Bao Dao 28 June - 12 July : Heading to Hua Lien

Upon reaching the airport in Taipei Tao Yuan, the cheapest way to head to Taipei is via the local bus service which their booths can be found inside the airport. It will take about 2 hours to reach Taipei. We have booked a business class boutique hotel, Minyi, which is situated very near to the MRT line and Taipei Main Station. After checking in, we went to get the train tickets for tomorrow trip to Hua Lien. The main railway train station is linked via the underground mall at Taipei Main Station.

There are a numbers of trains heading to Hua Lien. You have to ask the counter for non-stop straight to Hua Lien train - which cost about 12 SGD and 4 hours to arrive.

Singapore Food Festival in Brunei Darussalam

In conjunction back home, a 'mini' Singapore food festival was launched over here with RBC. A celebrity chef has been flown over from Singapore and this year, Chef Bob from Sedap Corner is here to cook up some famous dishes...do take a peep at www.sedapcorner.com...

Bao Dao 28 June - 12 July

We have been planning this trip since Feb, and because of the fare offered by our SIA, it more or less concreted our decision to fly to BAO DAO - Taiwan...

Reaching Taoyuan after a four hours flight, either take a cab which will cost around 5 times more than taking the local express bus service to Taipei. Waiting for the bus at the hall - the recommended service is Guo Guang - costing about 120NT (22NT - 1SGD). It will take about 1 1/2 hour to reach Taipei Central....will update the trip soon...

The Only One's Birthday

This year's 63rd birthday is short coming in terms of comparing to previous years of lavish celebrations that were held for a month's period. One of the world richest man normally hosted 10,000 over guests including regional leaders to his yearly event every July. The whole country has been quiet and possibly some seems affected by the H1N1 as the MOH reported one death due to the virus. Night markets that are specially held in conjunction to his month-long celebrations are still around though... 

Frattini's Pizza at Kg Ayer

Some of the best pizzas I had back home...is from this Spizza located at Club Street...We were there to celebrate one of our anniversaries..(can't recall which)... but I still remember the pizza and the oven there...

The pizza was thin and tasty. They have this oven at the bar-stool and the pizzas are all baked from this wood-fired oven where u can watch the chef do the dough and spread the ingredients...

Well here...some 2 hours flight away...we have the Frattini's pizza... not bad as I like pizzas to be thin and rich in ingredients...

You have to reach there before 630pm to catch the wonderful sunset. Having a pizza by Kg Ayer watching the sun merging with the horizon...rather peaceful...

Wonder why this billboard is there in the centre of the river...

Fish Balls @ Jin Nan Hong

Jin Nan Hong at Menglait produces one of the most Q fish balls I have tried in Brunei. The fish balls are handmade, not sure whether they do it in house, or purchase elsewhere...but once you start chewing..they are really chewy...There are some nice dishes in the small eatery...such as beef noodles, curry puffs...

Brunei Star - Prawns

In Muara, is a prawn farm owned by a Singaporean and the prawns he breed are only for export. You wouldn't be able to buy the prawns off the local supermarkets' shelves...but you can get it here at Muara ferry terminal...where the company operates the packing and shipping...and btw...even the highest order on the land eat his prawns...

We travelled about 1/2 hour to reach this factory which is very near to the port.

The prawns come in three sizes...we ordered the largest...and it is just BND 15-16 per kilogram...and believe me...the prawns are really nice...eventhough I can't eat prawns due to skin allergy...but the comments are really good...

Sungei Liang Waterfall

This waterfall is so far away at Sungei Liang...as it took us about 2 hours drive from Bandar to this wonderful enclosure. This is our second trip here to the waterfall, and alot of other people have discovered this nice place...because we saw burnt charcoal...possibly some group of youngsters bbq here...Still without fail...dipping time for me...cold cold morning...

It is known to have a larger one somewhere higher up in the woods...but we aren't prepared this time...so this will do.

Evening Boat Ride at Kampung Ayer

It is quite refreshing to take a boat ride around Kampung Ayer somewhere 4pm plus till the sunset. There is a group of the river taxi drivers very good in bringing you to take a look at the wild stuff residing near to the mangrooves...

Riding through the river the guide cum the river taxi driver, will explain to you what you saw...because without much experiences, you wouldn't notice them at all...we saw a few snakes...a number of these rare Proboscius...but they are so shy...and will disappear once they notice you around, so quite hard to take a nice pic of them, even specially hard on the boat...there are also a number of the monitor lizards...hugh creatures....

