Cinnamon Raisin Bun @ Lavender Bakery [Malaysia]

Whenever my elder sister visits Johore Bahru, there is bound to be one thing she would purchase from Lavender confectionery and bakery; cinnamon raisin buns! 

Therefore, when i visited Johore Bahru recently for a food trip with a few NUS colleagues, i could hardly resist the temptation when i saw an almost full tray of delicious cinnamon raisin buns! 

There were seven on the tray; i grabbed six. While at the payment counter, i figured one more wouldn't hurt and hurried to get the last remaining bun! Damn the craving bug! 

Unlike the buns from defunct saint cinnamon, Lavender's version was only coated with fragrant cinnamon powder but what makes it stand out from the rest was its inclusion of raisins, cranberries, almonds and the thin drizzle of hardened sugar coating!

Sweet tooth aside, i am totally loving the soft, fluffy texture! 

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Location

Available in most branches of Lavender Bakery and Confectionery. Note: it does run out pretty fast

Price

RM3.90 a bun 

Kampong Salang - Full Day Snorkeling Trip Part 2 @ Tioman Island [Malaysia]

Part two of the full day snorkeling trip shall bring us to Kampong Salang, where the northernmost jetty and village in Tioman Island are both located. It is also the last stop for all ferries originating from Mersing or Tanjung Gemuk.

Spotted on the side of the village was the stunning view of what appeared to be a resort featuring traditional wooden architecture! My gosh, i would so love to stay there in my next visit! 

Residing in the midst of nature, this would likely be marketed as a place of total relaxation when it opens for business. My check with a local resident revealed that it was still in the midst of construction and no one actually knows what it would be called. 

Maybe due to its label as the last stop, the jetty also seemed exceptionally long compared to the rest in Tioman Island. However, idle ferries parked in the jetty often gave one the impression the surrounding water would likely be polluted.

Not that it mattered to us since this was merely a stopover for us to have lunch and i guess many of us were famished after the intensive snorkeling sessions we had in Tulai island. 

Young kids thundering down the jetty! Such a scene used to be quite common in one of Singapore's outlying islands a decade ago; Pulau Ubin. Safety aside, it was the lack of educational amenities that forced most families with young children to relocate to the mainland.

The alfresco cafe where we chose to have lunch. 'Chose' might be a wrong word to use as we were given packet lunches and hence, would not be ordering anything else in the cafe except for drinks. Thankfully, the owner was agreeable to let us use the space! With an order of drinks of course! 

Our packet lunches from the resort; choice of either mee goreng or fried rice. Nothing outstanding but it did its job to fill up the hungry tummy. 

Directly opposite the cafe was Tulai island! 

To the other side of the village were some chalets on rocky terrain. Since i am the first to clean up my lunch, i decided not to waste any time and proceed to do some exploration on my own.

The sleepy village turned out to be much more vibrant than i expected. There were quite a number of eating establishments and it appeared to be more crowded than Kampong Paya, where i stayed. 

A number of diving centers served the needs of visitors and i was once again tempted to check out the prices! To earn a PADI certificate is definitely an item on my bucket list! 

Beer for takeaway!? I have no idea how different this is compared to buying a few bottles of beer from the provision shops and packing them back to the resort. 

Packages for those who have the luxury of time to explore more! I am already thinking of signing up for the round island tour the next time i visit. 

Prices seemed cheaper in Kampong Salang; back in Kampong Paya, there was no promotional 'set' for mask and snorkel fin and rental for each item cost RM 8! 

For those who would like to purchase 100% waterproof bags for their beach vacations can consider visiting http://www.hyper-gear.com/ for more details.

Bird's nest house where the highly valuable Chinese delicacy is harvested! My sympathy to those living next to the concrete structure as the swallows can be very noisy at night! 

Shark and turtle watching!? Another person / number to note for my next visit. 

More photographs of Kampong Salang before i conclude this post.

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Map of Kampong Salang

As above

Elyon Cakes - Not So Sweet Muffins and Cupcakes @ Block 126 Bukit Merah Lane 1 (Opposite the AIA building)

While strolling back to my car after an unsatisfying meal in Alexandra Village food centre, we chanced upon a relatively new outfit that sells cakes, muffins and cupcakes.

I wasn't terribly keen in having desserts that day but Alex was persistent even though i am aware he wasn't so much of a 'cakes and pastries' person. Guess he wanted to cheer me up after sensing my disappointment with the food in the hawker centre. 

Anyone can tell me what is the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? To me, muffins are heavier in texture whereas cupcakes are often topped with cream or frosting! If given a choice, i would choose the latter anytime!

Black and White

This pretty thing had a dense chocolate flavour without being overly sweet like many in the market. Texture was a bit too dry for my liking and i thought it might be beneficial to incorporate little pockets of oozing chocolate!

Carrot, Raisin and Walnut

Topped with delicious cream cheese, this cupcake was generous with the raisins, walnuts and strips of carrot although i thought once again that it was a bit on the dry side. Given i was the recipient of many home-made carrot cakes; i am afraid i can only consider this as decent fare and definitely not "cream of the crop".

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Location

Block 126, Bukit Merah Lane 1,

#01-202 (Opposite the AIA building)

Opening Hours

10am to 7.30pm

[Closed on Sunday]

Price

S$3 a cupcake

S$17 for half a dozen

S$34 for a dozen

Additional Information

Had a chat with the lady bosses and heard that their specialties are red velvet (out of stock that day), salted caramel and waffles which I might just return to check them out! 

Oh! Do take advantage of the breakfast and tea set combo! :)

Sick - Massive Vomiting & Diarrhea

A million apologies for the lack of updates! 

Was supposed to do so yesterday evening but i was down with severe diarrhea and constant vomiting. Now, i am no stranger to diarrhea; it's the vomiting that was really uncomfortable. Think about it, seven episodes of purging in less than four hours! 

A visit to my family doctor was imminent and even he was deeply concerned about the vomiting; to the extent of recommending A&E if i didn't recover by midnight. I was given a jab and praised for not being scared of needles! Wahahaha.

So what really happened? Food poisoning or gastric flu? As symptoms are similar (with food poisoning being one of the causes for gastric flu), it would be hard to draw a conclusion without a blood and stool test. 

Nevertheless, i am glad this happened over the weekend. There are just way too much work and i could not afford to take a rest on weekdays when emails can number hundreds! 

Cats in Tioman Island

Sure; Tioman Island is famed for its white, sandy beaches and the surrounding water that teems with fishes of various colours and shades. But there's an animal that should also be accorded the same level of attention by Malaysia's tourism board.  

The cat; also known as feline by some and as kucing in Malaysia.

In my short three-day, two-night stay, i encountered no less than twenty different cats and this is coming from a person who was consistently out snorkeling in the ocean!

More pictures - all of them roamed around the villages like feral cats yet most of them had beautiful fur that shimmered and shone under the sunlight!  

Frankly, i thought Tioman could also be considered for promotion as a cat island. Bet this move would help to attract droves of feline lovers, specifically those who can't swim!