Top 10 Food to Eat in Kota Kinabalu

My home town is Kota Kinabalu, located in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. I'm fortunate enough to be able to grew up in this beautiful land surrounded by the beautiful beaches and rainforest, the best of the both! I will get into more of what to see and do in other post, we are here to talk about food today! Food industry in Kota Kinabalu, in short KK as we called it, has grown so much over the past few decades. Since I have moved away from home for more than 10 years, exposed to all other great food around the world, KK food still have a spot in my heart. So I have short listed the 10 food you should try when you're in Kota Kinabalu in no particular order.

1.  Sang Nyuk Mee 生肉面 @ Sinsuran Kim Hing Lee 金兴利茶室 :
   
   
   
   
   This store is the best of them all in my opinion, it's one of the oldest too. It's a very popular dish in town, translated to raw pork noodle literally. But fear not, it's thinly sliced pork served in hot pork flavoured broth. Aside from the choice of what type of noodles you want, you too have the choice of ordering the noodle in wet or dry form. Wet being the noodles soaked in the broth and dry being the noodles stirred in dark soy sauce and pork lard (soup is served separated in differed bowl). I like it in wet form as the noodles will have more flavour being soaked in the broth.
2. Dumplings two way 水饺、锅贴 @ Kedai Kopi New Mui Vui Hiltop 永健成茶室
   
   
   These pork dumplings come in pan-fried or poached style, they are just delish! There's something different that I can't really point out but the dumplings here in KK , they are just different. You can't really find the same elsewhere and I find myself preferring this restaurant's dumplings (they serve other stuff too like grilled fish, squid and noodles).
3. Coconut Pudding @ Road Side Stall in Tuaran
   
   Needed I say more, it's iced cold coconut pudding in a coconut! It's not your usual store bought coconut pudding, it doesn't taste that coconut milk like but more to a coconut water refreshing taste. They make them in a plastic cup too for convenience purpose but make sure you get the one made in fresh coconut, it's more flavourful (and environmentally friendly!). Their other speciality is grilled coconut. You can find them on the way to Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort (there's a whole road of them with few stalls selling the same or similar stuff).
4. Beef Noodle @ Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap 家香牛什 
   
   If you love beef then this is the place to be for you. You have the choices of different parts of beef to serve with your noodle. The beef are so tender and the beefy broth, it is jammed pack with flavour along with the sweetness of daikon/raddish/white carrot some would call it. The restaurant make their own chilli sauce and they are perfect match with the noodle if you're a fan of spiciness. 
5. Roast Pork/BBQ Pork/Chicken Rice 烧肉/叉烧/烧鸡饭@ Kedai Kopi Gunung Emas 金嶺茶餐室 
   
   A man run this business since the 80s if I'm not mistaken. I'm a loyal customer of his since I was little, visiting his restaurant almost every Sunday with my family growing up. Until now, no one else beat him! If you don't know which to choose, don't choose, just order "campur-campur" which in malay it means mix-mix, you will get all three of the roast pork, BBQ pork and chicken platter to go with your rice (and remember their chilli and ginger sauce). You can also ask for their "char sau sauce" which is the essence/ sauce from the BBQ pork, it's amazing with the rice. Trust me, you won't regret it! There will be the dreadful queue for dine in and take away formed everyday except when it's close. So, make sure you be there as early as 11-11.30am as products are limited everyday and it won't last long.
6. Seafood Tom Yam Noodle @ Fatt Kee Hilltop 發记鱼雜专卖店
   
   Popular with their tomato soup seafood noodle, I prefer the one with a kick, the tom yam flavour! It's not exactly the same taste with Thai style tom yam, a KK style tom yam I would say, the soup is thicker and more sour and less spicy. Serve with fresh fish fillets or fried fish fillets or prawns (your choice), you can also choose to have the tom yam soup serve in a different bowl with the noodle.
7. Kaya Toast @ Fong Ip Cafe 冯業
   
   This is a great place to have breakfast or tea time as they serve a wide variety of food and drinks. But the kaya (a paste made from coconut milk and egg) toast is one of the most ordered items from the menu. Soft toasted bread (did I mention they bake their own bread?) with butter and kaya, great combination! I guess that is why they get the name "Roti Kahwin", marriage bread in translation.
8. Fish Paste Noodle 鱼滑面@ Kuo Min Restaurant 国民茶室  
   
   Fish paste doesn't really sound appealing but don't be fool. It's basically seasoned fish paste made to a shape similar to fish balls just not a perfect round shape. It is the smoothest fish paste ever and the flavour is on point! The best way to order (in my opinion) is to order the dry noodle with dark soy sauce along with a bowl of fish paste unless you prefer your noodle soaked in the soup together with your fish paste.
9. Seafood @ Welcome Seafood Restaurant 大茄来海鲜餐廳 
   