The ride back from the mangrooves to Bandar, you will be able to enjoy the wonderful sunset - some of the locals affirmed here is one of the nice places to watch Brunei's sunset...didn't doubt much on that...

Ambuyat

This dish can only be found in Brunei...the Ambuyat...it is hot water poured onto sago powder and after constant mixing, the starchy glue-like substance appeared...

Another special local way to eat this stuff...you hold the wooden stick, chandas, that is split into two ends at the tip and dip the stick into the ambuyat and start turning to form one big lump...the bigger the better...and you must use the sauce made of binjai (local mango like fruit) and swallow the lump into your tummy...swallow...not chew...first time tasting this...you have a feel of eating glue...hmm...

This ambuyat is served along with many side dishes like spicy beef, fried chicken, fried vegetables...I think I will stick to the fried chicken...hmm...

Btw, the ambuyat must be eaten while warm...that's why the table is so messy...because the side dishes came much later...

Nasi Kandar in Jln Hj Halus

Nasi Kandar is said to be originated from north Malaysia, Penang. Nasi (rice) Kandar (pole balance) came about when the indians in the olden times started selling rice in wooden buckets and shouldered the two buckets by a wooden pole on their shoulders...

The plain rice is accompanied by Kuah Campur (mixed gravy-curry of course). And well here in Jln Halus, you have 15 choices of curries to choose from... wow...

The side dishes normally include fried chicken, curried offal, cubed beef, fish roe, sambal chilli egg, fried prawns or fried squids... The vegetable dishes are usually brinjal (eggplant), okra (lady fingers or 'bendi'), cabbages, long beans or bitter gourd... and well there are about 25 side dishes to choose from... And dont forget to order the papadam to go along as well...

Ayam Penyet in Kampong Kiarong

Ayam penyet is relatively famous in Singapore recently after a number of eateries started to sell this Indonesian 'chicken' rice. I have located this wonderful yet sinful dish in Kampong Kiarong, opposite Brunei largest and most magnificent mosque, the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque.

You wouldn't miss the neon lights of this small wooden hut while driving at night in the small kampong. It has a number of Indonesian dishes but I venture here for only the ayam penyet...

While awaiting the dinner to be served, you can hear the chanting of the evening prayers from the mosque...

This piece of mallet crushed flatten deep fried chicken meat must be accompanied by sambal chilli... simply delicious...

Happy New Year and Targets for 2009!

It has been a fast christmas and new year if you are alone...you will find them pass you by so fast, unnoticed. Spent my days alone in the house watching live telecast of other countries' happenings when over here in Brunei, everything seems so quiet or the celebrations just not worth the effort or money to attend to. New year I have to set a few goals for myself because I think I might spend another year here and time is abundant with so much lesser distractions...

a. to start golfing...something I promise to do...and I started it! Barely two weeks...

Its a very nice golf course beside the Berakas Beach...waking up at 6am and heading to the course...you can hear the ocean waves while swinging...

b. learn a language...french...here i come...

c. to start my long lost passion of painting...

Happy 2009 and Bless all Health and Wealth!

My Favorite Meal

This is one of the simple sliced fish soup with bee hoon I found to be best in Brunei and it is my favourite lunchtime meal...in terms of taste and price. It is quite different from our home Teo Chew style sliced fish soup which normally uses scrimps in the making of the broth. This clear soup is simple Kem Chai (salted vegetable), tomatoes and Yu Chap (all parts of the fish) boiled together to create a slightly sweet and sour savoury clear based soup. Something nice is the sliced fish meat which is surprisely tender and chewy. I haven't found out what the chef did to the fish meat...

The small eatery can be found in Jalan Gadong Simpang 15, at the end of the this building beside a computer shop...

Kota Kinabalu

This idle town in Sabah is a good getaway if you fancy the sun, sea and food... there are great diving sites, parasailing, fresh seafood and wonderful beaches. The town aren't really big, but it should have most things you desire for in a beachside town.




The town has nice shopping malls and still contain places of rustic charms. You can walk about the city even without a cab. There aren't alot of streets (maybe just 5 big ones) and by walking, you can get close to the way of life the locals have.




Seafood is abundant here. Get to choose from the aquariums fresh catches of the day.




One thing you shouldn't miss is the offshore islands in this corner of the world. They can be easily in the top twenty best spots in the world.