Cottage Spices - Nyonya Restaurant with a Taste of Melaka @ Melaka [Malaysia]

To be honest, i have always insisted that the peranakan cuisine (in general, excluding their desserts) isn't my cup of tea and i was all ready to have a different perception when i visited Melaka recently with the intention to check Restoran Nyonya Makko. 

Unfortunately, the wait was too long and a coach scheduled to depart in less than 90 minutes, we decided to pop by another nyonya restaurant right opposite; Cottage Spices which commanded a respectable 4.0 rating by almost 200 google reviewers. 

Fully-air-conditioned eatery with tiled walls, mosaic flooring and simple furniture; felt more like a family restaurant that belongs to the 1980s - 1990s.

With just two of us, we had to carefully decide what to have for lunch and it took almost 30 minutes for the kitchen to serve all the mains to our table!

Cendol - this was the only thing missing from the picture showing all the mains and i thought i might as well touch about this nyonya dessert first. Not bad tasting but could do with more gula melaka; in comparison, Christina Ee's version is better.

Fermented Shrimp Omelette - people usually like or dislike cincalok (fermented shrimp) and i guess i am those who are neutral since i typically enjoy stuff which are fermented even though when it comes to this particular nyonya omelette; it was a tad too salty for my liking.

Squids Fried with Stink Beans & Sambal - known as petai, the stink beans are an acquired taste which intensifies as you chew them further! Personally, i quite enjoyed the petai although the bigger highlight was the nicely cooked squid that's fried with the aromatic sambal chilli! 

Stewed Chicken with Fermented Soya Bean - i always make it a point to compare what i had with things i have had before and this ayam pongteh felt like a less-sweet braised chicken with a gravy that's thicker and nicer to have with plain white rice. Which do i like better? Braised chicken. 

Steamed Ladyfingers with Sambal - for something so plain and raw, i surprised myself by exclaiming they were unforgettably good when i popped one into my mouth! The ladyfingers still maintained that fresh crunch with a firm yet moist inside that complemented perfectly with the sour-spicy sambal chilli. Maybe i should try to emulate this healthy dish at home? 

Before and after! 

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Location

171, Taman Melaka Raya, 

75000 Melaka, Malaysia

Map

As above.

GPS: 2.188866 N, 102.254333 E

Operating Hours

Lunch: 12pm to 4pm

Dinner: 6pm to 8.30pm

Closed on Tuesdays.

Website

http://www.cottagespices.com.my/

Pricing

Cendol - RM 3.60

Fermented Shrimp Omelette - RM 11.40

Squids Fried with Stink Beans & Sambal - RM 30.00

Stewed Chicken with Fermented Soya Bean - RM 18.90

Steamed Ladyfingers with Sambal - RM 14.20

(Subject to 5% Service Charge)

Gu Thai Noodle Cafe - More Than Just Noodle @ Northpoint City Shopping Mall in Yishun [Singapore]

Ever since i returned from my birthday trip (to Bangkok) in April, i have been craving for Thai food and it didn't help that the Northpoint extension has expanded to include so many food options which consisted of a few Thai restaurants too; one of which is Gu Thai Noodle Cafe. 

Don't you just love this one of a kind decor? The placement of a food truck with outdoor seating in FULLY-AIR-CONDITIONED environment! No sweat, literally unless you are digging into a bowl of tom yum soup! 

Thai Lemongrass Drink - not bad and not as sweet as the version served by other establishments. Would love to have one that' stronger in lemongrass though.

Kai Lan with Oyster Sauce - absolutely not something i will order normally, especially when it is a common dish available in a typical local tze-char stall. When i am out with my parents, a plate of greenies is usually added, for healthy reason. Okay tasting in my honest opinion. 

Fried Thai Omelette - i was hoping for a fluffy, crispy omelette similar to Mae Noi Thai Food at Bugis Street Market; sadly, it was not to be. Not even close.

