Have Perut Will Travel...: January 2022

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Wednesday 26 January 2022

Booster Shot!

нello everyone! we are caт and нarold. welcoмe тo oυr blog, 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!

It's Booster Day!

We had been receiving invitations in the past to receive our Covid-19 booster shots but having been infected on 26 November 2021 we felt that it was a little too soon. So, two months after the fact we decided to accept the invitation.

My appointment was scheduled today at 12:30pm at the PPV Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, while Cat was due to have hers at 1Shamelin Mall tomorrow.

We left our apartment at 10:00am and after having a light breakfast got on the LRT Sri Petaling Line towards Bukit Jalil. It has been almost two years since we rode the LRT, since the first lockdown in March 2020, and we were quite apprehensive. Turned out the train was practically empty, which did a lot to appease us.

Approximately half an hour later we arrived at the Bukit Jalil LRT Station. We then decided to take a slow walk to the PPV Axiata Arena, taking in the sights with our DJI Pocket 2. I was an hour early for my appointment but the kind gentleman manning the entrance allowed me in anyway, while Cat waited outside.

I decided to ask him a spur-of-the-moment question about whether Cat could be allowed to receive her booster shot here as well instead of waiting for tomorrow, and the kind gentleman said that it could be arranged. May God bless him!

After a few minutes fiddling with her MySejahtera app the kind gentleman managed to cancel Cat's appointment at 1Shamelin Mall and booked her appointment here at the same venue as mine. We were then ushered along to the first station where we were registered, before being ushered to the cubicles where the booster shots were administered. We received our booster shots effortlessly and were then ushered to the final station where our MySejahtera apps were updated.

And with that, it was done! There was zero waiting time, and the entire process end-to-end from the time we entered to the time we exited PPV Axiata Arena took less than half an hour. Kudos to all concerned for the well-oiled process.

N/B: A day after receiving the booster shot, I had a splitting headache, had the chills, ran a fever, and ached all over. It only lasted a day, and I was relatively fine the following day. Cat only suffered a stiff and aching arm, and nothing else. So, for those having second thoughts please do get your booster shot, for a little pain will accord you long-term gain!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil - https://goo.gl/maps/DqTvHfMitHDuEJBz9

Sunday 9 January 2022

Restoran DE LISBON

Melaka Trip Day 3!

An exceptionally long time ago we remembered having dinner here once in a wooden stall on stilts, and we had the best ever Curry Debal (or Devilled Curry to some). The rows of wooden huts have since been replaced by a row of brick-and-mortar stalls. Fast forward a decade later and we remember frequenting Stall Number 8 named De Costa run by Roy (Ah Loy) that served decent Curry Debal. This stall underwent a change of ownership and our beloved Curry Debal was no more.

A quick search on the internet touted Restoran De Lisbon as having possibly the best version of Curry Debal. Well, this is an opportunity not to be missed. A Grab car ride later and we found ourselves at the Portuguese Square, and we quickly found ourselves seated and perusing their menu.

With little haste we ordered the:

Curry Debal (of course!) for RM25.00
Sambal Petal Sotong (Squid in Sambal with Stinky Beans) for RM30.00
Fried Brinjals for RM10.00
Several helpings of plain white Rice for RM2.00
A large bottle of Tiger Beer for RM19.00
Orange Juice and Mineral Water for RM5.00
(We later added) Fried Rice to go, for the Millennial for RM6.00

We admit that this proper Portuguese banquet cannot be considered everyday food for the everyday man by any stretch of the imagination. However, seeing as it was our last day in Melaka, we felt that it was only right that we splurge a little, and paid RM97.00 (approximately USD23/EUR20) for this handsome feast.

And what do we think of their Curry Debal? The Wall Street Journal lists their version of the delicious devilled spicy vinegary goodness as the top three, and we couldn't agree more.

