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Tuesday, 24 December 2024

Christmas Eve │ To Choux Choux and Back!

Christmas Eve Feast!

We picked you up again in the evening after checking into the hotel apartment.

A reservation was made with Kelvin months in advance, and we made plans to share our Christmas eve dinner with Prem, Brendan's old varsity mate. Alas Prem was called away for an urgent family matter at the last minute so it will just be the three of us dining at Choux Choux.

We hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM5.00 (approximately USD/EUR1) and arrived at a quarter to seven.

Kelvin and the rest of the bubbly crew of Choux Choux immediately made us welcomed, and upon finding out that our party would be short of one person tonight Kelvin proactively adjusted our order accordingly.

In the end our Christmas eve feast consisted of:

  • Phenomenal Iberico BBQ Ribs
  • Organic Rotisserie Chicken
  • Lamb Shoulder Braise 
  • 1 French Onion Soup 
  • 2 Truffle Mushroom Soup
  • Green Apple Juice 
  • Lemonade
  • 3 Coca-Cola
  • 2 Baileys Irish Cream

Our exquisite and thoroughly enjoyed meal came at a hefty price of RM680.90 (approximately USD152/EUR146) which was well worth it, after all it's not often that we splurge on a meal.

We settled the bill and bade Kelvin as well as his merry crew a very Merry Christmas before making the one-kilometre trek back to Jalan Hutton.

Join us tomorrow as we head to Jalan Bahari to complete the trifecta of Nyonya cuisine in the area!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Home Away From Home │ Hutton Suites Hotel!

Home away from Home!

We picked you up again after disembarking from the Aeroline bus at Queensbay Mall and hailing a 6-seater Grab car to Jalan Transfer.

We arrived at half past four and was greeted by Amirul, the same front office personnel from two years ago who immediately escorted us across Jalan Transfer then along Jalan Hutton to where our apartment unit was. He was also gracious enough to help us with our luggage.

He did this so that we would not have to endure the less-than-ideal conditions of the front office at Hutton Central due to its malfunctioning air conditioning.

We arrived at Hutton Suites along Jalan Hutton and were presented with the key codes to the front door. We walked up the flight of stairs then took seat at the dining table as I filled up the registration form then paid the heritage tax of RM2.00 per day totalling RM10.00.

For those who are unfamiliar with the relationship between the two hotels, Hutton Central fronts the two with a front desk, and offers one-room apartments. Hutton Suites on the other hand shares its front desk with Hutton Central and offers two-room apartments.

Billed as a "heritage hotel in Georgetown Penang that provides guests with air-conditioned rooms offering a desk, a kettle, a microwave, a fridge, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a bidet. All guest rooms at Hutton Suites Hotel come with a seating area."

We last stayed here in August of 2022 some two years ago, and only had nothing but fond memories of our stay.

Most times the price listed for this apartment was quite steep, so we were in luck on this particular occasion since we managed to book a 5-night stay for only RM2,187.49 (approximately USD490/EUR470) which came to about RM437.50 a night (approximately USD98/EUR94).

The unit room we booked was as we remembered that satisfied all our needs and was in fact an exceptionally large two-bedroom apartment complete with a kitchenette and washer dryer. The bathroom was well appointed, the living room cosy and our bedroom comfortable. Brendan's room was a little small but adequate enough for his needs. The Hutton collection of refurbished shop houses have always been a firm favourite.

We hope that the footage taken will paint our thousand words in praise of this lovely apartment.

Stay tuned as we set out for a Christmas eve feast along China Street later this evening!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

AEROLINE: KL to Penang │ Here We Go Again!

Christmas Eve!

As mentioned in previous videos we planned to spend Christmas in Penang again, for the third year in a row.

We booked our Aeroline bus tickets online for RM72.00 each (approximately USD16/EUR15) and was fortunate to know someone living in our condo that operated a taxi service.

We made arrangements with Din our neighbour one floor down to meet at the car park on the fourth floor at eight this morning.

True enough Din was already there waiting for us, so as soon as we loaded our luggage he 3drove us the short distance to Corus Hotel.

We were quite embarrassed when Din refused to accept a fare when we arrived at Corus Hotel and thanked him for his generosity.

