Dachau Concentration Camp was the first camp that was set up by the Nazis, originally propagandized to keep the socially inappropriate and criminals when it was actually their very first step to eradicate the Jews.  The Dachau Camp served its importance as the rest of the camps that followed modeled after it.  60,0000 people resided here over a period of 12 years, locked by an eerie gate that says “ARBEIT MACHT FREI”, meaning “work makes you free” – which is really an illusion because there was never any freedom except hard labor, inhumane treatment and starvation.      


The camp ground are vast.  The pebbled square was where roll calls were once carried out.

The camp is now a memorial site, with posters, exhibits and monuments that illustrate a terrible piece of German history.

Before you visit the rest of the memorial site, I would recommend to watch the documentary film (available in German, English, French & Italian) first, where it tells you about the history of Dachau where human lives could not be anymore worthless.  The film has narrative breaks, letting the stark black and white pictures do the talking.  The facial expressions of people of bones and skins were hollow with an eternity of darkness; they fought for food, scraping off every bit of crumbs and gravy to survive.  Many died of disease, hunger, torture  and inhumane experiments.

Human experiments involved altitude and hypothermia experiments, where”subjects” were given pilot suits and immersed in cold seawater to mimick a pilot-fallen-at-sea situation.  Tracking machines were attached to them to see which organs collapsed first.  Thirst experiments were carried out as well where they were fed salty water to find out how long humans could survive without water in a sea environment.

Those that died were cremated but when when coal ran out, the bodies were just carried out by the cart, operated by the Jews themselves.  Even the dogs had better treatment as they were part of the army that guarded the Jews.

The memorial site recaps everything you have seen in the film and takes you on a historical tour of the Jews’ footpath through this bizzare camp.  The people arrived, going through the gate that led them to the road of no return.  They rendered everything with their particulars taken down on these score cards.

They were stripped naked, showered and given camp clothing.  The picture above was where the original shower area was, now used for exhibition.

There were a total of 34 barracks, now indicated with a number on the stone foundations.

The first row of barrack including the interior were rebuilt to replicate the living conditions of the camp.

The beds are super cramped it’s like sleeping in a coffin.  The design of the beds could fit about 60 people in the room !

 
The common bathroom and shower area look horrible too.

Two evocative monument and sculpture are so realistically portrayed one would immediate associate with death and hopelessness.  The monument above is found at the roll call square depicting bony bodies sprawled all over.  The sculpture of “Death March” is based on an actual event that happened before the defeat of the Nazis at the end of WWII.  The Nazis wanted to prevent the liberation of the camp by Americans, and forced thousands of people to march south, with many died along the way.

    
A few more memorials are located at the rear of the camp.

More Information
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site Official Website
Address : KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau. Alte Römerstraße 75, D – 85221 Dachau
Tel : +49(0)8131 – 66997 – 0
Opening Hours : Daily 9 am – 5 pm, closed on 24th of Dec.
Admission Fees: 3.50 Euros, inclusive of audio guide.

Getting there (from Munich)
Purchase the XXL Single Day Ticket, it will cover your transportation from Munich – Dachau – Munich, and transportation within Dachau (available from vending machines and counters at train stations).

Once you have reached Dachau train station, bus stops are clearly labeled with direction, so just look for bus 726 to get to Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site.

Buda Castle is located on Castle Hill with mesmerizing views of the Danube River and the cityscape.  There are probably only two places that will give you this beautiful view – on Castle Hill and Gellert Hill.  Buda Hill has a slightly easier access as you can take the bus or the funicular up the hill while Gellert Hill does not.

The view will capture you for a for a few minutes before you start exploring the castle.

The castle’s earliest history dates back to the 13th century but most of the original medieval architectures are in ruins now as result of war and control of foreign power.

The castle that at we see today is in baroque style and it seems a bit too “modern” for an empire with medieval history.  The castle is indeed a rebuilt after WWII as it was badly destroyed.  Not only that, “modernization” was implemented during the rebuilt, where the original designs were not retained and even the interior that was not damaged had a new makeover.

None the less, the castle grounds are still very pretty to walk about with the magnificent Matthias Fountain and the three museums that are now housed inside the castle.  The museums include the National Gallery, National Library and the Budapest History Museum.

More Info
Buda Castle Website
Address : 104 Budapest, Scent Gyorgy ter 2, Hungary.
Getting there : Take the funicular from the chain bridge or take the “Varbusz” (Bus no. 16 and 16 A).

The Szechenyi Chain Bridge spans across the Danube River, connecting Buda and Pest in Hungary.  The majestic bridge is a beautiful sight whether during the day or at night, seemingly guarded by two lion statues.   

We had lunch at Basileuo Salad in Greentown the other day and the simplistic cafe in green oozes fresh energy with a focus on healthy food.  For starters, we had a flamboyant salad where we chose our very own 11 kinds of toppings including   - beet root, enoki mushroom, tomato, carrot, pumpkin seed, wood ear fungus, edamame, pomelo, purple cabbage, black olives, chick peas with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing (RM 17.50). Of course if you don’t fancy too much greens you could always go for the basic one with 5 kinds of topping. The purplish dressing is light, giving the salad just a hint of raspberry that adds a subtle fruitiness to the salad. It’s not oily enough for a  vinaigrette but the combo is so splendid that you won’t even notice the lack of oil.

Broccoli soup looks a bit like mushroom soup because of its brownish color – which is the natural color of broccoli when it has been cooked long enough.  It’s not fully sieved so you still feel the texture of the broccoli flowerets (RM 6).

