Out of Norm Travels

Penang aka Pearl of the Orient was where I indulged my food cravings and laid my head for 3 nights some 2 weeks ago. Its street food helped Penang to hold the Best Foodie Destination badge by Lonely Planet in 2014 and ensured that this little state, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is mentioned over and over again in countless food blogs, websites, news and magazines.  Food in Penang is generally time segregated with many stalls open for a specific period. For a foodie like me, this can actually mean that I could eat different types of food at different time periods in the SAME location! Talk about gluttony at its finest! So here was my food roll call for this trip!   Morning from 7am: 7am to 12 pm: Transfer Road Roti Canai . This real piece of Penang heritage has been dishing up this typical Malaysian food from the same roadside stall for some 80+ years. This photo does not do justice to the delicious fluffy and thin (almost filo-like) crisp...

I have visited this lovely  Aw Taw Kaw  market  many many times (almost whenever I am in Bangkok).  What's the charm of this place? Well, it's relatively clean (the wet market section is separated from the cooked food section of the market) and it's a place that the locals visit (great for people watching & photography).  The colors, smells and huge variety of cooked food (appealed to the foodie in me).  I have introduced some of the usual "snacks" that I usually get for my "breakfast" at this market.  Till the next time, onto the world & beyond!!

  Talad Rot Fai:   A lovely quaint market only open on Saturdays and Sundays ooze VW-loads of vintage wares. You can find ‘oldies but goodies’ inspired toys, clothes, memorabilia, furniture in this market that occupies around 2 football fields in an area which is fenced by train tracks and train coaches.  As in all markets, there are many food stalls that allow you to rest your tired legs or if you wish, eat skewered meats or slurping that ice-cream off coconut husks whilst walking along the make-shift stalls. Whether you are only interested in browsing or people-watching, this is definitely a good place to spend some time on a cool weekend evening.  

The famous "old" town of Malacca (or Melaka as others prefer) is an interesting place for a photo shoot. A truly Unique PeR aN aK aN (mix of Chinese and Malay heritage) architecture, food & people awaits the traveler who spends some 3-4 hours on a bus-ride from modern Singapore to the "sleepy" town. Of course, if you are brave enough to venture on the roads yourself, it's definitely faster to travel by car. Here's a collage of some of the photos taken in my recent March 2011 visit: FOOD GALORE! Here you have the " dim sum", wanton noodle and roasted chicken on display A look at the architecture....you will not be able to find similar houses in such a pristine order...at least not in Singapore even though some of the houses in Katong or Joo Chiat still bear some resemblance of these 'old' places but unfortunately, although many still try, quite a few of the houses in Singapore no longer bear the truly orna...