2 hours in Asakusa, Tokyo

If you have only 2 hours to spend in Tokyo, I suggest you start from Asakusa. In this itinerary, I will share with you light & easy walking trip around the Sensoji Temple up to the Tokyo Cruise peer. Although it is generally called the "Asakusa Temple", the vicinity house a lot of separate shrines, and the places that I highly recommend not to be missed are: 

Gani Famous Passembur Penang

Being a Penangite, I usually don’t go to touristy area. But I feel like I want to talk about the famous pasembur at Esplanade Food Court. When you step foot on the Esplanade food court, you will find a lot of stalls selling pasembur, but Gani is the only stall that stood out among the rest because of its striking signboard and also noticeably, the queue here is longer than the rest. 

Hotel Review | Angsana Teluk Bahang Resort Penang

Back in October 2020, Angsana Teluk Bahang Resort opened its door for business. Although caught in a bad time due to the pandemic, this resort seems to be pretty popular. Rooms being sold out almost every weekend. 

The resort is divided into three connected buildings - Kerongsang Wing with bigger room/apartment to cater for family; Angsana Wing which has smaller hotel rooms that cater for couples that want more privacy. And in between the two wings, it is the facilities and lobby.

Guide to Covid-19 Vaccination Process for the elderly (Malaysia)

Recently I brought my grandmother for her Covid-19 vaccination and I was swarmed with questions, especially from those who have concern on their elderly going for the vaccination. I hope this information may help some of you. 

Disclaimer: This account is based on my own experience only. Some other vaccination centers may have different processes or procedures, so my reference here may not be applied to all. 

What to pack and prepare for Covid-19 quarantine

With the pandemic not putting to rest anytime soon, this blog is becoming obsolete. I had a mission to keep this as a travel blog to record my whereabouts, but now it doesn’t seems like I have much to write about. Moreover, we are going on lockdown mode once again. 

The situation in my country (Malaysia) is getting worse each day. Although we are hopeful because our front liners are really fighting very hard, as a normal citizen, I have to stay vigilant. That means, while following all the SOPs laid down by the government, I have to acknowledge the fact that I too, can contract the virus at any time. 

Hence, I’m preparing this list of stuff to bring in case I get called by the government to check-in into the quarantine center. 

I think the most important thing to do is to assign someone reliable to take care of your responsibilities while you are away. In my case, I have notified my brother - he is to ensure all my grandmother's daily welfare is taken care of. And making sure the bills are paid on time, replenish groceries weekly and to do basic cleaning at home. 

What to pack for the quarantine? I have some really basic items on a list that I would pack (in case). 

Recipe: Fried Penang Asam Laksa

 

I suddenly had cravings for the Subang SS14 fried asam laksa from Well Cook Gourmet Restaurant. Since it is still not safe to travel, moreover Klang Valley is currently a red zone, I try to recreate the recipe. I'm glad to share that my first trial was a success. My family keeps refilling their plate, which is a good sign.

If you're looking for a twist to the regular asam laksa, you can try this fried asam laksa recipe. It is so simple and it doesn't take much time to prepare and cook. You can try this for pot luck as the non-cook ingredients can be prepared the day before. And your guests can add as much (or skip) the non-cook ingredients. The dish is customizable and it is really delicious to eat as a main dish. 

Lord’s Cafe Cameron Highlands: Best Scones in Malaysia

Finding traditional English food in Cameron Highlands is easy. But finding a good one can be tricky. Just like the best afternoon tea at Cameron Highlands can’t be found at established hotels, but at a quaint cafe behind an alley. 

Location: Jalan Besar, Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands (Behind Marrybrown) 

Business hour: Daily (except Sunday) 10:00AM - 6:00PM

Price range: RM2 - RM10

Halal: Yes 

Cameron Highlands The Smokehouse Hotel Review

This is the first time I do a staycation after the Movement Control Order was imposed. It’s probably my last time as well because I wasn't prepared to be part of the crowd that might form another Covid-19 cluster in the nation. As such, my trip remained only at the hotel, at least we did stay in an amazing hotel so it wasn't that bad. 

My partner and I, we both love Cameron Highlands. We have our spots for great food and of course, the pleasant weather is always welcoming us. We made it a point to discover different hotels in Cameron each year, and this year we pick the Smokehouse. 

Penang Opening It's First Family Mart and Here are The Stuff You Need to Try

Unless you are living in a cave, you probably know the great convenience store from Japan - Family Mart. Penangites have been deprived of the goodness Family Mart has to offer for a long time. Alas, the wait is over. There are two Family Mart stores will be opening - 30th July 2020 at Karpal Singh Driver and 8th August at Juru Auto City.

Rumour has it that Pulau Tikus will be opening another Family Mart outlet, however there is no official announcement from Family Mart yet.

If you are new to Family Mart, here are the best pick of foods you have to try:

Hamisu Penang Seafood Restaurant Review 🦀🦐🦞🦑

The famous places for seafood in Penang is usually located around Batu Maung or Teluk Kumbar where the fisherman village located. If you don’t feel like driving so far, here’s a place for seafood located just right on the outskirts of Georgetown.

Location: 401, Jalan Dato Keramat, George Town, Penang

Business hour: Opens daily, 5:00PM - 3:00AM

Price range: Price varies 

Halal: No

Not Worth It: Kopi Hutan @ Penang Hill

I’ve intended to go to Kopi Hutan since I saw it online 2 years ago, but I didn’t have the chance to do so because I wasn’t staying in Penang (going up to Penang Hill might take the whole day). Now that I'm living here, it is convenient for me to visit Penang Hill. However, the place suddenly went viral and the owner didn't prepare for the crowd. Adding on to the stress, everyone is expected to adhere to the Covid-19 protocol, but some people had to make things complicated such as not lining up, do not follow social distancing, and not wearing masks. That is why it was quite an unpleasant experience. 

Location: Monkey Cup Farm, Summit Road, 11500, Penang Hill

Business hour: Open daily 9:00AM - 6:00PM

Price range: RM8-RM20

Halal: Yes

Penang Vegan Cafe: Wholey Wonder @ Hin Bus Depot

Wholey Wonder gives me a vibe of Tasmania’s vegan cafe which is rustic and hippies. Albeit the cafe is very casual and laidback, the food quality is uncompromising. The cafe is managed by the same group as Pinxin Vegan Cuisine, they use top quality ingredients and the food is made from passionate vegan chefs. While Pinxin targets family and skewed towards Asian cuisine, Wholey Wonder takes another approach where it is more Westernized. 

This cafe takes a holistic approach to promote a healthy lifestyle. Not only it is a vegan cafe, but the second floor is also a yoga studio. The less-active me is here for the food only. But if you are interested, the yoga studio is open for everyone. Do ask the waiter for more info on the yoga schedule. 

Penang Vegan Restaurant: PinXin Vegan Cuisine Review

The first thing I did when I came back to Penang is to look for a nice vegetarian/vegan restaurant. While in Melaka, I have a list of my favourite vegan/vegetarian restaurants, now I have to discover more vegetarian restaurants in Penang as I expand my territory. The first restaurant I've been to is PinXin. This is a vegan restaurant, so it is suitable for vegetarians as well.