Kuala Lumpur: Birch @ DC Mall

Birch @ Damansara City Mall is the new, famous cafe hopping place for brunch lovers or Instagrammers. I have been seeing people checking in and my friend who tried, told me that they serve good food (coffee just so-so). Two weeks ago, I finally get to try this place out with a friend. 

DC Mall is a quiet mall and hence parking wouldn't be a problem. And guess what, the parking rate is RM1 per day for weekends! That's a plus point as you can spend quality time with your friends without worrying of your parking fee that will increase exponentially.

They offered us bar seats or else we have to wait for table. As we were quite free that day, we decided to wait for table instead. We left our number and walked around the mall for about 10 minutes. Since there are nothing much that we can see, we waited in front of the cafe and surprisingly was called immediately to our table. Lucky! Note: It would be safer if you call to reserve a table if you have a large group. I observed that a lot of tables were reserved and that's why we need to wait. 

Simple 2 pages menu - Immediately spot for Eggs Benedict that my friend recommended. XD 

Birch Benedict (RM26) -- served with spicy pulled chicken, BBQ sauce, hollandaise sauce!

Favourite combo and it is really good! Finally a brunch place that satisfy me.

Shakshuka (V) (RM25) - Baked eggs.

We shared our meals so I get to try this too! Surprisingly good and better than Breakfast Thieves and VCR in my opinion. My friend who loves meat like this as well. =D 

RM300 for a 2D1N Hatyai Trip: Day 1 Itinerary

Hello! Finally have time to update on my spontaneous trip to Hatyai during Hari Raya long weekend. I bought the ticket after the announcement of the holiday. Thankfully there are still few tickets left for me to grab! I went there with my sister and the whole trip costs us about RM850 (include a lot of shopping). 

Here's a breakdown of my spending (exclude shopping):

ETS ticket from Taiping to Padang Besar = RM84 (per person)

Train ticket from Padang Besar to Hatyai = RM10 (roughly.... it is actually 80 baht)

Hotel (Aloha hotel)                                   = RM80 (per person)

Food (calculating main meals only)          = RM80 (1 breakfast, 1 brunch, 1 lunch, 1 dinner)

Transport to floating market (by Tuk Tuk)= RM18 (roughly... 300 baht for 2 person)

Transport from central festival to lee garden= RM12 (roughly.... 100 baht for 2 person)

Transport to bus terminal                           = RM12 (roughly.... 100 baht for 2 person)

TOTAL: RM296 per person

RM300 for a 2D1N trip to Hatyai, Thailand! And by taking ETS, we avoided the raya traffic jam! Happy =D

Let's talk about the itinerary in detail. This post will be on Day 1 as there are a lot of photos to share =)

Our journey started at 6.20am, taking ETS from Taiping to Padang Besar, Perlis (Border of Thailand). The journey took us about 2 hours 50 min. That's why I love ETS. Speedy journey during peak season.

Selfie on ETS! =D So excited!

We reached Padang Besar KTM station around 9.10am. If you follow the exit sign, you will exit to Pekan Padang Besar. If you want to take train to Thailand, you should turn left when you get down the train and go to the end. With my experience, you can follow the crowd if you take the morning train here. As a lot of people will be taking the connecting train to Hatyai which is at 9.50am. If you are not confident, you can just ask people around you. (Survival tips: Ask whenever you feel lost. People are willing to help and guide you. If you fail at your first attempt, try another person. =D)

So we were stucked here for about 40 minutes as the officer doesn't allow us to go into the immigration office. Duh.... They passed us the arrival/departure card to fill in while waiting. People who waited with us were as frustrated as us but we have no idea what happened and just have to wait. =(

You have to fill in the Thailand arrival and departure card. So.... Please bring a pen along with you. Being very careless, I took out my pen from the bag in the morning and left pen-less at the waiting area. Luckily I get to borrow a pen from a kind lady who was standing in front of me that time. Nice people everywhere. *feeling positive*

The train to Hatyai arrived at 9.40am and we were still stuck at the platform awaiting to go into the immigration counter. So nervous..... Then, I saw people holding the ticket to Hatyai and I still haven't get the tickets! Luckily, a lady told us to go to the end of the platform to get the ticket first.. If not, we will not be able to get on board. So grateful that the lady told us before the officer allows us to swarm into the immigration office. 

Ta-daa! Bought this ticket for 80baht. 

Then, after I bought the ticket, the officer finally allowed us to go in. We queued up and get verified by immigration counters of both countries (Malaysia and Thailand) in the same office. After getting our passport chopped, we immediately board on the Thailand train to Hatyai.

The more ancient looking train but it is comfortable. Not like our old KTM train. 

After an hour, we reached Hatyai Railway Station, which is located not far from the central and just 2 streets away from our hotel. 

Brought empty luggage along hehe...

With sis. Exhausted face as we woke up too early to catch the train.

Aloha Hotel is not far from the railway station. Just 5 minutes walk distance. 

Surprisingly, the service was great and we get to check in early at 11.20am! Woohoo! Lucky us!

