A Glutton's Footprints: Local Fare Part 1

A Glutton's Footprints: Local Fare Part 1: "I'm in the midst of adjusting to my new job and environment, hence the hiatus in my updates ;p Will find time to write a..."

Local Fare Part 1

In the midst of adjusting to my new job and environment, hence the hiatus in my updates ;p Will find time to write about our Taiwan trip after I've settled down. In the meantime, I wana share some nice local food which I've tried :)

Ming Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice @ Kim San Leng coffeeshop (Bishan)

Their chicken is served slightly chilled which may surprise some. The breast meat here is not dry and tough and the portion is generous! Chicken rice is moist, fragrant and not oily at all. Their soup tastes special; I think they use Szechuan preserved vegetables to give it the perk.

Another interesting thing is the cutlery. It comes in a full matching set, which gives a nostalgic touch I'd say :)

At $9 for 2 pax, it's definitely value for money!

Warning: Be prepared to queue 20 mins; even if it's during off peak hours!

Bedok Chwee Kway @ Bedok Central food centre

This is one of the must-eats when we're in the area. The chye por is stir-fried with lotsa white sesame and oil. It's quite salty but has a great flavour and crunchy bite which goes well with the chwee kway.

Tuck Kee (Ipoh) Sah Ho Fun @ Hong Lim food centre

My all time fave. I guess this stall needs no introduction as it's the only one selling nice crayfish hor fun?? The hor fun that they use is the thin type that goes very well with the dark gravy. The stall opens until 3pm on Sat. Once, we reached there 2+ and there was no need to queue at all ^^

Roti prata @ Rivervale Plaza Kopitiam

Our not-so-recent find. We've always thought that food from foodcourts is only average.

The prata here is made upon order. It's quite oily and the crispiness comes from continuous pan-frying and flipping. It's not overly thick and floury unlike some stalls'. Furthermore, it's only 80c per piece (kosong)! Why do we need to pay $1.20 for an average prata?

Warning: Prepare to queue 20 mins!

A Glutton's Footprints: Siem Reap '09

A Glutton's Footprints: Siem Reap '09: "Since childhood, my impression of Cambodia had been- 3rd world, unsafe and the people are always starving as mum was always threatening..."

A Glutton's Footprints: Just Another Weekend

A Glutton's Footprints: Just Another Weekend: "Before I'm done with writing about our Cambodia trip, just to share how we spend our weekends like typical married S'porean couples ;p ..."

A Glutton's Footprints: Perth & W.A Self-Drive Oct '07

A Glutton's Footprints: Perth & W.A Self-Drive Oct '07: "Gonna start my new job in Mar, kinda free now so thought I'd upload some of my travel pix ^^  The Perth trip was our first sel..."

Siem Reap '09

Since childhood, my impression of Cambodia had been- 3rd world, unsafe and the people are always starving as mum was always threatening to send me there if I don't finish up my meal or I pick on food. I'd never have imagined going to this place if not for bro-in-law's sharing of his experience there and Jetstar running a promo to Siem Reap ^^

This trip has changed my impression of Cambodia; it wasn't really that unsafe (in fact, the people are quite shy and simple) and the place wasn't as barren and backward as I thought it to be. It has taught me to cherish the things that we possess and made me realize that we've been living in bliss (we all are well aware of this and we just need some reminders at times).

Day 1: Arrival at Siem Reap 07:05 via Jetstar.

At the airport, we were received by the staff from the boutique hotel that we booked with.
Pavillon d’Orient (Road No. 60) - US$110/night. The package included: All-day breakfast and taxes, airport, boat or bus station transfers (2 ways), a tuk-tuk with driver (around Angkor and town area) available from sunrise to 10pm (that's hard work! >_<ll).
The hotel staffs were polite and friendly. There was much privacy as it's away from the town center and there were only 18 rooms :)

Tastefully decorated room!



Peaceful and homely, I felt like I was in somebody's private residence.

 

Having settled our stuff, we asked the tuk-tuk driver to bring us to Blue Pumpkin located in the town center, which is a well-known cafe among tourists serving ice-creams, coffee, Asian and Western food, cakes and pastries. If you're very concerned with the dusty environment, it's best that you bring along face masks. I even wore my shades when travelling at night! ;p

Our tuk-tuk driver and I (with face mask) ;p



Blue Pumpkin (365 Mondol 1 Svay Dang Kum)
Coming here was our favourite daily pass-time ^^



Dark choc & caramel ice cream with rum liqueur P:



Activity: Horseback riding at Happy Ranch (near Svay Dangkum Pagoda) - US$36/pax.

