China
Someone told me that Japanese food is one of the healthiest cuisines known to man? When comes to sushi or sashimi, most of it is not cook.
I wonder how healthy it can be when pollutions happen in just about every corner of the earth but hey, not all Japanese food is served raw.
Because of the word “healthy”, Japanese food can be found in almost every place that I have been so far. No exception to Shanghai.
Not long before this, I spent a lunch in Watami – Japanese Casual Restaurant located inside the Super Brand Mall. If you don’t like raw food and your partner does, here is the right place for both of you.
As suggested by the restaurant name, I ordered something casual. As a start, I ordered garden salad and tofu with bento. The salad is nothing unusual, just few leaves and thousand island sauces.
The tofu, on the other hand, tastes good. I know, tofu is tasteless, but this one, is different. The combination of bento and soy sauce just make it perfect.
This restaurant also serves finger food. In this case, I went for deep fried chicken cutlets and fries. As for this, I really have no clue why Japanese restaurant serves French fries?
With a dip in Thai chili sauce, the chicken cutlets can be really nice. See, so far all are cooked dishes except the green salad.
Oh yea.. I still cannot resist myself from sashimi rice and a glass of fruit juice. N Udon. N Miso soup too.. hehe.. It seems incomplete if all these are not served on my table.
This time I paid for RMB 124 (~RM 62) and I consider this affordable. Ohh, the restaurant is just few shops away from Long Feng Dim Sum. If you are there, might as well try out for this one too.
Watami – Japanese Casual Restaurant
8th Floor, 168 West,
Super Brand Mall, Liujiazui,
Pudong, Shanghai, China
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Another day another dollar earns. I guess it is slightly different in my case as to me, another day another day another dollar spend.
Every day, I will be thinking on how I would like to spend my money wisely, what to buy and what to eat. Of course the favourite part is eating what I plan for.
While walking in Super Brand Mall, Shanghai, my stomach gave me a red alert and my mission turned out to be hunting for a place to refill myself.
On 8th floor, which I always think is a lucky floor, I found Long Feng Restaurant, a Chinese restaurant that serves morning dim sum starting at 11 am?
The place is rather quiet when I arrived but it started to gradually filled up with customers especially during lunch time. As much as I normally treat dim sum as breakfast, this time I called it brunch.
Started slowly with custard bun and later followed with small dragon pau as my starter. Maybe I was hungry or maybe the food was really good but my refilling needs more substances.
The waitress somehow acknowledged that and started to introduce their famous signature dumplings to me. Beside prawn dumplings, I did go for chef recommendations.
The dim sums are good and comparable with many Malaysia dim sums but lacking of one thing, the sweet and chilli sauce. Yes, you can dip in soy sauce but I still think it tastes better with sweet sauce.
Whenever I go for dim sum, I will automatically order chee cheong fun (I ordered 2 plates .. hehe) and deep fried spring rolls. The feeling is incomplete if I eat it. How weird isn’t it?
If 10 is good, I will only rank this place as 7. Not because the food is not good but minus 1 for no sweet sauce, minus 1 for start at 11 and minus 1 for too expensive. I actually paid RMB 137 for this “brunch” 
Long Feng Restaurant
24, 8th Floor, 168 West,
Super Brand Mall, Liujiazui,
Pudong, Shanghai, China
TEL: +86 21 2206 0003
WEB: www.longfengyudian.com
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People are never satisfied. When you have something you complain, when you don’t, you complain. I guess this is what people call human nature.
The last time I check I am still a human, so I guess I cannot avoid from the fact that I do complain once in a while. I used to complain about Chinese Food until I am here.. a place that makes me pork-free for almost 3 weeks now.
Looking back, I did actually spent a great time in China, Shanghai in particular. Old photos remind me of this Gui Hua Lou Restaurant in Shangri-la Pudong.
Now, I hardly even see any oriental food within my vicinity. Although this restaurant is just another Chinese Restaurant.. it reminds me of my root, a Chinese one 
where dim sum should be my breakfast.
