Kuching Travel - Pandan Beach

On my previous trip, I missed Pandan Beach which is one of the 2 popular beaches at Lundu - a small town about 1 1/2 hour drive from Kuching. Pandan Beach is just 2 km further down from Siar Beach - about 10 km from Lundu Town. To me it is the most beautiful stretch of beach in Sarawak. The sea is blue, the sand fine and white, and what makes Pandan Beach really special are the rocky outcrops which dot the beach at several places. From these spots - you could almost imagine you are not in Sarawak anymore. The ambiance feels more like some dream island location far far away.

The beautiful Pandan Beach.

The rocky bits called Pandan Batu. The views here are spectacular.

Some lucky local residents have their homes built right on the rocks.

Due to its secluded location, Pandan Beach is still relatively unspoilt. I hope it stays that way.

Tamu Besar Kota Belud

Tamu Besar Kota Belud gives visitors the golden opportunity to immerse themselves in Kota Belud’s immensely diverse culture. Moreover, visitors should seize this grand occasion to stockpile on home wares and food produce as vendors, farmers, and fishermen will have their best merchandizes to offer here.

The 2-day Tamu Besar Grand event showcases Sabah’s biggest open-air market as well as the unique customs and traditions of the Bajau community. Throughout this event, the native people will come out donning their respective traditional costumes.

The annual Tamu Besar is also the place to be if you want to witness the much-lauded West Coast Bajau horsemanship. Throughout this event, the younger generation of Bajau gentlemen will get in touch with their age-old heritage as horsemen of the east. There will also be a parade of ponies dressed in gorgeously ornate costumes as well as an exuberant display of riding skills by the Bajau horsemen.

Other than the usual trade activities, there are other interesting activities such as displays of farm produce and animals. Be sure to hone your haggling skills as a preparation to visit the Tamu Besar Kota Belud –you will need it!

Eating in Kuala Lumpur - Dinner at Sage

Ever since I heard about Sage, I've been wanting to try it. The resident chef at Sage is Takashi Kimura of Cilantro fame. Cilantro is often rated as one of the best fine dining restaurants in KL - serving Japanese influenced French cuisine, or is it the other way round ? It's been closed for nearly a year, undergoing some major renovations. Sage is it's sister restaurant at the Garden Residences - a brand new high end condominium at The Gardens Shopping Centre.

Having read up about Sage on several blogs, I kind of knew a bit about the food here. The emphasis is on sourcing the best and freshest ingredients from all over the world, and treating them with a light touch to bring out the best flavours. With a Japanese chef at the helm, this minimalist and perfectionist approach to food is to be expected.

For a good restaurant, the service is just as important as the food, and Sage has some of the best staff in a KL restaurant. They are elegant, efficient, and knowledgeable. Quite difficult to pull off in service-challenged KL.I went for the Set Dinner Menu - which is 5 courses for RM 180.00 nett without wine. Quite reasonable for a restaurant of this calibre.

The first course was an oyster shooter. The oyster was very fresh, one of the best I've had in KL.

The oyster was followed by a grilled Japanese Mackerel with rockets. Again, the freshness of the fish was incredible - the dish was so simple, and yet so satisfying.

The 3rd course was Seared Foie Gras with Tempura French Beans and Avocado. Words can't really describe this - down right best foie gras I've had. So decadent, the flavour was so good I didn't want it to finish. And paired perfectly with the tempura too.

The main course was a seafood risotto with king prawn and scallops. This was topped with some dried shrimps, giving the essentially Italian dish an Asian touch. Again, I was in flavour heaven - the risotto was so richly flavoured with the essence of prawns and seafood, every mouthful was shear delight. And the prawn and scallops were cooked to perfection - they were cooked through and yet remained just right. I believed they were cooked sous vide as the flavour was all retained in the flesh.

Dessert was a chocolate tart with mocha ice cream. Another perfectly executed delight.

Complimentary macaroons to finish off the meal.

Chef Kimura at the open kitchen.

This one of the best dinner experiences I've had in KL so far. Great ambience, good service and food that makes you hunger for more. No wonder it made Time Out KL's Top Fine Dining Restaurant List. Next visit, I will go for the tasting menu.

Eating in Kuala Lumpur - Lunch at Prime Steakhouse

If you want the best steak in Kuala Lumpur, chances are most KL foodies will point you to Prime which is located at Le Meridien Hotel. This is a premium steakhouse with a large selection of prime beef from all over the world. For wine lovers, they also have a largish wine collection.

