Vitra Singh's Blog, page 5
March 6, 2014
My Favorite Thing About Langkawi, Malaysia
The FOOD!
Without a doubt, it was some of the best food I have tasted since coming to Southeast Asia at the end of January. And better yet, the food was consistently delicious across various cuisines we tried.
Our first meal at the Frangipani Hotel was the first meal after getting off the plane and checking in.
Among the fries, there was also chicken satay, village friend rice, and noodles with chicken.
Our first night on the island, we ended up walking along the main strip of Pantai Cenang. There you can find all the tour shops, bars, restaurants, and cafes.
I ordered white snapper with a salad and potato salad. Here are the before and after pics:
For lunch the next day, we tried Turkish food. Seemingly a random choice, we were all just hungry after a morning of island-hopping and chose the first place we saw. But it worked out amazingly well. The dishes were authentic, well-seasoned, and filling. I had the chicken kebab dish, while my hubby ordered chicken that came with bread underneath and yogurt on top. (Mine was better, but then again, I’m not a big yogurt fan.)
We also had a Turkish dessert which consisted of vermicelli with milk sauce around it.
That’s just a brief glimpse at three of our meals. We also tried Japanese, French, and Asian Fusion…more on those when I upload the pics from my camera.
Hungry yet?
My Cantaloupe is More Expensive Than Yours
Singapore, the Lion City, has been named the Most Expensive City according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Don’t take their word for it. Here’s a picture of a cantaloupe I snapped a few hours ago at the grocery store:
[image error]
As tasty as this fruit appears, I can buy a round-trip ticket to a nearby destination for that price! (SG$129 is the equivalent of $102 USD.)
Having lived in Bangkok years ago, I was accustomed to Southeast Asia as being a destination where my dollar went a long way. But since being based in Singapore over the past few weeks, I have paid $7 for Ginger ale, $6.90 for a tall hot chocolate at Starbucks, and $25 now seems somewhat normal for a cocktail.
The prices here in Singapore were shocking at first. I’ve even had Europeans tell me this country is expensive – and usually, Europe is one of the most expensive places to live and visit!
Being a country that exports almost everything, the cost of living here should not be surprising. Of course, I’m always on the lookout for a good deal so it makes living here interesting.
I did pay $2.30 the other day for a bowl of Fish Ball Soup and $3 for a fresh coconut at a hawker stand – so those finds make it fun.
March 5, 2014
Putting My Feet Up…
Perhaps there should have been a period at the end of this blog’s title for those who envisioned that I would finish the sentence in a different way!
But seriously, here’s what I mean – feet up, eyes starring blankly ahead, hands slightly tucked into pants. (Think Al Bundy!)
It’s been a bustling two weeks. Had four busy days in Hong Kong, spent a couple days preparing for my BFF’s arrival in Singapore, had a whirlwind 48 hours here when she arrived, flew to Langkawi for three days, and had another crazy 36 hours finishing up her visit in Singapore. I love traveling, documenting new experiences, making new friends, and sharing those experiences here, here, and here.
However, it also feels really good to be at home and have some down time to recoup. And I’m definitely going to enjoy recouping over the next four days because we are hitting Beijing, Seoul, and Vietnam within the next 3-4 weeks.
Wish me luck!
What do you do to relax after a hectic span of time?
March 4, 2014
Accused of Being…
India, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Thai, and most recently this week… Malay!
Maybe I just have one of those faces – like a chameleon? Okay, that may be a bit of a stretch, but it seems locals in many places take me to be one of their own. Cases in point:
I lived in Thailand for a period of six months back in 2005. Street vendors, waitstaff, and business professionals would often initiate conversations with me in Thai. Granted, once I got used to bargaining, the layout of the city, and confident in getting what I needed on a daily basis, perhaps my confidence gave locals the sense that I knew what I was doing, therefore I must be one of them?
My husband and I read great reviews about a Nepalese restaurant near our apartment in San Francisco. For date night, we decided to give it a try. It wasn’t busy when we walked in so we made our way to a table and sat ourselves. A minute later, the waiter came by with menus and immediately started speaking to me in Nepalese. Several moments later, he realized (by the blank look on my face) that I had no idea what he was saying. He laughed, shook his head from left to right, and said he thought I was from Nepal.
And two days ago in Langkawi, Malaysia, we went to a Japanese restaurant to try out some sushi. After ordering and receiving our dishes, a waitress came to our table because she thought I was from the same part of Malaysia where she’s from – Penang. When I told her I was not, she couldn’t believe it.
I’ve never really paid attention to the fact that many people think I fit it – but honestly, it feels like an honor. Like some sort of silent approval that even though I have no idea what’s going on and though my style of dress is different – I could get by being one of them!
Here I am – what nationality would you peg me for? And where have people accidentally taken you for being a local?