One special requirement of this hotel is that they requested to keep our passport throughout the stay. I tried to get back my passport as I feel insecure but the receptionist assured us by giving a receipt for us to bring around. So yeah.. Throughout my visit in Hatyai, most of the time I'm passport-less. 

So this the room that we stayed for a night. Not much comment about this room. It's slightly old but clean. They let us choose whether to have king size bed or twin bed, so we chose the King! =P Quite spacious. It would be cheaper if book earlier. 

After that, we headed out for brunch! Without buying SIM card this time, we navigate ourself around with a map! I downloaded a map from internet and used it throughout the trip. And... we managed to survive and didn't get too lost! *CLAPS*

FIRST STOP: Chok Dee Dim Sum 好运肉骨茶

I've looked up and down on the web to search for good lunch place and I saw this restaurant in almost all blogs. So, I've decided to give it a try! Dim Sum & Bak Kut Teh for brunch! A lot of people commented that the dim sum here is cheap and nice. Hmm... Let's give it a try. We decided to walk to the restaurant from our hotel and it took us about 20 minutes to search for direction. 

After 20 minutes walk under the hot sun, we found the restaurant! 

We were directed to the shop opposite, which is owned by the same restaurant. Another dining area. 

Thankfully, it has air conditioner to cool us down before enjoying good food =)

I ordered a cup of iced coffee as my daily caffeine dose. But it is kinda disappointed. Oh well.... Let's wait for the food!

We have to ordered the food at the counter at the main shop, which is, we need to cross the road to get our dim sum ordered. Whereas, for bak kut teh and drinks, we can order at our table. 

Food came faster than we expect! 

Tourist photo =D

The Bak Kut Teh is just so-so to us. A little too salty.... But the pork rib is very soft! There are good and bad in a bowl.. 

Let me show you close up of the dim sum. ^_^

Super cute prawn dumplings (虾饺)

Corn with some meats (玉米卖?)

I don't know what is the name.. but it's minced shrimp wrapped with seaweed.

Fish Roe Dumpling (鱼卵卖)

Salted egg yolk dumpling (咸蛋卖)

My all-time favourite - custard bun!

Look at the salted egg yolk! Yumzzzz

Guess how much this meal costs us? 

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It is only 300 Baht! 

Ohhh---Emmmm-----Geeeee!!! So cheap! 

If we were to order same dishes in Malaysia, we will need to pay at least RM50. 

Address: 58 25, Soi Lamai Songkraw 1, Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla, Thailand

Opening hours: Daily 6am-12pm, 5-10pm

Second Stop: Shopping @ Odean Shopping Mall, Central Mall, Lee Garden Plaza

After brunch, we walked all the way back to the central for some shopping. Time to burn some calories before we have second round. We explored the malls, but nothing seems very attractive to us. The malls are a bit old and perhaps supermarket is the more happening place as I see many tourists grabbing snacks and instant noodles to bring home. 

We walked along the street and spotted a coconut ice cream stall. Every thailand trip needs to be completed by coconut ice cream. The must-have dessert. =) 

Ta-daa! This coconut ice cream (50 baht) is just alright. 

THIRD STOP: BIG C Supermarket & Klonghae Floating Market

After walking around lee garden plaza, we decided to find a Tuk-Tuk to Big C Supermarket for a scroll before heading to Floating Market. Then, we faced a problem. No Tuk Tuk driver wants to drive us as we have 2 persons. Luckily, another group of travelers decided to join us and make it group of 5. So we get a deal to get to Big C and floating market for 300 baht per group for a return trip. Yes. The driver waited for us at Big C and also floating market, then sent us back to the hotel. Quite worthy to me.

Big C Supermarket is just like TESCO and other supermarkets. But this is where you can get cheaper snacks. If you want to buy a lot back, then maybe you can consider coming to Big C. If just 1 or 2 packets, don't have to come all the way. Save the Tuk Tuk fare and get those at 7-11. =D

We spent about 30 minutes at Big C Supermarket, then headed to floating market, which opens over the weekend, starts at 3pm. We had 1.5 hours to explore the floating market. So....... We quickly jumped down the Tuk-Tuk and walked towards the crowd. 

They have a market area, which sells food, clothes, shoes, etc.......

And here's the floating market area. If you are expecting similar floating market as in Bangkok, this might disappoint you. It has its own style.

Boats are parked nicely and you can walk around and choose which stalls to buy from. 

It is not shaded, so expect to be exposed under hot sun. 

Tips: Bring along an umbrella. This will helps you to block the hot sun. Prevent sunburn =D

Singapore Getaway Part 3: Brunch at Wild Honey @ Mandarin Gallery

Part 3

Second Day of Singapore Trip

The next morning, we allowed ourselves to get enough sleep before another long traveling day. Friend helped to reserve a table at Wild Honey at 11.15am for brunch. Hence we decided to wake up just on time for brunch. Relaxing trip. ^_^ I enjoyed a cup of coffee at the terrace, enjoying the view of MBS and Singapore river, before heading out.

This might look familiar as I uploaded before in my preview post. I really miss the nice view.

We headed to Dhoby Gaut MRT station to meet up with my friend. Then, we headed to Somerset MRT station and walked to Mandarin Gallery. This is my first time here and it seems to be a classy place.