With time to spare until our departure at 9:30am we decided to try put the buffet breakfast at the hotel's Dondang Sayang Coffee House for RM34.80 (approximately USD8/EUR7) per person. We spent a relaxing hour or so having breakfast as we chatted while we waited for the bus to arrive.

At half past nine I walked over to the front desk of the coffee house to settle the bill before making enquiries at the Aeroline ticket office. Apparently the bus to Penang was delayed by an hour so we continued to wait comfortably at the Dondang Sayang Coffee House.

The bus made its appearance at 10:00am and finally departed half an hour later. We feared for a repeat of last year's nightmare ten-hour drive to Penang. Although the Malaysian government declared yesterday and today as toll free days traffic along the North South Expressway was relatively light.

At 2:00pm we made a pitstop at the Simpang Pulai rest area then resumed the journey fifteen minutes later.

We drove across the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge at 3:00pm and arrived at Queensbay Mall half an hour later.

We alighted from the bus, thanked the crew and collected our luggage before walking into Queensbay Mall for a potty break.

We then hailed a 6-seater Grab car, but the first driver Teh Ah Mong cancelled on us. The second Grab car picked us up eventually at 3:40pm for a fare of RM24.00 (approximately USD/EUR5) to Hutton Central Hotel.

Be sure to catch our next video as we check into our two-bedroom converted shop house apartment!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Dondang Sayang Coffee House - https://maps.app.goo.gl/1Wh21pMc6Ugyu6qq8
R&R Simpang Pulai Northbound - https://maps.app.goo.gl/BUBgWMiBR1BqWnii6

Saturday, 21 December 2024

Ode to KL's Public Transport │ Xmas Decs: 7 Mall Hop!

Happy Winter Solstice!

It being a Saturday and with Christmas right around the corner we ventured out of our condo at half past nine in the morning bound for Capital Cafe along Jalan TAR. Alas it was closed so we walked across Jalan TAR and eventually found ourselves at the lower ground floor of Sogo KL where we had breakfast at Bungkus Kaw Kaw. 

We then headed up a floor and walked to the main foyer of Sogo KL, the first of seven mall that we hoped to visit today. The reason? We wanted to capture the Christmas themed decorations at each of the seven malls that we hoped to visit today.

We then exited Sogo KL via its adjoining crosswalk with the Bandaraya LRT station. We then caught a train for a fare of RM1.10 (approximately USD/EUR0.20) to the PWTC LRT station and walked into Sunway Putra Mall to check out the Christmas themed decorations here.

We then returned to the PWTC LRT station and hopped into another train for a fare of RM1.70 (approximately USD/EUR0.40) and disembarked at the Hang Tuah station. We exited the station and walked a short distance to LaLaport BBCC. Here we captured footage its Christmas themed decorations which left us underwhelmed as well.

We then exited LaLaport BBCC and walked across the footbridge onto Jalan Imbi headed east. After a little while we entered Berjaya Times Square. The Chinese New Year themed decorations here were quite underwhelming, but it did not matter since we intended to have lunch here anyway. Be sure to catch the upcoming video of Vinh City Vietnamese Cuisine!

A little under an hour later we walked out of the restaurant then rode an elevator down to the surface level and walked across Jalan Bulan 1. We headed southeast before making our way across a footbridge that took us into Berjaya Times Square.

We were not disappointed as it was obvious that the mall made an effort with its Christmas themed decorations. We then made a pitstop at LC Waikiki to get ourselves matching Christmas T-shirts for our trip to Penang.

We then exited Berjaya Times Square and walked across another footbridge onto Jalan Bulan 1 headed north, before walking across and into Sungei Wang Plaza. Its Christmas themed decorations left us underwhelmed as well and we exited via another footbridge onto Jalan Sultan Ismail headed north before eventually ducking into the MRT station underpass to get across Jalan Bukit Bintang.

Unimpeded by the swell of humans that congregate along Fahrenheit88 and Starhill we found ourselves at Pavilion KL. Here we captured their immaculate Christmas decorations both at its Crystal Fountain outside as well as the main foyer inside.

We then exited Pavilion KL and made our way into the Bukit Bintang MRT to catch a train to the Tun Razak Exchange MRT station for a fare of RM1.20 (approximately USD/EUR0.30). We disembarked and made our way into the seventh and final mall of the day, The Exchange TRX.

