Secret Recipe , Kota Kinabalu , Sabah.

Today was spent lazing around the city with Mary, Leslie and Shaun who came visiting all the way from NZ! The last time we met was 2 years ago, back in KL? Time really flies , good and bad to this. I'm only back today just for a short post, thus its picture time!

had carrot slice from Secret Recipe ;)

that places got some real good cakes worth trying or if you're seeking for a place to chill on a lazy afternoon.

Till Then.

5th Post on Paris - The City of Love - Palais Garnier

The Palais Garnier also known as the Opéra de Paris or Opéra Garnier.

It is actually a 1,600 seats opera house that was designed by Charles Garnier and was regarded as a masterpiece of its time.

Using our student cards to purchase the ticket, it costs us 5 euro which is about RM21 for entrance fee.

The interior of the many places inside the opera house. I just love how everything looked so grand and I love how the architecture look so neatly done and thoughts of perfections were given to it the moment it was built and well preserved till this day.

 I absolutely love this place because it was my first time actually visiting an actual opera house and initially I thought this place was a museum. Look at the picture below this, these are actually doors to individual balcony rooms and each room can cater up to 6 persons with velvet-ish walls. Classic.

The inside view of each of the balcony rooms. It reminded me of Phantom of the Opera the movie.

Lots and lots of beautiful chandeliers hanging on the ceiling which makes up the grand feeling when you're inside. Not to mention, the very artistic paintings surrounding the entire building.

This is actually the view from the main balcony of the opera house. Overlooking the city. The feeling when you stood up there is how you will feel as a pope, waving to thousands of people at St. Peter Square. But for this, you actually wave to the locals here and they are the ones that try to get your attention so you will take their pictures from above. 

After that, we continued our journey just shopping around Paris's famous shopping area , the Champ Elysees and visited the Arch De Triomphe. Fret not, more pictures coming in the next post.

Till Then.

2nd post on Paris - The City of Love - La Tour Eiffel

Paris, so here we are. 

Basically, these was the queue while waiting for our luggage when we landed at Paris's Charles De Gaulle Airport. 

And amazingly, they only have one lane for us to claim our luggage, which explains why you see so many people queuing here while waiting for their luggages. However, it didn't took us long. How efficient it was. 

Upon departing the baggage claim area, we were welcomed by our French tour guides. Their job was just to make sure all of us got into the right bus, and then drop us off our hotel. While in the bus, they briefed us about Paris.. everyone was too busy looking at the beautiful sceneries to listen anyways. It was pouring when we reached the hotel but later on it stopped, luckily or else a day will be wasted, even though it was just half a day.

Upon checking in and settling down, we decided to head straight to the Eiffel Tower, since its open till night time, we figured it was a good time to see the Eiffel Tower during sunset :) so we took the train, and amazingly, each train station has this really tiny yet auto-open doors, so classic looking yet so modern.

In case you're wondering, it is always cheaper to buy the train tickets in 10 instead of 1 at a time. Each ticket will cost you about euro 1+ if you buy it individually. What amazes me was, each ticket can get you very far, like you can use one ticket for few places instead of one station only and it saves up so much time and money.Oh, sometimes, well quite often you can see the locals with their own "jumping" skills, they can just get through without buying ticket and it seems like a norm here :/ no one really cares anyway. 

Took this shot while we're inside one of their oldest, slowest yet still way faster than KTM in Malaysia train. It  is a very old vintage train, with no air con actually, just half opened window but it was winter, so it makes no difference. This train apparently has 2 levels, and it is not crowded at all. I'm really impressed with how efficient is their transportation system is. Not only you don't have to wait like half an hour minimum for a train, their's came almost every 10-15 minutes. I experienced taking at least 3 different types of trains there, none of them fail me. Of course, their trains were not pack, at times it was but it won't be as bad as those you get in Malaysia. However, one thing you will want to be reminded at all times, wherever you are in Paris is to beware of pickpockets. Everyone will tell you that, but more stories about that later.

and here we are, to visit the Eiffel Tower. We reached around evening time. First glance at it was, it gave me the impression of " Oh, we're here already? " HAHA I know right. I was actually busy looking at the merry-go-round across the busy road, and didn't realize that we reached our destination. When we reached, the Eiffel Tower was not lighted up yet, it was still the normal brown color steel building you see everyday and the picture above was when we lingered around for about an hour plus and it started lighted up. In my opinion, even though it was lighted up, it is not the best sight yet. Not until, the next 15 minutes..when..

