Curry & Kimchi Lounge at Puteri Cove Quayside • Indian-Korean Fusion & Good Bar in Johor Bahru 🥂

Curry & Kimchi Lounge | LG2-28, Residensi Teluk Puteri, Jalan Tanjung, Puteri Harbour, 79000 Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia ☏ +6019 778 1987 🕗 3pm - 12 midnight (Mon off)

When I first heard that a Korean-Indian fusion restaurant called Curry & Kimchi Lounge opened in Johor Bahru, my first thought was "can meh?".

Takayama Omakase at OUE Downtown Gallery, Shenton Way Singapore

Takayama | 6A Shenton Way, #01-09/10 OUE Downtown 1, Singapore 068815 🚆 10 minutes walk from Tanjong Pagar station ☎ 9168 2639 🕙 12 noon - 2:30 pm | 7pm - 10:30 pm (Sun & Mon off)

Friends from Thailand visit, we welcome them at Takayama Omakase at OUE Downtown at Shenton Way. 

Khlong Hae HALAL Floating Market in Hatyai Thailand

I had always wanted to visit a floating market since I began to have the opportunity to travel. But, it was always near miss opportunities, until this year at Khlong Hae Floating Market in Hatyai when I am 64 years old and retired 😂

Eating Paddlefish in Haikou Hainan China • Best Fish Soup I Ever Tasted 鸭嘴鱼 大嘴鱼乡 海口

My first time tasting Paddlefish known colloquially in Chinese as 鸭嘴鱼 or duck mouth fish for obvious reasons 🦆

Fujian Hakka Tulou Yunshuiyao Day Trip from Xiamen 南靖福建土楼云水谣旅游区

While we were in Xiamen, we took the opportunity to take a day trip that took us to Fujian Tulou Yunshuiyao 福建土楼云水谣旅游区 in 南靖 Nanjing County west of Zhangzhou (which is west of Xiamen). 

(🎗️This Nanjing County is not the same as Nanjing City in Jiangsu province.) 

GO Unique @ Raffles City • Creative Twists Make Favourite Comfort Dishes Better 有间不一样

GO Unique | 252 North Bridge Rd, B1-12 Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 🚆 City Hall station ☎ 6935 8323 🕚 11am - 9:30pm (close at 10pm on Fri & Sat)

Raffles City is chocked full of interesting, and constantly refreshed mid-range pricing restaurant concepts - it's a destination for adventurous and curious foodies who want to experience new ideas. GO Unique recently opened in Raffles City, so we went to try them (as we have tried and like GO Noodle House in Malaysia and Singapore before). 

Eat First 食之为鲜 @ 287 Geylang • Continuing the Legacy of Sek Wai Sin Eating House Est'd 1968 食为先大饭店

Eat First 食之为鲜 | 287 Geylang Rd, Singapore 389336 ☏ 6443 8434 🕑 11:45 am - 2:30 pm | 5:45pm - 9:30 pm (Mon & Tues off)

Came here at the end of a long busy day, just wanting to have a homely meal and chill a little with buddies in Geylang. 

South Gate Niunan Beef Brisket & Stewed Pork Shop in Haikou Hainan 博爱南129牛腩店 • 钟记南门牛腩店

South Gate Niunan Shop 钟记南门牛腩店 | China, Hai Nan Sheng, Hai Kou Shi, Mei Lan Qu, 博爱南路129号 邮政编码: 570102 ☎ +86 898 3666 4008 🕗 24/7

I requested our obliging Hainan hosts to take us to places locals eat in Haikou, especially where tourists normally won't go 😬

Zao Po Cu Vinegar Hotpot • Must Try in Puqian, Haikou, Hainan 渔家人铺前糟粕醋火锅第一家

Wenchang Hainan is well known to foreigners for their chicken rice, Jia Ji duck, Dong Shan lamb, and He Le crab. Actually, Wenchang has a few other local specialties such as qing pu liang, and bao luo fen noodle. Recently, another dish, zao po cu 糟粕醋 hotpot has been in the limelight and has emerged as another must try dish in Hainan.

