Seremban Chinese Rojak, Mambau Khek Yong Tau Foo - 1ST SEPT 2011

Started our journey later today as both destinations were nearby. Decided to eat breakfast at Seremban Central Market, Rocker57's favourite Loh Si Fun Kon-Lor (aka mouse tail noodles dried version). This renowned outlet has made their bucks, they were closed while others were having brisk business....sigh.
We ordered our favourite Hakka Mee. This stall's noodles are more springy and tastier than his brother's stall which is adjacent to Maybank. Will blog more of the noodle when I next visit this stall. We waited for closed to 25 mins, yet our meals were not served while the table next to ours was served- FYI orders taken at the same time!! We downed our black coffee and went in search for alternative. Wanted to savor the Sotong mee hoon but they were sold out at 9+am!! Hmmm...these owners need to re-think of their demand vs supply strategy :)
We ended up with this :

The Rojak Stall

ROJAK!! As the name denotes, a plate of mixed ingredients. In this instance, this plate of rojak has two/three kinds of some form of fried fritters made from flour & etc, blanched beansprouts, fresh dose of Julienne turnips, small pieces of tofu and a generous spread of sweet and sour peanut gravy. You can also order it with noodles - yellow noodle/Mee. 
Having traveled across entire East & West Malaysia (most major towns in all 14 states and almost all of southern region), I have yet to taste anything similar to that I've tasted in Seremban. It's unique blend of peanut sweet and sour gravy is simply appetizing & addictive!! After an initial bite, you'll dig in wanting more!!! Believe me.... ;)

Sumptuous plate of Rojak

Prior to the trip, Rocker57 has fore-warned me to eat small portions as we were on an eating spree. So off we went towards Port Dickson (PD). Instead of the highway, we took the trunk road via Mambau/Sendayan/Lukut/PD. We couldn't resist stopping by the MAMBAU KHEK YONG TAU FU stall which is located on the left just after you pass the roundabout. You can't miss it, the signage alone will stop you on your tracks!!

MAMBAU KHEK YONG TAU FU

It has been more than 9 years since we last ate here after we've moved to USJ. I find that the taste is not the same and then realised that the proprietors are not the same! This bunch is younger!! The fillings are lesser, less meaty (in case you didn't know, apparently Hakka/Khek Yong Tau Fu has pork meat inside as opposed to the other kinds of YTF which I was told by a Hakka YTF seller some years ago). Anyways, the soup was light but not much of a flavor. If you should notice by now, again this mindless blogger forgot to take pictures for the blog until reminded by Rocker57...sigh...pretty soon I'll be blogging with bones or left-overs!
The ride to PD was pretty smooth. Along the main road to PD, in Lukut town; Rocker57 showed me where he & his bikers gang had Bak Kut Teh on their recent Sunday ride. We will eat there in our next trip as we've had two meals and it was before NOON!!
The stretched from PD town to Eagle Ranch was arduous. Heavy traffic with loads of vacationers. Rode to PD on few weekends but THIS was the first time we witnessed PD coming ALIVE!!! Sadly, apart from the beach, there isn't any other attractions in PD and has been the same since I was young, apart from the mushrooming of resorts & condos, i.e. 

Eagle Ranch Resort Reception

We checked out Eagle Ranch Resort - more so for my gals night out with former school-mates this coming December. I visited Eagle Ranch back in mid 2000 when they first started. A lot has changed since. They have added more facilities and are always fully booked on weekends for company/institutional functions as well as vacationers. Aiyaaaa...this place not appropriate for 'young gals' who's main intention is to chat, eat, chat and yak all day....next destination please....

For the 2 hours or so we were there, I felt transported into the cowboys & red indians days...,,,Yeee Haaa...bang, bang....& 'one more shot of whiskey pluz'....and you know what? I think I can still hear the ivory keys playing....oops, that's in my mind...hehehhe... Oh...I think I hear Clint Eastwood's boots and spurs...and I think I caught a glimpse of Lone Ranger's horse doing a high 5 at Eagle Ranch. And if you focus deeper...you can actually hear the last Mohicans shouting... "GERONIMO" .......
HEY you...stop playing with my mind!!  "BANG- BANG"

MELAKA - 30TH AUGUST 2011

With the new side carriages, it makes traveling much easier. It was the first day of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri / Eid Mubarak. The sky was gloomy, so  we packed our rain gears - just in case. We headed south at 7.15am. Stopped at our favourite laksa shop in Senawang, Seremban - Restoran Asia Laksa. The place was packed with vacationers as well as locals alike. It was chaotic as some weren't aware that orders had to placed in writing as opposed to previously whereby we just place our orders with the cook. Our orders came more than half hour later, likewise, order of drinks had to be reminded (twice) before we could get our cuppa.

