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Last Day of My Short Three Days, Two Nights Penang Trip 2016

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Don't you just wish to wake up to the above sight every single morning!? A sea view is available for those who prefer the water at Bayview Hotel (Georgetown) but i guess the rooms would be priced slightly higher.

As this was our last day in Penang and we had a noon flight to catch, time wasn't on our side as we needed to leave the hotel at 9.30 am and i wasn't done with my shopping! Hence, we had to chop chop finished our breakfast!

I very much liked my nasi lemak breakfast whereas Alex was satisfied with his sunny side up with baked beans. Friends who had travelled with me would be aware i am not a fan of baked beans.

Little Penang Street Market - open only on Sundays which was good as i was leaving on Sunday. The only problem was it opens only from 10 am and i obviously didn't have time as i still needed to pack my luggage!

Restoration in progress - this reminded me of a similar scenario in Singapore where the facade remained whereas everything else was demolished! Click here for the post.

Notice the humongous street art mural by the side of the building?

Homeless sleeping on the streets wasn't that uncommon, even in Singapore although the same couldn't be said for those who reside in countries that face the four seasons.

Trishaws in Penang are structurally different from the ones in Singapore; the rider is at the back where Singapore's version is on the side of the passenger(s). Honestly, the passengers on Penang's trishaws appeared to be in greater danger!

Nasi Kandar is a renowned Penang dish similar to nasi briyani that i didn't manage to try on my trip. There were a few reputable ones and if i am not wrong, the one popular with tourists is  known as Line or something.

A busy weekend morning with cars hogging up the street - i was curious yet couldn't explore further due to the tight schedule i had self imposed.

A quieter market - the same one i mentioned in day one where you can get many types of preserved fruits. I always feel that the preserved fruits market would die one day as they don't seem to be well-liked by many nowadays. Even for my mom, she wouldn't purposely buy them unless she has to use them as offerings to the deities.

Main reason why i was out so early - to get a box of signature trishaw egg tarts from Ming Xiang Tai as i know my mum and sister would love them! Note: eat them on the same day as the texture wasn't as good once you put them in the fridge.

I couldn't resist and bought a few boxes of Six Prosperity Pastries too even though there wasn't any sample. Verdict: the pastry was a bit too heavy for me.

By the time i was back at Bayview Hotel, it was almost 9 am! Took a bath, packed my luggage and i finally had to say goodbye to the view in front of me.

Before then, let me indulge in crystal osmanthus jelly cake purchased from Ming Xiang Tai at RM 7.80! Not too bad but can do with more osmanthus flowers! Anyway, i am nitpicking here as my version of home cooked osmanthus jelly is damn power!

Finally leaving at 10 am as the arrangement we had with the driver who sent us to the hotel on the first day fell through and we had to engage the service of the tour counter in Bayview Hotel instead. You know what's the funny part? We were charged cheaper! Whatever the case, above is KOMTAR tower and i can see a transparent sky walk on the top! Why didn't i know about it earlier...?

What does this building look like to you? It bears some resemblance to the beautiful Petronas twin towers, without the pinnacles!

Arrival at Penang International Airport; twenty minutes were all the van took and i believed then that there should be sufficient time for me to roam around the departure lounge.

Picture of the van that came to our rescue back in Bayview Hotel!

My tour mates right ahead of me as they were in a rush to clear check in as soon as possible! Like me, they just wanted to get the process cleared as soon as possible so that there's sufficient time to rest and relax in the departure lounge.

Luck wasn't on our side as there was a snaking long queue and it took us more than an hour! By the time we were done and cleared immigration, we had only about 30 minutes to go before the plane took off the runway. :(

Announcement had come in for us to board the plane and with a heavy heart, i lugged myself to the gate. There was a souvenir shop within the gate where i spent the last few moments of my time in Penang and it's time to go.

Given the "hot seat" once again with plenty of leg room! Maybe i shouldn't pay for preferred seats in the future since there's a chance i might be "upgraded" at no cost! 

Goodbye to Penang; i swear i will be back soon! 

Flying past Penang first bridge with a blurry glimpse of KOMTAR on the left. 

For someone who doesn't fly (like all humans) and is afraid of heights, i am totally mesmerised by the view up in the sky where cottony clouds float around us! Therefore, there is that insatiable urge to take millions of pictures; the above is just three carefully selected ones.

Some Singaporean men would know this island very well.

Ring a bell? This is Tekong Island lah where many of us were dragged from the comforts of our early adult life and thrown into an abyss of discipline! I can identify the building for Viper Company from the above photo even though i was there for only a week! 

The reclamation for Singapore's biggest island never seems to stop... 


Home sweet home at Singapore's beloved Changi International Airport which continued to win prestigious awards and accolades! 


Participating at the "Be a Changi Millionaire" lucky draw! The draw ends on 31 October 2016 and we still have a few more days before you congratulate me on my winnings. 

The brats came to pick us up and i don't know why; Jovyn kept asking me to take pictures for her! Must be her Elsa's dress and the glittery shoes. 

Ending the last Penang posting with photographs of Jovyn's expression! I think she will be suited for the acting class, given her rubber face, her cheerfulness and of course, her utter cuteness! 


Little Topy Grilled Pork Belly (Liempo) @ Yishun Block 732 KopiWu Coffee Shop [Singapore]

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Now that the epic ayam penyet had moved out of KopiWu coffee shop, it frees up my tummy to check out other stalls within the food arena but the question has always been, "which one first"?

A reader of this blog, a young Filipino living in Singapore, had tried the Little Topy stall and claimed that the food was authentic and tasted the way they are back in Philippines! Guess that's the answer to my question. 

I am picky when it comes to food and with so many items on the menu, i picked the one i felt more familiar with; the grilled pork belly (known as liempo) even though waiting time was informed to be about 30 minutes (given it was a one-person managed stall and i can see she still had two big tables to serve)! 

Presentation wise - it's just the plain essentials. I added the garlic rice as i thought the grilled pork belly might be a bit too overwhelming on its own. The last minute decision wasn't regretted and i totally enjoyed the simplicity of the fragrant yet appetising rice. p.s. it didn't appear too difficult to make and i should be able to replicate as it was just white rice mixed with garlic bits.

This wasn't my first time trying grilled liempo and there was a notable difference from those i had in the past; the savoriness, rather the sweetness, was the key takeover. Dip the pork in the chilli padi concoction for that extra kick! 

The pork belly was well marinated with maybe a higher concentration of light soy sauce but the grilling brought out the flavour in an intense yet subtle way that tasted so good. With a light crisp on the edges, my only complaint was that i would very much prefer a crunchier skin! 

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Location 
Block 732, Yishun Ring Road,
 Corner Coffee Shop, Kopi Wu, 
Singapore 760732

Map
As above

Menu
As above

Pricing

Garlic Rice - S$1
Grilled Pork Belly S$8

Additional Information
There could be special items not on the menu! I don't know what am i going to have next time but i sure am bringing my family so that i can order more to share! There are also Barkada meals catered for 4 persons! 

Cameron Highlands - The Two Days, One Night Itinerary for Singaporeans In Need of a Cool, Relaxed Getaway!

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It's a respectable count of less than 800 picture files in my folder for the just-concluded short journey to Cameron Highlands and i believe they could probably sustain a number of postings until my next trip in December!

Anyway, it was a last-minute decision to venture to the cool highlands in Malaysia although it was pretty straightforward to just buy the coach tickets and book the hotel room given that i have been there umpteenth times.

This shall be a summarised itinerary, as usual, and more details will be provided in the upcoming weeks via the hyperlinks that will appear in time to come. However, if you couldn't wait that long and need to inquire about my trip, please feel free to leave down a comment.  

Day One (28 October 2016)
[10 pm on 27 October 2016] Travelling to Cameron Highlands via the coach mode requires an overnight journey and here we were at Golden Mile Tower along Beach Road to catch the coach! 

[1.00 am] Arrival at a familiar place; Ming Ang Kopitiam at Yong Peng! As it was already the wee hours, i generally wouldn't eat anything and treated the place as a mere stopover where i can release the tension in my bladder.