The exquisite Christmas themed decorations here was worth the effort, and as our feet ached we returned to the Tun Razak Exchange MRT station to catch another train for a fare of RM1.80 (approximately USD/EUR0.40) to the Muzium Negara MRT station.

We disembarked and negotiated a maze of escalators before finally arriving at Nu Sentral. Here we walked around in search of lunch before finally settling on Tea Garden NU Sentral. We perused their menu then scanned the QR code to order:

  • Cat's Hor Fun Soup
  • my Nasi Lemak with Curry Chicken
  • our Calamansi Juice with Sour Plum
  • and my Ribena Lemon Soda

for a grand total of RM76.00 (approximately USD17/EUR16).

We then walked across NU Sentral and into Nitori in search of a replacement for my tattered old office chair. We found the exact same model and placed our order for the chair which will only be delivered after New Year's.

We then finally made our way to the KL Sentral Monorail station. For a fare of RM3.40 (approximately USD0.80/EUR0.70) the train took us to the Medan Tuanku Monorail station.

We then walked the short distance back to our home.

In our next video we will be catching the Aeroline bus to Penang, so please stay tuned!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

Sunday, 15 December 2024

Putrajaya to KL │ Yuen Chun Heong BKT

Going home!

After the exertions of last night I slept in and arose at nine this morning.

I began packing up and woke the rest up to get ready. I took one final sweeping footage of the Airbnb before leaving, and by the time we deposited the unit's key cards back into the mailbox it was ten to eleven. We then punched in our destination for an early lunch at a restaurant in Seri Kembangan.

Brendan left first with Puteh, while we settled the key deposit with BiBi.

We arrived at Yuen Chun Heong Bak Kut Teh Restaurant twenty minutes later, and quickly settled on:

  • 2 servings of Bak Kut Teh soup
  • 1 serving of dry Bak Kut Teh
  • 3 servings of Yam rice
  • 2 servings of Yu Tiao
  • 3 glasses of Iced Chinese Tea
  • (Brendan later added) 1 Coca-Cola

Bak Kut Teh is a popular pork rib dish cooked gently in a complex broth of herbs and spices for hours and is a national heritage food of Malaysia. While Bak Kut Teh translates to “meat bone tea”, no tea is used in its preparation. Rather, the “tea” refers to the Chinese tea that is traditionally served alongside the dish.

Our herb-infused lunch came to RM84.40 (approximately USD19/EUR18).

We then resumed our drive and reached home at a quarter to one. We will be heading to Penang for Christmas a week from now, so please stay tuned!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

 📍 Location:
Yuen Chun Heong Bak Kut Teh - https://maps.app.goo.gl/kDojHK2BHWJnQ7BV7

Saturday, 14 December 2024

Le Méridien Putrajaya │ Sound Check • Annual Dinner

Le Méridien Putrajaya!

Today is the day of my office's annual dinner, and our band was asked to assemble at the event before nine this morning for sound checks. We left the Airbnb at about half past eight and by the time we arrived at the hotel some of my fellow bandmates were already waiting patiently.

While we waited for our sound check session Brendan and Cat went exploring the vast expanse of space that is IOI City Mall adjacent to the hotel.

Turned out the event's sound engineers were only able to set up our musical instruments two hours later, and we went through a few songs to make sure the audio balance was just right. Half an hour later we were done and since we did not have a bite to eat all morning we headed to the nearest Mamak over at the Conezion cluster of shops and residences.

We got back to the Airbnb and rested the entire afternoon before making our back to the hotel. Brendan dropped me off at the hotel then parked Puteh after which they both continued exploring IOI City Mall.

The annual dinner was a joyful occasion and our band's performance was a roaring success. We shared a few snippets here and there, be sure to catch the entire performance here at my other channel, Fatboy Blimp https://youtu.be/9s3icaTU8Yw.

Be sure to catch our next video as we check out of our lovely Airbnb unit and head out for an early lunch!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

 📍 Location:

Friday, 13 December 2024

AIRBNB │ The Clio 2 Residences

Clio 2!

