KT Trip Day 1 Recap

нello everyone! we are caт and нarold. welcoмe тo oυr vlog, creaтed ιn нonoυr oғ oυr devoтιon тo тнe everyday ғood ғor тнe everyday perѕon, aѕ well aѕ тo caтalogυe oυr мeмorιeѕ, lιғe'ѕ evenтѕ, and тravelѕ wнere oυr 'perυт' (тυммy) leadѕ тнe way!

Kuala Terengganu Trip Day 1! 

We woke up at 6am and left our condominium by 7am. We had a pitstop at the Temerloh R&R at about 8:30am before continuing our drive which was largely uneventful.

We reached Kuala Terengganu at approximately 12:30pm and headed to our first port of call, Restoran Chuan Kee. This has got to be our most favourite of all Hainanese Chicken Rice restaurants, which we had blogged about previously.

Lunch out of the way and with time to burn before we were able to check into our hotel we headed to my late Aunty's house. The true purpose of our trip to Kuala Terengganu was to visit her house that has been left abandoned since her passing in July last year.

The house was in a state of neglect, and to add insult to injury an inconsiderate neighbour parked her car in front of the house, partially obstructing the gate. And to make matters worse, the inconsiderate person left her car there unattended while she went holidaying!

We found out who the inconsiderate person was and managed to leave word with a relative. The relative contacted the inconsiderate person who promised to move her car as soon as she got back the following evening. 

We promised ourselves that we would be back as soon as the inconsiderate person moved her car so that we could begin in earnest to spruce things up.

We then checked into ARENA Boutique Hotel, a very pleasantly refurbished hotel that we had covered in an earlier blog. We took a nap and was out of the hotel looking for dinner by 6:30pm. 

Alas our first, second and even third choice eateries were closed (for the day, or for good we were not sure) so we ended up in the general vicinity of the Sultan Mahmud airport where we stumbled upon Ridwan Cafe & Seafood.

We had a sumptuous dinner at a ridiculously low price which we had blogged about here and headed back to the hotel where we hoped to have an early night.

Tomorrow we plan to go on an early morning walkabout, so please stay tuned!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

R & R Temerloh West Bound - https://goo.gl/maps/wCnfssRxLjggqrNG7

Restoran Chuan Kee 全記茶餐室 - https://goo.gl/maps/6aYw3y6Li8zqwSkM7

ARENA Boutique Hotel Kuala Terengganu 

- https://g.page/ARENABoutiqueHotel?share

Ridwan Cafe & Seafood - https://goo.gl/maps/Pf9umvEadCtABmzx6

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

RIDWAN Cafe & Seafood Kuala Terengganu

нello everyone! we are caт and нarold. welcoмe тo oυr vlog, creaтed ιn нonoυr oғ oυr devoтιon тo тнe everyday ғood ғor тнe everyday perѕon, aѕ well aѕ тo caтalogυe oυr мeмorιeѕ, lιғe'ѕ evenтѕ, and тravelѕ wнere oυr 'perυт' (тυммy) leadѕ тнe way!

Kuala Terengganu Trip Day 1! 

It was a very maddening night, with most eateries on our list closed (either for the day, or for good). We left the hotel at about 6:30PM and after an hour and a half of driving the width and breadth of Kuala Terengganu found ourselves at this seafood restaurant. Quite by chance, actually.

Located in the vicinity of the Sultan Mahmud airport, we were happy to see that this eatery is run by a group of youths. Rather than idling their time away, they took matters into their own hands and decided to run a business. Hats off to them!

We quickly perused the menu and ordered the Set A which consisted of the Siakap Tiga Rasa (Tri-Flavoured Sea Bass), an Omelette, two plates of white rice and two glasses of Iced Tea. Since Brendan stays away from seafood he ordered the Tom Yam Chicken with rice.

Turned out all that driving made Brendan hungry so he later ordered a plate of Padprik Chicken with rice as well. We enjoyed our dinner immensely, and were quite astaounded to learn that the seafood (and chicken) feast  came up to a paltry RM43 or approximately USD10 or EUR9.

Value for money restaurant, and contender for the crown of the everyday food for the everyday man!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Ridwan Cafe & Seafood - https://goo.gl/maps/Pf9umvEadCtABmzx6

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

ARENA Boutique Hotel Kuala Terengganu

нello everyone! we are caт and нarold. welcoмe тo oυr vlog, creaтed ιn нonoυr oғ oυr devoтιon тo тнe everyday ғood ғor тнe everyday perѕon, aѕ well aѕ тo caтalogυe oυr мeмorιeѕ, lιғe'ѕ evenтѕ, and тravelѕ wнere oυr 'perυт' (тυммy) leadѕ тнe way!

Kuala Terengganu Trip Day 1! 

Growing up in Kuala Terengganu Hotel Seri Hoover (simply known as Hoover to the locals) had always been a prominent landmark in town. According to my father this hotel had been around since the 1960s (or possibly even earlier) and was among the venues that his band performed. Yes, long before I played the guitar my father was the guitarist in the family and keeping with tradition my son has also picked it up.

With time the hotel naturally fell into decay and was a shadow of its former self. Entering the new millennium Hoover was such bad shape that a review described it as a hotel that was "only as a last resort. Never going back there unless we absolutely have no other choice. The corridor to our room was straight out of a horror movie - it was old, badly lit, and everything echoed loudly (and you can hear it in the room). TV reception was so poor as to become unwatchable, and the sofa looked so dingy that I preferred to sit on the (tiled) floor. Our room had a missing light fitting - just some wires hanging out of the wall fitting…"

That was until it was completely renovated and refurbished and re-opened its doors as Arena Boutique Hotel in 2019. My parents had the pleasure of staying here some time ago and had nothing but good things to, so this time it’s our turn.

We have to agree with my parents, that from the ashes of Seri Hoover rose the Phoenix that is now ARENA Boutique Hotel Kuala Terengganu! We were upgraded from a Deluxe King to a Premium King Room for free, while Brendan was very happy with his Superior Single Room. We initially booked four nights, and extended for one more night with Brendan getting bumped up from his Superior Single Room to a Premium King Room for the last night, so that we could be on the same floor.

We had absolutely no complaints with the rooms, and absolutely loved the location. The two rooms for five nights came to RM998 (approximately USD238/EUR212) which in our minds is a real steal. We definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who's looking to stay in well comfortable and well appointed rooms located smack dab in the heart of Kuala Terengganu!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

ARENA Boutique Hotel Kuala Terengganu - https://g.page/ARENABoutiqueHotel?share

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

CHUAN KEE Chicken Rice

Kuala Terengganu Trip Day 1! 

When Cat and I first got married in 1998 we stayed with my parents, just several hundred meters away from Restoran Chuan Kee. It was our default destination every Friday (Terengganu’s weekend) after Mass. 

As is the case the moment we arrive in Kuala Terengganu Restoran Chuan Kee will be our first port of call. Nothing much has changed, and the proprietor greeted us with his usual warm smile as though we never left Kuala Terengganu. His wife was excited to see us after all these years, so she took some time to chat and catch up with Cat.

We ordered the usual platter of roasted chicken (serving for three persons), and the proprietor remembered our preferences and threw in plenty of extra chicken skin and gizzard to boot.

The verdict? After 11 long years the Hainanese Chicken Rice served here remains as excellent as ever, and it is still THE best chicken rice shop in Kuala Terengganu, bar none! And the damage? Together with a round of Iced Chinese Tea for everyone and a good strong cuppa for me the total came to an astonishing RM22.70 (approximately USD6/EUR5) which is why Chuan Kee is the very definition of the everyday food for the everyday man. We just wished it weren’t 450 kilometres away.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Restoran Chuan Kee 全記茶餐室 - https://goo.gl/maps/6aYw3y6Li8zqwSkM7

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

SUNGEI WANG Plaza Stroll

 Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

Hardly a day after our walkabout at Sunway Putra Mall we found ourselves on another stroll along the alleyways and walkways of Sungei Wang Plaza.

First off, we got breakfast out of the way at Kopi Club. Brendan then headed up to the first floor where he had an appointment with his hair stylist, while we ambled along making our way to the ground floor. Cat had an old pair of spectacles frame that need new lenses, and we only had Jimmy of Eye Smart Vision in mind for the job.

Jimmy said it should take an hour, so we resumed our stroll. 

Established in 1977, the iconic Sungei Wang Plaza was the second shopping centre to be built in Kuala Lumpur after Ampang Park and is remembered fondly by many of the older generation as one of their favourite places to visit. Sungei Wang Plaza was built on the site of the former Shaw Brothers’ BB Plaza, a well-loved amusement centre where Taiwanese singer Teresa Tang once performed when she was ten years old.