Boat Noodle (Pork) - while i have seen this dish at the floating market in Bangkok, i didn't dare to try but since then, i have had encounters with this dish on two occasions and this would be my third time. Lightly-flavoured broth topped with plenty of desirable deep-fried pork lards, my only grouch was that the flavour could have been richer.

Thai Spicy Vermicelli Salad -  sour, spicy and so appetizing! While the price was a bit steep (most expensive among the dishes we ordered), you might want to note that among its ingredients were minced meat, mussels, prawns and squid.

Phad Thai - now that i have had a taste of the best phad thai ever (at Thipsamai in Bangkok), the expectation is much higher and this just didn't make the cut; noodles were clumped up, lack of the wok-hei flavour and could have been sweeter. 

Grilled Sweet Pork (Moo Ping) - it was regretful that i didn't take sufficient photos to blog about the moo ping i had in Bangkok as this one at Gu Thai, while nice, wasn't as tender. Taste wise, it managed to have that charred, smoky flavour even though i would associate it better as a thicker chunk of bak kwa. 

Thai Green Curry (Chicken) - the Thai dish that i have been craving the most recently and i can't imagine how much i detested it in the past! Must be something wrong with my taste buds then.  

Why do i like it so much now? No idea although i enjoyed having my plain rice soaked in the spicy, milky and tasty light curry broth! The Thai Green Curry at Gu Thai was too bland in my opinion even though it didn't stop me from cleaning up my bowl of plain rice! 

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In summary, our contingent of four adults and two kids managed to almost sweep up everything into our mouths. Pricing was reasonable given the location although taste wise, i thought most were a bit bland and maybe because i had better ones elsewhere, what i had didn't quite impress me, unfortunately. 

Location

1 Northpoint Drive,

#B1-157, Northpoint City, 

Singapore 768019

Pricing

Thai Lemongrass Drink - S$2.80

Kai Lan with Oyster Sauce - S$6.00

Fried Thai Omelette - S$6.00

Boat Noodle (Pork) - $7.50

Thai Spicy Vermicelli Salad - S$12.00

Phad Thai - S$7.50

Grilled Sweet Pork (Moo Ping) - S$7.00 (3 sticks)

Thai Green Curry (Chicken) - S$12.00

(Subject to Service Charge)

Additional Information

Cash payment only! 

Craving for the crispy pork rinds in Bangkok? Get a pack for two from Gu Thai Noodle Cafe so that you can indulge them in the comfort of your own home! 

Patong OTOP Shopping Paradise (Near Swissotel Resort Patong Beach) @ Phuket [Thailand]

I mentioned Patong OTOP Shopping Paradise in Day One of the Phuket trip and since it's so close to the hotel we stayed in throughout the vacation (Swissotel Resort Patong Beach); it's definitive that i would pay it a visit!

Two things drew my attention when i stepped in; the fairy lights that acted like an old school canopy and the large passage between two rows of shops. OTOP means One Tambon (mean sub-district and not tampon) One Product and it's a nationwide initiative to promote local products. 

In terms of what's for sale at the shops; most wouldn't differ much from those you can see along the main streets of Patong. The usual beachwear, casual clothes, tailor shops etc; boring stuff that don't quite excite me.

At my age, i am more interested in what i can buy for family / friends / colleagues and for my kitchen, living room, bedroom and toilets! It's more about practicality, than fashion which i have never been a fan of.

A large part of my time was spent in this local souvenir shop where Thai scent soaps, body lotions, snacks can be found. I was intrigued by the containers of clove toothpaste which honestly smelt like the Thai medicinal powder i ingested whenever i have a tummy ache!

There were many 'flavours' to choose from; coconut, original, pineapple, aloe vera etc. Finding them interesting, i got a dozen at 350 baht and if you would like to know if it's good to use (for the teeth); look out for my next post.

Igloo light installation; because it was only a couple of weeks after Christmas when i visited. Bet there would be other light installations now.

More shops existed at the back and to me; the things sold appealed to me better than just clothes although on second thought, the variety would not be comparable to what we can find in Bangkok! Cheaper in Bangkok too. 

