Savoey @ Terminal 21 Asok in Bangkok [Thailand]

Ever since I got acquainted with crab curry from Somboon Seafood Restaurant back in 2024, I had been going back to the same restaurant, albeit different branches, on every visit! 

Knowing myself, I would likely stick with the same restaurant for a long, long time but I was rushing for time on my recent trip and recall watching a reel on Savoey; which also served crab curry, and  happened to have a branch at Terminal 21 Asok Shopping Mall, near my accommodation. 

Craving had stuck in my brain and I earnestly stepped into the restaurant at only noon time. Crowd was surprisingly thin on a Friday lunch but those who knew Terminal 21 @ Asok should be aware there were plenty of eateries and an economically priced food court just one floor above.

As we were already pretty full from breakfast in Chinatown (toast and tea from Tee Yok, cathay fish maw and desserts at old daisy cafe), we ordered sparingly. So little that I questioned if I should have ordered more. 

Stir Fried Thai Vegetable - now, this is a kind of vegetables I don't see in Singapore and just like my affection for Taiwan's guomao vegetables, this plate of Malindjo vegetables tugs my heartstring and entices me to order whenever I see it on the menu.

Sadly, while the texture was just right, the vegetables here at Savoey had a bitter aftertaste that was kind of off-putting, even though the Chinese believes bitter equates healthy. Furthermore, I think the chef was too liberal with the hae bee (dried shrimps); they were much bigger than expected, and could have been a main source of protein! 

Crab Curry - now the main star, and it's a sin not to have a plate of white rice to go with it! Screw the calories intake, especially when I only eat crab curry only when I visit Bangkok! 

Plated similarly like the ones at Somboon, I did notice more chunks of crab meat peeking from the surface of the curry, and that the color seemed a redder, which could mean a spicier kick. 

Took a scoop, mixed with the rice and threw into the mouth. *fireworks* Savoey version was even better; more aromatic, creamier and the spices were more pronounced (thankfully, not that spicy) as the mixture swirled around my taste buds, and ever bite was a chockablock full of delicious seafoodness!

I can't imagine I clean up everything, with a bit of help from Alex.

No wonder I gained two kilograms after this trip. :(

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Address

5th floor, Terminal 21 Asok Shopping Mall,

88 Soi Sukhumvit19, Khwaeng Khlong Toei Nuea, 

Khet Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Map

As above.

Website

https://www.savoey.co.th/

Pricing

Stir Fried Thai Vegetable - 200 Baht

Crab Curry - 600 Baht

(Subject to Tax and Service Charge)

Michelin Mango Sticky Rice from K. Panich Sticky Rice @ Bangkok in Thailand

I still remember the mango sticky rice on my first trip to Bangkok; incredibly memorable but in the past few years, ever since the pandemic, I am a lot less impressed, even with the mango sticky rice from apparently reputable establishments.

This time round, I finally got to try the mango sticky rice from K. Panich, which opened for business in 1932, uses a recipe passed down for over 80 years, and has been a recipient of Michelin Bib Gourmand award for the past eight years!  

There were other desserts you can consider, but the limited stomach space typical of a middle aged man means I have to be super selective on my choice. And of course, going for the crowd favorite, and the most famous dish of the store.

First thing, order first, take a ticket and wait for your dessert. While there wasn't any seating behind the counter, there were chairs outside where you can indulge the dessert immediately. 

Served on a disposable plate, and looking like any other mango sticky rice served in other places, K. Panich didn't jump on the bandwagon of others by offering aesthetically colored rice, with some additional decorations like flowers to up the plating level.

Excitement as I emptied the small packet of what I assumed to be crispy cooked mung beans; an additions I don't find in Singapore, which I thought was an unassuming yet absolutely necessary complementary to mango sticky rice. 

Digging in! Sweetened warm glutinous rice with coconut milk and diced mangoes that were sufficiently juicy and sweet, without being overly fibrous. A not bad mango sticky rice on days that I am craving for one but I would have expected a lot more for a michelin bib gourmand eatery, where I might even crave to have it when I am back to Singapore.

In addition, the sprinklers I assumed to be mung beans turned out to be some bland tasting stuff with a slightly charred aroma. In all, I was quite disappointed. In fact, I would have been happier forking out a higher price for the mango sticky rice from King Power Duty Free @ Suvarnabhumi Airport.

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Address

431 433 Thanon Tanao, Khwaeng Sao Chingcha, 

Khet Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

7.00am till 5.00pm

Closed on Sundays. 