[8.00 am] Sleeping is a luxury nowadays and i took the opportunity to sleep as much as i could during the journey on the coach and we reached the main town of Cameron Highlands; Brinchang! Weird though as i thought we entered through Ipoh and geographically speaking, Copthorne Hotel should be the first stop.

[8.15 am] A person entered the coach and announced that it's breakfast time! 45 minutes were given and as the main hub of activity for Cameron Highlands, there was no lack of options! We fulfilled our breakfast by having Assam Laksa at Restoran Hui Wei that's next to Rosa Passadena

[9.00 am] Now i know why we were brought to Brinchang first; the guy who stepped into the coach earlier belonged to a tour agency and we were given an introduction of what to do in Cameron Highlands and the packages available for us to sign up! Frankly, i just want to get back to the hotel where i can dump my bags and start my free and easy trip!

[9.50 am] If you work back the timing, we should have arrived at Copthorne Cameron Highlands about two hours earlier if the coach had adhered strictly to its basic offering to send us from point A to point B.

[10.30 am] Bags were left with the hotel as check-in was officially at 3 pm and we opted to WALK to the BOH Sungei Palas Tea Centre about 3.5 kilometers from the main road as the hotel tour counter staff told us it should take us only about 35 minutes.

[11.30 am] In reality, we spent about an hour and at the end of it, we were totally in need to replenish our energy! Rescue came in the form of the Nasi Lemak Cheesecake, Chocolate Roll and BOH Ice Tea from the iconic cafe as above. Calling for transport (as in taxi) would take about 35 minutes and we figured walking would be exhilarating in the fabulously cool weather (sarcasm intended).

[1.14 pm] Another hour was henceforth spent sweating out and even though the hotel reception had called me at about 11.00 am that the room was ready to check in, i was in no hurry as it's more convenient for me to drop by 188 Vegetable Garden to buy a few ears of deliciously sweet corn that can be eaten raw!

[1.23 pm] Unsatisfactory grilled chicken chop and rice at Josephine Eatery & Bar which was located in Cameron Highland's only modern shopping mall; the Cameron Square!

[2.01 pm] Checked in to the deluxe room of Copthorne Cameron Highlands where i can finally do something about the stickiness of the body and the pungency of a sweat-soaked shirt. A review on the rather dated hotel would be published soon.

[3.30 pm] A short stroll from the hotel was the EQ Strawberry Farm; you can pick your own strawberries but according to the sign at the entrance, the activity had ceased for the day as all ripe strawberries had already been harvested.

[3.50 pm] Next stop: the neighbouring Butterfly Farm! It had started pouring by then and we were thankful to have purchased the raincoats earlier at Cameron Square. p.s.. the butterfly was already dead.

[4.35 pm] The rain had made it harder for us to revisit the Ee Feng Gu apiary, which was just a short a distance away, as i figured the floor would be muddier. For my visit to the bee farm in 2011, please click here.  

[5.00 pm] Like me, Alex was disappointed with lunch and needed another energy push at Old Town White Coffee (also at Cameron Square). Aside from the soft boiled eggs and garlic toast, we rejoiced in super fast WiFi (8 Mbps) provided for free with any purchase!

[6.40 pm] Back to hotel for a short gym session and i stepped out to the surprising sight of a rainbow at the room's balcony after my shower! Don't you think rainbows have that mystical effect on one's happiness?

[7.00 pm] What should we have for dinner? In Cameron Highlands, you would be sorry if you don't try their steamboat as it's so shiok to have something hot in the cool temperature and the area is also famed for fresh vegetables! Our steamboat meal took place at Restoran Chef Weng!

[8.05 pm] I clocked in more than 30,000 steps that day and with sore, aching thighs, we couldn't resist jumping into the massage parlour two doors away for an hour long foot reflexology!

[9.30 pm] Night was still early and we indulged in hot chocolate, green tea latte and a slice of marble crumbled chocolate cake before retiring for the day.

Day Two (29 October 2017)
[5.40 am] Remember the introduction given the day before by the tour agent? We actually signed up for the Sunrise Spectacular Tour as that was the last major package i had yet to embark from the tour agency; hence, the wakeup call at this ungodly hour. Verdict: the sunrise eluded us as it did to us at Taiwan Hehuanshan.

[9.10 am] After our last gym session at the hotel, we checked out the room, left our bags with the hotel's baggage service and proceeded for wanton noodles breakfast at Restoran Yao Yat!

[9.40 am] Order summary from EasyBook.com mentioned to wait at the pickup location 30 minutes before the scheduled boarding time and we cheated a bit by arriving 10 minutes later. Want to know what time did the bus reach? 11.40 am and by the time we left, it was noon.

[12.00 pm] I was obviously pissed as i strongly believe unnecessary time was spent on the introductory talk for the incoming tourists and when i took it up with the company via an overseas call; the curt reply was that i could raise my feedback with the bus agent! Bloody hell, my purchase was made with you, Konsortium, not with the bus agent you collaborated with!

[12.30 pm] On our way down the mountain range and we stopped for a while at a petrol station near Ipoh as we needed to change bus. According to the bus driver, there was something wrong with the original bus earlier and this had also resulted in some delay, in addition to the festive jam going up to the highlands.

[7.00 pm] I was in such a deep sleep; i didn't realise the coach stopped for passengers to have a short meal at about 2.30 pm. Poor us had to endure the hunger until we reached Ming Ang @ Yong Peng where i literally wolfed down a Ramly Burger that tasted heavenly! 

[9.00 pm] About to reach Second Link although bad luck continued to strike us. The computer system at immigration was facing some problem and by the time all passengers were done, it was about 30 - 45 minutes later! 

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Expenses
Konsortium Coach Tickets (2-way) - S$101.00 per person
Deluxe Room (Twin Sharing) @ Copthorne Hotel - S$86.71 per room
Sunrise Tour - RM 65.00 per person
Other Expenses - RM 300.00 per person

Claypot Sesame Oil Chicken & Deep Fried Eggplant with Pork Floss in Creamy Salted Egg Sauce @ A-One Claypot House [Chinatown Point]

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I wasn't impressed with the world's ranked number one porridge (天下第一粥) served at A-One Claypot House although it was a different story with their non-porridge offerings! 

Therefore, i didn't raise any objection when my younger sister suggested going to A-One's Chinatown Point branch for century egg minced meat porridge after shopping at Metro and Ocean. My tummy was still full but i knew i could still stomach side dishes so long there's no rice / porridge.

Claypot Sesame Oil Chicken - Original price was S$16.90 even though members, like my sister, can get it for S$9.90 with a minimum of S$30 spent.

This was good on its own and you don't even need a bowl of rice to go with it! The chicken meat was soft and tender yet totally immersed in tantalizing sesame aroma. Put it bluntly, i can finish the entire pot myself! 

Deep Fried Eggplant w Pork Floss in Creamy Salted Egg Sauce - AOne's Deep Fried Pumpkin and Lotus Roots with Salted Egg was memorable and i was all for having the same dish when my sister reminded me i should be more adventurous for the purpose of this blog! 

Well, i am thankful she stopped me from ordering the same dish as this eggplant version was even more addictive! The blandness of brinjal intensified the flavour for both salted egg yolk and pork floss and you get a union that was incredibly delicious!  

With the soft eggplant filling up the void encased by a thin yet crispy salted egg yolk batter, it should rightfully give one the illusion that you are eating something substantial. Not for me i guess since i couldn't stop eating them....
  
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Location 
133 New Bridge Road,
#B1-47 Chinatown Point,
Singapore 059413

Map
As above.

Website 

Pricing
Claypot Sesame Oil Chicken - S$16.90
Deep Fried Eggplant w Pork Floss in Creamy Salted Egg Sauce - S$14.90

Additional Information
For my first posting on A-One Claypot House, click here

Assam Laksa in Restoran Hui Wei (回味小食馆) @ Cameron Highlands [Beside Rosa Passadena]

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Upon alighting from the coach at Brinchang, main town of Cameron Highlands, after a long ride from Singapore, i was honestly looking forward to having the chee cheong fun and lo mai gai from Pau Hei

However, Alex didn't want to venture too far and we eventually settled for this Restoran Hui Wei that was right beside Rosa Passadena Hotel; my preferred hotel should i want to stay in Brinchang. 