March 3, 2014
A Langkawi Sunset
Here are a few shots of sunset in Langkawi, Malaysia from last night:
March 2, 2014
Hello From Langkawi
With my bestie visiting from the US, we decided to
take a cheap weekend trip. Our choice – Langkawi, Malaysia. Thought
I would share my view right now. Next post will feature one of the
prettiest sunsets I’ve experienced to date!
February 28, 2014
Sentosa – Nine Years Later
Went to Sentosa Island in Singapore today with my friend visiting from the U.S. I have been to Sentosa before – nine years ago. Oh, how things have changed!
My memory is not the best, but at that time I’m pretty sure there was no aquarium, indoor skydive building, and definitely no Universal Studios.
Are all these changes for the best? I’m not so sure it captures the authenticity of Singapore.
February 27, 2014
Hong Kong – Photo Summary
Today, I’m simply sharing some images from my Hong Kong trip – mostly food-related!
February 26, 2014
Buddha Meets … Starbucks?
The hustle and bustle of Hong Kong makes me feel right at home. But on Saturday, we decided to do something a little more scenic during the day. Having read about the Tian Tan Buddha, the world’s largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha, we thought it would be worth a visit.
Even more so because of the cable car ride up to Ngong Pong Village, where the Buddha is located. At $150 HK per person for the round-trip cable car ride, that amounts to about $20 USD.
The ride in the cable car was fun, awe-inspiring, and scary at times! The car continues to climb higher and higher that your mind begins to race with scenarios about what would happen if the cable car fell, or if there have ever been any accidents in the past. If you’re not too worried about that, you’ll really enjoy the view!
About two-thirds of the way up in the cable car, there is a magnificent view of the sitting Buddha – though the image below is a little dark and has the markings from the cable window.
Once off the cable car, patrons have no choice but to walk through the gift shop in order to make their way into the small village. And once you’re no longer in the gift shop, suddenly you see several shops and restaurants including a Subway and Starbucks. Not exactly what you think of in relation to Buddha, right??!! (Or is it just me?!)
Once you get past the shops, the walk up the stairs to the actual Buddha is about 10 minutes. There are local villager stands selling souvenirs on the way there, though they don’t quite stick out like a sore thumb as the Starbucks does.
Here are some more images from the experience:
February 25, 2014
A Spicy Affair in Hong Kong
My heart began to beat quickly.
My mouth watered uncontrollably.
One glance and all I wanted to do was immerse myself.
No, no, no – it’s not what you think…. This spicy passion I’m talking about is chicken. More specifically, Chilli Figara Chicken from Hong Kong-based restaurant, Chilli Figara.
My mouth is watering right now just looking at this picture, again!
I heard about Chilli Figara from an old friend who has lived in Hong Kong for the past two years. Upon arriving in the city on Wednesday night, she messaged me about our lunch plans for Thursday. She had this place in mind, but prefaced confirming our plans. “It’s a must-try, but can you handle spice?”
“Can I handle spice? Hell yea, I’m from Trinidad,” I thought. But not wanting to embarrass myself the next day (you know – just in case), I promptly responded, “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow! Let’s do it!”
The experience started with taking the mid-level escalators to the Soho area of Hong Kong.
Mid-Levels – They really do sound more exciting than they actually are.
It’s a hotspot, just like the Soho in New York seems to be – full of bars, restaurants, and diversity. Although we had a 12:30 reservation, we made it there a little past 1pm. This place is very strict about reservations and will only hold them for about 30 minutes after the reservation time.
Though seating a max of about 24 persons at one time, the place was packed. The host looked at our name of the list, looked around and shook her head sadly, saying there was no space. The next time slot would be 3pm.
My friend, having gone through this in the past, pleaded for us to be seated within 30 minutes because her friend “came all the way from Singapore and was leaving to go back soon. All she wanted to do was try the food.” Reluctantly, the host told us to check back in 45 minutes.
During that time, we walked around the area a bit. It was an interesting mix of old-school, under-developed, yet modern, with new developments going up. A contradicting mix of elements, no?
Traditional looking fruit stand, looking down at old streets, yet with the modern buildings lining the sky
New structure being completed. Underneath is a fun … umbrella shop?
Bars and restaurants
Buildings, buildings, and more … buildings.
Finally, it was time to eat. I went with the set lunch which came with sweet corn soup and the Chilli Figara Chicken. My friend, who’s vegetarian, went with the Tofu dish. She also made sure to tell the waiter, “No numbing on either of these dishes.”
What’s “numbing?” It’s something they put in the dishes to help diners deal with the heat.
Here are our dishes:
YUM-MEE
I’m a big fan of tofu, so I really enjoyed trying her fried tofu – if you can find it between the mass of chili peppers!
While definitely spicy, eating it with rice not only makes the experience manageable, but it’s also very delicious!
If you’re in the Hong Kong area next time, give this place a try. If you can handle the heat, that is!