Sungei Wang Plaza in the late 70s and 80s was synonymous with fashion, food, and beauty products, and was the epicentre of ‘La La Culture’. It was also an entertainment paradise with an Olympic-size ice skating rink, bumper cars, game arcade, discotheque hall and Malaysia’s first indoor cinema which could accommodate 1,700 people. Sungei Wang Plaza was THE venue for fashion shows, beauty contests, the annual ‘Campus King and Queen’ and ‘Lantern Parade,’ ‘Meet-and-Greet’ artiste concerts, and festive countdowns. A Chinese Opera theatre stage would be set up on its rooftop during important Chinese festivals.

“If you have not been to Sungei Wang Plaza, you have not been to Kuala Lumpur.”

— A popular phrase in the 1980s

Within the promised hour we headed back to Eye Smart Vision and found Jimmy already waiting for us with Cat's old new spectacles. We then made our way to Alfie at the basement car park of Sungei Wang Plaza and headed to the nearest Petronas Petrol Station.

With all our errands completed we were bereft of ideas for lunch and opted for Syed Bistro, just a stone’s throw away from our home. With that we ended our video, and this blog.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Kopi Club Sungei Wang Plaza - https://goo.gl/maps/aLuwUUrXFFmevNTy9

AJ SENSE SALON - https://g.page/AJSENSE-my?share

Eye Smart Vision Enterprise - https://goo.gl/maps/mEvdnzbV13ohwRMQ8

Sungei Wang Plaza - https://g.page/sungeiwangplaza?share

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

SYED Bistro (Dang Wangi)

 Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

Settling all our errands at Sungei Wang Plaza, plus filling Alfie's tank full of petrol we then thought about having lunch. With nothing particular in mind, we decided to play it safe and settled on something close to our home. 

For as long as we have been living in the area, we have always come to Syed Bistro, least of all for the fluffiest Roti Canai this side of the Klang Valley, believe you me. The Roti Canai is freshly prepared and not pre-made, unlike most Mamak shops thus ensuring its fluffiness. Also, it is not as oily as most others.

However, this time we came for lunch, and I opted for the Mutton Briyani while Cat had the Nasi Kandar with Curry Ikan Tenggiri (Mackerel) while Brendan stuck to his customary Nasi Kandar with Curry Chicken. Our lunch, with beverages came to RM55.25 or approximately USD14/EUR12 which was a little on the high side but made sense since the Briyani itself cost almost half the bill (RM23 or approximately USD6/EUR5).

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Syed Bistro - https://goo.gl/maps/CD54vrwjDuoQG4t96

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

EYE SMART VISION Enterprise

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

After breakfast at Kopi Club the Millennial set off for AJ Sense Salon for his hair appointment, and we took a stroll up to the ground floor for the next errand on our list: Eye Smart Vision.

Cat had an old pair of spectacles frame that she found wonderfully comfortable and that it would be handy to have a spare pair, just in case. For just this purpose of repurposing an old pair of glasses we paid Jimmy a visit at Eye Smart Vision. 

We have been patronising this optician for perhaps 5 years now and are mightily impressed with the way Jimmy goes about his business attending to the needs of his customers. 

Jimmy said that he could pop in a new pair of lenses for only RM100 (approximately USD24 or EUR21) and told us to come back in an hour. We continued our stroll around Sungei Wang Plaza and as promised, Jimmy presented Cat with her new (old) glasses within the hour.

If you are in the neighbourhood looking to replace your glasses, we do recommend giving Jimmy and Eye Smart Vision a try!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Eye Smart Vision Enterprise - https://goo.gl/maps/mEvdnzbV13ohwRMQ8

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

KOPI CLUB Sungei Wang Plaza

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

Sunday morning saw us back in Sungei Wang Plaza to run even more errands. The millennial had an appointment with his hair stylist at 11am so we thought we'd have a quick breakfast, or brunch as some would call it, at Kopi Club.

Located at the Lower Ground (or Concourse Level) Sungei Wang Plaza's website touts it as "A delicious home cooked food which reminds us of our childhood days - our very own local delicacies. Kopi Club serves good coffee and delicious food that you'll craved for more." We do agree that Kopi Club exudes an old 'kopitiam' or traditional coffee shop ambience, which we found soothing.