Quite expensive I'd say, well, we were there to contribute to their economy anyway. Our package was a 2-hr sunset ride in the countryside.  Kudos to the boss, who is a young Caucasian lady named Lucy. She started up the ranch and created employment by hiring the locals.

Don't think that I'm a weirdo wearing long sleeves and leggings in such a hot weather. I dislike slapping on oily sunblock but I still need to have some kinda protection :p Long pants can also protect your legs from getting grazed by tall grasses or bushes.

It's a memorable experience as it was my first time doing horseback riding in the nature.



The kids are so friendly!



After the ride, my bum hurt like hell and whenever I sat on hard surfaces, I'd go "Ooooh!" This was made worse during massage back at the hotel and it took 3 days to go away >.<ll Though we had a good bargain for our accommodation package, I guess the hotel earned back their profit through their spa service, which we patronised 3 times during our 5 days' stay. It was US$20+/pax if I'm not wrong.
We had the famous Khmer dish, Amok fish for dinner at the hotel's cafe. I didn't really like it as the fish was cooked in a curry like the Thai green curry, but it was rather sweet and lacked of zest.

Day 2: Sunrise at Angkor Wat.

We woke up 4am+. The journey was about 20 mins from the hotel by tuk-tuk. We bought the 3-day pass at US$40/pax which encompassed all Angkor temples.
Together with other visitors, we made our way slowly to Angkor Wat in total darkness using handphone spot light as an aid. Lotsa tourists were already stationed at the "hot spot" with their cameras ready to snap the sunrise. The locals were very entrepreneuring to come up with the idea of providing a chair and drink to tourists at US$1/pax.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat.



I was truly fascinated by the exquisite carvings!

To get away from the sweltering afternoon heat everyday, we'd head back to the hotel to have our all-day brekkie ^^ I still remember that they had a homemade yogurt which tasted kinda "gassy" and that was the first and last time we ordered that ;p They also had a very light and refreshing dish in which rice with chicken slices and bean sprouts were served in a bowl of clear soup, with lime on the side if you prefer it tangy. It's a great perk-up if you don't have much appetite on such a hot weather. I ordered this dish perpetually everyday!



OK, what you see on the table was basically what we ate everyday. Not much quality choices
but still better than nothing. I do miss the choc cake though.

After a short rest, we went to KFC in the town center which was a 2-storey outlet. As the 1st floor was rather packed, we went up to the 2nd floor and realised we were the only ones there. A staff came up and switched on the air con for us. So, this is how they conserve energy and save cost. Cute!
I was quite surprised that they still serve buns. Well, in S'pore, no one was interested in touching the buns and tonnes were discarded without caring a hoot. To the Cambodians, any food is so important that they'd never throw it away. I've learnt to treasure food more and finished up everything.

KFC (Sivatha Boulevard)

We went to Madam Sachiko Cookies which was opened by a Japanese lady to purchase the well-known Angkor cookies. Nothing special, not only were they expensive (US$5 & above) given that local ingredients were used probably, I found them to be quite dry and coarse. They'd definitely do better with coffee. Anyway, we were there to contribute to their economy...



Madam Sachiko Cookies (Angkor Wat Road)



Cafe Puka Puka, just beside the cookie shop.
Sells icy desserts and fruity concoctions. Perfect for the scorching weather!



Dinner at Pub Street, which is the happening place in town. We decided to give the Amok fish another try, thinking that it could be due to different standards at various places. The dish tasted the same nonetheless, and I got really sick of the sweet, milky gravy.



Pub Street



We lacked the courage to eat at their roadside stalls >.<ll



Back at the hotel, we were delighted to see cute little frogs at the plants and staircase leading to our room (not pleasing to spot ugly fat toads near the pond though >.<ll). Of course, hubby wouldn't let slip of such an opportunity to snap them and it became a nightly activity. Thereafter, we became so wary of stepping on them at night as the hotel's lighting wasn't bright.

Day 3: Sunrise at Ta Prohm and visit to Bayon & the Terrace of Elephants.

We woke up 5am+ and travelled to Ta Prohm, which was slightly further away than Angkor Wat. There weren't many tourists at that hour so we had all the time to explore the place and take pix ^^ This is our favourite temple.

