Miri: Weekend of Swine and Booze

The entire Internet was drowning in numerous websites, all covering different ways to get from Bandar Sri Begawan (BSB), across the Malaysia-Brunei border, and into Miri, Sarawak.

Any information from Kuala Belait to Miri by bus, however, seemed to be strictly top secret.

(Kuala Belait, or KB, is the last township North West of Brunei before the Malaysian border).

We wanted to depart from KB as it'll be faster to drive directly into the town, then hop onto a bus to Miri from there. Things would have been less complicated if we could drive the car into Malaysia, but the Brunei-registered car needs to carry a Vehicle Import Permit - which then requires all sort of paperwork, and nobody likes paperwork.

So, here we go.

Bus to Miri from Kuala Belait

Bus departs twice a day from the main bus terminal in Kuala Belait @ 9:30am and 3:30pm. Tickets are BND$15 one way. We did not book these tickets in advance.

The bus from KB is the same PHLS express (a bus service company) from BSB (departs at 7:00am and 1:00pm). So it took the bus approximately 2.5 hours from BSB to KB (plus a stop in Seria town). Driving from BSB to KB only took us slightly over an hour. 

Whoa, that is a fair bit of abbreviations! Ok, here's a table to simplify things.

Bandar Sri Begawan	Kuala Belait	Miri
7:00AM	9:30AM	11:00AM
1:00PM	3:30PM	5:00PM

The 7am bus from Bandar Sri Begawan will arrive at 9:30am in Kuala Belait, then Miri at 11am, and so on.

We'd wrongly assume that buses depart frequently from Kuala Belait, and so, arrived KB at 12:30pm.... only to find out the next bus is at 3:30pm. With 3 more hours to kill, we checked for places to eat in KB. We drove to a popular duck rice only to find out that they've sold out. The shop next to it said they're closing (at 1pm on a Saturday??), and so we drove back to the main square on KB. 

We scavenged for food on the main street and popped into a Chinese eatery for some pork!

Well, orange pork chops for him, and beef with ginger and spring onion for me. Food was decent, but the coffee was gag-inducingly diluted! Sorry, but I didn't take note of the shop's name! It was a few shops after a Chinese eatery that sells pastries.

By 3pm, we were already back at the bus terminal. Only 3 people were waiting to board the same bus. Our ride pulled into the bus terminal at 3:15pm, with only a handful of seats occupied. The bus attendant took our passports, and processed our payments. Off we go!

It was a pretty drive, with lush rainforest flanking the roads. From KB, it took 30-40 minutes to the Brunei immigration checkpoint.

You could tell when you're in Malaysian land, the difference is stark. The greenery is now replaced by palm oil plantations... concrete buildings got denser, and the river is just...... inky.

Miri

Hello Sarawak! We arrived Miri at 5:20pm (got hold up at the Malaysian immigration because of one passenger - we were told the bus usually arrives at 5pm).

As soon as our bus pulled into the bus terminal, a horde of people started clamouring at the bus entrance. I remember idly commenting to Vinnie that this must be the next group of passengers heading back to Brunei. 

Well, I was wrong. Those were the taxi drivers! They charge a flat rate of MYR20 to the city centre, for a 7-8 minutes drive. Ridiculously expensive, but there are no Uber service available yet here. 

We were booked into Imperial Hotel (because I read somewhere online that it's right next to the Imperial Mall, the biggest mall in Miri). Decent selection of shops, a little better than Brunei's best mall, but only took us a few hours to get our shopping done. 

A quick google brought us to Ming Cafe for a night of booze and pork ribs. Hehe, we're not big drinkers, but it is one novelty to cross the border and to redeem one's horns and forked tail. 

The music is really loud here though, so expect to shout to be heard. Their food is yummy and value for money, too!

Breakfast, top on my list - Sarawak laksa!

A friend from Miri, Jocelyn, recommended the 28 Food Centre for Sarawak laksa. This is just opposite our hotel.

