Bon Ga Korean Restaurant offers a decent range of Korean classics including BBQ, noodles, soups and a bit of seafood as well.  The barbecue here is done on electric grill that’s super convenient and saves you the jolt as the waiter no longer needs to bring a hot pot of scorching coal or take the pot away at the end of the meal.   

7 starter dishes are served including 2 less typically seen dishes such as mini kimchi pancakes and braised black beans with soy sauce.  I like the black beans – it takes time to make this dish as the beans need to soften, the soy sauce needs to reduce and caramelize correctly with added sugar – forming a sweet & savory dish that goes so well with rice with every pop.

I find ordering barbecue at Bon Ga very flexible because they don’t make it compulsory to order a minimum of two barbecue items as some of the Korean restaurants do.

The electric grill is sleek and you don’t feel too much heat from it even if you are sitting right in front of it.  The fresh pork belly (RM 29) has some beautiful golden grill marks, making them a tad crusty.

The soon doo boo chigae (RM 25)  has a flavorsome seafood taste and plenty of tofu, but could do better with a punch.

The restaurant’s simple interior space.

More Info
Address : No 2-2-2, 3A-2 Block E, Jalan Solaris 3, Mont Kiara, 50480 KL, Malaysia
Tel : +603 6204 0012
Opening Hours : 12 pm – 10 pm.

The post Bon Ga Korean Restaurant @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

The Departure Lounge Cafe may excite travelholics when coffee comes with wide range of travel books from Lonely Planet to Insight Guides; the collection is actually better than your neighborhood bookstore!      

The unordinary menu is essentially a departure board where names of coffees are destinations and prices shown in time instead of RM.


Plenty of travel books are available here, including some of extremely distant places like
Chile and places less traveled like the Silk Road.

I didn’t have coffee this time as it was too late in the afternoon and I can’t sleep at night so I went for hot chocolate (RM 8) – which was just okay, not particularly rich or anything.

Coffee might be a better choice next time as many baristas have their certificates from competitions on the wall here.

The mushroom meltie (RM 16.90) was enjoyable with copious amount of mushroom and an oozing layer of melted cheese, just enough to stick the ensemble in one piece without falling apart.  There is a scant dash of Italian parsley, yet it’s enough to accentuate the flavor.  The dressing on the salad though could do with more oil and acidity.

The atmosphere is warm though some of the furnitures could do with refurbishing.

Items on the menu include all day breakfast, bagels, sandwiches, snacks, pasta in the range of RM 7.90 to RM 24.90, while drinks are in the range of RM 3.50 to RM 13.

More Info
Departure Lounge Facebook
Address : 10 Jalan Solaris 4, Solaris Mont Kiara, KL, Malaysia
Opening Hours : Daily 8 am to 7 pm

The post Departure Lounge @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Ami Domicile Cafe that has just newly opened at Soho Ipoh has an interesting name, with “domicile” being associated with “home” – perhaps with the intention of making guests feel at home with simple atmosphere and quaint dishes. 

Cappuccino is alright though coffee art could have been prettier (RM 8.90).

The white wine cream linguine (RM 16.90) is splendid with the scent of lightly charred bacon saying hello before anything else.   The dish is well balanced with ample amounts of mushroom, ham and a pleasurable herb-based white cream with a drizzle of olive oil.

Food is obviously the thing to talk about when writing a restaurant review, but today, I am also going to talk about the utensils used in Ami Domicile – heavy weight, elegant and contoured utensils – from the fork and spoon I used to eat my linguine and the tea spoon I used to stir my coffee – which refines the whole dining experience, despite the cafe’s set up being very simple.

I was a bit amused when I saw these macarons – they are petite but a bit out of proportion because the fillings are even thicker than the almond meringue discs and reminds me of big macs, which is not entirely a bad thing because the rich, dark chocolate filling stood out and I was captured.

Other items on Ami Domicile’s menu include soup, salad, sandwich, pasta and main courses in the range of RM 10.90 to RM 33.90.

More Info : Non Halal
Ami Domicile Facebook Page
Address : Block C C-G-6, Soho Ipoh Jalan Sultan Iskandar, Ipoh, Perak.  (Next to Nam Heong Food Court)
Opening Hours : Closed on Tuesdays.

The post Ami Domicile Cafe @ Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

The Morsel Eatery nestled in the same building as Shamrock Hotel is brought to you by the same group behind Myth and Jose & Deli, only that this concept is not entirely new because the interior is the marriage of the two existing places.  

You’ll see the familiar blue chairs and the industrial chic concept with bare concrete from Jose & Deli,

and the knick-knacks such as opaque brown chemical bottles and safari-inspired animal photos from Myth.

The black coffee is moderately strong (RM 7.9).