The view from below the tower, actually was standing near the center to capture this shot. Standing in the middle gives you a square view and I prefer this over the middle view. See how much details did the French put in order to built this tower. I love how everything looked so fine and firm. 

Terrence, Sio Sen, Melvin, Bebe, Phi Leet

With the few people I've hanging around with for 2 weeks when we're in France. The group just gets larger and larger and it was fun like that :) we did not went up to the Eiffel tower on the first day but only went there another day during a second trip. Pictures on that later, the view was amazing.

Terrence, Melvin, Phi Leet

See the four of us trying to take the center view of the Eiffel tower above us, fail attempt but its still a picture anyways. Everyone with different expressions and the face of "Oh we're in Paris already?" Look that cup of tea cup is actually a Mulled wine - which is red wine combined with spices such as cinnamon and served warm. It was normally consumed during Christmas and Halloween. It costs about 4 euros? Which is counted very cheap already, normally it costs about 8 euros for a glass and the currency differences will just kill you. It is a must try, so smooth. warm and yet the cinnamon will just make you crave for more. You are able to get it at the kiosk next to the official souvenir shop of Eiffel tower with a very short queue.

Jonathan, Simon, Alvin, Edmund

Few among all the crazy yet sporting guy friends that I have, bunch that loves food and touring with them was good cause these chefs, 2 of them on the left came to France for training previously and they brought us around so we won't get lost and gave us lots of ideas and of course recommendations on food. Oh this got worst especially when we're in Toulouse. Toulouse has the best food stuffs in my opinion. More on that later.

After dinner, we walked out and then basically the entire streets looked like this. Somehow I love it, so quiet, yet its a pretty sight. Nothing fancy but just a fun time walking around exploring places with your friends, chit-chatting while enjoying the cold breeze till we landed at a small supermarket to buy water supplies. Evian was really cheap there, like 1 euro or sometimes lesser for 1500ml. In Malaysia, it'll cost you bomb to be drinking that. What's worst, using it to wash your hands in Paris :D

and on our way back home, we spotted this. This was when I really fell in love with the Eiffel tower. When it was actually, lighted up and blinking with diamond lights all around it. You will only see this hourly, and it only lasts about 5-10 minutes each time.  Oh, how pretty is she !

A Little Bit Of Everything...

got this from Mary during her trip to Penang recently,

it's actually the rice art thingy inside the dolphin with my name on it (:

the deliciously cushion soft pineapple tart which is famous in Taipei from Denise and

Home made macaroons by my classmate.

I seriously can't wait to try the macaroons in France. Hope I get the chance to.

my super-uber tired going to collapse soon face and his usual hyper face.

Till Then.

Kuala Lumpur - Luk Yu Tea House, StarHill Gallery

Last weekend, 

Leslie and Mary accompanied me down to Bukit Bintang area because I wanted to shop around that area,

so before our shopping journey, we headed to Starhill Gallery for our late lunch + tea session.

Chose this particular place after Loh recommended me the night before,

well I wanted to try the other places out too but I shall leave that for next time.

True enough, 

they have this amazing deal for certain dishes at 3-6pm everyday,

which cost only RM3.6 per plate,

and normally will cost you about RM9 and above.

However, what we had here was not entirely RM3.60 each, 

some were from the ala carte menu,

and we actually ordered more than this but they didn't have what we wanted :(

Anyways just for testers, 

we had these...

1) Chicken Siew Mai

2)Baked Yam Puff 

3)Seaweed Chicken Roll

4)Century Egg Roll

5) Lotus Pancake

6)Chicken Porridge

7) Fried Rice Noodle

8) Wan Tan Noodle 

9) Sweet & Sour You Tiao

10) Kam Heong Clams

11) Island Salad Prawn

12) Mixberries Ice Tea

13) Cranberry Mojito

Not in order of the pictures though, well I personally will recommend the Baked yam puff , Century Egg Roll, Lotus Pancake , Kam Heong Clams , Mixberries Ice Tea as their best dishes that I've had.

As for the Sweet & Sour You Tiao its actually " yao cha guai " but cooked with sweet and sour sauce, you know the typical sweet and sour sauce for fish ? yeah it tasted like that. Something different I may say.

And I would say their seafood was one of the freshest you can get in KL, 

I mean you paid for the price, so it should be worth the money and of course it comes with quality and the ambiance, a different dining experience.

Well our total bill came as MYR 80+ including tax.

Till Then.