By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy
We arrive on Mabul after losing a bag at the hands of Malaysian Airlines. Notwithstanding the fact that they have systems to retrieve it, it shouldn't have happened.
Our checkout dive on the housereef was uneventful. Or eventful, depending on how you look at it. A 5 foot garoupa swimming 3 feet away from you and catching you in it's backwash is eventful, isn't it?
Jun,
Allan and I were listed as going to Sipadan the very next day.
The weather held.
Sun, blue sky, and a relatively calm sea. The salt tang of the Celebes in our faces and the warmth of father sun on our backs.
Same old rigmarole. The part I hate.
Zip up wetsuit. Bend over slightly and throw weight belt over your back and cinch it tight. Dislocate your shoulder to fit your arms through a Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) already fixed to a tank of air; your lifeline. Tubes and protrusions sticking out the end of everything. It's all you can do not to tie yourself in knots. Check first stage. Sound like Darth Vader. Good. Check second stage. Still sounding like Darth Vader. Air? 240Bar. Contort yourself into your fins and snap on your mask. Hope that said mask doesn't fog up and you've hawked up enough spit to prevent it. At this point, I'm grateful that my hair is usually shaved into the bathroom sink. Having a mask pull your hair out is the next worst thing to being waxed.
Clamber, crawl, lift yourself up with size 30 feet/flippers onto a small bench while the boat is rocking, sometimes gently, sometimes like a crazy 5 year old about to take off, and yell "CLEAR?" and wait for a response from someone looking the other direction. Then roll back, the cool, blue water envelops you and you bob up, tap your head for the "all clear" signal and wait.
Check for your buddy at this point, give the "descend" sign, pull the BCD's in/deflation tube up and release the air and you start to sink beneath the waves.
Peace. Beyond the hissing and burbling of your breathing, there is silence. As you near the bottom, you double click your BCD with a hishhish and your arrest your freefall.
You're weightless and suspended. A single quick kick is sufficient to move you along. And most of the time, that's how I move. Single slow kicks to get to the next clump of reef or coral to view the next wonder of God.
The sights you see are really the icing on the cake.
That feeling of weightlessness and the spirit of exploration of a world in which we are the aliens takes you out of yourself. Puts you into a place that you're just a visitor. And it's humbling. In all of God's Universe, there is a place so near to home where you can see His wonders and know that He is There.
By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy
One fine Monday evening, we stepped out with Mo Lin with the wind in our, well, eyebrows, and roared down to The Marc Residence in Jalan Pinang.
We attended the "I♡KL" event held in Delicious at the Marc. And it was the biggest agglomeration of people in white that I've seen in a long time.
The event was organised by Randomalphabets.com for no other reason than to have Malaysians from every walk of life gather and have a good time. Basically, a way to promote civil society. The idea, I believe, is that if people know each other, they won't spend time fighting with each other. AND, it also benefitted some charities, one of which was the SPCA.
Since it was rather packed and the opportunity arose to have dinner at Shark's Fin House, we decided to skip the buffet (after some lovely Passion Fruit Marshmallows at the Buffet in Delicious) and headed on out to Jalan Imbi where the aforesaid restaurant is located.
The restaurant was taken over recently by The Oriental Group and redone. Kudos to the group for knowing how to target their restaurants. They live by the axiom "Locationlocationlocation" and they tweak every one of their restaurants according to that idea. This one is no different in that respect.
The minute you walk in under the canopy, you know the type of restaurant that you're walking into. Clean,
contemporary, but catering to a chinese market. The type that grew up in traditionally chinese households who follow cantopop, ginza fashion, and speak mandarin and chinese on a daily basis. The type that values sharks fin for weddings and considers it a luxury item to be enjoyed periodically. Not something I agree with which is why we didn't have any shark's fin that night.
We started with two choices of a starter. What Allan's aunty calls "teeteetahptahp." Sorta the sounds you make crunching and smacking your lips to whet your appetite. Except in this instance, it was a free choice with the menu that we chose.
