The Char Siew Noodle is the KL style with soy sauce. Not the best – but not bad.

Also comes with some dumplings in soup.

I like to order these deepfried pork which are probably very suspicious cuts of left over meat, but they are quite addictive as a crunchy snack.

Lots of cooked food (mostly deepfried) to whet your appetite.

The dining areas are all open planned and look into working rice fields.

I did not have the chance to eat there during our visit. The menu is Mediterranean, vegetarian and Indonesian – quite a strange mix but most of the reviews are quite positive, so will definitely give it a try on my next visit.

The shops can be a distraction and nuisance, but if you change your mindset a little bit these can also become an additional point of interest during your visit. I always find these stalls very interesting and colourful, great for photographs. This trip, whats popular seem to be motorcycle helmets – they come in all kinds of funny shapes and designs.

You don’t really have to buy anything, but sometimes you may find that perfect gift, or an interesting souvenir for your travel. If you have no intention of buying, don’t start bargaining as haggling usually signals to the seller that you are interested.

I find these colourful displays at the shops facing the carpark really beautiful and graphic.

Just opened not so long ago, Lot 10 Hutong is another great dining concept. Located at the basement of Lot 10 Shopping Centre which was originally also a food court, Lot 10 Hutong is a food court with an important difference – great design and great food. I don’t know how he did it, but Dato’ Francis Yeoh has managed to bring together some of the best hawkers in KL, including a few from Singapore – under one roof. The variety is quite mind boggling and you need multiple visits to try everything.

On your first visit to Hutong, it pays to spend a little bit of time wondering around. Though the food court is not that big, the layout is purposely labyrynthian, and you can get a bit lost in there. Try to find your bearings, seek out what you like, find a good place to settle down. Then go and order what you want.

The famous Kong Tai noodle stall – all the way from Singapore.

I tried the Sio Bao (Char Siew Pie) and Egg Tart from this stall. They are both really good.

The Teo Chiew Popiah at this stall was really good. You have to order a minimum of 2. I tried the normal popiah and another with egg skin.

Also had this Curry Noodle with Pork Ribs. Not bad.

Lot 10 Hutong is a great place for lunch, or even dinner if you just want simple but tasty comfort food. A great concept which I will certainly visit every time I go to KL.

Use easy cash to help you funds your holidays.

For our first night out in Hong Kong I had wanted to try the dai pai tongs in Temple Street. After wondering through the thick crowds in that area, my kids were crying out for a more comfortable location. We ended up in this restaurant at the upper end of Parkes Street called “Sha Kei’s Roast Meat and Seafood Restaurant”. It is a typical small Hong Kong Chinese restaurant with a pretty standard menu – but you can order practically any Cantonese dish you can think off and they will cook it for you. We opted for simpler fare – some poached chicken, roast goose, char siew and kai lan with garlic. Everything was good – especially the roast goose which was tender, juicy and very tasty. This is afterall Hong Kong – the centre of roast goose and char siew.

Perfectly poached chicken.

Very good roast goose and char siew.

Stir-fried kailan with garlic. Very crunchy and perfectly seasoned.

The minute you walk into a restaurant in Hong Kong, be prepared to pay. Our simple diner cost around RM 150.00. It would have been below RM 50 in KL.

Colourful Bo Sang umbrellas are a unique icon of Chiang Mai. The frames are made from bamboo, and then covered over with either mulberry paper, or silk for the more deluxe version. The skill and patience involved in the making of these beautiful objects are amazing. Buy some to support the craft, and they also make great home decors and gifts.

You can see how mulberry paper is made using traditional methods.

Making the frame in bamboo.

The raw umbrellas being put out to dry.

Beautiful designs are then applied.

The shop. They sell more then just umbrellas.

The Carvery is located in Pending, an industrial area to the north of Kuching Town. It is an odd place for a restaurant, but that doesn’t deter diners who like their meat. It is very popular, and do make a booking if you are going in a big group.

The standards have been maintained over the years, and the salad bar is quite impressive by Kuching standards. You get nice fresh greens, plump baby tomatoes, and some nice cold salads and cold cuts. The restaurant is pork-free so you won’t get real ham or bacon.

Some of the salads.

The cooked section is less interesting, but some items are great for the kids – like the pasta, fried rice, sauted vegies, etc.

The roast meats are really good. Tender, flavourful and grilled perfectly, they are all delicious. And the good thing is you can always ask for more ! From memory these are the meat they served – grilled chicken wings, lamb chops, leg of lamb, grilled lamb shoulder, beef rump, sirloin, smoked beef, braised beef ribs, chicken saltimbocca, grilled squids, battered fish, etc.

Unlike a traditional buffet where you have to go and get the food, here the food is brought to your table – very convenient and somewhat decadent ! This place is great for special occasions like birthdays or small company dinners.

I was looking for a place to have a simple dinner, and came across this restaurant called San Fah Tang. The décor is quite simple but tasteful. It has a teahouse ambience. They serve noodles and dim sum, which was exactly what I was after. Since I wasn’t that hungry, I ended up ordering just a Pork Chop La Mien. It was a pretty simple but satisfying meal.

The tea house decor inside.

They have an upper floor with private rooms.

Nice table setting.

I loved these pickles.

Now the noodles. Nice big slab of pork chop on top, half an egg. The pork chop was really tender, and the noodles still al dente.

There is a window outside the restaurant where you can see the chefs at work.

My experience with La Mien in Shanghai has been generally very good. This is one of their specialties, and they do it very well. Be sure to give it a try.

I chanced upon this Chinese Acrobatic Opera performance near the Performing Arts Centre. It was really colourful and entertaining.

Exotic Thai dancers at the entrance to the Thai Pavilion.

A Sound and Puppet show outside the Poland Pavilion.

An excellent jazz band performing at the Australian Pavilion.

A Japanese Choir made up of mostly senior citizens.

Remember – the Expo is not just about buildings and exhibits, but also about people and culture. So don’t forget to catch some of these great performances while you are there.

The timber structures are quite beautiful.

Once you enter the pavilion you can see the whole big canopy-covered space. It is quite impressive. As for the exhibitions, there wasn’t much to look at, so it was another disappointment as far as contents is concerned.

Visitors are quite intrigued by this block of ice with animal paw prints imported all the way from Norway.

The restaurant at the Pavilion.