The “Mexican Chicken Quesadilla” (RM 16.90) as per menu is described to consist of “chicken cube, onion, cheese, tomato puree” – sounds Mexican enough.  The quesadilla was enjoyable with a piece of juicy deep-fried chicken wrapped with tortilla, but it did not quite match the menu description.  If you look at it in a Mexican context – the quesadilla is nowhere near “Mexican” other than the tortilla wrap used.  Just a little bit of something extra like salsa, guacamole, jalapeno peppers or spiced beans would have given it a bit of identity.

If you are don’t fancy anything too heavy, simple pastries are available.

Other items on Morsel Eatery’s menu include set lunches, burgers, pastas, pizzas & sandwiches in the range of RM 9.90 to RM 19.90 while mains are in the range of RM 23 – RM 60.  Various types of beers are available.

More Info : Non Halal.
Address : 23, A, Jalan Dato Seri 1, Ahmad Said Ipoh 30450

The post Morsel Eatery @ Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

I’ve passed LewisGene Espresso Cafe a few times in Solaris Mont Kiara and somehow always thought it’s a franchise cafe because of it’s name – but it’s not ! The moment we stepped in, we immediately loosened up in this cafe with personality.  

This first floor cafe is casual and the high-backed cushions conveniently allow you to slump into the seat and soak in the eccentric atmosphere with 90’s music in the background.

There is an extensive list of coffee on the menu, from the classic black coffee to the highly priced wild luwak coffee, in a wide range of RM 6.90 to RM 69.90.   Our Toraja Black (RM 9.90) was crazily intense – so strong I still felt it in my head 30 minutes afterwards.

The kahlua coffee (RM 18.90) is topped with a mountain of cream and sprinkled with coffee powder and a few pieces of coffee beans – it’s double the intensity (and double the price too) with the alcoholic punch.

While fancy drip coffee apparatus may be everywhere,

LewisGene Cafe has a good range of loose tea leaves selection as well.

My panini is a substantial portion with plenty of everything  – lettuce, spinach, tomato, onions and eggs.  (I wonder how many eggs the chef used to make this ? It just seems like an awful lot of eggs in this panini!) It’s not overdosed with sandwich dressings but it has an adequate amount of mayonnaise and a lightly smoky sauce.  The panini reminds me of O’Brien’s sandwiches, only that this one is ultra-thick and much more filling.

The panini is RM 24.90 – pricey, but good thing is, it comes with floral tea in a set.

The chicken panini is just as satisfactory, and comes with tea too.

For dessert, the cute animal cookies (it read doggie & piggy cookies on the receipt, but I couldn’t quite distinguish what animals they were) are cute and fairly buttery (RM 1.90 each).

The other section of the cafe has comfortable couches and an open-air outer deck.

Other items on the menu include waffles, salad, panini and soup in the range of RM 9.9 – RM 36.90.

More Info
LewisGene Facebook
Address : Lot 2-1(first floor) , Jalan Solaris 3, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours : 10 am – 1am

The post LewisGene Cafe @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

TWT stands for “Tea, Warmer, Treat” and as you have guessed it, it’s a cafe to go for meals and tea ! There’s only a handful of cafes in Ipoh that focuses on tea instead of coffee, could tea be the next hot trend amidst the craze for coffee ?

The teas served here are uncomplicated, mostly having just one component or a blend of two.  Selections of tea include the classics, the floral, the artisanal and various types of green tea.  Coffee is almost non existent here with the exception of seeing it in green tea latte.  Other drinks includes mocktails, floats and alcoholic cider.

The lavender tea (RM 10) needs a 5 – 7 minutes of waiting time for the flavor to exude, otherwise it would taste almost as plain as hot water.  There aren’t a whole lot of lavender buds in the sieve, perhaps a a teaspoon or two, but after the wait, the scent is exhilarating though still quite light on the palate.

The “Goat Things” is lamb shoulder in red wine sauce with mashed potatoes and vegetables (RM 32) – a sizable portion with satisfactory execution.

The strawberry cheesecake (RM 8) is marbled with an overly-sweet layer of strawberry jam and bits of strawberry with an usual texture, where you can taste the presence of super-fine granules, like the texture of fine melting sugar.  I don’t think it’s the right texture but I don’t dislike it either.

The cafe’s interior is fairly sweet with cute corners and decorated with iconic landmarks of the world like London Bridge, leaning tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower.|

More Info : Non Halal
TWT Cafe Facebook
Address : 30 Jalan Medan Ipoh 1D, Medan Ipoh Bistari, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Opening Hours : 11.30 am – 10.30 pm.  Closed on Mondays.

The post TWT Cafe @ Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Jeju Badang is a new Korean Restaurant in Solaris Mont Kiara that offers something different than the usual Korean BBQ.  With the chef being from Jeju, local Jeju food is one of Jeju Badang’s main focus on top of seafood and sashimi.

The interior is also not the typical Korean style with a bar.

Fun elements like colorful cushions, match boxes,

and even murals spice up things a little here.

One of the murals is 3D even !

Our meal started off with a jug of lime juice – which is extra fragrant because kaffir lime was used.