One appetizer we chose was 3 types of mushrooms sauteed with their special sauce. Tasted of oyster sauce as the base. And the other a Thai cuttlefish with a green chilli and lime sauce. Yum!
Next up was this deep fried codfish with a pomelo sauce, and a Braised Pei Pa Egg Taufu with Crabmeat. Yum. What's not to like with deep fried battered fish with a sweet tangy sauce filled with little bursts of pomelo sacs.
From a fish course to meat; a charcoal grilled pork ribs. Tender, flavourful. As only SLOW COOKED ribs can be. The Hiong Ha Meen Pok was a lovely almost "chai" (Vegetarian) take on the broad wheat flour noodles. Very simply done but great texture and NOT gloppy. A pet peeve.
Dessert was a "Kwai Ling Ko" with a sugar syrup, Hasma(Frogs glands) boiled in Papaya with Almond Milk, and Mango Pomelo "Chowder." I only use the word "chowder" because that's the closest texture that comes to mind.
I did spy with mine little eye that prices for combo menus started at around RM38++ per person and went upwards from there. A very value oriented pricing strategy. All in all a great evening of giggles with good food and good friends.
Shark's Fin House (Formerly Yu Jia Restaurant)
No. 51, Jalan Barat, Off Jalan Imbi , 55100 KL
Tel: 03- 2143 9966 Fax: 03- 2143 8966 :-)
By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy
"What la you! I've been here for 30 minutes waiting for you on my own already! I'm heartbroken!" So sings the oft repeated refrain from A2, otherwise known as toyboy(not mine, he's taken). I've warned him about crying wolf too often but to no avail. And he does it so charmingly, so I play along.
Fatboybakes had arranged a food review with Bangsar Seafood Centre on request from their Public Relations Consultant and had put together a flogroll of about 20 odd people to say something about the food. As is usual with this crowd, honesty is the best policy. So we were asked to write about what we had and what we liked.
In addition to that, these occasions are also great opportunities to meet new floggers/bloggers and for old friends to reconnect. So there we were having a rip-roaring time, especially thanks to Paranoid Android and Frat Mustard ( the one who brings his ceramic avatar everywhere) because of their generous contribution of a few bottles of the most amazing amber nectar, uisge beatha or 'water of life.'
As with all dinners like this, the menu is varied and at Bangsar Seafood, presentation is always given importance. I particularly like the vegetable carvings and the "go-for-height" aesthetics that the chefs practice. The omelette was particularly interesting in this regard with a stalk of spring onion speared right through the 10 pieces.
I absolutely adored the Butter crab (butter is the secret of the Universe) and the salted egg crab (and salt is the other) as well as the Stewed Cabbage with Dried Scallops. The Curried 
Prawns were also amazing and the sauce was creamy & curried, redolent of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf. It was just heaven to sop it up with a little of the "mantou" at the end. I got them to save the sauce in a bowl for our table.
The rest of the dishes were home cooked fare, well presented. Bangsar Seafood Centre also has a Ramadhan promotion for buka puasa. For some of the menus, there is a free gift of 1kg of crabs.
Yes, Ramadhan Menus. That's the beauty of Bangsar Seafood. It's certified halal. Not just pork free. More and more there is a market for good, chinese food catering to our muslim brethren and for those who might find that important, its comfort on a very personal level.
Service has always been decent and customers are given good value. Come here with the family. :-)
Dine in style, this Ramadan:
Enjoy 9 signature dishes. Devour 1 KG of crabs for free.