The smoked salmon on panini(RM 19.50) is a delightful surprise as it’s a bit of east meets west – with the happy marriage of shimeji mushrooms, eggs, salmon, scallion and a sprinkle of shrimp roe.  It is the scallion in particular that consolidated overall flavor.

The chicken ham knus has a spread of mustard sauce that’s subtly acidic and not sweet at all with the added texture from the grainy mustard seeds.  Bread is enjoyably crisp and chewy (RM 9.80).

Our drink is a healthy one too – the Korean aloe vera juice (RM 3).

Basileuo’s Salad Cafe’s interior.

The next time you are opting for a healthy meal, you know where to go !

More Info
Basileuo Salad Facebook
Address : 3, Persiaran Greentown 5, Greentown Business Centre, Ipoh, Perak
Opening Hours : Tues – Sun 11 am – 11 pm.

It is hard to talk about going to Egypt without being completely overwhelmed by the thought of it.  Being one of the world’s oldest civilizations with 5000 years of documented civilization having taken place there, Egypt should be on everyone’s bucket list.  Talking about things to see and things to do could take up an entire book; here is a far smaller list of the major things to absolutely experience when  in Egypt.  With companies like First Choice flying to Egypt throughout the year, getting there shouldn’t be too hard!          

River Cruise

When thinking of Egypt, the glamorous age of the 20s when King Tut’s tomb was discovered comes to mind. But rolling lazily down one of the world’s longest rivers in style isn’t the only reason to do this trip. The Nile has been Egypt’s lifeline since ancient times, and there is no better way to trace Egypt’s history than down the River Nile. Thankfully, you can still sail down the river Nile in a dahabiyya , or even book passage on a steam ship.

Valley of the Kings

From Tutankhamun, to Cleopatra to Ramesses, the kings and queens of ancient Egypt are a fascinating part of history. What’s more, is that they still seem to be making discoveries in this amazing place, and to walk through it would feel like you are walking back through an epoch.

Eating

Egyptian food is rich and varied and surprisingly offers a lot of vegetarian options. With a heavy use of legumes and veggies, Egyptian cuisine consists of a lot of slow roasted stews, soups, dips all expected to be eaten with the best food utensil in the world: bread.

Sand

Yes, sand. Whether it is the golden sands found on the shores of Sharm el-Sheikh or the rolling dunes in a desert safari to the Siwa Oasis, sand is an integral part of Egypt.

Siwa Oasis lies in a fertile basin surrounded by palm and olive trees. Its geographical location has meant that the culture has remained untouched by mainstream culture for centuries, and they have managed to maintain their Berber roots, even after globalisation.

With Sharm el-Sheikh, though the cultural impact may not be as high on your senses, the Egyptian coast offers some of the best diving spots in the world. The Red Sea is known for its underwater visibility and features some of the most beautiful seascapes in the world.

Giza

Indisputably, the pyramids of Giza, paired with the Sphinx are the iconic image of Egypt. Despite the site’s reputation of being overrun with tourists, it should not deter you from visiting one of the world’s most spectacular ancient ruins, and it is the number one must-sees in Egypt.

Hopefully this has aroused your appetite to visit these intriguing lands.

Image by Eugene Regis and Dominic Sayers, used under the Creative Commons license.

**Post is contributed by First Choice.

Fishermen’s Bastion is a fairy-tale-like viewing platform on Castle Hill built in 1905. Named after a guild of fishermen that protected the city during medieval times, it has seven towers, representing the seven Magyar tribes that settled in Hungary in 9th century AD.   

The view of the parliament is undoubtedly the center of attention.  Most part of the terraces is free of charge but a fee is required for entrance into the towers to allow a slightly higher view.  There’s also a cafe if you would like to enjoy a drink over the view.

More Info
Address : Szentharomsag ter, Budapest.
Getting there : take the “Varbusz” (Bus no. 16 and 16 A) that goes around Castle Hill

The Peranakan Museum in Singapore is housed in an elegant 3-storey, colonial building that was the former Tao Nan Chinese School.  From the 10 galleries exhibited in the museum, there is everything you would want to know about the Peranakan culture, from their origins, to religions, to food, to weddings and funeral.    

On the ground floor, there is Gallery 1 with portraits of people of Peranakan origin – all with a big smile and have a little something to say about their unique culture.  The history of Pernakan culture is also extensively elaborated at Gallery 1.

In a nutshell, Peranakans are the descendants of marriage between immigrant Chinese men and Malayan women.  The men are known as “Baba” and women are known as “Nyonya”.  The resulting culture is a fascination fusion of Chinese and Malayan.

Galleries 2-5 are dedicated to Weddings.  The Peranakan Weddings follow predominantly Chinese rituals.  Weddings are mostly match-made and start off with the matching of birthdays, known as “pek ji” written on red paper.  Not only the specific auspicious day and time for the ceremony are chosen based on this, but the ceremonies before the wedding such as “lap chai” and “chiu thau” are also based on this.  Weddings were traditionally a 12-day long celebration but it has been trimmed down to a day now, keeping important rituals like the tea ceremony.

Tea ceremonies occur in the living room.  In this particular living room, it was a fashionable one during its time as it followed the straight line and geometric style that was popular in Europe in the 1920’s.

Before the wedding, the “lap chai” ceremony takes place, where the two families exchange gifts.  The gifts from the groom includes an “ang pow” (red packet with money), fruits, jewelry, clothing for the bride-to-be, wine and pork.  The bride accepts the gifts and a portion of the pork, and in return she prepares something for the groom-to-be, including clothing and the remainder pork.

The night before the wedding, the “chiu thau” ceremony takes place in both the bride and the groom’s family.  The ceremony literally means “combing hair” which is carried out by the parents, signifying the commencement of adulthood.

