Touchdown in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

As the flight progress smoothly, took a shot of the beautiful skyline, wow, so serene, too bad can't see the earth curvature in this picture. Soon we landed at the new Bangkok airport, well its about 4-5 years now, but it really does look sparkling new. And one thing I must comment is that the airport is huge. There were so many travelators and I can't imagine traversing the airport without it. The common decorations here are the orchids which I do find interesting and beautiful. A comparison to Changi, is that Changi uses more of the Phalaenopsis species whereas in Thailand its more Vanda variety. So this is just a short posting. Next will be the Silk Lounge and the Spa at the airport.

Clear blue sky

 Touchdown at Bangkok

 Vandas everywhere

 Its like endless path, so long the airport corridor

 Look closely at the sign and you will see between East and West is almost 1km long

 This is Gate C view

There is even demigods around... hehe

Biz lounge at Penang International Airport & Penang-Bangkok via Thai Airways

So, there I was, reaching the airport about 6.30am for my flight to Bangkok from Penang airport. I was surprise that the airport was pretty crowded, its either lots of tourist/visitors or the airport is just plain small. I felt so proud as first time I did not have to queue at the ticket counter as I had a business class ticket. First smile of the day. Checking was smooth and I was given a small piece of paper giving access to the MAS lounge on the upper floor of the departure hall. I have to say that the lounge is really hidden away and its such a waste that its not more visible.
But the inside was very relaxing and pleasing. The lounge was pretty well maintained, with lots of sofas available. There is even a kids room and I'm sure it will be very handy with kids around. There is a drinks counter where one can order drinks and then there is the buffet spread. Not much to be had as its really early in the morning. There was nasi lemak with fried chicken and belacan, lots of varieties of sandwiches and also some chicken sausages. Well I only managed the sausages as my wife had prepare a "chung" for me prior which I already had! I also ordered a Mochachino and this was nice. Once you order it, the staff will bring it to where you sit. Good service it is. As it was almost time, I finished my drink and headed to the departure gate which was already open.
As I reached, there was a long queue waiting, and lo and behold, I was greeted by a sign right at the front inviting biz class to board the plane first. They practically stopped the queue! Second smile of the day. As I boarded the plane, was glad that the biz class seats were actually slightly bigger and more comfortable and off on the flight I was.
Immediately, drinks were served even before the flight took off, and endless flow of food and beverages seems to be what you pay for in a biz class ticket. As we took off, the menu was brought so that we can choose what we would like for our meal. So the starter was a plate of fresh fruits which included kiwi, orange,  papaya, grape and rock melon. Not bad as all the fruits were properly peeled and presented nicely with the contrasty colour and taste. The the meal which I selected was the chicken teriyaki with noodles. The chicken was well marinated but was abit dry and tough. The noodles though was pretty good even if we know all these food is pre-heated in the microwave. All in all, a pretty decent journey so far on this 2 hour flight to Bangkok. The scene through the windows was lovely and I did take a couple of sky pictures too. That's all for now, and hopefully I get more time to continue uploading.

 The MAS Lounge at Penang International Airport

 3 chicken sausages

 My Mochachino

 Cloudy skies

 Fresh fruit platter

 Chicken Teriyaki with noodles

 Thai Airways Cutlery

 Overall serving of the meal

Preparing for trip to Copenhagen

After almost working for a year at my current company, finally have the chance to go to Copenhagen, Denmark for a meeting next week. All fingers cross that I get my flights booked soon.
Can't wait as this will be the first time travelling to Europe in my adult life :)
Will start posting about my trip this coming weekend. Stay tune 

A trip to iFOODex ~ 3 - 5 June 2011

Well, due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to be back to Penang this weekend instead of spending it in Ipoh. So took the opportunity to visit iFOODex which is being held at PISA. This is one of the largest food exhibition at the Northen part of Malaysia. For this round of iFOODex, its being held in conjunction with a Chocolate Fair.