Fom RM 498+
RM 498+: Appetizer, Shark’s Fin Soup, Chicken with Ginger, Spicy Fried
Fish, Lychee Prawns, Signature Beancurd, ‘Kampung’ fried rice, Custard
Buns, Dessert
RM 598+: Appetizer, Sharks Fin Soup, Chicken with Plum Sauce, Pomfret with
Bean Sauce, Prawns with Sweet Corn Sauce, Steamed “Sang Gan”, Tom Yam> Noodles, Banana with “Gula Melaka”, Dessert
RM 698+: Appetizer, Double boiled soup, Roast chicken, Red snapper, Otak
Otak Fried Prawns, Braised Sea Cucumber, Oyster Fried Rice, Chinese
Pastries, Dessert
RM 898+: Homemade appetizers, Sharks Fin Soup with Pumpkin, Boneless Duck,
Curried Garoupa, Braised Seafood, Mango Prawns, Garlic Fried Rice, Banana
& ‘Gula Melaka’, Dessert
Bangsar Seafood Centre
63, One Bangsar
Jalan Ara
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2282 2555
By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy
Sage is a restaurant conceptualised and started by the Chef of the old Cilantro. Put that together with bunch of food bloggers bent on treating a dear one to a surprise birthday luncheon and you have a recipe for carnage. Either that or an orgy! What with the moans and groans from around the table, you would think that sex had been replaced by food.
Wait...
That's the case with this bunch actually!
But Sage is perfectly placed for food orgasms. Its luxe lunching (saw that phrase somewhere and I had to use it) at its best in Kuala Lumpur. The ingredients are always an adventure (like the Jerusalem Artichokes made into a creamy veloute for the starter). For RM100 you embark on a culinary sexual escapade with partners from all around the world. From Sashimi grade Japanese
scallops to buttery melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu beef cheeks and French style Bavarian creams using English Earl Grey served on a steamy Malaysian afternoon with Spanish sounding sorbets, your palate is teleported around the world on a platter.
For RM100 nett in a comfortable, contemporary setting which isn't the least bit pretentious, you have a world class food experience. Everything is of the best quality but quietly so. People who "dress" like this favours Bottega Venetta. No ostentatious brand logos all over the place. Just quiet confident quality.
The Vichyssoise of Scallop with Grated Summer Truffle was as delicate as it was pale. Served at the perfect temperature of cold refrigerator water, it was creamy, had a great contrast of textures and temperatures and the taste; delicate, soft, 
earthy, sweet, but possessed of a delicious light unctuousness. I thought it was pureed celeriac but it turned out to be pureed jerusalem artichokes instead. I'm so glad I chose this over the more usual Foie Gras. Don't get me wrong; I love Foie Gras. But I know what it's supposed to taste like. I like trying new stuff.
Roasted Seabass with King Prawn and Sauteed Mushrooms showcased everything that was good about the ingredients. Not the most scintillatingly entertaining dish in terms of imagination but it was a solid, wonderfully tasty dish of sweet Chilean Seabass and technically flawless
technique of cooking.
Dessert, was insane. Texture, combination of flavours, the contrast of temperatures, the presentation. Siggghhhhhh....Ummmmm, aaaahhhhhhh, oooooooo. The Earl Grey Bavarois with a Chocolate Sorbet and a Ginger Confiture, although a mouthful to name, was a masterpiece. A Bavarois is traditionally a creme patissiere (custard cream) which is set with gelatin. Many times it can come out too firm. Almost bouncy. This one was wobbly, it had enough body to barely sit on the spoon while having some bulgy sides (guys with love handles would absolutely know what I mean) and it just slipped, literally, into your mouth, began melting, and slid like the most 
luscious cream past your tastebuds and down your throat. The Bergamot was a hint wafting up your nose, the tea came through, the chocolate sorbet had that touch of grittiness that was the textural counterpoint to the silken smoothness of the bavarois. The only disappointment (and I say this to nitpick rather than as a recommendation) was the ginger confiture. It was a clever name but my expectation was set. Basically it was thin slices of ginger "pickled" in sugar and herbs/spices. The texture was a little tough. I would have preferred a light crunch contrast.
All in all HIGHLY recommended for a great afternoon or evening of "luxe lunching" or "decadent dining" at night.
Sage Restaurant and Wine Bar
The Residences Level 6
The Gardens, Mid Valley City
Lingkaran Syed Putra
0322681328
By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy
From terracotta horses hand-carried all the way from Xian, China, to the yummy ginger cod mee hoon soup and the luscious durian pudding, The Ming Room has returned with a Roarrr!
