Lapis No 1 from Djuara Oleh Oleh Khas Nusantara @ Batam City Square in Indonesia

I wrote about the Little Box 小小心意 kueh lapis from Batam recently and although I tried a few other brands; I am just going to go for the kill and share with all of you the brand that I eventually purchased from.

As cliche as it might sound, it's Lapis No 1, which has a review score of 4.7 from close to 200 reviewers. Now, humans are complicated and one man's meat could be another man's poison; hence, as with all of my food reviews, it's really my personal take, and preference.

Unlike Little Box, the shop space was a lot bigger and greeting us was the display of mouthwatering kueh lapis under strong bright light that strangely improved their visual appeal. And of course, the appetising whiff of butter permeating the air.

The all important sampling box! 

My last trip to Batam was before the COVID19 pandemic and one thing that changed was the availability of various sizes for sale. In the past, a kilogram was the minimum but now; you can even opt for 250 grams! While easier as gifts, it's pricer by about 20%, and you can't buy one kilo, and ask them to pack into four boxes.

In terms of kueh lapis, Lapis No 1 tasted amazing; texture was soft, it smelt buttery, the taste was moist and delicious! However, I decided to hold my horses and check out other brands before forking out my hard earned money.

Going to a shopping mall provided a huge variety of brands to check out and we decided to cast our lot for Lapis No 1, which was also available for sale at Djuara at Batam City Square! 

Couldn't resist sampling more! 

The store provided free delivery and we happily took it up as our ferry ride was the next day. Do note to provide the correct hotel and allocate sufficient time before your hotel check out since you might face delivery delays! 

Pricing for your reference; no difference between the branded store and the reseller store. However, there's one advantage to buying your kueh lapis from Djuara.

You can choose to try snacks other than kueh lapis! I was so happy sampling that the fact that I should be concerned of my weight was utterly disregarded. p.s. I absolutely cannot resist the banana crunch chips..... so sad that I forgot to zip up the opened pack in the fridge.  

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Now, I have to be honest. Lapis No 1 did rank high on the taste test but the flavor waned after it was placed in the fridge. Maybe the problem is me; did I not thaw it enough? 

Address

Batam City Square, Jl. Bunga Raya, Batu Selicin, 

Lubuk Baja, Batam City, Riau Islands, Indonesia

Map

As above.

Little Box 小小心意 - Kueh Lapis Store @ Batam in Indonesia

Would you believe I used to enjoy kueh lapis, especially the ones from Batam but my interest waned when I learnt how to bake it, and it dawned on me that it's insanely sinful; totally derailing my constant strive to lose weight.

However, it's hard to resist when my body was in Batam and my family members wanted to get some kueh lapis! Trust me, we tried quite a few and one of them is the topic for the day; Little Box 小小心意! p.s. walked past without knowing we had arrived.

Although we were in Indonesia, the signboard with the Chinese characters was a giveaway that the main clientele would likely be overseas and from places like China, Singapore, Malaysia etc. 

Store was small and manned by two persons. As with most kueh lapis stores in Batam , sampling is a must to attract customers and we immediately went for the "kill".

We visited more than three kueh lapis stores that day so you can imagine how much sampling I did! And with so many flavors, my mouth never quite stopped working. Having said that, I usually don't try the following flavors, durian, chocolate, prunes etc. 

Having tried quite a number, I shall give my personal take on this; pandan was good (not overwhelming fake tasting like some) and while the cheese wasn't too bad, I would prefer the one from another another store, which was honestly out of the world! 

Pricelist for your reference! 

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Address

Ruko Penuin Center, Blok Q 5, 

Batu Selicin, Kec. Lubuk Baja, 

Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29444, 

Indonesia

Map

As above.

Blue Label Pizza & Wine @ Ann Siang Road (Near Maxwell MRT Station) in Singapore

For the past few months, I was craving for pizzas and when two friends, who didn't know each other, recommended Blue Label Pizza; I knew I had to pay it a visit, and finally curb that irritating craving! 

I found myself along Ann Siang Road, a place I am familiar with since I used to park my car (when I used to have one) further down along Amoy Street whenever I need to go to Chinatown, but I couldn't seem to find the restaurant.

Wait, there's a sign pointing towards the alley. Thankfully, I knew the full name of the restaurant; Blue Label Pizza & Wine and I guess the "pizza and wine" kind of inferred correctly. 

In normal circumstances, I would have assumed there's a mistake on the directions. If not for the wall that was painted blue, my next option would be to call the restaurant! Oh well, this was all part of publicity; being inconspicuous generates interest.

For a Friday evening, I was expecting a full crowd and had even made a reservation given my impatience in queuing! Turned out the place was less than half filled. To be fair, I arrived much earlier than expected, at about 5.30pm.

Table setup; rather formal with napkin, water glass and even a wine glass. Obviously wouldn't be a cheap meal but if the pizzas were good; I wouldn't mind paying the minimum pricing of at least S$34 a pizza.