We were there at 10am, and already the shop was packed! There are three stalls operating in the kopitiam - Sarawak laksa, kolo mee and a chicken rice stall which hasn't started operating yet). We shared a table with a nice guy, turned out he's a medical doctor from Kuching. He told us that good Sarawak laksa and kolo mee are ubiquitous in Kuching, but in Miri, this is the only one he frequents. After his comment, I only realized all good stalls proclaim to be from Kuching, much like this Sarawak Laksa.

We both opted for the regular Sarawak Laksa. The special bowl boasts a few extra prawns and fish balls. Since both of us are not wild about fish balls, regular it is.

A squeeze of lime and some sambal were added to the broth. The prawns were seductively displayed, de-veined and de-shelled. I prodded my chopsticks on them and could tell they were cooked perfectly. None of that tough, overcooked, rubbery texture. A bite of the noodles, these were al dente and chewy. 

Now, the broth.

Oh my. I was mindblown.

It is a rich, flavourful broth of chicken and prawn, with coconut milk. Every slurp sweeps me into contentment. It is THAT good.

My verdict? I'm hooked!

Oh, and the coffee at this kopitiam is also pretty decent.

We came back again for lunch. I debated briefly if I should go for the laksa again, before deciding on the kolo mee.  

I should just have the Sarawak laksa! While the kolo mee isn't bad (nice springy noodles), the ratio of noodles to toppings were way off. The three charsiew slices and some minced meat were all there is, drowned in a mountain of kolo noodles. The noodles are nice, and springy though. 

We have turned into hard-to-please kolo mee snobs, I guess, as we have found ourselves a good kolo mee rendezvous in Brunei (which I should blog at some point) and so, the lost chance of a Sarawak laksa meal is staggering.....

By the way, compare this photo and the one displayed on the stall. Massive difference!

Miri to Kuala Belait

For transfer to the bus station, we took one of the many taxis parked by Imperial Mall. There are two buses that depart from Miri for Brunei every day - at 8:15am and 3:45pm. 

The taxi charged us the same flat rate of RM20 to the bus station. As soon as we arrived, a number of touts approached us, but they got disinterested and dispersed when we said we were heading for Kuala Belait, hehe. They did point us in the right direction, though. The Brunei-bound ticket counter is on the furthest end. Tickets are RM38 one way.

We got our tickets at 3:10pm and could board the bus immediately - the bus was already waiting in the station, so there was no need to wait in the heat ;) We departed on time (bus was 80% occupied on presumably the busiest slot of the week), but there was heavy traffic at the immigration, being a Sunday evening and all. It was almost 6pm by the time we were dropped off in Kuala Belait. 

Now I need to go back and have that second bowl of Sarawak laksa.

Killer Gourmet Burgers

Ohaiyo.

So, after Sipadan, my adventure continues in KL for a few days. The initial arrangement was to have Mei Ying's birthday dinner with the rest of the gang. But Mei  Ying decided that she's too good for us . Met up with Yee Ker (followed later on by Eve and then Grace) instead.

Mei Ying recommended this place. Said it's similar to myBurgerLab, minus the impossible queues. I loved myBurgerLab - the fries, the burgers, the dip, everything about it except for the crazy long wait. So as we are already in Bangsar anyways, we decided to go for it.

Two LCDs are mounted around the shop (shop is a small one, enough only for 20 dine-in patrons at any one time, me thinks) and the LCD screens replay the making of the KGB burger. One  memorable scene was how KGB 'tattooed' their buns - using a hot iron with the KGB logo to imprint its territorial mark onto the buns. Unnecessary move, but, what the hell.

The burger bun ma look liddat loh. Pointless tattooing and stabbing of buns in my opinion.

There aren't many choices available, which is great for indecisive people like me. I settled for a Bella Bomb Tower - Grilled grassfed beef, 2x portobello with triple stuffed cheese, shack sauce. RM21.90 apiece. 

Digressing, I'm a little shocked at the prices of the F&B in KL. It's daylight robbery to be charging exorbitant prices for items like burgers and fries. But people still buy. When there's a demand, there's always a supply. But still. If you're earning RM3k a month (an average income), RM25 is a large chunk for a meal.

