KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Chinese New Year is here again! The festive season of having reunion celebrations with families and friends, binging on festive cookies and collecting ‘ang pows’.

This festive season, Celcom is giving out a lot of ANG POWS to lucky Xpax, U.O.X and S.O.X members who reload their phones with a minimum of RM10 a total of 10 times in a month between now til 28 February 2011. You are stand a chance to win cash prizes worth RM 8,888!

Look closely at the “*” sign. It is a combination of “+” and “*” sign which means that the more you reload “+”, and the more times you reload “*”, the more rewards that you will get. The next time you see this sign at any one of the THOUSANDS reload locations, you’ll know that you can reload your Xpax, U.O.X. or S.O.X. number right there!

HOW DOES IT WORK?

You can participate in this promotion regardless of whether you’re an Xpax, U.O.X. or S.O.X user, except that the cash prizes from each plan is different.

It’s real simple:

-Just reload a minimum of RM10 , 10 times between now and 28 February 2011.

-Remember to do your 5^th reload on the same day as the 4^th reload and you will receive 100mins of FREE talktime to any number on the same network valid for 2 days.

-Also, you have to do the 7^th reload on the same day as the 6^th reload and you will receive FREE CALLS & SMS to their 15pax/8pax for 1 WHOLE WEEK!

-10^th reload MUST be done before 28 February 2011

-When you hit your 10^th reload you will get RM10 FREE CREDIT and will immediately be in the running for the big prize of COLD HARD CASH!

-You will receive an SMS notification every time you reload.

-Here are the different cash prizes up for grabs for XPAX, U.O.X. and S.O.X. members:

Valentine’s Day is here again! Guys, if you are under immense pressure to pick a romantic spot for that special occasion, fret not! Japanese is never a bad choice when it comes to impress your date. This Valentine’s, enjoy a very romantic Love Bento at Nagomi Japanese Restaurant. The atmosphere and the ambiance of the interiors will surely enchant your date.

Thanks to the management of the Nagomi group, it is a privilege for us to be among the first group who sample Nagomi Love Bento, a romantic treats specially crafted for you lovebirds this Valentine’s. The food review session brought us to Nagomi Menara Hap Seng. Little did I know that Nagomi has turned into a full fledged Japanese restaurant, instead of a shabu shabu specialty restaurant. The menu has also undergone a revamp and whilst old favourites remain, there are some new dishes which are well worth trying.

For only RM99++, Nagomi Love Bento is teemed with seafood dishes and other delicacies, including traditional sashimis and with some romantic twist.

The ladies adore the heart shape sushi roll and rose shape sashimis very much. They just looked too cute to be eaten! The guys can’t stop sing praises over the grilled king prawn with cheese and white sauce, soft shell crab salad and suziki senbei. And our sweet ending – rich and decadent chocolate brownies with hazelnut ice cream tasted really good!

Portions were way too big for the ladies; most of us can’t even finish the whole bento. Couple can actually share a love bento and order something else, probably from the ala-carte menu.

Love Sushi Roll (Love Shape Sushi with Strawberry & Avocado)

Rose Shape Sashimi (Combination of Salmon & Tuna Sashimi topping with Tobiko)

Suzuki Senbei (Home-made Seabass Crispy Cracker)

Soba Soft Shell Crab Salada (Soft Shell Crab Salada serve with Buckwheat Noodle)

King Prawn with White Sauce (Grilled King Prawn with White Sauce)

Chocolate Cheese Brownie

Nagomi Valentine Lover’s Bento will be available from 11th of February until the 14th of February at both Nagomi Jaya 33 and Nagomi Menara Hap Seng

Please call for Reservation:

Nagomi @ Jaya33
PG-02B, Ground Floor, Jaya33
3, Jalan Semangat, Section 13,
46200 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-79562330

Nagomi @ Menara Hap Seng
Suite 1-19, 1st Floor, The Podium,
Menara Hap Seng (formerly Mui Plaza)
Jalan P. Ramlee,
50250 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel:03-21416332

For our full travel itinerary, please click here

After an early breakfast at Pinda Lodge, we bid goodbye to the beautiful Margaret Region and started our trip back to Perth. We dropped our rental car at RedSpot’s office and went for a walkabouts around Perth CBD.