When it’s time for the bride to meet the groom’s parents officially and pay respects to them, the groom leads a procession to pick up the bride from her house.  The procession is a lovely one with the elaborately dressed bride, red umbrellas, lanterns, page girls, page boys and sometimes up to 50 relatives’ accompaniment.

The bride is often dressed as lavishly as she could, with an ornate headdress, and plenty of gold jewelry.  Sometimes the bride’s family may not have so much gold but they solve this problem by borrowing from the wealthier Peranakan families.

Silverware are used during weddings and special occasions.  The purity and the craftsmanship translate a family’s status.  Alternatives such as brass, beadwork and porcelain are often used as well.

A wedding bed is prepared for the newly-weds.  The bed is stunning with dragon and phoenix that signify unity and auspicious fertility symbols also represent a strong desire in a Peranakn family to continue their line.

The bride other than bringing herself into the groom’s family, she brings dowry with her, and very often in the form of wedding furniture such as mirrors and cupboards.

Continuation of the family name is an important part of Peranakan culture.  In due course, when babies arrive along the way, it is yet another precious event to be celebrated.

Gallery 6 is dedicated to “Nyonya” – where it showcases the daily aspects of Nyoyna ladies.  We get to know the kind of dresses they wore – the gorgeous kebaya, and the splendid beadworks that they make.

Gallery 7 is dedicated to Religion.  Before World War II, the Peranakans typically are Buddhists while also mixing in traditional folklore beliefs and way of life teachings including Confucianism and Taoism.  With foreign influences after the war, many converted to Christians.  Although having embraced Christianity, the Peranakans have not forgotten their traditional Chinese roots, worshiping Jesus Christ on a Chinese-styled altar.

Ancentral worship is a routine ritual practiced by the Peranakans.

The ritual is almost too comprehensive and well-explained to the extent that there is even a funeral setting with a coffin covered in a piece of brilliant cloth.  It was a bit eerie for me because I never expected to see a coffin in a Peranakan Museum and it was a shock too because the setting was so realistic I thought for a second that I walked in on somebody’s funeral!

Gallery 8 illustrates Peranakans’ Public Life through social affairs.

Gallery 9 is the fascinating exhibit of Food & Feasting.  Up to this point, all the rituals and practices are predominantly Chinese but when it comes to food, it is the Nyonya that’s doing the cooking and hence she is the one with the creativity to fuse in local heavier flavors and spices into the food.

For all the sumptuous Nyonya food that are made, equally beautiful porcelain food carriers are used to keep them.  They are brought by the Chinese and thought to first appear in mid 19th century, which coincided with the period of flourishing economy. The carriers have different names like “kam cheng” – a carrier with lid, and “teh kuan” – a cylindrical teapot.

The wealthier families commissioned their own Nyonyaware with a symbol that was uniquely theirs so it could be recognized which ones belongs to which family; sometimes the Nyonyawares were designed with special decorations and uncommon colors, making these the rarest and the most unique.

 I am particularly impressed with this gorgeous set of pink Noynaware that once belonged to Yap Ah Loy – an important man of his time and one of the forefounders  of Kuala Lumpur, who established the mining industry and governed  trading activities.  I am even more impressed that this set is exhibiting in Singapore and not Malaysia.

And lastly, Gallery 10 is the “Conversations” gallery that provide an insight on the future of modern Peranakans.

The Peranakan Museum has a decent amount of exhibits although not as vast as the Peranakan Mansion in Penang.  But in terms of illustrating the Peranakan culture, the Pernakan museum has nailed the important aspects from A-Z, making it the ideal place to familiarize with a new kind of culture.

More Info
Peranakan Museum Official Website
Address: 39 Armenian Street, Singapore 179941

Opening hours: Mon: 1 -7 pm, Tue to Sun: 9 am – 7 pm (to 9 pm on Fridays)
Entrance Fee: SGD 6 for adult, SGD 3 for full-time student and National Serviceman

Ministry of Coffee in Solaris Mont Kiara is located rather discreetly at the rear of the Soho Complex. There is some “rawness” about the outlet with bare cement and bare bricks, while the slab of stainless steel tabletop adds a sense of professionalism.       

The lights hanging from the high ceilings disguised as coffee cups and colorful portraits lighten the atmosphere.

The instruments are in line with the professional look.  The coffee machine is sleek, clean-cut and sexy; while the cold drip and syphon apparatus are posh and sophisticated.

Ministry of Coffee serves Doi Chaang coffee, a single origin Arabica Coffee planted by the indigenous Akha people in Doi Chaang Village from the Northern mountainous regions of Thailand.

I had the Long Black (RM 10.80) which was contained in a transparent glass cup where you could see the two layers of coffee foam and black coffee present themselves in simple geometry.  This coffee is not for the fain-hearted, as it was uber-strong, and ultra bitter on the first sip it was like 10 alarm clocks waking you up in the morning.  But once you acclimatize to the taste, it has a long lasting sweet aftertaste to the extent that 30 minutes after I drank the coffee, I licked my lips unintentionally and I could still taste a hint of coffee; it was like licking coffee off coffee lipstick.

The smoked salmon with eggs Benedict was delectable with a decent portion of salmon and crisp Italian spinach on lightly toasted muffin though the hollandaise sauce was missing in action (RM 25.80).

The drinks of coffee and tea are in the range of RM 6.80 to RM 25.80 but mostly in the range of RM 10 – RM 15.  The menu includes all day brunch, pizza, soup, salad and pasta in the range of RM 13.80 – RM 25.80 while mains are RM 30 and above.