I miss this fried spring roll and century egg porridge every morning. I tried to order porridge here but guess what, the hotel serves me with oatmeal porridge instead of rice porridge, how sad .
Believe it or not, I hardly find soy sauce or sweet chilli sauce. If this continues, I guess I will start writing on my travel instead of food. Or worse, you don’t get to read my post anymore as I might starve to death here.
It doesn’t matter if the char siu pau or siu long pau is good here but I can tell you it is a lot better than most of places I have been. I wonder when I will get a chance to go back to this restaurant again.
Try to put yourself in position with no pork and alcohol free for 3 weeks. It is rather torturing. The feeling is like pregnant lady who are craving for certain food. Ohh I never pregnant before but I have big belly that the effect is almost the same.
Aww.. looking at this porcupine custard bun shows how creative and insensitive a human can be, creative because the chef can creates a miracle with scissors on pau and insensitive because his customer is an animal lover.
If you are cruel enough to take the first bite, the sandy custard blood of porcupine is melted in your mouth. I tried it for sure and kept the other two as souvenirs
Chee cheong fun with big prawns or char siew is my all time favourite. When it serves with a glass of Chinese tea, just makes the breakfast as wonderful as it can be.
With RMB 163.30 (~RM 80), you are completely ready to start your wonderful days ahead. Slap by reality now, I have to figure out what I need to order for my breakfast, not bread and butter again
Guihua Lou (inside Shangri-la Pudong)
33, Fu Cheng Lu, Pudong,
Shanghai, China
TEL: +86 21 6882 8888
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Maybe it is too early to ask this to some of you but have you think of places where you want to go with your soul mate for honeymoon?
A very special person to me once suggested Maldives. Coming from tropical country, I directly object it, which led to the reason why I travel ALONE nowadays.
Come on, when the weather is at average of 28 deg C, beaches and expensive, how romantic can it be? I can no longer take off my clothes when you are cold and you need a lot of tissues to wipe my sweat.
Why not I suggest an alternative colder place, Honeymoon Dessert instead? It is cooler, sweeter (not sweater) and affordable? If you minus the crowd, we can spend some quality times together.
You might think I am cheapskate but I am not. I am a realistic person. What happen when all of the sudden you are hungry while we both enjoy the scenic sun rise moment.
Aha.. that why over here is better because you get to order at least tofu fah or durian pastry. Forget about the “big egg yolk” sun as these are much tastier for sure.
I might not bring you to love warm heaven but I bring you to sweet desserts heaven. You might say I don’t know you but I can tell you, I know you “inside” out. When I say inside, I meant your stomach and not something else.
Mango and pamelo slush might be ordinary to many but I know you are craving for it. Sweet potatoes and glutinous rice ball is on the list although I remember you said you will have gas when you have it.
Romantic is never about the places but it is always about who you are with at that time. Again, you can call me not romantic but I am not a cheapskate and I can justify it.
With air ticket from Malaysia+ RMB 67, you really think this honeymoon is cheap? Ohh, I did included shopping in the itinerary too and it is on me! Does that change your mind?
Honeymoon Dessert
Road 699, Block B, 3rd Floor, 200-333,
Pingtang Road,
Shanghai Changning District
TEL: +86 21 6275 5777
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WEB: www.i-manji.com
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You stupid Asian, what are you doing in my country? Get the hell out of here! Do I look Asian? Yes.. Do I look stupid, maybe but chasing me out from your country? That is way too much.
Travelling in foreign countries are not always fun, you get hiccups from time to time. That line was quoted from my travel diary back in 2005. I always wonder what will happen to the whole idea of globalization when there is a small community who still lives in the state of denial.
I felt sorry for them but hey, my journey still continues until today. If I stop then, I will not have a chance to see Fatema Indian Restaurant in the middle of Qingdao, China.
This restaurant is not in a shopping mall. It is by the roadside about 15 minutes from Qingdao Olympics Sailing Museum. The restaurant is decorated with authentic Indian decor with spices as background smell.