I cringed whenever i see someone wear the sleeveless tee as above; if you really have them, flaunt them instead of hiding behind a piece of fabric! Haha.

Thailand is famous for their attractive tee-shirt designs; some controversial, a few vulgar and a number that might not be considered decent wear in religious countries. Just be mindful of what you buy.

As expected, you can find a number of bars at this place. It's quieter, less boisterous and not as happening as the electrifying atmosphere we felt at Bangla Street!

Those who intend to ink their body would have a few options; i used to have the intention to tattoo my body but that intention has weakened after my trip in summer to Hokkaido.

Reason? I thoroughly enjoyed the onsen experience in the open and people with tattoos are generally not welcome in the public onsen. Oh well, not much of an issue for me and i can save some money for another trip!

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Location

OTOP Shopping Paradises 237/15-20

Patong BeachRat Uthit, ถนน 200 Kathu, Amphoe Kathu,

Chang Wat Phuket 83150, Thailand

Map

As above.

Click here for my 5 days Itinerary to Phuket.

Sabai Sabai Restaurant in Patong - Loving the Guey Teow Phad See-Ew @ Phuket [Thailand]

Come to think about it, i might have subconsciously heard of the word sabai on a number of occasions when i was in Thailand although the lazy ass in me couldn't be bothered to check out the meaning until i stepped foot into a restaurant named after the word.

One of many similar dining establishments along the stretch of road near Bangla Street; Sabai Sabai is actually a local greeting for 'everything's well / happy / good" and commanded a good rating of 4.5 on TripAdvisor with over 600 reviews!

Free WiFi to make us sabai. I forgot to take a picture of the interior although there's nothing memorable about it; might not be a bad thing as extensive decoration does translate into a higher price on the menu.

Onion Soup - French onion soup with a basket of homemade bread! I know i should have ordered Thai food but if it's on the menu and we were craving for some nice Western-style soup; why not right?

It's a pity, however, that while the soup was served scalding hot with a generous amount of onions; it didn't taste exceptionally strong of onions. For an onion lover (eating raw is fine with me), that's a great disappointment.

Fresh bread to the rescue so that the soup wouldn't have to go to waste! Simple; just dip the sliced bread into the bowl so that it can soak up the flavor for a better taste!

Kao Phad (Fried Rice) - such nondescript appearance surprised me as many chefs would beautify by adding more garnishes on top. Initial taste was one of expected blandness although once you took a few bites; the aroma of fried egg surrounding the each grain of rice intensified. My conclusion; not bad and never judge a dish by its look.

Pork Chop - we don't get a lot of places selling pork chop in Singapore and even if we can find a few, the pricing is usually too expensive at above S$20. At the very least, the one from Sabai Sabai was only about S$12-13.

Furthermore, you get two thick chunks of pork chop; they reminded me so much of the American Pork Loin Chop from Buckaroo in Singapore!

Sadly, the pork chops didn't seem to have any marination and although it didn't have that strong porky taste; chilli sauce would be required for me to stuff them into my mouth. I was more impressed with the appetizing stir-fried mushrooms, onions and bacon combo laid on top of the pork chops.

Guey Teow Phad See-Ew (Seafood) - my usual order for noodles in a Thai restaurant would be phad thai but my dad already had phad thai at Ruen Thai the day before and i thought it's good to have some variety.

Essentially like a dry, stir-fried version of horfun; this was epic! It was so flavourful, so delicious, so addictive and it's not just limited to the kuay teow; even the prawns and squids were cooked extremely well. I was constantly eyeing the noodles while trying my best to stuff in my pork chop. So envious of my dad!

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Location

100/3 Patong Beach, Patong,

Kathu, Phuket 83150, Thailand

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Onion Soup - 80 baht

Kao Phad (Fried Rice) - 90 baht

Pork Chop - 285 baht

Guey Teow Phad See-Ew (Seafood) - 120 baht

Click here for my 5 days Itinerary to Phuket.