In any case, since we were free one Sunday, Ms Chan Mo Lin, one of the owners of The Oriental group of Restaurants invited Allan and myself out to lunch to catch up. Along the way, we dragooned "Amelia" to come along. Mo Lin very kindly consented to have me blog about the experience when I asked her permission as I think that everyone should have the pleasure of dining at such a well conceptualised, and executed experience.
And that's what a restaurant is. An experience. Whether its on a budget and you compete on price or you compete on artistic imagination, which tends to be on the other end of the monetary scale.
The restaurant should be on "message." The minute you walk in, it should "look" like the food it serves and tell you a little bit about it's purpose and the price that comes with it. And The Ming Room does that in spades. There's an inherent understanding of that down to the red table cloth. As a matter of fact, some friends and I used to call this one Chinese restaurant in Bangsar, "Red Table Cloth." I might have an objection to the colour but there's no denying the message it sends; "good value chinese food."
Which brings us to the core of what every restaurant should be about.
The bubbled skin and layered translucence of "siew yoke" appears on the table. Slightly warm. Salt crystals crunch with the glass like brittleness of the skin and Then my favourite...Char Siew. Chinese Roast Pork. Sweet, tender, creamy, caramelised dark surfaces, glistening in the light. Tender, fall apart meat. Perfect.
A dizzying array of dimsum, noodles, and and food finds its way onto our table. If I wrote how much I loved everything, we'd be here till tomorrow. Some dishes which merit special mention;the poached cod in a ginger paste on top of soup meehoon (vermicelli), "Char Choi"(preserved turnips) tripe soup, and the scallop dumplings.
The cod was perfectly poached. I've a suspicion that what we call cod is actually a Chilean Sea Bass. A high fat fish. Hence that meltingly tender flaky texture. And the sweetness that comes with flavourful, "good-for-you" Omega 3 oils. The counterpoint of the ginger paste is stunningly simple but effective. This part is no surprise as its been done well by many Chinese restaurants and is quite standard. But added on top of a hot flavourful broth, sopped up by delicate vermicelli was an added dimension of texture and taste. It was almost like a lovely picture had been transformed into a masterpiece by the addition of a beautiful frame.
The tripe and "Char Choi" was another favourite. More delicate than the street food it's obviously inspired by, it worked well. Peppery, tender tripe, with the sour salt contrast of the preserved turnips, not to mention the crunchy, vegetal texture was an eye-opener.
Then we were served dessert. Oh YUM! Almond milk steamed IN a papaya. The Almond milk was creamy, yummy, and basically almonds crushed into water, boiled and then pressed for the milk with a touch of almond flavouring. Not too strong mind you. And sweet, warm, soft papaya. Great flavour. Great texture. And great colour!
AND Durian Pudding! Very attractive presentation with dry ice bubbling away and a drift of smoke and vapour lend to an experience of cool pudding redolent with the taste of fresh durian. That's important. Many cooked durian desserts taste like durian dodol. Not good. This however, was a revelation.
The service was proficient and of the standard that you would expect of a good Chinese restaurant. Before you say that we had better service because we were sitting with some of the owners, I should say that I was watching some of the other tables and they were all served within moments of seating with food appearing very soon after ordering.
The ambiance was comfortable, contemporary, and speaks of what The Ming Room purports to be; an upper medium scale Chinese restaurant. You would never mistake it for anything else.
I thoroughly recommend this place.
The Ming Room
3rd Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Bukit Bandaraya, 59000 KL
Tel: 03- 2284 8822 | Fax: 03- 2284 3822 | orirest@po.jaring.my
www.orientalrestaurants.com.my
By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy
"Suck on it!" exhorts
Cumi archly!
I almost fell off my chair.
But of course, the quiet, wry, smirk that was on his face meant that I should extract all the goodness out of the 9" long Spider Crab Claw that was in my eager but saucy hands!
And what a mouthful it was. Rich, buttery, and that amazing, sweet, savoury, coconut milk sauce redolent with all the herbs and spices which make Royal Thai Cuisine what it is.
We had been invited by Andre & Danny, the new owners of Rama V to review their "Chef's Table" menu. Please note, this is a menu for a special occasion so please don't compare the price of this menu to your regular dinner options. This is specifically for that time when you want to celebrate something special, have a great night out with close friends and family, or you just want to splurge.
The following conversation should NOT take place if you wish to have this sumptuous feast. "Honey, what shall we have tonight for dinner?" "Oh, I know, let's just TURN UP at Rama V and have the CHEF'S CHOICE menu."
If that does happen, and I know people who will do this, be prepared to be disappointed!
In this particular instance, this dinner is very French/Italian in it's soul; make sure that your entire evening (from 7pm) is devoted to slowly savouring all the food and wine pairings. You are meant to have time to prepare yourself for this feast. Fast, if you need to, because of the copious amounts - we rolled out of the restaurant. Work your saliva glands to a fever pitch of anticipation. Discuss with the chef, the intricacies of the menu - yes, he'll design it for you. And pair your wines for a leisurely evening of great food, great company, and hopefully for you, great enjoyment.
Rama V (popularly known as "Rama Five" but perhaps more accurately called "
Rama The Fifth," in honour of the progressive, modernising King made famous by the movie "The King and I" and his association with his tutor Anna Leonowens) has been around for about 15 years now but has passed through some hands before landing in the tender, loving, gourmand hands of Andre Shum and Danny Jee. One could almost claim that the bungalow concept of dining began with Rama V.
The Salas at the back of the main restaurant are private rooms available to all and sundry. You're able to dine in private and in the luxury of your own space. Danny proudly told me Kings, Princes, and the powers-that-be had come to Rama V before. In total, Rama V is able to hold around 180 people snugly.
As
Cumi & Ciki,
Nipplesjoe, Chocoholic, Allan, and myself sat down to a very warm welcome the food started to come out. The waiters were helpful, quiet, unobtrusive, and attentive.
Miang Kam (Fragrant, textured, herbaceous, and fresh), Crispy Rice Served with Minced Chicken & Shrimp Sauce(gorgeous texture and crunch, and a surprising creaminess hit with a salty shrimp of the sauce - amazing) Flower Shaped Dumplings stuffed with minced Chicken and Peanuts(beautifully presented, like little petals of a flower - almost too pretty to eat).
Then a traditional Pomelo Salad with Australian Abalones (very much the same as a pomelo salad but those abalones make one feel luxuriously exclusive), shrimp cakes with a sweet thai chili sauce, and a thai version of Ama Ebi, Sweet Prawns marinated and served with a Chili Ginger Sauce (probably my 2nd favourite dish - cool, sweet, fresh prawns, contrasted with a zesty, tangy, lime/ginger sauce with just the right amount of red raw heat from the
"priks" in it).
After that amount of food, one would think we're calling it quits.
My tummy was certainly about full. But nooooo...
We still had;
- Tom Yam with Scottish Clams served in a young coconut. The soup was made with the coconut water and so was sweet and had depth to it. The clams were gorgeous tender little pale sausage like things, as succulent as a clam should be.
- Sauteed Spider Crab (which was crawling around 10 minutes before the dish came to table) in a rich, red curry sauce. Omigod. There is a God. Definitely my all time favourite dish of the night.
- Roasted Duck Red Curry with Lychees - this dish has special meaning for me and a very dear friend of mine. Email me if you want to know the story. Rich, meaty duck (the OTHER red meat), paired with fragrant herbs in a red curry sauce as only the Thais' can make, and contrasted with cool freshness from lychees.
- A Steamed "Soon Hock" or Ikan Hantu in Lime Juice and Chillis (very teochew) - very fresh, chunky, almost lobsterish like sweet meat paired with a sour hot clear broth sauce.
- Sauteed New Zealand Lamb with Green pepper aand Basil - I remarked to Andre that I loved the idea of the dish and for our general palate it is good but my preference is for gamier lamb. For those who have more generic palates this dish will be a firecracker favourite. Gentle, subtle heat from the pepper paired with the succulent richness of the lamb with minty, herbaceous overtones from the Basil make it a great accompaniment with hot thai rice.
- A stir fried asparagus with sea snails rounded off the dinner.