If you are physically in Malaysia, I don’t think you will find this restaurant interesting. If you are away from Malaysia for long long time, this restaurant will remind you of mamak stalls.
Finally I get to try cheese and garlic naan and roti prata after craving for it for so long. Not to mention, you get to try different type of Nasi Beryani too..
Let me try to recall what I ordered. If I am not mistaken (in clockwise from top left).. Vegetable Curry, Mutton Curry, Prawn Curry and Chicken curry.
Bear with the lousy photos as I took with my lousy phone in low lighting condition. The presentation of the food is not so good but the tastes of spices are marvellous.
Like many good food around, the portion come in small size. With that, it gives you opportunity to order more. So, I take my chance to maximise my order for second round.
With not a single glass of water yet, I ordered tofu curry, fish curry, potatoes curry and beef curry. Considering the place I am in, all these curries are considered great except the fish one.
Lastly, as for drinks, I ordered mango yogurt and teh masala. Mango yogurt is like a normal yogurt drink with mango flavour but the teh masala is kind of special.
It reminds me of the genuine teh masala that I used to drink when I was in India but slightly bigger cup than usual. I forget how much does this meal cost but I tell you it is not cheap. The price is almost comparable with Little India in KLCC.
Fatema Indian Restaurant
No. 10, Gutian Road,
Qingdao, China.
TEL: +86 137 3099 4178, +86 532 8300 6655
Email: shamimcy@yahoo.com
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Yawn.. Did you know I never like to read? Reading is like my sleeping pills .. I used to complain to my mom, I hate reading and why should I study. That was right after my first day in kindergarten.
History is never my favorite subject but I was so good with the first 2 pages on my text books because right after that, I was in my dreamland and when I awake, I restart the whole process. The cycle continues.
BUT did you know I love to visit museums and historical places? Am I contradicting myself? No..absolutely not. Visiting historical places makes me travel back to time “mentally”!
I experienced the same feeling too when I visited Zhan Qiao, 栈桥 (or loading pier) in Southern Shore of Qingdao where the octagonal pavilion is viewed as symbol of Qingdao.
What so special about this place? For Tsingtao Brewery Museum, the structure that was constructed in 1930 is a label of their beer bottle. For me, it means much more than that.
Apart from shopping on top of dead coral reef, this is the place where I saw a real fisherman casting the net with my own eyes. You can call me cityboy but this is another serendipitous finding for me.
The entrance ticket to this octagonal pavilion is only RMB 4/person (~RM 2/person). As soon as you enter the building, you are greeted with this mysterious black rock. Yea, it still remains mysterious until today.
I don’t think there is any significance about this place except they sell a lot a lot of creative souvenirs at “tourist price”
One of the creative souvenirs that I saw is burned art on wooden sheet. Considering my mom was also a tourist, she bought this as a souvenir for my sis at the price of RMB 50 each (~RM 25).
I did not spend much time here as we have tight schedule to follow but this place is worth to pay a visit. The place might not be as interesting as it is but the hawker stalls by the roadside around this vicinity are VERY attractive.
Zhan Qiao, 栈桥
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Money is not everything. Money cannot buy love, health and happiness. That is what many advice me. To me, money might not be everything but money is definitely something.
If you don’t have money, how can you buy roses for your love one on valentine? Without money, who is going to pay for hospital bills and how are you going to buy iPhone to cheer up yourself?
Let me show you what I do with my money. Nowadays, with money, you can do just about anything. And that includes becoming an Emperor for few minutes.
I am not talking about wearing the emperor costume for photo shoot. All I am saying is to experience a lavish spread of imperial Chinese cuisines in Fangshan Restaurant, Beijing.
As soon as you enter the main entrance, you get to experience a truly unique ambiance and real ancient décor signifying numerous ruling Chinese dynasties in the past.
The dining hall is adorned with beautiful royal painting on the ceiling and even traditional Chinese art. Of course you are greeted with waitresses wearing original imperial dresses.