We had the halibut from the live tank (RM 150).  Pinkish and translucent, the pieces have a muscular texture and are chewier than the Japanese sashimi because the sashimi is made from live fish, but still not as muscular as the ones I have tried in Four Seasons to the extent that I felt the sashimi was alive in my mouth.

Since Jeju local food is the specialty here, so we just had to try that.  The ordering wasn’t all that smooth because the boss didn’t speak much English, and the menu was in Korean and their respective pronunciation like “gogiguksu”, “gakjaegiguk” – so the only thing we managed to get through to the boss was “pork”.  “Steamed pork”, he told us.

In retrospect, googling the words might help you understand the menu better – “gogiguksu” is Jeju pork noodles, “gakjaegiguk” is amber fish soup, “haemulpajeon” is seafood pancake, but some words like “hanchimoolhoe” and “hanchisukhoe” even Google has no answers for.

Unexpectedly, two bowls of delightful green bean chicken porridge arrived on our table first,

followed by the steamed pork (RM 70).  The pork is very basic, but it’s the chili paste that gives it its Jeju idenity with an extra pungent flavor of salted fish.  You may also opt to dab the pork on the salt only, if you are not a fan of salted fish.

What we didn’t realize was that we didn’t just order steam pork; it was more like steamed pork set, which also included other dishes like chapchae,

chicken gizzard (I think) fried with onions and black fungus,

grilled fish (could have been fresher for this one),

squid,

seaweed soup and a few pickled dishes.

So what we thought would have been a simple meal turned out to be quite a feast and well worth it.  I like it a lot because while it is Korean, it’s not the conventional Korean that we are familiar with.

Jeju Badang is located above Maybak in Solaris Mont Kiara and should be pretty easy to locate.

More Info
Address : Jalan Solaris 1, Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours : 4 pm to 11 pm.

The post Jeju Badang Korean Restaurant @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Marhaba Restaurant serves traditional Yemeni cuisine, hiring chefs from Yemen and the Middle East region, ensuring the authenticity of the food.  Spices are incorporated into the dishes subtly yet the role they play in accentuating the food is undismissable. “Exotic” was the first word that came to mind when I stepped into Marhaba.  Mosaic lamps adorn the place while different shades of opulent purple pop out here and there.  The most intriguing part of the restaurant is the “Majlas Room”, or traditional Middle Eastern semi-private dining areas.    

The majlas room is carpeted and encircled by a wall of luxurious cushions where patrons dine in this casual and laid-back space.  I’ve seen this kind of set-up on TV – either on National Geographic or Discovery I think, but I didn’t know we have places like this in Malaysia too.

We started the meal with a glass of “Shahee Na’ Na'” (RM 7) or  Adeni tea with an intense mint flavor (fancy name there!),

while some of us had mocktails (RM18).

A refreshing “Jarjeer Salad” with three kinds of dips – tomato, cheese and chili, provided complimentary with the meal.

“Lamb” is heavily used in Middle Eastern cuisine and sometimes the simplest form without much seasoning is at its best – like this lamb soup, which is really just pure essence of lamb.

The Fatoush Salad (RM 16) has a delightful crunch of levantine bread with a drizzle of vinaigrette.

Bread is a popular source of carbohydrates in Yemen and the giant Mulauwah (RM 12) will definitely capture your attention simply because of its sheer size.  The mulauwah may not look that big in the picture below because the staff holding it is a sizable man.

If you are an average-sized girl like me, the bread is an enormous piece of warmth to hold in your hands. The mulauwah reminds me of roti canai in terms of flavor, but crispier and less oily.

The mixed grill in Marhaba (RM 45) is a highly specialized dish because it is the Syrian chef in particular that makes this dish and other grill items, bringing out the best of shish tawook, shish kebab and lamb cubes.

The lamb hanith (RM 78) is prepared laboriously where the lamb is first stewed, then grilled to produce a final product that is a piece of supple meat, succulent with distinct flavors of cloves and easily falls apart as you cut your knife through, complemented by the Basmati rice that is lightly spiced with cloves, cardamons and peppercorns.  It is a substantial portion sufficient for sharing among 2-3 people.  If you have a big family or a big party, whole lamb is available on advance notice.

“Chicken Mazbi” (RM 33) or barbecued chicken in Yemeni spices – grilled and charred to a tantalizing orange hue.  It  came in an unusual form because it was cut in a way that laid completely flat on the Basmati rice.  I wondered for a second what meat it was before realizing that it was good old chicken.

The chicken sharwarma is a variant of the grilled chicken above, this time wrapped in a wheat shell (RM 18).

The chicken “Saltah Fahsah” (RM 40) in stone pot is cooked in a tomato-based gravy with a resplendent blend of spices.

It’s always good to end with something sweet, in which we did with honey dates (RM 22) and Yemeni coffee (RM 7).  The description on the menu “Honey Dates – bread with dates topped with honey” undermines the beauty of this dessert because the dessert is full of texture and vigorous flavors from the coarsely chopped red dates with every bite.  I find a bit of familiarity in this dessert because in Taiwan, we have individually wrapped red date candies that taste like this.

The Yemeni Coffee (RM 7) is similar to coffee tarik with the same kind of sweetness, with the difference being that this one is laced with flavors of the cloves.  (The cloves seem to be a favorite spice in Yemeni cuisine !)

Marhaba Restaurant offers various dining ares including private rooms, majlas rooms and al fresco dining in the terrace garden.

**This post is brought to you by Marhaba Restaurant.

More Info : Halal
Marhaba Restaurant Official Website
Marhaba Restaurant Facebook
Address : Marhaba Restaurant @Sunway Borneo Rain forest (Opposite Sunway Resort Hotel)
Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway,47500 Selangor, Malaysia.
Phone : +603-745 16183
Opening Hours : Daily 11 am – 1am

The post Marhaba Yemeni Restaurant @ Sunway appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Restaurant Gotika is located in Arcadie Hotel along Horní Street.  We picked this restaurant because 1. It was one of the first ones we saw when we entered Cesky Krumlov’s old town, 2. We were hungry and 3. We liked its blue color !

The restaurant’s set up is quite unique as you would first encounter a corridor, which then descends to a sun terrace.

The sun terrace is awesome because it’s got the fantastic view of St Jost Church, Cesky Krumlov Castle and its tower.

I took the fish which is lightly battered with dried herbs and salt granules.  The skin is the best part as it crackles but unfortunately a deeper portion of the fish was still raw and I had to send it back to the kitchen (less than 10 Euros).

Restaurant Gotika has a few different seating sections that seem to be very cozy.

More Info
Hotel Arcadie Official Website
Address : Horní 148, 381 01 Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Opening Hours : 11 am – 11 pm.

The post Restaurant Gotika @ Cesky Krumlov appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Karlovy Vary is a gorgeous spa town located in Western Bohemia of Czech Republic, it is also where the annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is held.  With pastel-colored buildings, winding river and boutique shops, there’s everything to love about this immaculate town set at the foot of the hill.  I like the sound of it too because every time I say it, it reminds me of lovey dovey.

With hundreds of hot springs in Karlovy Vary, the spas and wellness treatments are therapeutic because the spring water is extremely rich in minerals.

There’s also an alternative to mineral spa – The Genuine Beer Spa ! On top of that, unlimited consumption of beer is provided!  How awesome is that? We had only planned a day in Karlovy Vary, so we hadn’t had much time for spa.  If I had known about this beer spa earlier, I would have totally planned another night for it.

Spa is not the only way to enjoy hot spring in Karlovy Vary.  You could also taste the hot springs, either using a cup you’ve brought or buy a small cup that is specifically designed for this purpose.  The cups may look like a normal cup, but notice that the handle seems a bit different as the handle is hollow and you could drink out of the handle.

Hot springs are everywhere in this town.  Hundreds of them. Many are housed in magnificent colonnades while some are just basking in open air.  The colonnades were originally built to shelter awaiting patients

The Park Colonnade built in cast-iron is one fine example built by the Viennese architects, Fellner and Helmer.

All the springs are indicated with a number, a name and the temperature.  The very first spring we encountered was No. 15, the “Snake Spring” (Hadi Pramen) in Park Colonnade that’s 30 °C.  It is the most unique in terms of flavor.  It’s warm with a taste of iron, and the most amazing part is, it tastes like sparkling water ! A scientific reason for that would probably because of the carbon dioxide content, but for a second I thought that can’t be right and confirmed with my friend to see if she tasted the same thing.

The next spring – “Pramen Svoboda” – or Freedom Spring, No. 11, 60° C.

A few hot springs are located within the earth-toned Mills Colonnade.  This one is No. 9,  Libuse Spring, 62 ° C,

One of the outdoor springs, No.8, 58°C, “Vaclav II”, or Prince Wenceslas II Spring.

The most spectacular hot spring is housed in a modern architecture, the Hot Spring Colonnade, where the geyser shoots up to an astonishing height of 12 m.

Five more spring sources with different temperatures are found in the Hot Spring Colonnade.

I find that except for the Snake Spring, most of the other hot springs we tried tasted quite similar, with the temperature and intensity of iron flavor being the difference.

The Market Colonnade.

Do also look out for these Karlovy Vary wafers made with spring water and a bit of salt.  The strong iron flavor from the spring water is no longer evident in this thin wafer that’s fragile and airy-light.

The wafers come in handy packs too for take away.

Karlovy Vary can be visited easily as a day trip from Prague by bus or train.  Bus would be the faster way to go (2.5 hours) and you can check out the transport information here at czech-transport.com.

Enjoy more pictures below

    

The post Karlovy Vary @ Czech Republic appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Decadent Cafe in Cesky Krumlov is a hidden gem located in Latran.  Painted in conspicuous red inside out and with a name like “Decadent”, it’s impossible to walk pass the cafe cum art club without going inside to see how decadent it is.  

