Gallimaufry#76

Just a gallimaufry of photos 📸

Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender'

A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves you a hundred moments of regret.          ~Ali Ibn Abu Talib~

                               

Vietnamese Dinner

Cá Kho Tộ Recipe – Vietnamese Caramelized & Braised Catfish

I love the food in this Vietnamese restaurant, but I hate, hate, hate their QR code menu. Dining out is one of those epicurean pleasures that should be spared of technology. QR code ordering ruins the experience and is such a chore — the text is too small, takes ages to load and you  have to scroll up, down multiple times to read through the full menu. And I hate wasting the first 10 minutes of a social engagement having to navigate a new digital platform every time I dine out. Poring over a traditional oversized menu is part of the fun of eating out and I sorely miss that. 

Do we really need an app for everything?

Bring back paper menus, I say.

SKYWATCH

View of Butterworth, Penang from our Airbnb rental

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

Arc de Triomphe 2019

Mock-up of a traditional Malay house in a shopping mall

Gallimaufry#75

Just a gallimaufry of photos 📷

Guaricattonia hybrid

Carnations

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square 2011

MALAYSIAN STREET FOOD

Salt-baked crabs

 

Sad remains of an abandoned coal mine in a town called Batu Arang

Batu Arang means coal in Malay.

The entrance and ventilation tunnel of the old mine

Coal was discovered in the town in 1915. The mine was active until its permanent closure in 1960.

A glimpse of the now flooded mine

It has never been reported if anyone was brave enough to venture into the darkness.

Perhaps they did, but never emerged to tell?

Gallimaufry#74

Just a gallimaufry of photos 📷

Morning glory

Japanese roses

Birthday dinner for the hubs
Haha! Despite the name, there was nothing French on the menu but Italian fusion food! Do French fries count? But then again, there are those who argue that French fries are actually Belgian.

Wira

Wira means hero in Malay.

Fridgin' cool toilet in Vernazza. Don't mind the pun!

Ramadan Bazaar 2023

It's the Ramadan month which means Muslims all over the world are fasting from sunrise to sunset. In Malaysia, Ramadan bazaars are mushrooming all over the towns and cities. Essentially, a Ramadan bazaar is a month-long street market where mostly food and beverages are sold. Muslims (and non-Muslims) get to pick from a smorgasbord of halal foods on their way home from work for breaking their fast just before dusk.

Fried jackfruit

Murtabak

Murtabak — folded flatbread with a spiced meat filling popular in Arab and Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia. 

Otak-otak

Otak-otak — a Southeast Asian fish cake made of ground fish mixed with spices and wrapped in leaf parcels. 

Ayam golek — roasted chicken in an aromatic cumin-infused coconut marinade

Fried curry puffs and spring rolls

A variety of Malay dishes to grab and go 

Keropok Lekor

Keropok lekor — a traditional Malay fish cracker snack originating from the state of Terengganu. It is made from fish and sago flour and seasoned with salt and sugar.

Inn Tepung Pelita

Inn Tepung Pelita — traditional Malay dessert prepared in a square mould made of banana leaf

Iced beverages