Gold and yellow used to be the Emperor’s color. If you are spotted using those colors, you will probably behead instantly but that was long long ago. The historic setting with yellow and gold in dining hall surely add the imperial effect into it.
As far as food is concerned, you get to experience truly sumptuous dishes as long as you are willing to pay the bill. As for me, I go for the set of RMB 298/per person (~RM 150). If you are richer, there are also set of RMB 2880/person (~RM 1440).
What I get as a start are Appetizing Cold Dish, Mashed Peas Pudding and Rolls of Kidney Bean Flour, Stir-fried Scallops and Brocolli and Ginseng Red Date and Deer Tendon Soup.
Despite the place is very congested, I personally give 9/10 to the waitresses as the services are pretty efficient. As soon as I almost finish my dishes, they instantly served me with new one.
This time I get Braised Sea Cucumber with Quail Eggs, Braised Camel’s Paw with Scallion, Sautéed Prawns with Spicy Garlic Sauce, Deep-fried Duck Rolls and Pork Rolls. Yes, you got it right! CAMEL PAW!
I must say I get to savor the authentic flavors of former imperial’s meals. Some of it might look exotic to me but hey, no harm to give it a try right? Besides, this is the finest dining you will ever get.
On top of what they served earlier, here are the remaining from the menu, Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish, Sautéed Vegetables with Mushrooms, Sesame Cakes with Minced Meat, Assorted Palace Dim Sum and Mixed Fruits.
If you have some spare time, try to visit the “Imperial’s Toilet”. I must say, now I know where the emperors did his big and small business.
The bills cost me about RMB 952. It might appear to be slightly on the expensive side but it is definitely an experience that is worth trying. Money is not everything? Think again!
Fangshan Restaurant
Inside Beihai Park’s south gate, Beijing, China
TEL: +86 10 6401 1889, +86 10 6401 1879
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11 am – 1:30 pm (Mon-Fri); 10:30 am – 1:30 pm(Sat-Sun)
Dinner: 5 pm – 7:30 pm (Mon-Fri); 4:30 pm – 8 pm (Sat-Sun)
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Prostitute is a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money. In normal conversation, we, Chinese always refers prostitute as chicken. If a man said, “I want a chicken!” What do you think?
Before you judge, please see if he shows his pervert-ive look. If not, he probably means something else. If you ask me if I want chicken, I will say, “Absolutely!”
Not because I am a pervert but I am so much into “chicken”.. as in chicken, chicken, the edible version. Oh yea, never say no to any type of meat if you are a real meat eater like me.
If you try to prepare TikkoSS’s Roasted Chicken, you might realize it is actually quite difficult but hey, I have an alternative for you, HuaBaoGang Roast Chicken.
My friend bought me this from a small rural area in China. According to him, this chicken has almost 500 years worth of history. Not the chicken itself but I believe it is the way how the chicken is prepared. Those of you with an online culinary arts degree will know what I’m talking about.
As you can see from the photo, the whole bird is properly wrapped in a paper and frozen. So, all you need is just to heat it up. What I do is put in oven for 10 mins and it is ready to be served.
If you ask my personal opinion, I would say TikkoSS’s Roasted Chicken is way better than this HuaBaoGang Roast Chicken. Maybe I am bias but I find it a bit salty and the meat is a bit hard.
BUT BUT.. I am not local Chinese from China, so my taste might be different from what they claimed to be the best. Maybe you will find this ready-made chicken taste suits you, who knows, right?
Everything is so commercialize nowadays. So, I believe you can order this Roast Chicken via online too. Hopefully the chicken is still in a good shape when it arrived on your doorstep :p
HuaBaoGang Roast Chicken Co., LTD.
Tel: +86 372 – 862 1688, +86 372 – 863 2789
Email: huabaogang@163.com
Web: www.huabaogang.com
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Time for Physic 101, did anyone know how fast an average bullet speed? Conventionally, a bullet travels at the speed of 370 m/s or 1332 km/h. In other words, it travels at Mach 1 or better known as supersonic speed. If you have studied at one of the online colleges for math you already knew this.