   How can you not have seafood in a land so close to the sea. Kota Kinabalu offers a huge variety of seafood from salt water fish to mantis shrimp! This restaurant is like a mini aquarium offering all kinds of live seafood. You can go around and pick what seafood you want and there's always a few way to prepare them, just ask them for suggestion or spot what's popular and feast away!
10. Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶 @ Sin Kee Bak Kut Teh  新记肉骨茶 
    
    A hearty food that requires sharing because sharing is caring and in this way you can order more dishes, win win! The broth is great with rice and the soup is bottomless, they will refill the soup when it's low. You can also order the main broth with pork knuckle, pork belly or any part you would like. The pork balls are awesome by the way. The meat are so tender that it just comes apart when you bite them. Perfect comfort food especially when the weather is cooler.

Bonus: If you ever have the moment of getting sick of Asian food and craving for something that is not Asian, there are a few nice western restaurants around but this is the must go!

Little Italy Restaurant

Authentic Italian restaurant and located in the city centre. Everything is made from scratch, even with their pasta and pizza dough. A great variety of Italian food for you here with great services from the staff. I dare to say this is one of the great contender for the best Italian restaurant in Malaysia and it's in Kota Kinabalu. 

Love,

Carol 

10 things to do in Bali

Bali, a popular tourist destination especially after the 1980s, it is one of Indonesia's island, a well known one. And in the Bali Island, the tourism industries are mainly focused on the south of the island where it has the highest population among other Bali towns. Although most Indonesians are Muslims (more than 80% of them), most Balinese are practising Balinese Hinduism. Bali is well known for its art, culture, architecture, agriculture and more. Its breath taking surrounding, the sea, the forest and the mountains, I see why this place attracts so many of us, wanting to pay a visit.
I have been to Bali twice and I still want to go back and see more! Without further ado, here are 10 things you can do when you're in Bali.

1. Kintamani Day Tour 
   
   This is a great way to explore the other side of Bali, Kintamani located at the north-east of Bali, it's a highland away from the beach. The tour will provide you transportation with a English speaking driver. In this tour, you can explore the local villages, temples and witness their handicrafts skills like silver jewellery making and wood carving. On top of that you will be able to visit one of the famous "Bali instagram picture", the Tegalalang rice terrace. You can also enjoy your balinese lunch while admiring the active volcano (Batur Mount) across from your table like we did. Don't forget to taste some traditional Bali 'luwak' coffee, it's their speciality. For more info: click here                                                                                              
2. Bali Safari and Marine Park
   
   Pay a visit when you have the extra time. They have a great variety of healthy animals in this park including white tigers, orang utans, komodo dragons, piranhas and so on. They offer safari ride among the animals' habitats, animal shows (birds and elephants are the popular ones), pictures with the selected animals ( I was lucky enough to be there when there's a white tiger cub!), night safari and dine in a restaurant called Tsavo Lion, it is a restaurant with full length glass panel separate you and the lions, you can dine and observe the lions safely.
   
   If you feel like having the experience, you can also stay at their safari themed hotel huts. For more info: click here
3. Temple Visit 
   
   Balinese ancient temples are one of the popular tourist attractions. There are a lot of them around Bali and each one of them are unique, one of a kind. But the most visited ones are Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, Goa Gajah, Ulun Danu Beratan and Besakih Temple. If you have to choose one, I would recommend Tanah Lot. It is the most popular and uniquely located on a big rock by the shore with constant crashing waves. It definitely is the great spot for your postcard shot. As the temples are a sacred place, the proper attire to enter is to wear a sarong waist cloth/ sash. No need to worry if you don't have one, they will be available around the entrance of temples for rentals or for sold.
4. Local Art Markets
   
   
   For those art lovers out there, this will be a treat for you but for those who are not so much of an art fan, they are quite an eye opening experience. Bali art markets offer all sorts of artworks and handicrafts they are famous for. The markets are open air style, filled with small kiosks packed with lots of local made products from batiks to paintings to wood carvings to knick knacks. Once you have your mind on something you wanted, make sure you practice your haggling/ bargaining skills for a better deal. Don't be shy. The popular markets are the Ubud Art Market and Kuta Art Market.   
5. Beaches 
   
   
   
   
   Relax by the beach and enjoy the moment. I would recommend the Nusa Dua Beach and Seminyak Beach. The popular Kuta Beach is to be avoided because it's dirty, too crowded and you will be harass by the locals constantly who try to sell you beverages, fake sunglasses, knick knacks, massage services and the list goes on. Reminder: please keep the rubbish with you and help to keep the environment clean. Also, don't forget to put your sunscreen on.
6. Waterbom Bali
   
   Rated as the #3 best water parks in the world and #1 in Asia, if you like rides, you should dedicate a day in the Waterbom. They have all sorts of rides cater to adults and children, perfect for families. Not into rides? Don't worry, there are more than just rides in the park, they also have retail outlets, fish spas, reflexology centre, hair braiding services, restaurants, food stalls and an in pool bar! For more info: click here 
7. Beach Clubs
   
   A lifestyle destination, it is a great place to hang out if you prefer a more private area. I would recommend Ku De Ta Bali and Potato Head Beach Club both located in Seminyak. Surround yourself with great music, great layout of the club facing the beach with a cocktail or a sandwich in your hand. Want a more private and secluded beach club? check out the beautiful Karma Beach Bali. 
   
