Penang Hill and Food

 Funicular is a lift system in Penang Hill.  We went on a Saturday morning.  Extremely crowded.  It is a good place to visit.

I went with 3 schoolmates.  So it was 3 days trips for food and durian.  So shiok.  Here are some of the food we ate.

CNY Fair Johor Jaya

 The annual CNY Fair in Johor Jaya is one of the biggest in Johor.  It is one of the biggest.  I visited 3 times now.  I first went to explore Johor Jaya with a friend. We took a long way following the bus driver telling us the bus stop to go Johor Jaya.  We found the underground pass!  Then I go JJ again the following week by dropping off at Aeon.  I found it is far easier to walk to JJ.  Now I keep going to JJ since via Aeon Tebrau.

The fair has a few bak kwa stalls.  The pork belly bak kwa is very popular.  Some has waited for a few hours.  I gave and then found that the shop is 10min walk from the fair.  So I walk to the shop instead and there is no queue there!!!

Lots of new year goodies but I did not buy any because Malaysia new year goodies do not use coconut or only in small quantities.  Sweet cakes and mandarins are plentiful.

Johor Jaya is a residential district.  So there are plenty of kopitiams.  I enjoy trying out the different hawker food.  There are a few bak kut teh shops as well.  Emperor Wanton Mee was pretty good.

Pudu!

 I love Pudu!  Pudu is an old area just beside downtown KL.  It is near Berjaya Times Square and Lalaport.  Jalan Alor and Jalan Imbi are walking distance.  Loads of food option.  ICC Pudu is like our morning market and hawker center.  ICC Pudu is closed by afternoon.  The morning hawker has several of my favorite.  The coffee and tea pretty good.  This is the stall I like.  

The other stall is the wine chicken buns.  The stall is open for business just after 6am even though the sign say 630am.  My other recommendation is the egg tarts.  I bought pork belly bak kwa for Chinese New Year and my boy and granddaughter loved them.  At Petaling Street, I also bought almond florentine.

My appetite is small in the morning.  I ate one bun and one egg tart for my train ride from KL to JB.  The balance 3 buns and 1 tart I brought home.  My daughter-in-law, son and Wife enjoyed a bun each.  My 2nd granddaughter enjoyed a little of bun's dough skin.  I am glad they get to taste the buns and the egg tart was shared by my 2nd boy and his family including my eldest granddaughter.  This is a sweet ending of my KL trip.  

Johor Jaya the residential area opposite Aeon Tebrau

 Yesterday, I went to Johor Jaya with a friend.  We went trying to look for the fried chee cheong fun.  Took some searching.  We asked the local Malay student for help.  Then a Chinese woman who just drove out asked us where we going.  We told and she said the coffeeshop has fire and is closed.  Will only open tomorrow.  She also said the food is not nice as it is very oily and recommended Toast instead.  It is true, we found the place and it was cooking spring onion.  The tables and chairs are all new.  The coffeeshop is right beside Durian stall.  We found the durian price is quite high.

Toast Kopitiam food is quite good.  So I ordered takeaway Nasi Lemak with Chicken Merah and Fried beehoon with Chicken Chop.  Both are quite good but the beehoon taste of fermented balachan.  So, I think I will skip fried beehoon in future.  

To reach Johor Jaya, we have to go to underground pass as we were on the opposite side of the highway.  It is my first time.  We walk a long way from Aeon Tebrau, so I was getting worried that we will given wrong direction.  But my friend said he trusted the guy who gave us the direction.  Eventually, we found the underpass!

 

Shangrila, Lijiang, Dali and Kunming

 We went for package tour in Kunming with B3.  Day 1, I had motion sickness.  It was so bad.  Poor start to holiday.  After landing we go to Lijiang for 3 nights. 2nd night, altitude sickness hit.  I had no appetite to eat.  Have to take bus for a few hours.  Feeling nausea all the time.  Hence, the trip is plagued with fellow tourists feeling sick.

We went to the hospital for treatment.  B3 was given IV.  My wife and I had oxygen for 2 hours.  I also had CT of lung.  I had nodules in my lungs.  So the doctor advised me to go for check in 6 months.  

The hospital in China is amazing.  Treatment and CT cost RMB600 or about S$120.  CT costs $800 in Singapore.  The Tiktok claims are credible.  I am so impressed.  On our return to Singapore, we decided to go Raffles Medical for treatment.  We have to wait for more than 2 hours to see a GP!!  They were out for lunch.  The cost of GP, medicine and Flu testing costs $137.

Direct train from JB Sentral to KL

 There are lots of news flashes and articles on the Electric Train Service or ETS from JB Sentral to KL Sentral.  Until now no tickets available on sales.  So much publicity and systems is falling behind.  They are trying to generate interest and demand.  I took the train from KL to Kluang.  I was the only passenger in the coach.  I think it demand is low due to the timing.  The train leaves at 745am KL Sentral.

I am also starting to be skeptical when the initial news said 12 trips daily.  Now the reports are says 12 trips when fully operational.  Also the 12 trips are two ways.  This actually means 6 trips per day each way.

The price is quite high at RM 90 which is 3 times the price of bus.  The first month there will be a discount of 30%.  Still high but very competitive vs bus since the comfort of the train and timing certainty.

Midvalley Mall Southkey

 I was hungry for tim sum and decides to go the Johore to satisfy my craving.  My wife decided join. Hence we have to go to Midvalley Mall as she needs aircond.  Meng Meng has good charsiew and dim sum as well.  So I decided to try the food there.  However, the dim sum is a huge disappointment.  Plus the price is high.  To scratch my itch, I have to go to Nam Heong.  The egg tarts and beancurd are pretty good. 

This is one of rare time I drove over.  The drive is pretty good today.  Half an hour each way.