Due to the high velocity and momentum when it fires, bullet is recognized as deadly as it can penetrate through almost any medium known to man.
Bullet train is otherwise. It travels at the speed of approximately 350 km/h. Eh.. if you look at the speed, it is no way close to bullet speed but why it is called bullet train?
Must be some glitch in dictionary as it is only considered F1 train to me.. yea, it is close to F1 speed. Regardless,China just operated the first bullet train ever! It is a great success considering the train is always filled with passengers.
The train itself is fairly new, it is separated to super VIP, VIP and normal class. Generally it is distinguished by the seat size. So if you are super fit, I mean fat, don’t doubt but go for super VIP.
One thing I find it unsafe. The comfy seats are without seat belts. Imagine an emergency stop occurs when it travels at the speed of 350 km/hr. Gosh, I can’t even imagine that.
If you survived the journey of approx 1 hour fromHangzhoutoShanghai, you will be greeted with the tunnel of light. Like many said, don’t walk towards the light but there is an exception.
Ohh before you alight the train, make sure you wear your thick winter jacket as I nearly catch cold even though I have safety fat factor. The journey was rather relaxing except some dudes beside me were enjoying stinky beancurds!
As soon as you managed to find your way out from the station, you are now arrived in Shanghai Hong Jiau Train Station. Over here, you can start to sense some degree of civilization.
If you are not in rush, you can either choose to shop around this area or get to subway straight away to your next destination. I must say, it is quite an experience to travel in F1 speed for almost 1 hour 
Bullet Train in Shanghai Hong Jiau Train Station
GPS: 31.192695, 121.321517
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As many might know, my initial Christmas plan is to travel to Hong Kong Disneyland to fulfill my childhood dream. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I re-routed my destination to Hangzhou instead.
So yea, please don’t ask me anything about Hong Kong and the whole long to-do list that I have to put on hold now. Thanks to THE hotel that cancel my booking last minutes.
Every cloud has a silver lining. Despite not be able to physically visit Hong Kong, White Snake movie by Jet Li bring me to Hangzhou for what I consider as second prize.
I might not be able to pull Mr. Mickey’s ear or molests Little Mermaid, but I still get to try out Cantonese dim sum in this classy hotel-alike restaurant called Conrad La Superieur. This is the kind of restaurant at which culinary arts graduates from accredited online colleges try to get hired.
The waitresses have quite a simple job as all they need to do are just passing around paper menu and pencil to me and that’s all. I have to do all the ticking and waving before they attended to you again.
No one actually pushing the dim sum trolley as what shown in TV, THAT is the downside. But hey, they served egg tarts and phoenix claws too, just like any other dim sum place that I have been.
All the dim sums are served hot, I mean really hot. More like the chef only cooks when you order it. So if you ordered custard bun, or ha kau (shrimp dumplings) like what I did, it might take slightly longer than you thought.
Maybe because the dim sum is freshly made, the texture and taste are well preserved. Of course, it is another sign for you to order more too.
Beside char siu pau which I think is quite common, they served pretty good deep dried spring rolls. The spring roll itself is nothing special but after you dip in homemade vinegar sauce, I bet you will want more.
Maybe I should try to fry something and dip in vinegar. Who knows, it might turns out to be good too. If it does, I can make a business out of it.. If doesn’t, well it will still end up in toilet bowl.
Now comes my favorite dish.. a dish that hardly goes wrong. Chee cheong fun it is. Not that I like chee cheong fun but I love the soy sauce gravy. Yum yum..This is really satisfying..
In total, I ordered much more than that. So, I ended up paying a fortune before I leave. This breakfast cost me about RMB 161 (~RM 80) but hey, if I stay here longer, I will go to this place again for sure.
Conrad La Superieur
TEL: +86 – 571 8782 7888
EMAIL: gangli227@126.com
GPS: 30.245796, 120.164627
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