Review Flying with Drukair Royal Bhutan Airlines between Bangkok & Paro International Airport

✍ 31 Dec 2023. My first time and first flights with Drukair (Royal Bhutan Airlines). It was a good experience, comparable to any airline that I had flown with so far.

This post is dedicated to Bhutan and its small but wonderful airline - my visit to Bhutan was my last overseas trip for 2023.

May I take this opportunity to wish all readers Happy New Year! Wish you the best in 2024 🎉

Popular No Name (Ah Puat) Fish Soup near B & S Boutique Hotel in Batu Pahat 峇株巴轄 無名魚湯

I asked Vincent from Batu Pahat to suggest hyperlocal places for our dinner food hop.

Bhutan Cooking School by Diki @ MK Musk Restaurant at Centre Point, Clock Tower Square, Thimphu

You know right, one of the pro-tips for a travelling foodie is to enrol in a reputable local cooking class. You get a get quick hands on introduction to the country's cuisine and likely even the best foodie stall / restaurant tips from knowledgeable locals.

Ah Khoon Pig Organ Soup at Jalan Pengkai in Batu Pahat, Johor 阿坤卤肉饭 猪杂汤

✍️29 Dec 2023. When Andy said to take us to his favourite pork organ soup in Batu Pahat, I expected it to be something like the famous Ah Soon - a two shop restaurant packed with customers.

Tony Boey Johor Kaki on CNA 93.8 FM

I occasionally share my foodie finds on CNA 93.8 FM, so I have this post where I put the stalls, restaurants or places mentioned during the programme. It gives you the basic information in case you wish to visit the mentioned food or places.

Chun Hui Asam Pedas Restoran Muar 全妃亞參魚(亞答屋)

On the way to Batu Pahat, we swung by Parit Kasim (near Parit Jawa), Muar for the obligatory asam pedas fish head. We picked Chun Hui Restoran which we had never been before. (Actually Chun Hui required a 45 minute diversion from Batu Pahat - thanks bro Kevin for the drive 🙏 )

Grandpapa Tee (Ah Boy) Duck Egg Wantan Noodle in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Skudai 郑爷爷全蛋云吞面

On the way to Batu Pahat, we swung by Taman Ungku Tun Aminah in Skudai for Grandpapatee wantan noodles.

I Climbed Tiger's Nest Paro Taktsang Bhutan at Age 63 · I Mean You Can Do it Too 😄

✍ 25 Dec 2023. Perched precariously on a cliff face at 3,120 metres, Bhutan's Tiger's Nest Monastery is one of the most iconic images of the Kingdom of Bhutan. 

It reflects the self imposed isolated kingdom which opened to tourists (in a limited way) only since 1974.

Beautiful yet distant, alluring but seemingly unreachable.

Bhutan Buddha Dordenma Buddha Point Thimphu

✍ 24 Dec 2023. A trip to Bhutan has been on my bucket list for a long time, and one of the places I was looking forward to visit is Buddha Dordenma (also known as Buddha Point).

Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory in Thimpu · The Last in Bhutan

If you interested in art and art materials, you may wish to include Thimpu's Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory in your Bhutan itinerary.

Pacamara Coffee Roasters Cafe @ Biz Centre North Sathorn Bangkok

If you enjoy Thai specialty coffee by Pacamara Coffee Roasters, they just opened a brand new outlet at North Sathorn (two days ago to be exact).

Chencho Village Home Farm Stay · Hot Stone Bath near Tiger's Nest in Paro, Bhutan

So I completed the climb up to the Monastery at the Tiger's Nest in Paro. It was a wonderful experience which I will share in detail in a separate post.

Bhutan Tomza Rice Packet @ Chuniding Food in Thimphu

My first meal in Bhutan was a traditional rice bundle known as tomza which was very delicious and filling 😁 It is often described as a Bhutanese lunch box or bento. However, in form, it looks like a large packet of nasi lemak (but otherwise very different).

