Peninsula Experience (^_^)

Contrary to what you all might have thought, I did not stay in Peninsula Bangkok during my entire trip to Bangkok. For one, the location is far away from the shopping district.. on the opposite side of Chao Phraya river to be exact! It is possible to take Sky Train (Saphan Taksin station) to Pratunam but we didn't want to waste time taking trains. Secondly, I have set a budget for this trip (hey! I'm not filthy rich so budget is a must). After securing MAS tickets for only RM800 all-in, I booked Baiyoke Sky Hotel where we stayed for a few days.. it took us only 5-10 min walk to get to Platinum Mall. Here is the picture of Peninsula Hotel Bangkok which I took while taking their boat to the opposite side of river. This hotel stands majestically from where we are! Look closely at the hotel and you might actually notice that the hotel is iconically W-shaped designed.

After checking out of Baiyoke Hotel, we took taxi to Peninsula Bangkok which was located in a quieter Khlong San district. Upon reaching the hotel, memories from 8 years ago flashed back. As a matter of fact, this was actually my second time staying in this hotel. My first time was with Thule delegations back in September 2003. Thule's Asia Pacific Conference was held in Peninsula Bangkok and therefore I got the opportunity to stay in one of the top hotels in Bangkok. I could only remember that the room was exceptional and I had been telling Jenn so many times when we planned our Bangkok trip in June 2011.

Hotel staffs were very polite and courteous - if you are those who rate customer service highly, you definitely won't be disappointed. They literally took care of everything from the moment you stepped out from taxi. Our bags were quickly whisked away to luggage room while we proceeded to the check-in counter.

Love the black Bentley Continental GT :)

Mighty lion statues guarding its entrance

I just love the ever colourful and vibrant orchids

Do not expect to see contemporary and modern designs inside the hotel. You could even see antique furnitures placed around the hotel lobby (such as this one). However, the hotel gave both of us cosy feeling...

Now this is their boat service that will take you to the opposite side of the river.. it's FOC by the way. It is also the only way to get across the river should you decide to take Sky Train. My advise is DO NOT take taxi as most likely you will get stuck in the traffic jam on Saphan Taksin bridge linking both sides.

The room... ah yes! THE ROOM - how could I miss out? I wanted to settle for Deluxe room at the beginning but after realising that there was not much difference in term of rate in order to get the Balcony Room, I opted for the latter. The bed greeted us as soon as we entered the room - it was as good as Westin's Heavenly Bed. I could fall asleep easily on this bed.

View across the room from the bed.

2 separate basins for her and him - so I don't have to fight with Jenn who took her own sweet time to make-up and brush teeth/wash face.

For those who are always on the go and busy, they do have fax machine and high speed internet access in the room for you to use.

A little surprise from the management of Peninsula Bangkok - a box of chocolate! Yummy..

Breakfast at their Riverside Cafe is always an exciting affair. Part of the reason why I wanted to stay in Peninsula Bangkok was due to their breakfast affair! Why? I shall get to that part later...

They adopt an open kitchen concept right outside the cafe where the staffs prepare food on the spot to make sure that everything is fresh!

Jenn loves her Egg Benedict - I have yet to find another hotel that prepares this dish on the spot in Malaysia. Oh yes they do serve Egg Florentine too but we didn't manage to try that.

We did not manage to get a table inside the cafe - which was came as surprise for us as we never expect the breakfast crowd to be that many in this hotel (a sign of a very popular hotel despite its price tag). So I took some pictures - starting with pastry and bread section!

Their cold cut and salad section. They do have other sections that serve local Thai and Chinese dishes but I was not really looking forward to that.

My main objective is this - BACON! Crispy and piping hot bacon which is always replenished to ensure the patrons did not have to wait. During my stay in Baiyoke Sky Hotel, they could not make enough bacon to meet the demand from the breakfast crowd. I had to stand there for 5-10 minutes just to get the bacon!

My first plate of breakfast - loads of bacon, pork sausages, roasted potato wedges, grilled tomato and shitake mushroom.