So lets see what we have as I arrived. The first thing I noticed right at the entrance is Bak Kwa! And more Bak Kwa. It felt like I was entering a Bak Kwa exhibition on its own as one of the largest sponsor was Bee Cheng Hiang and Bak Kwa is their speciality.Bak Kwa is minced pork or chicken which is then made into thin patties and then BBQ! There are now many varieties to choose from and visitors will not be disappointed as there are many samples to try out. Besides the Bak Kwa they also are showcasing their tarts and for durian lovers, its a must to try their Durian tarts. Its chilled and the durian is very flavorful as they use real fresh durian for the filling. Yummy! Besides the sampling, one can also have a Bak Kwa buffet for RM29.90 but I feel its abit pricey as honestly, how much Bak Kwa can one eat at a time, especially when they are selling Bak Kwa for a discount during this fair. Of course, the free samples probably also is suffice for many. Another must mention from their stall is the sausage which I felted was very flavorful, tender and juicy. I think this is better than the Bak Kwa. Hahah. Finally, Bee Cheng Hiang also have meat floss and they even brought the machine which constantly stirs the meat floss till its golden brown. The meat floss comes in chicken and also pork so fret not for those that don't take pork ya.

Next I stumble upon the Gulong stall which for those that do not know, sells a range of canned produce. They have many good promotions going on and I actually bought their set of 4 cans of Luncheon Meat with 2 cans of  Stewed Pork Slices for only RM30. The set even comes free with a pair of high quality stainless steel fork and spoon set! To me, this is really worth is as if you check the price at super markets, I think the value is easily more than RM40 for this set. They also have samples of the luncheon meat so feel free to taste before buying.

As I walk along, there is a stall selling various vinegar. I'm not one that really knows how to appreciate vinegar but they really have alot of varieties. Then there is a stall which specializes in Udon noodles. I was surprise to find that there is not only food stalls but also stalls selling cooking utensils and accessories.

Then I stumble upon the next big player in Bak Kwa which is Loong Kee! They were all decked out in red color and were even giving out free recycle bags! How nice. They have sausages and even pork burger freshly made at the stall so burger lovers, you can give this a try. Their Bak Kwa were going at a steep discount at only RM30 per 500gm which is a real value for money. But I did felt that their Bak Kwa were tougher to Bee Cheng Hiang but of course, this depends on ones taste.

Among the other interesting stalls which I stopped at were Active Enzyme Honey, Khuntai and even one that were selling electronic fly swatter with a new twist. The chocolate fair on the other hand was abit disappointing as they were only a few stalls and the big names in chocolate were clearly missing here. I was expecting way more for the chocolate fair so hopefully if they have it again, they will bring in more companies! Probably the most attractive among them was a cupcake stall by Mei Delices! For RM8, you can get a box of 4 chocolate moist cup cake. The chocolate is thick and very yummy indeed.

And how can I miss Qyzzy's booth and for all fans, make sure you register as you stand to win a tablet! Yeah, wish come true! All you have to do is have a Facebook account, like their fan page and write a short review of iFOODex. Simple and the reward is way more than the effort you need to put in. So this is a MUST visit stall of the whole iFOODex to me! (No they didn't bribe me, just that they are the only ones giving a big lucky draw prize!)

The last stall which I stopped by was a Korean stall and also a Taiwanese stall. Interesting products on display and loads of Korean noodles at very attractive prices. I was surprised to see the preserved egg so famous in Taiwan here. So for those that like these delicacies, don't skip these stalls.

All in all, not a bad experience visiting iFOODex. Definitely room for improvement and hope it continues for years to come. Check it out if you have time.

Bee Cheng Hiang

 Meat Floss machine

Sausage cooking machine

The cooked sausage still on the skewers

Yum yum! Sausage galore!

 The many flavorful tarts

 The Bak Kwa buffet corner

 Tarts and biscuits

 Luncheon meat

 Variety of vinegar

 Udon noodles on display

 Buffalo brand cookers. Nice, made of stainless steel but I can't afford it :(

 Loong Kee stall

 Sausages

 Bak Kwa galore

 Even have the mini pack

 Active Enzyme Honey! Very nice taste!

 Was surprise Khuntai also there

 A view of the many stalls and crowd

 The fly swatter

 Chocolate stall! Full of people

 Mei Delices cupcakes

 Qyzzy's stall. That's Vin there with his lovelies!

 Snap of their portal

 Korean products

 Taiwanese preserved egg

   

De Title Dining Cabin

Lorong Selamat at Penang is no doubt famous for its hawker food, but since December 2010, there is a new place to get some delicious which is at De Title Dining Cabin. One will easily spot this restaurant as its painted in a bright purple and its a standalone heritage building that is very unique. The owners, have decorated this whole place on their own, and on closer inspection, even every window pane is handcrafted and different.