Our very Malaysian breakfast came up to RM28.80 or approximately USD7/EUR6. We thought that it was a teensy bit pricey by our standards but did not mind paying extra given the location and the 'ambience' the cafe provided.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Kopi Club Sungei Wang Plaza - https://goo.gl/maps/aLuwUUrXFFmevNTy9

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

Sunway Putra Walkabout

нello everyone! we are caт and нarold. welcoмe тo oυr vlog, creaтed ιn нonoυr oғ oυr devoтιon тo тнe everyday ғood ғor тнe everyday perѕon, aѕ well aѕ тo caтalogυe oυr мeмorιeѕ, lιғe'ѕ evenтѕ, and тravelѕ wнere oυr 'perυт' (тυммy) leadѕ тнe way!

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

As usual we had a few errands to run this Saturday morning and headed out to Sunway Putra Mall, a shopping centre steeped in history that for some reason is intertwined with mine. We were looking to pay the MAX store here a visit, as well as have us some Korean cuisine for lunch.

The millennial spent the entire night gaming into the morning with his UNIMAS friends, so we decided to let him sleep in.

We touched on this mall some time ago. So to recap, I first came to Kuala Lumpur as a teenager in 1986 and at about the same time a shopping complex, known as "The Mall", was opened.  At the time, "The Mall" was the largest shopping centre in Malaysia and housed Malaysia's first Yaohan store which operated from the mall's opening in 1987 until 1997 before its bankruptcy in Japan.

This mall brings back memories since it is situated across the street from the Putra World Trade Centre and the Seri Pacific Hotel, as well as the Hentian Duta bus terminal that used to serve express buses heading to the East Coast (including my hometown of Kuala Terengganu). Anyone travelling to or from the East Coast would have at one time or another been to "The Mall".

In March 2011, "The Mall" was acquired by Sunway in a public auction and soon embarked on a refurbishment exercise in May 2013. After two long years (during which time all its tenants had to move out) it was reopened as "Sunway Putra Mall" in May 2015.

We had lunch at Myeongdong Topokki and headed down to meet our good friend Shah at the lobby of the mall. We will soon be on our trip to my hometown of Kuala Terengganu in a few days’ time, so please stay tuned!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Sunway Putra Mall - https://goo.gl/maps/tbbeTaJabXtvsHrDA

Selera Street Food Court - https://goo.gl/maps/pGezMYwjEkRQrrMy6

MyeongDong Topokki Sunway Putra Mall

- https://goo.gl/maps/38YMc7cWqC1axkkFA

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

MyeongDong Topokki

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur!

Cat had a hankering for Korean cuisine, so we decided to have lunch at MyeongDong Topokki located within Selera Street Food Court on the 4th floor of Sunway Putra Mall.

Much to Cat's disappointment they were out of her favourite Bibimbap so she ordered the Bulgogi Chicken Deopbap, while I had the same order except it was Beef.

We enjoyed our lunch which came up to RM40.30 or approximately USD10 or EUR9. We thought that it was a little pricey by our standards but since Korean food is considered a novel cuisine here we did not mind paying extra.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

MyeongDong Topokki Sunway Putra Mall - https://goo.gl/maps/38YMc7cWqC1axkkFA

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

I remember... Kuala Terengganu

Happy Birthday Vivi!

Kuala Terengganu. 

I spent all my youth here. My earliest memory as a child was running buck naked along a kampung lane, living in a humble kampung house with no running water. I remember taking baths by a well and depending on an outhouse to do my ‘business.’ Kampung Nesan Empat is a distant memory, a haunting memory that stayed with me.

I also remember living in a house in the general vicinity of Jalan Pejabat dubbed the "ghost" house. I remember being friends with a girl next door called Ah Lan who lived with her elder siblings that were very fond of using (unbeknownst to me at the time) very 'colourful' language. I remember my father being rather 'temperamental' then, and I remember a ten-year-old me running away from home in the dead of night in absolute fear of incurring my father's wrath. "Ghost" house indeed.

I remember living a quite nomadic life, having moved house many times before finally settling down at Kampung Padang (somehow later know as Jalan Air Jernih). This house belonged to my grandparents and was one of the last ‘residential’ houses still standing in the town of Kuala Terengganu until it was sold and torn down more than ten years ago.

18 Kampung Padang, later 18 Jalan Air Jernih (belakang Hotel Warisan)

I remember walking every day to my primary school (Sekolah Rendah Sultan Sulaiman 2) a kilometre away, being bullied by a boy in Standard Six and having my books thrown out of the classroom, strewn all over the branches of a tree. I remember my first crush when I was twelve, her Malay name translated to English says Princess Diana! It was also about the same time that I started wearing underwear.

I remember moving to a house my father bought when I was thirteen in Bukit Payong. In the days before wide and immaculately paved roads and slick highways I felt like I was living in a remote village, disconnected from the world. The house in Bukit Payong was fun, and each school break was spent riding my bicycle all over even ending up in Chendering beach some twenty kilometres away.

I remember going to school took what felt like an eternity, catching the school bus at 10am only to arrive at school three hours later. I guess my parents grew tired of the commute and eventually sold the house. We moved back to the town of Kuala Terengganu and became nomads again moving several times more.

I remember frequenting a stall in Kampung Cina to have my 'ceranang' fix. It was a hole-in-the-wall stall fondly referred to as "Mok Mek Ceranang" that sold ridiculously cheap food and beverages. The stall was located at the back of a store that sold Marvel, DC, and other comic books that I could not afford. What I wouldn't give for another taste of the Auntie’s ceranang (I have no idea how to describe 'ceranang', perhaps you could Google it?).

*Vinodh later reminded me that the name of the ceranang cum comic book shop was Chee Sek!

I remember playing football on the beach, cycling my red racing bike to secondary school (Sekolah Menengah Sultan Sulaiman) several times a day for classes and tennis practice after that. I remember Kris and I cutting class, hiding out at Deva’s house to watch, erm, ‘recreational’ movies on a projector. 

*Kris later reminded me of the packet of Matterhorn cigarettes we used to share at Batu Buruk beach, and in his own words "The thought of Matterhorns still gives me a sick feeling in the stomach!".

I also remember hitting puberty in a bad way and being an absolute prick to my oldest and bestest friend Vinodh. I would like to believe that I have since made amends with him, and that our friendship has stood the test of time.

I remember spending a lot of time in church rehearsing with the church band, preparing for events, and practicing carolling each December. I even remember serving as the church's Youth Council President, imagine that! Christmas time was always a wet affair, with heavy rains and flood waters rising especially around where we lived.

I remember being an awkward teen constantly feeling alone and left out. I remember looking around me in class wondering what I could do to fit in. I sadly have no fond memories of my teenaged years, outside of home and church. I do remember however, being well fed in school for not much money. A hearty lunch at the school canteen would only cost me fifty sen (RM0.50), and with RM10 in my pocket I was king of the world!

I remember moving to Kuala Lumpur in 1986 after completing my SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, equivalent to the "O" Levels) to further my studies, then work. I remember a very dark period in my life when I did not come back to visit the family for five whole years.

After the dark cloud had lifted, I remember eventually coming back to Kuala Terengganu ten years later to begin a new chapter in my life. I joined Southern Bank in June 1996, and a month later I met and fell in love with Cat.

celebrating her 21st birthday

We were married in August 1998 and a year later welcomed Brendan to the world.

Catholic Mission of Kuala Terengganu

1st August 1999... very pregnant!

a week later!

I remember the last few months we spent in Kuala Terengganu before I was transferred to Kuala Lumpur (still with Southern Bank then) to join a newly established department. We made sure to visit all our favourite eateries, and bade farewell to all our dearest friends and family.

leaving Kuala Terengganu in September 2002, never to return

Some years later my parents too relocated to Bentong. After a period of neglect our ancestral home at Kampung Padang was sold off and torn down to make way for a car park. How incredibly cliched.

Cat and I will always look back at our time in Kuala Terengganu with great fondness, and always with a tinge of melancholy. It was here that we met, fell in love, and got married. It was here that our son was born, and it was here that my career took a step in the right direction.

We will soon be back to visit Kuala Terengganu, to where it all began for me, for us. Back to the scene of many ‘crimes,’ back to where my heart never left.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

Saturday Sashay

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

We had a few errands to run this fine Saturday morning, so we headed out to Plaza Damas first. I had my haircut here, as Cat went upstairs to tend to the studio apartment that my sister left in our care.

We then took care of lunch (and dinner) by taking away several packets of our favourite Kelantanese mixed rice (Kak Wok) from Warung Soho, before making our way to Jalan Pasar. Here I stopped by an audio shop, Syarikat Instraco to see if I can't rustle myself a replacement guitar amplifier speaker.

