Out and about from KL

Wow, I'm not sure how it happened but despite my good intentions, it's been over two months since I was last on here.

Actually, I know exactly how it happened. You see, since late June, I have been on a plane at least once a week. Extravagant, some might say. But no, it's been all discount airlines for me! Busy? Definitely. And the affordable and relatively painless flights have really made me appreciate how brilliant KL's location is as a hub for travel through Asia.

So where have I been?

First there was a weekend away in Langkawi with The Boy and assorted friends. Despite almost missing our flight, it ended up being a brilliant holiday. Our second time there but we enjoyed it just as much, perhaps even more due to the social aspect. Highlight was the sunset cocktail/dinner cruise. But more on this another time.

Then my parents and sisters arrived from Sydney for a whirlwind visit, having already passed through Singapore to visit Brother no. 1. Following that, mama and I flew out late at night over to Japan (Kansai International Airport, Osaka) for a week of lazing and feasting with my grandparents. Overnight flights are never fun but at just over 6 hours, it was over by the time I had a little snooze and a bit of breakfast.

A couple of weeks later I was back at KLIA this time headed to Hong Kong for a long weekend to visit a toasty friend of mine from school days and also meet up with a dear work colleague on her stopover back from Europe. We were feeling very pleased with ourselves for planning such a clever international catch-up until Typhoon Vicente hit and we found ourselves stranded at the airport overnight.


By this time, we were into August and due to the colliding of stars and the mysteries of the universe, I booked an impulse flight back to Sydney to see my family and friends, who are not so near these days but still remain the dearest in my heart. On the way back I tried out Scoot for the first time - Singapore Airlines' budget carrier - even travelling up front in ScootBiz thanks to my darling mama purchasing a last-minute upgrade for me at the check-in counter.

I felt like I had literally unpacked my woefully insufficient clothes after my freezing Sydney encounter (yes Sydney does have winter) when I was zipping up the suitcase again, this time for a quick business trip with The Boy over to Singapore. We went there by Aeroline coach, which I've mentioned before, and came back on Jetstar, which I give a big thumbs up to if only because they fly to KLIA and not the infernal LCCT.

And now I am looking at my itinerary for yet more flights - this time The Boy is coming too as we head to Kota Bharu then onto the Perhentian Islands this weekend for some sunshine, blue skies and blissful beach time with friends.

After that my travel plans do dry up a little, although I'm still hopeful for a wee trip somewhere close in September or October - perhaps Penang, Langkawi (again) or even across the border to Chiang Mai or Koh Samui in Thailand? The Boy and I then have a trip together back to Sydney for an early Christmas as prices double in December/January. 

I can't believe how quickly this year is flying by. Looks like the other destinations on my Asia travel list - Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia, South Korea and more Thailand will have to wait till 2013!

Weekend in Melaka...or is it Malacca?

One blazing hot weekend in June, The Boy and I celebrated a milestone. It was our first weekend away since moving to KL and we were going to Melaka, that lovely UNESCO heritage-listed historical port town about 2-3 hours drive away.

The Boy and I on Melaka River

Melaka centres on the river. The water is not the best but the brightly painted restored shop houses that line the river on both sides - some converted into cafes and accommodation - and the cruise boats ferrying tourists up and down give it a nice life. We happily did the 10-minute leisurely stroll up and down the river to our hotel several times over the weekend, always finding something new to notice and enjoy at different times of day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melaka is perfect for a weekend trip because most of the tourist sites are clustered close together, which makes for easy sightseeing. The only obstacle was the heat, which seemed to be about 5 degrees warmer than KL! Luckily, cold fresh fruit juices, refreshing bowls of cendol and beers (The Boy's drink of choice) are plentiful, and people-watching enjoyable.

