Sunday, November 24, 2024

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. 


山海豆花 MATA Tofu Pudding @ Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan

Some friends know that I love soya beancurd dessert although I can be quite selective; preferring the ones from Mr Bean for their silky smoothness. 

However, this little cart-like store at Taoyuan International Airport caught my attention as I was waiting for our plane ride back to Singapore; 山海豆花 MATA Tofu Pudding.

I was especially intrigued by their Taiwan No 1 red bean filled boba tofu pudding with peanut crisp. Costing NT$120 (about S$5.00), it's not cheap but curiosity forced me to order one bowl to try! 

Served on a golden-rimmed bowl, it's no doubt that this was a visually luxurious bowl of soya beancurd with so much ingredients! My usual order from Mr Bean was much simpler; with just beancurd and sugar syrup.

For Singaporeans, this might feel more like a fusion cross between beancurd, bubble tea and taro bowl soup, similar to Nine Fresh. Personally, I am okay with fusion but not when one's taste was overshadowed / overwhelmed by the others. In this case, I could hardly discern the aroma of beans from the beancurd although I recall texture wise, it's smooth and soft.

Candied peanut crisps added a crunchy texture in every bite and while red bean filled boba was interesting, I preferred good old red beans, mushy or not, instead of having them encased. 

As mentioned earlier, too many ingredients might not be a good thing and honestly, I think they could have just removed the golden pearls and tasteless mochi for better tasting experience. 

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I couldn't seem to find the store anymore on the website of Taoyuan International Airport but if you are interested to check it out, you may refer to the website of 山海豆花 MATA Tofu Pudding at https://www.matatofupudding.com/

Menu
As above.

Pricing
Red Bean Filled Boba Tofu Pudding with Peanut Crisp - NT$120

Saturday, November 23, 2024

OO White Coffee Carnarvon Plus @ Penang in Malaysia

First morning in Penang and the starting meal must be a traditional Southeast Asia breakfast! Based on the recommendation from a colleague who is from Penang, let's proceed to OO White Coffee Carnarvon Plus! 

Do note that there is another nearby branch which is non-air-conditioned but without the plus name. Prices would be cheaper but also a lot more crowded with customers. 

Interior of OO White Coffee Carnarvon Plus; spacious! 

Our order list - I shall share the menu later. Aside from coffee, one thing I can't resist ordering for breakfast in Malaysia would be their traditional toast. 

Classic picture of a traditional breakfast set in Malaysia and Singapore! Of course, lazy Alex was super pleased to find soft-boiled eggs that had already been peeled. 

White Coffee - what better way to start the day than a hot cup of coffee! This hand brewed white coffee is the signature drink and it sure didn't disappoint; thick, frothy and definitely one of the best coffee I have had in recent years! 

Soft Boiled Eggs - Alex said very good and you have to believe him as he orders soft boiled eggs very often. I don't really have them often as I am afraid they would give me the runs, given my stomach's sensitivity.

Signature Toast - spread with kaya and butter, it wasn't as crispy as expected, despite the look, although I did discern a nice, fluffy breadiness to the taste. Personally, the toast was just average given that the spread of both kaya and butter was a tad stingy. A pity. 

Hokkien Mee - we decided to check out the hokkien mee which to us Singaporeans, would be considered as prawn noodle soup as hokkien mee to us means fried noodles. 

Honestly, this bowl of soupy hokkien mee was very good; soup was rich but tasted more pork than prawns and the decision to have bee hoon was perfect as the strands of bee hoon effectively soaked up the flavor of the delicious broth! 

And for a bowl that cost RM 11.0 (roughly about S$3.50), there were so many slices of pork! Please don't belittle the tiny prawns; it packed a punch of seafood goodness. Alex was so impressed; he started ordering hokkien mee when we visited other dining outlets in Penang.

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Address
260-D, Lebuh Carnarvon, Georgetown, 
10100 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Map
As above.

Menu
As above.

Pricing
White Coffee (Hot) - RM 4.50
Soft Boiled Eggs - RM 3.80
Signature Toast - RM 4.80
Hokkien Mee - RM 11.50
(Subejct to Service Charge and Tax)


Friday, November 22, 2024

The Wooderful Land @ Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan

From the outside, this section within the departure hall of Taoyuan International Airport appeared to be just a wood-themed seating area filled with fake trees that wouldn't have survived in such indoor atmosphere. 

It's much more than that! Known as the The Wooderful Land, I would deem this as an informative exhibition that those waiting for their plane should check out. For example, an answer to why trees were so capable of carbon storage1 

The exhibition hoped to trigger your four senses; sight, touch, hearing etc. The above may seem like sex toys but they served to excite your sense of smell, with the aroma of essential oils made from three different types of wood found in Taiwan

Sounds of wood - not that effective for a tone-deaf person like me!

Touch the various kinds of wood. To me, wood is just wood and that's the reason why I prefer to have a black and white theme for my apartment. There are just too many types of wood, not to mention that many used for furniture are simply just plywood. Those pure wood ones would be too expensive! 

Advantages of wood although I am more intrigued by the secrets of the pores. What pores?! I only know wood has those lines officially known as wood grains. 

Explanation on a specific tree; like this radiata pine which is also known as new zealand pine. This feels so much like I was in a zoo, albeit a much smaller scale. 

Ending this post with the cute version of the Formosan black bear; endemic, and the only native bear species in Taiwan. From the pictures I found online, the Formosan black bear has a same appearance as the sun bear but it's much larger! 

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Address