Pricing

Mango Sticky Rice - 140 Baht

Sunway Pyramid Hotel - Deluxe Room @ Petaling Jaya, Selangor [Malaysia]

Nowadays, when I travel to Genting Highlands, I prefer to fly instead, using the Seletar Airport to/fro Subang Airport route, via the propeller plane of Firefly Airlines, as I couldn't endure the long bus ride back to Singapore! 

It would be too rushed from Genting Highlands to Subang Airport; hence, in my recent trip, we opted to stay a night at Sunway Pyramid Hotel, a four-star establishment, and took the opportunity to meet up a few of Alex's game friends. 

Checking in and instead of getting a welcome drink; we were gifted a welcome cookie instead. Unlike those pre-packaged cookies, these were served warm with a taste similar to those from Subway! I am not complaining at all.

Collected our room keys!

Room Number 09134

Our deluxe room at 28 square meters on the 9th floor. Recently renovated in 2017, with over 600 rooms, our block was the shorter one; albeit nearer to the reception and main entrance.

Classy looking and fully carpeted, I did find the layout a bit strange as the first thing that greeted us immediately after entering the room was the double bed. 

Typical room amenities that included the in-room safe, the mini-fridge, the electric kettle, and also an iron with ironing board. For me, the most important had to be the safe since I do bring along my personal laptop along when I travel.

Our room was supposed to have a window view and it sure did; although it looked out into the inner corridors, that didn't appear to be accessible, serving as an aesthetic purpose with no practical use for hotel guests. This to me, felt somewhat cheated.

The washroom seemed like it was based on the 1980s design; functional no doubt, and without a bathtub, which I can really do without as a walk-in shower is safer in my opinion. 

Emergency escape plan for your reference.

A lot of rooms for just one level. 

Gymnasium

The resident fitness center was located on the block right behind ours, and required taking another set of lifts to access. Decently sized; my issue was that it's pretty isolated and when I am the only one using the gym at around 9.00pm, it felt a bit too eerie.

You can opt to visit another gym at the sister hotel next door; Sunway Resort Hotel. A much pricier hotel, you would be guaranteed with a much bigger, bigger equipped facility.

There's even lemon-infused water! 

Swimming Pool

Even though Sunway Pyramid Hotel had no swimming pool, you can also choose to visit the one at Sunway Resort Hotel. Pretty nice, with a cascading waterfall; the only disadvantage is its proximity to the buffet breakfast restaurant, and the gym.

Buffet Breakfast

Located at Sunset Terrance of Sunway Resort Hotel, this buffet breakfast was already included in our room package, with no option to opt out since I am not exactly a breakfast person and could do without.

However, if it is already part of the room pricing, I am not going to waste my money! To host all the guests from Sunway Pyramid Hotel and Sunway Resort Hotel, the restaurant had a lot of seating, with plenty to offer, from local delights to international cuisine like Middle Eastern.

Hope the above gave you a good gauge.

It's easy to miss out on the live stations as they were placed outside the air-conditioned area. In addition to the egg station, there were also stations for tosai and Swedish crepes.

I didn't have much, attacking more on the fruits. For the rest of the food, I thought they were okay; not really worth wasting my precious calories on.

One thing that I really enjoyed though; was the teh tarik!

There's even a section for kids, with their favorite food, at a height that's just right for kids to help themselves, like adults. Not sure if the parents were happy with the food selection though. 

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A primary benefit to stay at either Sunway Resort Hotel or Sunway Resort Hotel would be the ease of access to Sunway Lagoon theme park, which should be considered as Malaysia's best, and most comprehensive given that one ticket gave you entry to "water, amusement, wildlife, extreme, scream, and Nickelodeon zones"! 

Acc

ess for Sunway Pyramid Hotel and Sunway Resort Hotel, respectively. Since my annual pass for Genting Skyworlds had lapsed, maybe I should go for for the Sunway Lagoon theme park annual pass instead.

And maybe next time, I could book for the more atas Sunway Resort Hotel. Problem was that a recent accident at Sunway Lagoon theme park, and this kind of gave Alex the jitters and he is having second thoughts! Not for me though; an accident means the theme park will tighten safety even more, and that's beneficial!

Address

Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway, 

47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Website

https://www.sunwayhotels.com/sunway-pyramid/

Pricing

Deluxe Room - S$127.76

(via Agoda.com)