Melaka town centre

Melaka town centre

Colourful tri-shaws lined up waiting for customers

While we chose to walk, it seemed the 'tri-shaw' was the mode of transport of choice for many other visitors that weekend. For some reason, the drivers of these bicycle/carriages insist of blasting loud music as they ferry passengers around, anything from loud 80s ballads to dance club hits. 

St Paul's church ruins

 

Water wheel

A'Famosa fort ruins

Maritime Museum

Malaysians will tell you to go to Melaka for the food. In fact, one of The Boy's staff drives there with friends every couple of months for a feed. Melaka is known for several dishes including chicken rice balls, satay celup and cendol. We had a delicious lunch at Famosa Chicken Rice Ball restaurant on Jonker Street, returning later to check out the night markets, which were bustling.

At the top of Jonker Street

Sunny afternoon in Chinatown

Rice balls and chicken = simple but oh, so satisfying

Lovely interior at Famosa Chicken Rice Ball restaurant

Heaven is fresh juice in a jar on a hot day

Good night Melaka, we'll be back!

We travelled to and from Melaka by Nice Executive Coach which was great aside from a miscommunication which saw us miss the bus on the way there (luckily there was another one 2 hours later) and on the way back we were unfortunately seated beneath a leaking airconditioner which splashed water on our feet every time the bus took a sharp turn. The seats are comfortable though and it looks like one of the nicer coaches that do that route.

Travel tip: If you can help it, don't travel on a public holiday weekend. The roads were so crowded with Malaysian holidaymakers, the trip took an hour longer than scheduled each way.

Busy busy busy

It's been a while since my last post and that is a good thing in a way. It means I have been busy, and I love being busy. Since a young age I have filled my hours with activities - whilst I was at school and university I was also learning musical instruments, learning languages, reading and reading more, and as I grew older, part-time work and travel entered the mix. Even after graduating and entering the full-time workforce, I had a yearning to study again and enrolled in a part-time Masters degree. And of course one can't forget the socialising with friends and family that has been a constant in my life.

All in all, it's made me an inordinately organised person. I can find time for everything. But these past weeks, even as I thought that yes I must write another blog post, I somehow didn't get around to it. Is the relaxed Malaysian lifestyle finally having an effect on me? Perhaps. And seeing as how KL is our home for the foreseeable future, sensing that I am adjusting and 'settling in' is satisfying. I still crave my home comforts - the people and places in Sydney that I love and feel bound to - but I think I am at that stage now where I can say that I have 'a life' in KL too. And since most expat experiences are transient, I doubt that this chapter in our lives will last forever but I do hope that the lessons learned and experiences shared will stay with us in our lifetimes.

Air Asia X lost my friend's suitcase

May is the month for visitors - no sooner had I farewelled my chigga friend and her boy, I found myself at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) eagerly awaiting the arrival of Breakfast Sarah, my co-worker from university days when I earned my keep selling handbags and suitcases. Over the years we have maintained and built on our friendship founded in a common love of breakfast and she's always a lot of fun.

So back to LCCT. I have to say, not having a car I find it a bit of a hassle to get to. While KLIA is a breeze via the 28-minute KLIA Expres train from KL Sentral, to get to LCCT I have 3 options, all of them slow.

- Taxi, which I quickly ruled out as the rather exorbitant fare doesn't appeal to my new Malaysian view of my finances (150MYR+ one way)
- SkyBus from KL Sentral, which is fine but I'd just done this hour+ coach ride for my trip to Singapore 2 weeks ago and didn't fancy it again (9MYR one way)
- KLIA Transit train from KL Sentral to Salak Tinggi followed by a 30-minute shuttle bus (12.50MYR one way)

In the end I decided to give the KLIA Transit train a go. Turns out it only leaves every half hour so I ended up waiting at KL Sentral for 25 minutes and checking the time on my phone nervously on the train and again on the shuttle bus as BS' arrival time came and went.

Turns out I need not have worried so much about getting to the airport on time. You see, my friend BS had a worry of her own - Air Asia X had lost her suitcase.

