Have Perut Will Travel...: TGG Day 3 │ Anuar's Crew Again • Drive to Merang • Uncle Chua • Restoran Ocean!

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, perform, modify, create derivative works, transmit, or in any way exploit any such content, nor may you distribute any part of this content over any network, including a local area network, sell or offer it for sale. You may not alter or remove any copyright, watermarks, or other notice from copies of the content on this blog. Copying or storing any content is expressly prohibited without prior written permission of the blog owner. For permission to use the content on this blog, please contact harrycath@gmail.com.

Sunday, 8 November 2026

TGG Day 3 │ Anuar's Crew Again • Drive to Merang • Uncle Chua • Restoran Ocean!

KT Day 3!

We were up by eight and out the door half an hour later. After another good night's sleep, we felt refreshed and ready for another busy day in Kuala Terengganu.

A Deepavali Breakfast Detour

Our first mission was breakfast, but Deepavali meant many nearby food stalls were closed. After a brief search, we doubled back towards Elektrik KT Soon Heng and ended up at ZUS Coffee instead. A Spanish Latte, Iced Matcha Latte, Cheezy Sausage Roll, and Mushroom Chicken Deluxe came to RM44.20 (≈ USD11 / EUR10). Not quite the Terengganu breakfast we had planned, but a pleasant start nonetheless.

Roti Paung and Parquet Floors

Back at the ancestral home, Alias and Tengku arrived at 9:20am to begin restoring the downstairs bedroom's parquet floor. Almost at the same moment, Uncle Ching dropped by with a bag of freshly baked roti paung. Soft, fluffy, and lightly sweet, it instantly brought back memories of growing up in Terengganu.

While we enjoyed Uncle Ching's gift, Alias and Tengku secured loose parquet blocks, repaired gaps, sanded away years of wear, and applied fresh coats of varnish. By noon, the transformation was remarkable. Combined with the previous day's painting work, the room felt almost brand new. We paid the agreed RM600.00 (≈ USD148 / EUR132) and thanked them for an excellent job.

Naturally, one completed project revealed another. Attention soon shifted to the leaky front porch roof, a much larger repair that will likely have to wait until our next visit.

A Keropok Run to Merang

Soon afterwards, Mrs Lim stopped by with oranges and apples before admiring the newly restored room. Once everyone had left, we climbed into BiBi and headed for Merang.

The coastal drive was beautiful, with fishing villages, coconut groves, glimpses of the South China Sea, and dramatic monsoon skies reminding us why we love returning home. At 1:15pm, we arrived at Hasemah Keropok Keping and stocked up on ten packets of unfried ikan tamban and ikan parang keropok for RM160.00 (≈ USD39 / EUR35).

Laundry and Lunch

Returning via Tepoh and Jambatan Sultan Mahmud, we enjoyed sweeping views of the Terengganu River before heading into the waterfront district. Before lunch, we dropped off a large load of musty clothes from the downstairs wardrobe at a nearby laundromat.

With that done, we headed to Uncle Chua Signature for Ayam Geprek Signature, Nasi Goreng Kampung, Fried Spring Rolls, Ribena Lychee, Apple Juice, and Hot Hazelnut Coffee. The bill came to RM60.40 (≈ USD15 / EUR13), making for a satisfying break after a productive morning.

One More Project

After collecting our laundry, we returned home to meet Ah Ling from Elektrik KT Soon Heng and his technician. We had hoped to repair a faulty power socket at the front porch, but the issue proved more complicated than expected. Another task for another trip.

The rest of the afternoon was spent tying up loose ends around the house before we locked up and returned to MS Resthouse at 6:45pm.

A Well-Earned Dinner

At 7:00pm, we hailed a Grab for RM10.00 (≈ USD3 / EUR2) and headed to our perennial favourite, Restoran Ocean.

Dinner felt like a celebration of everything we had accomplished over the past two days. We ordered Small Meat Ribs King, Squid in Thai Sauce, Salted Vegetable Soup, and two Iced Chinese Teas. The meal came to RM61.50 (≈ USD15 / EUR14) and absolutely hit the spot after another busy day.

A final Grab ride costing RM7.00 (≈ USD2 / EUR2) brought us back to the resthouse and another productive day to a close.

Looking Ahead

Between restoring the downstairs bedroom, stocking up on keropok, tackling laundry, catching up with neighbours, and enjoying some excellent food, it had been a surprisingly full day.

Tomorrow, however, it would be time to point BiBi westward and begin the long drive back to Kuala Lumpur.

Stay tuned!