Chapter 164 - TOP 5 info about Da Nang, Vietnam

I’m back! Cross fingers that I will not fall into any of the movies or drama addition or else, you will see me disappearing again 😊. Lately, I visited a very beautiful country where I enjoyed the sights and sounds plus, getting myself entertained with the chicken-and-duck conversation. It was fun, it was comfortable, it was beautiful, and as French would always say, it was tres magnifique.

Now you see me, now you don't

From having the opportunities to stay at different kind(s) of accommodation like AirBnb and hotel, to entering into a thrilling world of dining and indulging with a plenty of different kind(s) of spring rolls and walking into the adventure of some tourist attractions where we were greeted with pouring rain unfortunately, it was indeed one of the holidays that is worth remembering.

All we did was to enjoy a cold glass of San Miguel, took plenty of photos regardless where we were and entered into a shopping paradise where our bargaining skills took a notch up. Yet, there were still some circumstances that held us back from enjoying to the fullest.

Here are the top 5 things that one must know before heading to Vietnam.

• Traffic is a nightmare

We barely able could cross the busy street. It seems like there is no sense of mercy to the pedestrian and all you need is to be courageous and run as if there’s a dog chasing you from the back. You hardly have the time to turn to your left and right too. We did cross the road once and we vowed no second time. We took Grab instead.

• Drivers are ….. just speechless

Plenty of drivers are there for you; just open your Grab app and in no time, you just have to wait for your drivers to arrive. However, very frequently, our drivers decided to cancel our booking. So, be warn! Drivers in Da Nang also love to honk; I can’t even track now whether the honk sign serves as the warning to other drivers/motorcyclists, a greeting when they bump into their friends next door or merely it’s for fun. At some point, it can get pretty annoying.

• Food is good (if you like vegetables and salad)

For vegans and those who have favorite liking towards any kind(s) of vegetables, particularly basil and mint, Vietnam is the right place for you. It gives a different twist to our local cuisine. Don’t expect to have an array of meat as it comes with a pretty minimum quantity. We ordered a bowl of Quang noodles for instance and sadly, only a few, thin chicken fillets were found whereas our bowls were filled generously with lots of vegetables.

Some of the Vietnam food that we had

•  Check the weather

Yay! Bana Hills is a pretty attraction to begin with but the joy in us immediately disappeared when dark clouds started forming. Before we could tour around Bana Hills, we found ourselves running to the nearest restaurants/outlets. We couldn’t go anywhere except playing with our phones. Even after 2 hours, the rain refused to stop so, we decided to leave Bana Hills. Thankfully, we took some photos at the Golden Bridge before that.

•  Currency - More USD and less Vietnam Dong

Tips to all Malaysians - it is good to have more USD dollar with you. When you compare both USD and Vietnam Dong plus the conversion of Ringgit Malaysia, somehow, buying stuff using USD currency is slightly cheaper as compared to Vietnam Dong. Even if you wanted to tailor-made your dresses, suits, t-shirts or what not at Hoi An, the vendors prefer USD.

The amount of stuff which you can buy in Vietnam

To sum up, it was a wonderful short-getaway session with the ladies. After all, nothing is more than exciting than creating the moments and memories together.

Till then, the next time…adios!

A beautiful place when lanterns are lighted up

Regards,

Foodiestravel

Chapter 162 – (SECOND VISIT) Titi Eco Farm @ Negeri Sembilan

t was two years ago when I first stepped into Titi Eco Farm; this year, Mr Chee and I decided to visit this place again with the whole intention to be out of the city and to just indulge in some organic food.

I ponder about my life, thinking should I pursue this or that

Much to our disappointment, they were no longer served organic poultry like fish and chicken. All we were given was an array of greenies. I bet that this was one of the few times where I had so much of vegetables in a day.

Doubtless to say, Titi Eco Farm is a place for one to unwind and relax; much so, there isn’t much you can do there besides listening to the birds’ chirping, hunting for mosquitoes and finding your own entertainment. For the first time, I was really bored surfing Facebook and Instagram over and over again. So, Mr Chee and I took this chance to sharpen our skills in playing chess. Not just a game but we played 6 rounds in less than 24 hours in Titi Eco Farm. Yes, I kid you not but 6 rounds of chess games were sufficient to keep us occupied. Or else, we would be left in boredom.