As a frequent traveller, losing my luggage is a constant fear I have every time I find myself standing at the baggage carousel. This is why the suitcases I own are bright red, stripey or have a big orange ribbon tied to them; and my name and address clearly written on a luggage tag. If I find myself still waiting after most of the other passengers around me have found their suitcase and shuffled off, my heart rate starts to increase and I start to stress. 


And yet so far I have been lucky (touch wood). My friend BS not so lucky. She found herself with another couple from Sydney waiting after the carousel had stopped, still with no luggage. Sydney Couple managed to sort theirs out quickly - the Air Asia staff made a quick call and were able to locate their bag at Sydney Airport. "It will arrive on the plane tomorrow and you will have it delivered tomorrow night." And Sydney Couple wearily went on their way.


My friend BS stepped forward hopefully but no such luck. "We don't know where your bag is." "We have this problem with Sydney." "We will call you in 3-4 hours." With these words and a missing baggage report tucked away in her handbag, BS began her month-long trip to Europe via KL.


I called again 4 hours later at 10:30pm as we had not yet heard anything, and the Air Asia staff member sounded almost amused that we were expecting a resolution so soon. "I'm in at 1pm again tomorrow, I call you then," he said. To which I replied that no, I would like his colleague working the morning shift to please call us earlier than that. "Okay okay he call you," said our Air Asia friend.


But of course, come the next morning there was no call so once again I found myself dialling the number. We were told that the latest update from Sydney was still 'search in progress'. Our friend had made a helpful note on our report that "This lady calls many times asking about her bag." Is there any chance the suitcase is lost at LCCT? No. Is there a number I can call to speak to someone in Sydney? No, all our correspondence is via email.


Day 2 wearing the same clothes she travelled in with no makeup or toiletries, BS was starting to get slightly concerned. So after breakfast, we headed to Suria KLCC for emergency shopping:


- underwear (Uniqlo)
- bikini (Quiksilver)
- BB cream and eyeliner (Guardian Pharmacy)


The afternoon rolled around. Should I call Air Asia again, I asked BS. She shook her head. "I think we should wait a bit longer and give them a chance to sort it out." Then around 6:30pm, 24 hours after we had left LCCT, I got a call.


"Your friend's bag has just arrived from Sydney. We are waiting for our agent to deliver it to your address. You will get it tonight or tomorrow morning, I will call to confirm."


Fantastic news! We hurried home to wait for the suitcase and the call to confirm delivery. It was after 11pm by the time I sleepily answered a call from a man who proceeded to shout at me that he was on his way and would be at our condo approximately 1-1:30am. I asked him to kindly leave the bag with security and I would collect it in the morning.

*Sleep interlude*

I wake up to the sound of the doorbell to our apartment being pressed over and over. What time is it? It's 1:30am. I answer the door not even half-awake and find the delivery man with a security guard. But no suitcase.

"You want your suitcase?"
"I told you to please leave it with security. This is much too late."
"You want your suitcase?"

Having been rudely woken in the middle of the night, I was in no mood to stand in the glaring light in the hallway and wait for him to go back down to pick up the suitcase and bring it back up. Goodness knows how long that would take!

So I politely asked once more to leave the bag with security and I would pick it up in the morning. Then I shut the door firmly in their faces.

This morning sure enough, BS' suitcase was sitting in the security office with a tag stuck on that read "THIS BAG BELONGS TO MS LISA". BS is now gleefully unpacking her toiletries and holiday wardrobe and looking forward to spending the day by the pool, and going shopping without the pressure of having to buy things.

Verdict: Lost baggage is something that happens to every airline at every airport. Air Asia could have communicated more - it was irritating that we had to keep following up with them until they found the bag. But all in all, 24 hour delay is not that bad.