Chick A Zaa Thimphu · Food of Young Bhutan

One of my first posts from Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan ☺️ And, it's about a local fried chicken shop 🤭

Truth be told, I don't really find this fried chicken appealing as while it was very crispy outside and tender enough inside, the flavours leaned on flat savoury salty and I couldn't taste chicken sweetness.

EmSphere Sleepless Gastronomic World · Bangkok's Newest Foodie Hotspot

EmSphere, the atmosphere in Bangkok's newest gastronomic Mecca is simply striking. Colourful, great vibes, and lots of food choices from local to international.

Grandma's Noodle Shop in a Hair Saloon @ Soi Pradit Bang Rak Bangkok ร้านคุณยายเจ้าอร่อย

Soupy pork noodles are everywhere in Bangkok as they are tasty and affordable.

Bangkok Tai Tong Famous Shark Fin @ Charoen Krung Road · Shark Fin Soup is Elevated Chicken Soup ไต๋ตงหูฉลามเลิศรสบางรัก 大中著名鱼翅

I sneaked out of the hotel because I missed craved the burnt porridge of Charoen Krung Road 😬 

Johor Kaki Bhutan Thimphu Paro Itinerary · 4 Days 3 Nights

Creative Commons Photo

✍️ 26 Dec 2023. My visit to Bhutan was a too short three nights in Thimphu and Paro, but it was a fascinating introduction to the interesting Himalayan kingdom, it's unique cuisine, places, people and culture.

This is just the summary itinerary. For each location, I am writing a detailed article, so I am updating this post over time. Just follow the links.

Xiamen Herbal Pork Trotter, Chicken & Duck Tonic Soup @ Marsiling Mall (Woodlands) 厦门十全大補

This Chinese herbal tonic soup stall have been around for over twenty years from the old Woodlands Centre hawker centre (demolished) to (quite) new Marsiling Mall today.

Hao Ke Fang Hakka Coffee Shop Restaurant in Kelapa Sawit Kulai 好客坊

We randomly rolled into Kelapa Sawit in Kulai 🤣 So, Ellone called Kulai 地头 Jason and KK, and we just randomly decided to meet at Hao Ke Fang 好客坊 to plot our next moves 🤣

History of Bhutan, the Last Shangri-La · Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon 不丹的歷史

Bhutan is a small, landlocked Himalayan kingdom between India to its south and China in the north. It has a slightly less than one million (792,382 in 2023) population and land area of 38,394 sq km i.e. about the size of Taiwan island, Pahang state of Malaysia, or Maryland state of USA.

Tapas & Wine @ The Butcher's Dog Fine Meats & Deli, Rifle Range Road

Introduced to another fine hangout for tapas and Spanish wine @ The Butcher's Dog in Upper Bukit Timah.

Manmila Nasi Lemak Panas · Kulai Bukit Batu

We don't know how we ended up in Kulai, but here we are 😅

South Buona Vista Braised Duck · 99 Turns Duck Rice will Make its Final Turn on 7 Feb 2024 · 99弯鹵鸭

✍ 5 Dec 2023. Stumbled upon South Buona Vista Braised Duck Rice shop while stalking Desker Road (to write this history article lah). Fancy bumping into an old acquaintance, South Buona Vista Braised Duck in this unlikely place 🤭 Co-incidentally, buddy Nan suggested eating here too as he is also a fan.

Saha KSK Roti Canai Lido @ Johor Jaya Square Jalan Dedap 14 丽都煎饼

This is one of my occasional breakfast places in JB.

It's not going to blow many minds but hey this is simple, comfort staple food, a blessing we can enjoy and appreciate everyday. Nevertheless, this is the favourite roti canai stall of many people in Johor and is one of mine too.

History of Sweet & Sour Pork · Ku Lou Yok 咕嚕肉的歷史

Ku lou yok known as sweet and sour pork in English is a Cantonese food icon found across the world in various versions. Ku lou yok is a flexible dish that can take on many tweaks without losing its authenticity or identity.

Golden Mile Teochew Fishball Noodles 黄金潮州鱼圆面

I wanted to try Golden Mile Teochew Fishball Noodles for a long time. It's either closed or sold out when I was there. So this morning, I got here before 8am and tried to catch it before my next scheduled activity at 11am.

