tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91335742558716002472024-02-20T22:46:46.972+08:00MDLXHMegan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-88114330076344859892022-12-27T02:44:00.005+08:002024-01-06T07:48:53.124+08:00Moving to Amsterdam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bYHctB2Fnvir2cPLC4mrkF86r-MgDm-NyTXVEaW7S9ni79V8zbUAiZdYIXp67kFqgH6_hfiaSm95cCKhD-cIXDCCxI-nYQDa67jkuZ4F4vxstwJQrGb5RbGUndJPQAAswcLTJ6tQPkTPFx7EMuueGilDxoSgY0z6hylpYZnU8lcSE3f80Ruk83zc/s3648/IMG_20221023_143310.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bYHctB2Fnvir2cPLC4mrkF86r-MgDm-NyTXVEaW7S9ni79V8zbUAiZdYIXp67kFqgH6_hfiaSm95cCKhD-cIXDCCxI-nYQDa67jkuZ4F4vxstwJQrGb5RbGUndJPQAAswcLTJ6tQPkTPFx7EMuueGilDxoSgY0z6hylpYZnU8lcSE3f80Ruk83zc/w480-h640/IMG_20221023_143310.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>I had written a draft for this post months ago, but felt like I hadn't properly settled into this new chapter of my life to be able to tell it all. Now that I feel like it's the right time, here's everything I've wanted to share about my move to the Netherlands. :)</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>I thought the best way to explain it was writing it here - that way you can read all about it if you happen to be interested or if you're a family/friend whom I didn't get to tell my big move about. And I do feel like I owe some sort of explanation for the sudden leave.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lJI4TleQHr3QZ5JVVFCD8D7wxwiEtcdWyqysGVGSnH5LJHdmfTCidTihKSErlel3gCmE3Himn5UE1Ug0NAlqhnS12O2NWgaapYleQo9zbJh9dbCcHoupTrtGaknMbESSeUr3FtF--enc-XNj-vsPJ80_wK9dpp5DvkLNFNURxDj6hcmK5-LAzCnn/s3648/IMG_20220517_195212.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lJI4TleQHr3QZ5JVVFCD8D7wxwiEtcdWyqysGVGSnH5LJHdmfTCidTihKSErlel3gCmE3Himn5UE1Ug0NAlqhnS12O2NWgaapYleQo9zbJh9dbCcHoupTrtGaknMbESSeUr3FtF--enc-XNj-vsPJ80_wK9dpp5DvkLNFNURxDj6hcmK5-LAzCnn/w320-h640/IMG_20220517_195212.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I was taking photos for publications again with this shot</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>So here it is in parts:</p><p>1. I didn't tell most people (except my immediate family and some friends) because I just felt like my odds of people giving their opinion about my decision or wishing I would fail in some way would be lesser if I didn't tell anyone about my move. I know that sounds pretty cynical but I was also fairly stressed out at the time and I just didn't want to have to deal with others' ideas of what I should do. Also, my partner is just overall not a fan of social media and loves having our own privacy, so there you go. </p><p>2. It happened suddenly for me too. Sure, we had this move in the works for months, but it was always, <i>always </i>a 50/50. We never knew what the IND would say, what new document would be required (FYI even when we got here we apparently missed a couple), or what their final decision would be on us going together. And it was just this overarching stress at the back of my mind, both of our minds, for months. I thought I was going to start having some serious psychosomatic health problems. So you can understand why the added stress of telling people and dealing with their reactions was just something I was not ready for. Which is why I'm now telling the whole "move" the way that I want.</p><p>3. We found out we were clear to go at the end of February. And we had to be here by the beginning of April. So I thought, alright, I need to sort out my housing, packing, etc. in the coming month plus any important meetings/events. And then immediately, we had a Covid scare. We quarantined 1 week to make sure we were clear, and continued to monitor ourselves the next week for any symptoms that might pop up. I did try to set up a couple of meetings, but my friends and fam were also having close contacts of their own, so there really wasn't any time left in the last week when I had to be packing up.</p><p>And that just covers why I left so suddenly. A lot of other things have happened since then:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>We got our own place</li><li>We spent a little time in Turkey (you can read my blogs on <a href="http://www.mdlxh.com/2022/07/5-best-restaurants-to-eat-in-istanbul.html" target="_blank">food</a> and <a href="http://www.mdlxh.com/2022/09/megans-pick-5-desserts-in-istanbul.html" target="_blank">dessert</a> here)</li><li>I got a job</li><li>...and I already have plans to visit home!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYYBOAnBXLtDbRK3H8_VxOLASO92f4nRQ8fhB5fQ4MI6xsp8IaDGnXog3lYf9Eg-qmcdil0wblgDjyfjmobstyfSwy5wils7G3ozQYb0Oqc2H6WNs5r5fqE6YEDUtIfVewhc4INcMrN6HLILi-OLkz4RTjQDLR1sE12ytMPP6OypbDOoZxc3VUvNe/s3648/IMG_20220611_201205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYYBOAnBXLtDbRK3H8_VxOLASO92f4nRQ8fhB5fQ4MI6xsp8IaDGnXog3lYf9Eg-qmcdil0wblgDjyfjmobstyfSwy5wils7G3ozQYb0Oqc2H6WNs5r5fqE6YEDUtIfVewhc4INcMrN6HLILi-OLkz4RTjQDLR1sE12ytMPP6OypbDOoZxc3VUvNe/w320-h640/IMG_20220611_201205.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also spent my birthday in the Netherlands for the first time</td></tr></tbody></table></li></ul><div>There are a bunch of things I've had to get used to since moving here, such as:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>reading everything in Dutch (no I still don't know the language, but after reading enough I can mostly guess what the words mean)</li><li>dealing with bills, taxes, and government documents here (still ongoing as of December btw)</li><li>buying the right kind of clothing (YET again. I feel like I've learnt nothing from being in the US, or the clothes here are just not made with the same quality and are much more expensive)</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>It's been a wild ride. I will not recommend moving to another country for those who like to be comfortable. That being said, sometimes when I look out the window here of our (thankfully and fortunately larger-than-usual-for-Amsterdam) apartment, and think about how I get to sit at home and do work, I can't help but feel very blessed. So for all of you who <i>did</i> wish me well and prayed for me, I am very grateful.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E3GWH69LXnkp89VfkSIqtdAj9OutYtBNzjceJlu_Ca_H-z8bSsKjCZ4bO6-D0Xrwwnp8nr3SxDEXNS3J5It8Ggqkvpj0uKW69JZ5Kon-Vm7X-B5OJGJuJ3Z4NVxJRbcxoa_MCqDMZFx8au5886JK75U-P2rpPaP9lJwFr1qWvxYo7DyiynnHJJNv/s2048/Shared%20from%20Lightroom%20mobile.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E3GWH69LXnkp89VfkSIqtdAj9OutYtBNzjceJlu_Ca_H-z8bSsKjCZ4bO6-D0Xrwwnp8nr3SxDEXNS3J5It8Ggqkvpj0uKW69JZ5Kon-Vm7X-B5OJGJuJ3Z4NVxJRbcxoa_MCqDMZFx8au5886JK75U-P2rpPaP9lJwFr1qWvxYo7DyiynnHJJNv/w640-h320/Shared%20from%20Lightroom%20mobile.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the sunset from my window</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>This was basically most of my year at a glance, and I thought it'd be an appropriate post to end 2022. I hope to see you again next year, with many more exciting things to come.</div><div><br /></div><div>xo</div>Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com0Amsterdam, Netherlands52.3675734 4.904138936.41382687430648 -12.6739861 68.321319925693516 22.4822639tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-90158381758249330232022-09-19T00:00:00.003+08:002022-09-19T00:10:14.710+08:00Megan's pick: 5 Desserts in Istanbul<p>My last post was about <a href="https://www.mdlxh.com/2022/07/5-best-restaurants-to-eat-in-istanbul.html" target="_blank">the best restaurants I went to in Türkiye</a>, and I'm sure those of you who read it probably thought, "Well what about baklava? Or Turkish delights? I mean you can't talk about Turkey without mentioning that!" And you are absolutely right.</p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoiZvKbAHaiv6LE6kbLLBsKFAJCegWh5R8QBKRa72O5eBFu-p_LqZ9rND3WvRX7gYVd9zgjgc4RYku-3RmvW5kf_1VSbgWLZ79GTmbxZqLGXgltEVtuF1bS3X8eawA78Nj8XMAHvF84U9kMVOfeC0TXpjDOtt8-OCDruFr1BbRYbCdyWuG8NoqTjlV" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoiZvKbAHaiv6LE6kbLLBsKFAJCegWh5R8QBKRa72O5eBFu-p_LqZ9rND3WvRX7gYVd9zgjgc4RYku-3RmvW5kf_1VSbgWLZ79GTmbxZqLGXgltEVtuF1bS3X8eawA78Nj8XMAHvF84U9kMVOfeC0TXpjDOtt8-OCDruFr1BbRYbCdyWuG8NoqTjlV=w320-h640" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very happy with dessert and tea</td></tr></tbody></table><p>On my trip I quickly learnt how having tea and sweets wasn't just an after dinner treat, but a ritual that was held after every meal. People would take the time especially in the afternoon to sit, chat, and relax with a tulip-shaped glass (called ince belli) of hot, strong tea and an array of sweet pastries. I <i>obviously</i> had my fair share during my trip, and these are five of my favourites.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><h2><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ekolkunefe/@40.9922938,29.0391194,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x545863d15d9ab4a4!8m2!3d40.9922913!4d29.039112" target="_blank">Ekolkunefe Kadikoy</a></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">So the very first dessert I had in Istanbul was actually <i>not </i>baklava, but <b>kunefe</b>. And some of you may think of this as a cardinal sin, but I <i>kinda </i>like the kunefe more. 🙊 Let me explain why though! Our family/friend brought us to this unassuming cafe on a busy street, and they were adamant that this is THE best place to have kunefe. And I gotta admit, we tried this same dish at several other restaurants or cafes throughout our trip, and it was 100% better than all of them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbYM1NKzMab6B4Z0oyYmzQlEZvWzMgz-oUEte28We2DqCjiyHYQmHdaYVqKv-b-aAlIMV8ld04LL2My04tTYrtKeBy8nXVQHpGVfFfp-c8ZbkY4u5O5qgKfkP3Ey8mHdKOrI34SCdnRYOpOLjI3JFe7ghem4oKe9TCK0RDYYiTGB29AQ-7MEDo__BP" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbYM1NKzMab6B4Z0oyYmzQlEZvWzMgz-oUEte28We2DqCjiyHYQmHdaYVqKv-b-aAlIMV8ld04LL2My04tTYrtKeBy8nXVQHpGVfFfp-c8ZbkY4u5O5qgKfkP3Ey8mHdKOrI34SCdnRYOpOLjI3JFe7ghem4oKe9TCK0RDYYiTGB29AQ-7MEDo__BP=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I hear you say "Pistachio on pistachio?"</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">So there are a few different kinds of kunefe that are usually served, and at this shop we had two of them. The first was made with filo pastry, and reminded me of the banana pancakes I had once upon a time in <a href="https://www.mdlxh.com/2018/07/hatyai-thailand.html" target="_blank">Thailand</a>, but without any extra doughiness. It's filled with pistachio and cheese, drenched in syrup, and served with a dollop of clotted cream. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRVTF4QI2VIFJ5Yi7b0wBkOPZbkK3DReWCA2ms1f0-G4c8u7riPEsyg7DPHVohCyn8zSDVwzLblUHnOkW3pQnvoiDfPFzMZW3sazV0mrSgx3o9YNXFwH93jsxiwuUgjdZYEzNtwiVdVoLu8seSY_UW33617bad7iyKweIHKxYT9gj2LTK9UnLJWHCK" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2431" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRVTF4QI2VIFJ5Yi7b0wBkOPZbkK3DReWCA2ms1f0-G4c8u7riPEsyg7DPHVohCyn8zSDVwzLblUHnOkW3pQnvoiDfPFzMZW3sazV0mrSgx3o9YNXFwH93jsxiwuUgjdZYEzNtwiVdVoLu8seSY_UW33617bad7iyKweIHKxYT9gj2LTK9UnLJWHCK=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugh, that cream is my favourite. I could eat a whole bucket of it with honey and bread 😭</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The second version we had (and this is the classic kind) was made with a layer of thin, crunchy noodles and pan-grilled on each side. There is a thick layer of cheese inside, most likely made from goat's milk, then topped with </span>pistachio, clotted cream,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and more syrup. I could not decide which version I liked better, I'd say it depends on whether you prefer having something heavier with your tea, or a lighter dessert with more nuts.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/yXet26QNu65APijy8" target="_blank">Hafiz Mustafa</a></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">So I'll admit when I first went to this shop, I had no clue about its history - only that I saw quite a number of chains all over Istanbul, and it seemed really popular with both tourists and the locals. It was only when I was writing this blog that I found out that it has been around since 1864, and </span>won <i>11 medals</i> in Europe for bakery and confectionery between 1926 to 1938. So not only is this a heritage shop, it has also set the standard for Turkish desserts and made them popular worldwide. That's pretty f*ckin' incredible.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_ypYRoTSkg6uj7xYNCdFV2_DW_z0UrKVrCLaS8u8mWq3vAkzOfBHSKKE_2u9uz7z-8L79UOgBPWXfnq-pNm4oqBtqYYwqchCupbwYOab0qFYUOVAgVw97-FKRKEJ0QVW2YAMuOJ1gzzHn6qkOxkGWWqebx4oiCXHC2-xvQd5K-U7O6gfhQPFkJAjs" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_ypYRoTSkg6uj7xYNCdFV2_DW_z0UrKVrCLaS8u8mWq3vAkzOfBHSKKE_2u9uz7z-8L79UOgBPWXfnq-pNm4oqBtqYYwqchCupbwYOab0qFYUOVAgVw97-FKRKEJ0QVW2YAMuOJ1gzzHn6qkOxkGWWqebx4oiCXHC2-xvQd5K-U7O6gfhQPFkJAjs=w640-h320" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the booth looked grand</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We happened to visit the one near the Grand Bazaar, and it is the perfect stop after a long romp about the place's cobblestoned alleys and vibrant stalls. Depending on the time you go, it can get quite busy, but we were lucky enough that a few tables were open when we stepped in and were immediately seated.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfmgbzvIVqWSjbfe3R8H1xQq08y-WtEK3CTbcouWzZG5kx5CuP62rOA_5_jqUdQm4m0Prt80esWnCD89AzYYJB6Kg4SLxNUJcN9bRCFV-UzlvQwm5e0n9ae56EdBwgLcQgPhpiSxyeuNLnypHYOJam2z5rPFgh-CVd_ottzgv4dCtPbr-6YtsaO3VT" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfmgbzvIVqWSjbfe3R8H1xQq08y-WtEK3CTbcouWzZG5kx5CuP62rOA_5_jqUdQm4m0Prt80esWnCD89AzYYJB6Kg4SLxNUJcN9bRCFV-UzlvQwm5e0n9ae56EdBwgLcQgPhpiSxyeuNLnypHYOJam2z5rPFgh-CVd_ottzgv4dCtPbr-6YtsaO3VT=w320-h640" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serious Ottoman Empire vibes & I was living for it</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">What I loved about this place was not just the luxurious decor and royal red fabric and walls, but also the fact that you can choose from several selections of baklava with names like "Sultan Plate" or "Pistachio Princess" - and I'm a sucker for themes done right.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq5jNbigh0dgsGBbwYWHuKwTatyF4ENxAMHxmmtOgZQrSqIlidTtrSHMQLqbwA4ah9tyET8NvsmipIJ-Cht4XZHGIDaFTYMpflXD1GxDTrmR9T8Ko8-3KBzyh8bqe6c9gydgOECxEaaXFk41DZ1MdqtMhvTZf3HFUNNtgUKsY_ObY4WhGypaBncooj" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq5jNbigh0dgsGBbwYWHuKwTatyF4ENxAMHxmmtOgZQrSqIlidTtrSHMQLqbwA4ah9tyET8NvsmipIJ-Cht4XZHGIDaFTYMpflXD1GxDTrmR9T8Ko8-3KBzyh8bqe6c9gydgOECxEaaXFk41DZ1MdqtMhvTZf3HFUNNtgUKsY_ObY4WhGypaBncooj=w320-h640" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross-section of the pistachio-only baklava</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The sweetness of the baklava were just right, and despite being drenched in syrup, the flaky layers of the pastry and crunchiness of the nuts kept their texture. I was so tempted to buy some to take home, but fresh baklava like this only last a few days, so I opted for a couple tin boxes of their Turkish tea and some jewel-coloured chocolates instead. NO regrets - I wasn't expecting much quality from those, but I am very happy to say I was wrong. Would definitely buy again.</span></p><h2><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/MADO+ERENK%C3%96Y/@40.9690044,29.0463874,15z/data=!4m9!1m2!2m1!1sMADO+kadikoy!3m5!1s0x14cac7af4cef9207:0xbb42a1c71977108b!8m2!3d40.9703757!4d29.0666749!15sCgxNQURPIGthZGlrb3kiA4gBAVoOIgxtYWRvIGthZGlrb3mSAQRjYWZl4AEA" target="_blank">MADO</a></span></h2><p>Founded in 1850, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:4&tbm=lcl&sxsrf=ALiCzsZt6N4I0M4cEbQdX_RK2JkP-d-E8Q:1663492433809&q=mado+istanbul&rflfq=1&num=10&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjh5OmcgJ76AhWP7KQKHe7TBdkQjGp6BAgaEAE&biw=1920&bih=902&dpr=1#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:[[41.0676554,29.080191000000003],[40.9634204,28.7760344]];tbs:lrf:!1m4!1u3!2m2!3m1!1e1!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:4" target="_blank">MADO</a> is another popular dessert cafe but with a distinct difference to Hafiz Mustafa. It only became a chain after 1991, but now has over 300 outlets all over the world - including one in <i>Taiwan </i>wtf. We even have a couple here in the Netherlands too, imagine my surprise finding one at the Hoog Catharijne mall in Utrecht. 😂 </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFRMhU2O0PGk1gAEoNx-g5-Gk4mACVqscibk2adYc8WY8luK-WHTfuShus4jGbo9iJysp2ncdJd0xkfyU36fRwZCJEeyLB4WpqpVImsOqqkOROL3HXkDyYbcZVZkHsdsDSHBJ8KI37wro0rxw-6nEV-Mc_HemMHfKdSgI56QTT1o43OfQSSlYhUJ-o" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="927" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFRMhU2O0PGk1gAEoNx-g5-Gk4mACVqscibk2adYc8WY8luK-WHTfuShus4jGbo9iJysp2ncdJd0xkfyU36fRwZCJEeyLB4WpqpVImsOqqkOROL3HXkDyYbcZVZkHsdsDSHBJ8KI37wro0rxw-6nEV-Mc_HemMHfKdSgI56QTT1o43OfQSSlYhUJ-o=w640-h338" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exterior photo of this MADO outlet by Google</td></tr></tbody></table><br />MADO is closer to being a full-blown restaurant rather than a specialty dessert shop, because it has an extensive, thick menu of food for every meal, not to mention an endless variety of pastries and desserts as well. However, in my personal opinion, the baklava and kunefe still don't come close to the previous places I mentioned. So why am I bringing this place up?<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXqmwqnXDqQl3yg_UyAdpx5MofcbSGmmjmkr80upyLTnyznecP7M81Ta7B0RFRRHl3cFMfcShbLt6VyXlf2n1QICpDYGXsNjONstv7pOAJ1Csoe4J4GdqEpxan7CTTm4GRgKAjL7QOKR3x7YdenbUxro91UUYFTTc5SA6F3b2NKXMGlw0DPYz1IWPd" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1362" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXqmwqnXDqQl3yg_UyAdpx5MofcbSGmmjmkr80upyLTnyznecP7M81Ta7B0RFRRHl3cFMfcShbLt6VyXlf2n1QICpDYGXsNjONstv7pOAJ1Csoe4J4GdqEpxan7CTTm4GRgKAjL7QOKR3x7YdenbUxro91UUYFTTc5SA6F3b2NKXMGlw0DPYz1IWPd=w640-h386" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just one part of their display. Photo from Google.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It's because of their <b>ice cream</b>. Oh my god. I don't even know where to start, because it's not your regular, processed-and-manufactured vanilla ice cream. According to them, the very first ice cream they made was from snow brought down from Ahir Mountain and wrapped in paddy husks to keep it from melting, and that same care and deliberateness has continued with the way they craft their ice cream today.