   For more info:click here or click here
8. Reflexology Like Thailand, Bali has their own style. There are a lot of them reflexology centres around. I went for the one in my hotel and it sure was relaxing, best treat for my body.
9. Balinese Food 
   
   
   
   
   A cuisine that is so underrated. They are available almost everywhere. Don't be afraid to walk into their little stalls or kiosks to try their food. They might not look fancy but trust me you will be surprise at how good the food taste and the price will be much cheaper than your hotel meals. Some of the local dishes name are Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Balinese Satay (skewered meat with bamboo stick or lemon grass stick), Babi Guling (spit roasted pig), Nasi Campur (rice served with few local dishes) and Es Campur (shaved ice with fruits, jellies and coconut milk).
10. Night Life 
    
    Don't know what to do after the sun goes down? Put on your party shoes and head to some of these night clubs or bars for a dance. Most of the clubs and bars are spread among Legian and Kuta. Here are the popular ones, Sky Garden Lounge and The Bounty. If night clubs are too much, you can head to one of the rooftop lounges available for a drink. Here are some of them, Sky Garden Rooftop Lounge, Luna Bar and Tao Rooftop Bar. 

There you go, my list of 10 things to do when you visit the beautiful Bali. Remember, when you visit a place, it's always wise to help keeping the environment clean, respect the culture and most important of all, have an open mind and absorb as much as you can! Happy Travel!

Love,
Carol

Making my own breadcrumbs

I started to make my own breadcrumbs and I made it a habit of mine now. In France, their ready made breadcrumbs in the shops are not the usual breadcrumbs texture I used to use when I was in Australia. They are dryer and finer, very cous-cous liked shape, it is just not the same.

They are great with fish but not ideal for making burgers, meat-loafs, meatballs, etc (in my opinion). 
Since, we will have baguette at least once a week (they are so yummy and fresh here) and we usually can't finish them, the idea of making my own breadcrumbs popped up!

So here's how I make them, it's just 3 simple steps.

1.  Cut the baguette to thin slices and put them into the food processor. Blend them to your ideal texture.
   
2. Spread your breadcrumbs evenly on a baking tray (lined with baking paper) and bake in a preheated oven at 150C for about 10-15 minutes.                                                                         
   
   
3. Your breadcrumbs are ready! I bought a glass jar from Ikea to store them.
   
   

Instead of throwing stale bread and buying ready made breadcrumbs, why don't just spare 20 minutes of our time and make our own?
p.s. My husband actually asked what brand of breadcrumbs I used for the first time because he likes it very much.

Love,
Carol

Pieces I got from Balmain x H&M Collection

This is too overdue! The Balmain x H&M collection was amazing and the hype was huge, this means people went cray cray for them. I went to the H&M flagship store in Paris, which is the Champs-elysées store. Doors opening at 8am and I arrived at the store by 6am and the queue was reaching the 7th store away from H&M. It was madness, people pushing, people screaming even with the present of about 20 police officers at the scene to control the crowd.

I didn't get to enter the store until about 10.30am and the pieces were almost gone. Everyone was allowed up to 5 minutes to get what you want and you'll be move to the line to queue to pay. Yes, no trying! So I quickly ran to what I wanted, yes, I ran and get my size, I was thinking it was a gamble but luckily all the items I bought fits!

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Of course, I didn't get to buy all the items on my shopping list and here is what I missed out.
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You can still find these on places like eBay or Amazon but they won't be cheap. They are more expensive now than the retail price, so personally, unless you really love the pieces, I think the reselling prices are just ridiculous now, not worth it.

Love,
Carol

Walking around Paris

I have been living in Paris for about 5 months now and I still can't get over the fact that I'm actually living in this beautiful city. Living in Paris is very different than having a holiday here. I see so much more than just those touristy experiences. I see, hear and feel the everyday life of the Parisian and now I'm adapting the Parisian life slowly. It's very laid back and relaxing so far. I fell in love with the culture here, especially their fashion of course. There's always someone's style to look at!

Paris is so beautiful, every corner and every turn is a beautiful picture itself and here are some of the pictures I have taken by my phone. 

Love,
Carol