It was a one-food stall coffee shop and by right, i would normally have no problem deciding what to have given the limited variety. In this case, i was stuck in a dilemma as nothing caught my fancy and sensing i was undecided, a kind diner recommended the Hakka pork mee and Assam Laksa! 

The Chinese name for the Hakka Pork Mee indicated pork trotters and the choice is clear; Assam Laksa it should be. Surprisingly, Alex asked for Assam Laksa too even though he is usually not a spicy and sour person. 

Featuring noodles that were udon like with a smooth, slurpy texture, the Assam Laksa wasn't as great as D'Laksa at KSL Mall although for the chilly highland morning, the steaming hot sour spiciness was still very much welcome! 

Noodles, the carbohydrate heavy ingredient, were left behind as i devoured the sourish soup, that addictive crispy stuff (like fried beancurd skin), the pieces of sardine and the large mint leaves that left a refreshing aftertaste after my teeth chewed through them! 

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Location
Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, 
Malaysia

Pricing
Assam Laksa - RM 4.50


For the summary of my short trip to Cameron Highlands, please click here

Grilled Chicken Chop with Rice in Josephine Eatery & Bar (Cafe Bistro) @ Cameron Square Mall [Malaysia]

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Cameron Highlands has a shopping centre! It's true and even though not on the same scale as those found in cities, it's still a first for a laid-back place better known for its lower temperature, nature / agricultural tours and steamboat.

We didn't really explore the shopping centre and it just happened that Alex wanted lunch after our long trek to / from the tea plantation and the name, Josephine Bistro Cafe, appealed to his picky mind. I actually preferred Malaysian delights like Roti Canai but my suggestion was shot down. 

I love set meal and opted for the nice looking grilled chicken with rice that's only RM 12.90. Complimentary drink, white coffee / lemon tea, would be served as part of the set. 

Alex's order wasn't part of the set although he ordered ice lemon tea as i did with my set. However, it's more worth it to get the "normal" ice lemon tea as it came in much bigger volume! The drink was rather good; not too sweet and infused richly of lemon. 

Now, i am expecting some differences from the picture on the menu to the real thing but my grilled chicken with rice was a jaw dropper and didn't look at all like the menu (yes, i noted the disclaimer that pictures shown are for illustration only). Whatever the case, i can forgive the aesthetics so long it's tasty. 

Verdict - the fried runny egg was the best thing from the entire dish! Indicated as grilled, it was in fact deep fried with a bland sauce drenched over it. Even though the skin was crispy, it couldn't help to remedy the failure of the tough, rubbery chicken meat. 

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Location
Within Cameron Square, 
Jalan Aranda Nova, 39100 Greencow,
Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

Price
Grilled Chicken with Rice Set - RM 12.90


For the summary of my short trip to Cameron Highlands, please click here.

Homemade Butter Cookies That Are Similar to Jenny Cookies! p.s. Recipe from MissTamChiak.com!

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Those who have been following me on Instagram should be aware i am baking quite a bit nowadays and the one item that's made on an almost weekly basis is the butter cookie! 

Special thanks to Miss Tam Chiak who took the trouble to experiment and come out with a recipe that's said to be deadly similar to the ones from Jenny Bakery! 

My recipe below is no difference from Miss Tam Chiak although i am making double the batch and would also be peppering this post with my personal experience as an amateur baker. 

Ingredients 
Butter (Room Temperature) - 400 grams 
Icing Sugar (Sifted) - 100 grams
Top Flour - 200 grams
Plain Flour - 100 grams
Corn Flour  - 100 grams

Pictorial Process
1. Preheat the Oven at 180 degree Celsius; top and bottom heat.  

2. Sift the Icing Sugar; i used to question the need to sift icing sugar as it is really troublesome and the powdered sugar tends to fly all over the place. 

However, sifting reduces lumps and results in a better blending with the butter later one. You wouldn't want your friend / family member to bite into a cookie that's suddenly overwhelmingly sweet.

3. Cream the Butter; Unlike Miss Tam Chiak's recipe, my choice of butter was the block type; namely either SCS, Golden Churn, Lurpak etc and i always buy the "salted" butter. To save the time that would be used to wash an extra bowl, you can cream the butter first and then sift the icing sugar into the bowl. 

4. Sift all the Flour, Twice; combine all the flour, sift them to a separate bowl and then sift them once again into the bowl of creamed butter and icing sugar. Again, this action is necessary for a more homogeneous cookie mix.

5. Fold in the Flour; my recommendation; go slow or risk having the flour flying to your face! Using the hand / stand mixer would not be wise and you are better off with the good, old spatula. 

6. Ensure all the Flour Have Been Incorporated; no lumps, no white spots and smooth like creamed butter, albeit of a lighter colour. 

7. Choose a Piping Tip; i was at Sia Huat warehouse sale a few months ago and grabbed this box of piping box for only S$10! I am still experimenting on the tips and i guess for most people, the star-shaped tip would be preferred. 

8. Place the Batter into the Piping Bag; how to use a piping bag? Quite simple; put in the tip to the sharp end of the bag and snip off the tip of the bag, ensuring that it is still smaller than the piping tip as we need the tip to stay IN the bag. 

I am being overconfident here as i had squeezed in too much batter! It was a bad judgment as it became quite difficult to control the piping! 

9. Time to Pipe; seeing the cookie pattern slowly taking form on the lined baking pan can be so therapeutic! Even Alex asked to have a go and you should have seen the enjoyment in his eyes.

Done with the piping! Cleaning the tip can be a challenge without the right tool and for me, i would squeeze out the remaining batter by pushing in the bag into the tip and then using a kitchen towel (with the help of my pinkie finger) to wipe the inside of the tip. 

10. Bake for 15-20 Minutes; for a darker, crunchier bite, leave them longer in the oven but you have to  be mindful of the colour of the cookie as a bit too long would result in a burnt disaster! As expected, the top tray would always be the one that's ready first. 

My haul for the day! As mentioned earlier, i needed to make a lot more cookies and hence, had doubled the ingredients. Verdict from friends so far has been favourable! 

p.s. baking is fun, cleaning up is not. :( 
p.s. the above doesn't reflect the full utensils used. 

Original Recipe: Click HERE

Revisit to the Ee Feng Gu Apiary after Five Years @ Cameron Highlands [Malaysia]

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Ee Feng Gu Bee Farm - one of the main stopovers for basic tour packages in Cameron Highlands was last visited in 2011 and since i am staying so near to the apiary this time, i thought i might as well pop by.

The entrance was on the building's top floor where it's more like a souvenir establishment selling a wide range of Cameron Highland's renowned products and related souvenirs. 

A floor lower was where you can find more information on bees which is educational for kids and for those who are not aware on the origins of honey! 

The icon for the apiary, a bee obviously, must be quite famous to have a full set of memorabilia dedicated to it. I don't remember this was around in 2011 but i could be wrong.

Spinner to draw out the honey in honeycombs! 

Man-made, wooden bee hive placed on the higher level for visitors to have a closer look. Please be assured that you are quite protected as there is a glass separating you from the box. 

Bees at work! 

Those who are more adventurous can walk a few levels down to the bees' garden where there are a lot of boxes for a more intimate session. Aside from the "bee hives", i remember it was a cool, relaxed stroll surrounded by trees, flowers and the therapeutic buzz of bees.

It was still drizzling and we honestly couldn't afford to wet the only pair of shoes; hence, we decided to just gaze at the beauty from high above. 

The weather can really dampen your travel plans although there's really nothing much we can do when any outdoor plan is dependent on mother nature. 

Another area (on the way down to the bees' garden) filled with stalls selling honey, snacks and even soft toys. There's hardly any unique stuff and given the lack of customers, i am skeptical when it comes to the shelf life of those edible products. 