More Info
Ministry of Coffee Facebook
Address : J-G-09, SohoKL, Jalan Solaris, Solaris Mont Kiara, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Mon – Thu, Sun 8.30 am – 11.00 pm.
Fri – Sat 8.30 am – 12.00 am.

Spending a day in Castle Hill gives you an ultimate Budapest experience.  Historical sites, castle, museums, funicular rides, cafes, quaint little houses, underground tunnels and stunning panoramic views are all conveniently accessible with the buses (16 & 16 a) that circulate around the hill.  All you need to do is hop and hop off at your desired location.     The places of interest include : 
1.  Chain Bridge
Crossing the Szechenyi Chain Bridge leads you to the foot of Castle Hill.  The bridge was the first bridge over the Danube River that links Buda and Pest.

2.  Buda Castle

The Buda Castle houses three museums under its wings – the National Gallery, the Budapest History Museum and the National Library – so it’ll be a good hang out place for the art buffs and history buffs.  The castle is a modern one being rebuilt after damages caused in WWII while the old castle ruins in the same vicinity that date back to the 13th century also entails a history of Budapest’s turbulent past.  The chain bridge and St Stephen’s Basilica are best viewed from Buda Castle.

Buda Castle Website
Entrance Fee : No.  Entrance fees apply for the museums.

3.  Fishermen’s Bastion 
The fairy-tale-like Fishermen’s Bastion in white is a viewing platform built in 1905.  On a cloudless sunny day, the blue-white contrast is outstanding.   The Parliament Building is best viewed from here.

Fishermen’s Bastion Website
Entrance Fee : No – for lower part of the viewing platform.
HUF 700  if you are going higher up to the towers.

4.  Holy Trinity Column & Matthias Church

The Holy Trinity Column and the Matthias Church are adjacent to the Fishermen’s Bastion.  The monument was erected in the 1700′s in the hope that it would stop the plague epidemics back then.

The Matthias Church was built in the 14th century and witnessed many historical events of Budapest, including a period when it became a mosque during Turkish occupation.  Many coronations were held here, and two weddings of King Matthias that the church was named after were held here as well.  The architectural style of the church is eclectic as there was a mix of the new and old when the church was refurbished after WWII – an eye catching merge of gothic style and modern orange roof-tiles.

Matthias Church Official Website
Entrance Fee : 1000 HUF per adult (for the church)

5.  Mary Magdalene’s Tower

Mary Magdalene Church was built in the 13th century.  It was the only church that was allowed to remain Christian during the first half of Turkish occupation.  However, it eventually was converted to a mosque like all the other churches.  It was badly destroyed during WWII and has not been restored since then.

Entrance Fee : No

6. Buda Castle Labyrinth

The labyrinth under the Buda Castle is an adventurous wonder that runs about 10 km at length.  The underground caves and tunnels are natural formations and once served as shelter during the war periods.  It is now a cultural place with exhibitions and even wine tours.

Labyrinth Official Website
Entrance Fee : 2000 HUF per adult.

7.  Hospital in the Rock

The Hungarians seemed to have found many good uses for the underground caves and tunnels system – another one of them being a hospital built right within them and hence the name.  The hospital was fully functional from 1939 to 2007.  It went through a series of transformations an in the period of 1962 – 2007, it served as a nuclear bunker and civil defense store as part of contingency plan.

Hospital in the Rock Official Website
Entrance Fee : 3600 HUF per adult.

Here is a quick glance at all the points of interest on Castle Hill, so plan at least half a day if not a full day to walk about this enchanting historical district.

The annual Food Festival in Macau draws more crowd than ever, celebrating the diversity of food in Macau.  It gets even better than that because international restaurateurs are invited to participate in this event, presenting authentic flavors from their home countries.  Last year, it was restaurateurs from Thailand and this year, it’s restaurateurs from Kasai of Japan.      

 
The Food Festival takes place just beneath the enchanting Macau Tower, with hundreds of eateries at your disposal, including many popular restaurants, local “must-eats” and restaurants from posh hotels, all conveniently gathered at one location for you to embark on a gastronomical journey.

To start off with a refreshing drink, we had Kirin beer which is not your typical beer as it is “frozen” Kirin beer.  The beer was of course superbly cold with the white foams all mushy and had the texture of slurpee.

The glutinous rice from Li Jing Xuan of Riviera Hotel became a famous dish when the Chief Executive of Macau requested for this dish – also referred to Chief Executive’s glutinous rice.

The salted fish buns were fluffy with the fusing flavors of salted fish and minced meat.

We tried the trio of chicken, noodles and beef slices from Old Sze Chuan Restaurant – all smothered with numbing and spicy flavors of Sze Chuan.

The skewered mutton was just as fiery.

This Shanghainese restaurant has an amusing name that’s really easy to remember – it’s called “Four Five Six Shanghainese Restaurant” – popular for xiaolongbao.  The xiaolongbao was a bit cold by the time I got to try it because we had to buy it from the stall and walk some distance back to our table, but nonetheless filled with juicy essence from the meat.

For this year’s Food Festival, there is a whole section dedicated to restaurateurs from Kansai of Japan.  With the typical Japanese fish market, the smell of grilled seafood that permeates the air and Japanese pop songs in the background, this section is as Japanese as it can get.

We were spoiled for choices with big, fat and juicy crab legs,

succulent Wagyu beef,

lightly charred seafood, and many more items such as sushi and ramen.

Here is our fantastic dinner spread!

As for dessert, we picked two traditional Macanese desserts – the serradura and the agar agar.