Jenn opted for legs of ham (not those generic ham), waffles, scrambled egg and some salad

I couldn't stand the sight of the legs of ham - I helped myself to a second round shortly after!

Even the fruits tasted fresh from the market directly onto our table.

Signed Leo & Jenn from Peninsula Hotel Bangkok!

Leo's verdict - staying a night at this hotel cost at least RM700-800 for their Superior Room alone. FOr the Balcony room, all I can say is that I paid close to RM1k! My review on the hotel picked from tripadvisor site "This was actually my second time staying in Peninsula Bangkok, having stayed here once 8 years ago on business purpose. It was my first time that prompted me to stay here again for the second time, as I was very impressed by the level of service shown by this hotel. The level of service has not dropped but further improved to my delight!
I have written to the hotel (through the agent) that I would be celebrating my 5th anniversary with my wife this time, and we were delighted with the little surprise when we checked into our balcony room which overlooks the Chao Phraya river. Having said that, my wife was very happy & we had a wonderful time in this hotel. The food at Thiptara was exceptionally good and even though we didn't make any reservation that day, the staff let us to sit at the table directly next to the river since we were quite early (the next reservation was at 8pm). May I say that the breakfast at the Riverside Restaurant was equally good? I have yet to find another hotel that make Egg Benedict on the spot!
Location-wise it is located on the other side of the river but they make up with what I called the "Peninsula Experience". Boat service is provided to take you to the other side of river where BTS train station is located. Having stayed in city centre (another hotel) a few days earlier for shopping purpose, we decided to enjoy our last day in Bangkok being pampered by Peninsula Bangkok and definitely not disappointed!"

Peninsula Hotel Bangkok
333 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan
Bangkok 10600, Thailand
02-861 2888

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

La Bodega @ Pavilion KL

Jenn & I enjoy our breakfast.. A LOT! Frankly, I was not a morning person in the past (pre-Jenn days). Being a party animal, I could sleep until the sun ray literally shone on my butt and then it was already time for lunch (or was it brunch?). Jenn was also a regular clubber during her college days but hey, we were very young back then and we could afford to stay up late until wee hours the next day. When she completed her degree and obtained her CLP, she stopped going out and instead focusing on her career. At the same time, she worked her magic again and made me sleep earlier (and went out clubbing lesser)... woman! Aren't they smart?

Breakfast was one of our favourite things to enjoy together and La Bodega is one of her favourite brekkie places. Given the opportunity, she would drag me to Bangsar Telawi area while most of us are still in dreamland. I'm not complaining though because I have to admit that the breakfast was awesome. After a while, I would wake up automatically at 7am.. latest by 8am! And now I have Sher Ryn as my alarm clock as she would wake me up at 7am to prepare her milk.

Back to the topic - I felt like a hungry tiger after my morning swimming session at The Westin. We didn't really feel like eating hotel's breakfast so we just crossed Jalan Bukit Bintang to Pavilion KL. It was quite early in the morning and therefore not many people.

English Breakfast @ RM27 - Jenn's choice of 2 poached farm fresh eggs together with chicken sausage and sauteed mushroom.

Served with a slice of homemade toast, fresh orange juice and a cup of steaming hot cappucino... her breakfast just could not get any better than this.

I had to say that the egg was poached perfectly :) as Jenn's face was brimming with delight!

My order of Omelette with sauteed mushroom & smoked chicken ham (RM15) was equally delicious. The mushroom and chicken ham were wrapped inside the omelette and as I used knife to cut open the egg, the aroma was too good for me to resist.

Leo's verdict - After so many years, La Bodega still maintain their food's standard. I have yet to come here for dinner which Jenn claimed was very lively and happening. Oh well! Maybe I'd wait until the children to get older and manageable :) for the meantime, breakfast is enough to keep me coming back again and again!

La Bodega
Lot No. : C3.06.00, Level 3
Tel. : 03-2148 8018
Website : www.bodega.com.my

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Cheras Flat Fish Head Mee Hoon @ Kg. Chempaka, Petaling Jaya

To those who have tried Cheras flat fish head meehoon, you'd know how delicious it can be. Forget about the scorching heat while having a bowl of fish head meehoon... I was not really a fan of this dish until Jenn converted me into one. Given the fact that Cheras is not exactly near where we lived, both of us could only enjoy this dish once in a blue moon.