The cafe’s got personality; it’s got charm, it’s got style with an eclectic mix of furnitures.  The black and white photos consist of a curious mix of portraits and nudes, creating a striking visual contrast with the red walls, also creating an intriguing subdued erotic theme.

The cafe has quite a bit of books, stacked into any available space.  I wouldn’t mind spending an afternoon here with my own book with a few glasses of wine or coffee.

Sometimes when the interior of a cafe is this stunning, I tend to think that the interior decoration will probably outshine the food. But no I was wrong! It’s not a full fledged restaurant so it doesn’t serve any main courses but it serves sandwiches, wines, coffees and juices.  The three-layered ham and cheese sandwich was pretty smashing despite being very simple.  The grilled sandwich had an ample amount of cheese and ham with a drizzle of vinaigrette and a dash of dried herbs (120 KC, about 4.5 Euros).

I like the bottle of this lemon soda though the soda was too sweet for me (60 KC, about 2 Euros).

Enjoy a few more photos of the cafe below

More Info
Decadent Art Club Facebook
Address : Latran 72, Cesky Krumlov 38101, Czech Republic

The post Decadent @ Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Eating Korean barbecue may not be the same again at Palsaik KoreanBBQ  Restaurant in Solaris Mont Kiara. “Palsaik” means “8 colors” in Korean and it focuses on color therapy whereby the nutritional values of food can be decoded by its color.  And indeed 8 flavors of pork belly are available, with 8 kinds of marinades representing 8 different colors. Palsaik’s menu is really simple with three sets to choose from:   
1.  Set 1 is the 3 color set suitable for 2 pax with pork belly + seafood soup + premium kimchi or deodeok (RM 92);
2.  Set 2 is the eight color set for 3 – 4 pax with eight flavors of pork belly  + seafood soup (RM 118) and
3.  Set 3 is the premium set for 3 – 4 pax with eight flavors of pork belly + seafood soup + premium kimchi + deodeok (RM 148)
Additional pork belly can be topped up at RM 35 per portion.

The theme of color therapy in food is seen throughout the restaurant.

We picked set 2 with all the eight flavors, or should I say all the eight colors.  I love the presentation where the pork belly slices are rolled up in dainty plates held by the long wooden tray.  The wooden tray also indicates the respective flavors in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

The eight flavors include (from the left) : hot pepper, miso, curry, herb, garlic,

pine leaves,red wine and ginseng.

The seafood soup is a spicy fermented bean paste soup with copious amounts of vegetables, clams, squid, prawns and flower crab.

Set 2 doesn’t come with premium kimchi, but it does come with basic kimchi with sprouts.  The kimchi was placed at the corners of the grill pan so it was not directly above the heat source.  The kimchi is even tastier, when most of the juices condensed after sitting on the grill pan for a while.

The barbecue experience at Palsaik is unique and one of its kind compared to other Korean restaurants.  It presents a multitude of colors with exquisite flavors and it’s not the usual hot and spicy flavors you would expect from a Korean restaurant.

Six out of the eight flavors are distinctive, you could easily make out what the flavors are.  The hot pepper is kimchi-like, the herbal reminisces Chinese herbal medicine with a hint of black pepper, the ginseng is a rare flavor in barbecue, while garlic, miso and curry taste pretty much like what they are supposed to.  The red wine and the pine leaves are a bit undifferentiating though, tasting more or less the same.

The restaurant’s is located in the Soho Complex in Solaris Mont Kiara.

More Info
Palsaik Korean BBQ Restaurant Facebook
Address : J-01-09, SohoKL, Solaris Mount Kiara, No.2 Jalan Solaris, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours : Daily 11.30 am – 11.30 pm

The post Palsaik Korean BBQ Restaurant @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Pesion Tilia is a really sweet guest house that’s located at the periphery of the walled old town of Cesky Krumlov.  It’s away from the hustle and bustle of old town yet still within a 5 minutes short walk into it.  It’s also a 10 minutes walk from spicak bus station so it’s really convenient if you’ve got luggage and don’t want to haul it all over the place.  Once you arrive the station, come out to the main street and turn left, walk for 3-5 minutes, the entrance to the old town would be on your right hand side.  Keep walking for another 5 minutes and Pension Tilia will be on your left hand side.

The pension is impeccable with a well maintained garden.

Our room is spotless with country style wooden furnishing, wooden flooring paired with floral sheets, accentuated with royal blue curtains and chairs.  They gave us a three-bedded room despite there were only the two of us (1190 kc or 43 Euros per night, inclusive of breakfast).

The pillow is huge, taking up about one third of the bed and very flat for some reason !

The room has two doors.  The main door opens into a small lobby where you can hang your coats, and the door to the left would be the entrance to the room.

The bathroom is warm-hued and the heater works perfectly – something that’s really important if you are visiting during the cold seasons.

Breakfast is classic European with bread, cheese, ham and salad.

More Info
Pension Tilia Official Website 
Address :Cross 82 , 38101 Czech Krumlov
Phone: +420 380 712 338
Fax: +420 380 712 338
Mobile: +420 777 285 215
E-mail: penzion@tilia-ck.cz

The post Pension Tilia @ Cesky Krumlov appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

The quintessential Bohemian Two Marys Restaurant (or U Dwau Maryi) is housed in an ancient building with two original murals that date back to the 1700’s.  The restaurant is aptly named after the two murals which depict Virgin Mary, painted on the walls for protection.

The restaurant’s red-framed entrance is charming with a gothic menu board.

Like some of the restaurants I’ve seen in Cesky Krumlov, beautiful views tend to be hiding at the rear end of the restaurant, after passing the lobby and the indoor area.

The view is simply fabulous.  What can be better than dining by the riverside and right at the foot of the castle tower?

I had my very first mead (or honey wine) at Two Marys and I was hooked (60 KC, about 2 Euros).  I ordered mead without fail whenever I see it on the menu in Cesky Krumlov.  The mead here is the strongest in alcohol content with a hint of sweetness, while the pungent  mix of herbs including cinnamon and cloves really surprised me because it was my very first time trying spiced wine.

I saw millet on the menu, something I had never tried before, so I ordered baked millet with beans and cabbages (145 kc, about 5 Euros).  The millet is filled with sauerkraut, ham pieces and has the texture of a heavy muffin.

Two Marys Restaurant’s menu is unique with its emphasize on traditional Bohemian cuisine.  A lot of items looked really interesting including the Old Bohemian Feast – “chicken, smoked meat, millet, potato, salad”,the  Kuba – “puffed barley with mushrooms and vegetables”, the Zahour – “sweet creamy dumplings with blueberry sauce” and the Medieval Buckwheat Gruel.

More Info
Two Marys Official Website
Two Marys Facebook
Address : Parkán 104 , 38101 Český Krumlov
Tel: 380 717228

The post Two Marys Restaurant @ Cesky Krumlov appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Hobo @ Ganlee & Co definitely belongs to the category of cafes that will instantly start an instagram frenzy the moment you enter.  The shoplot previously occupied by the Chinese company Gan Lee & Co on Brewster Road is now hip & chic with old biscuit tins and popping colors. 

It opens till late (1 am) so it could be the next popular hangout place for the night owls, not to mention that there is a tree with gorgeous tree branches,

a hiding Pinnochio,

and a comical, origami-inspired T-Rex drawn on the wall with a few simple blue lines.

Furnitures are mostly DIY, and salvaged doors seem to be Hobo @ Ganlee & Co’s favourite material.

Walkway seats are available if you wish.

I had two drinks -the Mint Hot Chocolate (RM 7) and Hobo’s Cold Brew (RM 10) for take away.

The mint hot chocolate is rich and easily one of the best in Ipoh.  If you’ve tried Andes Chocolate Mints, that’s what the drink more or less tastes like.

The cold brew is an exhilarating concoction which I had for breakfast the next day – a refreshing drink to kick-start the day.

The Berries & Cream Belgian Waffle (RM 14) though is not too exciting with a thin layer of berry sauce and a whole lot of cream.  Expected at least a decent amount of berries compote for RM 14.

Other items on Hobo’s menu include drip coffee, aeropress coffee, vanilla, fresh juices, chocolate drinks, mocktails, pancakes, French toast and omlettes.

More Info: Halal
Address : 146 Brewster Road, Ipoh, Perak
Opening Hours : 6 pm – 1 am.

The post Hobo Cafe @ Ganlee & Co, Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

The Pilsner Urquell Brewery in Pilsen is a fascinating place to spend a couple of hours at.  Pilsen is pretty close to Prague and many visit it as a day trip, either by bus or by train.  The bus takes about 1 hour to reach, while the train takes 1.5 hours to reach.  Taking the bus might be faster, but the bus station in Pilsen is about a 25 minutes walk to the brewery while the train station is about less than 10 minutes walk.  Both options may take more or less the same time though I found the train way rather easy as I didn’t have to orientate myself too much to get to the brewery when I reached Pilsen.

The majestic gate is the main entrance into the brewery.

Tickets can be purchased on the spot at the lobby.  There are three English tours daily at 12 45 pm, 2.15 pm and 4.15 pm.  The tour is also available in Czech, German and Russian. The fee for the guided tour is 190 KC (about 7 Euros).  If you are interested at other brewery related tours like the Brewery Museum or Pilsen’s Historical Underground, a combination ticket would be a good choice as you’ll get a 25% discount.  See more info on ticket price at Pilsen Urquell Brewery’s Official Website.

A mini bus picked us up to get to the modern section of the production plant.

The state of art facility costs a whopping 1 billion KC (about 37 million Euros) and was built in only 7 months !

We started off with the packaging hall that’s the size of 5 soccer fields.

There are two production lines – the bottle Line, which has the capacity of 120,000 bottles per hour,

and the can line has a capacity of 37,000 cans per hour for 0.5 l cans.

The Pilsner Brewery also has Czech’s largest personnel lift, which brought us to the exhibition center, displaying two important ingredients of beer making – barley and yeast.

Some of the more exclusiveyeast strains are stored carefully in a yeast bank.

The Pilsner Urquell brewhouses are unique because the copper brew kettles are from different eras and are all located in the same vicinity. The older ones are longer in use.

The latest copper brew kettles built in 2004 are the one that are currently in use.  Looking at the 10 brew kettles, I asked the guide about the capacity, and she said it is 11 hectare liters daily – a number I couldn’t even fathom !

While beer is brewed with a whole lot of advance and modern technologies, the traditional ways of brewing in underground cellars is still practiced at Pilsner Urquell Brewery. We traversed through a few tunnels to get to the underground brewery.

The cellars have an inherent lower temperature, which were the traditional places to keep the beers cool during fermentation in rows and rows of uncovered giant wooden tubs.

The beer maturing process takes place in oak barrels, which is the direct source of our complimentary beer.

The unpasteurized and unfiltered beer straight from the barrel was fantastic !

I enjoyed the brewery tour tremendously even though I am not a beer fanatic; I  can’t imagine how thrilling the tour would be for beer buffs !

More Info
Pilsner Urquell Tour Official Website
Address: U Prazdroje 7, 304 97 Plzeň

The post Pilsner Urquell Brewery @ Pilsen Czech Republic appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Dining at Marini’s on 57 is an iconic experience where you indulge in Italian food prepped by Chef Marini while the shimmer from the Petronas Towers shines upon you.  We were pampered right from the moment that we were received at the reception on the ground floor.  The crew ushered us to the elevator and a sense of mystery bestowed upon us when two elevator changes were involved along the way.   

The atmosphere is absolutely romantic with the Petronas Towers in the background, and hey, there aren’t a whole lot of places in KL that give you this splendid view with the urban sprawl of KL city beneath your feet.  If you are thinking about proposing to your girlfriend at Marini’s, you can stop thinking about it because it used to be doable until the management put a stop to it; told by my friend who was one of the last ones that was able to do it.

There’s one section at the bar that’s semi open-air where the towers look impossibly close.

Bread is warm and chewy for starters.  I particularly liked the spindle shaped piece where the narrow ends are almost as crisp as cookies.

Mushed olives lollipop.

The Zuppa Delgirasole (RM 98), a sweet and creamy Jerusalem artichoke soup topped with fried spinach and Italian parsley. The rare ingredient alone is worth trying for because where else can you find Jerusalem artichoke in KL?

The Fegato d Anatra (RM 148) or duck liver is amazing ! The crazily intense, melt-in-your-mouth piece of duck liver sits atop a slice of warm peach, and the flavor is so fine, so delicate that it’s orgasmic.

It’s perfect to eat it alone, or spread it on a piece of toast that comes with a small jar of berry jam.

I was almost reluctant to eat this peach sorbet cleanser as I didn’t mind the flavors of duck liver to linger a little longer.

The Capellini All’Aragosta (RM 178) or angel hair pasta with Main lobster tail and light tomato sauce is another extraordinary dish where the flavors of fresh lobsters are infused throughout the dish.

The Trota Di Mare Zucchini E. Asparagi (RM 188) or pan seared medium rare ocean trout with zucchni and cream of asparagus is enticing, with succulent salmon adorned with fish roe.

The massive white dessert stirred up some excitement among us.  When the staff held this dessert and walked towards our table, all our eyes were fixated on this dessert.  After all we were on the 57th floor and the first thought that came to mind was a piece of cloud !

Of course we can’t possibly be eating cloud for dessert and it turned out that it’s just good old cotton candy.

The Rosso ( RM 42) comprised of chocolate sphere with raspberry, raspberry jelly and sorbet is a delightful mix of flavors of mild bitterness, sweetness and acidity.

The climax of the dinner was the Artigianale (RM 148), indicated as “dessert imitates art right on your table” on the menu.  It’s not easy to imagine what that really meant without seeing for yourself and when you do see it, you would be blown away.

The ensemble of the lavish dessert starts off with a huge piece of clear glass as canvas, and probably about 23 or 30 dessert ingredients are added onto the plate as if painting with food.

Some of the ingredients include white chocolate paste, dark chocolate pate, hazelnut paste, almonds, crushed pistachios, fresh raspberries, raspberry sauce, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, macarons, peanut crackers, marshmallows, chocolate puffs, chocolate pieces, chocolate cereal cookies and nougats.

The last two decorative steps of this incredible performance was torching the creme brulee tartlets,

and topping it off with a chocolate egg.

And tada ! The final fantastic dessert which we marveled at for a few minutes before we mercilessly swept the dessert clean. The menu indicates that the portion is for a minimum of 3 – 4 pax , which is an understatement as the portion should be enough for 6- 8 pax.

Marini’s on 57 also serve an extensive range of dishes made with white truffles.  Expect a minimum average of RM 300 per person, but most likely you will go beyond that.  Here is Marini’s on 57’s menu for reference.