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimvJoFEgRvTlchccucWyvpNSD7dQwvYmaNqwYWp5L36PpRs8fRIM_10EYc2R8n0CGu4-9JxATkXrGvC1c0wYPKmhF9lLM2vYhb1CHb_V3uznY6quI6uPH0z11a_g3vOt2in8epdWIeSqdZquia68u_9auxV3qQbkM8cpKd9Wiwc0dHu0vwheIKlKAp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimvJoFEgRvTlchccucWyvpNSD7dQwvYmaNqwYWp5L36PpRs8fRIM_10EYc2R8n0CGu4-9JxATkXrGvC1c0wYPKmhF9lLM2vYhb1CHb_V3uznY6quI6uPH0z11a_g3vOt2in8epdWIeSqdZquia68u_9auxV3qQbkM8cpKd9Wiwc0dHu0vwheIKlKAp=w320-h640" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As you can see, the ice cream is served on a plate with a fork</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p>There are 3 key ingredients in MADO's classic "kesme" ice cream that places it way out of the league from other ice creams: salep, a flour made from the root of the early purple orchid; mastic, a plant resin that creates a chewy texture; and goat's milk, from the 600 decare white goat farm they own at Ahir Mountain (yes the very same one they once carried snow down from). They describe their ice cream's consistency to be "rough" enough to be cut by a knife and eaten with a fork, but soft enough to melt in your mouth. I just call it heaven on earth.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://g.page/verogelato-tr?share" target="_blank">Vero Gelato</a></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">You're probably wondering, "What is <i>gelato</i> doing on this list?" But as I've mentioned previously, ice cream is a core dessert for Turkish cuisine, so it's not very surprising that gelato has found it's place in Istanbul. This gelato shop happens to be a favourite of our family/friend's, and it had one of the best tasting gelato I have had in a long while. What I loved most was that the owner, Veronica, whom the shop is named after, incorporated some very distinctly local Turkish flavours into the gelato - you'll find a letter board behind the counter displaying seasonal flavours like <i>simit </i>(a quintessential Turkish bread topped with sesame), pistachio (of course), mastic gum, tahini, and more.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-l0kbyJqMjkZvty6leVXZ_lOgkmdORDbX7eH8plH7MDOFD6Xkn0epSbxgIFg1znE5SHdMlWvu8Bq-VVMPk3tzHUnO4R_JGWxaykwrZFSel5jKzrHLh44aXAWeJs7nkcEQ7c1MOQjNBeffgQhQF32e6cj20ow_Iq7DJ84sC9Wg4tP5uo8kBrLRJVEd" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="899" height="619" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-l0kbyJqMjkZvty6leVXZ_lOgkmdORDbX7eH8plH7MDOFD6Xkn0epSbxgIFg1znE5SHdMlWvu8Bq-VVMPk3tzHUnO4R_JGWxaykwrZFSel5jKzrHLh44aXAWeJs7nkcEQ7c1MOQjNBeffgQhQF32e6cj20ow_Iq7DJ84sC9Wg4tP5uo8kBrLRJVEd=w640-h619" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the pastel hues of this little shop </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmS39IGjs5xIY4upacSUrXtqXycHDWbpYnOIQRGLfdVNGzmfcjeiZME0xJq5Ez7S7ZVfmyRvk0FDPoDhZQjiN1QND9KFziG33NDXKOXx7qehDk2uKMamRHx7gkdIC6J-mHX1qhDtOwfTru5Ac91d7jwJWVf-M4_wnNo0I7ZrsD_D9B21DLE5kHV6B0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2859" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmS39IGjs5xIY4upacSUrXtqXycHDWbpYnOIQRGLfdVNGzmfcjeiZME0xJq5Ez7S7ZVfmyRvk0FDPoDhZQjiN1QND9KFziG33NDXKOXx7qehDk2uKMamRHx7gkdIC6J-mHX1qhDtOwfTru5Ac91d7jwJWVf-M4_wnNo0I7ZrsD_D9B21DLE5kHV6B0=w408-h640" width="408" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awkward ice cream holding by yours truly 😂</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/Ali+Muhiddin+Hac%C4%B1+Bekir/@40.9698278,28.990122,12z/data=!3m1!4b1" target="_blank">Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir </a></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, we've come to the last place on my list. I thought it'd be fitting to end my blog with a dessert that you can actually take home to enjoy long after your trip to </span>Türkiye.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Just so you know, there are endless, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">endless</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> choices of places to buy Turkish delight. Many times throughout our trip, as we passed by shops and stalls either crowded with people or displaying tasty-looking variations of that powdered confectionery, I'd turn to my partner and ask if we should get some. And he always said no. 😑 Well not exactly no, but he'd say I could get some </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">if I want</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, but he's not going to buy from there. And after about the 3rd time of me asking, he finally confessed that there was one shop, the ONLY shop he would get Turkish delight from. And I was immediately intrigued.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXUAgogu0OVAM15v9eRl2Tn9kYSm9gE4vkIyWVmLyhcEFbEY6tw3V2Gk3TqP2G3Z2XpmeRMDRZJeUMAyL3l-0sMoRW4VK7wvldK9Mxmjj5PKFQ0XNfarYINiJgrwT0tK3BSDw0w-2AzElw8BtUxe0KxhI51AAu9O-YBL2_O5KqSLZbeGt9_ZEifc_/s899/ali%20muhiddin%20haci%20bekir-selma%20er.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="899" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXUAgogu0OVAM15v9eRl2Tn9kYSm9gE4vkIyWVmLyhcEFbEY6tw3V2Gk3TqP2G3Z2XpmeRMDRZJeUMAyL3l-0sMoRW4VK7wvldK9Mxmjj5PKFQ0XNfarYINiJgrwT0tK3BSDw0w-2AzElw8BtUxe0KxhI51AAu9O-YBL2_O5KqSLZbeGt9_ZEifc_/w640-h508/ali%20muhiddin%20haci%20bekir-selma%20er.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass window display at Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir from Google</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In fact, he kept me in suspense all the way till the end of our 2-week trip (wtf) because he said he wanted to bring it home as fresh as possible, which makes sense, but I still had to wait *rolls eyes in impatience*. So was it worth it?</div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZUpM0sAG1t0uR6ogYlt3hH7yfe6Icvc_Ctu3ugkbuAB5aM5iSZMRSVblH89XU6lhYDXVRsTvi-nPdkEiYn54NoA98HUsCn42Aiq-KdK2StPBn-POkn5dAm9TBxgPXYWDz2dFRIbfgmd9d_4tSHMzngmfC3RPn-qXdBPSWV7EjdmiXIQ5sgm9d1WV/s840/ali%20muhiddin%20haci%20bekir-bynyalcin.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="840" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZUpM0sAG1t0uR6ogYlt3hH7yfe6Icvc_Ctu3ugkbuAB5aM5iSZMRSVblH89XU6lhYDXVRsTvi-nPdkEiYn54NoA98HUsCn42Aiq-KdK2StPBn-POkn5dAm9TBxgPXYWDz2dFRIbfgmd9d_4tSHMzngmfC3RPn-qXdBPSWV7EjdmiXIQ5sgm9d1WV/w640-h502/ali%20muhiddin%20haci%20bekir-bynyalcin.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior photo of the shop with displays of every dessert from Google</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh yes, of course it was. Otherwise I wouldn't be talking about it at all. We got a 500g box of assorted Turkish delights from the display at around 200 liras (don't quote me on this, I need to write down/snap a pic of prices next time) and then a couple of other pre-packed boxes for friends and colleagues. Unfortunately I don't know how the latter tasted like, but we opted for those because it had slightly more presentable/air-tight packaging. Ours was wrapped in paper with their signature white-green design and secured with a thin, green bow, so we were kind of worried they might spill out on the flight home, but we managed to keep them in one piece - and they were AMAZING. FYI, if you get an assorted box, you won't be able to tell which is what at a glance, and there's no visual/colour guide on it like those fancy chocolates to tell you either 😂 The powdered sugar is thick and covers most of the colours, so you're just gonna have to try your luck and go by taste hahaha. What a ride. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTGATp2yYpkYvKUSvm8W8YiYQG3eDR2fRKBcYWkhL57T-ZOw-UgFZsuoEUHr2ht2bcHwLaUTdmpZYRYEQr24iMW_V9sOArWdXBDPdTWxr7J45pec-i1V7fXS4qzA-ukzzQE_QSZTluL3TNbsUdUGHh9uWvZbUxmZjoVdXoQMyKCeM6uHXxnxu948x/s1410/ali%20muhiddin%20haci%20bekir-b%20may.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1410" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTGATp2yYpkYvKUSvm8W8YiYQG3eDR2fRKBcYWkhL57T-ZOw-UgFZsuoEUHr2ht2bcHwLaUTdmpZYRYEQr24iMW_V9sOArWdXBDPdTWxr7J45pec-i1V7fXS4qzA-ukzzQE_QSZTluL3TNbsUdUGHh9uWvZbUxmZjoVdXoQMyKCeM6uHXxnxu948x/w640-h324/ali%20muhiddin%20haci%20bekir-b%20may.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take your pick of flavoured Turkish delight. Photo from Google.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope this little guide helps fix the cravings of any sweet tooth traveler out there. These were sincerely my favourite desserts in Istanbul, and I would absolutely revisit each place on my next trip out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stay tuned for one last post on </span>Türkiye, where I'll be highlighting all the places you should visit on a trip to Istanbul! I'll be linking it here once it's out.</p><p><br /></p><p>xoxo,</p><p>Megan</p><p></p>Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-25652889319376948172022-07-31T06:54:00.003+08:002022-07-31T18:53:55.802+08:00Megan's Pick: 5 Best Restaurants to Eat in Istanbul, Türkiye<span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpxizP1xwC-DOcSTv8i2acgL1VcDmtXwDvn0b_wim3y22eX6gdNFleg8VPA_uPgu_uhinMlfCskcQ0ur1KhvsSIawOPH-3YjNcfgRuQSwbxU3vBUrTLml8NnqPqPhEPXsFMbkcYhQdm7huJKGa1WauSwRI3pZDNTVJrLv_0PSgsA64IlwAgNklXbK/s3648/IMG_20220528_134439-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dining by the bosphorus" border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpxizP1xwC-DOcSTv8i2acgL1VcDmtXwDvn0b_wim3y22eX6gdNFleg8VPA_uPgu_uhinMlfCskcQ0ur1KhvsSIawOPH-3YjNcfgRuQSwbxU3vBUrTLml8NnqPqPhEPXsFMbkcYhQdm7huJKGa1WauSwRI3pZDNTVJrLv_0PSgsA64IlwAgNklXbK/w480-h640/IMG_20220528_134439-01.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br />I was obviously not going to go to Türkiye without at least immersing myself in the food culture as much as I could. C'mon. It's me. What did you think I'd do? I will admit, it took a lot of doner kebabs and ayran (which is now my new favourite Turkish drink) but I think I've managed to just skim the surface of the incredible cuisine that Istanbul has to offer.</span><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I just wanted to preface this list by saying in no way am I an expert at Turkish cuisine, I was there for a mere 2 weeks, most of which I was <i>very</i> fortunate to be having homecooked meals. Also, I obviously ate at a lot more places, but these were just the ones that stood out and I would definitely, <i>definitely </i>be going back to again if given the chance. So without further ado, here are my top 5 picks of restaurants you can't miss in Istanbul.</span></div><div></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Big Chefs (Anadolu Hisari)</span></h2><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Oh my god where do I even begin. I thought of moving this to the last spot on my list coz this was possibly the best restaurant I went to, but I got too excited and already started writing about it so, here we go: 1) just incredible views. Oh my god. Please, <b>please </b>wait for tables outside by the sea because it is SO worth it. I don't know if the day that I went just happened to be a magical one, but there were little tugboats coming in and out of the harbor, people kayaking, gulls floating, and amazing, warm weather with a sea breeze and views of the hills and buildings from the Ottoman Empire on the other side of the Bosphorus. Just perfect for you to sit back, relax, and live your #coastalkween life.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEJwwnoy6jBI6mzUFDmS5qqvRXL47Y-I_B7ArefdQblv4xCEy0w0aPIyxQMVbLin8sYQNTID4wRrmIxY9qowRlQu7x12TU87DeZ4wF1fF6tvyFuREiXBv3dapcniDn4cWAMc8ntzpPZs0Ivz_1V3NsBv9ojkIUp3ivnWoq_Hkt7fA1gUvc6YDg5Ic/s3648/IMG_20220528_134726.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEJwwnoy6jBI6mzUFDmS5qqvRXL47Y-I_B7ArefdQblv4xCEy0w0aPIyxQMVbLin8sYQNTID4wRrmIxY9qowRlQu7x12TU87DeZ4wF1fF6tvyFuREiXBv3dapcniDn4cWAMc8ntzpPZs0Ivz_1V3NsBv9ojkIUp3ivnWoq_Hkt7fA1gUvc6YDg5Ic/w640-h320/IMG_20220528_134726.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is everything I imagined from my old storybooks about coastal towns</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbLZ2cGbH0o8dPxiE29PnBBj_Mp9D5FY_6-hgHNUXeodC7noP5s7-8AbO5zcxZSTV62Vf_5t8qQETDU2k22tx3LHLyRgjA5INZqY25cwvaFSRb8QfKJ9_Y9UAXnPU3Ifo1CW7wNIS7P1WvDZwCJ7k83aOZ0PzlJ9lBwtyfpX2Cp1b07TIuT1u_vM8/s3648/IMG_20220528_134730_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbLZ2cGbH0o8dPxiE29PnBBj_Mp9D5FY_6-hgHNUXeodC7noP5s7-8AbO5zcxZSTV62Vf_5t8qQETDU2k22tx3LHLyRgjA5INZqY25cwvaFSRb8QfKJ9_Y9UAXnPU3Ifo1CW7wNIS7P1WvDZwCJ7k83aOZ0PzlJ9lBwtyfpX2Cp1b07TIuT1u_vM8/w640-h320/IMG_20220528_134730_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Across the Bosphorus, is the European side of Türkiye</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">2) the food, was so good. Let me start with the bread (coz that's where all restaurants should start in my opinion). Oh my god these round, soft, warm rolls with a star-shaped crust are just perfect with butter. They also come with a side of freshly chopped vegetables with olive oil. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0zKMEYY4PeZdpXNETOp7InCxqLSRWqsEXeaVa5BX8DqmHAMDN-9pW71s4qNcmQCyMH4jRlNmdtDkW3JLsL6dQAdWUPcjPB9OqJezyeOyOLYR9KNAsMoYBslInyway_covg0RbtlQlwX4XI9f-7hWynSZdlwrBdSH7bfjWZVhWY1PaUMoQ4_auxc_/s3648/IMG_20220528_135449.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0zKMEYY4PeZdpXNETOp7InCxqLSRWqsEXeaVa5BX8DqmHAMDN-9pW71s4qNcmQCyMH4jRlNmdtDkW3JLsL6dQAdWUPcjPB9OqJezyeOyOLYR9KNAsMoYBslInyway_covg0RbtlQlwX4XI9f-7hWynSZdlwrBdSH7bfjWZVhWY1PaUMoQ4_auxc_/w320-h640/IMG_20220528_135449.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread is best</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We ordered manti for an appetizer, and I must say I quite like the idea of meaty dumplings with dill yogurt dressing. Delicious. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQQzhV1k3wvgU2LaC0MmbZWPNwEhg02khzEB7WOBrGw2UJ16KccyyzQE11UxS-mhq2OrL5YLK1tUsncC6UiMeWs5lPEmAGQN6wvytDKqJ5A0nrowlKenLQntT7GP178iM6NGD4T-iwSUKwJsc9l-M5WSJCa8kCJhn1Fjp17KIJE7eiznLNRqH98oP/s3648/IMG_20220528_140455.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQQzhV1k3wvgU2LaC0MmbZWPNwEhg02khzEB7WOBrGw2UJ16KccyyzQE11UxS-mhq2OrL5YLK1tUsncC6UiMeWs5lPEmAGQN6wvytDKqJ5A0nrowlKenLQntT7GP178iM6NGD4T-iwSUKwJsc9l-M5WSJCa8kCJhn1Fjp17KIJE7eiznLNRqH98oP/w320-h640/IMG_20220528_140455.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This has only reaffirmed my theory that people everywhere love dumplings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And the mains? My partner and I had fresh fish (we had to, we're by the sea), and you can choose between salmon or barramundi with their own respective sides. I chose the salmon and it was light, flaky, perfectly grilled, and I loved that it came with bulgur (which, if you are new to Turkish cuisine is normally used in place of rice, but is actually a different kind of puffy wheat/grain).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLvocKO33bp3PCqVFg8wJm16-p0Ohg_2QdmTG8DyARnczF7r41JuuFoauvfFggPp3p0J2mzz3Za-Cn-yAQMl7_YUNTJCIkqYg4SYNbYW-Mcb-_TUbUAsrHFekW6gtXj9qWouSqxjcFHW_IepwxbM2tfipDIQQWU0n3YyvhbB6OTR52C8jT7BOIf0p/s3648/IMG_20220528_141142.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLvocKO33bp3PCqVFg8wJm16-p0Ohg_2QdmTG8DyARnczF7r41JuuFoauvfFggPp3p0J2mzz3Za-Cn-yAQMl7_YUNTJCIkqYg4SYNbYW-Mcb-_TUbUAsrHFekW6gtXj9qWouSqxjcFHW_IepwxbM2tfipDIQQWU0n3YyvhbB6OTR52C8jT7BOIf0p/w320-h640/IMG_20220528_141142.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh fish and wine? YES</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">3) You would think that with a fantastic view like this and amazing food, the bill would cost a bomb wouldn't it? Because I would. However, depending on where you're from and the currency you earn, I felt like it was priced at a very fair value. Food and ambience back in KL like this costs at least twice the amount, and definitely more if I were to compare it with Amsterdam.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrs7rejS8ZsTOesw00wf3DTS9Toxef2VLpRHjy2LnhODygZ1kGoWHdWX-_MpuOXru6U8yrlGhUbqqgIugM2ihWCcwEKp0bBZiJDoX4RVyrbSHmEVNKWVZfNOdKjt39WDGfnLYHysy80Gjg9vtY92yhSjKqyNC9vjD7L0ULGVsNliMAmqm34w4HZjc/s3648/IMG_20220528_135658.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrs7rejS8ZsTOesw00wf3DTS9Toxef2VLpRHjy2LnhODygZ1kGoWHdWX-_MpuOXru6U8yrlGhUbqqgIugM2ihWCcwEKp0bBZiJDoX4RVyrbSHmEVNKWVZfNOdKjt39WDGfnLYHysy80Gjg9vtY92yhSjKqyNC9vjD7L0ULGVsNliMAmqm34w4HZjc/w320-h640/IMG_20220528_135658.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toasting the boat</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="300" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d6014.890072374629!2d29.06673!3d41.081122!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0xb129f0279c0878aa!2sBigChefs%20Anadolu%20Hisar%C4%B1!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snl!4v1659264044883!5m2!1sen!2snl" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe>
