KOREA......FOOD I had

Our trip included breakfast, lunch and dinner accompanied with kim chi and other types of banchan/side dishes. During the whole trip, we were served  pork/chicken meat either grilled or boiled in a tasty soup topped with lots of cut cabbages, carrots and big onion using hot metal pot.  Our Korean tour guide was so attentive that he made sure all of us have sufficient food on our table before having his meal. We even asked for cut chilies and light soya sauce and he obliged by serving it to all of us. Our main i.e pork/chicken meat and side dishes was replenished food from time to time by our tour guide.  Such a humble and good service! 

Day 1 - Breakfast (in-flight meal)

(top) - set of scrambled egg topped with mashed potatoes + fried sausage + grilled tomato (bottom) = set of fried flat noodles with black beans chicken

each comes with 1 piece of croissant with butter (fluffy & buttery), 1 cup of fruit yoghurt, a small portion of fresh cut fruits and 1 plastic cup mineral water  

Day 1 - Lunch

grilled marinated chicken meat with rice cake and cabbages

Day 1 - Dinner
grilled pork sirlion with mixed vegetables

Day 2 - Local buffet breakfast

Day 2 - Lunch in Everland (own pocket money)

@ 6,500 KRW per set= RM19.50
(top)= fried fish and chicken fillet...non greasy and crips
(bottom) = soup springy udon with fish skewer and fried fish fillet

Day 2 - Dinner
BBQ pork meat

Day 3 -  Western set breakfast 

Day 3 - Lunch
seafood hot pot - crab, clams, fish meat and soft beancurd

(looks yummy but no..tasted very plain)

Day 3 - Dinner

pork & vegetables hot pot

Day 4 -  Western set breakfast

Day 4 - Lunch

(top)- pork & vegetables hot pot

(bottom) -hot stone rice with vegetables and seaweed....felt warm eating hot fluffy rice

Day 4 - Dinner

(top) - kim chi and longevity noodles

(centre) - ginseng wine... very strong hint of ginseng

(bottom) korean ginseng chicken soup...

 added salt + black pepper to enhanced the herbal flavour...superb dinner

Day 5 Breakfast (same as Day 2)

Day 5 - Lunch (prior our flight back to KL)

cuttlefish, pork meat, ear fungus and mixed vegetables in a light soya soup

Eventhough the lunch & dinner are cooked in a healthy way... I meant no frying or adding garlic/onion oil but by the third day, I already drooled for Roti Canai Telur, Curry Mee, Nasi Dagang and etc. Once a Malaysian is always a Malaysian!

DESSERT

Colorful Glutinous Ball (2,000 KRW)

each ball wrapped with sweet yellow bean paste

Sweet Corn (2,000 KRW)

sticky and tasted like glutinous rice..yummy

Waffle Chocolate Ice Cream (3,500 KRW)

up next ...breath taking city view

SET MEAL AT RM7.90

For those who are short of money or want to spend within their budget on a decent set meal, fear no more! For a mere of RM8.70 (including taxes) only, you can get a complete meal from STATION KOPITIAM.

The meal consists of a big & generous portion of fried noodles/rice (make you full), a cup of ice lemon tea (quench your thirst) & 2 slices of water melon (dessert).

Ice Lemon Tea was really refreshing + sweet and juicy Watermelon

Fried Koay Teow Cantonese Style....slurp, slurp
OMG...the flavorful egg gravy complemented well with non oily koay teow

While eating, I thought this delish plate of noodle was whipped up by a chinese chef but I was wrong......look at picture below

2 Bangladesh workers manning the kitchen
Station Kopitiam,
Lot 04-92 & 93, 4th Floor, Berjaya Times Square,
1, Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA

HO CHI MINH ESCAPADE - DAY 4 CRUISING MEKONG RIVER & BACK TO SAIGON

All of us have been waiting for this day i.e cruising along the Mekong Delta. The morning kicked off with breakfast served by the hotel.

Accompanied by our tour guide, we took 10 minutes walk to the jetty for our boat. Along the way, we passed by a colorful market and spotted man chopping pigs bones at a road junction.

We embarked from here to Cai Rang Floating Market This two hour cruise in a local boat allows you to see beautiful scenery and the daily activities of the locals who live along the Mekong canals.

With bright and sunny sun in the morning, I don't feel hot but totally relaxed and enjoyed breezy wind from the river. I closed my eyes for about 20 mins and I said to myself 'this is the meaning of enjoying life to the fullest'. It was unforgettable experience.

As our boat approached the floating market, we saw many boats filled with fresh vegetables, fruits and food. This is how the locals make a daily living.

