Ipoh Town Kopitiam @ Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore

I am a huge procrastinator when it comes to food. Throw in a humongous retail space like Jewel Changi Airport, and you would understand how much of a headache I had while deciding where to have brunch.

Again, Google Maps to the rescue and we found Ipoh Town Kopitiam which commanded a review score of 4.6 from over 1,400 reviewers! Now, that's quite a feat given how big a complaint king / queen some Singaporeans can be. 

Facing the belly of Jewel Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall and at one point, most instagrammable place on earth, would be the seating area of the dining establishment. Unfortunately, we didn't have the fortune of being seated next to the belly, although it's our bellies that required nourishment. 

Ipoh White Coffee - the frothy richness coupled with a smooth texture and just that slight hint of acidity to make this a palatable drink to kick start the morning! 

Siew Mai (Prawn) - typically, this dim sum dish is supposed to contain prawns so to have it named with the word prawn; both Alex and I assumed these would be a lot more prawns than pork. Key question, why green pea to top it?! p.s obviously not a pea lover.

Coming back, the siew mai appeared to be wholesomely pork based! Don't judge too quickly as a bite with a chew shall determine. And turned out to be better than the usual siew mai; moist texture and taste strong of prawns, like minced prawns mixed with pork! Thumbs-up, except for the pea.

Nasi Ayam Goreng Berempah - now, I assumed this would be nasi lemak but the rice didn't taste like the coconut infused kind. Nevertheless, fried chicken was juicy and the spices did a good job. While the rice tasted bland, the sweet sambal chilli did help to make a much needed improvement. 

Rendang Pie - this piqued my interest as I don't remember having a rendang pie before, and I am a huge fan of rendang, especially mutton rendang, and beef rendang. 

First bite revealed the powdery, flaky texture which was kind of a turnoff even though the skin was sweet like the top of a polo bun. Thankfully, the second layer, filling that was, managed to gel well with the skin, without overwhelming the palate. But, it cost S$3.50 apiece!

=====

Address

78 Airport Blvd., #B1-299,

Jewel Changi Airport,

Singapore 819666

Map

As above.

Website

https://ipohtown.asia/

Pricing

Ipoh White Coffee - S$3.50

Siew Mai (Prawn) - S$6.90

Nasi Ayam Goreng Berempah - S$12.90

Rendang Pie - S$3.50

(Subject to Service Charge and GST)

IPPUDO Ramen @ Xinwuri HSR Station in Taichung City [Taiwan]

Ippudo is no stranger to Singapore as there are already a number of branches right here on our little red dot. But it was our last day in Taiwan and the craving for noodles has never been stronger! 

So, I abandoned Alex and decided to have a serving of ramen, all by myself! Unlike mom, I am totally capable of eating alone without any company. 

Here's my order of 白丸元味; also known as Shiromaru Classic, it cost only S$12.00 after conversion and best of all, it's nett pricing without any service charge and other taxes. 

Noodle was cooked soft, the way I requested. As I have not had noodles in the past week or so; I was greedily slurping them like no business! I prefer wanton mee better but this would do! 

The chashu had a tender texture and provided a satisfying bite given its large surface area; however, it had a porky taste that I didn't quite like. 

Aside from the noodles, I was most happy with the soup! Whetting my appetite, every scoopful was rick, milky, intensely pork in a delicious way, with translucent pork fats literally floating on top! Damn, I am so craving for ramen now! 

Burp. p.s. must cut down on carbohydrates! 

=====

Address

No. 8, Zhanqu 2nd Rd, Huri Village, 

Wuri District, Taichung City, Taiwan

Map

As above.

Pricing

白丸元味 - NT$300

(NETT)

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)

The Deck - Highest Rooftop Bar @ Hotel Royal Hoi An [Vietnam]

The highest rooftop bar in Hoi An was said to be The Deck at Hotel Royal Hoi An, and even though I had the intention to visit for my first trip to Central Vietnam; I didn't have time. 

For my second trip, I told myself I die-die must go!

And here we arrived, at this open-air drinking hole. 

Located next to the almost twenty-meter long swimming pool of Hotel Royal Hoi An, we were blessed with good weather although the sunset wasn't as spectacular as expected. 

Nevertheless, still mentally relaxing to face the sunset while having a glass of beer. That's the kind of life I would be looking forward to once finance is no longer a concern. 