Hainan Lao Ba Cha • Old Dad Tea & Coffee Culture 海南老爸茶

Lao ba cha 老爸茶 or literally old dad tea is not a type of tea at all - instead, it is a culture and lifestyle of leisurely enjoying food and drink, as well as the institutions (coffee / tea shops that facilitate Hainan's LBC culture).

Famous Lian Huan Oyster Omelette Pancake at Zhongshan Street in Xiamen 莲欢海蛎煎

莲欢海蛎煎 Lian Huan Oyster Omelette | Zhongshanlu Street, 中山路商圈 Siming District, Xiamen, Fujian, China ☎ +86 592 203 5236 🕗 8am - 10pm

In Xiamen, you will find 海蛎煎 or "fried oyster" stalls everywhere. Most restaurants also have 海蛎煎 the iconic dish on their menu.

Oyster Omelette & Recovery of Taiwan from VOC Dutch East Indies Company in 1662 by Koxinga 鄭成功 • 國姓爺

The Ming dynasty of China (1368 - 1644) fell to the Manchurian Qing dynasty from the north while European seapowers were lodged at China's doorstep. The Portuguese at Macau, the Spanish at Luzon (Philippines) and the Dutch occupied Formosa (today's Taiwan) since 1624.

Kampua Mee Noodle in Zhangzhou, Fujian 原北京路松树干拌面店漳州市

We arrived in Zhangzhou 漳州, the city adjacent west of Xiamen in a cab feeling famished. We were lucky to stumble upon 原北京路松树干拌面店 (literally Original Beijing Road Pine Tree Dry Mix Noodle Shop) within 5 minutes. 

Ginger Duck Must Try Food Icon in Xiamen 姜母鸭厦门特产

During travels, I like to walk and explore the little nooks in the city's old quarters on foot. The old city cores are usually not very big and are eminently walkable. (I am one of those who consider 5km walking "very near" 😄 Don't be like Tony 🤭 )

Sha Cha Mian Satay Noodle of Xiamen 厦门必吃沙茶面

When you come to Xiamen city in Fujian province, you are bound to encounter a noodle dish with a fiery red spicy looking soup known as sha cha mian. It is delicious and unique to Xiamen, so it is definitely worth a try before you leave Xiamen.

Hainan Qing Pu Liang Cooling Dessert & the Lost Nan Yue Kingdom • History of Ching Bo Leung 清補涼历史 • 趙佗神汤

When you are in China's humid tropical Hainan island, you will see a ubiquitous watery sweet dessert known as qing pu liang 清補涼 which literally means cleansing, nourishing, and cooling.

La Pona Nasi Lemak @ Orchard Plaza • Night Owl Fried Chicken Wings, Runny Fried Eggs & Fragrant Rice since 1986

La Pona Snack Bar (Nasi Lemak) | 150 Orchard Road, #04-53 Orchard Plaza, Singapore 238841 🚆 10 minutes walk from Somerset station ☎ 8866 0453 🕛 10:30pm - 4am (Sun pm - Mon am off)

Buddy has been telling us about his favourite nasi lemak joint, La Pona in Orchard Plaza for the longest time.

EatSpainDrinkSpainSG 2024 Closing Night 🇪🇸🇸🇬

🇸🇬 Singapore 15 Oct 2024. The month long Singapore edition of EatSpainDrinkSpain ended with a celebratory bash on 15 Oct 2024 💃

Zhang Ji Shang Hai La Mian Xiao Long Bao in Alexandra Village Hawker Centre 张记上海拉面小笼包

Zhang Ji Shanghai La Mian Xiao Long Bao | Stall #01-56, Alexandra Village Food Centre, Singapore ☎ 9880 6276 🕚 10am - 8pm (Mon & Tues off)

Been wanting to try Chang Ji's Shanghai dishes for a long time and finally made it yesterday. We had xiao long bao, guo tie, and zha jiang mian, and they were all nice.

Sweet Blossom Coffee Roaster in Johor Bahru Wants to Make You the Perfect Brew

Sweet Blossom Coffee Roasters is a popular laid back, chill out cafe in Johor Bahru. 

Imperial Paragon Cuisine • Mind Blowing Crab Fried Rice in Johor Bahru 百麗皇朝 蟹肉炒饭

Imperial Paragon Cuisine | Level 1, Grand Paragon Hotel, 18, Jalan Harimau, Taman Century, 80250 Johor Bahru ☎ +607 338 3588 🕚 11:30 am - 3 pm | 5:30pm - 10 pm | No Pork No Lard

From now on, I will eat fried rice at Imperial Paragon Cuisine.

Enigmatic White Temple of Chiang Rai Thailand • Art to Set You Free

✍15 Oct 2024. Chiang Rai's White Temple, known in Thai as Wat Rong Khun วัดร่องขุ่น​ is one of the northern Thailand province's most visited attractions. 

618 Sim Carrot Cake Yishun Chai Tow Kway • Prawns Take the Cake

618 Sim Carrot Cake | 618 Yishun Ring Road, Singapore 760618 🚆 10 minutes walk from Khatib station 🕙 6:30am - 1pm (Tues off)

Buddy has been raving about 618 Sim fried carrot cake in Yishun. As our tastebuds are somewhat similar, I went down to Yishun to give it a try. 

Frog Tuk Tuk of Trang • Ride Back to 1960s in Vintage Daihatsu Midget

Tuk tuks are found throughout Thailand - these tiny open sided three wheelers are holding their own despite the ubiquitous comfortable air conditioned taxis. 

Tuk tuks are not even cheaper - they do not run on meters and so can actually be more expensive than a modern taxi ride.

Manchego from Isle Grocer @ The Cheese Shop • EatSpainDrinkSpainSG

Visited the Isle Grocer popup at The Cheese Shop at UE Square yesterday. It was a good opportunity for me to taste and learn the finer points about Spanish cheese from Yu Lin and Jose, owners of Isle Grocer.

Koh Ngai Camping Seafood in Trang เกาะไหงแคมป์ปิ้งซีฟู้ด

When we arrived at Koh Ngai Camping Seafood in Trang, it was already dark and it was raining ☔ The restaurant was located along Nang Noi river but we couldn't sit riverside because of the rain. We were full and tired from a whole day of tastings and travelling since dawn.

Wasn't looking forward to the lot of dishes we needed to plough through at Koh Ngai but at the end of the dinner, we all agreed that the food was nice and Koh Ngai Camping Seafood was a good restaurant. We started a bit gloomy but left in high spirits and happy 😄

Lod Chong Singapore in Trang • Thai Style Cendol @ กล้วยทอดจีผัน Jee Phan Fried Bananas

Khun Pook brought us to her favourite lod chong Singapore place in Trang City 🙏

Rolled Ice Cream @ Che Kitchen by 车老板 Toa Payoh • A Rare Artisanal Street Food Treat

Rolled Ice Cream @ Che Kitchen by 车老板 Toa Payoh | 1008A Toa Payoh N, Singapore 318998 ☎ 6513 9032 🕚 10am - 11pm

After our sumptuous lunch of zhi char type dishes at Che Kitchen by 车老板, we were served a round of cheerful, colourful ice cream.

Kuantan Alor Akar Seafood Restaurant • Must Try Zhi Cha in Kuantan 关丹乞丐鸡海鲜饭店

关丹乞丐鸡海鲜饭店 Alor Akar Seafood Restaurant | Lot 7695 & 7696, Jalan Kubang Buaya, Taman Mariana, 25300 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia ☎ +609 568 0720 🕕 4pm - 11:30pm (Mon off)

Speak to anyone about what to eat in Kuantan and chances are they will mention beggar chicken. What they mean is Alor Akar Seafood Restaurant which has beggar chicken as their signature dish.

WINE & PINTXO NIGHT with Tres Monos & Isle Grocer @ The Vault Alkaff Mansion

Attended yet another amazing event lined up under the month long EatSpainDrinkSpainSG festival now on till 15 Oct. 

Hey.. the Spanish trade office and embassy in Singapore did all the hard work, curated F & B establishments and made all the arrangements to showcase Spanish food and drinks at attractive prices, why miss it right? 😄 

There are 34(!) events and we are just over half way through. Which means you are still in good time to join the fun!

Thai Trang Style Breakfast @ Phong Ocha Dim Sum Branch 1 in South Thailand ร้านพงษ์โอชา 1

One of the things I realised from this trip to southern Thailand was this place has great dim sum! Dim sum, of course, is a Guangdong / Hong Kong thing but the Thais have taken the ball and ran with it. 

I mean dim sum here is so creative, innovative, and delicious yet preserves the core tradition of yum cha in its own unique way. Thai style dim sum is a must when you come to south Thailand. 

Md. Zain Cendol @ GIANT Hypermarket Southern City Taman Suria

Md. Zain Cendol | Giant Hypermarket Southern City, Jalan Suria 18, Taman Suria, Johor Bahru ☏ +6017 728 6885 🕘 11am - 9pm

During our dawn till dusk JB food trails, we always have this happy problem of where to chill and let our tummies take a breather between lunch and dinner. We usually go to a mall to walk off some calories, or a cafe to cool our heels. 

Today's trail we popped by at Md. Zain Cendol @GIANT Hypermarket Southern City in Taman Suria. 

Pocha! Korean Street Dining @ JEM • Enjoy Seoul's Hawker Culture in Singapore

Lunch today at Pocha! 

The idea is very simple but hard to resist - bring the street food from Korea's night markets into the comfort of air conditioned shopping malls in Singapore. 

Brilliant. 

Khanom Krok Sweet Dessert Thailand

After our sumptuous lunch on our raft boat house, it was time for dessert and we made khanom krok or coconut pancake. (Also spelt "kanom" without the "h" ). 

Kiat Fang Famous Pork Bun, Roast & Stew Rice • Must Try in Songkhla Old Town พ พฤร้าน เกียดฟั่ง พ พฤ

✍29 Sep 2024. Heard a lot about Songkhla city but visiting it for the first time. It left a deep impression, I love it. I mean cities everywhere are developing very fast with cafes, highways, hotels, condos, popping up but here in Songkhla city, I can still see traces of the old city that reminded me of my childhood in Singapore. 

Spanish Wine Tasting @ CornerStone Wines • An #EatSpainDrinkSpain 2024 Event

Enjoyed and learned about Spanish wines at the Spanish wines night at CornerStone Wines under the auspices of EatSpainDrinkSpainSG 2024 festivities. Since I first joined the EatSpainDrinkSpainSG activities, I looked forward to them every year. 

Raft Boat Sightseeing & Lunch at Ban Nam Rap Mangrove Forest in Trang Province South Thailand บ้านน้ำราบ จ.ตรัง

Touring mangrove forests is one of my favourite travel experiences as I always marvel at the teeming floral and marine life of these forests at tropical river mouths. 

Mikawa Yakitori Japanese Bar Hidden Gem in Siglap

Mikawa Yakitori Bar | 81 Upper East Coast Rd, Singapore 455220 📞 6444 8484 ⏰ 11:45 am - 2:30 pm | 6pm -10:30 pm

Mikawa Yakitori Bar in Siglap has been around since 2015, quietly thriving relying only on traditional word of mouth. It has a low social media profile, a hidden gem in the World Wide Web but has a loyal real world following in Siglap and the east coast. 

