to order a few pots of tea to spend our Sunday afternoon in a relaxing manner. Strong recommended the Lemon Ginger Mint~!!!

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Location

18, Marina Garden Drive,

#02-04, Gardens by the Bay

Opening Hours

Sundays to Thursdays - 11.30am to 8.30pm

Fridays to Saturdays - 11.30am to 9.00pm

Price

Cream of Mushroom - S$7.00

Truffle Fries - S$9.00

Beef Bourguignon Stew - S$18.60

Banana Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream - S$12.80

Pot of Tea - S$6.00

[Subject to GST and Service Charge]

Menu

As above!

I have a bunch of really crazy colleagues; please don't get me wrong, it is craziness in a positive way that is somewhat similar to my cheerful, silly yet wacky persona.

So, the nutty group decided to hold an 'instant' feast where everyone is supposed to indulge in anything that can be immediately consumed with minimal preparation and cooking. The first thing that came to mind was of course instant noodles!

It would be boring to have ONLY instant noodles; there was silky cold tofu topped with fragrant shallots and savoury kicap sauce, there were Seng Choon instant braised eggs, made on-the-spot vegetable salad, canned sausages and even a can of peach for dessert!

Another colleague kindly supplied a huge tub of home cooked noodles just in case instant noodles were insufficient! Okay, that defeated the purpose of 'instant' feast but it was a gesture we greatly appreciated especially when they turned out really good!

Diet aside and let the feast begin!

Conclusion - great company but i was so so so full.....

Nonetheless an indulgent start to 2014.

Next up on the cards, potluck!

Sorry for the lack of updates! I have been pretty occupied with quite a number of things in the past few days and this has significantly worsened the backlog! :(

One of the items that i have been busy with was this candy crush lookalike game known as Juice Cubes! Coincidentally, this also happened to be developed by Rovio; the very same company that gave us Angry Birds, which i highly suspected to be the 'main culprit' for my De Quervain's Tendinitis!

As i mentioned above, the gameplay was suspiciously similar to Candy Crush; there are maps for you to advance, you have hearts for which you can use to play each level and there are functions to request for pieces of map or additional hearts from friends.

Objective must be completed before you can win the level. It takes a two-prong approach; one of which is the minimal score of one star (this is tied to score) and the other can be in ways like collecting a certain number of juice cubes etc within a maximum allowable moves. Once again, just like Candy Crush!

It takes luck, one of my ex AIC colleagues used to say about Candy Crush! In the case of Juice Cubes, i believe strategy works although i especially hate the sand castles that were built to take over the cubes quickly as you deliberate on your next move!

At the moment, it doesn't take me long to clear each level and although i played it during my commute to and from work, i didn't face that competitive obsession i had with Angry Birds! At least i didn't attempt to achieve three stars for all the levels!

There were times i almost wanted to click on the button to get a few gold bars to clear the occasional extremely difficult levels but think about it, 15 gold bars cost S$2.58, which doesn't give you much competitive edge beyond one level and would be better spent in purchasing quite a decent game via App Store.

Strategy, as i said, works better.

Just remember the above four ways you can clear the juice cubes, as it could result in very different results when you combine two specials together (applicable when you cut at least four of the same juice cubes in one go).

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So what are you waiting for? Go and download so you can send me the hearts and pieces of maps!

Following up with part one of the Agro Delight Tour at Cameron Highlands, we arrived right outside Galeria Time Tunnel in the midst of misty rain that further enhanced the beauty of the highlands.

Galeria Time Tunnel

The time tunnel was actually not part of the itinerary (by right, it should be a visit to a huge strawberry farm next door where we can embark on some meaningless strawberry picking) but i have heard so much about it; i managed to convince my parents it would be way more interesting.

Here we go after paying an entrance fee of five ringgit (RM 5) per person (adult).

Dad horsing around with a lift sized picture of an aborigine common in Cameron Highlands. I have yet to visit an aboriginal village in the area; guess that would be a must on the cards for my next visit!

Other than the aboriginal exhibit, all the rest was a nostalgic journey down memory lane. In the case of the above photograph, i admit it can still be found in Singapore; in a karang guni shop that is!

To my parents, it was a nice collection of items they could identify with; many of which have accompanied them when they were growing up in what was then a pretty under-developed country.

Even i was not spared in remembering my carefree childhood spent in the village (yes, i am true blue kampong boy); our kitchen back then looked somewhat liked the above! Grey cement floor, wooden furniture and the memorable rattan baby chair!!!

