weekend in London …

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Weekend trip to London to meet J2 for his birthday lunch in Chistwick London … and to meet his new girlfriend, Jane.

At this time of year, it would be silly not to throw in a visit to Regent Street to see the magical Christmas lights, and indulge in some Sichuan nom, leaving us completely satisfied!

Christmas lights + mala tang = perfect weekend!

special forces trip to Chengdu and Chongqing …

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4-day Special Forces tour 特种兵旅游 of China (Chengdu + Chongqing) with my mum, Betty and sister, April.

Day 1: Arrival and Chengdu Classics
The trip began with an early 5:00 AM arrival at Tianfu Airport, followed by settling in at home in Wenjiang.
• Meals/Stops: The day started with soy milk and fried dough sticks (“油條”). Lunch was at Jianghu Chuancai, where the traveller’s mother enjoyed authentic Sichuan spice.
• Destinations: In the afternoon, the group explored Wuhou Temple (Wuhou Ci) to experience the Three Kingdoms culture. We then visited Jinli Snack Street (“小吃街”).
• Evening: The long day ended with a dinner at a restaurant specializing in hotpot or roasted skewers.
Day 2: Ancient Town and Modern Marvels
The second day focused on local excursions and architecture.
• Meals/Stops: Breakfast again consisted of soy milk, daozi, and porridge (“粥”), described as simple and warm.
• Morning Excursion: The group travelled approximately 20 kilometres from Wenjiang to Huanglongxi Town. The town was noted for its beauty, old streets, flowing water, and lively atmosphere (“煙火氣十足”). We purchased zhenzhu bao and ate authentic local dishes, including memorable river fish, at a riverside restaurant.
• Afternoon/Evening: We visited the Global Center (“環球中心”), a massive structure housing an international hotel and a water park. The day concluded after meeting the family’s youngest niece for dinner at a hotpot or roasted skewer restaurant.
Day 3: Unexpected Trip to Chongqing
The planned itinerary changed abruptly due to a power outage at the residential area, prompting an immediate high-speed rail trip to Chongqing.
• Travel: After eating jianbing guozi (a type of savoury crêpe) for breakfast at the oversized Chengdu East Station, we travelled 1 hour and 22 minutes to Chongqing West Station.
• Chongqing Sites:
1. We immediately transferred via Metro Line 2 to Liziba to see the legendary train passing through the building.
2. Lunch was at Bayi Road, where we sampled the famous bandeng mian (bench noodles).
3. The afternoon included quick visits to 18T and Xinhua Road (or similar location based on the transcription “下號裡”) to experience the atmosphere of old Chongqing.
4. In the evening, we rode the Yangtze River Cableway to view the city lights.
5. We finished the sightseeing by viewing the fantasy light show at Hongya Cave.
• Return: The group took a Didi to Shapingba to catch the Gaotie back to Chengdu, concluding that even with Chongqing’s hilly terrain, a thorough schedule allowed the 80-year-old mother to enjoy the trip fully.
Day 4: Pandas, Shopping, and Departure
The final day was dedicated to mandatory Chengdu sights before flying home.
• Morning: To avoid crowds, we arrived at the Chengdu Panda Base (in North Chengdu) at 8:00 AM. We were pleasantly surprised that the mother, being over 60, received a free ticket and a refund. Though we only saw the Huahua’s large, rolling back, we acknowledged the animal’s status as a national treasure.
• Afternoon/Final Stops: After the pandas, we travelled via Metro Line 3 to Chunxi Road for snacks and then ate a final meal of authentic Sichuan cuisine. Our last stop was the Taikoo Li Temple to see the glittering golden Buddha statue, marking a “perfect conclusion” to the journey.
• Departure: We returned to Wenjiang, packed, took Metro Line 19 directly to Tianfu Airport, and flew back to Penang, completing the special four-day trip.

mum’s birthday dinner (part 2) … in her hometown, Taiping

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Celebrating Mum’s 80th (Part 2) with Taiping-based relatives.

During the morning, my sister April and I also visited Kuala Sepetang, about an hour’s frive from Taiping for the charcoal factory and the legedary baos from what looked like someone’s home in Port Weld. In the afternoon, we dropped in at Antong, Taiping’s oldest coffee factory.

Dinner at the Dragon Phoenix restaurant with my mum Betty, my sister April, my aunt, Say Lan and her family – ex-husband Ah Soon, Chye Chye and his wife, Mei Choo and their daughters, and Chin Aun.

tanjung bungah (Tuesday) night market under a full moon …

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Last visited 8 years ago and totally blown away by the transformation! A true foodie heaven triggering childhood memories of comfy and sometimes sinful local delicacies. But tonight our tummies only had room for the amazing (seafood-less) Koay Kak and probably the best Nasi Ulam in Penang, if not Malaysia 🇲🇾

Tonight, I was there with my mum, Betty my sister June, and her friend Bee Gaik or (real name BG Tan). Bee Gaik is a particularly generous person, very observant of people’s needs, and kindly treated us to a Hawaiian papaya – round little a small fotball!

a vanilla farm in Malaysia … who knew?

