Day Trip to Melaka

We reached Melaka just before 11, stopping for breakfast in Nilai R&R and was treated to some delightful nasi lemak at one of the stalls. We didn’t realise how gorgeous it was. Traffic was a breeze and we could’ve reached Dataran Pahlawan much earlier if not for the crazy number of traffic lights between Ayer Keroh and Bandar Melaka. It was borderline ridiculous!

Parked our car, and then walked to Jonker Street. Anita was more interested to explore the nice little hotels and B&B they had scattered around the area. None of which actually offered much parking spot! I snapped the photos away and the weather was really great. In fact it was too warm and we decided to have an early lunch and rehydrate ourselves.

We couldn’t find many outlets around there that we were sure as Halal, so we settled for the comfort of Hard Rock Cafe. While we were dining and enjoying the drinks, we heard some thunder coming from outside.

We couldn’t believe it! It was raining cats and dogs. And that went on until about 2 pm. It was still drizzling after that. We had a choice to make then. Should we brave the drizzle and go deeper into Jonker Street taking the risk that it may be raining heavier later. Or head back to the car and enjoy a quiet drive back to KL.

We decided for the latter, and drove past Sungai Udang - towards the entrance of Kem Terendak. We stopped at Klebang along the way for a touch of coconut shake. No time to break at Sungai Udang as Idlan had called my handphone as soon as arrived home!

The traffic coming back was heavier as it started raining when we reached Sungai Besi. A nice outing, but shame about the rain though. We could’ve spend a bit more time looking at stuffs for the apartment .... May be next time!

Breakfast at The Smokehouse

This entry was originally written in September 2016

Breakfast at Smokehouse had always been an enjoyable experience. But gone were the days when you woke yourself up to the aroma of freshly baked croissant.

The breakfast now was a more sedated affair. I remembered back in 2009 when the place had a proper cook, the smell really perked you up, and you could even order some leftover scones from the day before.

The English breakfast was also a full plated, kept you full for the rest of the day affair. Now, it was nothing more than just some sausages and a piece of bacon. Even the fresh fruits were just some melon. It used to fill a whole plate. Then came the croissant which were really supermarket level being heated in an oven.

I ordered some omelette but it turned to be just some glorified fried eggs. A sad affair.

It just reflected the decline of this once great place...

Patchi Price Hike

Everybody in the household loved Patchi. But they were not exactly cheap. And since the 1st of January, there was a price hike of almost 40%!

I learned it the hard way after I made my order and was about to pay. I had to double check the price. It was certainly a steep climb. That was the effect of our Ringgit falling I was sure ....

A Bit of PULP

Free Sunday morning afforded me a chance to indulge on something rather rare. A breakfast without interruption at a cafe. And that was I just did this morning and the venue was not that far from where I leave. It was only a five minute drive on the other side of the hill.

It was not just a cafe, but a series of them. I decided to park myself at the first spot - called PULP by Papa Palheta. There were a few other cafe shops around the same compound. Not to mention a barber shop. One of the outlet is called Breakfast Thieves and the place was packed at 9.30 am on a Sunday!

I doubt that they were still using this old machineSome reading materialThere was also a barber shop plus a Malay-themed eatery called Agak-Agak. That was not as popular though. From what I have read, the compound used to be a printing press - called APW or Art Printing Works - as it sat right next to the NST headquarters. Interesting ...

As usual, Anita was a tea drinkerOrder at the counter ...Food were readyPULP was surprisingly small. There had seating for only around 30 patron and it got full rather quickly. The menu items were also pretty limited, and I was sure the place was more known for its coffee rather than breakfast. None the less we ordered breakfast for two - a hot pot of beans, sausages, cheese and toast. I had mocha and Anita ordered tea. And that set us back almost RM70! Certainly it wasn’t cheap. Plus the charge of RM7 for parking as the roadside were already full.

The barber shop next doorThe industrial looking surrounding. Agak-agak served Malay breakfast ...Breakfast Thieves. We shall try this in the future ...Ambiance-wise it was great. The outlets opened early - from 9 am and closed on Mondays. We should’ve had our breakfast at Breakfast Thieves instead but it was always nice to try something new. Would definitely be going there again in the future. In fact Anita had been planning her next reunion spot there very soon ....

The Red Bricks

Anita had always loved brightly coloured kitchen. Dull ones were boring according to her. She made it a point to choose her own palette for the renovations, and she did just that.

The walls of the kitchen near the stove would be covered with red tiles. And it looked amazing!

I should just trust her then .....