With over 3,000 collectibles and memorabilia on display, the time tunnel was the brainchild of See Kok Shan, who collected so much 'junk' over the years; he finally decided to showcase them for the benefit of everyone.

Karen Au, a personal friend and fellow colleague, who is a cup / mug collector, would definitely love to get her hands on these two cupboards! I can recognise quite a few that were frequently given away as free gifts when you buy certain products.

There were a total of eight sections in the gallery and i personally find that time was a bit too tight for people like us who signed up for a tour. I would strongly recommend self-drive motorists to spend some time there as there were ample photo opportunities!

History buffs would enjoy going through the hundreds of black / white photographs of Cameron Highlands in the past. Some places remained the same while some, like Brinchang Town, have undergone major changes since then.

For Singaporeans, there was even a picture of Lee Kwan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong that was taken almost sixty years ago, way back in 1954!

Hm.... this roly poly statue looked kind of familiar although i could not quite recollect where i have seen it before.

In the 80s, this kind of game console was the in thing and despite the terrible graphics (compared to what we have now) and simplistic gameplay, many kids like myself would spend hours after hours playing the games!

Unlike the battery powered cars we see nowadays (some even came with remote controls), kids during my time were just as delighted to foot pedal these heavier metal 'vehicles' down the gravel paths.

A classic oven!

Hacks was the favourite brand for sweets; bet many of us would remember the three flavours! Orange which was rich in vitamin C, purple for blackcurrant and black for spicy! Which was your favourite?!

The darlie toothpaste we know now was originally known as darkie! The English name was changed after it was bought over by Colgate Palmolive as it was considered as racially derogatory.

Aerial view of the three main townships and smaller settlements in Cameron Highlands. For those who are unaware, the three towns are Brinchang, Tanah Ratah and Ringlet.

Malaysians are fiercely patriotic and it's sad we don't really see such patriotism in Singapore.

Thankfully, the gallery wasn't that crowded on a Friday!

Mom playing with the charcoal irons; by the time i remember things, we were already using electronic irons which are way lighter without the danger of inhaling too much smoke!

This, i can identify! Many households then would often have one unit at home and the most favoured brand was Singer. Till now, i still could not quite understand how sewing machine works.

Old school cashier! No such thing as scanner hor!

A typical kopitiam setup in the olden days. As you can see, Milo was extremely popular and it was kind of surprising when i heard that some people outside this region have never even heard of this chocolate malt drink.

Street exhibit.

Mahjong room in the older days! If i ever get my own flat, i would buy a mahjong table which can be converted into a dining table when not in use! Gang of Four, when mahjong?! Hands are itchy!

You still remember your childhood haircuts?! Mine was a friendly Indian barber who would not hesitate to give me sweets whenever i behaved well on the chair. Unlike some kids, i don't quite understand what was so horrifying about a simple haircut!

Dad enjoying his short-lived stint as a shopkeeper of a supposedly profitable provision shop! It's such a pity that such family owned provision shops are considered as sunset business in economic driven Singapore.

Dumex milk powder!!!! Since i could remember things, i have a strong aversion towards the smell of milk powder. My standard content in a milk bottle was cereals!

Want to relax? Had a cuppa kopi from the coffee shop next door.

As my group mates were still picking strawberries, i had to order something to chill out! Nothing's better than a hot drink and two slices of garlic bread!

The incredibly big strawberry farm! According to our guide, Jason, Kok Lim Strawberry Farm was one of the largest in the highlands and served the sweetest strawberries.

Hydroponics Farm

Next up, a visit to a farm which i visited EVERY SINGLE TIME i am in Cameron Highlands! Reason being it was within walking distance from Brinchang town!

That hotel is Rosa Passadena, which was our recent choice of accommodation in Cameron Highlands! A walk from the hotel to this hydroponics farm (it's actual name was Big Red Strawberry Farm) was roughly ten minutes or less.

You can find a similar picture somewhere in my blog. The differences are that it was taken a few years ago and there was no one bringing us around!

The colour vibrancy, often a determinant of the freshness, was amazing right?!?! It uses natural spring water in its cultivation! No wonder Cameron Highlands vegetables had such a fresh crispness texture!

Yield is much higher for water cultivation (known as hydroponics) as it takes a maximum of only 45 days whereas soil based cultivation takes up to 90 days before the vegetables can be harvested.

A few more photographs before i end this post!

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How to Book?

Price of Tour?