Long before I acquired the Vox Pathfinder 10, the Boss Katana 50 Mk2 or the Orange Crush 35RT my guitar amplifier was the modest Dars 30-watt. It served me well for many years before having its speaker blown out by a rather rambunctious Millennial. 

So in order to reward this diminutive, little servant for its years of loyal service I got a Celestion Ten-30, described as "a 10-inch guitar speaker that combines warm lows with a vocal mid-range and an articulate top end" to replace its blown-out speaker.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Plaza Damas - https://goo.gl/maps/s2FhtYzrqHchxCdW8

Waldorf Tower - https://goo.gl/maps/DGuBztxciLYQqEiR8

Warung Soho Hartamas - https://g.page/warungsoho?share

Syarikat Instraco (M) Sdn. Bhd. - https://goo.gl/maps/K6vPTFT1HdJLTUQ16

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

DJI Pocket 2: Timelapse Take 2

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

Much like the video this blog post will be short and sweet. It is our second attempt at time-lapse photography, and this time we're trying to capture the Kuala Lumpur skyline with KLCC in the distance as the sun sets. We put on an ND16 filter as well just to see what it looks like.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

We liked what we saw, and this will spur us to do more time-lapse photography at other locations in the future.

Do let us know if you like these kinds of video too?

SENTUL Market Hunt

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

A few days ago, we were at the Bentong morning market, and bought a string of petai (bitter beans). We thought that it would be great to have our petal with budu (anchovy sauce) and ikan tenggiri (mackerel) as well, hence our morning market hunt at Sentul Market.

We got to the market a quarter past seven in the morning. With Deepavali just two days away Sentul Market was a hive of activity. We dared not linger too long and simply got what we needed before hastily retreating into our car to get home. We shall not say too much about social distancing here, so we'll let our footage do the talking.

We spend a grand total of RM63.90 (approximately USD16; EUR14) which we thought was a very good haul indeed.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Sentul Market - https://goo.gl/maps/z39P2cBxzVZbDqz87

We do what we can to support local businesses, but in the case of Sentul Market we won't be coming back anytime soon, due to the lack of adherence to related SOPs (no one scanned their MySejahtera app, hardly anyone observed social distancing). Maybe it was due to the coming Deepavali but feeling safe and reassured we were not.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

DJI Pocket 2: Timelapse Test

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

This is our first attempt at time-lapse photography. It rained the entire evening into the night, and stopped somewhere in the middle of the first hour. We mounted our DJI Pocket 2 onto a tripod, keyed in the desired settings and pressed the record button.

Half-way through our first footage I had the misfortune of kicking the trip, hence the need to restart the entire process. The end result surprised us since we did not expect the DJI Pocket 2 to produce clear and sharp footage under lowly lit conditions.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

Let us know if you like these kinds of video, we'll be sure to do more of it in the future.

BENTONG Market Hunt

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

The next morning we woke up quite early and left the hotel a quarter past 7 in the morning. Our destination was the morning market along Jalan Chui Yin, but before that we decided to try out the famous Hooi Kee Wan Ton Noodles at Yuan Kie Kopitiam nearby.

Breakfast out of the way we took our time browsing the various items for sale at the morning market. We ended up with several bagful of items that included:

• 1 kilogram of fresh Ginger
• 1 bag of Tau Pok (Tofu Puffs?)
• 1 bottle of Tauchu Paste
• 1 bottle of Ginger Wine
• 1 string of Petai
• 1 bunch of Serai (Lemongrass)
• Assortment of Gao Teng Kueh (Steamed Kuih Lapis - Soft Rice Flour Pudding)

With that ends our sojourn in Bentong. Till we meet again!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Locations:

Hooi Kee Wan Ton Noodles - https://goo.gl/maps/9vPc1gjiqGETj9Pw6

Yuan Kie Kopitiam - https://goo.gl/maps/zRJUtRHHrkAoq14k9

Bentong Walk - https://goo.gl/maps/egYww7P7Fj8SKugW6

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

BENTONG Walkabout

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

We have not been to Bentong since the pandemic and first lockdown way back in March 2020, so we felt that a trip to visit my parents in Bentong was overdue. They live by themselves and (apart from running necessary errands) have been keeping very much to themselves for almost 2 years. Thankfully they also live within a close-knit network of neighbours who look after each other, and keep in constant contact with each other.