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Antebi Çiftehavuzlar</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This restaurant is a favourite of our close family/friend's, and it very quickly became one of mine too. The place reminds me of most swanky establishments; white tablecloths, immaculate cleanliness, and service staff waiting on your every desire. Really just a very relaxing place to have a pleasant time, with food that you can tell has been prepared with so much care and deliberation.</div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">There were 3 very distinct items we ordered off the menu that I will note:</div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">1) puff bread with sesame - I do not know what this is called, feel free to show the waiter the picture below if you'd like to request it. We were never offered this particular bread anywhere else, so it was a first for me and what I imagine isn't a regular restaurant offering. Secondly, the pastry is so light, yet has a consistency that's sturdy enough to hold all the vegetable dip you want. If you are Turkish and reading this, I am sorry if I am completely butchering this description. I will openly accept any discourse or feedback on the food in the comments section, thank you very much.</div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGli78GqjgP3UyZWQ6Aut0OKXzoYv_D2DvQBazxFFni6EB8FWWXRrn-Ms6Yyts_qv_jj3690fYUlpGPfqAF9uMn_M5SvK79Ef-ksuppMHMy8O_axPi5njG_iRnPD87ssVvw1S1OnwWwCKHMhgbTJul2SLHE13xKqHthiUoUsvB_xhD9NRHIxYJ50hG/s3648/antebi-bread.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGli78GqjgP3UyZWQ6Aut0OKXzoYv_D2DvQBazxFFni6EB8FWWXRrn-Ms6Yyts_qv_jj3690fYUlpGPfqAF9uMn_M5SvK79Ef-ksuppMHMy8O_axPi5njG_iRnPD87ssVvw1S1OnwWwCKHMhgbTJul2SLHE13xKqHthiUoUsvB_xhD9NRHIxYJ50hG/w320-h640/antebi-bread.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like little puffy pillow crusts</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">2) salad with walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette - Oh my goodness how does salad taste so good? When the dish arrived I thought, 'what an odd combination', but I regretted my words as soon as I had a bite. The green peppers, tomato, and that sweet vinaigrette was just *chef's kiss*. I very nearly ate the whole bowl then remembered I needed to save space for my actual main. 😔 But I'm actually so glad I did, because...</div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4yU7cypEivErzSElKG-n9hQ5dhPMsOx9ZhmOZ6ZSuyqhf91RYoGIW9cMb21eN-Hf-FW74DcIxL7-woXWwn-KCHVq-n6mKSYQKW5v689gigEe-9mcmGx5Df4xsTh9RLWobtKEqgKkpm9wEuoGMyw74XCK3E-GAG56iTUg9O42fLE1b4opNT3netwA/s3648/antebi-salad.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4yU7cypEivErzSElKG-n9hQ5dhPMsOx9ZhmOZ6ZSuyqhf91RYoGIW9cMb21eN-Hf-FW74DcIxL7-woXWwn-KCHVq-n6mKSYQKW5v689gigEe-9mcmGx5Df4xsTh9RLWobtKEqgKkpm9wEuoGMyw74XCK3E-GAG56iTUg9O42fLE1b4opNT3netwA/w320-h640/antebi-salad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could've had this whole salad as a full meal honestly, it was THAT delicious</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">3) Tavuk sis - this is NOT your average chicken skewer. If you have grown tired of my exclamations by this point, just imagine being mind blown again and again at a single meal seating instead. Because that's exactly what I was experiencing. I had to hold it in, nod my head, and smile so I could seem more civilized than I really am (I am not, much). The chicken pieces were perfectly grilled. And I mean, PERFECT. You know that thin, seasoned, roasted layer on a chicken that just breaks apart revealing super juicy flesh underneath? Yeah it was exactly like that. And on the side - oh my goodness, unfortunately not even my partner knows the name of it, but it's a quintessential side for most <i>shish</i> dishes, made of a blend of herbs that produces the most incredible flavour profile. It's fresh, fragrant, and almost floral, like eating a perfume in leaf form (haha) but not in an overpowering way. With every bite I took, I felt like I was tasting flavours I've never had in my 32 years of life - and I've been a food writer for 4 of them, so, wtf.</div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAyOuWNsKEoWB50IjeoprNQ9a-w1nN3_uen-Pk6CvkIpRMq1sUbg0JrQGt4gT-VzNeTHfX011i_7osECJrmDr3DmgbQmzOtn2AUx4aZ__O5_moBGd6NjJgjPFo2h-VTskkc8MUPcq1grc1nFC424ZO0BzCpMfHkbomaTu5K69iDj4kF3Fu7-UcPDx/s1920/antebi-tavuk%20sis.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAyOuWNsKEoWB50IjeoprNQ9a-w1nN3_uen-Pk6CvkIpRMq1sUbg0JrQGt4gT-VzNeTHfX011i_7osECJrmDr3DmgbQmzOtn2AUx4aZ__O5_moBGd6NjJgjPFo2h-VTskkc8MUPcq1grc1nFC424ZO0BzCpMfHkbomaTu5K69iDj4kF3Fu7-UcPDx/w320-h640/antebi-tavuk%20sis.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew that grilling chicken was an art</td><td class="tr-caption"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></h3><h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="300" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3012.4517282327224!2d29.049629515572274!3d40.97158827930456!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x14cac7b82c636ff3%3A0xe2d000d200bbde36!2sAntebi%20Restaurant%20%C3%87iftehavuzlar!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snl!4v1659264195223!5m2!1sen!2snl" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></h3><h2 style="text-align: left;">Ethemefendi Kahvalti </h2><div style="text-align: left;">Ah. Who. Doesn't. Love. BRUNCH. Everybody does. At least everybody should. I'm always a sucker for a wide array of breakfast food that I don't have to make myself at home (and clean up after). Except in Istanbul, it's even better. And especially so at this place. Because they've got 5-6 different types of flatbread alone that you can mix and match with a multitude other side dishes. One is filled with mashed potato, another with cheese, or herbs and vegetables. Then they have a dish of mashed potato with melted cheese, mixed into a swirling, addictive-to-look-at display that you heap on top a medium of your choosing. It could be bread, it could be meat, at this point it doesn't matter, what matters is getting it into your mouth as quickly as possible. I'm not joking, it's best eaten <i>hot</i>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkBTlrL8iUCW_3VhsDq_bc4x-BQ_Qaxj3cilCh-Ip6zIdJFfJM0ddVhHuSJ9enYGKuuPwyV_59d1Hly5F3H4eGb3qLw_80xd0g5LtIsERxwkMQ5ScIru-L7Wz_3otyoZhEwhbOW3VQu3THiGW8uRJwhh2EOTvxP1whm3OoEUknPX7pxJ7dGNaEbJV/s3648/ethmefendi-brunch-spread2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkBTlrL8iUCW_3VhsDq_bc4x-BQ_Qaxj3cilCh-Ip6zIdJFfJM0ddVhHuSJ9enYGKuuPwyV_59d1Hly5F3H4eGb3qLw_80xd0g5LtIsERxwkMQ5ScIru-L7Wz_3otyoZhEwhbOW3VQu3THiGW8uRJwhh2EOTvxP1whm3OoEUknPX7pxJ7dGNaEbJV/w320-h640/ethmefendi-brunch-spread2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got too excited and took photos before the rest of the food arrived<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49uBDNdnFF3IuSv8xif1wsGwOtwh4v12GAeC5SrPVPFB-t_GAQPyBEO5sMb96f1tbU43BI_KEg8IP80UfmT85w6VfpfWVVVbtNIQ2lO9YYlGxyg4_iKCyiSxtnRPUaUoHuYqrKvQyJfdpegm7Wzbu-SkDU6jijEaOK7AZkRrMIl_YdACqVd8RsF3Y/s3648/ethmefendi-brunch-spread.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49uBDNdnFF3IuSv8xif1wsGwOtwh4v12GAeC5SrPVPFB-t_GAQPyBEO5sMb96f1tbU43BI_KEg8IP80UfmT85w6VfpfWVVVbtNIQ2lO9YYlGxyg4_iKCyiSxtnRPUaUoHuYqrKvQyJfdpegm7Wzbu-SkDU6jijEaOK7AZkRrMIl_YdACqVd8RsF3Y/w320-h640/ethmefendi-brunch-spread.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This wasn't even all of it but at this point my dining partners were waiting to start demolishing this and I don't blame them 😆<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Then, there's the wide array of choices for each category. 12 different jams, 16 types of cheese, fruit, dip, meat, and eggs - just anything your mind could possibly think of, and multiply that by 7. It never ends. The staff keep coming back to ask "Do you need more bread, more sides? How many sides?" The answer to that is "yes" and "all of them". Plus there's nothing like having this amazing spread with freshly squeezed orange juice or the quintessential Turkish tea to make you feel like a member of the bourgeoisie in the early afternoon.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ19AyFcI40nSabLwD6Pxctqa4erTumEwYgFH1COAma_gD4UTE5LGDuiy4BrICXnicvi5cZP0Ys1y0aSsTCbW-1ht87PLqYn3UyfldQb9T2XHAixwrfCX5ZSQXXm9BnOCtmPiwjj7YYIDsrX2h3W9himpzLMZaCNZcFMiUlkDadFvTI-ny0ADYm47/s3648/ethmefendi-me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ19AyFcI40nSabLwD6Pxctqa4erTumEwYgFH1COAma_gD4UTE5LGDuiy4BrICXnicvi5cZP0Ys1y0aSsTCbW-1ht87PLqYn3UyfldQb9T2XHAixwrfCX5ZSQXXm9BnOCtmPiwjj7YYIDsrX2h3W9himpzLMZaCNZcFMiUlkDadFvTI-ny0ADYm47/w200-h400/ethmefendi-me.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUD0rdALeeATHHA2UfPXjcapV8FU0QZXCCjb7OhNN-rFcUOmqBWPJVIKnsJUHeGvh6-hsv3iIieiyOXFGkB1SE2rRk259YsJ_vi4Sfr4YW7476foKuoJoIR4dnkHV0yxdmer-ktKaYqGtHRyiJED2kQe1r3F9Ui2T8DHioguZaWcXVqHhrjMgNwJud/s3648/ethmefendi-tea-me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUD0rdALeeATHHA2UfPXjcapV8FU0QZXCCjb7OhNN-rFcUOmqBWPJVIKnsJUHeGvh6-hsv3iIieiyOXFGkB1SE2rRk259YsJ_vi4Sfr4YW7476foKuoJoIR4dnkHV0yxdmer-ktKaYqGtHRyiJED2kQe1r3F9Ui2T8DHioguZaWcXVqHhrjMgNwJud/w200-h400/ethmefendi-tea-me.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I highly, </span><i style="text-align: left;">highly </i><span style="text-align: left;">recommend any brunch lover to visit this place. Go ahead. Make all your brunch dreams come true. I dare you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="300" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3012.456371739139!2d29.071832715572377!3d40.97148657930447!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x14cac75dac2647b1%3A0x61bc00c5c4aa5062!2sEthemefendi%20Bazlama%20Kahvalt%C4%B1!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snl!4v1659264317490!5m2!1sen!2snl" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Midyeci Yasin </h2><div style="text-align: left;">I finally feel like I've gotten to a point in this blog where I don't have to yell about how great the food was, but it was almost equally as delicious in its own way. Midye dolma is a Turkish street food of mussels. Unfortunately I didn't get to witness the process of how these particular ones were made, but essentially, there's rice/bulgur that's cooked, spiced, and seasoned then stuffed into the mussel shell. They are priced per piece (3 ₺) and depending on where you're having them it could get quite pricey. But trust me, they are well worth it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-vtIGgwkjgARnf1CS73EZt0E_xqjTJF999K61EfvADSx8jJ7SApG_YFkgAzHCr7d1TEoxay3hpPzLhZc3-_CB-GpSQcY6xyTAy_7ub5zHD8jvUlB8nsWBZtZWYeQQK2_zkHT9lkKZQDmSY3t9KTV-Wez-b0LbqBXnTDgpiwk8rvbyrebqUz6EqkD/s1202/midyeci-yasin-shopfront.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="1202" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-vtIGgwkjgARnf1CS73EZt0E_xqjTJF999K61EfvADSx8jJ7SApG_YFkgAzHCr7d1TEoxay3hpPzLhZc3-_CB-GpSQcY6xyTAy_7ub5zHD8jvUlB8nsWBZtZWYeQQK2_zkHT9lkKZQDmSY3t9KTV-Wez-b0LbqBXnTDgpiwk8rvbyrebqUz6EqkD/w640-h462/midyeci-yasin-shopfront.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shop is located on the corner with some bright yellow accents so it's pretty hard to miss (Photo by Zeynep Cerrah)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">This place had 4 different flavours, and the staff insisted that we try their special sauce midye dolma. Each morsel, was absolutely delectable. Like just a perfect mix of seasoning, salt, pepper, a tart lemon punch, and a tender, full-sized mussel in the center. Note: you don't eat this with utensils, the pro way is to use the shell to scoop up the delicious filling in each mussel.</span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIC1_eYOeokb0kN8mqKddbHfTSuumQdDig0qRzicAQdezXv9vEu4UNvXpIAklxChnhe7VaA3YxmQHd0Ji3bYMGYVuN0Up-55qYaC1LztgX6n92QBDBIo8Lr4VNLeWzR0Ij-6XqVrWibB4-TWpDccBo6WEOIk2PPGMtdM2Da9yTi9FIc9ACrgpm1Lk/s1201/midyeci-yasin.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1201" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIC1_eYOeokb0kN8mqKddbHfTSuumQdDig0qRzicAQdezXv9vEu4UNvXpIAklxChnhe7VaA3YxmQHd0Ji3bYMGYVuN0Up-55qYaC1LztgX6n92QBDBIo8Lr4VNLeWzR0Ij-6XqVrWibB4-TWpDccBo6WEOIk2PPGMtdM2Da9yTi9FIc9ACrgpm1Lk/w640-h466/midyeci-yasin.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are a variety of the midye dolma flavours (Photo by 남기정)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="300" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3011.673539786932!2d29.022799415572795!3d40.98862887930267!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x14cab9a79949d843%3A0xf465c71cef12b4c5!2sMidyeci%20Yasin%20Kad%C4%B1k%C3%B6y!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snl!4v1659264357040!5m2!1sen!2snl" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Pilav Arabasi</h2><div style="text-align: left;">This place completely took me by surprise. Our family/friend suggested we pay a visit since midye dolma isn't a full meal (though it can be), and it was located right behind the mussel shop. The restaurant takes up 2 lots but seems small because of the low tables and stools 😂 Don't worry though, if my larger sized dining companions could sit and eat, I'm sure you can too! What I loved about this place is that there aren't much choices on the menu - and that's usually an indication that the food is good because they're focusing on making a handful of items the very best they can. The dish is pilav (rice) with your choice of chickpeas (the original serving), corn, chicken curry, or BBQ chicken. And no, it's not the American BBQ sauce I know you're immediately imagining. We're in Turkiye, this is a cayenne pepper seasoning we're talking about. And you can mix, match, or add-on these options for a low price too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk5WRBGPS5642sSlomvNU4e8qAjNG-ahn3ntBRXv-5LrMudg9OqWIG__sXUpGCUq3AxKJICkP2A19EmtvjjzgtNlodbbewhMqp5vRbCmjq_CEHn02GUt3_YDMNfNUOBAuVchHcaJ0odJSTYCTYf-zeeFuQOVWWXAmzTK13XwQWkx3toISczMSqPDD/s3648/pilav-arabasi.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk5WRBGPS5642sSlomvNU4e8qAjNG-ahn3ntBRXv-5LrMudg9OqWIG__sXUpGCUq3AxKJICkP2A19EmtvjjzgtNlodbbewhMqp5vRbCmjq_CEHn02GUt3_YDMNfNUOBAuVchHcaJ0odJSTYCTYf-zeeFuQOVWWXAmzTK13XwQWkx3toISczMSqPDD/w320-h640/pilav-arabasi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started eating before I took this photo but that's how you know it was that good 😂</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So the way you would go about eating this is to sprinkle on some ground, dried chili flakes, select a few of the tiny greenish-yellow pickled peppers (I like to douse my chicken and rice with the pickle juice as well for a sour-sweet tang), and get a little of everything on each spoonful. Just. Amazing. This was closest to home food that I could imagine. Hearty, delicious, with all the spicy, savoury flavours balanced out with that pickle juice. And the perfect pairing to this meal? A mug of their freshly made ayran from an ever-flowing fountain. What more could I ask for?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56lEYbPCfGCB3UIIyw3a2yfdSt1or1cuT6TnuhFSZfhVyo5pUcBP0nX04SUhRL3seNWCzlSC89VITD8otwLEvuW11E_oW7KnOESwEYP3nLvCUFqobpy64jmC34ayH7IQeESosRt4ZkbHf_WnMridM8kxhguLBNTcYAvJF6-Sa76amTguFkChmrpSO/s784/pilav-arabasi-ayran.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="672" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56lEYbPCfGCB3UIIyw3a2yfdSt1or1cuT6TnuhFSZfhVyo5pUcBP0nX04SUhRL3seNWCzlSC89VITD8otwLEvuW11E_oW7KnOESwEYP3nLvCUFqobpy64jmC34ayH7IQeESosRt4ZkbHf_WnMridM8kxhguLBNTcYAvJF6-Sa76amTguFkChmrpSO/w548-h640/pilav-arabasi-ayran.png" width="548" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ayran comes from an ever-flowing fountain and I never thought I'd like the concept more than with chocolate or cheese (Photo by Olcay Töremen)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="300" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3011.662060799382!2d29.02300761744385!3d40.98888020000001!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x14cab867ae8e7d6b%3A0xc4d6c93eb105438f!2sPilav%20Arabas%C4%B1!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snl!4v1659264392009!5m2!1sen!2snl" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe><br /></div></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Alright, if you've made it this far - I feel like a reward is in order (but the reward <i>should</i> be the fact that you know where to eat in Istanbul now, right?😂). If <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgrFAjbDlrW/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" target="_blank">my reel on Instagram</a> didn't bring you here, you should probably watch it - there's some footage and pictures I didn't include in this blog that you might enjoy. However, I <b>will</b> be making more posts, and I've got plans for at least another two, so I will link them here once they're out! Let's hope I have the photos to beef them up in the meantime haha. Stay tuned for more of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Türkiye!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> 💋</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-80166183943719410572021-10-22T20:00:00.005+08:002021-10-22T20:00:00.216+08:00So Much Pork from Pork in a Box<p>For those of you who <a href="http://instagram.com/mdlxh" target="_blank">follow me on IG</a>, you'll know that the guys behind Pork in a Box contacted me a few weeks back asking if I'd review their food - and of course, I said YES. It is so difficult to hide my enthusiasm for this place and their dishes because I know the passion and research that goes on behind the scenes, and if you <a href="https://www.instagram.com/porkbox.my/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">watch their Insta-stories</a> enough you'll see it too. I told them to send me whatever they wanted me to try, and was very surprised to find two <b>FULL</b> boxes of their best pork belly and an additional 2 boxes of their porky snacks. Let's get to it.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNlcW5ZuX4_pFNvSkGralj9K296AHuRHS00JVO0-xpr7Bj0BzbTWHFsCc86QXM8ajo4bnk1V1eZjXC0Kwc6zJ2aNcvGe3F4fT1nyRhAUGXUhpdA7uqgVmkwvmiI0ms5SPE1hyphenhyphenanC_TJQ/s3913/IMG_20210925_172319.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pork in a box set megan" border="0" data-original-height="3913" data-original-width="3130" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNlcW5ZuX4_pFNvSkGralj9K296AHuRHS00JVO0-xpr7Bj0BzbTWHFsCc86QXM8ajo4bnk1V1eZjXC0Kwc6zJ2aNcvGe3F4fT1nyRhAUGXUhpdA7uqgVmkwvmiI0ms5SPE1hyphenhyphenanC_TJQ/w512-h640/IMG_20210925_172319.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was obviously very happy to receive this much pork</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span><a name='more'></a></span>The 1KG Oinkzilla (RM89) is probably the one to get if you're having this with several people who have different tastes. There are FOUR different kinds of pork belly, and each one of them is incredibly tasty. There's your classic siew yoke with crispy skin, salted to perfection; grilled bacon steak with some fantastic herbs and seasoning; slow-smoked pork belly to keep all that juiciness inside, and finally the succulent BBQ pork belly, which basically just melts in your mouth with all the fat rendered.</div><div><br /></div><div>My personal recommendation is to get a bunch of sauces so you can mix & match to find your favourite, but the ones I really liked were Truffle Shuffle, Guinness BBQ & Whisky Mayo 😍 I will say that the more Western-style pork belly slices will taste better with these, while the siew yoke will obviously pair better with the more Asian-based sauces, like Chilli Garam or Mala Mayo, but to each your own!</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUsZBJwa1q3IwlsHyv9pnMYS8cjC67SPX-pfKNVVgniPDm-Me2bM9hX3C5zw55l4-E1OP9fRyZvQ-Ppu-HFT_ZKMtJ77op_F3_Rm-xNdtgYvVUDGOg-TJRwOWmK7c8UxoWKiJ3VxtUBs/s3648/IMG_20210925_171924.