Serradura is also known as “saw dust pudding” and an absolute must-try when you are in Macau.  It is like an upside down cheese cake – with the thinly-shaven cookie crumbs (hence the name “saw dust”) generously sprinkled on top of the pudding instead of compressed at the bottom of the cake.  The pudding is smooth, intensely milky and comes in various flavors like strawberry chestnut. While the cake is commonly seen in Macau, the Serrdura Cafe specializes in this dessert.

The agar agar / ice cream store “Mok Yee kei” has some 80 years of history, with the original store located on Rue do Cunha in Taipa.  We tried two flavors of agar agar – egg white and mango – both with a crumbly texture and feathery light flavor.

On top of trying all kinds of food at the festival, many classic Chinese bakery stores have their booths there – such as Yeng Kei, Koi Kee and Choi Heong Yuen.  It’s the best place to make a comparison, whether it’s in terms of price or flavor.


And lastly, the Macau Food Festival serves a wealth of food  – many which we had no more stomach for, including Indian, Thai, Portugese and South American.  We spent one night at the festival and it was definitely not enough to savor everything so it might be a good idea to be there for two nights or more !

**This post is written in conjunction as part of FAM trip provided by the Macau Government Tourist Office.

More Info
Macau Food Festival Facebook Page
The event is held annually in November.

Coffeeright Place is a quaint little cafe that’s spicing up Jalan Kampar with the skylines of New York – presented in black and white while highlighting some of the buildings in brilliant colors making them lively and lego-like.    

I haven’t had chai latte in a while and it was comforting with an abundance of spices with cinnamon being the dominant flavor (RM 10).

Coffeeright Place is a non hala cafe so yay ! You get pork dishes here ! The black pepper baked rice with pork was heavenly (RM 15)! It looks a bit like omelette actually but in fact it is a lavish topping of melted cheese that forms this luscious golden blanket, covering an extremely peppery piece of pork and caramelized onions that rest on a bed of fried rice.

The price of the items in the cafe may seem pricey at first glance like most boutique cafes in Ipoh, but the portion is decent and the main dish was enough as a complete meal, which is a good thing.  The bad thing is I don’t get to try their delectable looking desserts – especially the adorable macarons.

The items on the menu include nasi lemak, assam curry laksa, all day breakfast, eggs in the range of RM 10 to RM 16.  The drinks of coffee and tea are in the range of RM 5 to RM 15.

Coffeeright place is located at the Jalan Kampar roundabout, opposite MGS girl’s school, on the same row as Yee Fatt curry noodles.  It can be easily missed if you are too busy concentrating on driving at the round about so do look out for it :)

More Info: Non Halal.
Coffeeright Place Facebook
Address : 35 Jalan Kampar, 30250 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : Daily 11 am – 9 pm.

The newly opened Chang Jiang White Coffee Cafe off Jalan Gopeng brings us back to the olden days.  Marbled table tops, giant mirrors and old fashioned panel windows reminisce the typical kopitiam, but at the same time, the cafe is demurely fashionable with Tiffany blue chairs and pink window frames.   The cafe is more than appearance of looking old as there is indeed history with Chang Jiang White Coffee – whereby the Kong family came from China 3 generations ago, landed in Ipoh and started off their business with wantan mee and white coffee  


The old machines that once roasted coffee are displayed at the cafe garden, now serving as only memorabilia as coffee is no longer manually roasted and the task has been overtaken by modern machines.

This particular registration form caught my attention as it says “Republic of China Overseas Chinese Registration Form” – Republic of China (Taiwan) being where I am from.  The registration form was issued in the 1920’s so that’s almost a century old.

This was how business was done in the old days – where rice was purchased by merchants that hold a license.

All things old are displayed at various corners in the cafe – huge abacus, rusty oil lamp, out-dated radio and old-fashioned food carriers.

I had two coffees – the white coffee with milk ( RM 4.20) had a strong scent of charcoal while the white coffee (kosong) (RM 3.50) had an even more powerful charred scent and strangely had a subtle herbal flavor.

Chang Jiang Signature Noodles (RM 8.90) was a feast with substantial toppings on wantan mee including tenderly braised chicken feet, egg, tofu, vegetable, minced chicken with a sprinkle of deep-fried onions.

The meal was simple, given that it’s just really wantan mee and coffee, yet not so simple because of the variety and the abundance of the ingredients used.

If you love the coffee, coffee sachets are available for purchase in the room adjacent to the dining area.

Other items on the menu include snacks such as kaya toast, half-boiled eggs, braised eggs and a rice dish that uses similar toppings as the signature noodles.  Food ranges from RM 5 to RM 9, while drinks and coffee range from RM 3.50 to RM 5.80.

More Info : Pork Free
Chang Jiang White Coffee Facebook
Address: 7, Jalan Windsor, 30250, Ipoh, Perak
Business hour: Daily 9a.m. – 6p.m.

Getting there : Start on Jalan Gopeng, with Impiana Hotel on your right hand side.  The trees on the main road are numbered, when you see a tree numbered with 22, turn left and that is where Chang Jiang Coffee is.

I’ve had the chance to try the contemporary Chinese Restaurant – Le Chinois in Sofitel Macau At Ponte 16 where innovative dim sum is delicately prepared, and classic Chinese dishes come with a twist.       

Le Chinois is sophisticated in red with both common dining area and private dining rooms available.  The private rooms get a panoramic view of Macau’s urban sprawl as well.  We’ve had too many dishes to sample so I am going to start with my top 5 favorite dishes.