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Every now and then, you come across an entrepreneur who truly manages to blend passion with sharp business sense — and Ezra is definitely one of them.

Once an insurance agent, he’s now Malaysia’s first (and biggest!) vanilla farmer. At Kairos, across the water on the Penang mainland, he’s built something really special — a business that not only grows vanilla but also stays true to strong ESG values, focusing on sustainability and social responsibility.

The team hires people from marginalised communities, uses organic methods whenever possible, and keeps innovating — including developing a patented vanilla plant irrigated tower! Experimentation even led to a side business in aquatics and microbe production to enrich the soil.

Today, Kairos has grown beyond selling just raw vanilla pods. They now make extracts, hand sanitisers, Eau de Parfum, and a whole range of vanilla-based goodies.

Here’s to Ezra and his amazing team — wishing them even more success ahead. Truly inspiring stuff. 👏

kew ong yah, the nine emperor gods festival …

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Last night, I spent the ninth day of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival—also the most lively and awe-inspiring day—at the Tow Boe Keong Kew Ong Tai Tay Temple on Jalan Magazine in Penang. The area around the temple was packed with people, incense smoke filled the air, and the atmosphere was both solemn and fervent.

According to tradition, devotees observe a vegetarian diet for all nine days as a form of purification and respect for the deities. I joined in this “Nine Emperor vegetarian fast” and truly felt the sense of physical and spiritual cleansing that comes with the festival. In the evening, a grand send-off ritual was held in front of the temple, during which a symbolic spirit boat representing the Nine Emperor Gods was sent out to sea, signifying the deities’ return to heaven. At that moment, firecrackers exploded, drums and gongs thundered, and the scene was absolutely breathtaking.

Outside the temple, an opera stage had been set up where traditional troupes performed mythological stories. The procession featured beautifully decorated floats, nine majestic lion dances, and a huge, colorful LED dragon twisting and dancing through the night sky—a truly dazzling sight. What left the deepest impression on me were the shirtless men who entered trance states believed to be spirit possession; swaying and shouting to the rhythm of the drums, they seemed genuinely empowered by divine forces.

At the end of the procession, staff members stamped the back of my clothes with the words “health and longevity,” symbolizing peace and good fortune.

It was truly a feast for both the eyes and the spirit. Not only did it allow me to experience up close the strength of Chinese religious faith in Penang, but it also gave me a deep appreciation of the unique devotion and intensity found in traditional festivals.

nonya nom, michelin level …

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Tucked away in the heart of George Town, Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery is more than just a restaurant, it’s a love letter to Penang’s Peranakan heritage, and truly celebrates pretty much all the nonya dishes you are likely to encounter in Malaysia. Awarded one Michelin star in 2023, this charming spot feels like stepping into your grandmother’s kitchen. A couple dishes in particular stole the show: the Perut Ikan, Beef Rendang and the Inchi Kabin.

A bit of trivia: Adrian Tan (the son of Auntie Gaik Lian) told us that the ornately carved screen behind the front door came from the set of the movie Crazy Rich Asians (the famous mahjong scene).

The diners tonight were me, my mother Betty, my sister June and her husband David, and their son Stuart with his girlfriend Loretta.

Thanks to Stuart, my nephew, for the lovely treat!

post-beach dinner in the hills …

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After spending an afternoon in possibly the dirtiest, as in most littered, beach (Pantai Pasir Panjang) in Penang, we stumbled on this Thai restaurant named Genting Hill Restaurant. And like its namesake, Genting as in the infamous Genting Highlands resort in Malaysia, the incline was just about do-able in April’s Yaris, but not a problem for Andrew’s Zeekr, a.k.a. the tank!

Perfect execution, from start Miang Kham (เมี่ยงคำ) which is a kind of leaf wrap where you stuff herbs and other goodies into a little packet of loveliness, to finish Tub Tim Grob (ทับทิมกรอบ), a dessert of water chestnuts boiled with tapioca and indeed looks like red rubies!

Tonight the diners were me, my mum Betty, April (my sister) and her husband Mike, their son Andrew and his wife XinDee and their children Hugo and Oscar.

traditional breakfast, Hainan style …

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Until this morning, I never knew that Malaysia owed its traditional breakfast hertiage of kaya toast and more importantly, coffee, to Hainan.

Ho Kow Tea House is known as a great place for a proper breakfast in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. The curry cheong fun was a new dish for me, and the “Cham” (a Malaysian blend of coffee and tea) was truly eye-opening.

Highly recommended … but be warned, the queue could be unbearably long!

diwali is in the air …

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When you arrive in Kuala Lumpur in late evening, after a long flight full of smelly people from Doha, Brickfields (KL’s little India) was just a delight of sights and smells, with stalls selling clothes, cakes, toys, fireworks and everything else to make this year’s Diwali a paricularly memorable one.

Naturally, my sister April and I succumbed to an Indian supper of Dosai, Mee Goreng … and of course, a steaming hot cup of Teh Tarik – who knows, this could be the surprise cure for jet-lag 😉