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUsZBJwa1q3IwlsHyv9pnMYS8cjC67SPX-pfKNVVgniPDm-Me2bM9hX3C5zw55l4-E1OP9fRyZvQ-Ppu-HFT_ZKMtJ77op_F3_Rm-xNdtgYvVUDGOg-TJRwOWmK7c8UxoWKiJ3VxtUBs/w320-h640/IMG_20210925_171924.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All hail the Oinkzilla</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Now, if you're having a little get together at your place – a little movie night, a little cocktail party – then the Snack Attack (RM45) is the one to get. This set truly has a little something for everyone, from some tangy nam yu (fermented bean) pork belly, to crispy hand-cut spam fries, and some deliciously seasoned, battered and deep-fried popcorn pork.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uhTBkyscDf93DxmGRyHMrBZI1wxmak0zpg03udRCi-_ap35qfPr58Cvzh7lgZt-P7XAMHPssF6st0cf9tBwiHZEB5F9XB9JqDSs6i7Sgd_RraAR50YJMCjOGfK5NVJiTipsGrznhFxI/s3648/IMG_20210925_171828.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uhTBkyscDf93DxmGRyHMrBZI1wxmak0zpg03udRCi-_ap35qfPr58Cvzh7lgZt-P7XAMHPssF6st0cf9tBwiHZEB5F9XB9JqDSs6i7Sgd_RraAR50YJMCjOGfK5NVJiTipsGrznhFxI/w320-h640/IMG_20210925_171828.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're so addictive</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>All of these sets are available in multiple varieties for delivery or takeaway on <a href="https://www.porkbox.my/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pork in a Box's website</a>, for what I believe are super affordable prices too. Make sure to check their IG to see if they're still in stock for the day - because these babies sell out fast 👀 Let me know if you try them out! I'd love to hear what you think.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-_II7mGDL4OW1v-KnLYICgQooV7fR_GvCZgdc8dSRUTrtKBeb7YnREPvc8sbkBLtie4VrJrDM8nTCGe0gehn9FQHsz9l7I0mvJQ-6zhbRrB46sNFEWlFYzGVZlaeEWsA_ft03nde818/s4426/IMG_20210925_164527.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pork in a box-popcorn pork-mdlxh" border="0" data-original-height="4426" data-original-width="3541" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-_II7mGDL4OW1v-KnLYICgQooV7fR_GvCZgdc8dSRUTrtKBeb7YnREPvc8sbkBLtie4VrJrDM8nTCGe0gehn9FQHsz9l7I0mvJQ-6zhbRrB46sNFEWlFYzGVZlaeEWsA_ft03nde818/w512-h640/IMG_20210925_164527.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No points for guessing which is my favourite</td></tr></tbody></table></div>Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com0No. 26-G, Jalan Ara SD 7/3b, Bandar Sri Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia3.1856716 101.6148106-47.101974907059351 31.3023106 53.473318107059349 171.9273106tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-31235396760570393432021-10-15T20:00:00.002+08:002021-10-16T11:55:36.761+08:00Coffee and Tea at Iron Tongue<p>When I drove to Iron Tongue, I was surprised to find the cafe tucked away on the second floor of a grocery store building in a small, quiet neighbourhood. For those of you wondering where exactly it is, I've tagged the location at the very end (and each of my food review posts also has this feature so you can look out for them📍). After being told by a guard on the ground floor who clearly had been asked many times where we could find the cafe, we made our way upstairs and spotted their small, minimalist sign.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nvnAtyaowLPmP7EAnwmmUlYCKwPH3CEocalOdRDk9BhnSPm4GgX6FtLpJLmaP1YQHZ6ZXymd4rD8Or3pqiCcxygg-DhdUhOfnnnWKFmDen7LmlNbiVkl3FanBKkMGxugT0xsH4Oxu9g/s2686/IMG_20210926_163639-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iron-tongue-review" border="0" data-original-height="2686" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nvnAtyaowLPmP7EAnwmmUlYCKwPH3CEocalOdRDk9BhnSPm4GgX6FtLpJLmaP1YQHZ6ZXymd4rD8Or3pqiCcxygg-DhdUhOfnnnWKFmDen7LmlNbiVkl3FanBKkMGxugT0xsH4Oxu9g/w434-h640/IMG_20210926_163639-01.jpeg" width="434" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to have a photo with my favourite drink from this place</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span><a name='more'></a></span>I really appreciated their expansive space, which made me feel secure even though there were 2 larger groups dining in as well, because my entire route to and from the table to the counter (and even the bathroom) wouldn't even cross them. We ordered at the counter, and while the menu is quite limited - imagine the size of two business cards being able to contain everything - the items on it were neoteric and unusual. How so?</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnc0V9m1BeS0aGUNQBa7MOxkv2ScjIXPQJnbZHPYGQ4mDM-D-undCPSoJIHaJ0dKcTJf3uqipK5olwBFnu06QFs3bPKUL45p2wShlhyphenhyphen5GRNs91IRjeL5ioRKOqOMF6_tx52Thvldgps6c/s2923/IMG_20210926_163815_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iron-tongue-mocha" border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnc0V9m1BeS0aGUNQBa7MOxkv2ScjIXPQJnbZHPYGQ4mDM-D-undCPSoJIHaJ0dKcTJf3uqipK5olwBFnu06QFs3bPKUL45p2wShlhyphenhyphen5GRNs91IRjeL5ioRKOqOMF6_tx52Thvldgps6c/w400-h640/IMG_20210926_163815_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These drinks are <a data-ved="2ahUKEwjqvPqUmszzAhW0heYKHcT8DwwQFnoECAIQAQ" href="https://emojipedia.org/exploding-head/" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://emojipedia.org/exploding-head/&ved=2ahUKEwjqvPqUmszzAhW0heYKHcT8DwwQFnoECAIQAQ" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); background-color: white; color: #1a0dab; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; outline: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><h3 class="LC20lb DKV0Md" style="display: inline-block; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 3px; padding: 5px 0px 0px;">🤯</h3></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>This time, I'll be starting with my absolute favourite drink (until further notice) at Iron Tongue. It was cold and raining outside, and I thought, what better time to order a mocha (RM15)? Basically my caffeinated version of a hot chocolate. And omg I was not disappointed. The coffee and chocolate tasted like <i>berries</i>. I was blown away. And I know I might sound nuts but it looked so unassuming, with no "latte" art, which I find unnecessary for this beverage anyway, and the first sip just stunned me. </div><div><b>Edit: </b><i>Simon from Iron Tongue spoke to me on IG and was kind to share that the coffee he used was El Paraiso Double Anaerobic Washed (Lychee Process) and the chocolate was Semai 73% Dark Chocolate from Chocolate Concierge.</i> ✨</div><div>10/10 would return just for this drink. And I have to pick another rainy day to do so 🌧</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipNNRQKjGITZk1s7SKH4CFU4Xh-dczMT7BRisiOb8YcbE1CPc71XKvvZda1McSauA2j9t2SCDbuzfkPh9o5zKOunxedvzQbTct7ZQjIxEyX-0AlLlr9hDuhblhSurHtufXEUlHa3DmrA/s3230/IMG_20210926_163908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iron-tongue-eggs-benedict" border="0" data-original-height="3230" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipNNRQKjGITZk1s7SKH4CFU4Xh-dczMT7BRisiOb8YcbE1CPc71XKvvZda1McSauA2j9t2SCDbuzfkPh9o5zKOunxedvzQbTct7ZQjIxEyX-0AlLlr9hDuhblhSurHtufXEUlHa3DmrA/w362-h640/IMG_20210926_163908.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fancy McMuffin</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>This was actually going to be my first meal, so even though it was 2pm I felt like an eggs benedict (RM18) was still appropriate. I liked that there was parmesan sprinkled on top of the hollandaise sauce, and the yolk was very runny. I believe some sautéed spinach was hidden under the ham slices, though I'm sorry to admit I didn't ask what meat it was (if you have any aversion to certain meats, please inquire). The English muffin was a little too dry for my liking, but otherwise, the dish was satisfying. I will make a note that I found the large plates the food sat on to be a little unbalanced - but you brew your coffee your way.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvG_YQ9W8Y-Y72XOoXZ2djMsepVRXE_4ps5RDmW3w9BZh08MdCgBacDwSmWVo0IlzMgb3UA1KV68ECcO2xwZDKlDoMjqii7u6mwKodmhfKkHCSGAbgKa2YKw0L2PawMeYvRrbBjlEUm0I/s3042/IMG_20210926_163533.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iron-tongue-mushroom-pasta" border="0" data-original-height="3042" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvG_YQ9W8Y-Y72XOoXZ2djMsepVRXE_4ps5RDmW3w9BZh08MdCgBacDwSmWVo0IlzMgb3UA1KV68ECcO2xwZDKlDoMjqii7u6mwKodmhfKkHCSGAbgKa2YKw0L2PawMeYvRrbBjlEUm0I/w384-h640/IMG_20210926_163533.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you eat your flowers?</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>My dining partner ordered a mushroom pasta (RM16) which had delicate little edible flowers on it. Visually, I loved the pop of colour. His personal opinion of the dish was that it was mild-tasting. I had a bite and I believe this was made aglio olio style - and I appreciate that it wasn't pooling with olive oil like the way many other restaurants serve it. So if you're a fan of simple pastas, this is the one to order.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCuAywRG9ZqTMgcmo5jpYYMBiuhCaxK0907sVGcBO1EuyJvlyCP65VToWwTpRmx-LhXKZ7AosHeBEGVw4xmbz6_PpUPNIMDyZD36hk2Y3zVVoXLBWZ3_baIZpj2SChYC_0TLcO27C0kI/s2800/IMG_20210926_164200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iron-tongue-apricot-honey-green-tea" border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCuAywRG9ZqTMgcmo5jpYYMBiuhCaxK0907sVGcBO1EuyJvlyCP65VToWwTpRmx-LhXKZ7AosHeBEGVw4xmbz6_PpUPNIMDyZD36hk2Y3zVVoXLBWZ3_baIZpj2SChYC_0TLcO27C0kI/w416-h640/IMG_20210926_164200.jpg" width="416" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In love with this deep turquoise glass steeper</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>This Apricot Honey tea (RM10) was nothing like I've ever tasted before. And I have tried many, <i>many</i> teas okay. I'm not even sure what was in this but I absolutely loved it. I can't even really pinpoint the flavours in this - yes it was fruity but also... does it have liquorice? Was it mint? Am I tasting the brew of my ancestors from Southern China? I need to go back and ask the barista. </div><div><i>Edit: So Simon revealed that his tea is from <a href="https://pickapekoe.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roboch Tea by Pick A Pekoe</a>, and the one we drank had green tea, apricot pieces, carrot flakes, honey pollen, safflower. So not from my ancestors but nothing short of magical either way.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>But clearly from my review, the beverages far outshone the dishes for me. I would definitely return just for another drink, and honestly the aesthetics of the space continue to reel me in too.</div><div><p>Many of you will be surprised to find out that this was actually the meal that set my blog back into motion. I'd been stuck at home for months in lockdown and fears of contracting the virus despite places being open again had kept me from going out, but my partner encouraged me and said we should go someplace new every week so that I could have some form of outlet. We're vaccinated and careful about it, but I will admit that food reviewing was something I'd been meaning to get back into because I love food – trying new flavours, and finding out what innovative things chefs and restaurateurs are doing to entice and wow their diners. It's such a creative industry that allows you to experience something new and exciting by titillating all of your senses. </p><p>So if you feel in any way the same that I do about eating, I appreciate you taking the time to read this and joining me on this journey. I hope my posts help you to find some place new to eat too.</p><p>xoxo</p></div>Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com1Unit 1-1, First Floor, Suria @ North Kiara, No.10, Jalan Seri Bintang, Segambut, 52100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.1849105 101.6456756-25.125323336178845 66.4894256 31.495144336178846 136.8019256tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-44442853459818659762021-10-01T21:00:00.013+08:002021-10-08T01:38:29.678+08:00Sourdough at Dou Dou Bake<p></p>Last Saturday I dragged my old colleague and friend to reenact our food reviewing days–including all the unavoidable dining faux pas like food escaping our mouths, getting our hands dirty, instilling second-hand embarrassment in other diners, etc. It's the best (and simultaneously the worst), but it is most importantly FUN.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCarvFNGLp-48UAKz6Wpu0yJiZKnVQMXKZb7YgIYxVTX9eLyFvcLM-jvilrqsAQks6LBxOi6xmyiI5d4CGtp7fzK8fgCXGASmRBE2lG4A30p8_hPiQHN_U45UnvRMU7NWXxGB8RzU8ZDg/s3648/IMG_20210925_143444-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-mdlxh" border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCarvFNGLp-48UAKz6Wpu0yJiZKnVQMXKZb7YgIYxVTX9eLyFvcLM-jvilrqsAQks6LBxOi6xmyiI5d4CGtp7fzK8fgCXGASmRBE2lG4A30p8_hPiQHN_U45UnvRMU7NWXxGB8RzU8ZDg/w320-h640/IMG_20210925_143444-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is officially my blogging dress</td></tr></tbody></table><div><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>The first food review I ever went on with Pik Kuan, she dropped her chopsticks the wrong end into the ramen bowl, proceeded to pick it up and lick off the soup before a waiter who saw everything approached us with a serviette (too late), and that's how I knew we'd get along.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNbWWrbYa3bsNQQvUIzCuS8rb2YpoulcMmntAWLpMTn2Pn9SImDuGAqIMkRL8H749Wc5G_wAzfew99U537PAg6Z8QNEcTO-eLRlpgt1sbHaRW1ny7VBaoRhgFDX_M3b0q3-IMUqZaNT0/s3648/IMG_20210925_130442.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-interior1" border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNbWWrbYa3bsNQQvUIzCuS8rb2YpoulcMmntAWLpMTn2Pn9SImDuGAqIMkRL8H749Wc5G_wAzfew99U537PAg6Z8QNEcTO-eLRlpgt1sbHaRW1ny7VBaoRhgFDX_M3b0q3-IMUqZaNT0/w640-h320/IMG_20210925_130442.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A variety of seating within</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4U6eiu-8NlPsUOM_MaVtM3jTGv6cpHbNlTf1JB3rShzOOEknEVm4pmje7VRMWlLA9qSMEfem5eKYJdlDGWJvzHIKgWNb3tYR6B38m464nrtuKg6t6W0vgzYHHRdPB9-2MzL6qhOANBA/s3648/IMG_20210925_125843.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-interior2" border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4U6eiu-8NlPsUOM_MaVtM3jTGv6cpHbNlTf1JB3rShzOOEknEVm4pmje7VRMWlLA9qSMEfem5eKYJdlDGWJvzHIKgWNb3tYR6B38m464nrtuKg6t6W0vgzYHHRdPB9-2MzL6qhOANBA/w640-h320/IMG_20210925_125843.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hype for Dou Dou is clearly alive</td></tr></tbody></table><br />So Dou Dou on Google suggests a <b>6.30am to 7am</b> visit to avoid crowds but we are <i>not</i> those kind of people. We decided to make our attempts at a more reasonable hour instead, so I told her to meet at 12pm and we ended up waiting about half an hour, catching up at the nearby mamak. We even missed the waitlist call because we thought it'd take much longer (whoops 😶). <p>Luckily, our slot was still available when we called back, and we were offered an excellent table next to the window–which really aligned with our old photographing habits of finding the most natural light. A menu is given to you at the table, and orders are made at the counter.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PdelBqPfS0jExHtMukrfXptUzjSoMkbGUJnJpqnVlLsUrucaNKajTJtJ9VE0n5Ra6XMylpMGpa_1kS6BGYyZHtKrcLIvmzDrZvvG333hUlzxotI-D-2bosrbr5b5Wuq7ihrB3_piX6Y/s3648/IMG_20210925_131633.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-food-drink" border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PdelBqPfS0jExHtMukrfXptUzjSoMkbGUJnJpqnVlLsUrucaNKajTJtJ9VE0n5Ra6XMylpMGpa_1kS6BGYyZHtKrcLIvmzDrZvvG333hUlzxotI-D-2bosrbr5b5Wuq7ihrB3_piX6Y/w320-h640/IMG_20210925_131633.jpg" title="dou-dou-bake-food-drink" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little taste of everything</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For food, we selected a very delicious-looking lemon cream tart (RM14) from the display and a small Dou breakfast (RM30). For those of you who haven't had sourdough or forgotten what it's like, the crust tends to be very crunchy and can be difficult to eat. This platter was a guaranteed mess (not that we mind of course, but) handing us a fork and knife was just a façade for proper dining etiquette at this point. </p><p>Use your hands. Enjoy your food. Life is too short to care about what others think.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NHOuc71P6Cq0yxKRwtiFsDoCmRIPht-Lv2Ovu2zIWc-fPYxkPjUF0WBksJ7jTVs_uLZpbmJ2rspm0K5AEioUt3Z4Uocpp5AIw0Ew6l0vyjjhAN5OiydokMfbEtOBi8X7YoAI7CHWsqo/s3648/IMG_20210925_131716_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-small-dou-breakfast" border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NHOuc71P6Cq0yxKRwtiFsDoCmRIPht-Lv2Ovu2zIWc-fPYxkPjUF0WBksJ7jTVs_uLZpbmJ2rspm0K5AEioUt3Z4Uocpp5AIw0Ew6l0vyjjhAN5OiydokMfbEtOBi8X7YoAI7CHWsqo/w320-h640/IMG_20210925_131716_1.jpg" title="dou-dou-bake-small-dou-breakfast" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crisp</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Out of all the elements of this dish, my absolute faves were the caramelised pomegranate slice, the small comb of honey, and the rocket salad with a sweet vinaigrette. The grilled mushroom was great too, but I personally felt like the emmental pairing fell short (my good friend loved it though, so there's subjective taste for you)–camembert or brie would've been better for me.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oJpVUCY-QMCoBsqsrXc9SHYjomQR99iFGNypdbobxlV6tq-_sQlGPsvUwn4liVg-k8s6PqO8VMclbxHoiM8suGvXC3A5c5GsFndkOFKcFW9Ph4Kz4Fi3ksagatIjjzPGjTbVZW92sRo/s3648/IMG_20210925_131246.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-drinks" border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oJpVUCY-QMCoBsqsrXc9SHYjomQR99iFGNypdbobxlV6tq-_sQlGPsvUwn4liVg-k8s6PqO8VMclbxHoiM8suGvXC3A5c5GsFndkOFKcFW9Ph4Kz4Fi3ksagatIjjzPGjTbVZW92sRo/w320-h640/IMG_20210925_131246.jpg" title="dou-dou-bake-drinks" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our drinks consisted of an iced oat milk latte (RM15) and a Chrysanthemum Honey kombucha (4 varieties, RM18 each). I liked the latte. It had well-balanced coffee, and I'm not usually offered oat milk as the main option, so I appreciate the change. This was apparently Pik's 2nd time having kombucha, but her opinion of this one was good; all the flavours were there, along with that <i>healthy fermentation</i>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOM5nO0_KxAYPqpGs8JN6FzIdlKw4BDPES4zz7myPqIFSwBEvcQ43YvlKgLPYNmDEktIdJMbalYZwcghTCSupFUiOx89xjlbxW_YQnIvjOc6fBexOI0T5wBLCwtAYO6MdqNcpUDMqPjA/s1824/IMG_20211001_112430.