1. Kungfu Soup – not the literal meaning of martial arts kungfu, but the other meaning of having put in a painstaking amount of effort into the preparation process – evident in this classic Chinese lotus soup in a dainty teapot.  The key ingredient is the abundance of dried scallops used, making this soup unbelievably sweeter than the average soup.  The teapot keeps the soup hot throughout the meal and drinking out of the tea cup allows you to savor the soup bit by bit.

2.  Braised Winter Melon with Salted Vegetables – this cheeky dish that disguises as the classic braised pork dish is in fact winter melon – refreshingly light, braised to perfect tenderness almost similar to that of meat.

3.  Scallop Siew Mai (MOP 36) – siew mai has never really been my “must-order” item when I eat dim sum.  But when topped with an inviting piece of scallop on top, I am all in for it.  The thoughtful oiled slices of cucumber that cushion the siew mai prevents the awkward wrestle between your chopsticks and the white paper that tends to stick to dim sum.  The cucumber slices are also present in the other dim sum to come.

4.  Crispy Carrot Shaped Chicken Roll (MOP 38) – Shaped liked carrot with Italian parsley disguised as carrot leaves, the rolls have an intriguing mix of flavor & texture.  The orange part is sweet and starchy with a crisp outer layer, encasing a filling of savory minced meat.

5.  Mango Dessert with Birds’ Nest (MOP 36) – the intoxicating scent of mango is to die for and I could die again for the translucent shreds of birds’ nests that adorn the pudding.

6.  Roast Chicken is a typical Chinese dish quite commonly found in Chinese restaurants.  The paper-thin and ultra crisp chicken skin is what makes this one different.

7.  Char Siew & Roast Duck Combo – another beautiful dish with just an adequate amount of grease to make the dish appear all glossy.

8.  Fresh Bamboo Shoots Roll (MOP 28) – a classic dim sum with a twist, where it gets dipped into the superior broth provided for extra flavor.

9.  Xiaolongbao (MOP 38) &  10.  Prawn Dumplings (MOP 38) – always a pleaser.

10. Chee Cheong Fun (MOP 38) – I didn’t get to try this dish actually as there were too many!  But my companions did mention it was silky-smooth.

11. Spring Roll with Kraft Sauce (MOP 38)- an exquisite dish that amazes me with the sound of flawless crackling.

12.  Simple Vegetable Dish (MOP 28).

A few items are not indicated with price as they are off the dim sum menu, but perhaps served at dinner.  Do inquire with Le Chinois if those are the dishes you are interested in.

**This post is written in conjunction with FAM Trip provided by Macau Government Tourist Office.

More Info
Le Chinois Official Website
Address : Rua do V isconde Paco de Arcos, Macao
Tel : +853 8861 0016

Romeo Cafe in Ipoh has an uncommon specialty – tobacco.  IN this clean-cut and no-frills space, tobacco is the main focus, while coffee and pastries complement the cafe.

The cafe carries simple pastries that are good as snacks but too light as a proper meal.

The latte and chicken pie are not too memorable but then both items only cost RM 9.50 – one of the most affordable in town – so it all depends on what you are looking for.

Their niche products on the other hand, look far more impressive than the coffee and pastry.  The shelves displaying fancy cigarette boxes are eye catching – packaged in a way I could mistake them for chocolate. They remind me of Toblerones actually.

It’s a good place for cigar and pipe enthusiasts but please do remember smoking is not good for health so do visit the cafe at your own discretion.

More Info : Halal.
Romeo Cafe Facebook
Address : 123 Jalan Kampar, 30250 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : Mon – Sat 10.30am to 7.30pm.  Sun 12pm to 7pm.

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Twins Korean Restaurant is a a home-style restaurant, being run by what looks like family members.  It is one of the most affordable Korean restaurant in Solaris Mont Kiara and with authentic taste too, just like eating my Korean friend’s mum’s cooking.     

The starter dishes as usual kept us entertained while waiting for food.


The bibim naengmyeon (or spicy mixed buckwheat noodles) (RM 15) took me by surprise because it was the first time I am eating soba in a Korean restaurant and it has a different texture to the Japanese type that I am accustomed to.  It is more chewy, but not as chewy as the chap chae noodles (Korean glass noodles), so it has an in-between texture of chap chae and Japanese soba.

It’s a refreshing cold dish, more like a noodle salad with vinegar & chili dressing.  The ingredients are a clash of all sorts of crunchiness – the solid crunch of carrot sticks, the bursting crunch of cucumber slices, the fluffy crunch from onions, the crisp crunch from raw cabbage shreds and lastly the fruity crunch from the unexpected apple.

There’s something very homey about this fried pork with kimchi (RM 15).  While it has the typical Korean spiciness, it is less salty and less oily than some of the ones I have tried.

The mackerel (RM 15) is grilled to crisp and it too only has the basic seasoning of salt with a sprinkle spring onion and garlic.

The kimchi soup (RM 15) can never go wrong if you start with good kimchi.

Being a restaurant on the ground floor of the happening Solaris Mont Kiara area, Twins Korean Restaurant has unbelievably affordable prices with a good number of food comprising of soups, noodles and barbecue items in the range of RM 15 – RM 20, nett ! Pricier items on the menu include hot pot, seafood and barbecue items in the range of RM40 – RM 50.  .

More Info
Address : Jalan Solaris 4, Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours : Daily 10 am – 10 pm

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The seafood buffet dinner at Rossio, MGM Macau is well known for its scrumptious seafood extravaganza.  Before you even get to the restaurant, the enormous hall that reminisces the ruins of St Paul’s Church with an awesome aquamarine blue aquarium will steal your attention first !

The aquarium looks like a giant vase from afar, but indeed, fish are found swimming in there.

The spread at Rossio is superb and as lavish as possible with a plethora of food of all sorts.  In fact, the variety is so great I could only try the seafood, the Japanese and the desserts and declared myself full.  The seafood spread is luxurious and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw lobsters.

Lots of them ! Some with roes too.

There are lots of everything else too – mussels,

 snow crab legs,

escargot,

and prawns.  Where are the oysters you might ask?

They are placed at the Japanese section, where the chefs shuck them as soon as you place an order.

The desserts are mouth-watering and impossibly delectable gourmet desserts!

This chocolate cake lollipop is rich and moist I had to try so hard to refrain myself from only eating one so I could try the other desserts.

The macarons are unforgettably light and airy whereas the macaron raspberry sandwich has an extra fruity zing.

The Christmas-colored desserts are actually raspberry mousse, fluffy and natural, topped with white chocolate painted in green and adorned with dainty pink little edible pearls.

The fruit tarts are again beautifully presented although the tart base was a bit hard.


I don’t really take ice creams at buffets as I don’t expect any exhilarating moments – but I was wrong and the ice creams blew my mind away because all the ice creams here are made of natural ingredients.  We tried the ginger ice cream – a shocking one actually because I could feel the pungent sensations from true, proper ginger.  The pineapple ice cream is impressive too with the natural sweetness and acidity of pineapples.

Plenty of toppings are available for the ice cream, but for me, I didn’t need them at all as I was content with the amazing ice cream alone.

There was a whole bunch of stuff I simply had no room for : prosciutto,

beef,

fish,

Peking duck,

and various kinds of international cuisine.

The restaurant’s dining area.

 
Rossio offers both lunch and dinner buffers with the following pricing and well worth it especially if you love seafood :

Lunch Buffet                         (Mon – Fri) 12 pm – 3 pm.  MOP 228 per person.
(Sat)             12 pm – 3 pm.  MOP 278 per person.

Seafood Dinner Buffet        (Mon – Sun) 6 pm – 11 pm.  MOP 398 per person.

Sunday Brunch                                            11.30 am – 3 pm.  MOP 468 or MOP 568 per
person with free flow of various types of wine &
sangria.

**This post is written in conjunction with the FAM Trip provided by the Macau Government Tourist Office.

More Info
MGM Macau Official Website
Address : Avenida Dr. Sun Yat Sen, NAPE, Macau
Tel : +853 8802 8888

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Annie Music Dining & Music Cafe is located in the residential area in Ipoh, Bercham.  With oldies music playing in the background, the cafe is a home-styled cafe, eclectic with the murals, Chinese paintings and the family’s living room in the same hall.  While the cafe could have been more refined, the food was surprisingly good.  

The mini tortilla wraps were carefully presented conically, wrapping a spoonful of herbal chicken bolognese with a drizzle of mayonnaise topped with thinly-sliced raw onion.  The lettuce added a contrasting texture to the ensemble.

The cucumber juice (RM 4.80) was a bit unexpected as it came with coarsely chopped cucumbers. It was delightful and full of texture with a zing from the lemon.

The basil seed drink (RM 5.80) was delectable too – like tangy sparkling water with a swirl of fun.

The cafe has some murals but they could have been more refined.

The cafe has beer on the menu so it becomes a bar at night (or during the day if you wish to drink beer in the day !) Perhaps because of that, it has a lingering scent of tobacco in the air, so that might be something to take note of if you don’t like the smell.  Other than that, the menu is actually very affordable with snacks and main courses in the range of RM 5.80 to RM 19.90, while the non-alcoholic beverages are in the range of RM 2.80 to RM 5.80.

More Info : Non Halal
Annie Dining & Music Cafe Facebook Page
Address : 51 Persiaran Bercham Selatan 17, Taman Bercham Jaya, Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 12 pm – 10 pm.

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D Fusion cafe offers a mix of Western and Japanese dishes.  With “fusion” in its name, are the cuisines fused? No – just the fact that two types of cuisines are available.  While there are plenty of Japanese restaurants in Ipoh, D Fusion is the first to offer simple Japanese dishes at affordable prices in a cafe setting.

My seafood ramen (RM 11.90) is topped with copious amount of seaweed – possibly the biggest bunch of seaweed I have seen on top of ramen.  Aesthetically, the seaweed could have been more finely chopped and the amount reduced, but because so much of it is used, the mild soup and the seaweed complete a balanced flavor.

The seafood ingredients are plenty with crab meat sticks, shrimps, egg and the unlikely scallops – something I don’t expect to see when the bowl of noodles is only RM 11.90 nett.

Jasmin tea is RM 2.90.

The restaurant is spacious and basic with some fairly cute wall decorations.  Other items on the menu include burger, steak, lamb chop, fish & chips, pasta, Japanese curry rice, ramen, teppanyaki and snacks, mostly under RM 15.

More Info : Pork Free
D Fusion Facebook
Address : 17 Jalan Medan Ipoh 5, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh, 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opening Hours : 12 pm – 12 am

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The Sao Domingos Market Complex in Macau has a lot to offer for those interested in local food.  It’s located one block away from Senado Square but it is hardly noticed because of the much more spectacular architectures in the vicinity.  However, don’t judge a book by its cover because it is truly off-the-eaten-track and it’s the place that locals eat.   

The market is well organized – clean, air conditioned and every floor has designated vendors – vegetables on the ground floor, fish on the first floor and pork on the second floor, etc.

And voila, as you reach the top floor, it’s food heaven with all kinds of food at your disposal.

We started off with Cafe Seng Kei, famous for his “fusion coffee” – where he brews his coffee in a Chinese claypot commonly used to brew Chinese herbs.