Ta Prohm




In total serenity, the place was filled with a mystical aura.

 

It was late morning by the time we reached Bayon and the place was packed with tourists and tour groups. Kinda frustrating with the bumping around and taking turns to take pix.

  

Bayon

 

Each stone statue has 4 faces and there were a total of 216 faces!



The afternoon heat was getting unbearable and we made a short stopover at the Terrace of Elephants.

 

Terrace of Elephants



Free in the afternoon, we visited the Angkor Trade Center Supermarket (Pokambo Avenue) which has Swensen's and a pizza restaurant. The whole building was quite big and deserted (few shoppers in a sense) but the washrooms were clean. The supermarket was rather well stocked-up with local groceries at reasonable prices.
Not having a liking for Khmer food, we settled for Chinese food for dinner which wasn't up to the mark. What can we expect? =_=

Day 4: Visit to Banteay Srei & Kbal Spean.

We travelled by car (included in package) to these places as the journey was further. Banteay Srei was a better preserved temple as visitors are only allowed to roam the outer part and advised against touching, hence protecting the structure and carvings.



Outside Banteay Srei.

 

We travelled about 20 mins to Kbal Spean, whereby we need to trek a distance to see the carvings at the river. Our driver asked us to bring along more bottles of water. As the distance was only 1.5 km to and fro each, we told him that we'll be back soon. When he told us that we need to climb the hill, we got a shock of our life! :O

Though the hill wasn't that steep with the exception of some boulders, being a sedentary city dweller, I struggled along the way >.<ll

 

3/4 way up!

Kbal Spean
These carvings were better preserved.



Carvings which had been in contact with the gushing river got more or less polished off.

Getting down was no easy feat either. Any wrong step could land us rolling down the slope >.<ll Mission accomplished after 3 hrs finally... Dead beat.... 

We decided to reward ourselves for an incredible feat achieved and wanted to lunch at Raffles Hotel. Our tuk-tuk driver has never heard of it, so did the hotel reception. Fortunately, they managed to find it after some checks. It was called Raffles Grand Hotel D'Angkor (what a mouthful!)



Raffles Hotel
We were in shorts and slippers as we did not bring along any presentable clothing on this trip ;p
Hubby's birthday. My treat! :)



We'd wanted to view the sunset at Angkor Wat, whereby the best view is from a hill opposite. I guess we've had more than enough of hill climbing in the morning xp

Sunset at Angkor Wat.

Al fresco dining at the famed FCC Angkor Hotel (Pokambo Avenue).



Fish & chips served in dim sum basket and crab appetizer. Yummy!



Day 5: Visit to the floating village, Tonle Sap Lake.

It was a 1-hr journey to the lake, hence, we travelled by car. Along the way, we spotted village houses rearing livestock and poultry.

Tonle Sap Lake
We had the whole boat to ourselves!

Most of the Cambodian children whom we saw were wearing old, tattered clothes, pyjamas or nothing at all! Makes me think back of how fortunate and spoilt our kids are; each one has so many pairs of shoes to go with different outfits, countless sets of clothes (some of which they have "no chance" to wear and already overgrown it) and toys that they get sick of playing so soon and got strewn all over the house.
Now, I don't spoil my niece by getting her things unnecessarily. When she throws tantrums during meal time, I'll say I wanna bring her to Cambodia to see the children and she gets intimidated. So mum's favourite ruse works. Ha!


They were very seasoned at posing for pix with tourists haha!



Last night in Siem Reap; we decided to go for something exotic and had Indian cuisine at the famous Curry Walla which was run by Indians. It was good and authentic!

Curry Walla (Sivatha Boulevard)

The night market nearby.



Our last visit to Blue Pumpkin. We managed to grab this cool couch seat which was
always occupied during daytime.

The Indian food plus lassi and ice-cream combination was a grave mistake. Awakened in the middle of the night by severe stomach cramps, I had a few runs and puked :,( Tormented throughout the night, I didn't sleep much. Nonetheless, we headed to the airport around 6am for our flight back. I didn't dare to eat any food for the fear of a relapse until we were back in S'pore.

Lessons learnt: I was told by a friend never to mix curry with milk products. And if you really wanna try exotic or street food, do it on the last day of your trip ;p

To view more beautiful pictures, go to: http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=557122529#!/album.php?aid=128387&id=557122529