Fast forward a few years later, we were driving to Aman Suria area to look for breakfast when we spotted banner with the word "Cheras Flat Fish Head Mee Hoon" along the road of BU11 & BU12. Our eyes were beaming with joy, thinking that they have opened a branch in PJ area. Feeling adventurous, we used a small road from Aman Suria leading all the way to Kg. Chempaka through the Chinese new village area.

It was our first time venturing into Kg. Chempaka area and I was worried that we couldn't find the place. After asking around, we finally saw the restaurant.

Parking was a major headache as it was near morning market (it was morning!) but lucky for us, we spotted a car leaving. Making our way into the restaurant, we realised that the place was rather stuffy and hot. The presence of wall fans hardly made a difference but since it was morning, the level was tolerable. Turn off No.1. Our tea was only so-so as it lack of body and creaminess that we always look for... turn off No.2

The proprietor noticed that I was snapping pictures and proceeded to ask me to take pictures of his stall. The mee hoon was made daily to ensure the freshness and QQ-ness

His foreign worker then brought out a tray of freshly fried fish head which emitted a pleasant aroma. We were really early that morning as they have just started preparing for business.

The fish head was then placed into a pan that was filled with boiling chicken stock

FYI, he made each and every order individually to make sure that the flavour remained the same. The mee hoon followed suit after a while. Tomato, ginger shreds and were thrown into the mix before evaporated milk was added in.

the outcome - steaming how bowl of fish head noodle ready to be consumed!

Leo's verdict - while the fish head meehoon was good, for some reason both of us thought that it lack something (we couldn't explain what) and slightly different from what we had in Cheras flat (specifically Taman Ikan Emas). Don't get the idea wrong - flavourwise it was good but not great. IMHO, Woo Pin at Taman Desa dishes out better version of fish head meehoon. But due to the proximity of this place and BU, we would most likely end up here again should we crave for fish head meehoon. For those with children, it is strictly not recommended as it can get pretty stuffy... with Sher Ryn and Keith along, Jenn & I would choose Homemade Fish Head Noodle in Dataran Sunway Kota Damansara instead and pay the premium just to enjoy the air-condition facility!

Cheras Flat Fish Head Mee Hoon
N0.496, Jalan PJU 1/6,
Kampung Cempaka, Petaling Jaya Selangor
Tel: 016-9287691

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Pao Xiang @ 1Utama Shopping Centre PJ

For breakfast, I would prefer something light as I don't like to stuff my stomach to the max in the morning. Give me something light plus a cup of good tea/coffee and you'd make my day. However there is, of course, exception to this rule - Bah Kut Teh!! I mean, who can resist a steaming hot bowl of thick herbal soup with the sinful pork meat? I can't... resistence is usually futile (in this case at least!)

I fell in love all over again with BKT after tasting Mo Sang Kor's version (Hutong Lot 10) for the very first time some time last year. However, it was kinda difficult for me to drive all the way to downtown KL to savour on this delectable dish... their Klang outlet is equally far from my home. Apart from Mo Sang Kor, I think that Pao Xiang's version of BKT was commendable too... I actually tried both outlets in Berkelay Park Klang.

So when Pao Xiang opened its door at 1Utama Shopping Centre, I was jumping with joy. I can go shopping after having one of my fav breakfast... best of both world!!!

BKT affair used to be hot and stuffy as not many BKT restaurants dare to open door in shopping malls. Pao Xiang's outlet was huge and spacious... and most importantly, air-conditioned! I didn't feel cramped nor sweaty at all while dining here.

Most of the times, I would bring my own Puer tea along but if you don't have any, Pao Xiang offers extensive range of tea leaves for you to choose from.

Re-filling of hot water is most of the time DIY affair as the staffs are busy serving customers.

Apart from pork, they do offer other side dishes such as vegetables.. in our case, it's yaw mak topped with oyster sauce.

All the meat was served in a small bowl and heated using jelly-like substance to ensure the soup was constantly warm.

The selection of meat was extensive as well but most of the time, we stuck to our regular meat such as soft bones (nuan kut).

The small knuckle was another favourite - they used rope to tie the meat together while cooking BKT to make sure that the meat was held together.

Intestine anyone??

Now this is something that you have to call and pre-book as the supply is normally limited - pork tendon. This stuff is rich with collagen goodness, something that Jenn loves to the max!

Leo's verdict - price-wise it was slightly more expensive compared to their outlets in Klang but bear in mind that the rental rate is higher especially in popular shopping mall such as 1Utama. Unlike Mo Sang Kor, they do provide refill for the soup although a little bit stingy on the quantity. I am sure that most of you have your favourite BKt place and have different opinions + preference on BKT, but I'm not really that picky... whenever I crave for BKT, this place will definitely be on top of my list.

Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh
P282 Promenade, Lakeside
LG Floor, 1 Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama
Tel: 03-77252599

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Medan Selera Kampar @ Kampar Perak

I hardly venture to the North! Few years ago, most of my customers were concentrated in the East Coast, South or Klang Valley... but never North. Then the economy suddenly became bad and a lot of my customers in Johor and Klang Valley were affected. Business were never the same again. Went through my business card holder for contacts & found several contacts from the Northern Region and thus my trip to the North began.

My first stop for the night was in Kampar town, now a bustling town thanks to the presence of TAR College and UTAR! My friend, Andy, lives here and he was kind enough to let me stay overnight at his place. He brought me to Medan Selera Kampar for breakfast early next morning. Parking wasn't easy to find even though it was weekday morning. According to Andy, most Chinese flocked to this foodcourt and surrounding area just to eat and buy groceries.

The foodcourt was huge and housed many stalls. Being first-timer, Andy brought me to his favourite breakfast spot. He commented that even though the food here was not spectacular or with the wow-factor, it was decent enough to warrant everyday trip here for the choices. I have seen Axian featuring some stalls in his TV program but to see them in real life.. this was my very first time! Look at the crowds! It was only weekday morning.. imagine the chaos during weekends :P

The main highlight should be this stall! Look carefully - it might look like an ordinary CKT stall but there's something different.

This guy was actually sitting on a stool while frying the CKT! Not that he was feeling tired of standing but it was the way since he started this business.

The CKT was different from those we had in Klang Valley - it was less dark, less oily and full of wok hei. however, the only thing that it lack was the flavour. It was rather bland and maybe that's why they threw in the lime and chilly. Andy said that the flavour had remained the same for the longest time. Perhaps it was my tastebud which had accustomed to the KL or Penang version.

Apart from that, we also had the glutonious sticky rice that was doused with curry and topped with lean char siew + peanuts. Not the one to shout about as well :)

My friend Andy had the wantan mee Kampar style that was slightly different from what we had everyday. The noodle was homemade (springy & QQ), bean sprout was included together with the normal char siew. I had a slurp and thought that it was well.. NORMAL!

I bought some thin apom from nearby stall after seeing a long queue waiting for the stuff. Unlike the usual apom, there was basically nothing inside which intriqued me.

Of course, they also sell the regular apom.

The apom was crispy & sweet! It is best to consume while hot because they would become soft once cold.

After the breakfast, I noticed a motorcycle selling a rather interesting stuff - ham kok chai! I don't know what it is called in English but it was good!


The speaker was turned on permanently and to some extent, the sound could get a little annoying.

Leo's verdict - after the first trip here, I had come back here for the second time with Jenn this time... the curry chee cheong fun was truly delicious but we forgot to take pictures! Do drop by this foodcourt if you happen to be in Kampar. This quiet town is nothing short of good food!

MEDAN SELERA KAMPAR (Kampar Food Court)
Between Jalan Masjid & Jalan Ampang,
Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.
GPS Coordinates : E101 9′ 1.6″ N4 18′ 51.5″

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.