Often regarded as reclusive, it is this very trait that served them well during the pandemic. Now that everyone has been vaccinated my parents allowed us to their home.

We left Kuala Lumpur at about 9:30am and within the hour reached Bentong. We spent the entire morning catching up and had then had lunch. After a lazy afternoon we bade farewell to my parents and drove to Bentong town to check into Hotel Kristal.

After settling in and taking a short nap we walked out and across Jalan Ah Peng heading northwest past TF Value-Mart until we got to Jalan Masjid. Here we headed northeast until we got to the main street of Jalan Loke Yew and turned left.

We headed northwest along Jalan Loke Yew past Bentong Gallery all the way to the intersection of Jalan Padang where we turned left and made the loop back onto Jalan Ah Peng where we headed southeast. We then walked across Jalan Ah Peng and entered Jalan Wayang before heading southeast along Jalan Chui Yin past the Bentong Chinese Town Hall.

At Bentong Walk we came across several stalls selling cakes and pastries and bought our fair share. We then continued southeast along Jalan Chui Yin and arrived back at the hotel. We stored our goodies in our room and went to Aik Kee for dinner.

After dinner we wanted to continue our walkabout but a drizzle that soon turned into a downpour forced us back to the hotel.

An hour and a half later looking to have dessert we continued our walkabout heading northwest along Jalan Chui Yin but found The Hall Coffee Bar fully occupied. We then tried First Cup along Jalan Wayang only to find it closed. We then walked across Jalan Ah Peng and walked southeast until found a place that served as it turned out, only desserts.

It is very apparent that Bentong Coffee House has been ravaged by the pandemic and being an iconic landmark in Bentong town we can only pray that it survives and is able to revive itself.

After having Cendol and Air Batu Campur (ABC) we walked across Jalan Ah Peng and headed southeast until we turned right onto Jalan Chan Siang Sun and back to the hotel. We hope to go to sleep early since we will be on a market hunt tomorrow!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Locations:

TF Value-Mart Bentong (Jln Ah Peng) - https://goo.gl/maps/snr66AZz6Dta1dtP9

Bentong Gallery - https://goo.gl/maps/de2zzFvfuUGNAkji7

Bentong Chinese Town Hall - https://goo.gl/maps/QzUq3ro4tbs8zAsF9

Bentong Walk - https://goo.gl/maps/egYww7P7Fj8SKugW6

The Hall Coffee Bar - https://goo.gl/maps/DuyPJPVKexXNJ8bCA

First Cup - https://goo.gl/maps/W1FqaRmCGAmjEWga7

Bentong Coffee House - https://goo.gl/maps/2FudSUr9zVL2kHM59

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

AIK KEE Bentong

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

Each time we come to Bentong we would be remiss if we did not have dinner at Aik Kee. Just a 2-minute walk away from Hotel Kristal, Aik Kee sits on the left in a row of eateries. We were glad to see that Aik See survived the pandemic and was ready to welcome dine ins again.

As always, we ordered the:

• Steamed River Catfish with Soy Sauce

• Kung Pao (Dried Chilli) Squid in a Yam Basket

• Kung Pao (Dried Chilli) Pork

• Large Omelette

The entire meal came to RM114.50 (approximately USD28; EUR24) which was quite reasonable since we had almost a kilogram of catfish. If you are in Bentong and would like to try some local seafood and kungpao styled cuisine we would highly recommend Aik Kee to you.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Kedai Makanan & Mee Aik Kee - https://goo.gl/maps/ymTee2yehGKCupSX9

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

HOTEL KRISTAL Bentong

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

Back in the days when I worked for a bank in Kuala Terengganu I used to perform relief duties at branches in the East Coast area, and Bentong was one of the branches I'd frequently be posted to.

We've therefore been coming to this hotel for close to 20 years now, although this is the first time since the pandemic. In that time the hotel underwent a major facelift and has managed to transformed itself into a chic and contemporary hotel, and if it were our default hotel before it will be even more so now!

We'd like to list the top 3 things we love about this hotel:

1. Location

2. Location

3. Location! 

And oh, the hotel now feels refreshed and reinvented while still retaining its old charms plus the added bonus of spaciousness rooms. In other words, very highly recommended. A shout out to Ms Tong for handling our booking and making sure our small little needs were met :D

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Hotel Kristal - https://goo.gl/maps/n2RTTikuEsChoNRJ9

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

PETALING STREET Walkabout

Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

This is our longest video yet... Buoyed by our acquisition of the DJI Pocket 2, we woke up early this Sunday morning and made plans to go for a walkabout. It has been a while since we last visited Petaling Street and thought today was a good day as any to walk there.

Leaving our condominium we made our way to Lebuh Ampang and walked past our favourite Banana Leaf Rice restaurant, Restoran Kader. We then walked across Jalan Tun Perak before arriving at Medan Pasar.

Taking a minute to admire the Old Market Square Clock Tower we continued along in a southern direction until we reached Central Market, and found Kasturi Walk cordoned off for repair works.

We then walked across Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock and took a right into Jalan Hang Lekir before finally arriving at Petaling Street. The streets were busy, and welcome sign of things finally get back to normal.

My wife then suggested we try visiting an attraction nearby, so we headed south along Petaling Street then turned left and headed west along Jalan Sultan until we reached the intersection of Jalan Tun H S Lee. 

We then turned right and headed east along Lorong Panggung before arriving at Kwai Chai Hong (鬼仔巷) which literally means Ghost Alley. The place was crowded and with most not observing social distancing we beat a hasty retreat.

We exited the alley, turned left and headed east along Jalan Balai Polis before getting to Jalan Panggong where there are a host of cafes and eateries. In quite in the mood for western cuisine we continued east along Jalan Sultan before turning right and north along Jalan Tun H S Lee past the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple before arriving at our lunchtime spot.

Restoran Kiew Yee Baru has been our firm favourite and we arrived just in time too, as it soon started to rain. Apart from lunch we took away our favourite Curry Chicken for dinner later. After lunch and with the rain not receding, we sought shelter at a café simply called "etc.". Half an hour later the rain finally subsided and we walked back to Petaling Street, before heading east along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock before walking across to Kotaraya Complex.

It has been many years since we were last at Kotaraya Complex, and it has transformed into a mini-Manila. We continued walking past this Complex before turning right heading east along Petaling Street until we reached the Old Market Square Clock Tower again. 

From here we continued north and reached Leboh Ampang, where we walked across Jalan Tun Perak and turned left before entering Jalan Melayu and continuing north. We turned right at Jalan Masjid India and headed to our favourite hole-in-the-wall ‘Mamak’ stall called Mansion Tea Stall but affectionately known as as ‘Abang Abu’ (brother Abu) to us.

We ordered a dozen Roti Canai, to be had later with the Curry Chicken we took away from Restoran Kiew Yee Baru. This was when the DJI Pocket 2’s battery died, and this is where we will end our blog.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Locations:

Jakel Mall Kuala Lumpur - https://goo.gl/maps/fGLQfTpz1XP1HfVY7

Leboh Ampang - https://goo.gl/maps/qW97vzF6UnwEu4iy8

Restoran Kader - https://goo.gl/maps/ukLYLStF2MQ5C2Lx8

Medan Pasar Clock Tower - https://goo.gl/maps/7xwvR1VVPjeYSq8E6

Central Market - https://goo.gl/maps/EfccZZeMgFQ5ApW56

Kasturi Walk - https://goo.gl/maps/J8VhsiU5SnNKFcnk6

Restoran Yusoof Dan Zakhir - https://goo.gl/maps/6fKMVT2EuCaHABf89

Jalan Petaling - https://goo.gl/maps/G5GsdeFVE3gb2g4W9

Kwai Chai Hong (鬼仔巷 - Ghost Alley) - https://g.page/kwaichaihong?share

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple - https://goo.gl/maps/vNrbmjio2MiVWxkJ9

Restoran Kiew Yee Baru - https://goo.gl/maps/pwNCHALSzr9BH3hf8

Cafe ETC - https://goo.gl/maps/2s4DH286WmFgjtDA8

Chinatown - https://g.page/chinatown-kuala-lumpur?share

Kotaraya Complex - https://goo.gl/maps/7JotmzdiLyMNoF2z7

Mansion Tea Stall - https://goo.gl/maps/zstwt3u4w3ejuVsR7

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

We shoot primarily with: 

• DJI Pocket 2

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

• Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 

• Panasonic Lumix G 20mm ƒ/1.7

• Huawei P30

• Samsung Galaxy Note 10

• iPhone X