We ordered the laksa and the dried version - me the latter (cutting down on the coconut milk/santan plus I haven't tasted the dried version for awhile now). My noodles, "Loh Si Fun" literally translated from the Cantonese dialect - "mouse noodles' as the noodles resembles the mouse's tail (fatter version i.e.) was cooked just right. The noodle was springy, soft yet full of flavor (dark soy sauce & ample dose of curry). Simply delicious! The stewed slices of pork meat was sweet, tasty and goes well with the generous portion of minced stewed pork. Ahhhh...just blogging about it makes me salivate...

Left : dry version, right : Asia Laksa

The sambal chili sauce complements the entire two versions very well. I like the laksa here as the laksa is aromatic, full texture and creamy, unlike those in klang valley that are diluted or lack of flavors. The laksa comes with half portion of a hard boiled egg, fried dried tofu puffs which is soft and full of laksa flavor as the tofu is left floating & soaking in laksa gravy before it's dished out to be served. It is served together with beansprouts, chicken curry is optional.

Next, we vroom-vroom to Melaka. It was only 10am, so we visited the famous Hang Li Po well. For me, been there numerous times but first for Rocker57. A sad sight, as the signage was vandalised and left on the ground. There were many tourists when we were there. Slight drizzle of rain sent us riding to Mahkota Parade for shelter.

Hang Li Poh Well in Melaka (next to Bukit China)

We met up with my former colleague and her family for a cuppa & chat at Starbucks. Later, they came to check out ZacBoy :)   The two teenagers were in awe with the mean machine.
We proceeded to Nadeje in Melaka Raya for my favourite and best tasting mille crepe cake I've tasted so far. Again, have eaten this a few times but first for Rocker57. The place was sardine-packed. Due to the crowd, only our cake arrived minus the cuppa & water. 

Nadeje double chocolate crepe cake - mouth watering tasty!!

So, we paid for the cake - RM9.50 for this piece which costs RM10.50 in Empire Gallery Subang. If you have tried both, you will know which tastes better ;) but then again, one man's meat is another man's poison, so you go figure. Original Mille Crepe cake retails at RM9, just so you are kept in the loop. Comes in various flavors - mango, mocha, tiramisu, etc.
We left to savour the famous Jonker Walk ABC aka Air Batu Campur (literally translated from Bahasa Melayu "water stone mix!!) Incidentally, the same dessert is named Ice Kacang in Penang! So now you know, ya. But it's simply a concoction of our local dessert of shaved ice with jelly, peanuts, red beans, cendol, attap chee, green & red grenadine & santan. However, it was not meant to be, the crowd was lined all the way to the main road!! Thanks to Lonely Planet, internet and Google...now everybody knows where to 'pig out'
So, we headed to a less crowded venue. Our favourite Taiwan Noodles! Home made noodles (shaped like fettuccine) served with deep fried pork ribs. The gravy is the family's guarded secret. The mother (she's a Taiwanese married to a local hence the name, get it??) has since stopped cooking and handed her renowned recipe & cooking to her two sons. We were fortunate to get seats as it was also crowded. Despite the crowd, service was prompt. The fried pork was crispy, lightly coated and well marinated. Serving is small but priced at Klang Valley standard. For two cans of 100 plus and two small bowls of pork ribs noodles, we paid RM12. 

Seriously, worth every bite simply because I've yet to taste anything similar to this anywhere else in Malaysia. If you readers have suggestions or know of any place to eat crepe cakes, Asia laksa or Taiwan noodle, please drop your comment. I'll make an attempt to drop by these venues.
For the record, the weather was remarkable! Cloudy entire day - superb for bikers!

JULY 22, IPOH (2D/1N) TRIP ON ZACBOY

This blog is not so much of our ride to Ipoh. I had forgotten to blog about it upon our return but I seriously wanted to write about it, more so because of the hotel that we stayed in when we were there. Most of the time, Rocker57 will booked us at Heritage Hotel, but this time as we will be meeting his biking 'kakis' in the evening, so we decided to stay at the same hotel where these bikers used to stay - Ritz Garden Hotel, a frisbee/ boomerang throw away from the police station! Psst...if you wish to stay here, stay at the new block...check below to find out why. We were unfortunately placed at the older block which again, will be our first and last time.
I met for the first time Rocker57's biking mates - Mervyn, Kumar and Karuna. Meryn rides a tracker (similar to a dirt /mountain bike but this has dual purpose, both on the road & mountain). Kumar vrooms on a Vulcan (NOooo...not the one from Star Trek...this is a motorbike, duh!!) while Karuna speeds on a Kawasaki Versys. I don't fancy this bike because it is naked!! (NOooo...not literally obviously), but because it doesn't have a fairing...ahem, fairing I've learned is the covering that embodies the bike... I love bikes with fairing...makes them looked 'dressed' and has the "you complete me' look :)   FYI, I also do not fancy the tracker....looks like a toy, to me!! Doesn't give me the Vroooooom power look.
We met at 6pm for dinner, gathered at the lobby (Rocker57, Mervyn, Kumar & I) while we waited for local biker Karuna to join us. We decided to eat at the famous LOU WONG chicken & beansprout restaurant which was a mere 15 mins walk from the hotel. It's actually ten minutes, but because of my short stretch (you do know that I'm vertically challenged, don't you?) all the guys had to back tracked just so I could stay intact with the group!! Hehehehe....chivalry is still ALIVE!!!