In conjunction with my office's annual dinner I spent considerable time scouring both Airbnb and Booking.com for suitable accommodation before settling on Brandon's unit at Clio 2 Residences. Thinking we only needed a night I booked for Saturday night, only to realise later that it would be prudent to check in today rather than tomorrow so that I could attend the sound test at Le Méridien Putrajaya comfortably tomorrow morning.

Listed on Airbnb Brandon invited us to "Relax with the lush greenery and overlooking a serene forest, our charming retreat offers the perfect blend of tranquillity and convenience. Just a short stroll from IOI City Mall Putrajaya, where shopping and dining options abound, our cozy unit accommodates up to 4 guests comfortably, making it ideal for families and friends alike. Come experience the best of both worlds at our forest-facing retreat. Book your stay now and create lasting memories in Putrajaya!"

Earlier today we received a text message from Brandon graciously allowing us to check in substantially earlier than listed, so at the appointed hour we arrived at Clio 2 Residence. We were provided with a QR code beforehand and showed it to the personnel at the guard house who directed us to the mailbox of Block C.

We collected our unit's key cards and then drove around the building and into the P3 parking area continuing on until we found pillar E27. We parked at our designated spot and took an elevator up.

We entered our unit and the first thing that struck us was its cleanliness and simplicity. The three bedroom 2 bathroom apartment was tastefully furnished and well appointed. We hope that our footage of the unit as well as the activities area at Level 5 where the swimming pool and gym were will do justice.

If a peaceful retreat is what you are looking for, but in close proximity to shops and a huge mall then look no further than Clio 2 Residences. The unit is literally enveloped in soothing lush greenery, and peace of mind is easily attained here. The two nights stay cost us RM520.00 which translates to RM260.00 (approximately USD58/EUR56) a night, which in our minds was a real steal.

Be sure to catch our next video as my bandmates and I sound check our musical instruments at Le Méridien Putrajaya!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

 📍 Location:

KL to Putrajaya │ Start of a 48-Hour Sojourn!

Putrajaya!

As mentioned last week we had made plans to spend 48 hours in Putrajaya this weekend as I had an annual dinner to attend, as well as performing during the dinner with my office band. 

Speaking of performances during our band's rehearsals last night I broke a guitar string, so this morning I made an appointment with Jack of Jovis Music to have it restrung. We left our condo at half past eleven and made our way to Desa Sri Hartamas where we dropped off my Tokai replica guitar at Jack's place.

We then parked our car at the basement parking of Glomac Galeria Hartamas' business centre and made our way up to the surface level. We then had a simple lunch at an unnamed roadside stall right across from Jack's place, both of us had rice with fish. Together with a round of drinks our lunch came to RM16.00 (approximately USD/EUR4).

Jack then texted me to inform that the guitar was ready, so I walked over to collect it while Cat went in search of drinking water. We then made our way back to BiBi and began our drive to Putrajaya.

I had booked two nights at an Airbnb at Clio 2 Residences across from IOI City Mall where the dinner would be held (Le Méridien Putrajaya actually) specifically for this occasion. Brendan would be joining us later tonight after his post-graduate classes, so thankfully the Airbnb had two allocated parking spaces for us.

We arrived at Putrajaya at half past twelve and headed to an emart24 minimarket at Conezion Commercial centre. With time to spare we then drove to the nearest Petronas station at Presint 16 to fill BiBi up before finally heading to Clio 2 Residences.

Brandon the Airbnb host graciously allowed us to check in a little earlier, which we really appreciated.

Be sure to catch our next video as we check into his lovely unit!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

 📍 Location:
emart24 IOI Conezion Putrajaya - https://maps.app.goo.gl/wkRtn9GAP48Mua7w7

Saturday, 7 December 2024

IZZAT & ADIBA ┃ A Wedding Reception!

Izzat & Adiba!

As mentioned last week we plan to attend my colleague's wedding today. A graphic designer he joined my department a couple of years ago, and after much time spent planning (and saving up) today is the first of his two big days.

Adiba his wife and her family will be hosting today's festivities, while Izzat's family's family's turn will be next weekend. Rest assured we will be attending that reception as well.

We left our home at half past twelve and made our way down to where BiBi was parked. We punched in our destination into the Waze app and began our drive to Gombak, which took half an hour. We unfortunately missed the absolute last turn leading to the event hall and took another fifteen minutes making a giant loop around.

