Chapter 148 – 24 hours in Pulau Ketam (Crab Island), Klang

One does not need to travel far to enjoy the serenity and tranquility of life when you just have 24 hours since some of the hours are spent on doing house chores, meeting friends, visiting parents at home and etc. 

Tucked in a corner of Klang where you need to commute using boat, Pulau Ketam could be a place where you can leave your stress behind and enjoy the simple life there. Children were running and playing along the two main streets, old folks were enjoying their authentic breakfast in some kopitiams while talking to friends in Hokkien dialect were the common sights in Pulau Ketam. Not forgetting, seeing tourists alike who tried their level best to adapt the simple life of Pulau Ketam via cycling.

Oh, have I ever mentioned that the locals sell very good fried ice cream? Or maybe the weather there was pretty hot? I had 3 fried ice creams from chocolate to vanilla and yam flavor, in just less than 24 hours. #ohoh

Fried Ice Cream (Yam Flavor)

The people in Pulau Ketam are friendly, provided that if you can speak in Hokkien and Mandarin. They are a bunch of nice people and I must say that they are proud with their own local delicacies. So, what can you do if you are in Pulau Ketam in less than 24 hours?

1.       Take on a boat ride and visit Fish Farm

Thanks to our friend’s relatives who are willing to bring us out on a boat ride. Instead of hopping on a big fisherman boat, we went on a modern sampan. Call us adventurous people as we did not put on the safety jacket and sailed straight to the middle of the sea where most of us do not know how to swim. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the experience where our faces were slapped with strong winds and our hairs were all messed up. #checkoutmyinstagramforthevideo

As soon as we arrived, we were feasted with different species of fishes and how the fishes were being fed. The end result of visiting the fish farm was just so-so but the experience of hopping on a modern sampan meant the most. 

2.       Walk around in the village…. It is not that big after all

Behaving like locals who have resided there for years, we strolled around and even visited some of our friends’ relatives. We went to the temples, saw one large snake and visited a large ice cubes factory though we couldn’t find any ice cubes. Instead of walking, many would have chosen to ride on a bicycle. Lady luck was with me that my friend’s relative decided to give me a ride using her motorized bicycle; all I need to do was just to enjoy the scenery.

3.       Eat, eat and eat

I am so embarrassed to say this but guess what; in less than 24 hours in Pulau Ketam, I gained 3kg. Yes, you see this right, 3kg, thanks to the continuous eating from the moment we stepped on this island till we bid farewell to this place. 

You wouldn’t be able to imagine the amount of food that I stuffed my tummy with; let me share with you what I had!

Fried Lala- Chien (RM10 for a plate)

Fried Oh-Chien (RM15 for a plate)

Fried Char Kuey Teow 

Verdict: Klang Char Kuey Teow tastes way better than Pulau Ketam.

Pork Porridge (RM7.00)

Verdict: Must-try; very rich in flavor!

Claypot Ray Fish

Stir-Fry Spinach with Century Eggs

Fried Soft Shell Prawns in Thai Sauce

Verdict: Must-try; its a kind of rare dish as usually, we don't come across soft shell prawns. 

One word: delicious!

Steamed Tomyam Fish

Verdict: I am kind of spoiled but I prefer the fresh fish in Sabah. 

Chicken burger

Verdict: Must-try!! The chicken patty was fried first before it got grilled and enveloped with egg. Somehow, it gives you the similar taste as Mc Chicken.

Chai Bao (Vegetarian Bao) - RM 1.00

This is the name of this cute bao given by the locals. I enjoyed eating it as the skin itself gives the chewy texture and the abundance amount of sengkuang plus carrot.

Mixed Rice (RM 6.00)

In Pulau Ketam, you can either opt for mixed rice or nasi lemak for your breakfast. This mixed rice comes with mini prawns, char siew, eggs, anchovies and their homemade sambal.

Nasi Lemak Pulau Ketam

Verdict: What so special about their nasi lemak is the sambal plus it comes with prawns.

Fried Prawn Fritters

Fried Yam with Cream Cracker

Verdict: I don't fancy yam but this simple kuih is enough to appease me.

Seaweed Soup with Fish Balls

Stir-Fry Chives

Steamed Fish

Kam Heong Crabs

Fuihhh…. the list is so long; not forgetting, I had “7 Geh” too. According to the local, 7 Geh is made from porridge and rice flour; it is only available in Pulau Ketam. Taste wise, I find it quite similar with Chi Hun Keng (Fried Tapioca Noodle). The difference is the gravy and sauce.

                     

7 Geh

All in all, we had fun in Pulau Ketam. What I love about Pulau Ketam is no other than the neighborhood and kampung spirit among the locals; they know every single one who lives there and  security is the least concern in this area. They are not worried of theft at all!

Such a peaceful life!

However, one thing that I dislike is the hygiene of this place; apparently, all poop you expelled goes directly to the “pulau” and that’s why the water is never in blue or green color. And you will notice that the plants by the river are extremely green and healthy, probably thanks to the poops that man has contributed.

Regards,

Foodiestravel

Chapter 78 - Spend 24 Hours in Ipoh, Perak, just by eating...

A real short-getaway to Ipoh, Perak at the eleventh hour! No plan was made ahead to go down to Ipoh and I was truly grateful that I went ahead with bestie's crazy idea to Ipoh while paying a visit to my sister in the neighbouring states.

There was nothing much you can do in Ipoh, knowing that you were restricted with a very strict time. As clock was working real hard, we knew that we couldn't waste much time, touring and pondering where to head to. Hence, we made good use of our time there and sampled tons of good food in Ipoh.

In morning, we headed to Sin Yoon Loong Restaurant and had their signature toasted bread plus cups of coffee. We tried the normal coffee and white coffee; both have its distinctive taste and I urge you to try it especially if you are a coffee lover. Following to that, we ordered a plate of "chee cheong fun" since many people were queuing for it. Woahla, glad that we tried it. Unlike chee cheong fun that is sold elsewhere, the chee cheong fun here is soft in texture. Accompanied with dried shallots and jalapeno plus a slight sweet-ish sauce, our breakfast ended tastefully.

Restaurant Sin Yoon Loong

15A, Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Next up, we had some tarts and "kuih" for brunch. Called us big-eaters, we had "wu kok" or known as yam plus meat pastry and egg tarts. This stall is located in front of Restaurant Sin Yoon Loong, so you can hop by to try some of these though they are quite pricey. All these "kuih" are freshly made so thumbs up! However, their service were quite bad as the lady boss and her staff were very rude in treating their customers; I went there to purchase these a few times and I gained the same treatment - RUDE! Probably, that's because they assume they sell the delicious food or simply because, this is how they converse to their customers ...:(.

Since dim sum is quite famous and popular in Ipoh, I bugged my bestie to try some dim sum though we were pretty full. We went to two restaurants and both restaurants were quite packed. One of it was at Foh Shan Restaurant, Ipoh and another was located somewhere nearby there. (forget the name..)

Overall, the taste is just so-so only. Nothing great to shout about except that the price for dim sum is again expensive compared to the rest.

Upon hitting 1.00pm sharp, bestie and I headed to Tauge Ayam Lou Wong Restaurant to have the chicken rice. I knew from my friends that there are other places which sell better chicken rice but unfortunately, we have no idea where to locate it. To be on the safe side, we went to this place since it is so prominent with many red umbrellas on the road.

Personally, I love their pork meatballs more than anything else. The chicken is quite "hard" this time, so I don't fancy it much. The hor fun is rather tasteless to me so, I prefer to dine it with their rice. Service is fast and we swallowed the meal within minutes. Called us hungry pangs this time!

Restaurant Tauge Ayam Lou Wong, Ipoh

49, Jalan You Tet Shin, 30300 Ipoh, Perak

After lunch, it was snacks time! Renowned as one of the best stalls that sells good taufufah due to the soft texture that melts in your mouth instantly, the stall is always packed with people, be it passersby or those who drive through. 

Funny Mountain Soya Bean

49, Jalan Theatre, 30300 Ipoh, Perak

Before we made our journey back to KL, we had dinner in Restaurant Triple Two, Ipoh. Selling dry curry noodles, porridge and steam chicken, we came to this restaurant, purely due to friend's recommendation. No regret because the dry curry noodles is really, really good. As for the chicken, it is just so-so only. 

Restaurant Triple Two

222, Jalan Pasir Puteh, Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh, Perak

All in all, a 24 hours trip to Ipoh was a fruitful one despite that it was a very short getaway. We came home with bags of biscuits from Restaurant Sin Eng Heong and look down....hehehe...

Taaa Daaa.....

Regards,

Foodiestravel

Chapter 44 - 24 Hours in Cameron Highlands!