Bowl of noodles, chicken & beansprout

I like Ipoh beans sprouts. They look just like me!! Short, crunchy & succulent!! (the former is akin to me, the rest...well, you'll have to kill & cook me first to find out if I'm crunchy & succulent!). The chicken was steamed cooked just right with a generous splash of soy sauce, a few good sprinkle of pulverized pepper, a few dashes of sesame oil & dressed with spring onions & slice red chilli for decor. The noodle soup is simple yet tasty to the last drop. The noodles are smooth, soft yet springy to the bite. It is rumoured that the spring waters in Ipoh makes the beansprouts and noodles tastier than others. Hmmmm....and the gals in Ipoh have great complexion too, haven't you noticed already??? If not, please go check them out!!! Don't say I didn't tell you, ya.

After dinner, we adjourned to Euro pub (same owner with Ritz Gdn) for a pint each. Then, we went back to the new Ritz Garden apartment block for our second pint. It was here that I saw the stark difference, the old vs the new. The new block has a pool with a bar, a snooker table & a miniature cinema!! Yes, a cinema that can seat about 30 pax, I think. Cool isn't it? I thought it is and even took pix for you as proof, hehehehe...

Pool table. Cinema door is btwn posters in the middle!

Who would have thought a hotel in Ipoh to incorporate this inside its hotel. Genius. To enter? Simple, just scan your room card & it is FREE!!!

I also took a pix of the gang for this blog. And yes, I had permission to post it. Until the next blog, stay happy and live life full!

From  Left : Mervyn, Karuna, Rocker57 & Kumar

               

Ritz Gdn Cinema!!

PENANG & CAMERON HIGHLANDS (PART 4)

Up and about early in the morning. At 6am, breakfast wasn't ready to be served, but the hotel staff gave us bread, coffee & cereals. As we were ready to leave, the mee goreng was served. We had a small serving (shared), it was tasty. Unfortunately, we were already stuffed with bread, jam & butter.
We took an 'uncharted route' home. We heard that a lot of bikers used this trek that leads to Raub, Pahang. Head towards Tanah Rata then turn left at the Shell petrol station. And you are off to a long and quiet road towards Kpg Kolok ( I think). This stretch is very secluded, long and scarily lonely. It is half hour or so before one can see any vehicle...sort of reminded me of my drive from Davenport to Bicheno in Tasmania earlier this year. I like the ride, so quiet you can hear yourself think. It was secondary jungle/rain forest all the way. And then, all of a sudden...I saw this :

Awesome....clouds beneath me

To stand there to witness it..priceless

 It was surreal to witness this awesome panoramic view. Never thought I could sight something so beautiful here in Peninsular Malaysia. We stopped for a while to soak in the sight, the fresh air and the dead silence of the place except for the insects' noises. It was enchanting! Despite the long, scary & lonely ride, this site makes the entire trip worth every Ringgit! 
And then, we continued the journey. It seems to me like we'll not see civilization for a long time yet...it was almost an hour of ride and all of a sudden....I see palm trees...ahhh!! YAAAAY!!! Alas, it was a short lived YAY!...Another 20mins of ride alongside oil palm plantation before we reach a kampong/village!! Phew! My heart started to beat again, finally!! All along the long stretch, I could only pray that ZacBoy doesn't get a nail or fail on us, else....
And then....OMG, another 26km to Raub!!(If I remember correctly) Boy, makes one wonder, "hey, when can I really, really reach home?". We stopped at the famous curry fish head restaurant in Raub for our 2nd breakfast. We had 2 plain roti canai and two black coffee. 
Raub brings back special memories to Rocker57 and I. Rocker57 was to have been transferred here end of 1984. It was also a decision for us to get 'hitched' so that we can live legitimately as hubby & wife (back in those days, tongues will wag if couples lived together without being married). So, Raub sealed our fate...and the rest they say is history.....
Incidentally, if you must know (for I know....curiosity kills the cat...now, don't go on a suicide act, please don't!!....) I will tell you, I will tell you and bare all....After we got registered, we weren't transferred. There was a resignation and Rocker7 was asked to remain status quo in Seremban! Now, that resignation saved our day and changed the course of our history. Or else...perhaps, I would have made Raub my home....who knows....who knows.....NAH!!! I don't think sooooo.....ehhehehehhe...