The design of the restaurant is a mix of modern and old world opulence. It is quite warm and cosy, with a predominance of warm wood tones on the floor and ceiling. A good piece of steak could could easily set you back RM 200.00 here. I decided to go for the more affordable Prime Weekly Set Lunch - which is RM 85.00++ for 3 courses.

2 types of bread served before the main meal - with 3 types of butter. Nice.

The Appetizer was a "Rendang Style" slow braised Wagyu Beef Cheek with Potato Galette and Young Mango Slaw. Needless to say, the meat was extremely flavourful and tender after the "Rendang" treatment. The Young Mango Slaw gave the dish some added tanginess to cut through the richness and spice.

The main course was a Charcoal Grilled NZ Grass Fed Beef Medallion with Pearl Semolina and Beef Bacon Risotto Style, Wilted Greens and Porcini Sauce. The meat was sublimely tender - and had a gaminess which is quite different from grain fed beef, a bit unexpected but delicious just the same. The Pearl Semolina was also surprisingly tasty even tough it had beef bacon instead of real bacon.

For dessert I chose the Lemon Meringue Pie which was served with a Mango Yoghurt Ice Cream and Wild Berries Coulis. The meringue was more like a foam which had been slightly scorched. I would have preferred a more traditional meringue texture. The lemon tart was good though.

Coffee and cookies after dessert.


Prime has been included in Time Out KL's 2009 Best Fine Dining Restaurants List. The quality of the food speaks for itself, with prices to match. The Set Lunches are very good value though, and they do not skimp on the quality. Highly recommended for steak lovers.

Kuala Lumpur - Christmas is Coming to town !

Shopping centres always get the Christmas Spirit before anyone else. Here in Malaysia, they have been getting the Christmas Spirit since October. Go into any of the endless number of malls in Kuala Lumpur, and you can't miss the yuletide music, decorations and all the other paraphernalia. It is interesting that in Tropical countries we like to pour on the winter wonderland theme. It's a way for us to escape the heat I guess, and to dream about that holiday to a place far far away, where it actually snows. What is a Christmas without snow ? Strange thing is, those in cold countries dream about a Christmas in the Tropics !

Island of the Big Lion

No one knows why this Langkawi island is called "Island of the Big Lion" - the island does not has any physical resemblance of a lion at all. Limestone outcrops are prominent on the north eastern part of the island.

Pulau Singa Besar is located about 17km from Kuah, nestled between the smaller island of Pulau Beras Basah to the west and Pulau Dayang Bunting to the east. The sedimentary rocks on this island are reputed to be among the oldest in Malaysia going back 500 million years. The flora and fauna here differ greatly form that on the mainland, with lush abundance of the Diptherocarp, kelubi and cycas.

This island is a wildlife sanctuary where you can find lizards, mouse deer, macaques, eagles and hornbills roam freely. Wooden walkways and paths have been delineated on the islands shores for for you to trek around the island which normally takes about 8 hours.

At low tide, parts of the coral bed of Pulau Singa Besar is exposed. Although rich in coral beds, some of the reefs are dead due to muddy sediments brought by currents from the Straits of Malacca. However, there are also signs of coral regeneration in some places.

You can have a picnic on the pristine beaches and enjoy swimming in the surrounding waters. There are no hotels or chalets on this island but you are allowed to camp here. However, you'll have to bring along your own tents and camping equipment if you wish to spend the night on the Big Lion of Langkawi islands.

Pantai Tanjung Rhu - Tanjung Rhu Beach

Tanjung Rhu is one of Langkawi best beaches. This beautiful beach fringed with tall casuarina trees is located 22 km away from Kuah - on the northernmost tip of Langkawi island. During low tide, you can actually walk across a sandy stretch to the rocky outcrop of Pulau Chabang. There are also a number of caves as well as mangrove swamp that you can explore nearby.

Tanjung Rhu is safely sheltered by the curve of the bay. The water is shallow and calmly blue. This beautiful secluded bay of white sand is constantly caressed by the gentle breeze blowing in from the vast Indian Ocean.

You can hire a boat to cruise around the islands. There is also the Tanjung Rhu Riding Centre which offers equestrian sports. The exclusive Tanjung Rhu Resort, set on its edge is one of the resorts on this bay.

Beautiful Petronas Twin Towers :)

The Petronas Towers also known as the Petronas Twin Towers are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the CTBUH's official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101, but remain the tallest twin buildings ever built, surpassing the World Trade Center. The building is the landmark of Kuala Lumpur with nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower.