Funny Mountain Tau Fu Fah @ Ipoh, Perak

Giant signage makes it impossible to miss!

This is the most famous Tau Fu Fah in Ipoh, and possibly the best in West Malaysia. True to word, every mouthful is soft, smooth, and fluffy. Its texture is second to none, and you should definitely visit as early as possible because when their stock finishes, they're done for the day! The stall opens at 10.30am and you'll usually see a long queue, or patrons using the drive-through service available, to order. 

Silky, Smooth Tau Fu Fah

The Little Stall

For RM0.80, you get 2 very shallow scoops of the creamy, silky beancurd. You'll probably finish it in less than 20 seconds, so be ready to order 2 bowls to truly satisfy yourself. For those of you who are feeling thirsty, they also sell refreshing, cold soya bean milk.

I'll definitely need at least 2 bowls to satisfy my cravings =)

Verdict :

Toothpick says : Best Tau Fu Fah I've tried so far and by far!

Sandal says : No close contender as yet.

Address :
49, Jalan Theatre,
30300 Ipoh, Perak.
(near Restaurant Lou Wong Tauge Ayam KueTiau)

GPS : 

N = 4° 35' 40.93", E = 101° 5' 3.36"

Google Map :

4.594703, 101.084266

ABC Grilled Seafood @ Temerloh, Pahang

The Chef to Thank for such wonderful seafood!

To feast on good ol' fresh Patin fish, you should always head east towards Pahang, particularly Temerloh, which is renowned for their Patin fish. During our recent trip to this  little town, I've found that besides Patin fish, Temerloh also houses a fantastic restaurant serving excellent grilled seafood.

Exterior View

ABC - You can also order it in a glass as a drink

Situated along the main road of Temerloh's New Town (Temerloh is divided into two sections; Old Town & New Town), ABC (as what the locals commonly call it) is a famous eatery among the Chinese in Temerloh. Named after their famous Air Batu Campur (ABC) drink, this place is also good for its grilled seafood such as the grilled stingray, chicken fish, calamari, prawns and etc.

Boiled Cockles

We started with some boiled cockles (see-hum) to wet our appetites. Nothing extraordinary here, after all cockles are just cockles but it was an enjoyable, light snack to munch on while waiting for the rest of our dishes (Would have been even better if they served Ba Li Tong too!). Do get your Hepatitis A jab before feasting on these slimy little scavengers though =)

Sizzling, Succulent Squid

Next to arrive was the Grilled Calamari. This dish was really delicious! In fact, this is Sandal's favorite! The squid was succulent and chewy without being too rubbery, and it was seasoned and cooked in a special, fragrant, turmeric tasting, spicy sauce on a banana leaf. Simply addictive!

Very moist and fresh Grilled Sting Ray

From left : Grilled fish sauce, Chicken Fish (A.K.A Ikan Katak - an alternative to the stingray), Cockles sauce

We also ordered the Grilled Stingray. To be honest, I have totally given up on Grilled Stingray due to the countless dry and overcooked ones I've consumed in KL/PJ. That is, until I've tasted the ones here. Unlike the normal Portuguese-style ones you can find in almost every food court in KL/PJ, the grilled stingray here was way superior as it was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. It was done so well that I didn't even need to dip the fish into the chili lime sauce that came with it for extra flavoring.

Sweet, firm, tasty prawns

The winner of the night however, was the grilled prawns. Not only was it fresh and bursting with aromatic flavors, the 8 medium-sized prawns only cost us a mere RM15. Definitely not something you can find anywhere in KL/PJ!

Verdict :

If you're ever in Temerloh or happen to pass by this town in the evening, do give ABC a try.  It's definitely worth every dollar and cent. Food here is not only tasty but cheap as well. I can't remember the exact price for most of the dishes, but rest assured that they are at least 20% cheaper than most of the ones you'll find in the city. Business hours are from 6pm till midnight daily, except for Mondays. For directions to this restaurant, please take a look at the map or gps coordinates below.

Toothpick says : Just writing about the food here makes me salivate! Will definitely return.

Sandal says : Can't wait to eat their "sotong"

Address :
Jalan Kuantan,

28000, Temerloh,

Pahang.

GPS :

N = 3° 26' 52.20", E = 102° 24' 48.66"

Google Map :

3.447834, 102.413518

Bandung, Indonesia

Bandung (GMT +7) is the third largest city and second largest metropolitan area in Indonesia. Due to its topology, the weather here is relatively cooler than other Indonesian cities ranging from 17°C - 29°C.

Bandung is a shopping heaven for Indonesians just like what Bangkok is, to the Thais - which makes it a popular weekend getaway among the Jakartans. If you are planning a visit to Bandung, I’d suggest you avoid the weekends or holiday season as you wouldn't want to spend most of your time getting stuck in the middle of a bustling jam.

Bandung is not just famous among the Indonesians. In recent years, it has also become a shopping and eating destination among the Malaysians and Singaporeans.

Bandung Shopping :

Factory outlets are the main shopping concept in Bandung. There is a huge variety of designs for you to choose from, and Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and Polo Ralph Lauren are some of the brands you can find here. However, do take note that 99.9% of them are not genuine.

Although there are plenty of factory outlets around in Bandung, not all are worth visiting. The list below introduces the ones that are worth visiting :

Rumah Mode

Located in Jalan Dr. Setiabudi, Rumah Mode (mo-the) is Bandung's most popular factory outlet and the most crowded one as well. You can easily find something to buy here regardless of gender or age. The  quality of the clothes here are better and the selection huge as compared to the other factory outlets around. If you are planning to visit Bandung, make sure to include Rumah Mode into your list of 'Must Visits' or your trip will not be complete. My only advice for visitors is to avoid this place during the weekends and public holidays if possible.

The Secret

 

There are at least 10 factory outlets along Jalan Riau and most of these outlets sell the same type of clothing and design. However, The Secret is a rarity as you will be able to find a mixture of past and also current trends all under one roof. Due to its popularity among the locals and tourists, my advice to you is the same; try to visit this place during the weekdays.

Heritage

Heritage is another popular factory outlet located in Jalan Riau. They offer plenty of choices but most of the designs here can also be found in Rumah Mode and The Secret.

For Men

 

Located in Jalan Riau, the For Men outlet only sells goods for men. Not only is this place a shopping heaven for men, but also for their female counterparts as they can just drop their husband, boyfriend, partner or guy friend off here while they take their own sweet time shopping in the nearby outlets such as Heritage and The Secret.

Bandung Food :

Besides shopping, another reason to visit Bandung would be for their food. Make sure to try out their famous and delicious Sundanese food in Sambara, and if you are craving for Nasi Padang, you might want to give Restoran Sederhana a try. 

Sajian Sunda Sambara

Sundanese food is one of the most popular delicacies in Bandung. Ask the locals for the best Sundanese restaurant in Bandung and they will probably tell you to give Sambara a try. We ordered Nasi Putih (white rice), Ayam Sambara (Sambara fried chicken), Tahu Goreng (fried beancurd), Iga Bakar Lada Hitam (black pepper beef rib), Tempe Mendoan (fried battered tempe), Gurame Bakar (Grilled Gurame fish), Pepes Ayam (banana leaf chicken) and a glass of Juice Alpukat (Avocado juice) The total bill only cost us Rp132,825 (approx. RM46.80) which was very reasonable for a very lovely meal.

Restoran Sederhana

After a long day of shopping at Rumah Mode, you can head to Restoran Sederhana which is located just a few shops away, for its masakan Padang. Most of the the dishes here were spicy and tasty. However, it would have been better if the dishes were also served hot. For Indonesian standards, we considered the prices for the dishes here on the high side due to the  small portions and lack of presentation in the food and also the restaurant ambiance. We ordered Nasi Putih (white rice), Ayam Gulai (chicken curry), Perkedel (potato croquette), Sate Padang (beef satay drenched in some special Padang sauce), Ayam Bakar (grilled chicken) and Kentang Telur Puyu (potato with quail egg), and the damaged done was Rp105,600 (approx. RM37).

Amanda

Amanda is famous for their Brownie Kukus (steamed brownie). At  just Rp24,000 (approx. RM8.40) a box, the portion is substantial enough to feed 4 people in one tea seating. However, if you are expecting good quality, rich, creamy, and buttery chocolate brownies, this will not cut it for you. In fact, the steamed brownies tasted rather healthy, light and airy; which has its own good points as you can eat more without feeling 'jelak'.