Back to Bella Bomb Tower. It is really good, despite the price tag. The portobello mushrooms are deep fried and the juices just explodes in your mouth when you bite into it. It's a tall burger (tower) and I had to make two instalment bites to taste both mushroom and beef patty.

Speaking of The Beef Patty. Oh my. It's just loosely packed, the way I like it, don't fancy dense patties. Tender and melting in mouth... mmm.....

I love the toasted buns too, but only for the first few bites. After that, it gets soggy from the juices and then it was bleah for me. The fries are quite nice too. There is an option of herbed fries (rosemary n whatever else), pepper, malt and vinegar and something else. I had the herbed one and it's just as good as myBurgerLab. But BurgerLab's chilli dip fared better.

While on a neighbouring table....

Spent the next couple of nights at Yee Ker's new nest! Pretty well done, makes me wish all the more that I have my own place :( 

Her dog, a toy poodle is. so. adorable. so. very. adorable. Like a marshmallow!

And he likes climbing into bags because Yee Ker has this big Ikea bag and whenever she wants to bring Teddy out, she will smuggle him into it. She lives in a condominium area where tenants are not allowed to keep pets.

So whenever Teddy sees an opened bag, he climbs into it and then looks at you expectantly. So cute! But annoying when I wanted to pack...

How can you not get geram at this little angel? :)

Burger Lab

I really only selectively blog about makan places, usually revolving shops/restaurants that I fancy. Recent trip to KL, Mei Ying arranged dinner at this place called myBurgerLab. Now, I've read of myBurgerLab, mostly through Facebook with people posting photos of the recognisable black bun and of the ridiculous crowd thronging the shop. Naturally I thought it was all just a hype.

Well, I was one of those ridiculous crowd lining up on a Friday evening while trying to get my hands on the charcoal bun burger.

They open at 5pm, we were there at 5:15pm and even then, the place was already packed! A queue has also formed.... talk about dedicated customers....

Interesting wall art

myBurgerLab menu with a choice of beef, chicken or vegetarian (where the patty is replaced with portobello mushroom). I must say, pretty interesting combination they have here with optional mix and match options of fries and drinks. See that 'Stink Bomb'? Curious about the ingredients? Beef patty, complete with sambal petai and blue cheese. I bet you're squirming now in your seat imagining that combustion of flavours haha. A friend ordered that and strangely, it's not too bad. Now, I love sambal petai but I hate blue cheese with all my life. One good thing about this stink bomb is the blue cheese is not overwhelming... Those brains behind myBurgerLab have got things sorted then.

Anyhoo, a set of burger of your choice, complete with fries and a soda sets you back by RM25 or so. It's more expensive if you opt for juice, or a la carte fries, or mineral water. Definitely not cheap, even for KL standards as the ambience is very casual and the portion, small.

Mei Ying told me about this special burger that they offer called Elvis which is not on the menu. Well, of course I would order that! ;)

Oh, and the staffs are mostly made up of college-going kiddos! Including the ones in the kitchen, grilling burgers, etc. Oh wait, even the ones dining there also relatively young me thinks. Gives a young-ish vibe to the place I suppose. But still, RM25 for a meal, especially for a student has got to be too much right? I remember back when I was a student, going for KFC or McDonalds (RM12-15?) itself was a huge treat already......

After ordering and paying at the counter, we were handed our receipts along with our queue number. Wait wasn't long (approximately 10 minutes?) before our number was up to collect our meals but more and more customers are already filling in to the relatively small shop.

Mirror tricks ;)

Perfect companions to a burger - mustard, ketchup and of course a fizzy, soft drink (they only have Pepsi but I so wanted a Coke :/ )

See, see, filled to the brim oredy.

Does the burger look good or what?! Elvis: Beef patty with caramelised onions, cranberry sauce, cheese with charcoal buns spread with peanut butter. Unconventional, but totally spot on! One gripe I have though, is that they probably did not spread the buns properly with the PB and by the time I am mid way through the burger, the buns start feeling soggy.

And don't even get me started on their fries! Fried to a crispy golden brown and sprinkled with rosemary, it's already a great combination but the dip! I can't describe what was in the dip, but I can sure as hell tell you it's goooooood. I think it's a little like mayo mixed with chilli sauce, with a lemony zest kick to it.