Top level again - we were considering to purchase an umbrella initially and didn't do so for one simple reason; all of them had strawberry prints on them and came in either red or pink! 

To conclude the post, the chart showing the interesting life cycle of a worker bee. By the way, it's free admission to the bee farm. 

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Website

For the summary of my short trip to Cameron Highlands, please click here.

Copthorne Hotel - The Former Equatorial Hotel @ Kea Farm, Cameron Highlands [Malaysia]

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While making the last minute arrangement to Cameron Highlands for my recent trip, i was stuck in a dilemma; should i continue to stay in Brinchang as i did in the past few trips or should i take on an area i am less familiar with?

I opted for the latter and booked the Copthorne Hotel at Kea Farm which was within the Brinchang district although it would be a journey of no less than 35 minutes (likely even more) if i ever want to walk to the main town.

One deciding factor - my sister had stayed in Copthorne Hotel before when it was still known as Equatorial and i don't remember she highlighted any negative feedback. By the way, that thermometer replicate (5 meters in height) was listed as the tallest The Malaysia Book of Records 2015.

Stepping into the humongous hotel lobby was akin to walking into a medieval castle; state flags adorned the walls, iron-wrought chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, wooden beams criss-crossing each other and stone-laid foundations on top of nicely-tiled flooring.

There's even a working fireplace! Having a cushion sofa would be too common; add in a few electronic massage chairs for that extra comfort. p.s. usage of those massage chairs would be chargeable.

Looking for a game of pool to compete with your friends? There were a few tables for you even though i didn't want to take it up; wouldn't want to bear the ridicule from Alex who played pool rather well.

A gift shop was available in the hotel and it sold items not ordinarily seen outside of the hotel; like batik shirts, straw hats etc. Things i wouldn't bother buying as well.

Check-in was from 3 pm and given that the time was just a little past 10 am, i might as well request for the password to tag onto the free WiFi!

Time to explore the hotel - an indoor swimming pool which was kept at a temperature of between 20 - 28 degrees celcius; not exactly optimal and in my opinion, too cold!

Rules and regulations for your reading pleasure; don't understand why the specific articulation for the dis-allowance for glass containers.

The fitness centre on level two was sufficiently fitted out and we actually utilised the centre for two days running! Absolutely love the full set of weights and the availability of the hammer strength machine!

As we had no inkling when the room would be ready, we left our luggage with the hotel and made our way to the tea plantation; in order to get out of the hotel, we had to walk pass the Side Garden!

Coupled with the nice highlands temperature, it was relaxing to have the myriad of flowers smiling at us as we strolled out. Do be mindful to take the path rather than the road as motor vehicles, coaches inclusive, continued to drive past us.

Copthorne Hotel was situated at 1,628 meters (5,300 feet) above sea level and the view at this point was impressive; i couldn't wait to check out the room as i believe it would be much better!

Flora encountered along the way; Alex said the flowers from the third one appeared similar to carrots, albeit mini version.

Not even sure if you would consider this a flower but they do look like....... rambutans, green ones! For those who think otherwise, you have a darn dirty mind.

Sunflowers - the one flower that would never fail to make me smile!

Loyal readers still remember where your sunflower seeds came from?! If the above few photographs don't give you an answer, click here.

This garden was nearer to the low rise apartments; those travelling with a bigger group can consider the apartments as it can cater up to three bedrooms and there's a sense of exclusivity.

Back to the hotel and appended above is the list of  F&B outlets in Copthorne; one was missing and it's the 18° Celsius Cafe where you can indulge in a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of cakes.

We had wanted to try the steamboat semi buffet (RM 35 nett) at Millennium Garden but it was closed as they had been engaged for a wedding dinner in one of the ballroom. Fret not, there were other steamboat options just a short walk from the hotel!

Got our room; no 705!

Frankly, i wasn't expecting much and reviews online had already pointed to rather dated furnishing which i can accept. As some of you are aware, i am not very particular when it comes to accommodation so long beds are clean and there's an attached bathroom; anything extra is a bonus!

Television was small compared to the giant i have at home but it served its purpose of providing us some noise; necessary for Alex who requires some noise throughout the night and my snoring doesn't happen on a daily basis.

No further clarification required for the electric kettle, the free sachets of coffee and tea and the two complimentary bottles of mineral water.

List of TV channel and instructions on connection to the free WiFi! Step 4 was wrong in a way as the password wasn't "guest". For the password, just check out your paper holder for your hotel key card.

There's a reason why i am putting up this photo; we actually wasted quite a lot of time trying to find out how to switch on the lamps (there were four) and it simply didn't hit us to check the base! How did we know then? We asked the housekeeper.

I am more interested to check out the balcony!

Breathtaking isn't it?! I did regret not sitting outside the balcony late at night while sipping a cup of hot coffee / tea. I did that a long time ago with my secondary school friend, Yongde, even though at that time, we were at the more remote Strawberry Park Hotel.

Balcony wasn't well maintained and i would think twice before stepping in barefooted. I doubt the insect is a bee but it is, i am sure i will get a rather nasty sting on my feet! 

A glimpse of the low rise apartments.

I sent a similar photo to my sister and her reply was that the hotel had aged significantly since her visit five years ago with Jerald! Jovyn wasn't borne yet and i thought we should arrange for a family trip to Cameron Highlands! I honestly don't mind going back again in the near future!

Toilet with a hair dryer; some items were missing and if you haven't realized by now, there isn't any bottles of shampoo and shower gel! A phone call to the housekeeper settled it; i understand from the apologetic housekeeper that there wasn't sufficient manpower and she alone had to cover five floors! 

Rainfall shower - i would have been more enthusiastic if there's a better way to control the water heater; it's either too hot or too cold and i have had better chances with the shower head instead. And you know what the best thing is? One of the three glass panels was removed and that inadvertently translated into water on the dry section of the bathroom! 

Door that was chipped at the bottom and it almost cut my leg! The last few paragraphs detailing my experience were shockers in my opinion since the hotel was listed as a four-starred hotel and i believe many people would have much higher expectations than me.

Just in case you are wondering why there's a need for fan in the highlands; the hotels in Cameron Highlands don't come with air conditioning (natural one comes in from outside) but some people will close the windows and it might get a tad stuffy; hence, switching on the fan would help in air circulation. 

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Location
Kea Farm, Brinchang, Malaysia 39100
(200 meters from main road)

Map of Hotel
As above

Pricing
One Superior Room - S$86.71
(booked through agoda.com)


EQ Strawberry Farm near Copthorne Hotel @ Cameron Highlands [Malaysia]

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About two hundred meters from Copthorne Hotel is a farm producing goods that totally signify Cameron Highlands; the strawberries! And you know what's the best thing you can do in such farms? Pick the strawberries yourself! 

Stalls lined the lane leading to the entrance of EQ Strawberry Farm and as in the case for any farms catering for the tourists, you would find the usual boring stuff like tea, chocolates, dried strawberries, steamed corn etc etc. There's, however, a unique one hawking products containing stevia plant; which has many health benefits. Click here to read out more.

It's not even 4 pm and the farm had closed for strawberry picking! Actually, it didn't have much effect on us as both Alex and i don't particularly fancy strawberries and it can be quite a pretty expensive activity as what you pick would be chargeable.

Key takeaway from the above notice; do not eat the strawberries inside! Well, i wouldn't do that as i always prefer to wash my fruits before i take a bite! 

Since it was pouring outside the farm and we didn't want to get soaked, we ventured deeper into the farm just to catch a few glimpses of the strawberries; it would be disrespectful not to catch any sighting of the strawberry plant when we are in Cameron Highlands! 

Peering through the metal meshes. 

Some appeared to be rather ripe for picking; pity my hands were too big to squeeze through the metal mesh! Anyway, not sure if anyone remembers that i ever wrote before that the imperfect-looking strawberry is actually sweeter than those "perfect" looking one! This reminded me of an article recently that a lot of food wastage arose because consumers tend to veer away from ugly / imperfect fruits and vegetables. 