Mayasari

We saw this Mayasari snack stall in the Paris Van Java mall. Mayasari is famous for their layer cakes, and they also sell a bunch of snacks like cheese sticks and brownies. In the event, that you do not see a Mayasari during your trip, do not fret, as you can still buy them at the airport =)

Durian Ice-cream 

 

One of the most common stalls you will see on the streets in Bandung are these Durian Ice-cream sellers. Although these stalls were a dime a dozen, we dared not venture our fragile little tummies to try them as we felt that there were some hygiene issues.

Getting around :

Travelling around in Bandung can be quite frustrating, especially for first timers. There is no proper roadside pavement to walk nor mass rapid transit system, metro and tram.

Taxi

Taxi remains the simplest way to travel around for tourist but you have to be careful of the non-metered taxis. Some of these drivers may refuse to use a meter and will charge you a fixed price instead. If you encounter such a driver, don't be afraid to say NO and wait for more reliable taxi companies such as the Blue Bird or Garuda. The taxi fare is relatively cheap in Bandung compared to other countries, but do take note that there is a minimum charge of Rp20,000 (approx. RM7) for taking a ride. So, for short distances, a taxi ride is not as economical.

Call this number for taxi

The most reliable taxi company

Angkutan

If you are a little more adventurous and on the budget, do what the locals do by using  their local public transportation known as 'angkot' or 'angkutan'.

They are everywhere

Airport Information :

Bandung Airport (also known as Bandara Husein Sastranegara Bandung) is one of the smallest international airports I've ever visited.

Due to its limited immigration counter, it may take up quite some time to clear the immigration and stringent custom check. If you're not the patient type, get out from the plane as soon as it  lands to skip the long queue.

For those of you who did not pre-arrange for airport transfer, you can proceed to this counter (above picture) to purchase your taxi ticket. Just inform the operator of your destination and he'll give you a coupon with the price listed on it, which is to be paid to the driver when you get off. As I stated earlier, taxi fares are cheap and it only cost me Rp35,000 from the airport to my hotel and Rp20,000 + Rp3,000 (compulsory airport drive-through fee) for the ride from my hotel back to the airport.

Departure guest, do remember not to spend all your Rupiahs away and keep some for your departure tax. Just like the other airports in Indonesia, tax is not inclusive in your flight ticket. You need to make this payment at the tax collection counter right after you check-in. The fees for the domestic flight is Rp25,000 while international is Rp75,000. Try to give them the exact amount if possible, to avoid any shortchange.

For more information about Bandung, you can always drop us a message in the comment box or email us @ toothpickandsandal@gmail.com.

Verdict :

Sandal says :

• Trip Experience - 7.5/10 (good and most importantly, people here are friendly)

• Food Overall - 8.0/10 (loved the Sundanese food)

• Cleanliness - 5/10 (too many vehicles - too much pollution)

• Value for $$$ - 7.5/10 (most of the things are reasonably-priced)

• Recommend to a friend? - Yes (only during off-peak season)

Toothpick says : 

• Trip Experience - 6.0/10 (It would have been a better trip if it didn't rain so often..)

• Food Overall - 6.0/10 (The food was tasty but I question their hygiene as Sandal had severe diarrhea after the trip)

• Cleanliness - 5/10 (Dusty)

• Value for $$$ - 7/10 (shopping was value for $ as the quality was much better than Bangkok)

• Recommend to a friend? - Maybe (for friends who enjoy cheap, but good quality clothing)

Thai Fish Farm Restaurant @ Hulu Langat, Selangor

Thai Fish Farm

Nestled in Hulu Langat (just turn right into a very narrow little dingy road right after Lookout Point), is a Thai Fish Farm serving fresh seafood and vegetables cooked Thai style, owned by a Chinese "Datuk".

Fruit Station

Vege Station

The weather here seemed fresher and cooler, and most of the workers here are Thais. Smacked right in the middle of the restaurant is a huge fish pond where the fish you order is reared, and if you  come before dusk, you will also be able to see their huge vegetable plantation not far from the restaurant.