Izzat's wedding reception was being held at Dewan Astana Puteri Gombak, a converted warehouse situated beside a volunteer Firemen's station. We parked BiBi at the prescribed parking lot and walked into the hall, making sure to take a slow and steady shot of our entrance.

The wedding reception was tastefully decorated and in full swing  so we hoped that our footage will do it justice.

We took our seats then headed to the buffet spread to have ourselves Nasi Minyak with Chicken and Beef dishes. At our table were colleagues from my office, and a little while later our CEO joined in the festivities. Soon as everyone was done eating, we waited our turn for a photo opportunity with the bride and groom.

We took our leave after that and hopped into BiBi bound for the dry cleaners. I had attended an event dressed in a suit during the week that now need needed cleaning and pressing. At the same time I had also recentl purchased a purple suit meant for an annual dinner this coming weekend that also needed pressing.

We punched in our destination into the Waze app and began our drive to Drop & Wash along Jalan Tun Razak. The infuriating person at the counter was extremely rude, to the point where I stormed off which my suits in tow. We then tried another dry cleaners along Jalan Putra in Chow Kit.

This time we were served with dignity and respect, and were asked to collect the suits in a couple days' time.

We then drove back to our home. Stay tuned as we spent 48 hours in Putrajaya next weekend, and if you're in luck we might even share footage of my band's performance during the Annual Dinner!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Dewan Astana Puteri Gombak - https://maps.app.goo.gl/YbLVSLN8dyvtknXb9

Sunday, 1 December 2024

Sunday Stroll │ KL Sogo • Johnny's • Sunway Putra

Another stroll!

A week after our walkabout to KL Sentral we were itching to create content. We went out yesterday to run some errands off-camera, and had lunch at Subang Jaya. 

Tired of the selection offered by the Grab Food app we decided to talk a walk to Sogo KL for lunch. We left our condo at a quarter to twelve and walked along Jalan Munshi Abdullah headed north before turning onto Jalan Dang Wangi headed east.

A few minutes later we were at the intersection of Pertama Complex and Sogo KL, and walked across Jalan TAR. We entered Sogo KL and headed straight up to Food Garden on the 6th Floor where a host of eateries could be found. My office mates and I had tried Johnny's for the first time during the week, so it was Cat's turn to have a go.

Johnny's was still pretty quiet so we had our choice of seats. We scanned the QR code on the table and perused the menu online before settling for the Combo Meal set:

  • I opted for the Chicken Sweet Basil & Egg with Rice
  • while Cat tried the Chicken Tomyam with Beehoon (Rice Vermicelli) 
  • both sets came with Thai Tea, zesty Tom Yam soup, and a scoop of ice cream

Our delectable lunch in a shopping mall came to a very reasonable RM25.80 (approximately USD6/EUR5).

We then rode an escalator up a floor to check out the so-called 'Black Friday' electronics fair but the humungous crowd dissuaded us. After a quick browse at a pharmacy we then rode an elevator down to the ground floor and exited Sogo KL via its adjoining crosswalk with the Bandaraya LRT station.

We then caught a train for a fare of RM1.10 (approximately USD/EUR0.20) to the PWTC LRT station and walked into Sunway Putra Mall. 

We then headed to a musical instrument store on the 4th floor, Swee Lee. We bought two shakers and a guitars slide for RM75.00 (approximately USD16/EUR15) then headed down one floor to Kaison where we picked up some Christmas decorations for RM81.00 (approximately USD17/EUR16).

We then headed down to the ground floor and paid Uniqlo a visit. Here I got a couple of Star Wars t-shirts for RM119.80 (approximately USD25/EUR24).

We then went all the way to the lower ground floor where we found a stall selling Sarawak Kek Lapis (layered cake). We got three different flavours for RM35.00 (approximately USD17/EUR16) then got some pastries from Bread History for RM21.40 (approximately USD5/EUR4) before heading up to the 1st floor where we exited and headed back to the LRT station.

We then caught another train for the same fare of RM1.10 (approximately USD/EUR0.20) back to the Bandaraya LRT station, and walked back home.

Stay tuned as we attend a colleague's wedding this coming weekend!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Swee Lee Store Sunway Putra - https://maps.app.goo.gl/gs2dLNqkLuVbdKLdA
Bread History @ Sunway Putra Mall