Upon our arrival, we were taught on how to make a hibiscus tea from scratch; took a quick tour to know the herbs, plants and flowers before plucking the necessary leaves and made one. Then, we made some snacks using organic plants and here you go:

We made it from scratch ;)

In late evening, we were supposed to attend a sharing session given by the Founder but that got cancelled. And we were ushered to our beds very early that day.

The next day, thankfully, we had an organic farm tour – that made our stay a slight memorable one. Led by a staff there, we were brought around the farm. I had the opportunity to taste the raw lady fingers and some other leaves which I can’t remember the name. All I know was my courage was put to test! 

All in all, it is a nice experience if and only if you want to unwind yourself where you run away from the busy city and be friends with nature. And yes, it’s real nature – no air conditioner and you might be greeted by some lovely creatures.

We had organic yee sang!

Check out our breakfast

Lunch; one of the best organic meals that I ever had there

Ambient: 4/5 (if you love nature)

Price: RM 250 per person (to stay in Semi-D chalet and Energy Garden)
Food: Organic vegetables
Service: 3/5
Verdict: Once a lifetime experience? Try it!  

Titi Eco Farm

Kampung Titi, Jelebu
Lot 1706. 1708. 1203. 1349. 1916.
Sungai Rotan,
71650 Jelebu,
Negeri Sembilan.
Booking is required for you to visit the farm: 019  220 7868
http://www.titieco.com.my/

Regards,

Foodiestravel

Chapter 157 - A short trip to Bangkok, Thailand (Nara Thai & After You)

Today, trips are part and parcel of our lives. It is no longer determine by the savings that you have but it becomes a necessity to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city, just to get yourself rejuvenated and refreshed so that you will not burnout one day and at the same time, giving you aplenty of good reason to keep your relationship alive, be it with spouse, family or friends.

A recent trip to Bangkok has made me to come to a realization that trips are not just about exploring the place but it is to build every single moment together. And yes, we know this fact but sometimes, it is not as easy as it is since each and every one of us have our personal interest. 

Visiting one of the busiest cities in the world, Bangkok is all about shopping and eating. Staying there for 4 days and 3 nights are just sufficient enough to add 2 – 3kgs to my body weight. Thankfully, we walked a lot that it managed to shed off some of my fats. Or else, I would be….. 

A selfie at Maeklong Railway Station

Lady luck was not with us as the rain poured heavily on that respective day. We couldn't really walk much and ended up heading back to Bangkok city.

Touching on the food topic, I strongly reckon you to dine in these THREE places – it becomes a mandatory for me to indulge in these places every time I visit Bangkok.

1.     After You

There is always a room for dessert! It was the first time my parents indulged in After You and instantly, they fell in love with it. In this short trip, we visited the place twice and filled our tummy with bowls of shaved ice, pancake and toast.

2.    Nara Thai, Centralworld

Price of the food here can be slightly pricey but I must say it is worth it after all. The taste is so authentic and delicious that we can never say no to them. Can’t remember the name of the dishes but you can show the waiter on the dishes that you wish to have. Last year, I met the Founder in her office and we exchanged conversation for about an hour. A pretty nice lady but she is a very principled person. All I can say is that she prioritizes food quality.

Pad Thai

3.    Pe’Aor Tom Yum Kung Noodle,Ratchathewi

Sister Teo recommended this place; we refused to go initially until the very last day. We were rather surprised that many people flocked into this place. Apparently, they sell the best Tom Yum Noodle in Bangkok hence, people are willing to travel from far. Well, my verdict is that you must try! 

Bonus food:

Mango Sticky Rice - must try when you are in Terminal 21

Convenience Store - Literally, we had sampled most of the food in the convenience store. We just love it that we visited the store at least thrice a day.

All in all, Bangkok is a shopping haven and a food paradise. I was trying to have as much Thai food as possible but the time did not permit to do so since shopping had also consumed much of our time. Four days and three nights certainly not enough and we had to sacrifice a number of places as shopping was the top priority since Mama Teo wants to shop badly.

With the 3 musketeers :)

Stay tuned to my next post! 