Blue Label Ale - first up, a small glass of draft beer to kick start the weekend; tasted a bit bitter although it ended on a sweet note. That's what life is like nowadays, bitter but we always hope for a sweet ending.

Blue Label State Fair Fries - indicated as "hand-cut idaho potatoes, black pepper gravy, fried egg, aioli, shaved truffle", these weren't your usually processed fries although I took issue with the soggines! Pity they were rather flavorful. p.s. small pieces featured a nicer crisp. 

J-Dog Pizza - "pork sausage, bacon, pepperoni, capers, jalapeño, red sauce" on a stone-fired sourdough pizza! Why the name j-dog? There were other interesting sounding pizza names like summer in san sebastian, black magic etc.

The American style pizza was thin and crisp with a chewy texture and a hollow inside. While this would have its own fans, I actually prefer a slightly fluffier, more satisfying bite. 

In summary, I love the robustness of the flavour; slightly peppery yet sinfully tasty! You don't get those stringy cheese sensation though and I didn't quite enjoy the meat ball toppings. 

Green Machine Pizza - the name said it all yet I was still surprised to see a whole bunch of green! Ingredients included béchamel, kale, asparagus, pistachios; béchamel is a type of french sauce used as a pizza base in this instance. 

Aside from looking all healthy, it was literally like eating vegetables with breadsticks! Those accustomed to having tons of cheese on pizzas should give this a miss. Maybe I should have gone with the original famous five cheee blend pizza! 

Two pizzas for three of us; and we can't finish it! 

Guess age is catching up for all of us! 

Waste not! 

Grandma's Carrot Cake - now, when I was outside the restaurant, something caught my attention. The delectable looking carrot cake classily covered with a glass top. 

I knew I had to get it for dessert. Priced at S$18.00, it's easily one of the most expensive slice of cake I have forked out money for, and I sure it would be as spectacular as the Signature Black forest Cake from the now defunct Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique S-Café! 

Frankly, it was not to be. Cake was dry, walnuts were stale and I bet my carrot cake tasted better than the grandma of blue label. Only thing that appealed to me was the cream cheese; rich and so creamilicious! 

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Would I be back for the pizzas? 

Maybe if I want to try the others like Black Magic.

Address

28 Ann Siang Rd, #B1-01, 

Singapore 069708

Map

As above. 

Menu 

As above. 

You can click here too.

Website

https://bluelabelpizza.com/

Pricing

Blue Label Ale - S$12.00

Blue Label State Fair Fries - S$25.00

J-Dog Pizza - S$42.00

Green Machine Pizza - S$35.00

Grandma's Carrot Cake - S$18.00

(Subject to Service Charge and GST)

Son Tra Night Market @ Da Nang [Vietnam]

There are a number of night markets in Da Nang but the one said to be most popular had to be Son Tra Night Market, which was just a stone's throw from the most iconic bridge in the city; Dragon Bridge! 

I visited twice and the pictures you are going to see below would comprise both days; however, I shall not be putting them out in a chronological manner, preferring to consolidate them for ease of reference.

Operating from 5pm till midnight, I would suggest dropping by only after 6pm instead as most stalls were still in the midst of setting up their gazebos or tidying up their wares when I was there at about 5 plus in my second visit.

Despite being the most popular night market, I would say it wasn't as crowded as expected although people who know me well would know I don't have the tendency to stay out too late. Hence, there might actually be more people after like 9pm. 

Durians piqued my interest. Seeing how large the fruits were, I gathered they were the Thai-type of durians that generally wouldn't appeal to Singaporeans / Malaysians who prefer riper durians that have mushier, more pungent smelling meat.

Just a few photographs on the street scene.

Cosmetic jewelry that didn't appeal to me at all, except when I was a kid and associated such items to riches. After living for a few decades now, my understanding is that we can never earn enough money.

Mix and match of wearable accessories. I was actually quite a cap / hat person when I was younger since I don't like to style my hair; stopped doing so as I sweat a lot and I am too lazy to keep washing my caps / hats.

Hand-painted non-la; I have no idea how tourists bring it back home on a plane! It's hard to keep in the suitcase and wearing it on the plane would literally be screaming to everyone; look at me! 

Comic figurines. 

To me, these kind of things attract too much dust.

 

Same goes for the above; which I believe to be GAWS and Bearbricks. 

p.s. the original ones can go for thousands of dollars post pandemic.

The Lego-type figurines would be have a better appeal as you would have to "build it yourself". Of course, maybe more for kids as I doubt I have much patience to do that. Plus. it would still collect dust after I complete the work. 

In the 1980s, when mass tourism started booming around the world, it's common for people to buy such religious items back home. In the contemporary world, I wonder if it is still as popular. p.s. the little monk series had a adorable appeal but why a buddha head?! 

Leather products, sunglasses and fake branded goods. 

Ornamental lighters! Some were really nice; pity I quit smoking quite a while back. I remember scrolling a few videos on refurbished vintage lighters and boy was the flame mesmerizing! 