Check out my first post HERE!

From the moment i got to know the great Kon and his deep, insatiable affection for anything that is edible, there was one dish he frequently mentioned with passion; San Low Bee Hoon!

It took a while (our friendship is coming to almost ten years) but i am pleased to announce that we finally managed to pay the original restaurant that invented this special bee hoon a visit recently.

The place was non-air-conditioned, which wasn't a big problem given the nice cooling weather in January and the existence of so many fans (wall and ceiling)!

Deep Fried Baby Squids

Not on the menu, these weren't the typical black coloured baby squids that often tasted too sweet, too hard. This rendition was WYSIWYG which was similar in taste to the deep fried sotong heads / wings found in Old Chang Kee, albeit with a crunchier texture.

Fu-Yong Egg

As an omelette, i thought this was better than average. However, for an authentic furong egg, this didn't feature the wok-hei flavour that set it apart from the rest! A major disappointment as i was so looking forward to having it.

Wild Boar Meat

New to wild boar meat? I would strongly recommend that you give the boar meat in San Low a try. Thanks to the great marination and thick, flavourful sauce, there was none of that muddy, gamey taste and the meat was so soft, so tender and so so juicy! Eat it while it is hot!!!

San Low Fried Bee Hoon

Dried looking with a slightly charred surface that didn't appear at all appetising, i could not quite understand why Kon was making such a great deal about it!

Boy was i caught by surprise when i put a scoopful into my mouth! The delicious aroma of hearty wok hei totally overwhelmed my taste buds; i have never had bee hoon that was so distinctive and yummy!

Kon commented that the taste was a bit lacking (even though it has exceeded the expectations of first timers like us) and could not resist asking the guy who drove us to the checkpoint why it was so; the guy was not surprised by what we said and his wise advice was to order the XL serving as this would require the main chef to do the cooking! So do take note!

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Location

Jalan Biru off Jalan Merah,

Taman Pelangi 80400,

Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Opening Hours

4.30pm to 1.00am

Contact

07-3323869 / 07-3343623

Map

As above

Price

Deep Fried Baby Squids (S) - RM 12

Fu-Yong Egg (S) - RM 6

Wild Boar Meat (M) - RM 16

San Low Fried Bee Hoon (L) - RM 12

[Subject to Government Tax]

Additional Information

For non drivers, going to the restaurant via a cab from the checkpoint of major shopping centres is easy. It's the going back part that often makes one extremely frustrated! Fret not, just ask the cashier and he / she would easily get you a private transport that cost only RM 10 one way!

My annual pass for Universal Studios Singapore has finally expired and i can confidently declare i have definitely made full use of it over the past one year!

I attempted and succeeded in catching the Hollywood Dreams Parade and the Lake Hollywood Spectacular in my last two visits; both of which i had never caught before then. For annual pass holders, do pay the theme park a visit at night.

The crowd was thinner and the atmosphere was vastly different from the daytime festive vibe. For me, i felt that the theme park had been magically covered with an aura of mysticism that distinctly set each zone apart!

Lake Hollywood Spectacular takes place at the center lake of Universal Studios and despite the light drizzle, we arrived earlier to take an okay spot near King Julien's Beach Party-Go-Round.

Personally, i love the view right across me where three different zones contrasted widely with one another.

Start of the pyrotechnics show! For your information, Lake Hollywood Spectacular happens on Saturdays and some holidays although the management reserves the right to cancel it in bad weather (rain, thunderstorm etc).

The magnitude and creativity of the fireworks cannot be compared to what i have seen on Singapore's independence day (just to quote an example) yet it was still quite fascinating for a person who enjoys seeing displays of expansive sparklers in the sky.

And this is a costly weekly expenditure!

Kids would love the colourful show for sure! Just make sure to cover their ears as the sound, though therapeutic to some, could be deafening for those with delicate ear drums.

After of roughly five minutes, the show ended. Duration was truthfully too short but in my opinion, it's better than having nothing at all. At least i have 'earned back' the S$188 i paid a year ago.

This is a bit late for publication; oh well, better late than never. :P

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Location

Universal Studios Singapore

Schedule

Saturdays and some holidays

The Gang of Four's unwavering loyalty towards Kay Lee char siew is well known. Hence, imagine the skepticism we voiced out when we heard of a restaurant right across the causeway that supposedly served EVEN BETTER ones.