Thus ends our series of videos on Melaka, we hope to come back soon to continue our adventure in Melaka!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Restoran De Lisbon - https://goo.gl/maps/u3csV5S9X5eqxez38

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.

PORTUGUESE Settlement

Melaka Trip Day 3!

Yet again breakfast proved to be enough to sustain us through lunch. We stayed home and nibbled at some leftover cakes and desserts from our previous Grabfood purchase from Baba Charlie. Also, the Eu Char Kueh proved to be adequate enough to power us through the afternoon.

We spent the afternoon watching movies on Netflix while Brendan watched the latest Matrix movie at Dataran Pahlawan. Evening time came and we made plans to visit the Portuguese Settlement nearby and have dinner there as well. The Millennial declined to join us since he had yet another assignment to complete.

We hailed a Grab car and reached the Portuguese Settlement at almost dusk. We took a stroll along the jetty and back, and then headed to the Portuguese Square to have dinner at Restoran De Lisbon. After an excellent meal we spent time at the Christ the Redeemer Statue while waiting for our Grab car to take us back to the apartment.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Portuguese Settlement, Melaka - https://goo.gl/maps/v8cDyL8Cd9vQKVCc6

Portuguese Settlement, New Jetty - https://goo.gl/maps/P9tvDaaeha4eA9oX9

Portuguese Square - https://goo.gl/maps/Eoj9jdgxQq9tQ9Sa6

Christ the Redeemer Statue - https://goo.gl/maps/2qDnzBE2BfLnD54r5

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.

JONKER Walk-About

Melaka Trip Day 3!

After a hearty breakfast we walked southeast along Lorong Hang Jebat until we reached San Shu Gong, a retail store selling local products. We stopped by to get some souvenirs for our neighbours consisting of what else but local White Coffee.

We then walked northeast along Jalan Hang Jebat, or more famously known as Jonker Street. We walked the entire length of Jonker Street to its end where it met up with Jalan Tokong. We doubled back and stopped by Gu Pong Enterprise to get a box of the Millennial's favourite pineapple tarts. We continued northwest along Jonker Street to its end, then walked across the Melaka River and Jalan Laksamana to take a rest under the tree at Queen Victoria's Fountain.

Still recovering from the ravages of Covid-19 meant that we could not manage more than a kilometre at a time, and so we ended our walkabout here at the Stadhuys.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Jonker Street - https://goo.gl/maps/77MMRsa8UzpqQNk7A

San Shu Gong - https://goo.gl/maps/AgeEouZr7oGoBFN7A

Gu Pong Enterprise 古邦土产专卖店 - https://goo.gl/maps/hCY3vvch34WMRWrP9

Queen Victoria's Fountain - https://goo.gl/maps/6Fh1dfth5yRugVUZ7

The Stadthuys - https://goo.gl/maps/Rz5WQLAFBTFfMm1b7

Christ Church Melaka - https://goo.gl/maps/TGM6Rf8MEF5unsmf6

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.

LUNG ANN Refreshments

Melaka Trip Day 3!

A large bottle of Heineken last night meant that I would wake up later than normal this morning.

The plan this morning was to head to Lung Ann Refreshments early this morning for breakfast, and although it was close to 10am by the time we got ready to leave we decided to try our luck anyway. The Millennial did not join us since he had planned to watch the new Matrix movie over at Dataran Pahlawan on his own.

Lung Ann is notoriously hard to get a table, but somehow, we managed to snare ourselves one. As is always the case we ordered the:

2 sets of Grilled Bread for RM4.40
2 sets of Half Boiled Eggs for RM5.20
Iced Tea and Coffee for RM7.40
(We later added) A bowl of Teo Chew noodles for RM5.00

This proper everyday breakfast for the everyday man came to only RM22.00 (approximately USD5.20/EUR4.60), we've been coming all these years and you bet we'll be coming here again and again!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Lung Ann Refreshments 隆安茶室 - https://goo.gl/maps/dFHqKcGMkFDYiWu7A

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.

Saturday 8 January 2022

MELAKA Meandering (Dataran Pahlawan, [former] Ramada Plaza Hotel, Mei Sin Cafe, Lu Yeh Yen)

Melaka Trip Day 2!

Turned out the Pan Mee (Flour Noodles) we had for breakfast earlier in the morning kept us full till lunch. We ended up ordering a variety of cakes and other assorted dessert for lunch from Grabfood courtesy of our favourite Melaka outlet, Baba Charlie. We went a little overboard and ended up spending RM54 (approximately USD13/EUR11), but it was well worth it since everything we ordered were delicacies not found in Kuala Lumpur.

We came back to the apartment and had a short nap. Before we knew it evening was upon us, and we hailed a Grab car to Dataran Pahlawan for some sight-seeing and shopping. The Millennial opted to stay home and rest after a long night finishing up his assignment.

To our dismay our favourite low-cost clothing outlet Max Fashion was closed. Cat was also distraught to see her favourite clothing store holding a going out of business sale. We however found solace in Brand's Outlet where quite a few articles of clothing were bought!

Shopping out of the way we hailed another Grab car to our favourite Eu Char Kueh (Chinese Crullers) stall situated outside Mei Sin Cafe. This area used to our regular stomping ground since we always put up at Ramada Plaza Hotel nearby (before its untimely demise last year) each time we visited Melaka. Interestingly enough, the Cantonese version of these delectable pastries is called ‘yau char kwai,’ or deep-fried devils!

We then walked a few metres down the street to order some Chinese food to go. For as far as we can remember Lu Yeh Yen has been our default Chinese restaurant in Melaka. We were glad that they were still doing good business, mostly customers ordering take-aways from Grabfood, Food panda and the like.

We ordered the following dishes to go:

Sweet and Sour Pork with Rice for Brendan at RM12.00
Ginger Pork with Rice for Cat at RM12.00
Fried Noodles for me at RM7.00

This wholesome Chinese feast came to a very reasonable RM31.00 (approximately USD7.40/EUR6.50), and we sincerely hope that Lu Yeh Yen continues to strive under these challenging times. Needless to say, we wholeheartedly recommend this Chinese restaurant to everyone!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Locations:

Favourite Eu Char Kueh (Mei Sin Cafe) - https://goo.gl/maps/2wPxjZyv7C9W73iF9

露夜园海鲜酒家 Restaurant Lu Yeh Yen - https://goo.gl/maps/TeHU7xufMcrbWMT29

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

Song: The Jazz Piano

Music provided by Bensound

https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

ramada plaza hotel melaka, ramada plaza melaka, eu char kueh, chinese restaurant, chinese cuisine, lu yeh yen, affordable dining, dji, dji pocket 2, pocket 2, panasonic lumix, panasonic lumix gx85, lumix gx85, gx85, huawei p30,

TECK ANN Chinese Medicine

Melaka Trip Day 2!

After our excellent breakfast at DeXingLung Kopitiam, we took a walk along Jalan Bunga Raya as Cat wanted to replenish her supplies of Chinese herbs and medicine.

Teck Ann Chinese Medicine has been her firm favourite for as long as we can remember, and she gleefully went through her list. She bought some:

Xiāo Dú Skin Disinfectant & Sterilising Pills for RM70.00
Corn, or Clavus powder for RM25.00
Ulcer powder for RM15.00

With an investment of RM110.00 (approximately USD26/EUR23) our traditional Chinese pharmaceutical needs were fulfilled!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Teck Ann Chinese Medicine - https://goo.gl/maps/Utvm1Mx85YnikZgu5

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.

德興隆咖啡店 DeXingLung Kopitiam

Melaka Trip Day 2!

I woke up pretty early and did some work on the laptop before waking Cat up. The Millennial decided to sleep in and didn't join us for breakfast.

We headed to Bunga Raya for breakfast intending to have breakfast at Restoran Kok Keong https://goo.gl/maps/UnkXUxufeCytEG3k8 but alas it was closed. As they say, one door closes and another one opens and so we headed right across to DeXingLung Kopitiam, a pork-free restaurant serving home made Pan Mee (Flour Noodles). The proprietress was a kind lady who allowed us to film her.

Since it was just the two of us, we ordered the:

Pan Mee in Soup was RM7.50

Dry Pan Mee was RM7.50

Chicken and Fish meatballs were RM7.50

This proper everyday meal for the everyday man came to only RM22.50 (approximately USD5.40/EUR4.70), and you bet we'll be coming here again!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

德興隆咖啡店 DeXingLung Kopitiam - https://goo.gl/maps/e6buokZKXsUXAY217

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.

Friday 7 January 2022

Newton Food Court (Melaka)

Melaka Trip Day 1!

After checking into our apartment, we showered and change into fresh garments. We made sure to put each article of clothing we wore into the wash, as is our practice at home.

Later in the evening we decided to have dinner at an old familiar place. The Millennial had an assignment to work on and did not join us.

We have been coming to Newton Food Court for an awfully long time now. The very definition of a Malaysian food court serving all manner of street food, Newton has almost everything you could ever wish for.

We walked around checking out every stall but eventually settled on our customary dishes consisting of:

Ikan Pari Bakar (Grilled Stingray) at RM38.80
10 sticks of Satay at RM10.00
2 glasses of Iced Chinese Tea at RM1.40

This proper everyday meal for the everyday man came to RM50.20 (approximately USD12/EUR11). You bet we'll be coming here again and again each time we visit Melaka.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Newton Food Court - https://goo.gl/maps/ty8DeZLLpoydJdYt5

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.

MAHKOTA Residence Melaka

Melaka Trip Day 1!

Approximately half an hour after our lunch at the Air Keroh R&R we arrived at our appointed Airbnb apartment. Depending on where you search the place that we will be staying for the next three days could be called Mahkota Hotel, Mahkota Residence or even Costa Mahkota Condo.

This hotel and serviced apartments have a special place in our hearts. An awfully long time ago (15 years ago to be exact) I was temporarily posted here for a month at the newly opened branch. My company put me up here at Mahkota Hotel for the entire duration of the posting. It was December and it being the school holidays Brendan had the time of his life spending every moment he could at the swimming pool.

15 years later and we are back again, although Mahkota Hotel succumbed to the ravages of the pandemic. The apartment we booked was hosted by Victor, a Super Host in more ways than one. Located on the 9th Floor of Wing 3, Lotus Tower the apartment has been renovated and turned into a very chic and modern abode.

We'll let the videos describe the apartment. If you are planning a trip to Melaka, we highly recommend Victor's portfolio of apartments and homes on Airbnb. You can refer to his profile https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/11145548 for a complete list of his well-appointed units.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Mahkota Hotel Melaka - https://goo.gl/maps/1rnV3M4qq7u9ix7Q6

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.

AIR KEROH R&R (Southbound)

Melaka Trip Day 1!

Since coming back from Kuala Terengganu, and subsequently testing positive for Covid-19 in late November we spent our entire time in our apartment. Even through the Christmas period right up to New Year's we obediently stayed home, except for the odd outing for errands and to celebrate Cat' birthday.

Eager to move on from the recent medical misfortune while at the same time ever mindful of keeping safe, we made a spur of the moment booking with Airbnb for an apartment in Melaka town for the weekend. Learning from our past mistakes in Kuala Terengganu, we vowed to only stay in Airbnb apartments that had a washing machine so that we could observe our strict SOPs. As is our usual practice at home, each time we come back from an outing we will shower, change our clothes, and immediately wash each article of clothing. Hotel rooms will no longer be considered at this point in time.

Before we could make our way to Melaka, I had to attend a scheduled medical check-up at KPJ Tawakkal Specialist Hospital. I concluded the check-up at noon, and we took a leisurely drive down to Melaka (I haven't been behind the wheel for a while, not since coming back from Kuala Terengganu).

After a leisurely two-hour drive, we decided to have lunch at the Air Keroh R&R for lunch. After a short stroll along the stalls:

Cat ordered the Nasi Lemak with Sotong (Squid) for RM5.50
I ordered the Nasi Lemak with Ayam Goreng Berempah (Crispy Spiced Fried Chicken) for RM4.00
Brendan decided on the Nasi Kandar with Ayam Goreng ('Shouldered' Rice with Fried Chicken) for RM6.00
Our various beverages totalled RM6.70

This proper everyday breakfast for the everyday man came to RM22.20 (approximately USD5.40/EUR4.70) which was a very reasonable sum, and with lunch out of the way we continued our leisurely drive to Melaka town.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

R&R Ayer Keroh (Southbound) - https://goo.gl/maps/1ydyJ7d9pRsiXwYJ8

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.

Saturday 1 January 2022

Kang San Ea Korean BBQ (Happy New Year 2022!)

Happy New Year!

A lot has happened since we came back from Kuala Terengganu in late November. First and foremost, Cat and I contracted Covid-19 whilst on our trip there. We were tested positive on 26 November 2021, since we were classified as Category 1 patients were allowed to serve our quarantine at home. Brendan was negative and self-isolated himself in his room, thankfully he had a bathroom all to himself.

There was a time when my SpO2 (or oxygen saturation) levels dipped below 80%, and Cat was standing by to call an ambulance, but I managed to pull through after a few days. We eventually completed our Home Surveillance Order on 6 December 2021 and submitted ourselves to a check-up at the local Health Ministry's COVID-19 Assessment Centre on 8 December 2021. We passed our check-up, given a letter to certify that we had successfully served our quarantine and was asked to continue our recovery at home.

How was living with Covid-19 for the first 10 days? It was like suffering from altitude sickness, gasping for air at every slight exertion, non-stop diarrhoea, and inability to consume solid food. Cat did not suffer as much, since her CT levels were marginally lower than mine. I lost 8 kilograms in the first 10 ten days, and a further 2 kilograms since then due to lack of appetite.

How was the recovery? Truthfully, we are both still not where we were a month ago. Cat's sense of smell is somewhat affected, and she quickly gets out of breath each time she vacuums hour home. For a time, her voice sounded like she had a blocked nose, although it has improved. Food still mildly tastes like rust for me and walking 100 meters at a time leaves me gasping for air.

Okay, let's move on to a more cheerful topic. We first came to Kang San Ae amid the Hallyu wave craze way a decade ago and have been coming back ever since to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. P/S Cat celebrated her birthday a day ago!

We were supposed to come here last night to celebrate Cat's birthday, but heavy rain deterred us. We changed our reservations since it was New Year’s Day and all, and as soon as we got there proceeded to order the ¹Samgyeopsal, ²Dwaeji Galbi and ³Maeun Jjukumi Bokkeum for good measure; and as usual Brendan ordered his favourite ⁴Kimchi Jjigae.

¹thick, fatty slices of pork belly meat similar to uncured bacon
²pork ribs seasoned with a typical ganjang-based sauce or gochujang-based sauce (chilli pepper condiment)
³baby octopus mixed with spicy sauce and vegetables
⁴stew-like Korean dish, made with kimchi and other ingredients, such as scallions, onions, diced tofu, pork, and seafood

It was a proper Korean feast that came to RM157.30 (approximately USD38/EUR33). For the amount of food served we would say that it was value for money, given that Korean cuisine in Malaysia is a novelty. We do recommend Kang San Ea to anyone looking for an authentic Korean experience that is as good as it gets in Kuala Lumpur.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Kang San Ae - https://goo.gl/maps/ty8DeZLLpoydJdYt5

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.