Fried Talapia with Garlic @ RM30 (RM3 per 100g)

A company of 4, we ordered 2 Talapia Fish (1 steam and 1 fried - Yes! We are big fans of fish : )), 1 Pandan Chicken, and a Stir Fried Brinjal with Garlic.The Fried Talapia with Garlic was fantastic! The fish was very fresh and crispy, and the fried garlic that accompanied it was chewy and tasty. A great dish to snack on even without rice.

Steam Talapia with Lime and Chili @ RM33

For the steam fish, we opted for the famous Lime and Chili style. It was very spicy and I would encourage asking the Chef to tone down the spiciness a notch so that you can taste the freshness of the fish. It was a good fish, but I personally found the sauce a little too sugar sweet  for my liking (Sandal liked it just the way it was).

Pandan Chicken

The Pandan Chicken at the price of RM16 came in 8 medium-sized pieces, making it very reasonable for a Thai Restaurant. Once unwrapped, you will find the chicken bursting with aromatic flavours with each bite taken.

Stir-fried Brinjal @ RM8

Last but definitely not least, the Stir-Fried Brinjal was really fresh and tasty as they grow their own vegetables here. It was stir fried with garlic and I believed, seasoned with Thai Fish Sauce. All four of us loved this dish!

BBQ Crab

Baked Fish

As this is my second visit here, I would also like to point out that we have tried their BBQ crabs which was big in size but slightly lacking in sweetness, and do avoid the Fried Squid with Salted Egg as the salted egg had a wet, mashed potato sort of texture which not only did not suit the fried squid, but also made the fried squid very soggy.

Verdict :

For a total of RM108.20, it was a tasty and reasonably-priced meal for 4. Please bear in mind that it is advisable to go with a minimum of 3 people if you intend to order 3-4 dishes as all their fishes have a minimum size of about > 900 grams, and even the chicken we ordered that served 8 medium-sized pieces, was the smallest portion they had.

If your first visit here is for dinner, once you have turned into the dodgy road with a very small sign board stating 'Thai Fish & Vegetable Farm', take note that you will be traveling through a very eerie, dark and bumpy road for about 5 minutes before you reach a clearing where the brightly-lit restaurant is, with tons of patrons.

Toothpick says : Will drop by again to try their Tom Yum, afterall, it is a Thai restaurant right? = )

Sandal says : Good food but stupid to charge RM2 per car for "trespassing private land"

Address :
Km 4, Jalan Ampang Hulu Langat,
68000 Ampang, Selangor

GPS :

N = 3° 7' 46.57", E = 101° 48' 17.77"

Google Map :

3.129603, 101.804936

Ice Zone @ SS15, Subang Jaya, Selangor

Avoid this place

On a hot, sunny afternoon we caught sight of this dessert shop as we were cruising around to see whether there were any new interesting restaurants in SS15. Although it was empty, we decided to give it a try hoping to stumble upon a hidden gem. When looking through the menu, we noticed that marketing has placed a lot of emphasis on '100% natural + low in fat'. We also noticed that most of the desserts here were fruity flavoured and prices of desserts were on the high side, RM8 and above.

Amour Passion Fruit @ RM8.90

Sweetie Strawberry @ RM.8.90

Both the Passion Fruit and Strawberry Ice we ordered tasted....well hmmm...tasted like....NOTHING. OK fine, the Passion Fruit actually had one taste, it was very sour as it had some lemon in it I think (no passion fruit taste), but my Strawberry ice was really tasteless. It was such a ripped off and a con job! Being natural doesn't give you a right to be tasteless. After all, a ripe fruit for example a mango, taste naturally sweet doesn't it? BUTTTT, yes there is a but here unfortunately, the shaved ice here had better texture than the ones we tried in Snowflakes, 100Yen, KTZ, and well, about every other shaved ice we've tried. But then again, who eats shaved ice just for texture alone right???

Simply plain, simply waste of money!

Verdict :

Don't bother. Expensive and here we go again, Tasteless!

Toothpick says : In my super banned list.

Sandal says : The only good thing about this place = free WiFi

Address :
No.19, Jalan 15/8A,
47500 Subang Jaya,
Selangor.

GPS :
N = 3° 4' 26.76", E = 101° 35' 19.10"

Google Map :
3.074115, 101.588647Address: