So if by chance I haven't talk about this group of super awesome people that are the Couchsurfers, I'm talking about them now. And if you haven't heard about them, well you heard about them here first!

At least from what I gathered, every major cities in the world has a group of Couchsurfer hosts that will either hang out with travellers, take them out to local hotspots (that are not limited to the popular touristy ones) or even host you for a night or two.

So if you're planning to travel cheap and immerse yourself in the local culture, what better way than to actually meet the locals and have them take you to places! As for myself, I'm part of the Kuching Couchsurfers. Several things to highlight about this group (and generally about all Couchsurfers out there) are: super-friendly and helpful, well informed, non-judgemental and very much welcoming in just about every single way - within respectful boundaries, of course.

And guess what, while you're reading this, you've just missed one of the best gathering of Couchsurfers ever! Last Saturday began with brunch at the famous Mom's Laksa - Tripadvisor recommends (there are several outlets, we went to the one in Jalan Haji Taha). I'll admit it was one of the plans that I didn't expect to commit fully because I was supposed to meet friends but as they cancelled and I was already out and about, I decided to join them anyways.

We took off from Mom's Laksa to get some groceries for the bbq later that same evening where even more Couchsurfers; hosts and travellers, would join up as well. But lemme tell you about the stupid thing I did.. or didn't do.. I did not pick up my car keys from the dashboard after we stowed away about half of the groceries - chicken, hotdogs and veges mostly - in my car. Yeap.. I locked myself out.

After about an hour, a couple of minutes of Youtube instructions and a bit of nylon ropes, we managed to pull the lock off my car - without damaging it or triggering any alarm - and recovered my keys. It was a general consensus that that was some MacGyver sh*t that we pulled off there! So thanks everyone for the support - Kelvin, Teemo, Dee, Jeff, Brett, everyone ^^. And specifically for putting up with my clumsiness!

Next stop was the host - Matnoor - at his awesome place Matang Wildlife Homestay (booking and enquiry link here). It was the perfect venue for evening bbq, karaoke and get together. No neighbours left or right to annoy, right on top of a hill (kinda hard to miss) and just about everything under one roof.

Before the even fell and the last daylight went out, we managed to grab a rather late lunch at Telaga Air. A small and quaint village, we must've been on an incline because my car definitely struggled uphill, sampled the locally fresh made jellyfish umai (look it up, it's really good I recommend you try it yourself if you have the chance) and had coconut shake for dessert. On a hot (but definitely beautiful) dah such as that day, the smooth cold drink definitely quench your thirst.

Then we headed for the beach. Although the tide was low, a couple of us stayed for a swim and the rest - myself included - headed back to the homestay to prep up for the evening bbq. The view was great at the beach. It was literally untouched! Nobody else but us at the beach, the breeze was good, and the weather fine!

Lemme tell you something else I discovered that night - talents. Talents everywhere! There were no lacking of drum players, guitar players, singer/songwriter, bakers (OMG the scones! To die for!!!), IT people to sort out a couple of kinks with the karaoke system (and impromptu background). Hang on did I mention dessert? Jean OMG the cream caramel! Bye bye waistline, I won't miss you anytime soon! Hahaha! Fact: I woke up a little after noon the next day. Two words: Food coma.

There were so oh so many stories told, customs exchanged, differences understood and respected, languages spoken, knowledge learned! It'l like you're abroad in your own place. A huge thanks to the organisers who made it happen - thanks Dee, Kelvin and Matnoor for letting us have one of the best of many many more experiences to come.

If you're coming to Kuching, look us up on the Couchsurfing website; and welcome to Kuching! If you're planning your next trip, keep an eye on the Couchsurfing community at the place you're going. Who knows, you might end up with an experience that'll definitely last a lifetime. And friends too. Lots and lots of friends.

Honestly, I've only had Nando's once before - that was when I was on a short trip to KL and my (then) girlfriend asked me to get her a half-a-chicken from KLIA2. It was also my first time in that airport, and between rushing to check in to my flight, drop off luggage and getting completely and utterly lost, I managed to haul the half-a-chicken to her house; paper-bag and all!

It was lemon and herbs, as I recall - and having spend several hours in transit, there isn't much left to the flavor so I never thought twice of having it again. That, and the fact that there wasn't any Nando's in my city (or state for that matter).

Until now... 

When Nando's opened at VivaCity Megamall, I could never find the time or company to go! I even missed the launch - Nando's hatching in Kuching. Get it? Hatching? Because of Nando's specialty?

Fast forward several months - maybe close to a year idk - I spent several weeks in Miri. When I came back, the first thing I did was visit The Spring mall (because!). Surprise surprise, Nando's opened up another casa there! (Nando's outlet/restaurant = casa)

First impression: what a nice place to dine! There wasn't alfresco seating (there is in VivaCity) but it makes sense because Kuching is a hot city. The ambiance was dotted with circular leather booths, small tables for two, four and six as well as a huge table that could seat 10 to 12 persons easy! Get this, they're all made of genuine leather and wood too. The chandeliers are warm, half the walls were glasses letting the natural light in (selfie addicts, lighting here is life!) and the other half is dotted with decor from recycled materials as well as South African artwork (hello new profile picture lol).

Ah I forgot to take shots of the wash basin! It was so cleverly designed I woudn't mind sitting next to it at all (it's a personal preference thing because I prefer less traffic around where I sit)

Modern and comfy!

Art and decor is something that I also wanted to touch on. The Nando's Global Art initiative features Southern Africa creativity worldwide - turning their outlets into an art gallery of pieces sourced from developmental programmes run by Yellowwoods Art. Artists under these programmes are enabled with opportunities to earn regular income while spreading awareness of their culture. Currently, Nando's has over 17,000 pieces in their collection displayed in their outlets all over the world! And yes, beacuse of that, every single restaurant is uniquely designed! So next time you're dining at one of Nadod's casas, keep an eye on the art pieces and comment below on which ones caught your eyes!

Yeah yeah, we know you enjoyed how it looks. What about the food?

Now now, hakuna your tatas. Chill. That's part of why you'd want to dine at Nando's. I was told that their peri peri sauce is a sauce to be reckoned with. It is spicy - that was what I was told. But first let's talk about their selection of being fine af - or Fino in Portuguese (I'm talking about the sides of course). There are 3 choices to savour - Spinach for the Popeyes out there, Red Skin Mashed Potatoes with a whole lot of yummies and (in my honest opinion) the one that'll be ordered most, Sweet Potato Chips. These were so good our tabled ordered seconds after we finished our chickens!

New Fino Sides

Ah yes, the chickens. I can't say a lot about the chicken because I'd rather be stuffing my mouth with them. The big challenge for Nando's in Kuching is that their raw stocks has to take an additional 3 to 4 weeks to arrive. The chickens are sourced locally, of course. I'm talking about the peri peri goodness they used to marinate the chicken in. 24 hours marinate, freshly delivered everyday, no frozen makes for tender, fall of the bone, savory, warm and super good!

YYYASSSS!! CHICKINNSSS!!! 

And the sauce? This depends on person to person but if you're asking for my opinion, it's not as hot as I had anticipated (having once tasted 20 chillies in a sambal that first burned my tongue then turned into a sort of sweet hotness while crying my eyes out and sweating the way away). That said, I enjoyed it very much because it allows me to taste the flavour - hot with a bit of sourness to it. Mind you this is the Extra Hot!

I would really recommend it. If you're able to hold your ground pass the hotness (tissues at ready please), it will turn into a sweet coating on your tongue and allows you to taste everything so much better! But if you's a wuss, there's always the mild and ginger ones for you to enjoy too. But know that you're missing out. Afterall, peri peri chicken is supposed to be hot?

Alrite so we've talked about the looks and feels of Nando's; particularly the one at the Spring Shopping Mall. We've talked about the new sides. We've talked about the chicken. For us that day, we had the Caramel Cheesecake. The best way to enjoy this is to pair it with straight up black coffee because it is deliciously sweet. I can't get over the fact that when it came for the next person sitting next to us, and she enjoyed it bite after bite, I just wanna steal it from her! Dense and thick with cheese between a sweet base and caramel top that glisten with a sheen so good I just can't!

Deliciously sweet 

And when it finally made it's way into my mouth, I die (in South African accent).

Well, there you go. You can take my word for it or better yet, head over to Nando's near you and try it for yourself. 10 out of 10 would dine there again!

I would actually go as far as calling it a theme for this year's Rainforest World Music Festival - but this is my own opinion. I counted 4 vocally-centered performers, and two-and-a-third (because Epi is part of a trio and) of them are throat singers. Each, however, has their own style and unique background that makes the variety all the more interesting.

In this entry, I would like to focus on sisters Karin and Kathy Kettler. Together they form Nukariik, and coming from the Inuit Tribe. The both flew (on separate flights, one of which significantly longer than the other) from Canada to bring their Inuit throat singing, a little bit of drumming and a little game to the Rainforest World Music Festival Theatre Stage.

If you've read my previous post on RWMF'16 Highlights here, then you'll know how little time I had to prepare, do some Googling, listen to some of the performers music and decide on which workshop to go to. Nukariik was a simple choice - it's a must.

On two occasions throughout the festival I had the chance to sit and talk with the sisters (or one of them - Karin I think; over dinner at the performer's and media area) and they are both so humble, so down to earth and so genuine. Their heritage is from the Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, in northern Quebec - and I was told if I want to visit, middle of the year is probably best as it's not as cold as the rest of the year.

(From a guy that has spent his whole life in the tropics, your definition of cold is probable equal to mine freezing even before landing! LOL)

When asked about the origins of the Inuit throat singing, the sisters took turns explaining that it had begun as a pastimes and were inspired by the sounds that they hear all around them. Normally sang between two ladies while the men go hunting, the songs are loosely simple and rhythmic, consisting of one or more syllable or sound on the breath out, and another on a breath in. Harmonizing these simple rhythm produces an complex and sophisticated structure, and more often than not really represents what they are singing about.

Case and point: The Saw.

It really does sound like a saw going back and forth on a log!

Another song that was equally captivating was the Song for Our Father. Also note that the duo likes to compete going back-and-forth trying to throw each other off the melody; and as a result almost all of their songs accellerando until one of them ran out of breath or burst into laughter.

It's also very endearing to see such sisterly bond brought on-stage as they perform, and it does stay true to the root of the Inuit throat singing as well I presume - to bring people closer together.

Song for Our Father

Do you recognize the melody? Comment if you do! 

What had captivated me most was the song about the Inukshuk, a monument made of raw stones that has multiple purposes. I guess back in the days when the land was so vast, travelling from one point to another is a challenge and whenever they can they will leave inuksuit (the plural form of inukshuk) to point to a direction or places where there is food. Sometimes inuksuit are erected as a monument to a loved ones too.

Inukshuk

Along with English translation!

Later in the day as I caught up with a fellow blogger (Lindy, show yourself please) once again I met the sisters at the Doodle wall! By then my camera had died and we were so engaged in conversation that we forgot to snap photos together! They even gave me a copy of the Canada's Inuit Youth Magazine before we part ways.

Maybe we can learn something out of this.

They're in Inuit language, I think.
Luckily there is an English translation too. 

I've compiled the videos that I shot during their performance at this year's Rainforest World Music Festival into a YouTube playlist here. Enjoy it, and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to my channel, press that LIKE button and SHARE it to all your friends and family.

Ladies, it had been a pleasure meeting you both. All the best in your next performances.

It was a last minute invitation, I barely had any time to prepare and ended up with about 40 gigabytes of footage across the three days festival! It's a whole lot different this year - reorienting itself to be a family and kid-friendly event with workshops specifically designed for kids - the PUSAKA Bookaroo workshop.

That said, I was at one (ok.. maybe more than one) of that workshop because hey, there's always a kid in each and every one of us, right? Can't argue with that! hahaha

But This year's festival performers were extraordinary! Last year we witnesses Epi with his secrets to Mongolian throat / overtone singing. This year he came as part of a trio ensemble Violons Barbares (translated as Barbaric Violins), and along with him are sisters Karin and Kathy Kettler as Nukariik from Canada; and Torgeir Vassvik from Norway. For the more contemporary vocal experiences, Vocal Sampling was the crowd's favorite on the second night with their own rendition of Hotel California. This quintet performers carried no instruments with them, and relied solely on their vocals to draw out the sounds of different kinds of instruments!

My personal favorite would be Nukariik. The sisters represents the Inuit tribe and brought along their Inuit heritage, in particular their throat singing which is very different from the other throat singers I mentioned before. Used in the old days as a mean to pass time, they sing to emulate the sounds they hear from around them, thus coming up with songs like the Mosquito, the Saw and the River.

Like I said earlier, this is just the highlights. Head over to my channel and click on the LIKE button on this video if you want to see a day to day highlight! Don't forget to share and SUBSCRIBE!

For so many years I've heard of the famous Floating Buffet at BCCK, Kuching. For so many years I thought about going. And for so many years I never actually went. When I did this year, I completely forgot about the Floating Buffet!

I guess I'm a little traditional in that sense, to be seated at the table (and stay seated in conversation) before iftar. That's just me though, so when the buffet made it's grand entry, I was a little way off to get a good footage.

That said, the rest of the servings that night was so grand, I wanted to taste each and every one of them - in very very small portions.

Here are some of my favorites! Don't forget to click LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE!

If you've never been to Sarawak, you should know that one of the special must try here is the 'Kek Lapis Sarawak' or Sarawak Layer Cakes. What used to be a seasonal serving during the Eid seasons (the month following Ramadhan or fasting month) is now available all year round thanks to the popularity it had gained in West Malaysia.

In the spirit of giving and remembrance, I decided to pop in to one of the famous Sarawak Layer Cake manufacturer (I think the word 'bakery' can also be used but it could be misleading as they don't bake bread or any other kind of cakes, I think). I got a few loafs of the most traditional ones that I could find and packed them up to be sent all the way to Malacca.

Note that these cakes are usually hand baked. Other than the mixer, I suppose, all the layers are done manually. In the past 4 to 5 years, the 'woven' Sarawak layer cakes are very popular. The designs dont show in their loaf forms, but when cut into bite-sized pieces, they form designs of the ketupat, a type of sticky (or sometimes normal) rice in woven palm leaves; figures and numbers or even simple but mesmerizing brick forms.

These kind loses popularity - almost a rare to be served as the process of making it is extremely tedious (imagine first baking the layers of different colours in separate baking trays, measuring, cutting and counting before putting the pieces together before baking the top and bottom layer once again) contributes to the cost and price. A 7 x 7" size of these cakes can go as high as RM 250 per cake.

But anyways, parcel on the way, a couple of days later my friend received it and (hopefully with delight) enjoy with his family.

Enjoy the video. Don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE!

This post, I admit, along with keeping my blog updated, is long overdue. Perhaps as Ronnie would put it, suffering from PTSD or Post Traumatic Stefan and Sebatien Syndrome. Yeap, this post is dedicated to these two nomad lads whom touched the hearts of Kuchinglites all over.

Passionate, full to the brim with life, love and a touch of curiosity that rival cats, this duo is definitely one of a kind. What had began with enquiries on the Rainforest World Music Festival 2015, who to talk to and what to expect, in now a heartfelt friendship and no words are truer than true when they say distance makes the heart grow fonder.

2 weeks, more or less, was how long I had to show them the different sights and smells, and yes tastes to, of what Kuching city had to offer. Lucky me friends like Al, Aldric, Joash (who is on the way to becoming a supermodel), Sarah, Aliph, Hani and Mark to help out. And a very special thanks to Ronnie who introduced us (you didn't think I'd forget about you, did you?).

After getting acquainted with Malaysian culture in the peninsular, Sebastien and Stefan got another refresher course upon touching down in Kuching city. Barely an hour in, already we were at one of the biggest food festival (dare I say) in Sarawak, hunting for Laksa (the Sarawak Laksa to be precise) and Mee Kolok. Yeap, these are the local delicacies that is a must try! I also made them try the Durian Puffs, creamy and oh so succulent, a puff pastry filled with cream made from the king of of fruits - Durian.

Did you really just took a bite out of that? REALLY?? Hahahaha

Since the food festival that commemorates Kuching gaining the status of a City lasts for the whole month of August, it's no surprise that most of our get-together sessions were at the festival grounds, asking and answering questions, trading opinions between mouthfuls of noodles, satay and ice creams.

I believe the timing of their stay could not be any more perfect. Other than the incident where one of tyre blew out and we were stranded for a bit on the road (Sebastien was buffet for mosquito), everything else was just right. August this year was also the month of Syawal for Muslims, and lemme tell you this, there is nowhere else in Malaysia that flaunts Kek Lapis (Layered Cakes) as much as Sarawakians does. Thankfully, like a silver lining on a grey cloud, because of the tyre incident, I was able to invite them to my house for an introduction to my family and a round of Kek Lapis (yeap, more eating)

Stefan and Sebastien with my family and some of the Kek Lapis they tasted.

Stefan, Sebastien, I just wanted to say, remember when we went to Bau, Mark as our tourguide? We walked through the Fairy Cave - which you both initially thought was a joke ^^. Remember? I am still recovering from the sunburn! The tanktop marks are still quite visible on my shoulders and chest! While it was a good idea to wear it because it was hot, a t-shirt would've been a better choice I reckon.

Exploring the Fary Cave with Mark. Thanks for the tour bro!

Then there was also that round of coffee at MK Classico, where they had, erm.. if memory serves me correctly, a Green Tea cake.. or was it a Gola Apong (Palm Sugar) cake? Did we have both, Stefan? Ronnie, do you remember? Al, we definitely had anchovy fritter, yes? Hani was there too? And Joash and Sarah! That was so much fun.

I honestly have no idea what Joash and I were posing after.. HAHAHAH!

Honestly, two weeks is barely enough time to spend getting to know someone. It is, however, enough to start a lifelong friendship. And I have a feeling that this is one of those friendship that's gonna last for years and years. And honestly, what is distance with all the technologies that we have today. It's just the matter of picking up the phone, making that call or sending that text. So, Stefan and Sebastien, here's one for our friendship. Thank you for touching our hearts.

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P/s: Follow the travel stories of Stefan and Sebastien, the Nomadic Boys here.

In my previous post, I talked about how in this installment of the Rainforest World Music Festival, there will be a new system of purchase - a cashless payment system for festival goers (read here). Though I have yet to get any further details as to how the system works, is there a minimum topup and if so how much, and so on, I have at least one special booth to highlight!

Keep an eye during RWMF 2015 for a unique, one of a kind, hand painted batik on silk! and if you don't know what batik is, feel free to read a little on my previous post on that too here.

Just one of many hand-painted batik on silk design

Is that not gorgeous? Oh I can't even! >.<

Although how batik made its way to local Malaysian, and specifically Sarawakian culture is still debatable, it has been an integral part of our culture and heritage. So much so that it is normal to see batik being worn on Thursdays as a working attire among men and women in Malaysia.

Batik itself is already a diversified form of art, commonly translated into the local customs and tradition. Batik Sarawak features common motives of floral and fauna, and incorporates much of the local tribal designs such as the 'Tree of Life', bunga terung, the scorpion and many more.

Two Warriors : Hand-painted batik on silk

In some designs, people from local tribes are depicted, donning their ancestral clothings, parang (machete) and perisai or terabai (shield) in fighting stance. At this point, it is worth noting that Sarawak is also known as Land of the Headhunters. In the old days, tribes would wage wars between each other, and enemy heads are cut off and displayed as a trophy!

Though the headhunting tradition has long since been abandoned, the parang and terabai are normally kept as displays, batik is still very prominent. I cannot think of a better take-away item from your visit to the RWMF 2015! And don't worry, if you're more of a practical person, batik is not just meant to look good, it's meant for comfortable wears as well.

During RWMF 2015, Petra Pelita (Facebook page here) will be setting up booth at the Village Mart. They will be offering silk scarves and pareos that can be worn immediately during the festival, or silk material with batik designs in various lengths for you to turn into shirts or button-ups, dresses and skirts or decoration!

Typical silk material to be cut and tailored for men's shirt or ladies dresses and skirts

Owh, so gorgeous!

Heh before I get carried away! These are some of the pre-made designs that Petra Pelita has. You'll be sure to find even more varieties on sale during the Rainforest World Music Festival. So if you're lounging around waiting for the next workshop to start, why not pop in to Petra Pelita's booth and check out these items: 

1. Silk Scraves (in sizes of 35" and 45")
2. Silk Pareos (in sizes of 36" and 45")
3. Batik Silk materials (in lengths of 2.5m and 4m)

Hrm.. I wonder if I can get a discount code for my readers? I'll get back to you on that. 

Yeap, this year - the 18th instalment of Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) - the organisers are bringing in improvements in many areas of the festival. One of such is the introduction of cashless payment methods for purchases on the festival ground's Food Marts and Village Marts.

Almost all vendors will be participating in this payment method, says here in the press release. That means (I could be wrong so don't quote me word for word on this) that cash payments methods are still acceptable, although to which extent remains unclear.

I think this is a bold move by the organisers - for one, I always though about the cash I have in my wallets getting soaked and drenched in the rainforest rain! It also makes it easier for festival goers to control and monitor their expenses, as in order to partake in the cashless payment method, they would have to first top-up a certain amount before being able to make purchase.

Based on what I gathered, the physical form of the cashless payment device is a wrist-strap similar to the daily entrance pass. The RFID wrist-strap is tagged at the entrance, and top-up counters will be set up all over the festival grounds.

The minimum (if any) top-up amount is not yet clear, as well as how much top-up can be made i.e. in tiers similar to mobile prepaid reload cards, or if specific amount with cents are allowed as well. I have emailed my contact person, once I have the information I will be updating this post.

One thing to note tho, according to the press release, the balance in the RFID wrist-strap is non-refundable. Some might see this as an opportunistic move, some might see it as the facility is not supported by the system that the organisers opted for. Either way, I would advise to top-up just enough to avoid unnecessary loss of expenditure on the festival goer's side.

I'll keep you posted on the information I have regarding this - if I get updated. Otherwise, keep you eyes on the official RWMF website and Facebook page for latest information.

Exciting news! For the third year, I've been selected as part of the alternative media team for Rainforest World Music Festival (woot woot!). So excited! In exactly a month's time, I'll be in, out and about with some of the best local and international performers, attending the media briefings and (hopefully) asking sensible questions, attending workshops and generally having loads of fun while covering the event.

The Performers of 2015!
I'm excited to see that the 1DRUM.ORG is making a comeback! Last year they did a great job interacting and involving festival goes into the festival itself, and *fingers crossed* this year it's gonna be bigger and better!

Other performers line up include: our very own Sayu Ateng, Lan E Tuyang,  Kenwy Yang-Qin ensemble, Culture Shot from Penang. our neighbour Kobagi Kecak from Indonesia, Alavedi from Georgia, Barguo 08 from Tunisia, Kapela Maliszów from Poland, Son de Madera from Mexico, and many more. You can read the complete list by checking out the official RWMF 2015 website here.

Who I Anticipate?
I am so very thrilled to also see that Mongolian Enkh Jargal Dandarvaanchig, a.k.a. Epi will also be performing this year. He brings with him the Mongolian Overtone. If you do not know what that is, basically it's a technique that allows you to sing 2 tones simultaneously. It is sooooo cool OMG I can't even..

Ticket Price? 
Tickets for the RWMF 2015 is already on sale. The early bird prices is over, but the pre-sale price is stated at RM 110.00 for a day-pass, or RM 300.00 for a three days pass. Children pay about half of that, and there are also family packages available too. Check out the detailed pricing by following this link.

Freebies, maybe? 

Photo linked from the official RWMF 2015 website. 

Rip Curl is holding up a Instagram contest - the prize - a pair of 3-day passes to RWMF 2015, & exclusive RWMF15 x Rip Curl event tees! All you have to do is:

Step 1.Go to the nearest Rip Curl outlet and take a picture of yourself wearing a Rip Curl outfit that you would wear at Rainforest World Music Festival 2015

Step 2. Post that picture on Instagram, tag 3 of your friends and also @ripcurlmy

Step 3. Tell us in 3 sentences or less why you’d love to attend RWMF2015, and add the hashtag #RWMF15XRIPCURL

So go ahead, get snappy!

The standards are set pretty high this Ramadhan when it comes to hotel and restaurant offers for the breaking of fast. Prices are competitive, with all you can eat buffets featuring a variety of local traditional cuisines to fusion and international delights.

Recently I got invited to the Macam2 Ada Ramadhan Buffet at Grand Margherita Hotel, Kuching, along with about 7 other bloggers. Arriving late was a mistake, as I missed a whole lot of photo ops, so I made do with my own plated presentation. That said, as much as I want to plate all of the yummies, I have to eat them in the end, and thus I plated only a bunch of them.

What's special?
Macam2 Ada is macam-macam indeed! We're talking about local Sarawak dishes - Laksa Sarawak, Bubur Pedas, Ice Cream Gula Apong - and Malaysian food in general -  Laksa Penang, Penang Char Kueh Tiaw, Mee Udang (Prawn Noodle) - and International cuisines - Japanese, Indonesian, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indian - soooo many!

Usually when I dine in hotels or restaurants, if it is a buffet, I would start off with some fruits, bread and soup. This is probably the few exceptions where I actually start of with mains. I have on my plate from the Indonesian section (with local Malaysian thrown in there because why not) - Bubur Pedas (in the bowl), Ayam Dendeng, Daging Balado (I think), Sambal Terasi and Begedil Tauhu.

I especially enjoyed the chicken and beef, followed by the sambal terasi and bubur pedas. Usually I would enjoy begedil too - but made with tofu - it's a taste I have yet to acquire. But if you're into those, I'm sure you would enjoy it.

Next, I made an attempt at Indian cuisines and the BBQ area. I was expecting curries and naans, but settled with the popia and samosa served there instead. As for the BBQ - you will need patience as the chefs are working overtime to prep from grill to dish. I managed to grab a couple of sate and grilled chicken.

Eh, I have to say the sate was really good - tender and juicy. I silently regret having taken only a couple, but then my fellow blogger came in with a whole plate I was secretly jumping up and down inside! LOL!


The Venue?

This is also the first time I actually dined al-fresco at a hotel - as far as I can remember. Normally I would be in the comfort of air conditioning, but dining al-fresco has it's perks. I have yet to find it, but give it another try or two.

Our table for 10 was seated just next to the pool. Pro? We're quite away from the food stations so we don't have as many people walking by our table (believe it or not, I get motion sickness from that. Weird huh?) Con? We'll we're outside in the heat next to the pool which releases heat slowly throughout the night. The hotel is also just beside the river, so the heat is something if you're not used to it.

What about Desset?
What about it? Haha! If you've heard about the hype on Ice Cream Gula Apong, yeap, Grand Margherita is in on the hype too! and no, this is not the traditional Open Air style Ice Cream Gula Apong where it is a vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, pandan flavored ice cream with gula apong on it - the one that Grand Margherita has incorporates gula apong into vanilla based ice cream. It was good! Pro-tip: Probably because of the weather, you should pump the ice cream from the machine, add your favourite toppings and run Forest, run! to your table to snap a photo for your insta. Otherwise, if you dilly dally and take your time, your ice cream will melt.

Of course, the next best thing to that, especially on a hot day is a cool bowl of ABC. There are all kind of assortments of cakes and pastries and cookies - which my friends took a whole bunch for the table too, mostly generic cakes.

Last Thoughts?
We're still in the middle of Ramadhan, and for Muslims who wishes to catch Tarawih, Masjid Bahagian is nearby. There is also an in-house prayer room provided as well. The facilities are great, the host and staffs, although overloaded with dishes and trays are always smiling, the food keeps coming and the setting is generally ok.

Given that this year is the hottest year so far in Malaysian history of  recorded temperature (I think I just made that up) dining al-fresco feels like dining whilst on a 10km marathon (you sweat, you literally sweat a lot!) but everything else is just peachy. 7.5 out of 10 would recommend.

*The following photos are credited to their rightful owners. Clicking on the photos will like you to them. Read their entry while you're there. 

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