Just another peek at the burger...

Mei Ying's A+ chicken burger. As you can see, the bun is already starting to get soggy...

The portobello strips 'fries' were undeniably awesome! Sprinkled with rosemary as well, the breaded batter holds in the portobello juices which all just melts in your mouth. Two different types of dips are available for their portobello fries, one which is mustard, and another which has a Twisties-type of flavour to it, we call it the melted Twisties dip lol.

Second visit a few days later and I ordered this... Kick in the Face beef burger. Contains horseradish sauce, jalapeno and cheese, but it wasn't that hot though, very mild on the spicy scale, I must say. Not too bad but I think I still preferred the Elvis burger lah, with the portobello fries! Yum, yum, yum.

 One point worth noting at this restaurant.... service was impeccable. Tables quickly cleared for the next customers. A friend accidentally knocked down his burger and fries while one of the staff was wiping the table clean. The staff quickly offered to bring him another burger, complete with fries. Very good strategy indeed..... Ah, I'm craving for another Elvis right now :(

A December Food Trail

Continuing where I left off previously...Traveled south towards KL and Mei Ying was already hurrying me to reach her place and start decorating her Christmas tree in time for the house-warming/pre-Xmas party, lol. Arrived at her place 5ish, and immediately started taking out the faux tree from the box and got to work with her on my case :P She's gotten all the ornaments and baubles and whatnot EXCEPT!! The tree-topper! So I told her, it's ok, I'm pretty sure we can improvise and looked around her 'office' and spotted this teddy bear hahaha. Like what they say, the rest is history.

I must say, pretty impressed myself with the results ;)

Excuse the very pinkish faces, low lighting hor.

 Creative director and the marvelous, joy-filled Christmas tree ;)

 Can't remember which night it was and Mei Ying wasn't feeling very well so she asked if it's okay if we have salad. Anything high fibre and healthy, I'm a direct convert! (we were initially supposed to get bakuteh). But after a couple of weeks back home and gorging myself on good food almost daily, this is a great step back of mild detox.. lol. She also introduced me to quinoa, which I think complements the salad nicely and kinda rounds it up! I think I'll be having more of these in the future... :)

Too soon I speak of a detox, the next morning we visited the much hyped about Village Park for their so-called famous nasi lemak and even more famous deep fried chicken. It was, most unfortunately, my idea to visit the place after hearing much hype from my old colleagues back in KLCC about its crunchy and out-of-this-world fried chicken and sambal..........

The queue was really long, even though it was on a working day, but then again, it was Xmas Eve, so I guess most people are taking the day off. What's also bad about the place is the fact that their system is annoyingly inefficient. There was only one entrance/exit and on both sides of the already narrow corridor were two long queues, one for ordering and one for payment. There were waiters but they only seem able to take orders for drinks when they could also have included meal orders as well. Oh well, Malaysia Boleh and anyhow no matter how bad their system is, there's still a long line of nasi lemak-deprived people so willingly to push and shove their way for that plate of nasi lemak.

Verdict on Village Park nasi lemak: chicken looks nice, succulent but the taste just doesn't quite make the cut for me. I'd still take the Lucky Plaza deliciously mouth-watering ayam penyet any other day. Sambal was not bad, but it's more on the mild/sweet side. Me, I love my sambal burning hot :D

Had a lot of fun preparing our Xmas dinner. Cranked up the music, karaoke-ed to the songs, and started with the multiple chopping, peeling and cooking. Don't know whether you should be drinking and cooking but Evan then made this refreshing Italian soda, alcoholic no doubt lol.

Bombarding the chicken in the tray before it gets shoved into the oven. No turkey this time, but a whole chicken. Still, not complaining...

Stuffed with cooked, chopped onions, minced meat and garlic along with other miscellaneous herbs and spices, roasting with a tray full of other wholesome ingredients: carrots, capsicums, taters, onions, cucumber, basil leaves, whole garlic, the works. All with a dash of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Yum, yum, yum. (Please excuse the remnants of the chicken feet on the corner).

Slowly baking for an-hour-and-a-half...

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.

.

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Ta-dah!

Are you drooling already, or are you drooling already?? The chicken carcass deliciously browned and succulent, the meat just falling off the bones. And the vegs! Fully caramelised, and just melting in the mouth! And the garlic! Steamed in its own clove skin..... so soft and bursting with flavour. Bon Appetit!

The chicken and its other complementing friends... The others made fun of me as I prepared my classic Christmas ceviche (thanks again Su Jen for the recipe, lol, been making it every so often). They claimed I took too long at my own sweet time to chop the ingredients for the recipe, lol. That's called preparation with love, y'all ;) Even Evan who has done preparing a couple of dishes was insulted when he came beside me, frying onions, garlic and minced meat for the second time and I taunted him 'ko chai cha' (frying again) that got him fired up hahaha.

Initially thought that with the roasted chicken and ceviche would be too much, but considering the size of the chicken, it was good that we also have pasta as well! Wiped everything clean that night :) Brussel sprouts was a huge mistake on its appearance in the Xmas dinner. A colleague calls it whistle berries, and rightly so! Whole night after dinner my stomach felt full of wind, not a comfortable feeling, I assure you :/

Dinner did not end on a flat note, no way that's going to happen. After another round of drinks, our sweet palate came in the form of a beautiful pine-nut-and-walnut-covered carrot cake, inspired by the curvaceous Nigella Lawson. The cake contains all the necessary ingredients for the makings of my favourite carrot cake: rum, raisin and walnuts. It was heavenly, needless to say.

Please take a moment to admire the beauty of this flawless cake :D

We didn't do much that night, just drank, karaoke-ed some more and fooling around with the camera lol. All good fun.

Topped cake with lemon zest mascarporne cheese cream... mmmmm..............

I don't know what's with me and this new job that I am taking up, but I realize that I've been slacking off so much more than usual. Sleeping for longer hours (I used to wake up when the sunlight hits me), do things at a relatively slow pace.... Maybe I'm just more laid back now? Not sure if it's a good or bad thing... yet...

Boxing Day.. A little ex-LGs reunion. Visited this nice little designer coffee place @ Typica in KL.

Typica sells expensive 'designer' coffee. I tried this iced coffee drink that was served in a martini glass. That little heart-shaped thing in it is in fact frozen gula Malacca! The barista then poured my cold coffee over it and each sip taken will give you a different taste experience as the iced gula Malacca slowly melts! Genius.

And on the way down south.... towards Malacca.

And what else can you do in Malacca besides eating? More eating!

Chicken rice balls are a must... Kenneth brought us to this place which is further from town so we can avoid the massive jams that is so infamous in Malacca's central.

Chicken, oh so tender! It's seriously just as good as the one in Jonker Street, minus all that long queues. Way too much hassle. In any case, even the garlicky, chilli sauce is also pretty good in my opinion (which may have turn out to be a generous compliment now that my taste standard has seriously deteriorated after serving time in Singapore and on the vessel...). Blogging about this now is a serious mistake..... On the vessel now and devoid of real, good food :(

Sigh...........

Next stop is the must-go-place while in Malacca. Nadeje. Kenneth again brought us to another branch of Nadeje where we can avoid the horrendous traffic. 

Mille crepe, or thousand layer cakes :3

I only ever fancy the original flavour, the other flavours don't quite cut it. Plus, these crepes have cream in between their thousand layers or so, and after a few mouthfuls, you just can't go on anymore! Fills you up real easily. But of course, being Lifeguards (ex), it's only a matter of minutes before all nine pieces of mille crepes are annihilated...

Proceed with our drive down south and detoured over to Segamat, Johor for some stinking fruits that Segamat is so famous for.

Been a while since I'd been in Segamat, Wei Inn's hometown. 

Now, I'm not a big fan of durians but this round of durian feast is really something! I particularly enjoyed this breed of durian which has a tinge of orange to its flesh. Creamy and rich.... super! I may have just turned into a durian convert!

Complete with mangosteen for the non-durian eaters. It's really more fun to eat durians! At least when you burp, you can guiltlessly burp with the other durian eaters :D