A cab would be the easiest mode of transport to get there since we were unfamiliar with the roads in Malaysia and it took us a while to finally have Restoran You Kee right in front of us! Please be assured that i would be sharing the actual location at the end of this post.

With shophouses being the norm for commercial enterprises in Malaysia, it can be directionally challenging for foreigners like us, especially when signboards may not be very visible at certain angles. For You Kee, you just have to keep in mind of two gigantic earthen urns which shall be the visual mark that you have arrived at the right restaurant.

I have to declare first; this isn't the original store at Skudai but it is at least the nearest from the causeway. If i recollected correctly, the time we took from the checkpoint to reach the restaurant was roughly twenty minutes.

Without further ado, let's now evaluate how true our source is.

Soup of the Day

Remember the urns i mentioned earlier? Both of them housed little pots of soup that were apparently quite popular with diners. I am not so much a soup person but Mrs Kon is; therefore, a bowl of soup would always appear on our table!

For that day, the soup was 霸王花 with a type of mountain flower (nightblooming cereus) being the main ingredient. Honestly, i found it similar to a herbal soup that mom frequently brewed for the family except that it was more oily with a very bland taste. Not my cup of tea.

Honey Sausage (港式烧肠)

XO Duck Drumstick (XO烧鸭腿)

BBQ Crystal Char Siew (水晶叉烧)

Roast Pork Belly (傳統燒肉)

We ordered a small portion for each of the above and everything was beautifully displayed onto one plate. Should you be unfamiliar with roasted delights, the placing is from left to right starting from Honey Sausage.

We shall touch on char siew later; the honey sausage was quite good even though i could not help thinking it was simply a better version of the sweetened Taiwanese sausage while the roast pork was unspectacular.

XO duck drumstick had a very thin layer of fats and the tougher meat texture typical of duck was surprisingly soft in this instance. However, i could hardly taste any trace of cognac in the meat.

Now, the main star for the day and actually, the sole purpose why we decided to travel all the way up to Malaysia; the crystal char siew. Appearance wise, the serving definitely did manage to whet our appetite.

Taste wise, it was ##^%&$#amazing!!!! No doubt this Kay Lee's top position has been unseated! I am baffled at how this could turn out to be so tender with bursts of yummy juiciness that proved to be so addictive yet, it didn't come with excessive oiliness that often make one super duper sick after a while. Unlike Kay Lee's char siew, the charredness was also at an optimal level where i didn't have to consider the potential risk of breaking my teeth!

Pipa Duck (琵琶鸭)

The char siew was so god damn delicious; we had to ask for another serving. A medium one if you must know. Although there were only three of us, we also ordered a small serving of pipa duck, another signature dish of the restaurant.

Frankly, i thought this was nicer than the XO duck, for which the eatery was most famous for. A bit of bias personally as i have always preferred deep fried items and the saccharine sauce in this case, went very well with the crispy, savoury texture.

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Location

83-83A, Jalan Dedap 7,

Taman Johor Jaya,

81100 Johor Bahru,

Malaysia

Contact

016-772-8807

Directions & Map

It's very close to the popular departmental store known as The Store. Aeon Tebrau City shopping centre (i think it used to be called Jusco) was right across the highway.

Map as above which might give you a clearer picture. Getting a cab to go back can mean a long, long wait; please check with the cashier at You Kee if it is possible for him / her to help call a cab instead.

Other Branches

As above.

Menu

Prices were surprisingly not as exorbitant as we expected! The next time i visit, i must try their suckling pig!!

Pricing

Soup of the Day (S) - RM 15.00

Honey Sausage (S) - RM 8.00

XO Duck Drumstick - RM 8.50

BBQ Crystal Char Siew (S) - RM 8.00

Roast Pork Belly (S) - RM 7.00

Pi-Pa Duck (S) - RM 11.00

[No other applicable tax]

Additional Information

As all Chinese are aware, Chinese New Year is coming and there are festive goodies you can buy! We didn't purchase any as we were too full and didn't want to sample any more stuff!

You may also consider the above offer, especially if you have the habit of paying homage to the gods with auspicious offerings for the lunar new year.

We are coming to the last leg of the tour! So far, it has been nothing short of fascinating for our family of three even though it was not the first time we travelled to the most famous highland in Malaysia.

Chrysanthemum Farm

The van stopped right in front of rundown shacks accessible via a single lane dirt path; honestly, this would be a classic scene for an off-road tour robbery! Which didn't happen of course.