Vietnamese Drip Coffee @ Golden Mile Food Centre Stall #B1-38

One of my pet peeves about early brekky at Golden Mile Food Centre area is, there is no kopi that I like until Kopi More opens at around 11am 🙄

I can't live that long without coffee 😵‍💫

Buddy introduced me to his favourite but after trying a few times, it doesn't have that good morning jolt I need 😬

Ah Sai Pork Rib Prawn Noodle @ Block 10 North Bridge Road

A top Singapore prawn noodle business shared with me their personal, off-work, favourite prawn noodle stall.

It's Ah Sai Pork Rib Prawn Noodle at block 10, North Bridge Road. Needless to say, it greatly piqued my curiosity. We made a dash there at the first opportunity.

Lek Kee Teochew Braised Duck @ People's Park Food Centre 陆记正宗潮州卤鸭

While still eating at Claypot & Cooked Food Kitchen, we were plotting where to eat next week 😂😱 Milton suggested Lek Kee Authentic Teochew Braised Duck.

Dinner & Wine by Lusitano Portuguese Restaurant Singapore · Fascinating Introduction to Portuguese Cuisine

✍️ 25 Nov 2023. It's a very fruitful day for me today at the food & wine pairing, and sharing on Portuguese cuisine organised by the Portuguese embassy in Singapore.

We went home with a full stomach of wonderful Portuguese food and wine, and plenty of delicious food for thought.

It makes me hungry to try more Portuguese food and wine.

Bolonia Spanish All Day Tapas Bar & Restaurant @ Republic Plaza, Singapore

Bolonia is a Spanish restaurant conveniently located at the ground floor of Republic Plaza at Exit D of Raffles MRT station.

Daniu Teochew Seafood Restaurant · Authentic Chaoshan Cuisine in Singapore 大牛潮汕海鲜

We came to Daniu Teochew Seafood because we were recently obsessed with goose and heard that Daniu is one of those rare places to get it in Singapore.

Besides the goose which we enjoyed, we found out that Daniu actually has quite a few other nice Teochew dishes too.

Restaurants from Spain Award 2023 · 16 Certified Ambassadors of Authentic Spanish Cuisine & Wine in Singapore

This year, 16 Spanish restaurants in Singapore received their prestigious Restaurants From Spain award from Her Excellency Mercedes Alonso Frayle, Ambassador of Spain in Singapore.

Jalan Kayu Blanco Prawn Noodle House of the Blanco Court Quartet

I once thought Blanco Court prawn noodle was a trilogy but just found out that it is actually a quartet.

CMJ Kitchen Teochew Restaurant @ R & F Mall in Johor Bahru 潮满记老潮汕饭店

Uncle Bob was excited by the braised goose at CMJ Teochew Restaurant which he stumbled upon on social media. So, we crossed the Causeway to try it 😁

Jalan Sultan Prawn Noodle @ Kallang MRT

I had long wanted to complete the trilogy of prawn noodle that originated from Blanco Court.

I tried the ones at Beach Road, and East Coast Road. This is the third one at Jalan Ayer. (There is a fourth shop at Jalan Kayu, so it is actually trilogy plus one 🤭 )

Their prawn noodle all share the same Blanco Court DNA.

Night of Beef from Spain with Provacuno in Singapore @ UNA Alkaff Mansion 🥩 Irresistible Quality Meat

🇪🇸 14 Nov 2023 🇸🇬 Beef from Spain night was the grand finale of the month long EatSpainDrinkSpain 2023 festivities which ran from 15 Oct to 15 Nov.

Zhen Jie Pork Rib Prawn Noodle @ Mega Food Court Balestier Road 珍姐海鲜大虾面

Uncle Bob stumbled upon Zhen Jie prawn noodle stall which opened at Mega Food Court coffee shop two months ago at Balestier Road. Since I got an unexpected break this morning, I zipped by to give it a try.

Buddy Chua came by too.

Partying & Dinner @ Tapas Club Orchard Central · Spanish Food, Wine & Party Hotspot 💃🕺

I thought it would be a pretty straightforward dinner with my host Antonio at Tapas Club Orchard Central as part of #EatSpainDrinkSpain 2023.

It turned out to be a great party, all spontaneous fun - that's the spirit of Tapas Club and I believe Spain 💃

Breakfast @ Gelang Patah Usop Nasi Kerabu Kampung Ulu Pulai

We were on our way to Pontian from Singapore via Tuas checkpoint. As we got up and going before dawn, we needed a place for breakfast that opens early, serves delicious food and good kopi / teh. This was our first time trying Usop Nasi Kerabu.

Moxie @ Outram Park · Modern Mediterranean Cuisine Hotspot

✍ 12 Nov 2023. Went to Moxie near Outram Park MRT station to meet Jack over a bottle of Gramona Imperial sparkling wine 🥂

TINTO Authentic Spanish Restaurant @ Dempsey 🥘🍷Tapas, Paella & Wines from Spain

Blas invited me to TINTO Spanish Tapas Paella and Wine at Dempsey Park.

La Terre Wine Bar @ 11 Upper Circular Road 🍷 Friendly Port of Call for Wine Novices & Connoisseurs

Down at 11 Upper Circular Road across South Bridge Road north from the touristy riverside restaurants at Boat Quay is a cosy friendly little, unpretentious wine bar known as La Terre.

Parés Baltà Wines & Spanish Cuisine @ LUMBRE CHIJMES · Umami Mia Meets Organic Penedès Wine & Cava

We had a whale of a time last night at LUMBRE @ CHIJMES with Parés Baltà wines and sparkling wines from Spain paired with authentic Spanish cuisine by chef Jordi from Barcelona 🍷🍾🥂💃🕺👏👏👏

This wine pairing dinner was an event of #EatSpainDrinkSpain (15 Oct - 15 Nov 2023).

Redhill Seng Heng Braised Duck Noodle 成興福建面鸭面

Always wanted to try Seng Heng Braised Duck at Redhill but it was elusive as it only opens from 7:30am to 9:30am. Finally got to tick it off the bucket list after getting out of bed before 6am 😅

Stall name: 成興福建面鸭面 Seng Heng Braised Duck Noodles

Address: Blk 85 Redhill Lane, stall #01-28, Singapore 150085 (stall inside Redhill food centre)

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Redhill station

Hours: 7:30am - 9:30am (Thurs & Sun off)

Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao Dumpling · Tourist Favourite Michelin Approved @ Chinatown Food Centre 中国拉面小笼包

I have long been curious about this tourist and Michelin Guide approved Shanghai food stall in Singapore's Chinatown food centre. I never tried it before because I was always put off by the long snaking queue. (They have the longest queue of over 200 food stalls in Chinatown hawker centre now. Longer than Hawker Chan.)

Stall name: Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao 中国拉面小笼包

Address: 335 Smith Street, stall #02-135, Singapore 050335 (stall inside Chinatown Complex Food Centre)

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Maxwell and Chinatown stations

Hours: 11:30 am - 3 pm | 5pm - 8:30 pm (Mon & Tues off)

Gramona Imperial with Yeo Xi Yang Best Sommelier of Singapore @ Convivial Champagne Bar 🍾

I was invited to Convivial Champagne Bar at 11 North Canal Road to taste Gramona Imperial 2015 sparkling Corpinnat from Spain 💃 🍾

Bak Cheng's Granddaughter Opens Bak Kut Teh Stall at Alisan Coffee Shop near KSL

Stalking the area around KSL Mall for good food, I stumbled upon this banner announcing the opening of a Bak Cheng bak kut teh stall.

Stall name: Bak Cheng Bak Kut Teh

Address: 23, Jalan Serigala, Taman Abad, 80250 Johor Bahru, Malaysia (Restoran Alisan coffee shop)

Hours: 9am - 5pm

Essential History of Chitty Melaka Peranakan Indian

"Chitty is 3-in-1. Basically we are Indian, but we have embraced the Chinese, and the Malay culture. The multiracialism is in us." 

Baba Ponnosamy Kalastree, President of the Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association Singapore