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-lemon-cream-tart" border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1824" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOM5nO0_KxAYPqpGs8JN6FzIdlKw4BDPES4zz7myPqIFSwBEvcQ43YvlKgLPYNmDEktIdJMbalYZwcghTCSupFUiOx89xjlbxW_YQnIvjOc6fBexOI0T5wBLCwtAYO6MdqNcpUDMqPjA/w640-h360/IMG_20211001_112430.jpg" title="dou-dou-bake-lemon-cream-tart" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So decadent</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The<span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> lemon tart </span>was excellent. 10/10 would order again. Pik and I agreed that most lemon tarts we come across at many other bakeries or cafes are more gelatinous in nature, but this had a professional balance between sour and sweet, with a very tasty, salted crust to tick all those flavour profiles. </p><p>I must say that as we sat there for a good part of an hour, there was a steady stream of people going in and out of the cafe, either having pastries to-go or dining in. Luckily for them, there wasn't much of a wait, but the cozy space did stir some concern for social distance. I highly recommend those of you who are more cautious to takeaway or have a seat outside, though I'm not sure if reservations are available. You can however, <a href="https://www.doudoubake.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">order online</a> for pick up or delivery. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMH4WlXMNknEjcMFNeKNnQfjdF7RRixOx-fsmI2znz3HLRQd9-AxnqHVeroZQLR3sxVorGxoh8-qKh2mBwqaAsZIEBwwtQCM3eO-FH8Ah_MZYUt-AAmkQX5CTf3fQffqpaUv0KvUPL30/s3648/IMG_20210925_130021_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-takeaway" border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMH4WlXMNknEjcMFNeKNnQfjdF7RRixOx-fsmI2znz3HLRQd9-AxnqHVeroZQLR3sxVorGxoh8-qKh2mBwqaAsZIEBwwtQCM3eO-FH8Ah_MZYUt-AAmkQX5CTf3fQffqpaUv0KvUPL30/w640-h320/IMG_20210925_130021_1.jpg" title="dou-dou-bake-takeaway" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of orders to fill<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11ONa6JnQf3WpUFE_N-WrOWopDlZ87eLAMIMHxn1XTNmubsDk3SgVw63CoEBeynfkR_oeBZJzEpDgZ8aPJUnsPOx3aXR-1U1p_JWWn_igOuFAfgquuNkcdGcKavp7N4QYpHx5svgnjnM/s3648/IMG_20210925_125839.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-nut-butter" border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11ONa6JnQf3WpUFE_N-WrOWopDlZ87eLAMIMHxn1XTNmubsDk3SgVw63CoEBeynfkR_oeBZJzEpDgZ8aPJUnsPOx3aXR-1U1p_JWWn_igOuFAfgquuNkcdGcKavp7N4QYpHx5svgnjnM/w640-h320/IMG_20210925_125839.jpg" title="dou-dou-bake-nut-butter" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jars of nut butter for sale<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLUb6iAmwdeX4x82ecUpr5XhTqfrdZ-ePoiRNyAz4DHZu14t-c3G4sRt5J9YfUrVKPIKtPhSBJ4Gvf0TzJovj5UEmiOEvhKuFNblDrPTTJ2DbjYZ_qn7va1StqDVFi3H3DntSrO6e0Eo/s3648/IMG_20210930_213212.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dou-dou-bake-menu" border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLUb6iAmwdeX4x82ecUpr5XhTqfrdZ-ePoiRNyAz4DHZu14t-c3G4sRt5J9YfUrVKPIKtPhSBJ4Gvf0TzJovj5UEmiOEvhKuFNblDrPTTJ2DbjYZ_qn7va1StqDVFi3H3DntSrO6e0Eo/w640-h320/IMG_20210930_213212.jpg" title="dou-dou-bake-menu" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The full menu</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And that's it. Til next time,</p><p>xoxo</p><p>P.S. Special thanks to Pik for being a part of my antics and taking that first picture of me (in ONE take too)! Lub yuuuuu</p><br />Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com038, Jalan SS 4c/5, Taman Rasa Sayang, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia3.1112398 101.6038166-24.178236089617279 66.4475666 30.400715689617279 136.76006660000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-68393861565641359122021-09-24T20:00:00.035+08:002021-09-24T20:00:00.199+08:00Noodles & Rice at the Super Boring Club<p> CONTRARY to its name, the food at Super Boring Club was... not boring at all. In fact the dishes we ordered had <i>layers of flavour</i> and was so enjoyable to eat. FYI we opted not to have the BBQ this time round so this post will be due for an update–but until then, let's get to it.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl27Iivrl1oU7grTPaG4-wpXwfhiGVHWSBhny5C4F8fvrYkDs9ktFT5rif-gAPB46-V54d30p8svtyOyLY4lLy0-njR9ko_9rYugy9dPXHB-e7R-BuzOxQqnujnmTkk8L1m9kegk4sbQ/s3648/IMG_20210922_195208_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl27Iivrl1oU7grTPaG4-wpXwfhiGVHWSBhny5C4F8fvrYkDs9ktFT5rif-gAPB46-V54d30p8svtyOyLY4lLy0-njR9ko_9rYugy9dPXHB-e7R-BuzOxQqnujnmTkk8L1m9kegk4sbQ/w640-h320/IMG_20210922_195208_1.jpg" title="super-boring-club-exterior" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJqk7ReYrwdg8SXa7NWXE3_7Zc5mQI0r4SOvyy-TtoxZMBwncGVUNl_jWAmjEARI871MOghKkmbuJaBM0rJBvFGMPph5-cCYyD2RbFcc6gjZO9DgAj0QA4PTg5uGSXcnwuJfxSGu35dw/s3648/IMG_20210922_195113.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJqk7ReYrwdg8SXa7NWXE3_7Zc5mQI0r4SOvyy-TtoxZMBwncGVUNl_jWAmjEARI871MOghKkmbuJaBM0rJBvFGMPph5-cCYyD2RbFcc6gjZO9DgAj0QA4PTg5uGSXcnwuJfxSGu35dw/w640-h320/IMG_20210922_195113.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-3iSQfFz4oTH0byEeuWM9Df8Ejcq9nfb2jVS_LHt1fJaDLW53dfbZSC2hHVVM0n6EDjHu8NZOTY75fK4uHZWBkdWZaulNbjluWTCqcuuoKBcILHx0jr2SX5yTGuBbH75M8YAqvUq3uo/s3648/IMG_20210922_195122.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-3iSQfFz4oTH0byEeuWM9Df8Ejcq9nfb2jVS_LHt1fJaDLW53dfbZSC2hHVVM0n6EDjHu8NZOTY75fK4uHZWBkdWZaulNbjluWTCqcuuoKBcILHx0jr2SX5yTGuBbH75M8YAqvUq3uo/w640-h320/IMG_20210922_195122.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE40uvW9g52xe5xeOPkzyzOe1w0pheZa3BwqB9m3one8R15NEX0fvGqKxPpIIDLjizGXl84hVFC-0fJwP9WSCSpTZBks6PlvoY0JlKZKZ0njupzau5Uwd68TWsJKXROgHFQZQELSoZks/s3648/IMG_20210922_192815.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE40uvW9g52xe5xeOPkzyzOe1w0pheZa3BwqB9m3one8R15NEX0fvGqKxPpIIDLjizGXl84hVFC-0fJwP9WSCSpTZBks6PlvoY0JlKZKZ0njupzau5Uwd68TWsJKXROgHFQZQELSoZks/w640-h320/IMG_20210922_192815.jpg" title="super-boring-club-interior" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>SBC is really just down one of the lorongs near Changkat, in between No Black Tie and Feeka (I believe) so now that the bars are open, this could be one of your options for dinner before drankz. We were simply taking an evening stroll and decided to try it for the first time.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo0HkzuRdUfaw9Wjrts4QKergKYhccnJtuSZ4Bzrvzsku-uH7Q7aQdphrJoGuSD2a3RottqCliQEyVafbStC2Z0PNe7YTtRynEooNXcZvwMLBYFMFV_ZI9zL0i1PLjJLK4z8i7OJotXE/s3648/IMG_20210922_192532.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo0HkzuRdUfaw9Wjrts4QKergKYhccnJtuSZ4Bzrvzsku-uH7Q7aQdphrJoGuSD2a3RottqCliQEyVafbStC2Z0PNe7YTtRynEooNXcZvwMLBYFMFV_ZI9zL0i1PLjJLK4z8i7OJotXE/w320-h640/IMG_20210922_192532.jpg" title="super-boring-club-yuzu-shochu-sour" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shochu sour was sour, fizzy, and strong</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Obviously drinks came first, and I decided on one of their Shochu Sours (RM24) which comes in 4 flavours (I picked Yuzu). And omg it was <i>sour</i>. But the key is to really mix the yuzu paste at the bottom with the recyclable straw that comes with it–I missed out on this key factor so my first few sips had me <i>*shuddering*</i>. The other drink we had was the Asam Boi Pop (RM12.90). Highly recommended. Tasted like the salty-sour plum with coke. Not sure why it was nostalgic for me, but my memories of sucking on plum candy after school were probably responsible. And now... for the food.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzJZcr3cbNubbJvhQOtE_-tugVEWcmPczHpvwENdPLKNaW5hZQ4OWGR5ZNb9YXxr54j0tjvay6j3XTI3bgVtZZp0eJnytSvbalMdznhyP0S3xfrKMMgfckyFk3yHiKqJKpRdppEoVLTA/s3648/IMG_20210922_193149.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzJZcr3cbNubbJvhQOtE_-tugVEWcmPczHpvwENdPLKNaW5hZQ4OWGR5ZNb9YXxr54j0tjvay6j3XTI3bgVtZZp0eJnytSvbalMdznhyP0S3xfrKMMgfckyFk3yHiKqJKpRdppEoVLTA/w320-h640/IMG_20210922_193149.jpg" title="super-boring-club-korean-spicy-rice-2" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiUgFlVlBp0rQxqHd4lWwYGhaDRbXQb-lcfpOK2oklt5NA9ExJHD8znPe1F6ks7E08Ib1KuYzXkSYUaH1AriOCjPPN15FdBbcXc_RtkL1yAkAhnJ6MbMReeCXUGlHjwHHaL2rn4ZpIE4/s3648/IMG_20210922_193058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiUgFlVlBp0rQxqHd4lWwYGhaDRbXQb-lcfpOK2oklt5NA9ExJHD8znPe1F6ks7E08Ib1KuYzXkSYUaH1AriOCjPPN15FdBbcXc_RtkL1yAkAhnJ6MbMReeCXUGlHjwHHaL2rn4ZpIE4/w320-h640/IMG_20210922_193058.jpg" title="super-boring-club-korean-spicy-rice-1" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not your average bibimbap</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I probably should've mentioned this earlier if you haven't guessed it already, but SBC is actually a Japanese BBQ restaurant. The Korean spicy rice bowl (RM24) is their take on bibimbap, but with some very interesting elements. Turkey ham chunks, shimeji mushrooms, and a generous spoonful of sesame alongside the regular kimchi, lettuce, and seaweed ingredients. Instead of gochujang sauce, it had a dark, salty sweet sauce instead. In the green packet was a couple of plastic gloves, so you could mix it all and mold it into little rice balls before barbequeing them, but we decided to have it as is. It was actually very tasty, a lot of flavours and textures being mixed around, and even though it's not a bibimbap, I didn't hate it. Would most likely order again. And maybe try BBQ-ing it next time. 😛🔥 Any chance to legally light something on fire.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzDirCQYSDZQI4xOpJwZdjVrlvN1i_yoglXOkHQpMIC8YvcFxYFlRjg42O7SEGuvXYuE0lPsied71dTADOrwjOujo5MaLwwvjQACa5D0sVk_WFiiXyEVktCMWIHhezjjz3zckGheBTP4/s3648/IMG_20210922_193239.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzDirCQYSDZQI4xOpJwZdjVrlvN1i_yoglXOkHQpMIC8YvcFxYFlRjg42O7SEGuvXYuE0lPsied71dTADOrwjOujo5MaLwwvjQACa5D0sVk_WFiiXyEVktCMWIHhezjjz3zckGheBTP4/w320-h640/IMG_20210922_193239.jpg" title="super-boring-club-zaru-soba-1" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLt-ldLaYQK7ujLiyRBsQa9d4J7LgllNThtxzWeZQs8pmoidciukw53Bdn4HjAJ3K9mWZHdFrH2jqjsWk5DMyNvcqyfJjjAx6uWBkwOh3wPQKSiPZKat1vseFDPOxU8EJ36aSLk95H1E/s3648/IMG_20210922_193250.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLt-ldLaYQK7ujLiyRBsQa9d4J7LgllNThtxzWeZQs8pmoidciukw53Bdn4HjAJ3K9mWZHdFrH2jqjsWk5DMyNvcqyfJjjAx6uWBkwOh3wPQKSiPZKat1vseFDPOxU8EJ36aSLk95H1E/w320-h640/IMG_20210922_193250.jpg" title="super-boring-club-zaru-soba-2" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh. My. Word.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This cold zaru soba (RM24) was just... heavenly. If you're a sucker for salty, savoury food like me, I highly recommend trying this. That beautiful egg sprinkled with roe, perched on top of a mountain of soba, surrounded in a dark moat of tsuyu sauce and tempura crumbs is like what noodle dreams are made of. That was it. That was the highlight. And I think it's a good note to end on.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-tK06SmTGMJLa3ICqUEs28XVX4s7Q8knZveF_6kX8-mfkWYMkEEQ65qjpTGDUo0Pb3rBCKnrFejyhhhyphenhyphenb4DROwyCrZBmJqERdrVb8tBCV9n8hck0y3WY4xRacb4_MEEZgDydBioGuLw/s3648/IMG_20210922_195019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-tK06SmTGMJLa3ICqUEs28XVX4s7Q8knZveF_6kX8-mfkWYMkEEQ65qjpTGDUo0Pb3rBCKnrFejyhhhyphenhyphenb4DROwyCrZBmJqERdrVb8tBCV9n8hck0y3WY4xRacb4_MEEZgDydBioGuLw/w320-h640/IMG_20210922_195019.jpg" title="super-boring-club-counter-merch" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>Other information you should know, is that their BBQ sets start at about RM138 to over RM400, so it's definitely a place meant for larger gatherings. We could have done it ourselves but we figured it'd be fun to have more people join us (comment below if you want to go! 🤩). There was a table with about 6 people sitting at it with SOPs, so you can plan for a mini get together if that's in your agenda. There are also a bunch of cool merch available at their counter if you like their vibes... and that's that. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hope you enjoyed reading this short little review, and maybe we'll get a little BBQ update next. </div><div>xoxo</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2X1ZQDG5ighxNKIN1AEAkhMntERr93AM0usT4SeGlGpbivk2P6NgVc8U87wbIdc2b2OMDHlsBfZbe5BF2O61xxEmIKOci4b7ju9Z7t2if6XeGvLPmEl7k0SvQqdvOmVPx9YATwu3RVM/s2266/IMG_20210922_194356.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2266" data-original-width="1699" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2X1ZQDG5ighxNKIN1AEAkhMntERr93AM0usT4SeGlGpbivk2P6NgVc8U87wbIdc2b2OMDHlsBfZbe5BF2O61xxEmIKOci4b7ju9Z7t2if6XeGvLPmEl7k0SvQqdvOmVPx9YATwu3RVM/w480-h640/IMG_20210922_194356.jpg" title="super-boring-club-coaster" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com015, Jln Mesui, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.1487759 101.7083389-25.161457936178845 66.5520889 31.459009736178846 136.8645889tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-68621214792881662012021-07-24T01:03:00.005+08:002021-07-24T01:17:57.759+08:00Hello, (mid) 2021<p>I really wanted to start the year off with a bang. So I decided to do the aspirational - by trying to keep up with my blog. Life caught up with me, and I ended up putting it off, which is why this post is now here. I got my own domain in 2019 and did absolutely nothing with it, so this is my latest effort to not let my money completely go to waste. Despite 2020 (and most of this year) bearing mostly discord, I try to see the silver lining in everything. So here are some of my highlights from last year.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTJ555hyxKQ1JxTy9rswNG8MzKOL4n8t6Fd92syvsWgMZEfP29FJDKSNDM_sHmvTkXkkhLZQAFE8mlxZQekyB-yOnx3-y28xsuTb6azMeQ8sqVcRbBXy_YKJ5ctGx48bY0GZfT8nJT6Q/s2759/IMG_20201125_012454.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="mdlxh-red-wine-glass" border="0" data-original-height="2759" data-original-width="2068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTJ555hyxKQ1JxTy9rswNG8MzKOL4n8t6Fd92syvsWgMZEfP29FJDKSNDM_sHmvTkXkkhLZQAFE8mlxZQekyB-yOnx3-y28xsuTb6azMeQ8sqVcRbBXy_YKJ5ctGx48bY0GZfT8nJT6Q/w480-h640/IMG_20201125_012454.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><b><span></span></b></p><a name='more'></a><b>5. Let's start with some basic stuff. I am alive.</b> For what it's worth (which is a lot in this precise era), I was not diagnosed with COVID-19 at any time, for which I am very thankful. I've had the liberty of working from home and staying indoors, and I'm fully aware that many unfortunate folk did not have the same fortuity to do so.<p></p><p>For those of you who are equally grateful for any surplus you may have, here's a great <a href="https://vulcanpost.com/693014/covid-19-charity-donation-malaysia-food-medical-supplies/">list of local charities and NGOs you can donate to</a>. If you can help your community in any way you are able to - I think that would be an excellent way to keep the year going.</p><p><b>4.</b> Let's be honest. It's been a tough year in business for basically everybody (except logistics in my view), and the same was true for me. But <b>I am very thankful that I had a job</b>, and even got the opportunity to move to a company and position that I felt was more along the lines of where I wanted to go in my career.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPBykha74dAOdLisnS5jCXo7vvxcpx938VVIGd-teFGaVRskl5_XA4j4lJiSim3VhK8LbXu-4zav81U073bbEqG2QJPtDXRT3S7PDjtn7T1DgCY_skkMo7gSGDOuLXqQIo_gH9cb49Zo/s2048/MicrosoftTeams-image+%252812%2529.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="2048" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPBykha74dAOdLisnS5jCXo7vvxcpx938VVIGd-teFGaVRskl5_XA4j4lJiSim3VhK8LbXu-4zav81U073bbEqG2QJPtDXRT3S7PDjtn7T1DgCY_skkMo7gSGDOuLXqQIo_gH9cb49Zo/w640-h390/MicrosoftTeams-image+%252812%2529.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're doing "PowerPoint & dranks" in this video call</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Working at <a href="http://2x.marketing">2X Marketing</a> has been a dream come true, and I honestly thought I'd never find a job that checked all the boxes for me. I'm not hounded day and night, my hours are reasonable and flexible, and my colleagues are just lovely to work with - very helpful, hilarious with puns, and can (mostly) hold their drinks. I initially wanted to keep this job and company that I found all to myself *whispering "my precious"* but in the spirit of goodwill, I encourage any of you who are in need of a stable career at this time to reach out to me. My company is hiring for all the positions below:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Writer (Senior & Content Specialist)</li><li>Creative Designer</li><li>UI/UX Designer</li><li>Developer</li><li>Associate Director</li><li>Client Success Director</li><li>PPC Strategist</li><li>Marketing Program Manager</li></ul></div><p>3. <b>I spent a lot of time working on my inner self.</b> When there wasn't the act of going out, suddenly I found myself facing some of the worst parts of my character that I'd left neglected for too many years. I asked myself a lot of questions like, "Where is this anger from? Why do I feel this way? Is this what I want for myself? Am I in the right place for my life?" and then I had to slowly answer those with a lot of thought. More than I ever cared to do before. And at this moment, I'm definitely not perfect - but I think I've got a better sense of direction in where I want to be headed. And that was a very good thing for me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkwafkghUGZ6fg1NAMO78nwQaxLmZ1NB1woJXPGjgYKObQPDo6KqGfr5v7qBJPb6MozMvUX-4WJPiFfK1WRvNFR67tZeJT7_na3TLoTNbuxZGUR2HqYt0Vtf9lo1qeUyGhv_cBlbd7Fc/s1080/Anger+Bible+Verse.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkwafkghUGZ6fg1NAMO78nwQaxLmZ1NB1woJXPGjgYKObQPDo6KqGfr5v7qBJPb6MozMvUX-4WJPiFfK1WRvNFR67tZeJT7_na3TLoTNbuxZGUR2HqYt0Vtf9lo1qeUyGhv_cBlbd7Fc/w400-h400/Anger+Bible+Verse.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p></p><p>2. <b>I got to spend time with my loved ones.</b> Most of it was with my family, but I was lucky enough to even catch some of my friends outside of the lockdowns. Being able to have quality time in such a way without social speculation was a dream for me. A number of my other obligations faded away with the pandemic, and that left room for the more important people in my life to fill. With so many losing their loved ones in this pandemic, I'm just grateful mine are still around. And to all my lovely friends who might be reading this, we may not be in touch at the moment, but I hope you are safe and your family is well. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOtMNRmtHEOvEwSQxTwpg0mOcqHcjb_zcZTgFapu9DluLNAEgX1JXhJ-xeyGUbSjeROVNfsJopmjkeMpVQSmtjgYHJr0BO0nkpNLx0rUEYdL_e8GyQ9XzsADIeSJu5L1hs-lmI64Pwy8/s1548/2021-06-10-123958502.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1548" data-original-width="1239" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOtMNRmtHEOvEwSQxTwpg0mOcqHcjb_zcZTgFapu9DluLNAEgX1JXhJ-xeyGUbSjeROVNfsJopmjkeMpVQSmtjgYHJr0BO0nkpNLx0rUEYdL_e8GyQ9XzsADIeSJu5L1hs-lmI64Pwy8/w512-h640/2021-06-10-123958502.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ECeUmPoW1HbEw7IEHiE0YgERYEVF_BR3G9Ho4p1DEq5FhExx12LvXY2MxBJMe3crdd_bTK7ScJuQZqeDNytYmk19u69A9zQVGrdzsKjtKnCl5iYPoTXIjV4C2ZLIFxND_wEER7J0aEo/s4618/2020-07-10+02.52.12+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4618" data-original-width="3464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ECeUmPoW1HbEw7IEHiE0YgERYEVF_BR3G9Ho4p1DEq5FhExx12LvXY2MxBJMe3crdd_bTK7ScJuQZqeDNytYmk19u69A9zQVGrdzsKjtKnCl5iYPoTXIjV4C2ZLIFxND_wEER7J0aEo/s320/2020-07-10+02.52.12+1.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqffDUAUNhwLN_aJAz3zjQNupxel4rqab01iVMI4E_IoPsGDWphHh74KKMrrn9eGwjiJ0zWPyosed7BwdEb_QQhDYvcpPtps_AmhoUz627qRAolK7dQp5N8YKqCdX55ZVSZOzNPKtgsYE/s4618/2020-07-10+02.51.48+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4618" data-original-width="3464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqffDUAUNhwLN_aJAz3zjQNupxel4rqab01iVMI4E_IoPsGDWphHh74KKMrrn9eGwjiJ0zWPyosed7BwdEb_QQhDYvcpPtps_AmhoUz627qRAolK7dQp5N8YKqCdX55ZVSZOzNPKtgsYE/s320/2020-07-10+02.51.48+1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">1. <b>My nephew was born!</b> This has to be #1 on my list. Mainly because we didn't have a grandchild in the immediate family before, and now we do! Dante is <i>very cheeky</i> and just turned a year old not too long ago so I'm sad/happy-crying over his early baby pictures and videos right now. If I had my way babies would never have to grow up.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBHQmquxpvLXvnSlK6NnQofeM_cHol2mWXCJILIziS3BwJrb3xGuJxCeK3TWLWBvLx2H4HWia2rjp5KSHzIJfK8UidJE7FotSvy2a73DqY-e1nIglanJQEEaCNkKKh3WiAD6A7yuwG5I/s3648/IMG_20200906_180642.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBHQmquxpvLXvnSlK6NnQofeM_cHol2mWXCJILIziS3BwJrb3xGuJxCeK3TWLWBvLx2H4HWia2rjp5KSHzIJfK8UidJE7FotSvy2a73DqY-e1nIglanJQEEaCNkKKh3WiAD6A7yuwG5I/w346-h640/IMG_20200906_180642.jpg" width="346" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those little Jordan socks :')</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To say that I adore him is an understatement. It's also really opened my eyes to the reality of being a mom through my sister. She is such a fighter and while I've always admired her before she was a mother, being a person who's unapologetic of her character and personality, I have incredible respect for the way she's taken on so much more in life with Dante.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And that's the end I guess. If you're reading this right now, and the pandemic has been getting you down, I hope you'll still find little things in life to be thankful for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lots of love,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Megan</div></div>Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-55400169287740132032019-07-30T23:53:00.001+08:002021-09-28T00:09:02.118+08:00A Day In Melaka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some of you may or may not know that my family is mostly from Melaka, and a majority of my heritage is Peranakan/Baba Nyonya. However, it is actually quite the rare occasion that I get to travel to my family's hometown, so everytime I get to go it is a <i>treat</i>.<br />
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I only had a day and a night down, so I'll just keep this short and sweet.<br />
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Baboon House was one of the places we had lunch. They're known for their burgers; mainly the porky kind. We had two Aloha Pork Belly burgers (RM27.80), and a chicken one (RM17.20).<br />
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I honestly favoured the Oriental Date Tea (RM9.50) over the burgers, but the cafe's still a place worth visiting.<br />
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The interior is kind of like voodoo meets colonial antique - they've got their Chinese name printed over an entrance, but the foyer also has some tribal-looking decor made from natural elements like wood and coconut husk.<br />
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Gorgeous sunlight filters into the heart of the cafe from the open ceiling, while plants with vines woven into the brickwork line the edge of the floor, and a mosaic mural of some otherworldly creature spans across the dilapidated wall. If not for the food I'd go back for the view.<br />
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We spent most of our hours around Jonker Walk even though it is a Tuesday, so there isn't the street market to browse through, but there's plenty to keep ourselves occupied. We luck out on the alcoholic popsicles we were looking for, but at least we manage to snag a couple of freshly made 饼 to bring home anyway.<br />
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It's funny how I find pieces of KL now in Melaka, or vice versa. That sort of describes the way I am too. At night, we go to one of my family's favourite food courts to have ikan pari bakar, char kway teow with plum sauce (only available in Melaka), and honey barbequed chicken wings. Newton is a staple for us, just like the carrot milk I order every chance I get. Everyone went home immensely satisfied with that meal - and I am grateful and happy to have shared it with them.<br />
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Until next time,<br />
xoxoMegan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-82182843512693673002018-07-25T12:00:00.000+08:002018-07-26T02:37:38.541+08:00Hatyai, Thailand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had never been to Hatyai before October last year, but I realise that it's usually when you expect nothing from travelling to a place that you get so much more in return. Here's to some tasty Thai #foodporn, 30 baht Hello Kitty mugs, and an exclusive makeup haul too.<br />
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My dad drove us there in the family Innova (Toyota please sponsor us, we love your cars), and I swear the van is perfect for road trips like these. The drive was about 6 hours, and we didn't think of putting sunscreen on our faces, so we got sunburnt. :) I know you'd think you wouldn't have to put on sunscreen when you're in the car, but we found out the hard way that you actually do, haha.<br />
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But taking the car was the best decision we made because <b>there is no limit </b>to what you can carry there and what you can bring back home. So you can imagine the amount of shopping my family of three women did (we're missing Ashleigh, who would've made it four women versus my dad, but let's not get too excited).<br />
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Crossing the border, the internet/lines immediately go dead - and this really made me think about how countries operate their telco systems (would love if someone could explain to me in detail about how this works, I love learning about things like this). However, there's no real need to get roaming. Here's how my family did it:<br />
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Before the internet got cut on our phones, we looked up our hotel on Google Maps so we would have the route established. Now if you go the wrong way it won't recalculate, but the location services continue to work even <i>without </i>the internet. So you can just figure out where you need to go by following the blue dot that designates your location. #firstworldnavigation<br />
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Plus, the hotel, the malls, and most anywhere you go in Hatyai will have WiFi. If you really need to stay connected (and I'm against this because vacation time should really be about being present), just have one person buy roaming and hotspot it. Easy.<br />
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The hotel we stayed at was actually really cute. And I know I overuse those words but I mean it literally this time - the place is built like a long driveway with lots of tropical greenery leading up to a tiny roundabout anchored by a stone fountain with angels. The rooms are basically semi-D villas, and each has a porch for you to park your car and I'm crying as I'm typing this because it just sounds so ridiculously adorable - like a mini Stepford neighbourhood. 😭<br />
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Just so you know, and for future reference to any of the travel posts I write, my family does not like to tour. We like to wing it. So we visited a lot of market streets, did a lot of roadside shopping, and we also went to some of Hatyai's really gorgeous malls. Most of them are as good as KL's if not even better because of the different selections of foreign brands. I swear I've never bought so many Soap & Glory products in my entire life (Boots carries their makeup line on top of the regular skin care products you can get in KL).<br />
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My dad even snuck in some time to go fishing. If I haven't mentioned this before, you'll now know that my father loves fishing, I love to learn about fish, and Lesley loves to eat fish. At any rate, your best bet for fishing ponds, diving spots, and islands across Malaysia (and I guess a greater part of Southeast Asia) is to ask him. Or me, and then I'll check again with him.<br />
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I'm not gonna lie, the Klonghae Floating Market was actually where I took the bulk of my photos. We parked a little ways off from the entrance of the market near this area pictured below, and walked the rest of the way. As you can tell, it's very scenic and we had a lovely stroll towards the river. We were in luck too, it was cloudy overhead with no rain so we didn't get sunburnt this time, but the pictures did turn out a little moody.<br />
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You'll find that it's not just foreigners who visit the place, but a lot of locals go by too, and it feels way more like a community than a tourist spot honestly. You'll have fellow Thai folks buying goods off the boats, looking after each other's kids at the shops; we were even fortunate enough to witness their national anthem being played and everyone stood still or got up in respect for it. And I feel like it's these little things that make travel worthwhile - it's not so much about luxurious hotels or fancy restaurants, it's about experiencing another culture and the way people live outside of your own world.<br />
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So to more explorations.<br />
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With love,<br />
Megan</div>
Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com1Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand7.0086472 100.474687899999946.9456072 100.39400689999994 7.0716872 100.55536889999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-25079454097396705072018-07-18T19:21:00.002+08:002018-07-24T18:19:28.433+08:00Shawn x Steph<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So over this last weekend, two of my closest and dearest friends decided to tie the knot. I didn't get to share much of the pictures on Instagram and you guys know how much I love to edit (it's like putting makeup on your face) so here's an entire blog post dedicated to this fantastic couple and their special day.<br />
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I woke up at 6am, packed the things I needed, and headed to Steph's for the "gate-crashing" (for those of you who don't know, this is something Chinese Malaysians do at weddings where the groom and his groomsmen attempt to break into the bride's house, and the bridesmaids hold up the front by requesting money, favors, etc from them - sounds absolutely crazy, I know).<br />
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Getting ready felt like forever because this was the first time I had to use fabric tape to hold the dress down in skimpy parts that were not exactly church-appropriate. At least it worked out in the end. No nip slips count for a celebration, right?<br />
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I teared up a total of 3 times throughout the day. But the one time I really couldn't stop myself was at church, when Steph walked down the aisle towards Shawn. It kind of felt like a culmination of our childhood and teenage years, becoming this beautiful thing that two of the people whom I care so much about could share together in the future. I was just happy they finally made it.<br />
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Leading up to the big day, I actually had an eye infection that made both my eyes red - luckily it didn't show up in the pictures (we were calling all these mishaps the "bridemaids curse"), but that meant I couldn't join in much of the pre-wedding festivities.<br />
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However, I did manage to deliver a speech for the wedding dinner with the help of one of our dear friends, Amelia, who flew all the way from Vienna to be with us and celebrate. I couldn't have done it without you, girl. In fact, I feel like you wrote most of it, I just gave the ideas. And while I'm not sure if many people told you they liked it, plenty of people told me they did (I think it was probably because most of the guests were from my church, haha).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48ozTt-Ppr1LZcBMa1x80D84uMd2pDj0N2zakZvHqCaSOV0dRb8MsqiwSb2rZB0rGvPmoJwBuQQV_mdvLwXCND0S4v8Waqut8WnoMHHSkmiantE0rOOGVgilu0bdKWYJfvc4WUTHSXZM/s1600/2018-07-18+11.58.31+1-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48ozTt-Ppr1LZcBMa1x80D84uMd2pDj0N2zakZvHqCaSOV0dRb8MsqiwSb2rZB0rGvPmoJwBuQQV_mdvLwXCND0S4v8Waqut8WnoMHHSkmiantE0rOOGVgilu0bdKWYJfvc4WUTHSXZM/s640/2018-07-18+11.58.31+1-01.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And to Stephanie and Shawn, congratulations on making it together this far, guys. I wish you both the absolute best for all the adventures that come with married life. Thank you so much for including me in such a special occasion in your lives - I will always remember it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LHbv7TRBaE3cyglBv1C9QJfLU1yrX6shTdUF0LjFXjgwZB96eTID-8aa80wojmGbvroEDf-zARH6hAqLim2vACvfkt4YdQ5Ij0sdGE9s3YtiXC3Wyb86nYJoTxXp1WbcM8Bwi22VmcQ/s1600/2018-07-18+11.46.19+1-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LHbv7TRBaE3cyglBv1C9QJfLU1yrX6shTdUF0LjFXjgwZB96eTID-8aa80wojmGbvroEDf-zARH6hAqLim2vACvfkt4YdQ5Ij0sdGE9s3YtiXC3Wyb86nYJoTxXp1WbcM8Bwi22VmcQ/s640/2018-07-18+11.46.19+1-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Much love,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Megan</div>
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Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-41140889101060195562016-06-04T14:06:00.002+08:002021-09-28T00:19:03.158+08:00Rediscovering Ipoh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I mentioned a while ago, I went on a work trip to Ipoh and I found out how much it's progressed since my younger days of following my dad to work in this famous Malaysian city. I haven't been there much over the past 7 years, so it was like taking a step back into time, but discovering new things and places in the city that I had spent so much time in as a kid. I guess organising this into a chronological order would make sense for those of you who want to visit - so let's start with breakfast!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQNQpCrM3wJEoLjN8tQngNbu_ZO_9ssPVNyYkxa00fRYoBzmFf9oUqZTsqJbcV2SKtQeqS3PsMgWzZPeA4r_Yx7gMpyNfKBguXGv8IV1xh4J3EEOaUlC0k0WY_0x18brXRCSa6jEHal0/s1600/ipoh-chang-jiang-table.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQNQpCrM3wJEoLjN8tQngNbu_ZO_9ssPVNyYkxa00fRYoBzmFf9oUqZTsqJbcV2SKtQeqS3PsMgWzZPeA4r_Yx7gMpyNfKBguXGv8IV1xh4J3EEOaUlC0k0WY_0x18brXRCSa6jEHal0/s640/ipoh-chang-jiang-table.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because breakfast is the most important meal of the day</td></tr>
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This flatlay was taken at Chang Jiang; hands down one of our team's most favourite coffee shops, mainly because it's been very nicely updated since its heyday in the town centre. I'm not saying they went all-out modern, but they basically took a dated bungalow and converted it into a coffee shop. So there's a little bit of old and new in the décor, e.g. steel teal chairs paired with marble-topped tables (as seen in this picture). The white coffee here is good, but don't bother buying their 3-in-1 sachets home though; the two really don't taste the same. My girlfriends went wild for their chicken curry with steamed bread, but I thought the noodles were really good - they've got a ton of variety, and I'm pretty certain they all taste great.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaHdiYVrBbMkjT_5_KhsFjpbym4UlBD8w8FlwtO-3Xa4CFeHRJ9KR1RT0WSKZXUljPV1LCxRu5-HdLSq0OyZW4yIJXhQR7rI-q4JjeDlvQeJNqXBRzNis8iwXU00pXx2OJsLMYN5G9z0/s1600/ipoh-chang-jiang-old-machine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaHdiYVrBbMkjT_5_KhsFjpbym4UlBD8w8FlwtO-3Xa4CFeHRJ9KR1RT0WSKZXUljPV1LCxRu5-HdLSq0OyZW4yIJXhQR7rI-q4JjeDlvQeJNqXBRzNis8iwXU00pXx2OJsLMYN5G9z0/s640/ipoh-chang-jiang-old-machine.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this was part of the original building, and they've decided to keep it to display their old coffee machine inside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglyia3azJVMaADOCeiYH7IvImhXnWJKCfa-v7BH4diHk3MnGsQvKYAhB-0tlpVt25GPnrayA82__S6hFQKT-d7tefBG3HYnOe8_QhtosacexxUvnBe-tyls26wuw09NrJOw7A-0LthuQ/s1600/ipoh-chang-jiang-ext.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglyia3azJVMaADOCeiYH7IvImhXnWJKCfa-v7BH4diHk3MnGsQvKYAhB-0tlpVt25GPnrayA82__S6hFQKT-d7tefBG3HYnOe8_QhtosacexxUvnBe-tyls26wuw09NrJOw7A-0LthuQ/s640/ipoh-chang-jiang-ext.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought it was really funny how you can barely see the shop from this angle - it's completely covered by shrubbery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNYqugaHyq_zwxc6UfGhibtJV3ZftG-7CJvpTWt1l9nHOT1fVlAEGKpvmRXl7BQVyFQs-t0vx6432JCYe9qKagm2wQ3yygPhkLrTI3IkTBbd0MbvrLvCbiNcvp1x_mmDo2P9QxO_K9J4/s1600/ipoh-chang-jiang-outdoor-seating.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNYqugaHyq_zwxc6UfGhibtJV3ZftG-7CJvpTWt1l9nHOT1fVlAEGKpvmRXl7BQVyFQs-t0vx6432JCYe9qKagm2wQ3yygPhkLrTI3IkTBbd0MbvrLvCbiNcvp1x_mmDo2P9QxO_K9J4/s640/ipoh-chang-jiang-outdoor-seating.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I assume the overgrown plants were to create shade for this nice little al fresco place - definitely gonna sit outside next time</td></tr>