Once in Perth, it’s easy to get around. Public transport is safe, efficient and cheap to use:

Free Transit Zone ( FTZ )
Within the Perth city centre travel on public transport is FREE! The boundaries of this free travel zone are defined at the Transperth web site. To travel within this zone you can simply hop on any train, bus or CAT. You are not restricted to the amount of times you can use this service and no tickets are required. If you board a train or bus inside the FTZ and intend to travel outside of the FTZ a valid ticket must be purchased and fares apply from where you first board to your destination. If you’re not sure where the FTZ starts or ends ask the bus driver.

Bus Travel
Transperth buses can take you to all the attractions you will want to see. Coins are preferable to use on bus services and change can be given.

Free City Transport
Perth and Fremantle are serviced by FREE CAT buses. In Perth city, passenger can board the RED, BLUE or YELLOW CAT buses, while in Fremantle the route is serviced by ORANGE CAT buses. The CAT services circulate specific routes every five to fifteen minutes during the day. Weekday timetables are more frequent than weekends.

Train Travel
You will find a great network of trains which service the Perth metropolitan area from the Perth city. Tickets are available at each station and must be purchased before riding the train. A variety of tickets are available (i.e. Adult, Concession, Child, Senior, Family) and are valid to be used on all Transperth services including buses and ferries. The distance you plan to travel will also determine how many ‘zones’ you need to purchase with your ticket. Zone maps are found at all train stations to help identify what ticket you will need to purchase.

Ferry Travel
Ferry services cross sections of the Swan River from Perth Barrack Street Jetty across to South Perth and down stream to Fremantle. Regular high-speed ferries also travel from Perth Barrack Street Jetty, Fremantle and Hillarys to Rottnest Island.

Route maps and timetables for all modes of transportation are available at Transperth website.

Larger-than-life kangaroo sculptures were spotted at the Supreme Court Gardens located on the corner of Barrack Street and Riverside Drive. A great place for the “picture perfect” photo opportunities.

Supreme Court Gardens

The Swan Bell Tower is also one of Perth’s main tourist attractions. Situated on the Barrack St. Jetty, it is overlooking the Swan River and the entire city skyline.

Background Story: The St Martin-in-the-Fields Bells were gifted to the people of Western Australia to commemorate Australia’s bicentenary in 1988. Patron of the Bell Tower Mr Laith Reynolds was the one who saved the St Martin-in-the-Fields Bells from being melted down to form new ones, as they had become too heavy for the ancient foundations of the church in Trafalgar Square, London. After this he campaigned to have a specially built tower in Perth to bring them to life for all West Australians.

The Bells ringing times are as follows:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 12pm-1pm
Saturday and Sunday 12pm-1pm

There is also a Bells Handling Demonstration during the following times:
Wednesday and Friday 11.30am-12.30pm

Swan Bell Tower
Opens Daily from 10am
Entry Fees : $13 Adults / $8 Concessions. Get 5 AUD discount vouchers from the website

Getting Here:
take the Blue CAT free bus towards Barrack Square Stop number 18

We walked towards Barrack Street Jetty from the Swan Bell Tower to board a ferry to South Perth.

2 section cash fare: AUD 1.70 per person

Here’s a money savings tip: Forget about paying > AUD 50 for a touristy cruise/tours. The ferry is a quick ride to cruise on the scenic Swan River, and a great way to travel to South Perth.

Barrack St. Jerry

Perth City skyline

We arrived to Mend St. Jetty, South Perth in a blink of an eye.

We walked along Sir James Mitchell Park to our dinner venue. Never did we anticipated that the walk is about 30 minutes (!!) long. Fortunately for us, the sunny weather with cool breeze was so good to walk.

We finally, reached our destination – Ciao Italia!

Ciao Italia was opened in August 1999 by a young Italian chef, Spartaco Rotella. It started off as a Take Away Restaurant and soon it gains popularity and the owner decided to put some extra tables inside and since then Ciao italia has grown.

As one of the city’s top eating institution, Ciao Italia doesn’t take bookings, and it is packed out pretty much every night of the week. This explains why there was already a moderately long queue formed up outside the restaurant. I was (still) slightly surprised because it was only 530pm! And the restaurant opens its door at 5pm everyday. We put our name in the waiting list and began our 15 minutes wait.