Next, we visited a shop making rice noodles.

Each sheet of rice paper are inserted into a machine allowing it to cut into fine noodles.Process of making rice paper
Ready made rice paper are dried under the sun

We left this factory to take a ferry back to the jetty. It was 1pm we reached the jetty and quickly scout around for lunch. Shortly after 10 minutes, we landed up in Restaurant HO DON BAN LE serving Italian cuisine.

MIXED FRUIT SHAKE (VND19,000 per glass)
to quench our thirst in a hot and sunny day! infused by milk+fresh fruits+ice =thicked fresh shake

Paella (VND65,000) + Spaghetti Mabiroba (VND55,000)
Quite disappointed with Paella cos' it turned out to be seafood fried rice although the taste is acceptable. However, the juicy and succulent prawns & squids + springy spaghetti came hot piping in a pool of flavorful gravy was definetely a star.

PIZZA AL SALMON (VND80,000) This is the best pizza we have ever tasted. Slices of fresh salmon and melted cheese on each piece of pizza! (I'm drooling now while writing this)

After lunch, our coach took us to a bus terminal in Can Tho for a transit bus back to Saigon. While inside the bus, we were counting our money and among the three of us, my pocket was left with USD5 only which is sufficient for dinner and buy some souvenirs tomorrow.

That night, we had our dinner in one of the hawker stall located outside Ben Than Market. We didn't capture any photos cos' all the food which was far better in terms of taste and service.

Since I still have USD3 left (after a sumptuous dinner), we stopped by a small pub and shared a bucket (big glass) of Vodka for USD2 only....meaning in my pocket there is USD2 to finish up before waving bye bye to Saigon tomorrow.

HO CHI MINH ESCAPADE - DAY 3 (2D/1N IN MEKONG)

We started our third day with a 2 day/1 night tour for USD23 to Mekong or Can Tho (biggest city in Mekong Delta). The package inclusive of a night stay in a budget hotel, air cond coach, boat trips, entrance fees and tour guide.

As usual after our daily breakfast served by the hotel, we took a bus for three hours journey. Along the way, we saw green paddy fields strecthing towards the horizon.

The weather was terribly hot and sunny and I must warn you to bring at least 2 big bottles of mineral water to quench your thirst and wear a hat. The feeling of tireness disappeared when I saw beautiful and gigantic buddha statues in front of Nam Mo Duong Lai Di Lac Thon Phat temple.

Gigant 'Smiling Buddha'
Kuan Imm/Goddes of Mercy

Entrance to the gorgeous temple

It was almost 12 noon, we crossed over to Tortoise Island for lunch.

FM CAU TAU PORT TO TORTOISE ISLAND

A floating attap house

Besides a plate of fried noodles for each of us (included in the package), we were strongly recommended to try the famous mud river fish or known as Elephant Ear Fish for VND200,000 including rice paper, vermicili and fresh vegetables (basil, mint leaves and other herbal leaf).

The fish was crispy, meaty and sweet. Wrap few pieces of fish meat+ fresh vegetables+vermicili in a piece of rice paper and dipped with chili sauce.....just like eating fresh spring roll (minus fresh prawns)


We were happy after enjoying our glory lunch. Next on the itinerary was rowing boat to Unicorn Island and enjoy tropical fruits while listening to traditional folks songs (sorry, no photo taken due to camera ran out of battery)

Entrance to the boat

The small boat.....it was fun and breath taking

After an hour in Unicorn Island, we proceeded to Ben Tre province to visit a handmade coconut candy outlet.

We had a chance to see the making of coconut candy from cutting to packaging into boxes. The coconut candy wasn't too sweet while the coconut beer was quite diluted.

Each of us braved ourselves posing and snapping photos with a huge and not poisonous snake. But I dare not hold this cool blooded reptile on my own for fear that it would strangle and kill me (watching too many snakes show, lol). However, I did touched the reptile body which was slippery and solid, yerks !

All of us were having too much fun till our tour guide informed us it's time to head back to Can Tho for overnite in a hotel.

Our room key in a budget hotel

clean double + single bed

We had exotic dinner in restaurant nearby our hotel.

Stir Fried Snakes...meat was tough

Total bill was about VND130,000 including the above, stir fried squid + vegetables, grilled rat and 3 fresh coconuts. Our vote goes to Grilled Rat which tasted like ayam goreng berempah (sorry, camera ran out of battery)

It was a fun day filled with sightseeing and laugther...couldn't wait to cruise in Mekong River tomorrow!