You Char Kway near Pelangi Plaza @ Jalan Maju Jaya 現做現賣油条

现做现卖油条 | 39, Jalan Maju, Taman Pelangi, 80400 Johor Bahru (food stall inside Xong Ling Seafood coffee shop) ⏰ 7am - 11am

Whenever I am around Jalan Maju, JB's "newspaper street", I will pop by the corner kopitiam at the far end (opposite Rong Shu Xia Kway Teow Kia).

Thale Noi Lotus Flower Lake Natural Wonder of Phatthalung South Thailand

Talay Noi (also known as Thale Noi) in Phatthalung province in southern Thailand is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. 

World Paella Day in Conjunction with ESDS 2024 @ Next Door Spanish Cafe in Siglap Singapore 🇪🇸

Next Door Spanish Cafe |  699 East Coast Rd, S459061 ☎ 8168 4009 ⏰ 5pm - 11pm (opens at 12 noon on Fri, Sat & Sun)

20th September is the annual World Paella Day and we are celebrating this global event in conjunction with the month long Eat Spain Drink Spain 2024 festivities from 15 Sep to 15 Oct in Singapore. Today, we celebrated paella at Next Door Spanish Cafe in Siglap, Singapore. 

Seaside Breakfast Food Trucks @ Chalathat Beach, Songkhla, Thailand

Food Truck Breakfast | Chalathat, Bo Yang, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand

I am so glad our Thai hosts brought us to this group of food trucks at the carpark at the intersection of Chalathat Road and Thaleluang Road at Chalathat Beach near Songkhla Lake. 

Jae Kee Pak Mor Khanom @ Trang City Municipality Market Thailand • Eat Like a Local ร้าน "เจ๊กี่" ขนมปากหม้อ

Jae Kee Pak Mor Khanom ร้าน "เจ๊กี่" ขนมปากหม้อ | Trang City Municipality Market 📞 +66 66 107 2351 ⏰  6am - 1pm

Khun Pook took us to the Trang City Municipality Market and led us through a maze of little market stalls to a pak mor stall.

Hanare by Takayama Kamameshi Pot Rice • Affordable Luxury @ Ngee Ann City Singapore

Hanare by Takayama | #03-07, Takashimaya Shopping Centre Ngee Ann City 📞 8298 9369 ⏰ 11:30am - 10pm

We met for lunch at Hanare by Takayama at Ngee Ann City. 

Cook Chai Dim Sum 2 by Cook Joss in Hatyai • กุ๊กชัยติ่มซำ2-By Cook Joss

The surprise food find for me from my recent south Thailand trip was.... dim sum 🤔 Thais love their dim sum and they are good at it.

Truth be told, dim sum is not top of my mind when I am in Singapore - good dim sum is expensive, average dim sum are factory made 😅

Rediscover South Thailand Food & Attractions Itinerary • Hatyai Trang Phatthalung Songkhla

We spent a most fascinating five days touring the southern Thailand region, visiting the cities of Hatyai and Songkhla, as well as Phatthalung and Trang provinces. 

Hatyai was the first city in Thailand I ever visited over forty years ago while Trang and Phatthalung were totally new to me. (Come to think of it, Hatyai was the first "international" trip I went on after getting my "international passport".)

ToMo Cafe @ Joo Chiat • A Cool Place to Chill with Tasty Food & Nice Coffee

Buddy showed me a comfortable little place in Joo Chiat to chill with tasty, interesting dishes and nice drinks. 

I came without expectations and left as a friend of ToMo. So good, I want to be back soon! 

ESDS 2024 Eat Spain Drink Spain Singapore • Make Memorable Spanish Gastronomy Experiences in Singapore

Mark your calendars!

The Singapore edition of the month long Eat Spain, Drink Spain (ESDS) 2024 festivities is taking place from 15 Sep to 15 Oct 💃