It was drizzling - This weather condition dampened the exploring mood somewhat as it would have been more conducive to be stuck in a quaint little cafe where we can sip a cup of hot tea and hear the soothing pitter-pattering of raindrops.

Anyway, Jason informed us that most of the blooming flowers had only just been harvested and we would not be able to see the whole farm in its full splendour.

Nonetheless, he shared with us the farming techniques used for chrysanthemums, especially for bigger farms with limited manpower. One piece of info i remember was the implementation of wires that could be easily moved according to the height of chrysanthemums so that they don't grow beyond the flower plot.

Young chrysanthemums.

As well as blossoming ones. The main bulk was already cut and delivered out of the farm but we could still see a few plots that remained unharvested.

Problem was they can only be reached upon trekking through moist, muddy soil. Needless to say, this option was hardly well received by other tour mates. Except for two crazy men; me and my dad.

Nice right? And there were the delicate aroma of fresh chrysanthemums! By the way, i heard from Jason it is not recommended to sniff every flower you chanced upon given the amount of pesticide used in the cultivation process that could be carcinogenic.

The two crazy men definitely didn't regret getting their shoes wet and caked with mud! Look at that happy smile on dad's face! I guess genes are really hereditary; both father and i love the nature and we like to take pictures. Thankfully, i didn't inherit his legendary nagging gene.

Jim Thompson Cottage

This wasn't part of the itinerary but seeing we have a bit of time left, Jason asked if we wanted to see something interesting that was just a short drive from the chrysanthemum farm.

Although it was off limit to outsiders, Jason assured us it would be alright so long we don't make too much noise. Kaoz, this is the kind of spontaneous, unplanned activities Cavin totally digs!

We were greeted with an impressive view of the area in between Brinchang and Tanah Rata towns, with swirling clouds enveloping the hills as if we are in a magical fairyland!

I heard this was the highland retreat for the royal family of Pahang, the Malaysian state of which Cameron Highlands belongs to.

This should be one of the many apartment hotels. Maybe i should consider buying an apartment here so that i can come up anytime i want without the need to check for available hotel accommodation.

The close by Strawberry Park Resort - i stayed here the very first time i visited Cameron Highlands back in 1990. It was also my virgin overseas trip so you can imagine how memorable the whole trip was.

Wish to spend a night here?

It is possible as Jim Thompson cottage does offer accommodation to travellers with two types to choose from; Sunlight bungalows and Moonlight bungalows. Sounds very romantic right?!

I believe i would just lie on the grass patch and bask in the moonlight when night falls (or to catch the sunrise at daybreak). This would be a place i would strongly sign up for in my next visit! Checking of room rates and bookings can be done via here.

Picture time! As you can see, the bungalows were quite dated and i believe there could be a lack in modern amenities. The website wasn't very forthcoming in what they have so don't blame me if you book and have a bad experience!

For me, i would consider booking a night there just to check out what they have (and to post a comprehensive review of the accommodation). For all you know, maybe i would have some 'stories' to tell.

Time to leave for dinner!

Halal Steamboat Dinner

I had been craving for hotpot in Cameron Highlands as it was simply more enjoyable in the cooler climate. To be totally frank, i actually wanted to opt out of this dinner at Hotel Titiwangsa as i wanted to try the more famous ones featuring charcoal steamboat rather than gas..

Dad of course wasn't keen to take up my suggestion since the steamboat was included in the package and the scrooge in him could not quite understand why we must 'waste' it.

Therefore, here we were at the basement level of the hotel.

Unlike other similar establishments in the vicinity, this offered a partial buffet component that vegetables lovers would like; all you can eat vegetables!

Not exactly an advantage for meat lovers though.

Please be assured there were still meat as part of the package, just not free flow. There were chicken meat, fish meat, squids, prawns, egg tofu etc.

More can be requested; at a price of course.

For the three of us, the ingredients proved to be more than sufficient and remember, i only paid RM 65 a person for this entire package!

Taste wise, the broth was rather average and i thought the two restaurants (OK Tuck and Kwan Kee) i previously patronised in Brinchang had a more robust broth. Having steamboat along the street also tends to increase the enjoyable quotient.

Concluding the Agro Delight Tour with this Time Tunnel poster found in the restaurant. For those who are curious on what it has to offer, check out part 2 of the tour!

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How to Book

You may check out Titiwangsa Tours website at http://www.titiwangsatours.com. Booking can be done online and payment would be made after the tour has ended.

Price

RM 65 per adult.

For Part 1, click HERE

For Part 2, click HERE.

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