Same kind of unique coasters and trays that I previously found at Nguyen Hoang Night Market / Hội An Night Market. Trust me, I was so tempted to buy them with their mosaic / kaleidoscope designs! 

Neck pillows; I have never used one before.

Plastic sandals / slippers popularized by Crocs; greater variety at much cheaper pricing! Do note that cheap means compromising on quality and when you come to my age; it's something that you wouldn't want to compromise on.

Souvenirs for your family and friends back home; nowadays, I just buy more snacks rather than keychains / fridge magnets. And given how often I travel, it's just weird to buy like 5-6 fridge magnets / keychains a year to the same person! That doesn't stop me from buying a fridge magnet for myself though. 

I am just more averse to buying larger items that collect dust, especially creepy ones like the owls with their huge, hypnotic eyes and the dark, eerie silhouettes wearing non-la and ao-dai with mother of pearls.

These handmade, 3D wooden souvenirs were so pretty! 

Prepacked snacks, nuts, candies and a variety of Vietnamese coffee products for you to purchase. For coffee, I would suggest Trung Nguyen Legend brand but you may want to check if there are official stores (usually their cafes) where you can be assured of their authenticity and retail pricing.

The kind of 'souvenirs' my mom would be more interested in.

Handphone covers; frankly, while I love having different designs for my mobile phone depending on my mood, my clumsiness means I can only use those hardy (boring) ones that can withstand the frequent knocks and drops.  

Quite a number of stalls concentrated on shirts, tops, dresses, kidswear etc. I saw an under armour branded tee selling for just 75,000 dong (about $4)! Sadly, I am into comfy wear and prefer to try first. Furthermore, I have too many tops at home.

Vietnamese agarwood ; used in incense and perfume, this is likely more popular with the much older population. Younger population would prefer scents that are not as traditional, and maybe cool sounding the midsummer's night from yankee candle. 

Old notes dealer, who also doubled up as a currency exchanger. I actually didn't have to change any money when I was in Da Nang as I have the tendency to use credit cards whenever I could. 

More photographs for your viewing pleasure. Running out of words honestly. As you can see, some of the products were just mixed together, and you need a keen to spot what you want / need. 

Not uncommon to have pet dogs running around. 

Sometimes, discarded carton boxes might block the way, especially if you come too early, when many stall owners were just setting up. 

This reminded me of the photo backdrops at Nguyen Hoang Night Market / Hội An Night Market, even though it sure wasn't as bright, as stunning. However, I think this particular shop do offer the lanterns for sale. 

Setup for Son Tra Night Market was actually on the road and from the map, it's a crossroad and this area with the fake tree blossoming with golden flowers was right in the middle of the intersection.

Surrounding the tree would be makeshift stalls offering services like temporary tattoos, wood engraving using fire pens. Unlike the sale of products, services would take a longer time and you would see people crowding around the stalls.

The ones attracting the most people would be portrait drawing, and the general pricing was 180,000 dong (about S$10.00). Pity I didn't like to wait, and I prefer out of proportion caricature drawings instead.

Too much walking? Have a foot massage! Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the price list but knowing Alex, who is price sensitive, this wouldn't cost too much. 

You can also have a go at the balloon popping games! I stopped playing such funfair games after Alex won a big, soft toy at Genting Highlands over ten years ago and I had to haul it back for him! 

Trust me; it was hard work! 

For the kids in your family, there would be simple funfair rides, similar to what you can find in Singapore night markets some time. Nothing fanciful but the kids wouldn't know the difference. 

Now, the food section of Son Tra Night Market. 

It's one place you should never, ever miss! 

Lobster lovers would have their heart pumping for the insane display of lobsters! It was so mind blowing that my eyes were dazzled by them! But, I am mindful of being "chopped" (Singapore lingo for being scammed) and absolutely couldn't believe the price tags! 

Imagine this entire set that would only set us back by 600,000 dong, which was just about S$32.00. With two lobsters, clams, prawns, octopus, squids and oysters?! How is that even possible?! Again, being cheap might have their risks so you do have to assess on your end. 

Just be mindful that there were numerous reviews on food poisoning. 

And trust me, food poisoning is super disruptive when you travelling.

Where did we order our lobster meal eventually? 

Check out my posting here!

Aside from seafood, you do have other options as above. I did try some of the meat skewers but they didn't impress. Being a deep fried food fan, I would have tried them but only if they were freshly fried. And weirdly, no crabs.

Some price lists for your reference. 

Not super expensive in my opinion. 

Lastly, would you dare to try some snails? 

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In comparison to Nguyen Hoang Night Market / Hội An Night Market, I do feel that there is better variety at Son Tra Night Market, and without a doubt, it has more street food options. For the latter, however, Hội An Night Market is blessed with many nearby restaurants though. 

Address

Mai Hắc Đế, An Hải Trung, 

Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng 550000, Vietnam

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

5pm till Midnight

Additional Information

For reference. 

Click here for my 8 Days' Itinerary to Danang (The City of Bridges) & Hoi An (The City of Lanterns) in Vietnam