The place is absolutely bustling with activities. I can’t even hear the waitstaff’s mumbling! As you’d expect from a popular restaurant, it has a casual setting with slightly cramped seating arrangements. I have no complaints there as it added to the unique dining experience.

FREE water

LEMON LIME BITTERS is a very Australian drink.

It is so very pleasant and refreshing drink and we had it almost everyday when we were in Perth.

Ciao Italia is well known for its typical Italian food, including its 14 different types of Pizzas cooked in a wood fire oven. We stole the picture from a bunch of Malaysian students seated next to us. The pizzas were huge and I’m so glad that we did not go for it.

In fact, Ciao Italia is well known for their humongous food portion. Our order of Ciao Italia Fettucine (AUD 25.50) is meant for 2-3 person! Topped with a generous amount of marinated tender chicken strips, sundried tomatoes, spring onions and
fresh diced tomatoes, The Ciao Italia signature paste does live up to its fame. The home made fettuccine strips had a bouncy springy feel to it; and the creamy white sauce was really additive!

Cozze Pescatora (Chillli Mussels, AUD 27.50). The local mussels were fresh and briny, with a firm texture. The tomato sauce with chilli flakes was really good too. I was hoping for some bread to dip in that delicious sauce.

One can’t leave Ciao Italia without trying their legendary Tiramisu (AUD 8.50)! Again, the tiramisu was so huge that I would call it a Tiramisu Block!

The tiramisu was divine! The cake layers were expertly soaked in the right amount of alcohol and espresso. Between the layer is this lofty layer of creamy, soft marscapone. The cocoa sprinkles on top has a bitter aftertaste. This has got to be one of the best tiramisus that I have had!

Ciao Italia is definitely one of the must visits in Perth especially for their tiramisu! Everything that we tried was so delicious and are of enormous portions! Service was prompt and friendly too. If you have impatient stomach, take away and enjoy your meal by the foreshore of Swan River.

273 Mill Point Road
South Perth WA 6151
Corner Douglas Ave
Australia
Tel: 93685500
website: http://www.ciaoitalia.com.au/Aboutuspage1.html

Business Hour : 5pm till 10 pm (Tuesday to Saturday)

After such a heavy dinner loaded with liberal doses of cream and fats, we took a stroll along the Swan River and watched the countless stars emerge to fill the night.

the night skyline of Perth CBD

*photos taken by Iphone 4

Ramen shops have been sprouting up around Singapore, and so far I’ve heard nothing but good thing about them. Thanks to the existence of the many food blogs out there, my ramenya list shrank down to the best two – Ippudo & Santouka.

Ippudo is a very famous ramenya in Japan that serves Hakata style ramen. Ippudo at Mandarin Gallery is their second branch outside of Japan, the first being New York city. A reason good enough to warrant a visit huh?

This interior of Ippudo Ramen is not like an ordinary Japanese Ramen shop; it has a posh, stylish look with huge chandelier hanging at the main entrance. If you look around the shop, there is a huge display of “wall of bowls”; which is pretty enticing in my humble opinion.

Let me first forewarn you about the perpetual long queue spotted outside this restaurant. However, Ippudo is a good example of patience is more than a virtue, it’s a reward.

…reward in the form of a piping hot bowl of ramen in milky broth.

The waitstaff asked how do we like our noodles to be -soft, regular or hard. We elected regular, as it is probably the safest bet if you want something al dente but not too chewy.

We ordered Ippudo’s signature bowl, the Akamaru “red sea” Ramen (SGD 15++) that comes with dab of spicy miso paste and fragrant garlic oil. The white, milky broth was definitely salty and robust on the first taste. However, it got really addictive as we continued to slurpe away. The combination of pork broth, spicy miso paste and garlic oil has added layers of complexity to the broth as well. The noodles were distinct – firm in texture and ultra thin, straight and white in appearance.

Our bowl also came with two measly pieces of porkbelly chashu, fresh scallions and dried black fungus. The chashu, with a good ratio of fats and meat was tender, but not melt-in-the-mouth tender like Santouka’s.