- And of course, dessert of Steamed Pumpkin, Tub Thim Grop (Red Rubies), Thai Cendol, Mango Sticky Rice, Steamed Glazed Tapioca with Coconut Sauce, and wine to accompany everything.
Whew!
On writing this now, I'm still surprised that we managed to get through it all. Now, the million dollar question. How much does all this cost?
For this feast, and 3 bottles of wine for a minimum of 6 pax, it would be RM350 per head. Not a price that you would normally fork out for a night on the town. From what I understand you could also get it for a sight less. Perhaps around RM250 per head but expect the ingredients to be less, shall we say, exotic. But still, the occasion would have to be quite special. However, on balance, with what you get, it is, to me, good value!
Having said that, with a beer or two, and no exotic seafood options, I believe you could get away with paying around RM60++ each for a yummy dinner at Rama V and enjoy the same ambience and service as we did.
Corkage is RM35 per bottle of wine. They do have a good selection of wines which they can pair with the food.
Thanks Andre & Danny for a lovely night and to Cumi & Ciki for thinking of us. :-) Much much appreciated.
Rama V will also have a Buka Puasa buffet for Ramadhan at RM64 per head. Call the number below for more information.
Rama V
No. 5 Jalan U Thant Off Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 55000, Kuala Lumpur
p: 603-21432663 f: 603-21432430
By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy
It's been 6 days now that we've been away.
It's been an amazing and fun-filled stay. We have another day here in this beautiful place before we say "so long" knowing that we will return.
Today, however, I feel compelled to write about what is happening at home in reflection to what is happening here.
A man has been killed. The fair part of my mind is saying wait till all the evidence is in before judging the supposed guilt of the suspected conspirators. I empathise with the sadness and the horrible sense of loss that his family and fiancee must be feeling at this time.
Pura Uluwatu at Sunset
My gut instinct tells me that too much was at stake for him to be alive. That somehow or other, there was a conspiracy that did him in.
And there's the rub.
I live in a country which is blighted by a SMALL number of people who believe that it is ok to say and do anything to remain in power. I live in a country with groups condoning the actions of "journalists" who under the guise of carrying out their work, go to Catholic churches, accept communion into their mouths without understanding what it is, and spitting it out and taking pictures of it for their own disgusting ends.
By the way, for those "journalists" who don't understand what the 'host' in communion signifies, it's nothing short of the body of Jesus Christ himself. The Catholics believe in something called 'TRANSUBSTANTIATION" which basically means that during the ceremony of Mass the wine and host is transformed into the blood and body of Christ through the direct intervention of the priest celebrating the mass which is in itself like a recreation of the Last Supper.
In other words, to me, those two disgusting people spat out the body of Jesus Christ. Who to me is part of the holy trinity of the Godhead, and to them, a Prophet of high repute...supposedly.
I live in a country where the powers that be routinely lie, spin, and tell half truths, to perpetuate their power and furthermore have the gall to say that they can afford multi million dollar homes on a dentist's monthly salary (which by the way, is a very comfortable living, but nowhere NEAR what would be required to build an estate of the sort he owns).
Then I contrast it to the people living in Bali. And in Indonesia.
Bombs have fallen on their heads. In Jakarta, and before in Indonesia. But there is a calmness, a ONEness that seems to have them bound together for a common good. The Balinese are Hindus (of a sort) and the greater population is Muslim, but the greater picture is that they're Indonesian. And nowhere is this felt more than in Bali. And perhaps truer of their vaunted "Panca Sila."
As I sit here listening to the drizzle of the rain, a lady in a Balinese kebaya, walks past balancing a tray of spiritual offerings on her head. Woven coconut leaves, flowers, coffee and oils. Every single morning this lady goes about the various altars and places these for the God(s).
Go to every shop as they open and their's this very same offering out front. Be careful not to step in it however. Not because it's taboo to do so. But because it simply could get messy as cofee squirts out to dirty your trouser leg (this happened).
The result of all this is that there's a serenity that is palpable and a "rightness" to the atmosphere that for whatever it's faults can be righted by people of pure intent.
Such a contrast to the situation we have back home. Where we subscribe to shallow religiosity in place of true spirituality. What's the difference? One is judgemental, rules oriented, and results in a situation where people develop a "get-away-with-it" attitude and learn to ignore the pricks of their own conscience. One is internal, has a live and let live attitude, and results in a situation where people genuinely look out for each other.
But I still believe, no matter how rickety our system is, I go back to the second last sentence/paragraph above "for whatever it's faults can be righted by people of pure intent."
And that, friends, is where WE, THE PEOPLE, stand.
By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy
I'm finally getting used to the moped/scooter. It's a Yamaha Nuovo and makes this amazing sound like a chicken farting. It's quick, it's wobbly, it has this feather light throttle that makes it jerk ahead, and it makes rubbernecking vewwy, vewwy, difficult.
For instance, there are MANY of these around. Eye Candy that is...
I obviously only got to take pictures of these few OFF the two wheeled contraption from hell. While the slightest motion of my head in the opposite direction of travel would have almost certainly condemned me to a fate of having my head stuck up someone's exhaust pipe.
Anyway, it was with a healthy measure of apprehensive anticipation that we set off this morning on our scooters, to Kuta, after an equally healthy breakfast which was included in that oh-so-affordable room rate.
No sooner had I picked up my vintage cap however, Unkaweence's metabolism had burnt up his remaining stores of brekkie and had to be fed. Poor guy was actually feeling faint. Sigh. To have a metabolism that actually USES up the food rather than stores it.
Anyway, off we go in search of eats and we end up in Made's Warung, Kuta. When I stopped to ask a security guard directions however, it went something like this. "Jalan luRRus ke PERampatan, belok KAnan, luRRus lagi hingga sampai ke Warung Made." All this was accompanied with more singing than speaking (Indons have a great sing-song accent) and the ROLLING of "Arrrs." Needless to say, after asking him to repeat it until he had slowed down to the speed you would speak to a deaf person, I finally figured out he meant "go straight to the junction and turn right."
I promptly go back, tell everyone, and with mystified looks on their faces, Allan and Chui, proceed toward the guard and interrogate him again. They obviously received the same answer and off we went.
Somehow or other, along the way, Fids gets boxed in by some cars and instead of turning right as in "belok kanan" he keeps on going straight ("jalan lurus.")
We get to Made's Warung and immediately the great search for the missing Fidael begins.
To cut a long story short, he made it back in time for lunch, none the worse for wear. Please remember the poor guy is extremely nervous on the back of the scooter and I believe is hanging on with white knuckle determination.
Lunch was a fantastic pork ribs for Allan and Kate, gado gado Nasi Campur for Unkaweence, Papaya Spare Ribs curry for Chui, and Sate babi with Nasi Goreng for me. YUMMO in the extreme! All exotic flavours, all well done. And best of all, at a great value pricing.
Wondering what to have for a sweet, Unkaweence and I settled on a Coconut Milkshake! Omigod, was it the right choice ever. Creamy, coconutty, and not too sweet or milky! Yummmmmmilicious!
Frothy glass of coconutty goodness
After lunch it was a short hop to Kuta Square and more shopping. A relatively mundane afternoon. I'm now glad to say I've seen Kuta and until there's a massive redevelopment of this place to make it look something like we're in Bali, I've seen enough of Phuttayakutakawi for now. No prizes for guessing the "what" I used in the amalgamation of that name.
Whether shopping, lazing around, or just splashing around in the pool, Day 2, was a truly lazy vaykay sorta day.
After attending a thoroughly fun art gallery exhibition by Kirsty Ludbrooke entitled "The Frames In Between" at Biasa Artspace (thanks Yip for bringing us), we scooted (scootered?) to Zanzibar for a dinner of Pizzas, Mezze Platter of breads and yummy dips, and dessert we made our way blearily home to crawl into bed.
I-in, the owner of Biasa Art Gallery, Kirsty Ludbrooke, Allan, Me, Chui, Yip, Fidael :-)
All the beautiful people
Just another day in Paradise.