According to the owners, this place is called De Title as it means that there is no food that can't be prepared. Sounds interesting right? So read on ya.

On entering the restaurant, one will be greeted by large and small tables all decked out with high back chairs. Classic indeed. The decor is modern chic and even the interiors are purple as it gives a more relax and romantic mood. Many lovely decors adorn the place with blings all over. Hhehe. As one moves to the back, this is where there is a mini buffet spread which one can have by just doing an add on to their meals. Here one can have unlimited drinks, soup, biscuits, bread and even desserts like ice cream and home made jelly. They believe in going green with the idea that you eat how much you can and not waste the food. This is surely a great way moving forward, great food with thoughts about the environment as well.

Then there is a staircase leading to the upper floor. The purple wall here is decorated with many colorful photo frames, which is nice and interesting. The room above can be booked for functions or gatherings and can fit 15-20 person easily. Not bad :)

Now on to the food ya. Well, they specialize in local, western and some italian mix. So its pretty interesting to note that they try their best to present the food as original as they can.

On the menu today, I first tried their free flow mushroom soup. I have to say, this creamy mushroom soup is pretty good. The flavor is strong and they also put quite alot of blended mushrooms in it. They also prepare a jar of their toasted bread (croutons) and you can add in as much as you like! Sweet move, and to top it off, a few twist of the pepper grinder and voila, a very delightful mushroom soup.

Next that we got to try was their chicken ham pizza. When it first arrived, it looked very appetizing as it had a thin crust. Then there is a good amount of cheese all melted so lovely over the pizza. On biting into it, it was juicy with tomato paste and the chicken ham. More surprisingly was the crust. It resembled a thick crispy roti canai! Its really a nice pizza to snack on.

Then I got to try their cheese bake rice and also cheese bake pasta. The one with rice comes with pieces of chicken in a cream sauce underneath the cheese. As for the pasta, it was all covered in tomato sauce and this is a vegetarian version. I would say, I thought it was ala Kim Gary, hehe, but they have their unique taste to it and good thing that they are not stingy with the cheese.

After the cheese bake, we got to sample their noodle menu. The first to arrive was their stir fried seafood oriental. Udon noodles were used and it comes with various seafood condiments. Not too bad, slightly spicy taste to it. As we move along, up pops a plate of their Pasta Aglio Olio which is also vegetarian. It has mushrooms, corn and and seasoned with chili flakes and olive oil. This was probably the only dish which I felt let me down for the day. The spaghetti was very dry, and there wasn't much flavoring other than the chili flakes. Hopefully this one can be improved upon which I'm sure the chef will.

Next up were the more hearty meals of their grilled chicken and also their fried crunchy chicken. The chicken drumstick is used and its first deboned. For the grilled version, the chicken is grilled nicely and then its served on top of mashed potatoes with coleslaw at the side. There are a few sauce that is available, namely butter garlic & spicy BBQ. Very interesting sauces to try. For the fried crunchy chicken, this firstly reminded me of KFC's hot and spicy with the batter coating on the chicken! But its way crunchier than what KFC has. I kind of like this chicken and one can also choose the many different sauces available.

Besides chicken, they also have fish instead, cooked in a similar grilled or deep fried. I have to say I preferred the chicken as I felt the cooking method suites it better and gave it more flavor.

As for dessert, we were served their signature Angels and Demon (I hope I got this right) and its their version of a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream. This was really good, and the chocolate is very thick, just nice to go with the cold vanilla ice cream.

For those who likes to try new places, new food with a great ambience, do give De Title Dining Cabin a try. According to the owners, you can even request for your very special customize menu if you so desire. So don't hesitate and give this place a try.

Address : No 97, Lorong Selamat 10400 Georgetown Penang, Malaysia.

Opens daily except Wednesdays, 12noon-3pm, 6pm-9pm

Map of Lorong Selamat :

The restaurants exterior - can't miss it
Their lovely decor

The Enjoy Corner

Homemade Jelly

Cookies!

Stars?
Mural on the floor! How creative.
Wall o frames!

Mushroom soup with croutons

Chicken Ham pizza on special crust

Cheese bake rice and pasta

Stir Fried Spaghetti Seafood Oriental

Pasta Aglio Olio
Grilled and Deep Fried Chicken

Grilled and Deep Fried Fish Fillet
Dessert : Angels & Demons

The 2 owners cum chefs!