 
 

 

Dinner at twentyone kitchen+bar, Changkat Bukit Bintang

As you may have heard, Air Asia started flying Sydney-KL direct as of April this year. Prior to that, your only option was Malaysia Airlines for a direct flight or a range of other full-service airlines via Singapore. Air Asia's entry into the market at the low, low, low end of the price spectrum (and now Scoot as well from Singapore to Sydney) is welcome news for many, but certainly for me as it means trips back home will be possible more often.

Of course, the opposite is also true - it means that Sydney friends and family can now come and visit without having to use up their entire holiday budget for the year. And so it was that just before Easter, an entertaining ex-colleague of mine came to KL for a week with her partner and a pair of food bloggers in tow.

On the one night our schedules managed to align, The Boy and I decided to take the troop to Changkat Bukit Bintang. You would not be an expat in KL and not know of this fantastic street lined with countless bars and restaurants and offering a lively energy no matter what night of the week. It's been six months now and we have still only been to a handful of places on the street, it is my goal to gradually make my way through the entire row and choose my favourite establishments.

This particular balmy evening we headed to Gypsy for a few drinks first. There are nicer bars in Changkat, but Gypsy has a good range of beers and decent happy hour prices, which is important when you are out with thirsty menfolk. 

We then headed to the main event of the evening - dinner at twentyone kitchen + bar. The Boy and I had been there before for drinks a couple of times and I liked the wide upstairs balcony where you could sit and sip on a yummy cocktail from a big list and watch the world go by. Having done a bit of research into suitable places that might impress my foodie colleague, I had read some good reviews about twentyone's menu and so for some weeks had been looking forward to finally trying it out.

What we ate:

Entree (shared)
smoked duck and sour plum spring rolls - 16RM
king prawn spring rolls with a sweet chilli and tamarind dipping - 22RM
wild rocket with feta cheese and balsamic - 22RM 

The duck spring rolls were a fantastic flavour combination, while I thought the rocket was a bit overpriced in comparison.


Mains (individual)

braised wagyu beef burger with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, rosemary crusted chips and gherkin aioli - 38RM
wild mushroom risotto with tempura of oyster mushroom and parmesan wafer - 34
pan fried salmon served on a potato croquette, tomato, asparagus and caper butter sauce - 38

There is one missing from the above list (2 of us ordered the risotto) but I have simply forgotten and don't have any photos to remind me. Verdict? Good. 

The Boy was over the moon with his burger, so much so that I didn't get to try more than a small mouthful. The rosemary crusted chips were rough cut and had the right amount of crispiness on the outside. 

I had the salmon (which I do have a photo of!) and it was the perfect size, even a little too large. The fish was slightly under-cooked which is the way I like it. The potato croquette was yummy and reminded me of arancini balls; the vine-ripened tomato juicy and the caper butter sauce was not too heavy and provided a nice background to the rest of the dish. 


Dessert
passionfruit creme brulee with dark chocolate mousse and caramel - 18RM
tiramisu with mascarpone and chocolate moelleux - 24RM

I was pretty full but my sweet tooth wouldn't let me pass up the delectable dessert menu. The creme brulee made a pleasant crack just as it's meant to and the passionfruit flavour was a nice change from the usual. 

My friend had the tiramisu and proclaimed it beautiful, and this coming from someone who doesn't even like tiramisu is high praise indeed!

All in all, we had a lovely night albeit having spent a bit more than our usual budget. You can probably order 3 courses and a drink for about 100RM each but we shared the entrees so it could be even less.

The menu is appetising and quirky with its XYZ, 3-course layout. Combined with an extensive cocktail and wine list, twentyone really has everything you need for a nice evening of wining and dining. The Boy and I already want to go back, we're just waiting for a special occasion so we can justify the splurge!



 

Home and back again

It's been a while since I've written a post - April flew by with a glorious couple of weeks back home in Sydney surrounding myself with the familiar people and places that I love and miss. 

Good coffee, even better wine, proper chocolate and all the meat (including pork) you could want without any 'spare parts' as my friend Jana would say. After living in a high-rise apartment building in the middle of the city, it was so nice to get back to the sense of space, fresh air and quiet in the Sydney suburbs where I grew up. I whiled away a couple of delicious breakfasts with my best girlfriends and enjoyed a few glasses of wine on leisurely evenings at home with my parents and our dogs. 

It was hard to come back to the jungle, it really was. But being with The Boy and being there for him keeps me here. And really, it's not all bad. In fact, in many ways it's good. It's almost 6 months since I moved to KL and I think I'm slowly finding my feet. Sometimes I find myself smiling to myself and that can only be a good thing.
 

 

Dinner at Watami, Pavilion KL

I am constantly on the lookout for good Japanese food and as I've said on this blog before, I'm happy that there are so many places to choose from in KL as it will keep me going for a while!


As part of our ongoing quest to find delicious food from my mother country, The Boy and I paid a visit to Watami, a 'Japanese Casual Restaurant' in Pavilion. We had received a flyer with their menu on it and thought it looked appealing enough to try. The menu is extensive to say the least and usually that's a danger sign for me as typically, restaurants that try to do too many things tend to excel at none of them.


The clincher for me was the mochi cheese okonomiyaki on the menu. Okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancake) is one of my favourite Japanese foods and the mochi-filled variety my favourite of them all. Unfortunately, I've found decent okonomiyaki very hard to come by outside of Japan. So when I saw this on the menu at Watami I had to try it even if it was going to be average, just to satisfy my cravings. 


So on a casual Saturday night we strolled up to Level 4 of the constantly buzzing Pavilion mall and were quickly shown to a table. After a few minutes of deliberation (as I said the menu is big!) we decided on edamame and kani hotate cream croquettes to start, then okonomiyaki for both of us - Hiroshima style (with soba noodles) for The Boy, mochi cheese style for me.

Edamame (RM7.90)

The edamame arrived within minutes, pleasantly salted and warm as we had requested (you can choose to have them served hot or cold). As we happily munched our way through these delicious beans, the croquettes arrived.

Kani hotate cream (crab and scallop in cream) croquettes (RM12.90)

These are another food I love and usually request when I visit my grandparents in Japan. The traditional croquette (obviously not a Japanese word!) is potato and beef mince, but I love the decadent creaminess of the crab cream variety. The ones I usually have in Japan are slightly flatter circles rather than balls and have a drier crumb. 


But there was certainly nothing wrong with the ones we were served at Watami. They came out searingly hot and in my impatience I burned my tongue but they were delicious all the same. It was the first time The Boy had tried this dish and it got his thumbs up of approval.

Mochi cheese okonomiyaki (RM17.90)

When my okonomiyaki came out I was pleased to see it served on its own hot plate with an authentic metal spatula and topped with delicious okonomi sauce, mayonnaise and dried bonito flakes. I could almost imagine I was in Osaka sitting at the counter as the chef prepared the okonomiyaki on the hot plate in front of me. Almost.


I found the okonomiyaki to be slightly smaller than the ones you would expect in Japan. But there was plenty of mochi inside and plenty of sauce on top, which got big ticks in my book as there's nothing worse than being tight with the toppings. And it was delicious, I polished the whole thing off in a few minutes and was only sad to find myself too full for dessert!


I settled for a refreshing drink instead and ordered a Strawberry & Citrus Coola. 

Strawberry & Citrus Coola (RM9.90)

It was full of real strawberry pieces and had a delightfully refreshing fizz without being overly sweet. Perfect end to a wonderful meal with prompt, friendly service and all very reasonably priced.


We will be back again to sample more of the menu which also has sushi and sashimi, meat, noodles, salads and an array of Japanese desserts. Watami also has set menus for lunch (starting from RM17.90++) and dinner starting from RM40++ per person for dinner for 2. 


Details:
Watami Malaysia
Level 4, Pavilion KL
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
www.watami.com.my