My gluttony and travel adventures!

Kaya – coconut jam : which do you prefer – lumpy or smooth?

I’m a lover of kaya (coconut jam) and as with all the food I consume, I’m anal about getting the best (according to my palate) texture and taste. Or at the very least it has to be to my liking.

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Elegantology Gallery & Restaurant, Publika: Dinner Degustation Menu

I have always had high regards for Chef Johnny Fua and Sherson Lian. Both are one of the few local chefs that I truly respect. One is rather temperamental and cheeky while the other is endearing and cheeky.
I’ll leave it to you to figure out which is which

My previous dining experiences by Chef Johnny were at Upper Deck at GTower and another time during the launch of the Great Dinners of The World. After that I was honoured to be a guest of the Great Dinners of the World Appreciation Party where I met all 4 chefs again and had a superb dinner.

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Mikan Japanese Cuisine – Damansara Perdana

I have learnt to manage expectations and adjusted my palate accordingly for Japanese food here in Malaysia. I have learnt to accept that the wonderful cuisine of Japan would somehow not match those of what I had sampled in Japan or even some of our neighboring countries.

In fact, even a franchise ramen joint like Ippudo fell out of favour for me when compared to its sister outlet in Singapore, so don’t get me started about ramen in Japan.

Now, with these expectations in check, I still can somewhat enjoy Japanese food in KL. I have not been to many or all of them; that much I admit so who knows what future Japanese food hunts or new Japanese joints might offer?
And with that in mind, I remain hopeful that one day I won’t have to make my annual Japan pilgrimage for my Japanese food fix.

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Shopping in Busan, Korea: Busanjin Market, Seomyeon, Gwangbok-dong Culture and Fashion Street

Frankly for the average wage-earners Malaysians everything in Japan or Korea is expensive. That lies true for food, produce, products and transportation as well as accommodation.
While I agree that Korean fashion can be rather trendy (ahem, taste is subjective) & chic and not just frills and lace (though there were plenty of that as well), it was by no means cheap or affordable.

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Going cultural in Busan – Haedong Yonggungsa Temple and Gamcheon Cultural Village

Like every traveler I learnt and discover about its ingrained culture in every country that I set foot upon. Korea is no different. While Seoul the ever popular tourist destination gets the limelight with its grand palaces and iconic shopping districts, Busan the 2nd largest city in Korea has its own charms and notable landmarks.

Since it was a media familiarisation trip, we had to cover some touristy destinations but it was easy to see why they are an attraction.

First is the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple right at the cliffs of  beach. Half of its charm and mystic lies in its location, a serene and scholarly temple perched on top of jutting rocks facing the merciless strong waves.

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Japan 2012: Day 5 – Ikebukuro : Sightseeing and Shopping time!

From Asakusa area (where I started my Japan adventure), I picked up some bearings of Japan along the way as I mixed with my friends in my Sakura Hostel.

As you know, my first and second day were quite alright as I had Thomas and Chong to show me around. Though still a bit lost, I eventually got a hang of the subways and areas in Tokyo.

By the 5th day, I had to move out of Asakusa to Ikebukuro since I managed to get myself a discounted ticket on the famous overnight bus; the Willer Express to Osaka. As usual the bus ticket booking was last minute, but it turned out well as it got me qualified for a discounted ticket to Osaka
The bus station at Sunshine City is nearby, so I figured that I might as well uproot myself from the Asakusa area and force myself to explore other areas of Tokyo.

My train ride from Asaskusa to Ikebukuro cost me 230 Yen – RM9.20.

Lugging around my huge heavy 15kg luggage in the subway is no joke. Well, that’s solo travel for you.
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