More photographs since there's only so much words I can think of. Located super near La Charm Hoi An Hotel & Spa, where Alex and I stayed at on our first visit, Hotel Royal Hoi An opened for business in 2014, with renovation completed this year.

Panoramic view of Hoi An Ancient Town from The Deck. 

As you can see, Hotel Royal Hoi An towers over the city! 

Notice something familiar?! The crescent Impressions Bridge that connects us to Hoi An Memories Land, where I caught a totally stunning Hoi An Memories Show. p.s. I watched a second time, and it was still unforgettable. Strongly recommended. 

Beer on Tap - this craft beer had a most beautiful name;the sunset tangerine. Taste wise, citrusy. Personally, I prefer a smoother beer. More impressed with the free bar snacks; specifically the addictive, spice-coated peanuts.

Basket of Fries - thick cut, and okay tasting.

For fries, they should always be crisp!

Crispy Calamari - yummy with a thin batter!

Sliced thickly, they had a satisfying bite! 

Nightfall. Despite being Hoi An highest rooftop bar, I was taken aback that the place wasn't as crowded as I thought it should have been. Maybe because it was a tuesday. In addition, most visitors to Hoi An are day-trippers. 

Mom enjoying herself.

p.s. she was high in the last photo.

The logo for The Deck seemed suggestive! 

Like a bosom lady with D-cup. 😈

=====

Address

39 Đào Duy Từ, Hội An,

Hotel Royal Hoi An,

Đà Nẵng 560000, Vietnam

Map

As above.

Website

https://hotelroyalhoian.vn/restaurants-bars/the-deck/

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Beer on Tap - 160,000 Dong

Crispy Calamari - 150,000 Dong

Basket of Fries - 90,000 Dong

(Subject to Taxes)

Hanxi Night Market (旱溪觀光夜市) @ Taichung City in Taiwan

The most famous night market in Taichung City is without a doubt Feng Chia Night Market. While it is popular amongst foreigners; I read somewhere that the locals actually prefer the Hanxi Night Market, named after the river running alongside it. 

Located in an open-air carpark that's about 100 meters x 90 meters, do keep in mind that Hanxi Night Market is open only on Tuesdays, Thursdays to Saturdays, from 5pm. CLOSED ON SUNDAYS!

I went on a Saturday; arguably the busiest day of the week for the night market! It was said that up to 30,000 people can throng the market on a good day! The crowd was comparable to the Flower / Garden Night Market at Tainan. 

Sharing the array of food stalls in the night market.

Saw anything that fancies your stomach?

These jellied fruits looked so delicious.

NT$60 for five, NT$110 for ten! 

Dumplings! The problem with dumpling is that they are usually sold at a bundle, whereas I am only interested in just one piece, just to see if it was any good, and that I want to save my tummy for other food. 

Spring onion wrapped with bacon! I remember having this for the very first time at Shilin Night Market and remember it was "spicy"! 1 for NT$15 and 7 for NT$100. 

Stinky tofu! Stall name is 臭屁仙臭豆腐 but the review score on Google was actually quite bad; only 2.4 from about 95 reviewers although someone did point out that food was good, just that customer service was lacking.

Games for both adults and kids!

Bouncing castle cost NT$200 per person.

Unlimited time. Sadly, only if you are below 40 kg.

My favorite activity as a kid; the thrill and excitement of driving a vehicle before reaching the legal age! For small car, it's NT$100 for 8 minutes! Quite pricey right?! 

Other items on sale at Hanxi Night Market.

More than just food and games. 

I am at a dilemma when I saw the above stalls selling pet food and accessories! On one hand, I love animals and can't wait to have a pet at home. On the other hand, it's heartbreaking when they die though.... Not to mention I would likely overspend if I ever keep another pet....

But, so adorable right?!?!?

So what I had at Hanxi Night Market!? I had to be selective as I already had dinner earlier yet couldn't resist checking out the most popular night market among locals in Taichung. 

I had the fresh cheese corn which was alright. What surprised me more was the serving of candied sweet potato cubes; so amazing I can't wait to have them again! 

More photographs for your viewing pleasure! 

=====

Address

Section 1, Hanxi East Road, 

East District, Taichung City, 

Taiwan 

Map

As above. 

Operating Days

Closed on Mondays, Sundays and Wednesdays

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)