Last weekend, I headed to Cameron Highlands with bestie and friends after months of busy, hectic schedule. Even though it was a short getaway (2 days and 1 night), my mind was clearer while my body was well recharged. I knew that it was the time for me to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city as I needed a different environment to enliven my spirit up.

Being a working adult, travelling is no longer a choice but it’s more like a need; even though I can’t travel to a far place, a short escapade will serve me well enough.

Cutting the story short, these are what I had done in Cameron Highlands, within 24 hours. To my surprise, I managed to visit lots of places, my tummy was well-entertained and my body got sufficient rest.

27 June 2014

2pm - Upon checking in at Copthorne Hotel (previously known as Equatorial Hotel) at 2pm, we headed out for lunch near to Kea Farm Market. I got myself a plate of spaghetti carbonara and unfortunately, I was not fancied about it. You may wonder why I chose to opt for spaghetti instead of other local delights, available in Cameron Highlands – seriously, I had no idea J

3.30pm – Right after our lunch, we strolled along the Kea Farm Market. I was attracted to their fried mushroom, steamed sweet corn and steamed potatoes. Despite I had lunch not long ago, my tummy could still accommodate them. Many stalls had closed at that hour because most of these stalls opened since morning.

4.00pm – Next, we headed to Big Red Strawberry Farm. No entrance fee is required and you can walk in to see the huge farm. Aside from strawberries, you can see quite a number of greenies too. Of course, I took this opportunity to “selfie” till I reached their café. There is a lot of food related to strawberry available in the café - as much as I wanted to try all their food, I couldn't hence, I only had their Fried Ice Cream, Strawberry Yoghurt, Strawberry Cheesecake and Strawberry Waffle.

5.30pm – After that, we went to Berinchang Night Market. I have no idea why but I do get excited every time I visit night market; perhaps, it is due to a plethora choice of food available there. Weather was not siding us unfortunately, but we managed to brave ourselves in the night market and got our tummy 4 packs of uncooked sweet corn, fried mushrooms, fried potatoes and many others. Best of all, bestie got a “Oh Kim” (black wood) in the market too – we have come across Raja Kayu but how many people know about “Oh Kim”? Due to curiosity, bestie bought it at RM 15.00.

6.15pm – We headed back to hotel after a long day. While having our body to rest, our eyes were feasted with local dramas and movies, offered by the television.

7.30pm – It’s time for dinner! We thought of having steamboat at “Kwan Kee Steamboat Restaurant” but lady luck was not with us – Waze brought us to Tanah Rata when Kwan Kee Steamboat Restaurant is located at Berinchang! Aiks – at that time, it was nearing to 8pm hence, we decided to have our dinner at May Flower restaurant instead. Overall, food was so-so only.

9.00pm – While we drove back to hotel, we thought of taking a walk at the Berinchang Night Market. Again, the rain poured and we had to bid our dream away.

9.30pm – We reached our hotel, cleaned ourselves and it was time to say good night!

28 June 2014

7.00am – With more than 7 hours of sleep, our body were well rejuvenated. We had our breakfast in the hotel.

8.30am – We visited Kea Farm Market again and this time, we bought quite a number of stuff; I feel like an aunty when I was there too – I bought mushrooms la, some vegetables, and sweet potatoes.

9.30am – After we had our morning “shopping”, we headed to Bee Farm – we strolled there and decided to make a move after sipping a RM2.00 premium honeystick.

10.00am – Then, we went to Sungai Palas Tea Plantation. It was not easy to go in with few sharp turns however, I must say the scenery was truly breathtaking. It was so chill especially when the wind welcomed us there. While we tried their teas as well as some of their pastries, we also took the opportunity to visit their factory (details of this will be written in the next post). While we were amazed with the natural beauty and spent nearly 2 hours there, we almost forgotten that we had to check-out from our hotel.

1.00pm – We quickly packed our baggage and then, bid farewell to Copthorne Hotel. Before we drove back to KL, we had a quick lunch at Uncle Chow restaurant. I had my curry laksa there – imagine you have something spicy especially in the cold weather! That feeling was really amazing.

2.00pm – We started our journey back home.

Now, you can also use your time wisely and have a short getaway too, just to release yourself from the work stress and pressure. With 24 hours a day, look at how much I had done – I ate a lot, I visited quite a number of places and most importantly, I felt truly happy during this trip.

Enjoy your life to the fullest and reward your hard day with something soothing.

Cheers.

Regards,

Foodiestravel