The Shiromaru “white sea” (SGD 15) which is the original tonkotsu recipe, is milkier but lighter in taste compared to the Akamaru version. I prefer Shiromaru for its “cleaner” taste, while KampungBoy adores the “complex” taste of the Akamaru version.

“Ramen for Everyone, Smile for Everyone”

We also made our way to Santouka, located at a well hidden corner inside Central, Clarke Quay.

There’s a perpetual queue outside, maybe because it’s a very small restaurant with limited seating capacity.

We were there really early (before the dinner crowd started to flock the place) so we managed to secure a window seat that overlooks the beautiful Clarke Quay.

The Tokusen Toroniku Ramen is the house specialty here; it comes with a choice of three soup base – shio, miso or spicy miso. We chose Shio Ramen (SGD 19.50), upon our waitstaff’s excellent recommendation. Luscious pieces of sliced pork’s cheek were served on a separate plate together with toppings such as scallions, seasoned bamboo shoots, shredded black fungus, Japanese fishcake and a single pickled Japanese plum. Tossed all the toppings into your ramen bowl and voila! You get a good bowl of ramen laden with ingredients.

Tokusen (特選) means “specialty/premium quality”; while Toroniku refers to the cheek meat, by which only 300g can be obtained from a pig. The pork slices has a mild smoky and salty flavour. And as you bite into it, it was so soft that it literally melts in your mouth. It reminds me of toro – almost no chewing is required! This really is the best slice of pork I’ve ever eaten!

We also ordered another ramen set that comes with rice. You are suppose to pour the soup into the rice after you are done with the ramen. The set costs SGD 17, and it’s a pretty good deal.

We found the flavor of the broth too overwhelming on the palate, and the noodles had a mild lye water taste to it.

So who serves the best ramen in Singapore? We can’t really tell, as these are the only two ramenya-s that we have tried so far. The catchy title does catch your attention huh?

However, we do prefer Ippudo’s over Santouka if you are looking for a good bowl of ramen; where price and portion is not a concern. That does not defer us from going back to Santouka too; their pork’s cheek cut is so soft and tender that they literally melt in your mouth when consumed. Portion is bigger, and it offers more value for money.

Ramen: Ippudo

Broth: Ippudo

Chashu/Pork Slices: Santouka

Value for $$: Santouka

Ippudo Ramen-ya
Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Road
#04-02/03/04
Singapore 238867
Mondays to Saturdays 11am-11pm
Sundays 11am-10pm

Ramen Santouka
6 Eu Tong Sen St
#02-76, The Central
Singapore 059817
Tel: (+65) 62240668
Open Daily: 11.00 am – 9.30 pm

If you’re walking on the 2nd floor, look out for “Grains” and you’ll find this restaurant at the end of the walkway that divides Grains into 2.

In conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration, the best chefs from 8 of the Top Chinese restaurants in Klang Valley will cook up a storm to prepare customized Extravagant 8 menus that will satiate the palate and tantalize the taste buds between 20 January and 17 February 2011 exclusively for Standard Chartered credit card holders.

Priced at RM888++ per table of 8 pax, Standard Chartered credit card holders will not only be taken on a gastronomical journey; they will also be treated to free fortune cookies. The 8 participating restaurants in this campaign are Li Yen, Ritz Carlton; Shanghai, JW Marriot; Celestial Court, Sheraton Imperial; Tai Zi Heen, Prince Hotel; Zing, Grand Millennium; Gu Yu Tien; Elegant Inn; and last but not least Chynna, Hilton KL.

8 is such an auspicious word to the Chinese. Pronounce as “fa” (發), it signifies fortune and wealth. So let’s usher in the new year with a prosperous feast at Shanghai, JW Marriot.

Located on Level 1 of JW Marriott KL, it is the only authentic Shanghainese restaurant in KL. Shanghai’s elegant interior is reminiscent of the stylish city of Shanghai in the 1920’s. It reminds me very much of the TV series “The Bund” (上海灘).

*rendition from the background*

浪奔　浪流
萬里滔滔江水永不休
淘盡了世間事

混作滔滔一片潮流…
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For our trip itinerary, please click here.

Our magical day does not end here…

We continue to enjoy the wonderful magic of Disney at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.

The hotel is tastefully decorated in an old world Victorian-style.  The moment we stepped in, we knew immediately that we would be in for a real treat.
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