Compared to strawberries, i have a great love for grapes and there were bunches of them just below the plastic canopies! Sadly, i couldn't even reach them when i jumped! You know what's the best way to eat grapes? Eat them when they are frozen! 

=====

Location Map
As above


Signature Pork Chop Bun from the Macau Originated Tai Lei Loi Kei (澳门大利来记猪扒包) @ VivoCity [Singapore]

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I have never felt compelled to visit Macau, the Las Vegas of Asia, but should i ever require a reason; it would definitely be the city's renowned pork chop bun as i totally dig the one i had from Macau Express six years ago!

Hence, when i read from a magazine on the recommendation for Tai Lei Loi Kei signature pork chop bun; i made a mental note to check it out (didn't help that i often have many such notes in my brain) and finally did so this evening.

No service charge and GST would be imposed and with this saving means that you have to place your order at the cashier counter, take the number, place it on your table and wait for food to be served! 

Three Layers Ice Milk Tea - a beauty to behold although a vigorous stirring was required to homogenize the flavour which turned out to be intensively rich without being overly cloyingly sweet.

Signature Pork Chop Bun - it's been a while since i last had Macau style pork chop bun and was in fact looking forward to sinking my tea-stained teeth into it! 

I am glad i added an extra egg as there was literally nothing inside the bun aside from the pork chop! To be honest, i was expecting a fried sunny-up egg instead of an omelette.

Bun was the short-form French loaf that was toasted crisp and warm with just a thin layer of butter in the inner layers; to be frank, nothing fascinating. Let's take a look at that slab of pork chop instead. 

It was juicy alright although it failed to impress me; the meat was too bland and i had to rely on the pack of chilli sauce to enhance the taste! Now i feel really motivate to travel to Macau so that i can truly try the REAL pork chop bun! 

=====

Location
1, Harbourfront Walk,
VivoCity, B2-26A,
Singapore 098585

Menu
As above

Pricing
Three Layers Iced Milk Tea - S$3.80
Signature Pork Chop Bun w Extra Egg - S$6.90
(No GST, No Service Charge)

Steamboat at Restoran Chef Weng (口福酒楼) near Copthorne Hotel @ Cameron Highlands [Malaysia]

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With just one night in Cameron Highlands, i was determined that dinner must comprise of the region's famous steamboat and my wish was granted at Restoran Chef Weng!

My initial intention was to have the steamboat at Copthorne Hotel instead as it was way more convnient but the in-house restaurant was closed that day due to a wedding in one of the function halls. We were lucky Restoran Chef Weng was just a few-minute walk from the hotel as it was drizzling heavily that very evening.

First, let's have some hot tea to warm our body! For those looking for wireless network, there wasn't any free WIFI access. 

Charcoal burner would have been preferred but beggars can't be choosers and there's no way i would want to walk out in the rain to another dining establishment! Furthermore, Chef Weng appeared relatively clean and there were quite a number of diners on a Friday when most visitors would have travelled to the night market at Brinchang town.

The ingredients, amount of which shocked us, included two types of vegetables, fish fillet, chicken fillet, prawns, fish balls, chicken balls, vegetable balls, seafood tofu, fried beancurd skin, abalone mushroom and Chinese tofu.

Amount was said to be for two persons and i can guarantee you that there's no way Alex and i could finish everything; not when Alex is hardly a big eater!

Oh, forgot about the raw eggs, beehoon and yee mee served on a separate plate, together with a saucer of chilli paste!

Five types of soup were available; namely chicken, tom yam, spicy fish head (additional RM 20), porridge (additional RM 10) and rice wine herbal (additional RM 10). You can also select up to two soup bases.

Being cheapos, we opted for the complimentary chicken and tom yam. I was more impressed with the spicy tom yam soup as it enhanced the flavour of the generally raw ingredients as compared to the less flavourful chicken soup.

No complaint about the food as a whole even though i could totally do away with the curry filled fish balls which were disgusting! It would be nice to have more fried beancurd - it's a possibility so long you top up with RM 4.00. Prawns were frozen even though this should be accepted since it's a highland we were at for goodness sake! 

To the best of our effort, there was only one thing we failed to finish; the vegetables. If my younger sister was with us, i can bet with you she will clean up the entire plate and might even order extra.

=====

Location
1-01-1-03, Entertainment Complex,
Kea Farm, Cameron Highlands, 
Pahang, Malaysia

Map
As above.

Steamboat Menu
As above

Price
Steamboat Dinner - RM 22 NETT
(minimal 2 persons)

Additional Information
Restoran Chef Weng is essentially a tze-char place; hence there are plenty of food options for those who are not into steamboat. Above is just a sample of the selection. 


iPhone 7 Plus - A Replacement for My Shattered iPhone 6

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Shattered is too strong a word but the screen of my iPhone 6 was indeed in a condition that drew shock and disbelief; one, how did i manage to get it to be of THAT stage (exposed internal metal piece) and two, it was still bloody functioning until about two weeks ago! 

Thankfully, my mobile contract had reached its renewal cycle and i managed to secure the latest iPhone 7 plus via Starhub online portal; happiness reached a climax when the above was delivered to me right at my doorstep.

There's a risk to buying the phone given my butter fingers and frequent bouts of bad luck; even i don't feel safe' to be carrying such a big phone.

To minimize the risk, i resorted to buying a protective casing way before the phone was delivered. Prices varied and i eventually went with the x-doria military grade machined metal protective case that can endure a 2-meter drop! 

Nicely fixed even though i do have a worry about the screen which isn't protected yet. In my now-spoilt iPhone 6, the first major ' accident' resulted in the phone dropping out of its protective casing and the screen (almost 99% protected) cracked because it hit the ground right at the unprotected screen edge.

This time round, i even got an iRing that would hopefully give me a safer grip of the phone. p.s. i totally love the design of a dog / cat head. 

I am not going to share about the features of iPhone 7 Plus as there are plenty information on the web. For someone who upgrades to the speedier, bigger model, i don't have any complaint except for the lack of an earphone jack (available only via a lighting connector)! How the hell am i supposed to listen to music and charge my phone at the time?! 

By the way, what do you do with your old phone? I don't have a habit of selling them as there is too much personal data and i never quite trust technology (see what happened to Hillary Clinton). To be honest, i even keep the pagers from about 20 years ago! 

The Classic American Pancakes from Paddington House of Pancakes (PHOP) - They Flipped It Right @ City Square Mall [Singapore]

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PHOP - Both Alex and i were under the incorrect impression this would be an eatery serving Vietnam's famous food, the pho, although the establishment's design, decor and the large wordings (explaining what PHOP stands for) said otherwise.

Now, we all know pancakes are but i was literally dumbstruck with Paddington House of Pancakes' claim that they offered "100 pancakes from around the globe" in their menu!

And you know what? They are right; there are our classic American pancake, the Russian bluntz, the French crepe, the American dollar (golden coin-sized), the Russian blini, the Holland pannekoek, the French galette and the poffertjes from Holland. They could well off over a hundred if they include our local min chiang kueh / apam balik!

Sinfully Iced Chocolate - We don't have such humongous stomach space and could only order one out of a hundred but before then, let's talk about the sinful iced chocolate; i love the richness of chocolate in this beverage even though Alex was highly critical of the bitter tinge coming from the dark chocolate. He eventually requested for extra sugary syrup which, in my opinion, destroyed the drink.

American Pancakes (Short Stack) - this classic pancake had options for short stack (3 pieces) or tall stack (6 pieces) across 8 types that were just a matter of what toppings you prefer to have.

Ours was item 3009; original pancakes with grilled banana, walnuts, ice cream, caramel sauce and chocolate honeycomb butter.

Let's drench the pancakes with the desirable maple syrup! Pancakes were thick yet featured an airy fluffiness complemented by just a light crisp on its edges! p.s. i didn't know the chocolate / yellowish lumps were butter and happily popped one into my mouth; turned out it tasted pretty good on its own!

 For a person who has always enjoyed McDonald's hotcakes, this was indeed in a separate class altogether even though i did hope that the pancake was serving hotter so as to better melt the chocolate honeycomb butter. Nevertheless, I couldn't wait for my next visit when i could try the 99 other pancakes, sweet and savoury. 