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The coffee shop was just down the street from where we stayed at Impiana Hotel, so we were <em>very</em> tempted to have our breakfast here every morning - you will too, after you visit them. Now that we've had breakfast, it's time to explore!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnDmYmoLV3bIRxypWWzV9z24SCWwolMTkAowBoPk4tgdbNSb6RTzMnqhwZe60zXTnJxkkfvZyCSg8Lbi_-_cRPgEi0tAwVhQk6tzzZy7zcIhUxfZGG4mSc1jxDUSLNNjKeKSaPwiz6Ng/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnDmYmoLV3bIRxypWWzV9z24SCWwolMTkAowBoPk4tgdbNSb6RTzMnqhwZe60zXTnJxkkfvZyCSg8Lbi_-_cRPgEi0tAwVhQk6tzzZy7zcIhUxfZGG4mSc1jxDUSLNNjKeKSaPwiz6Ng/s640/5.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honestly not the first time a 'Concubine Lane' has been converted into a heritage site in M'sia :/</td></tr>
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My team and I walked through the infamous 'Concubine Lane' to check out the food scene - ladies of the night haven't hung around here since... I don't know. This isn't Wikipedia. I'm just gonna tell you, it's hella colourful now. And so touristy. If you look closer, that pink sign that says "Cartoon Rainbow House" actually sells a lot of knick knacks and soft toys as souvenirs - so gifts to bring back home, check! You also might want to GPS Lorong Panglima. This street is so narrow you'll miss it completely if you don't know where to look.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNEqFJVSP0Apgf8dKEqa3TebGCjR8WLRnE1HyezO9oPpbUdlZ74Ntxvfv49DBHGCqg2reCJ4IzeTgqr6JMaXXiyORusb_anOKbRiMZ6ZPiBfVvPmrvPysd_igp_bUCg8GjKTdXbzVrEg/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNEqFJVSP0Apgf8dKEqa3TebGCjR8WLRnE1HyezO9oPpbUdlZ74Ntxvfv49DBHGCqg2reCJ4IzeTgqr6JMaXXiyORusb_anOKbRiMZ6ZPiBfVvPmrvPysd_igp_bUCg8GjKTdXbzVrEg/s640/6.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So Cameron Highlands isn't the only place you can bring home cactus from - speaking of which, that's a great idea for a post</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvtPSAtIi1z9mUZPS9oTG3DRJjZ5rDnor71i4gLPkkuP6XA8xRzUtZtI_qkzTw57kUaLu0tuZ8b6_-IZosG-Icylu_X-eHlVyg2v-_TJsaF3-GEgFUpdR8lg18R3kqcb-F1uGPPfdFBk/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvtPSAtIi1z9mUZPS9oTG3DRJjZ5rDnor71i4gLPkkuP6XA8xRzUtZtI_qkzTw57kUaLu0tuZ8b6_-IZosG-Icylu_X-eHlVyg2v-_TJsaF3-GEgFUpdR8lg18R3kqcb-F1uGPPfdFBk/s640/7.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lot 22 on Concubine Lane</td></tr>
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Some of the lots and buildings in Ipoh's Old Town have been left dilapidated, but there's this certain charm to them where there's still plenty of people surrounding the area, lots of visitors still admire the place for what it was and what it looks now, and I really love that whole idea of appreciation for someplace no matter what history it has. Lorong Panglima looks beautiful - just look at those faded shades of blue and yellow with some bare brick showing through the walls. Some thoughtful soul even put a line of potted plants in front to decorate the area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-o-8_l7t01su7RUixQtJR6_-NH_50p5108ZhzC5RZptmorFP5CLdljeLf-ytL6x-6CC_F80MXLnL-2zxh4cEAHKJ_kluoIt3jvIddCqupKRf07spID-zViE0dBCzKWmD7e87TgpEnHY/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-o-8_l7t01su7RUixQtJR6_-NH_50p5108ZhzC5RZptmorFP5CLdljeLf-ytL6x-6CC_F80MXLnL-2zxh4cEAHKJ_kluoIt3jvIddCqupKRf07spID-zViE0dBCzKWmD7e87TgpEnHY/s640/9.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People like to take pictures of the more popular street art here, but this one was so small and insignificant I <strong>had</strong> to show it to you</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0a5WS3V8AZCuYbwy8lfo7WMjR64TtYCE-2ia8o-dQEHrfgh_2fbzPV0iw41hU9emxJH9qjZNyPC6IZkaLJ95KyxI9RpJNREk9IvRXbjaFw2J5x-uX9NH-6BcSzHCl-vbpmTXqGBIYeCQ/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0a5WS3V8AZCuYbwy8lfo7WMjR64TtYCE-2ia8o-dQEHrfgh_2fbzPV0iw41hU9emxJH9qjZNyPC6IZkaLJ95KyxI9RpJNREk9IvRXbjaFw2J5x-uX9NH-6BcSzHCl-vbpmTXqGBIYeCQ/s640/10.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a tapau bag of coke or cincau - not sure which but if you do, let me know</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWLfidMNF1O00IXKyWyJHqjblXqBipwZrAMfoYyb_mUkbR7NwL0sjsguxFMoK6z5B22CiJnyDsn6dYPyrEn423YCkjAovo7AQNqVXuYizPoAHVII5WVoWb10HlmurfeMAvTcSe-vdVrE/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWLfidMNF1O00IXKyWyJHqjblXqBipwZrAMfoYyb_mUkbR7NwL0sjsguxFMoK6z5B22CiJnyDsn6dYPyrEn423YCkjAovo7AQNqVXuYizPoAHVII5WVoWb10HlmurfeMAvTcSe-vdVrE/s640/11.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This really reminded me of those abandoned places you see on the internet, complete with overgrown plants in an empty lot, and a sea-themed mural on the walls</td></tr>
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OK, time to take a break. On my work trip, we went to over 10 different "kopitiams" all over Ipoh, from the most famous ones to some that were much lesser known. I'll only be featuring the ones I liked, but I do have some warnings against those I don't. If anybody suggests Nam Heong in Ipoh SoHo, please don't go there. Don't let the fancy iPad minis fool you, because the dishes are an average 2/10. The place is more frequented by business workers, so if you're just going there to discuss work, that's fine because their coffee (luckily) is still pretty much a 10/10.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKySdkJyXhkJUkVcEV3Cj4sPcRYAJrQMiYD7roptiFMulkDgdFQKrju-cN2EVw1JKvYxDpZAV-a8igNJazU5SmBlHlC0JWp8Ba-gaUxaRqOiAjvnfZPj4OPhWJ2dm-jGVtQDW7teLzqrs/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKySdkJyXhkJUkVcEV3Cj4sPcRYAJrQMiYD7roptiFMulkDgdFQKrju-cN2EVw1JKvYxDpZAV-a8igNJazU5SmBlHlC0JWp8Ba-gaUxaRqOiAjvnfZPj4OPhWJ2dm-jGVtQDW7teLzqrs/s640/12.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cutest uncle ever (besides my grandpa) at Ah Chow</td></tr>
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Sorry, uncle. If this is your grandpa, please tell him I thought this was too picture perfect to not snap a shot. From the dusty clock to the tiled walls, the Chinese posters and banners and those 'marble' tables and chairs - oh, my love for old things just couldn't help myself. Plus, he looked <em>so content</em> just drinking his coffee and reading his newspaper, like, that's how I wanna be when I'm old. Perfectly happy and still able to go out for a cup of good white coffee. This was taken at Ah Chow, where their coffee is legendary in Ipoh for having alcohol in it. Spike it, spike it hard.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uTBM-ZvHynOa4uEVmlOZSCx_z3rHcpWlvm6FZzFSVWOVzogoveLqdNBFVzebPF_oCufmZtsxR8V58QElEeXGWuwPWY-EylpdLYEyPjDUhAg2SUbfpKxafs-0AaBM49TzPlt0J8yUja4/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uTBM-ZvHynOa4uEVmlOZSCx_z3rHcpWlvm6FZzFSVWOVzogoveLqdNBFVzebPF_oCufmZtsxR8V58QElEeXGWuwPWY-EylpdLYEyPjDUhAg2SUbfpKxafs-0AaBM49TzPlt0J8yUja4/s640/13.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nam Chau alley's red and white umbrellas</td></tr>
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So if y'all wanna get that <a href="http://www.instagram.com/mdlxh" target="_blank"><strong>Instagram game on</strong></a> - this is definitely the place to take your pics (especially if momma won't approve of 'Prostitute Street'). Careful though, the building to the right has plenty of truck deliveries in the afternoon, so please don't get run over. Now back to exploring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-20RfsESwnAS_J0BEaxTvEK_Zqn8gN328jG8utkEAgM94KHKH-Tk1NglWuwiFVfI-l0BhpLJyX-23kG7WaR2wIPVUj3Iqxke13vOXZwp25tnKD5l_FWItr7FFn4ICab8GgPL5HhcokU/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-20RfsESwnAS_J0BEaxTvEK_Zqn8gN328jG8utkEAgM94KHKH-Tk1NglWuwiFVfI-l0BhpLJyX-23kG7WaR2wIPVUj3Iqxke13vOXZwp25tnKD5l_FWItr7FFn4ICab8GgPL5HhcokU/s640/14.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mix of modern and vintage - Artisan by BoutiQue Patiserie is to the left, I highly recommend it; and my adventurous colleague is to the middle, photobombing with that bright red top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDus69_47Xw_tMAEB-Nc8AEaLGEaVKhkswP6BcqORXpOw5K5fgJWhJDWyoGAteL01qFWMCm9fmOv6o80L60GR_QqLUWIckpvr0wFOzGlUWz9pHIDMQ71Ar8S7Yn3caB9RAmg-I_2KeVm8/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDus69_47Xw_tMAEB-Nc8AEaLGEaVKhkswP6BcqORXpOw5K5fgJWhJDWyoGAteL01qFWMCm9fmOv6o80L60GR_QqLUWIckpvr0wFOzGlUWz9pHIDMQ71Ar8S7Yn3caB9RAmg-I_2KeVm8/s640/15.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colourful handmade umbrellas, vines, and faded walls <3</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wz-va2d-lEiOw_jh_vB-8fFYYxS6-zGgEi2CHyvKzmNsD5FyXSPAAlw7s3ABVcfTCBdWlPaOU93OUwbh6VjahTq0JdaZy0uMp1KdnWTKpWcSyNNzuO5GUgY2sA8PbiIc0CPZ6PRut-w/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wz-va2d-lEiOw_jh_vB-8fFYYxS6-zGgEi2CHyvKzmNsD5FyXSPAAlw7s3ABVcfTCBdWlPaOU93OUwbh6VjahTq0JdaZy0uMp1KdnWTKpWcSyNNzuO5GUgY2sA8PbiIc0CPZ6PRut-w/s640/16.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also couldn't help myself from taking a shot of this couple getting their wedding shoot done - I'm so sneaky ahaha</td></tr>
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And now, we reach one of the most famous hipster places in Ipoh of all time, Plan B and Sekeping Kong Heng. LOL. I'm such a hater, but it's actually a really nice place for pictures. Plus, I got these cute little stuffed owl keychains for my mom and Lesley there. If you're looking for something a <em>little</em> more artisanal than 'Cartoon Rainbow House', then this is the place to go.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYc0uRyqsQksmZez8sEjQpKcnFgIwi1k-z2M9XFZhpJNLSrCdnnm0pEalQj8S9eWrTHbXfxZlPwWe7kQVNLpWESLCMRjokjwKBGKRfEJ55q4cEBE2NsDtiDa9CvEA8IvG9tL_K7xUVLQ/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYc0uRyqsQksmZez8sEjQpKcnFgIwi1k-z2M9XFZhpJNLSrCdnnm0pEalQj8S9eWrTHbXfxZlPwWe7kQVNLpWESLCMRjokjwKBGKRfEJ55q4cEBE2NsDtiDa9CvEA8IvG9tL_K7xUVLQ/s640/17.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ground floor of the extremely popular Sekeping Kong Heng loft</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGrnXnZhM0Y34ceVcFmmbd2OjQJ0Jt6EjJMNuwrw1Zmq18XWa2g_4btWX06_c8a_NJc9RwTFhh8vB5aTzCnWj8dsXn2YZGRatkApBhKihmU2upu_J6vL7y7ItqQvbXCtYPQwJ8BY08_8/s1600/ipoh-kong-heng-exterior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGrnXnZhM0Y34ceVcFmmbd2OjQJ0Jt6EjJMNuwrw1Zmq18XWa2g_4btWX06_c8a_NJc9RwTFhh8vB5aTzCnWj8dsXn2YZGRatkApBhKihmU2upu_J6vL7y7ItqQvbXCtYPQwJ8BY08_8/s640/ipoh-kong-heng-exterior.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The vines and bushes were really planned out well, I admire their gardener's work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ12SgO7jUB-mCBau1NYI7ljRgxF_cThsGtf7IJlbRVKHacg_EerGtwHgf-PzhEnx0cbiluZF4XGzfadS56H4FbkW_DUT4hypSCZ5-HPfFXLAux4sb483cqy8QjNUy1KCWiFt22DTfiRQ/s1600/ipoh-kong-heng-interior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ12SgO7jUB-mCBau1NYI7ljRgxF_cThsGtf7IJlbRVKHacg_EerGtwHgf-PzhEnx0cbiluZF4XGzfadS56H4FbkW_DUT4hypSCZ5-HPfFXLAux4sb483cqy8QjNUy1KCWiFt22DTfiRQ/s640/ipoh-kong-heng-interior.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the interior of the place where the public is allowed to visit, reminiscent of my cho cho (great-grandmother)'s old place in Melaka</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVu3HY0KLWstgUy3D6qxgmi4hW8uo5TaqGGuy-YK6PMlTc88JT-DShoC3nPIh6btfv9mdqGGIGiJKkDS9HaAFWoAsnI730cGqZvJJtwhkCweifUIGAH86NHw58XDBAQpmyNQ2OlM7gSjk/s1600/ipoh-kong-heng-metal-safe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVu3HY0KLWstgUy3D6qxgmi4hW8uo5TaqGGuy-YK6PMlTc88JT-DShoC3nPIh6btfv9mdqGGIGiJKkDS9HaAFWoAsnI730cGqZvJJtwhkCweifUIGAH86NHw58XDBAQpmyNQ2OlM7gSjk/s640/ipoh-kong-heng-metal-safe.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's just so much effort and detail put into this little place - there's even an old library next to this space</td></tr>
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Urban legend has it (actually somebody in our office told us from their personal experience) that one of the housekeepers washes <strong>the entire toilet </strong>with just ONE brush, so you might want to think twice about staying here. They may have gotten a new housekeeper now, but it doesn't hurt to check. You don't want to get dysentery. <br />
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And on that nasty note, I bid you adieu. AHAHAHA. I am so sorry, and I really appreciate all of you for reading my nonsense. I might write about my makeup routine next, if you guys are interested in that. If not, then you can always suggest something else in the comments. <3 <br />
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xoxo</div>
Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-51834271454205204412016-05-15T22:42:00.000+08:002016-05-15T22:46:06.063+08:00Pulai Springs, Johor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It took me THREE months before I could get this post up, and I've been to Johor twice since then (once for a family holiday, the other for work), so I have a lot of material to show you guys! Here are the highlights:<br />
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Lesley won a trip to Johor with two nights' stay from our church's Workers Luncheon (for those of you who don't know, that's basically a lunch to appreciate everyone who's given time to support the church in different ministries). Our whole family was actually sick with the flu but we went anyway because certain T&C's on the voucher wouldn't allow us to push it back. Make sure you read your T&C's people!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkqmaoW4Q3aUK-YLH9JBZdvX1gB7Iplts3JMvaxzmFGrV9e1pSJRCf8WQRAsBBCLwo2aKDDW25DWdImMVQQBP8fg3m8kHv2bgi6h_NVtU2t4QARgIF0xeU0DIVybMVewTDFRmbiCDIqk/s1600/johor-pulai-springs-pool1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkqmaoW4Q3aUK-YLH9JBZdvX1gB7Iplts3JMvaxzmFGrV9e1pSJRCf8WQRAsBBCLwo2aKDDW25DWdImMVQQBP8fg3m8kHv2bgi6h_NVtU2t4QARgIF0xeU0DIVybMVewTDFRmbiCDIqk/s640/johor-pulai-springs-pool1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pulai Springs clubhouse had a very intricate, traditional design that you don't see often these days</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadsYvrFQCIxNfjGgzXtvy4EOCdhyv-YaF6qYX6I9xQz1IOmNUtQm7ZfKaeaotZngS-IdnsBl5ZmqOBv5T8VUe_WfyF3UH9RhrJ1aazWEo8KQtkDUVSznLRccQRszsXtGjtyTd4mKuAWE/s1600/johor-pulai-springs-pool2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadsYvrFQCIxNfjGgzXtvy4EOCdhyv-YaF6qYX6I9xQz1IOmNUtQm7ZfKaeaotZngS-IdnsBl5ZmqOBv5T8VUe_WfyF3UH9RhrJ1aazWEo8KQtkDUVSznLRccQRszsXtGjtyTd4mKuAWE/s640/johor-pulai-springs-pool2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were actually four sections to the pool, including this giant island of rocks and palm trees in the middle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZgCifET_Y0K6yLm5GcD60lKJ9k-WrTcw4qxIPoGW1CIhcj39X6AVJjajZ9aGWsmBixM-T_iIAvoxLYpc1roPCumRbm3t7KUhg3ngfw2vN1UyaXhE2baXNAHcRQa7Py5xoRsfqROWxuk/s1600/johor-pulai-springs-pool3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZgCifET_Y0K6yLm5GcD60lKJ9k-WrTcw4qxIPoGW1CIhcj39X6AVJjajZ9aGWsmBixM-T_iIAvoxLYpc1roPCumRbm3t7KUhg3ngfw2vN1UyaXhE2baXNAHcRQa7Py5xoRsfqROWxuk/s640/johor-pulai-springs-pool3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're a guest at the hotel you can take advantage of the clubhouse's amenities for FREE!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkEe4ejqQEfg3fvn9349PunywQsWxidatuigHO2l-eivFATJ3oXFMRXGtggV1bQnGqUVFl04GrZnWZUhY4_6bjsH836N2bxjT11mPBKJmXxNs_f8k7-wI-_Mpxw20n13GFFimuztFsG_o/s1600/P_20160213_174922+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkEe4ejqQEfg3fvn9349PunywQsWxidatuigHO2l-eivFATJ3oXFMRXGtggV1bQnGqUVFl04GrZnWZUhY4_6bjsH836N2bxjT11mPBKJmXxNs_f8k7-wI-_Mpxw20n13GFFimuztFsG_o/s640/P_20160213_174922+%25282%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An infinity pool by the golf course</td></tr>
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Honestly, we didn't look up Pulai Springs before we headed there, but it is both a resort and golf club, with one of the best restaurants in Johor: Qing Palace. I wrote a <strong><a href="http://www.hungrygowhere.my/dining-guide/best-of-malaysia/traditional-chinese-cuisine-at-qing-palace-johor-*aid-a5853101/" target="_blank">complete review on it here</a></strong>. We really liked the fact that we could use their clubhouse like we had a membership - just for staying at their hotel! If you play golf, let me tell you that the course is just beautiful and covers a ridiculous amount of land. My dad has long given it up, but we enjoyed ourselves a lot at their club's ginormous pool, which has a section overlooking the sprawling golf course, a section for kids, another for laps, and one for lounging or a bar I think (sorry, this was a few months ago).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsFSXHi8qcWVLttOiWMHnULCwWjYNefMN4WLUdjJlNfPrXH0_eOT2NsMn3vaKKcVxnKghkAfLoAZn2-lJ_636HUOPZeVSn0BOlyOLTvMZ-sLpahLDdxC-PT9t44_OZGccBZSp16PGHXE/s1600/johor-pulai-springs-pond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsFSXHi8qcWVLttOiWMHnULCwWjYNefMN4WLUdjJlNfPrXH0_eOT2NsMn3vaKKcVxnKghkAfLoAZn2-lJ_636HUOPZeVSn0BOlyOLTvMZ-sLpahLDdxC-PT9t44_OZGccBZSp16PGHXE/s640/johor-pulai-springs-pond.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can even buy fish food from the rec centre to feed their koi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtoMIte7bLp2af4qgrrGVJThd3tg585QULEYV-te1YVurD3PdO0PJtzHFl-wwDHeF-ZM-2XYnPUwqq6aL-nhR2yy4aSOs5oGpktPGfL13WXK4UFKX4IeCjjCrfzrg6g5Dt7pm-XWoRqg/s1600/johor-pulai-springs-les-flower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtoMIte7bLp2af4qgrrGVJThd3tg585QULEYV-te1YVurD3PdO0PJtzHFl-wwDHeF-ZM-2XYnPUwqq6aL-nhR2yy4aSOs5oGpktPGfL13WXK4UFKX4IeCjjCrfzrg6g5Dt7pm-XWoRqg/s640/johor-pulai-springs-les-flower.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's Popek with a tiny flower</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TkH0saLXdte73HDEP-zPz-sb71wVRK9YhGw9lRD9zmMZxsw-GlWuXyPj9EiLG_aF7pHJXgczvsxEhqM8PhWXY0oM_Uu19lTZnkblZNSediT_rf2OPGU6zGmJBAg7bTqiG3w5vWNQEkE/s1600/johor-pulai-springs-meg-flower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TkH0saLXdte73HDEP-zPz-sb71wVRK9YhGw9lRD9zmMZxsw-GlWuXyPj9EiLG_aF7pHJXgczvsxEhqM8PhWXY0oM_Uu19lTZnkblZNSediT_rf2OPGU6zGmJBAg7bTqiG3w5vWNQEkE/s640/johor-pulai-springs-meg-flower.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My romper totally matches these flowers - it must be fate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBfoIVikEFiRRppMuc9OIU9kzA-2OSrq0TwNP3ivWUU9J4_zVoaysVkTocbWvqHuc3g-4Mj8IDY1ixikTmzohms0zEskIWucguuBWpoU_W1gjqYoWyZ9mHAtUDJnbiBjxAkdgEl7hGhg/s1600/johor-pulai-springs-les-wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBfoIVikEFiRRppMuc9OIU9kzA-2OSrq0TwNP3ivWUU9J4_zVoaysVkTocbWvqHuc3g-4Mj8IDY1ixikTmzohms0zEskIWucguuBWpoU_W1gjqYoWyZ9mHAtUDJnbiBjxAkdgEl7hGhg/s640/johor-pulai-springs-les-wall.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll be surprised - this is actually a normal picture of hers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuezjXUUyQPBHsm_Y-VdMqlr4awHZp78c7dSEZb7-2698SfygJw5nPxeQtS8rhOfPsRFjWJ8QWx4cD5KWBQn7TZieHdXmRpjucAitevcjT_0sXHxOXhcMAUUZVzzpbUdEDUk_C7dmInIE/s1600/johor-pulai-springs-meg-fountain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuezjXUUyQPBHsm_Y-VdMqlr4awHZp78c7dSEZb7-2698SfygJw5nPxeQtS8rhOfPsRFjWJ8QWx4cD5KWBQn7TZieHdXmRpjucAitevcjT_0sXHxOXhcMAUUZVzzpbUdEDUk_C7dmInIE/s640/johor-pulai-springs-meg-fountain.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind me is the wall Lesley was posing at, and the rest of the clubhouse's interior. Qing Palace is upstairs to the right.</td></tr>
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The clubhouse is right next to the hotel, so you won't have any trouble walking right over to enjoy the pool or to play some games at the rec centre. My dad and I had a game of pool while my mom and Lesley had a lot of fun over foosball, surprise surprise (my mom won, btw).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDNJb9PGb4v8rAJ53Ke-Mh9QFIYr_yVQe63t2ok4kdyKE0kQYXkk3f-SrwQFh6nYiuvYgCocCtIXe8zDySv_ToSA3AYwBsU9ekEcwjjOrtZ1ruqDzjzyrwYQ2sY9rimzNLjDl3R37G5M/s1600/johor-pulai-springs-restaurant1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDNJb9PGb4v8rAJ53Ke-Mh9QFIYr_yVQe63t2ok4kdyKE0kQYXkk3f-SrwQFh6nYiuvYgCocCtIXe8zDySv_ToSA3AYwBsU9ekEcwjjOrtZ1ruqDzjzyrwYQ2sY9rimzNLjDl3R37G5M/s640/johor-pulai-springs-restaurant1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just so you have an idea of how incredibly ornate Qing Palace is</td></tr>
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So even though we were sick for most of the trip, I felt like the getaway was something we all really needed. We were really blessed to have such a great opportunity to stay at a hotel like Pulai Springs; even though it is bit out of the city centre, it really didn't bother us. There's good food and nearby shops for any supplies you might need (water and meds in our case). I also wrote another review on <strong><a href="http://www.hungrygowhere.my/dining-guide/tried-and-tested/home-style-seafood-at-ah-hong-restaurant-johor-*aid-25853101/" target="_blank">Ah Hong Seafood Restaurant</a> </strong>nearby - they're a chain that's actually famous for bak kut teh in Johor, but this particular outlet was popular for their claypot fish stew. Something you might want to note if you plan on staying here! <br />
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I might write another post on Johor with all the best foods my team had on our work trip, but I have a good hunch it's probably something we'll come up with <strong><a href="http://www.hungrygowhere.my/" target="_blank">on the site</a></strong> anyway. I will definitely let you guys know if that happens. I might write about makeup next - like what products I use with my switch from America to Malaysia, what works best for my skin and tone, what are my favourite products, etc. Let me know if that's something you guys might be interested in reading in the comments below.<br />
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Until then,<br />
xoxo</div>
Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-66012809301377757072015-12-03T19:59:00.000+08:002016-05-15T22:43:58.360+08:00My life as a food writer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCJBhEMOIqAKsUpuQv0PsRuXKaCiBYm6MFowYjWqD0VTVYtYB5xG7b5HMaMQSEjejZ4sblYKcPgAwRIyXTtDiMiI-YIe9xjZxEFtn_pzQaJPJpS555PcH8pNpHdB3wX-Ve-NEcUma148/s1600/life-as-a-food-writer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCJBhEMOIqAKsUpuQv0PsRuXKaCiBYm6MFowYjWqD0VTVYtYB5xG7b5HMaMQSEjejZ4sblYKcPgAwRIyXTtDiMiI-YIe9xjZxEFtn_pzQaJPJpS555PcH8pNpHdB3wX-Ve-NEcUma148/s640/life-as-a-food-writer.jpg" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>This is me on the job in Port Dickson, at <a href="http://bit.ly/1l75Kaq" target="_blank">The Verte</a>, taking a photo of a salmon bagel</em></td></tr>
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For those of you who don't know, I've been working as an in-house writer under <a href="http://bit.ly/1LM71bR" target="_blank"><b>HungryGoWhere</b></a> for almost a year now, and I'm always asked plenty of questions about my unusual job. It's fun but it also takes up 90% of my time, so just like any other job, it has its pros and cons. Here are some complex answers to some of the simple questions a lot of you might have for me!<br />
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<strong>Q: Do you get to eat for free?</strong> <br />
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A: <span style="font-size: large;">No</span>, nothing is ever for free. :( When I eat for "free", I'm usually expected to write about or post it on social media, and my company pays for the meal usually, so no, it is not free.</div>
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<strong>Q: How many articles do you write in a day?</strong><br />
A: <strong>I think 2 is probably the most I've written in a day.</strong> It sounds like very little but from start to finish, I might spend as long as 5 hours on just one article because maybe 5 out of 100 pictures need to be chosen, edited, and resized, then I need to find missing details online, make sure listings are made for whatever restaurant/eatery I'm writing about (which includes addresses, hours, GPS cords, and phone numbers), make sure I follow the house style, etc. So it really isn't like writing a blog post, where I might make grammatical errors and blab about things that may not even be accurate. I would like whatever I write for my job to be reliable, so that when people look for food, they can trust me - basically.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQLFFw7SzJEHlp4-GDqWBhpDHlgRw9QVU_9BOVN0VCMxorBqapbd06PhvxbXTq8yyaSTqCp-UHx4US9C54nEetdWq8Lh6jQy_GFxJOl4YzlBCJ_mqXhgFD8WPcfSaO7ZzlMm-LlVdMac/s1600/life-as-a-food-writer-salmon-bagel+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQLFFw7SzJEHlp4-GDqWBhpDHlgRw9QVU_9BOVN0VCMxorBqapbd06PhvxbXTq8yyaSTqCp-UHx4US9C54nEetdWq8Lh6jQy_GFxJOl4YzlBCJ_mqXhgFD8WPcfSaO7ZzlMm-LlVdMac/s640/life-as-a-food-writer-salmon-bagel+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>What the salmon bagel really looks like</em></td></tr>
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<strong>Q: Can you write about my restaurant?</strong><br />
A: It depends on a lot of factors. The content is worked on ahead of time, so first you'd have to give me a week or two to bring it up with the editor, find a slant (reason) for an article to slot you in, then write about 50 other places that were already in the pipeline, and then see if we have time for you. Secondly, if it's not negotiated with my company (not me) for money, which means you expect me to write about your restaurant for free, then you might have to wait even longer. Sometimes<strong> you just have to be lucky.</strong> I've only ever written about places for free when it's incognito (which means they never approached us) and they happened to be within the vicinity we were exploring (location-based article), or have the type of food we wanted to write about. Or, your restaurant has to be new.<br />
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<strong>Q: What are your working hours like?</strong><br />
A: Any time. I work from everywhere. <strong>On good days it's 10 to 4, then some days it's 10 to 11 at night.</strong> Other days it's the whole weekend and then back to work on Monday. It's tough, but for the most part I do like it. People in the food industry are nice because they're not hungry. Unlike the fashion industry *jab jab jab* ahaha<br />
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<strong>Q: What's your pay?</strong><br />
A: Actually if you asked me in person I'd probably answer you truthfully straight-up because I don't have anything to hide and people's memories are not exactly 100% retainable but I don't think I'm allowed to state it online. Ha-ha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZXnIQkA805a7ziVv0YWEBkVBexF2_kZdc7Wq6qGdG2-1KpKa1xN2NAnOiVfOnidQYI6DtbZTNG7zqMqV-iSnT_DvdJ38eKDQDV5vXKm-vugdq7DnKqLvUDnyOhbMjXH6tgTI42hYKi0/s1600/life-as-a-food-writer-daily-fix-rose-latte.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZXnIQkA805a7ziVv0YWEBkVBexF2_kZdc7Wq6qGdG2-1KpKa1xN2NAnOiVfOnidQYI6DtbZTNG7zqMqV-iSnT_DvdJ38eKDQDV5vXKm-vugdq7DnKqLvUDnyOhbMjXH6tgTI42hYKi0/s640/life-as-a-food-writer-daily-fix-rose-latte.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>This is just a glam shot of a rose latte from <a href="http://bit.ly/1OuDoSS" target="_blank">The Daily Fix</a> off of Jonker Street</em></td></tr>
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<strong>Q: If I ask you where I should go to eat, would you be able to tell me?</strong><br />
A: <strong>Yes, of course!</strong> I know tons of places to eat now. But I'd really like you to use <strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1LM71bR" target="_blank">HungryGoWhere.my</a></strong> or the app instead, so you don't have to WhatsApp me and then wait for a reply. But if you can't find what you're looking for on the site, then by all means please ask me. ;)<br />
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<strong>Q: How are you not obese being a food writer?</strong> (sometimes this is worded in ways that's not even a question)<br />
A: I go to the gym whenever I can, but I also get a workout on-the-job, because who has to walk around to get you the <strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1IBtvw0" target="_blank">top 10 nasi lemak in KL</a></strong>? Who has to find some of <a href="http://bit.ly/1OuDoSS" target="_blank"><strong>the best cafes near Jonker Street</strong></a>? Who had to <a href="http://bit.ly/1jxhVeP" target="_blank"><strong>walk all over Pudu </strong></a>like 3 times just to find prices? That's right, me. And sometimes we walk to places that we don't even get content out of. We walk in the rain, when the sun's beating down on us - we're pretty relentless actually when we're determined to find what we need. I also try to not to eat when I'm not on the job.<br />
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<strong>Q: Where's your office?</strong><br />
A: <strong>KL Sentral.</strong> So I usually take the LRT to work, depending on whether I have to run around or sit in the office. But I hate the LRT. Sometimes it's okay, but I've gotten sick twice (for long periods of time too) already, and I really hate not being able to sit down at all from Masjid Jamek all the way to Ampang. I know, I could be more thankful but it also takes me almost an hour to get to work by LRT. Some people have really bad BO, and I feel like there's almost no point in me wearing any perfume because it's gone by the time I get into office. And I've yet to get sexually assaulted but I'm hoping my demeanor clearly says that I will break the face of anyone who might touch me inappropriately. :D<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGianK-u27f0TgfgxGkQOVx_UW2vWjN0S8dSUNlehtg5uz4c-PfCnVVLnX0P-q8tUS7mXA2fWTwEmIaIsA264vJ_3NpxqYIVHmX72HhYg65XxPF7K1jz-Z7OOdrQEHlr65BYzI1nuixmw/s1600/review-naughtynuri-hartamassignaturebbqribs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGianK-u27f0TgfgxGkQOVx_UW2vWjN0S8dSUNlehtg5uz4c-PfCnVVLnX0P-q8tUS7mXA2fWTwEmIaIsA264vJ_3NpxqYIVHmX72HhYg65XxPF7K1jz-Z7OOdrQEHlr65BYzI1nuixmw/s640/review-naughtynuri-hartamassignaturebbqribs.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>One of my most favourite dishes of 2015: Naughty Nuri's pork ribs!</em></td></tr>
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Here are a few things I'd like to share about my job.<br />
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1. These are some of <strong>the best places I've been to eat - slant-free</strong>. <br />
<strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1IBuah5" target="_blank">Rocku Yakuniku </a></strong>for their miso-barbequed bacon. <br />
<strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1NGcNmT" target="_blank">Naughty Nuri's </a></strong>for their pork ribs. <br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/1N2cfly" target="_blank"><strong>Sambal Hijau </strong></a>and Chunburi for their variety in nasi campur. <br />
<strong><a href="http://www.hungrygowhere.my/dining-guide/tried-and-tested/homely-chinese-dishes-at-kam-kitchen-in-cheras-*aid-0b623101/" target="_blank">Kam Kitchen </a></strong>for their Indonesian curry butter prawns. <br />
<strong><a href="http://www.hungrygowhere.my/dining-guide/tried-and-tested/charming-crepes-at-strangers-at-47-*aid-0c653101/" target="_blank">Strangers at 47</a></strong> for their amazing savoury AND sweet crepes - they are the experts for this, trust me.<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/1Q0mMnl" target="_blank"><strong>Bookmark Coffee</strong> </a>for their latte art (ask for anything and they won't even bat an eye). <br />
<strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1PuEMpM" target="_blank">Ippudo Bar</a></strong> for their seared salmon rolls with mentaiko on top.<br />
<strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1O38OLi" target="_blank">Muar town</a></strong> for their you tiao, pork porridge, otak otak, chwee kueh, KL-cut-in-half prices for food, extremely friendly nice people who are so proud of their little town, and 200k semi-lows (semi-D bungalows).<br />
<strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1YHhrTn" target="_blank">Parit Jawa</a></strong> for their asam pedas, hands down.<br />
<strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1HGuzEf" target="_blank">Char Siew Yoong </a></strong>for their char siew (obviously).<br />
Vishal's and/or Moorthy's in <strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1lWXk5y" target="_blank">Brickfields</a></strong> for banana leaf, depending on whether you want it traditional or Malaysian-ized.<br />
<strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1lWXk5y" target="_blank">Betel Leaf</a></strong> for their gobi Manchurian, in the words of my editor, "This will change your life".<br />
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2. <strong>When I say it's good, I mean it.</strong> So don't ask me where to eat if you're not gonna go because then we'd both be wasting our time, and why waste time when you can use it to eat? (I swear I've never sounded more like a food writer saying that)<br />
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3. My job takes up a LOT of my time, so I barely have enough for family and friends, let alone myself. I don't know how having a blog is going to work out but this is kind of my attempt to do something for myself that I love, and that is to write.<br />
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So that's my job in a nutshell - if you wanna learn more about what to eat and where to eat it, please please head over to HungryGoWhere.my because it's really quite underappreciated for all that it truly is. So go check it out, let me know if you have any questions or comments - I will do the best I can to answer them. :D<br />
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Ciao for now<br />
xoxo</div>
Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133574255871600247.post-20497354553314340432015-11-28T12:59:00.000+08:002018-07-18T19:35:50.070+08:00Intro<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMNY98Gtbxx830Sdj7Ae70ACL_9DXASwjwwybos75ED-VOfzh3ekfn-VPl0zKoKl53Ym-9zFmCFCwUzjQksFFGtssC_AJ8e6M3b4nHCRSn0H8fOXKOZcK06lvHRg-y6s7_LDxCzmy3Rc/s1600/IMG_20161116_093447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMNY98Gtbxx830Sdj7Ae70ACL_9DXASwjwwybos75ED-VOfzh3ekfn-VPl0zKoKl53Ym-9zFmCFCwUzjQksFFGtssC_AJ8e6M3b4nHCRSn0H8fOXKOZcK06lvHRg-y6s7_LDxCzmy3Rc/s320/IMG_20161116_093447.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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<br />
Hey, what's up! This is <strong>Megan</strong>, and you have found my blog - tadaaa. "<strong>MDLXH</strong>" is the acronym I've been going by for many, many years so if you're looking for me on <a href="http://on.fb.me/1Sox9yR" target="_blank"><strong>Facebook</strong></a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1LEqz1K" target="_blank"><strong>Twitter</strong></a>, or <a href="http://bit.ly/1IovvaU" target="_blank"><strong>Instagram</strong></a>, you will most definitely find me under that handle. ;)<br />
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I started blogging when I was 16, but I've never been consistent with it. So this is my attempt to actually blog regularly about the things I like, places I've been to, and everything else I can get my hands on.<br />
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Here are some quick facts about me:<br />
<ul>
<li>I was born in June.</li>
<li>I am Malaysian - with Nyonya, Hainanese, and some Chilean roots. </li>
<li>I took a BA in Humanities</li>
<li>I currently get paid to do what I love - which is to write. :)</li>
</ul>
Read more about me on this blog, comment if you like, and hopefully you'll enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy writing them!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
Megan</div>
Megan Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621121920287712665noreply@blogger.com0