Update:
I just created an Instagram account mainly for FoodiesTravel. Do join me in the adventure to discover and indulge in great food in great ambiance.
Search and follow foodiestravelblog today.

Regards,
Foodiestravel

Chapter 152 – A day trip to Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

September is indeed a busy month for me; from celebrating my elder brother’s birthday to attending wedding dinners at Ipoh, Setia Alam and Kuala Lumpur, a short gateway to the neighboring state and a considerably long holiday to Busan, Korea. Speaking about Busan, I have so much to share and will probably do so in my next post.

While holidays are now over, there are still many other ways for you to rejuvenate, reconnect with your loved ones and reengage with your friends whom you have not spoken for months by simply going out of the busy KL city and have a day trip to Seremban.

And this is how you can utilize your time well, not just visiting but also indulging in lots of delicious food while bringing home the famous Seremban Siew Bao.

1. Visit Jelita Ostrich Farm

It’s the second time I visited this farm! Here, of course you see many ostriches and learn how to differentiate the gender of the ostrich, you get to stand on the ostrich eggs without fearing that it will break (provided that you are less than 200kg), you ride on the ostrich and get yourself a certificate at the end of the day and watching how ostrich races with one another. 

Voila, I’m not heavy.

Mr Chee decided to feed a goat instead of ostrich #apani

2. Lunch at The Gift Tilapia Restaurant, Seremban
Best if you can come in group so that you can try a variety of delicious food. It’s lunch anyway and we managed to treat our tummies well. The signature dish is no other than its steamed tilapia! So sweet and juicy!

Steamed Tilapia with Soy Sauce (RM 46.00)

Tilapia Grilled with Soy Sauce (RM 45.00)

Free Range Chicken (RM 16.00)

Another favorite of mine is its char siew. So far, the best char siew that I ever had is in Kuala Lumpur but this plate of char siew is enough to attract me to go back again since my house isn’t that far to Seremban anyway #hintingmrchee One plate is never enough and we had another plate. 

My favorite Char Siew (RM 21.00)

The Gift Tilapia Restaurant,

No.11, Jalan Merbok 6/1, 

Taman Bunga Blossom,

70100 Seremban.

Tel: 06 - 633 1312

3. Visit Aeon Mall at Seremban

One of the iconic landmarks in Seremban! Imagine that I had to travel all the way to Seremban just to look for a book since it was sold out in most of the KL bookstores. Thankfully, my effort was paid off and I found it there in MPH.

4.  Dinner at The Street Crab & Lala Restaurant
When you visit this restaurant, certainly you have to order crabs. Instead of just one plate of crab, we ordered 4 plates of crab, just to feed 10 tummies; not forgetting that we had other mains like Kam Heong Lala, Stir-Fry Cabbage, Fried Rice and Fried Noodles. 

Sang Har Mee (Small) - RM 16.00

Shrimp Fried Rice (Large) - RM 55.00

Cabbage (Large) - RM 18.00

Kam Heong Clam (RM 38.00)

Sometimes, I wonder what’s wrong with my stomach! How can I eat so much even though I don’t feel hungry…? Look at the amount of crab we had.

Salted Egg Crab 

Black Pepper Crab

Salted Roast Crab - my favorite among all

Sweet and Sour Crab

These 4 plates of crab costed us about RM 299.70 for 3.33kg. Is it expensive or justifiable?

One thing for sure – I never regret it! The crabs are huge in size and sweet in taste. How can I resist it when they are placed right in front of me?

The Street Crab & Lala Restaurant,

GF-46 & 47, Lorong Haruan 5/1,

Oakland Commercial Square,

70300 Seremban.

Tel: 06 - 603 0155

5. Buy Siew Bao at Kedai Siew Pau Asia (Siew Pow Master) 

Before we returned to our home sweet home, we stopped by at Kedai Siew Pau Asia to buy our favorite pastries. 

Photo credit from my friend, Hester.

There you go! You can spend a day trip in Seremban and get to indulge a myriad of good food. All you need to do is to call your friends now and go for a ride on this Saturday! Don’t wait till September is over.

Happy faces yet sleepy (thanks to the food)!

Regards,
Foodiestravel