The boss picks up his coffee filter cloth, swirls it a bit,

and pours it into our cups.

The left one is coffee and the right one is milk tea – both are very light in flavor (especially for the Malaysian taste buds) as the portion of milk is much much greater than coffee or tea – so light my friend asked “which one is coffee, which one is tea?” So if you want something heavy, do let the boss know !

Plenty of other drinks are available in other stores as well.

If you are visiting Macau during the colder periods, the mutton & pork hot pot from Chio Kei should warm you up a little ! Quite strange to me that two kinds of meat are mixed together in one pot. The hot pot reminds me of bak kut teh – but this one has an even more herbal flavor to it and it’s a medium-bodied broth.

Pork Chop Buns are popular in Macau – and you really don’t have to eat it from the famous Tai Lei Loi Kei.  I actually like this one from Jen Kei better than the one from Tai Lei Loi Kei Venetian Hotel branch, and at half the price.

The pork slice here is boneless, pan-fried with browned edges ; and the bread is warm, fluffy, lightly toasted and it is the piece of melted aromatic butter that ties the ensemble together.

Jen Kei has noodles too – this one is sweet and sour.  It didn’t wow me, but it’s satisfactory.

Getting to the Market Complex is not too difficult.  Get to Senado Square, walk pass the fountain and look for Sasa which should be on your right.  Rua Norte Do Mercado De S. Domingos is the lane on the left hand side that leads to the building.

The lane leads to the back of the building and take the escalators up to the top floor and you will find yourself in food heaven.

**This post is written in conjunction with FAM trip provided by Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO)

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“Pawning” is an integral part of Macau’s cultural history which dates back to the Qing Dynasty period.  Macau was blessed as it was never involved in wars and it was the place where the mainland Chinese sought refuge during the Sino-Japanese War (1938 – 1945). It was about the same time that pawn shops started to flourish as refugees traded in their valuables in exchange for cash, and the Macanese frequented pawn shops during this period of economic decline.  The “Tak Seng On” Pawn Shop was established in 1917 and it is one of the oldest in Macau. Todaythe refurbished pawn shop is a museum, exhibiting the traditional ways of doing pawn business through skillfully crafted artifacts.

 The very first thing that you see as you step into the museum is an enormous piece of red board that’s even taller than me – it’s meant to be that way because in Chinese culture, pawning is something shameful and has to be done as discreetly as possible.  The counter is on an elevated platform so the customer would need to look up to the shopkeeper while discussing the item to be pawned – done again on purpose because it immediately creates a sense of inferiority so the shopkeeper can bargain the items for a lower price, which is where profit is made.

Terms & conditions & operating hours are stated on the walls.

The value of the item determines whether the customer is allowed further into the shop.  If the item is fairly valuable, the first wooden door opens and they discuss the pawning details there.  If the item is very valuable, both the wooden door and metal door opens and the customer is let into the counter area, like VIP banking service.

The working tools on the shopkeeper’s counter include abacus, chops,  pawn tickets, registration books and calenders.  Most of the shopkeeper work in the pawn industry for life as they need to be specifically trained to use unique terminologies only the the insiders would know, including dates and months.

When the shopkeeper accepts an item, he will downgrade it in his records.  For example, he accepts a gold watch, but in his records, he will enter “spoilt watch” because perhaps the customer might only  obtain it back in three years time and by then, the watch is indeed spoiled.  If you notice, the registration book and the pawn ticket have only half the chop.  The two halves need to match when a customer would like to obtain his item  back and it’s also a way of preventing fraud.

Some of the pawn tickets on display with illegible calligraphy almost look like written charms.

The pawn tickets are printed from these hand-crafted molds and stamps which are no longer manufactured.

Once the item is received, it is packed on the long table and stowed away.

The storage area at the rear is elevated to take caution for flood.  The front section and the storage area are separated by a lane as the storage needs a reinforced design, usually built with extremely thick and solid stones.  ”

The writings on the wall says “The key are kept at a separate location daily” to warn anyone that tries to break in.  The keys are exchanged amongst different pawn shops to ensure safety, so one shop would guard another’s set of keys.  The location that the keys goes to is only know 1 hour before closing.  Neither does the boss knows where the keys go so it’s no use kidnapping the boss.

Precious items were stored in wooden or metal safes.  It’s the wooden safe that’s the safest because it requires three different keys to open the safe.

Not too precious items were stored unlocked on the shelves on the higher floors.

The majority of structure is made with wood, without one single piece of nail if you notice.  Pest control was taken into consideration by having a cement block that holds a bit of water and that would prevent any pests from eating the wood.

Lastly, there are more things you could pawn than you imagine in the traditional pawn shops – you could pawn your child.  It’s not literally pawning your child for money, but it’s a ritual where the child is taken to the top floor of the storage room and brought down again to make prayers to the god worshiped underneath the table for blessing.  It represents that the child has gone through the process of pawning which signifies hardship, and therefore the child will be more appreciative in life and easier to raise.

The museum is really small – you could finish looking around in 5 -10 minutes if you don’t read any of the provided information.  It would be much more valuable if you spend an extra 15 minutes or so, reading the information and understanding the stories behind this traditional pawn shop.

**This post is written in conjunction with the FAM Trip provided by the Macau Government Tourist Office.

More Info
Website : http://www.macaumuseum.gov.mo
Address : Av. Almeida Ribeiro No. 396
Opening Hours 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.(Closed on the first Monday of every month) Admission : MOP 5.00
Tel : (853) 2835 7911
Getting there by bus : 2, 3, 3A, 5, 6A, 7, 10, 10A, 11, 18, 21A, 26A, 33, N1B, N3

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