=====

Location
180 Kitchener Road, #02-35/36A,
City Square Mall, Singapore 208539

Map

As above

Price
Sinfully Ice Chocolate - S$6
American Pancakes (Short Stack)* - S$14
(Subject to GST and Service Charge)
*cheapest starts from S$8; i got a luxury version

Weirdest Cake I Ever Had - Nasi Lemak Cheese Cake @ Sungei Palas BOH Tea Centre [Cameron Highlands, Malaysia]

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Despite my lack of an adventurous streak when it comes to food, i do occasionally jump into the pool of the unknown with the most recent one taking place at the cafe with a spectacular view of the tea plantation at Sungei Palas Tea Centre, Cameron Highlands. 

I was about to choose the usual (and popular with the masses) strawberry cake when the above caught my attention; with a deep love for nasi lemak, i was honestly ready to take the plunge! Furthermore, it was indicated as a "most try" which i presumed to be a play of word for "must try" (even the signature was written as signatore). 

Visual wise, i think we can all agree it looked just as it was named with chilli flakes, ikan bilis, peanuts; weird yet strangely familiar. 

Taste wise, it was odd; the cheesecake tasted weak of cheese although its faint sourness, however minimal it was, just couldn't gel with the rest of the nasi lemak ingredients! I would have suggested a dollop of sambal chilli by the side to strengthen its authenticity but i am wondering if i am just making things worse. 

=====

Location
Cafe within Sungei Palas BOH Tea Centre,
Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Price
Nasi Lemak Cheese Cake - RM 13.90
(Inclusive of GST)



Blessing Seafood White Bee Hoon (合興海鲜白米粉) @ Chong Pang Hawker Centre [Yishun, Singapore]

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Everyone seems to go crazy over white bee hoon while i am pretty chilled about it given my preference for normal tze-char style bee hoon which is more savoury and has that irresistible wok-hei.

My mom is the direct opposite and being the filial son who is no longer staying with her, i brought her to try out a supposedly new stall at Chong Pang food centre last weekend; Blessing Seafood White Bee Hoon!

The seafood in the name actually refers to lala, a type of clam, and you can find lala in all four basic offerings; key difference is whether you want sliced fish, prawn, flower crab or crayfish. Want a combination? You can opt for the three or four sorts of seafood white bee hoon!

Lala Prawn White Bee Hoon
I went for the safest; prawn white bee hoon and one noticeable deviation from the famous one at You Huak is that the one from Blessing is a lot soupier; a blessing (pun intended) for my mom who totally loves soup stuff. 

Counted 4 decently-sized prawns and 6 meaty clams. If you have taken a better look at the photograph before the above, you should also have noticed the generous serving of crispy pork lards! Remember to give the bee hoon a stir so that the flavour could be evenly distributed! I didn't do that initially and thought it was a bit bland, similar to bee hoon soup.

Compared to You Huak @ Sembawang, Blessing's version was tastier with a robust, seafood flavour and credit obviously had to be given to the fresh prawns, clams and of course, the pork lard!

Needless to say, i cleaned up the entire plate!

Mom, forever the fish lover, opted for the sliced fish lala white bee hoon! She was utterly pleased with her meal as the sliced fish was fresh and like me, she also preferred Blessing over You Huak. To be fair to the famous shop, its broth featured a creamy texture that better stick to the bee hoon and slurping the broth-soaked noodles down your throat was an absolute enjoyable experience!

=====

Location
Block 104, Yishun Ring Road, #01-139,
Chong Pang Market & Food Centre,
Singapore 760104

Map
As above

Operating Hours
10 am to 10 pm (Daily)
Closed on Mondays

Menu
As above

Pricing

Lala Prawn White Bee Hoon - S$6

Sliced Fish White Bee Hoon - S$5

BOH Tea Centre - Cafe with a Spectacular View, "Ummph" Tea Shop & Factory @ Sungei Palas [Cameron Highlands, Malaysia]

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Jutting precariously over the top of a hilltop, the stunning structure as shown above was our main objective and final destination after hiking a few kilometers from Copthorne Hotel at Cameron Highlands!

The place shouldn't be a stranger to anyone who has visited Cameron Highlands as the BOH Tea Centre at Sungei Palas is often touted as a key tourist attraction by the tour agents!

Many were attracted by the cafe with the breathtaking view; forget about relaxing in the cool highlands while peering whimsically at the vast tea plantation as the cafe is likely to be filled with customers waiting for your table.

Even from this angle, you can roughly make out the beauty of the sight at the end of the cafe. But before you ooh and ahh, find a bloody table first!

Lady luck was shining on us as one table just happened to clear out as we stepped into the sheltered alfresco section; no mere feat given that the particular section is "hot" property.

Anyway, time to get drinks as our throats were parched after the long walk!

Drink menu for your reference; given the favourable exchange rate for Singapore dollar at the moment (at more than RM 3 for S$1), none of the beverage had a price tag above S$2 and that's inclusive of the goods and services tax.

Receipt of RM 25.47 that comprised of a slice of weird tasting nasi lemak cheesecake, one chocolate roll pastry and two cold drinks.

Chocolate roll was alright tasting but could benefit from a light toast. For the separate posting on the nasi lemak cheesecake, please click here

My order of Orchard Splash Iced Tea had an artificial orange twang to it whereas Alex's Cameronian "O" Ice was so much better; to the extent that i am drawing comparison to my favourite ice lemon tea from KFC that's no longer on the menu!

While sipping gulping down my tea, i tried my best to relax in the manmade arena surrounded by the wide swathes of greenery. I couldn't as i was thinking how the hell am i going to make my way out since we didn't engage any transport.

The highly sought tea plantation view; a word of advice, it might not be good to sit at the tables closest to the edge as many people would want to take a million photographs, including selfies using selfie sticks! 

Those who didn't want to chill at the cafe can consider the unsheltered outdoor which would be less crowded. It doesn't allow you to peek over the edge but good enough just to take in the vast sight of the plantation.

Boh Tea Centre is more than just the cafe; you may consider reading the useful informative panel that explained the history and geology of Cameron Highlands. 

Remember the Orchard Splash Iced Tea and Cameronian "O" Ice? You can actually purchased the sachets from the "ummph" tea shop nearing the other end of the same building! 

These panels talked about the history of the BOH Company, including trivia like BOH is actually the abbreviation for Best of Highlands and that BOH manages four tea plantations, three of which are on Cameron Highlands. 

Display of equipment used for harvesting and processing of tea leaves. 

For the real deal, do check out the tea factory that's only a few foot steps away! It's a working factory and tours (at specific timing and depending on availability) would be provided for free.

You can go in yourself as there's a designated path for visitors although i would strongly recommend signing up for a tour if it is your first time. Signage would help to explain each stage of tea processing; the above is a roller that's coming to 92 years old and its function is to break and twist the leaves for fermentation.

Stage 5 - grading of tea and removal of stalks before packing them up! 

We couldn't get an instant transport and decided to make our way out, on foot! p.s. don't assume that those people you see are in the same predicament as me; they were walking back to their parked car on the right of the above photograph. 

=====

Route We Took
As above.


Signature Pork Boat Noodle @ Coffee & Toast [Fusionopolis Galaxis, Singapore]

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Coffee & Toast - you would be forgiven for assuming i am going to blog about our Singapore kopi and classic toast as the truth is much further than that; i was there for lunch and the food we had wasn't even local in the first place.

Thai Boat Noodles - hailed from the Land of the Smiles, the origin of its name came from vendors who hawked their noodles from the boats travelling up and down the numerous canals in Bangkok. I believe you would be able to get an authentic bowl from floating markets like the touristy Damnoensaduak Floating Market.

Frankly, i am concerned with hygiene when i am overseas, especially with soup stuff; hence, i have never tried this in Bangkok. Furthermore, my late grandma had a serious bout of diarrhea when she ate something purchased from the floating market. 

You can choose either Thai thin noodle or bee hoon and since i was so accustomed to the latter, i figured having the former would likely be more legitimate. My conclusion after "inhaling" (a term used by my colleagues) is that the Thai thin noodles were slightly thicker in texture compared to our bee hoon and tasted "heavy" after a while.

Soup had that unmistakable fish sauce flavour which was extremely appetising and i totally enjoyed the tenderness of the slices of pork. I asked for chilli in the soup and kind of regretted my decision as i was perspiring nonstop! 

It didn't help that the crispy pork lard was literally free-flow although they didn't taste very fresh. Nonetheless, the crunchiness was maintained some crunchiness and i couldn't resist mixing the pork greaves into the spicy soup and completely cleaned up the bowl. 

=====

Location
1 Fusionopolis Place, #01-30
Fusionopolis Galaxis,
Singapore 138522
(above One-North MRT Station)

Website

Menu
As above.

Pricing
Pork Boat Thai Thin Noodles - S$5.50
(Inclusive of GST)

The WALK to BOH Sungei Palas Tea Centre @ Cameron Highlands [Malaysia]

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"30 minutes, i guess" - i should have read deeper into the words " i guess" mouthed by the staff at the tour counter of Copthorne Hotel @ Cameron Highlands but i didn't and happily began the trek to revisit the cafe with a breathtaking view at BOH's Sungei Palas tea plantation.

Signboard at the main road; 3.5 kilometers didn't seem far and it hadn't registered in my small brain that i had yet to factor in the gradient of the trek.

In addition, i take pictures of everything and that's definitely going to slow us down! As you can see as well, the road was narrow and since it served vehicles from both directions, "walkers" like us should always exercise caution! 

Free roaming chickens - it's not a good sight when all i can think of was that the meat should taste good given all the exercises the chickens had in the environment. 

Unique structure atop a hill that reminded me of dwelling either from the hobbit land in lord of the rings or taken from stories of Enid Blyton books.

Lavino Cafe - from the signboard, it appeared to be serving more than just our typical cafe offerings, including steamboat. What the hell is smart toast??

Didn't seem to be open for business. For more photographs from another blogger (text is in Chinese), you can click here

View of the other side where the main road and hub of activity were; you can vaguely make out the logo of Copthorne Hotel on the right side of the photo.

Green roofed house - from google map, i noticed a signboard with the words "Taman Kelana". I recalled seeing a signage in English and it's somewhat along the line of a river. 

Despite the sun casting a shadow on us, the temperature was still relatively cool and it was quite a leisure walk. Alex continued to don his sweater and i kept him happy by buying a few packets of snacks he can keep his mouth busy with as he wasn't entirely keen on a trek. 

It was raining the night before which means ponding at certain sections. My eyes can see and i am sure i wouldn't step onto the puddles of water. What i am more worried was the cars travelling along the road and some were speedsters. 

Scenery of the tea plantation loomed as walked past the thicker canopy that hid our sight; looking like a layer of carpet, it almost seemed as if i wouldn't come to any harm by rolling down the hill!   

I am envious of the people living in the black house; it would be so refreshing to wake up to the cool crisp highland air combined with the amazing view in front of you. 

Now, i was wondering where exactly would be the BOH Sungei Palas Tea Centre as i couldn't see it and we had already passed the halfway mark of the estimated "30 minutes of walk"! 

Not a car but a bloody bus! We were sure standing by the side of the road would not be a safe option and had to veer to the side road so that the bus could manoeuvre the sharp angle. 

Another European style cottage; judging from the condition of the glass windows, there's an old school charm to it although i am thinking along the line of those Japanese / Korean horror movies.

Hills of tea plantation; spot the group of people on the middle left of the photograph? One was half naked for reasons unfathomable to me; hope it wasn't another case of posing naked for the fun of it. 

Downhill - the hike so far was on gentle slopes and generally downward which was welcome except for one issue; walking back would be a different story altogether! 

We were just about 2/3 done (2.5 out of 3.5 kilometers) and this was taken at the 25-minute mark into our walk. At this point, i also received a phone call from Copthorne Hotel; our room was ready for check-in. :(

There's no way i am going to forgo the time taken so far and i could only forge forward. The shower can wait although i am seriously considering the option of cutting across the tea plantation in order to save some time.

The same group of guys, one of whom was half naked even though he had worn back his top in the above photo. No idea why they were up there; nothing interesting from what i can see. 

Houses by the hillside; three of which were mentioned earlier in this post. If airbnb is an option, this might be a good place to spend one night in. 

Lay-byes - i am not linguistically talented and the few byes i am aware of include the good bye, bye bye and another bye that's frequently used in Singapore as a sexual vulgarity; c***bye. 

That word lay-bye was meant to refer to wider section of a road that shall allow vehicles one direction to stop so that the vehicle from the opposite direction can pass; hence, no parking was allowed. 

Ah, i can finally see our destination; the cafe on top of the hill that i have marked out using a red arrow. Now, that seemed to be more than a kilometer and i am betting the one kilometer mentioned earlier was just to an entrance that's way before the cafe. 

Iconic boulder that all tour agents would drop you off for a customary photo-shoot as it gave a rather good picture of the tea plantation.

Traffic jam as one party was unwilling to relent / unable to reverse; for those who aren't too familiar with highland driving, the latter is a more plausible reason as there's a worry a wrong judgment could result in the vehicle rolling down the mountain.

A humongous container being transported. 

As suspected, i am sure the directional pointed to the main entrance for BOH Sungei Palas Tea Centre.

That's easily another kilometer of walk to the cafe! Whatever, i am just glad to have gotten so far in yet without a word of grumble from our weak Alex. 

Fork road - one side to BOH Sungei Palas Tea Centre and the other side to Gunung Brinchang! I actually signed up for a tour to the highest point of Cameron Highlands and you may read more about my experience here.  

Lower point of the tea plantation where there's a running stream in between the tea bushes. 

Disclaimer absolving BOH from any responsibility should there be any injury or damage. I know i am repeating myself but i couldn't help explaining once again that BOH stands for Best of Highlands!

Main entrance with a gantry preventing vehicles from going in past the operating hours. 

Panorama of the tea plantation with literally millions of tea bushes - i have always thought the cafe was on one of the higher points although it turned out that though it was on a hill, the height wasn't comparable to the houses i had mentioned earlier.

See how high up they were! Bloody, if only there was some kind of a pulley system from the house to this spot; bet it would save me a lot of time walking along the looping road. 

There was a dirt path which was rather easy to walk on although in order to cut through the plantation, i need to pull myself up the sharp gradient from the side of the tea bushes and THAT would be the risky part. 

Lonesome tree in the middle of the plantation.

On our way again.

As shown in the above photo, there were other forms of housing in the compound and i am guessing they housed the employees of BOH. 

Queue for the cars to get into the car park. It was a Friday and i am actually not expecting a lot of people; shudder to think how bad the situation would be on Saturday and Sunday! 

Guess the residents were predominantly Hindus as there was a Hindu temple in the compound. I didn't venture in as i was in serious need for a cup of cold drink to quench my thirst!

Only cars with valid permits would be allowed to take the road leading to the tea centre (which comprised of cafe, tea shop and factory).

The jutting out cafe that's a must visit for everyone! 

Those who parked their cars at the base must walk up, as we did, even though we chose the vehicular road rather than the stairs. 

Personally, i like to take different routes to reach my destination as there could be other things to see. Disclaimer - limited to only overseas travels as i stick to my usual route when i travel from home to work and vice versa! 

Another post was generated for my visit to the tea centre and you may click here for the details. Aside from the amazing view, another highlight at the cafe was the weird nasi lemak cheesecake i had. 

Words of caution - be mindful of the slippery path! 

We took the stairs on our way back. Thank god it wasn't too slippery even though i believed it would be the case should the sky decide to cry suddenly. 

From this angle, don't you think it looks like a big cannon that's aiming to hit the big birds in the sky? By big birds, i am referring to enemy planes.

Base of the stairs - loving the weather at this moment. A few hours later, the whole area would be covered with dark clouds with rain that made it impossible for us to walk out! 

Stray cat with a wounded ear.

I did try to ask if it's possible to get a transport out so that we can save some time. It's possible to get a cab in but it would take a minimum of 30 minutes and i thought it's more cost effective to walk out instead. 

Oh, by the way, close up of the tea bush for your viewing pleasure. From memory, the tea picker would pluck out the young shoots that would eventually be the tea we drink.

Soil erosion that would potentially become a hazard if left alone. In the past, there were many news of landslides at Cameron Highland even though i thought the situation had improved in recent years.

Was this a rose growing in the wild? 

How i wish i have superhuman powers and jump across... As it was an upward climb, the sweat came automatically and i can feel that my tee was starting to smell! 

Alex had to remove his sweater as he couldn't bear the heat too! There was another group of Caucasians walking in front of us but maybe because they had longer legs, the distance between us widened as the journey continued. 

Wedding photography with just two persons as the man was both the groom and photographer! 

Actually i shouldn't have used the word "cottage" as the house was definitely much more than a simple cottage which is defined as small house. 

Pointing  to the two black sticks on the ground, i didn't understand what Alex was talking about when he said how come there were cannons outside the mansion. 

Zoomed in for your viewing - i wondered too if they were mere decorations or were historical relics from World War 2 that's over 70 years ago. 

Flowers spotted along the way.

My torture was finally going to be over; never been happier to see the logo of Copthorne Hotel appearing in front of us even though it would still be a rather long walk for us to get there! 

Before then, let's have lunch at Cameron Highlands only shopping complex, the Cameron Square. I was famished and as expected, thirsty too! 

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Route Map
As above.

Operating Hours
8.30 am to 4.30 pm (Daily)
Closed on Mondays


Butterfly Farm (蝴蝶昆蟲乐园) - Including Reptiles, Insects, Poultry & Flowers @ Cameron Highlands [Malaysia]

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Judging from the dark clouds in the sky, i am guessing that the rain would likely fall for a while more; hence, it would be most preferred to have a sheltered attraction where we can continue to make full use of our time.

Well, it's the butterfly farm ahead of us and even though i had visited (and even blogged) before, it's at least the best of the lot given the limited options.

Entering after purchasing the tickets which were priced at RM 7.00 which was quite a spike in terms of percentage as they used to cost only RM 5.00. I am not complaining as Singapore dollar has been strengthening against the Malaysian ringgit recently.

Walking stick insect enclosure - i would have loved to bring the kids here as they would be more interested. Between me and Alex, it's just a matter of competing who can point out the well-camouflaged insects first!

A shelter within a sheltered area - the butterfly house should be the main star for the attraction as it was the originator for the namesake.

Interior of the lepidopterarium which wasn't much to speak of but we shouldn't be expecting much when we were paying less than S$2 a person for entry. In comparison at Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom in Sentosa, Singapore, the ticket for one adult would set me back by S$16! 

Fruits on a tray to attract the butterflies. Sadly, we didn't see many and i thought i would stand a better chance at Changi Airport's butterfly garden.

A scary looking gnome (i think) with bloodshot eyes and seemingly blood trickling down its red lips; not exactly a child-friendly image.

Finally, a butterfly! 

Rajah brooke butterflies that didn't appear to be alive. Strange that in the few occasions i was at the butterfly farm / garden at Cameron Highlands; they were never very active. From what i remember, it's a result of too cold a temperature.

I was delicate to pick this up and i couldn't help thinking it looked as if it was wearing a thick black / red sweater to protect it from the cold. 

Many were just 'stuck" on the corners of the lepidopterarium.

Out of the butterfly house to continue our exploration - this smelly enclosure housed a raccoon and there was only one i can see with my naked eye and its colour was a light brown; different from the black-white-grey version commonly seen on tv.

Spacious environment for you to have a quiet session with your loved ones. Well, maybe because it was so quiet and i can count no more than 10 visitors! 

Hedgehogs with a feisty one that was just poking its nose out from its slumber when i peered over it. As there wasn't any barrier, i do empathise with the rough handling the spiny mammals had to endure with inconsiderate humans.

Syrian hamsters! Like some of you, i do wonder why they were displayed as they could commonly be found at pet shops. My weak excuse is that maybe they were abandoned? 

A long line of glass enclosures on stone platforms. Want to make a guess on what they house?

Insects and they comprised of some green, shimmering bugs, tarantulas, the grasshopper looking thorny stick insect (only the green ones are females by the way) and the almost unnoticeable dead leaf mantis! 

This was obvious - for the little dragons; lizards / geckos! 

The bad thing about the description is that there's nothing substantial or interesting to pique our interest. And you know what's worse? Even if they have, i doubt i would remember any of them! Haha.

Reminded me of a scene in a Chinese movie, the The Mermaid, where the upper body of a barbie doll was fused with the end section of a salted fish! 

Bullfrogs section had more information even though i doubt scientific jargon like tetrapod, pectoral girdie, ranid, vomerine, fenestrated etc would make any sense to common folks like i. 

Millipedes; one was about the length of my forearm! 

Two ducks that were free roaming i think as they could easily jumped off the ledge and waddle together with us, if they want.

Koi pond; i am surprised there wasn't any dispense for fish feed as it can be lucrative business, especially for kids who totally enjoy getting near to animals / fishes.

Not part of the attraction but it's worth publishing here as it's a simple work of nature. As i mentioned before, as i get older, the more i feel for the animals caged up in zoos and i am increasingly veering towards the line that animals should be set free and be put back in their original habitat. 

Chickens in a coop! Anyway, it's easy for me to say what i felt in the paragraph before this as i don't live in a rural environment where my livelihood can be destroyed by wild animals; an example would be hens reared for their eggs being eaten up by snakes, tigers etc.

Flowers have that mysterious pull to lighten one's spirits! It's sad that many commercial flower beds have pesticides and that was said to be the reason for the spike of nose cancer for people working in flower nurseries. 

Inevitable encounter with my old enemy. 

Said to be a symbol of poison and revenge, i have long regarded the snake to my nemesis as there's nothing i am more afraid of. Okay, maybe my mom's wrath and my dad's nagging when i was younger. 

From being terrified to see a picture of a snake in a book, i am now brave enough to even touch one so long the reptile is held by a professional and assurance has been given. However, it was still unnerving to have a menacing snake arched up in the manner above.

It was looking into the next enclosure where the red tail rat snakes were and with the way that both sides were behaving, i am thinking there would be nasty confrontation if there's no barrier in between them!

Bombarding you with photographs of the daisy flower beds!  

Ultra adorable chipmunks and they could run so fast! Anyone remembers the chip and dale cartoons?! It's been a while since i last saw them appearing on screens... i am getting old. 

Sun-bathing gecko.

Hibiscus, the national flower for Malaysia! I have always liked rose and there are quite a number of countries that have bestowed the status of national flower to it; USA, Maldives, Bulgaria etc.

Vandalised cactus - i honestly couldn't understand the reason for vandalising something! If you need to mark anything, do it on your own body. 

Wait, is this a cactus garden too?! For a really comprehensive cactus garden, you can consider the Big Red Strawberry Farm at Brinchang

Coming to the fluffy rabbits; they were blessed to have such big enclosures! Advantage was that they can stay far from humans; their advantage was our disadvantage.

Beetles, including the three horn rhino beetle.

Scorpions - once again, the lack of any protective barrier is worrying and the low height brought me to think about the recent cases of kids falling over the escalators. 

Not something to laugh about where there were literally hundreds of scorpions! I can only hope that due to the cold weather, they were not as active as they would usually be. 

Want to get a memento? You may purchase little pots of cactus, key chains with specimen of insect and butterfly and like many souvenir shops, get your hands on boxes of strawberry chocolate, teabags etc.

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Location Map
As above

Operating Hours
Mondays to Fridays - 9.00 am to 6.00 pm
Saturdays & Sundays - 8.30 am to 7.00 pm
School Holidays - 8.30 am to 7.00 pm
Public Holidays - 8.30 am to 7.00 pm

Ticket Pricing
Adult - RM 7.00
Child - RM 4.00


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