More Info
Marini’s on 57 Facebook
Address : Level 57,  Menara 3 Petronas, Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Park your car at Mandarin Oriental for easy access)
Opening Hours : 5 pm – 1.30 am.

The post Marini’s on 57 @ Petronas Tower 3 appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

The Milk House Cafe on top of serving cafe food, it also serves a rarity – fresh milk, delivered daily from the origin of production.  It is located in a long, narrow stretch of space between two buildings, maximizing the space which is barely 2 meters wide.

The first stretch of cafe is al fresco and semi-shaded,

The next stretch is the cavernous main dining place,

followed by the preparation counter,

and the wider space at the rear with artificial grass.

The Milk House Cafe’s menu has a section called “Milky Way”, where anything milk is there – milk of the day, fresh goat’s milk (from farm in Kelian), fresh cow’s milk (from farm in Sungai Siput), Anlene milk, soy milk, almond milk and milk chocolate.  I took fresh cow’s milk (RM 5) and well, it tastes like … milk ! Maybe a milk connoisseur might be able to appreciate it more.

Other drinks on the menu include tea, soda and coffee.

The cafe interestingly has two menus – halal and non halal.  Strange eh ? The halal lunch menu served from 11 am onward is prepared by the Ritz Hotel just behind the cafe, serving a mix of local food and Western food.  The non-halal menu served from 3 pm – 11 pm is prepared by Euro House next door, serving a mix of local and western food as well.

Since I was there at 2 pm, the halal menu was available, so I took the salmon spaghetti (RM 21), indicated with a chef’s hat.

The pan-fried salmon was lightly charred, scrumptiously inviting and still piping hot when I cut it open; though the cabonara-styled spaghetti was just average.

More Info : Halal & Non Halal Menu available
The Milkhouse Cafe Facebook
Address : 53A – 55A Jalan hussein (next to Euro House), 30250 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : Daily 10 am – 12 am

The post The Milk House Cafe @ Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

Food & Desire serves some out-of-the-norm creations on top of the typical cafe menu we see in Ipoh, such as porky fries, cereal killer, chocolate fondue and Penang white laksa to name a few.   It’s all porkilicious too with a good amount of items dedicated to pork, pork and pork, good for those that are looking for a little oink oink.

The mushroom soup of the day (RM 14.90) is hearty and full-textured with finely chopped mushrooms.

The magic carpet is Middle-Eastern inspired where black mushrooms, three colors of capsicums, onions and chicken thigh served on paratha comprise a myriad of colors. The Middle Eastern spices are subtle but it is the firey flavor of the food as if taken right from direct fire that is absolutely enticing.  The movie Aladdin came to mind while eating this dish.

The Grilicious Ori Pork Burger (RM 19.90) is superb with a lightly charred pork patty on the outside, while the inside remains moist and pink.  This burger is customizable with add-ons such as pineapple, hashbrown, egg and streaky bacon (RM 3 for each item).

For the ice cream zealots, there is now Kapiti ice cream from New Zealand.  Pick any of the flavors and you shain’t disappoint (RM 8.90 per scoop, RM 23.90 for three scoops). We had the pleasing strawberry & cream, indulgent chocolate and sweet berries, .

Other items on Food & Desire’s menu include sandwiches, pork burgers, pork sausages, pasta, snacks, mocktails, tea and coffee.

More Info : Non Halal
Food & Desire Facebook
Address : 18 Jalan Medan Ipoh 1D, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opening Hours : 12 pm – 9 pm.

The post Food & Desire @ Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious !.

If you are an Ipohrian, you’ve probably come across “Gomok” at the corner shoplot while roaming about in new town.  Gomok has a round chubby dude as its mascot and oh dear does that mean that we will become “gemuk”(fat)  after eating at Gomok? Gemuk or not, Gomok is a fun addition to the handful of halal cafes in Ipoh, serving Malay and Western cuisine.

There’s a funky vibe about Gomok with some DIY furnitures and the likable round dude.

A salvaged lorry (bus?) steering wheel and dashboard fit in this place perfectly.

And the chalkboard with arts and menu is the best during Christmas time !

A RM 5 orange juice is pretty value for money.

Comprised of cheesy jumbo sausage, beef meatballs, lamb patty and potato wedges, any carnivore would love this Gomok Basket (RM 23) to the moon and back.

Both the meatballs and patty are mushy in texture, and fragrant with different set of spices.

The basket is not only full of protein, it’s full of cheese too.  The potato wedges are drizzled with a cheesy sauce, the jumbo sausage has cheese hiding within and the same goes for the meatballs.

Other items on Gomok’s menu include coffee, juices, mocktails, fried noodles, fried rice, pasta, sandwiches and burgers.  The table next to me chowing down the Moooooo Burger with 200g of beef looks pretty scrumptious so that might be something for burger lovers !

More Info : Halal
Gomok Facebook
Address : No 1., Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opening Hours : 5.30 pm – 1 am.

The post Gomok @ Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious !.