Botin, Madrid – The World’s Oldest Restaurant
Impulsive as I am, I decided to make a spontaneous trip to Madrid and within 24 hours I had procured a return high-speed train ticket from Barcelona and a disgustingly cheap 4-star hotel smack-bang along the Gran Via in Madrid. In between frantic Facebook messaging and trans-Mediterranean SOS's to friends asking them for last minute tips on what to see, eat and do in Madrid it was my mum who told me about Botin through a 3-page text message that sparked my curiosity. While in Madrid, I was to rendezvous with a good friend of mine from Sydney, and on our ...
Durian – The King of Fruits
My favourite fruit of all time is hands down the Durian - or as it is commonly known in South East Asia, 'The King of Fruits'. The word Duri comes from the Malay word which means thorn, and the -an is the suffix for the Malay word Durian. For those who are curious, Durian is scientifically known as durio zibenthis. Yes, I looked this up on Google out of sheer curiosity on my part! If it were up to me, I would re-classify Durians and place them in the gourmet dessert category instead. [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Clusters of Durian - ...
Sandakan Curry House
On a short stopover in Sandakan on our way back to Kota Kinabalu after a week in the jungle, we demanded to be taken to a local restaurant. Our guide dropped us off at an establishment called Sandakan Curry House, located on the outskirts of town. Sandakan is a port town on the east coast of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, and is famous for its seafood. This restaurant is apparently a big hit with the locals, so we happily went along with it. We got some stares as we walked in, the locals a bit bemused at the sight of a ...
Kedai Kopi Chuan Hin (Stingray Restaurant)
Kedai Kopi is a Malay word that translates to Coffee Shop. In Malaysia, these Kedai Kopi do not necessarily specialise in the sale of coffee - most of them actually serve full meals, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. The name Chuan Hin belongs to the Chinese owners of the establishment - so it basically means Chuan Hin's Coffee Shop. Kedai Kopi is a loose term and can be anything from cafe to restaurant. When you arrive at this restaurant, you have to go out the back to pick out your own slice(s) of stingray! The stingray here is always fresh ...
Snake Heart
Naturally when in Hanoi we sought out the weird and wonderful for each and every meal. When we heard of a "Snake Village" called Le Mat on the outskirts of town we quickly decided that this was worth further investigation. After a quick taxi ride over the river we arrived to find a suburban area with very little sign of action. Luckily there were plenty of local hawkers eager to take us to their "friends" house where we could enjoy a meal of snake. The man jumped on his bike and rode off to a local house to negotiate what kind ...
Betel (Areca) Nuts
The Malaysian holiday experience is not complete with a trip down to the local pasar or produce markets to acquire some traditional narcotics. The thought of a quick and cheap high made Otto jump at the chance to try some Betel Nuts. We were at a small town in Sabah called Sipitang where my father grew up and still lives in. So one fine morning after a hefty breakfast at the local coffee-shop, we took to the pasar for Otto's first (and last) Betel Nut experience. The Betel Nut is from the Areca Palm, and is actually called an Areca Nut. ...
More Featured Posts
Botin, Madrid – The World’s Oldest Restaurant
Impulsive as I am, I decided to make a spontaneous trip to Madrid and within 24 hours I had procured a return high-speed train ticket from Barcelona and a disgustingly cheap 4-star hotel smack-bang along the Gran Via in Madrid. In between frantic Facebook messaging and trans-Mediterranean SOS’s to friends asking them for last minute tips on what to see, eat and do in Madrid it was my mum who... [Read more]
Durian – The King of Fruits
My favourite fruit of all time is hands down the Durian – or as it is commonly known in South East Asia, ‘The King of Fruits’. The word Duri comes from the Malay word which means thorn, and the -an is the suffix for the Malay word Durian. For those who are curious, Durian is scientifically known as durio zibenthis. Yes, I looked this up on Google out of sheer curiosity on my part!... [Read more]
Sandakan Curry House
On a short stopover in Sandakan on our way back to Kota Kinabalu after a week in the jungle, we demanded to be taken to a local restaurant. Our guide dropped us off at an establishment called Sandakan Curry House, located on the outskirts of town. Sandakan is a port town on the east coast of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, and is famous for its seafood. This restaurant is apparently a big hit with the locals,... [Read more]
Kedai Kopi Chuan Hin (Stingray Restaurant)
Kedai Kopi is a Malay word that translates to Coffee Shop. In Malaysia, these Kedai Kopi do not necessarily specialise in the sale of coffee – most of them actually serve full meals, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. The name Chuan Hin belongs to the Chinese owners of the establishment – so it basically means Chuan Hin’s Coffee Shop. Kedai Kopi is a loose term and can be anything... [Read more]
Snake Heart
Naturally when in Hanoi we sought out the weird and wonderful for each and every meal. When we heard of a “Snake Village” called Le Mat on the outskirts of town we quickly decided that this was worth further investigation. After a quick taxi ride over the river we arrived to find a suburban area with very little sign of action. Luckily there were plenty of local hawkers eager to take us... [Read more]