Wild Honey -- No Place Like Home. 

This cafe looks really cozy and it is really packed in the morning. Seems like everyone made their reservations beforehand. Luckily we reserved a table too. If I were to walk in, don't think I'll get to try this cafe.

It was full house when we reached there. Waited around 5-10 minutes for our seats. 

The Menu

I ordered a cup of latte and it was quite decent.

Our food. ^_^

Let's take a closer look at each dishes!!

Kuala Lumpur: VCR

VCR just celebrated their 2nd anniversary and finally I have the chance to visit it after so long! VCR is one of the cafes in my checklist and always have no chance to go there. I've seen photos on Instagram and on Facebook. I've read blogs about this cafe, telling how good is their cakes. So last Friday, finally is my turn to try out the cakes and food in this cafe. 

Last Friday, I drove down all the way from Taiping to Kuala Lumpur alone. I have an alumni dinner and wedding dinner to attend. Of course, I also get the opportunity to meet up with a lot of people -- high school friends, uni mates, ex-colleagues, exchange friends and of course, the most important one - sister a.k.a partner in crime. I reached KL around 12pm in the afternoon, then I went to Sunway to pick up my sis from her hostel. And there, we started cafe hopping. 

VCR is our first stop. =) It is located at Bukit Bintang, not too far from Times Square. One downside of this cafe is that parking is a problem. The cafe did stick a guide and suggest to park at the hotel beside to avoid getting "love letter" from DBKL. 

I ordered the potato waffle whereas my sis ordered their turkish eggs. We also ordered a cup of latte and a slice of their famous cake -- "The King".

They served us with cake and coffee first. 

What is "The King"? It is actually banana cake with peanut butter. It isn't a special combination as I've tried similar combo in The Good Batch years ago. Personally, I would go for "The King" as it is not so rich of peanut butter (which may be bad for some people). After eating the slice of "The King", I can still eat my main dish without feeling too guilty. =P Latte is just O-K-A-Y. It is better than normal, but still doesn't beats the one I had in Ministry of Coffee/Garage 51. 

Turkish Baked Egg. It comes with chick peas, sprinkled nuts, yoghurt, egg and toasts.

I like this dish as it is really filling and the combo seems healthy too. Though it looks small portion at first, me and sis feel so full after finishing it. 

The Potato Waffle. Served with 2 poached eggs and plenty of mushrooms! 

Kedah: Langkawi Trip Part 4 -- Dayang Bay Resort, Lagenda Park, Breakfast Bar, and Eagle Square

Continue my Langkawi short trip in mid-April. Last part!

This part, I'm going to share my experience staying in Dayang Bay Resort, my first visit to Lagenda Park for World Kidney Day, lunch at Breakfast Bar and last minute photo at Eagle Square. Ready......... GO!

Dayang Bay Resort is a very nice resort, with comfortable rooms, awesome view and a pretty swimming pool. The swimming pool looks like an infinity pool. Too bad I didn't bring my swimsuit along to get some nice photos with the infinity pool >.<. 

Dayang Bay Resort is located at Kuah, which is near the jetty. Location wise, it is quite far from the happening Pantai Cenang, but we chose that because it is near Lagenda Park, which we have to go there early in the morning. Nice experience. We paid around RM390 for 2 rooms. One of the rooms has balcony and a living room with sofa bed. So it fits 7 of us very well. =)

While some friends are enjoying the pool, the rest of us stroll around and took photos. 

The bench and the sea. So relaxing. ^_^

The view from another angle. The resort! Looking very nice right. =D

Random shot taken by friend. The infinity pool at the back.

Close up the pool and the sea. Beautiful isn't it.

The sea. Not stunning but it calms my mind.

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After wash up, we decided to move out for dinner. 

Our Langkawi friend recommended a place for us to have seafood dinner. Yes, we trust locals. So we ended up our dinner at Teo's seafood restaurant. Waited for almost an hour for the dinner. Duh.... almost die of hunger. haha... Hence.... The food tastes so tasty. I think it is because we were all too hungry. Price is quite cheap. Each of us paid RM20 for the dinner with 6-7 dishes. 

The group.
OS: WHERE IS OUR FOOD??? 

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Lagenda Park: World Kidney Day

The next day morning, we went to volunteer at World Kidney Day event at Lagenda Park.

This park is surprisingly pretty. We were there in the dark at 5.30am until noon. 

The mysterious park in the dark becomes very beautiful when the sun comes out. It is a very nice park to jog. Really jealous those langkawi peeps. haha....

Huge and beautiful park with lots of flowers... Oh! I can't get enough of flowers.

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Second last stop before going back to Alor Setar at 4pm -- Pantai Cenang for lunch and souvenir shopping. 

We were all very hungry because our breakfast was just a pau at 5.30am. At 1.15pm, finally we have our lunch at Breakfast Bar. Took a while to choose our lunch place and this Breakfast Bar which looks so Angmoh-style became our choice. 

A decorated wall beside the breakfast bar. Artistic. *like*

At the entrance of the Breakfast Bar.

Go green! The menu at the back isn't applicable anymore. They don't serve pastas now. *Disappointed*