Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant

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marina bay seafood restaurant

Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant is a new eating establishment built at the Miri marina near the iconic seahorse statue facing the sea. Kim and Mark wanted to check it out at night but were kind enough to accommodate my schedule by bringing me there for lunch instead. 🙂

marina bay signage

The place seems to be referred to as ulumulu by a lot of local Mirians but the only signage I saw called it the Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant. The waitresses were all wearing uniforms with the same title so I’m not sure if this is the same place as ulumulu, but it’s the only restaurant at the Marina Bay in Miri.

marina path

There is a wooden path surrounding the area beside the sea and it offers a great view of the coastline and the cityscape across the body of water. There are also two smaller structures besides the main wooden restaurant construction as a more private dining enclave. The two clubhouses are still under construction but the main restaurant is complete.

seahorse miri

The landmark of the Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant is a huge bronze seahorse facing the sea. It’s the official mascot (?) of Miri, just like ours is the swan. Sibu is called Swan City for a reason…and no, I know we’ve not actually achieved city status yet, Kim. :p

marina yatch

The marina is located to one side of the Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant and all kinds of seafaring vessels were parked there – from fishing boats to yatchs.

deep blue sea

The sea in Miri is a deep blue that is rivaled only by the best beaches in Sabah. The gentle undulating waves and the cool breeze coming in from the beach makes the leisurely stroll from the car park (which is quite a distance away) to the restaurant rather enjoyable.

marina bali

The architecture of Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant is heavily inspired by Balinese and Siamese themes and attention is paid to the most minor details, giving it an authentic ambiance of a marina retreat.

marina server

There is a waitress on duty for seating diners at the main entrance. The ground floor of the place is a bar and lounge while the restaurant is located on the second floor.

marina stairs

There is a flight of stairs that one has to climb to reach the restaurant upstairs and you’ll be escorted by one of the Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant waitresses. The service over here is truly international class.

marina interior

The dining area is huge and consists of various seating accommodations of every configuration you can think of. There is no air-conditioning in the place but the sea breeze makes the temperature just right even for midday dining and you get all the benefits of al fresco dining without being rained on.

varandah

There is even a verandah area which doubles as the smoking section of Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant.

marina view

There is a great view of the ocean and the interior design capitalizes on this by making one side of the restaurant open to the breeze coming in from the sea. I find that the open sea view and the smell of the ocean does wonders to my appetite.

open kitchen

Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant has an open kitchen concept where the entire kitchen, ovens and all, are visibly located beside the restaurant. The entire place is kept neat and clean, which is quite a feat, considering the size of the restaurant.

marina waitress

This is our waitress for the day. She’s wearing a white Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant uniform.

marina oj

I had the orange juice (RM 8.50) which came with a slice of the fruit on the rim of the glass it came served with. The watermelon juice also contains a thin slice of watermelon as a garnish as well.

marina noodles

Mark went for the Oriental menu and had the Fried Yee Mee with Seafood (RM 30). The seafood bits are quite generous, with fish and squid dominating the dish. The general consensus was that the yee mee tastes better than the fried vermicelli.

marina rice vermicilli

Darren also ordered from the Oriental menu – Fried Vermicelli Noodles with Eggs and Seafood (RM 30). It tasted pretty good but it was a little bit too dry from the frying process.

pan fried salmon fillet

Kim had the Pan-Fried Salmon Fillet with Ragout of Squid and Lemon Grass Pepperonata Drizzle with Mirin Reduction (RM 38).

salmon fillet

The salmon tasted better than mine since it had sauce on it and it’s pan-fried instead of grilled.

trio seafood

I had the Trio Grilled Seafood on Bed of Mash Potato served with Crispy Julienne Veggie and Lemon Hollandaise Sauce (RM 78) which the waitress recommended.

salmon

There is grilled salmon, which came out a little bit too dry but the presentation was excellent.

cod

The cod is great though, tender and juicy.

prawn

The prawn is fully de-shelled and is one of the best fresh water prawns that I’ve ever tasted.

poached pears

I also ordered the Poached Pears in Saffron served with Vanilla Panna Cotta (RM 18) for dessert.

marina group

I know I look kinda fucked up. My eyes look soulless, or so I’ve been told. My drink was spiked with three (3) tablets of Ecstasy just the night before and I only slept for 2 hours before the lunch at Marina Bay.

marina bloggers

This is the blogger group photo from Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant. L-R: Darren, Huai Bin (me), Kim, Mark (who is a blogger by association with Kim). 😉

marina sipping drinks

I still had half a glass of OJ left and insisted on having Kim pose with her empty one. 🙂

marina me darren

This is me and Darren, who joined us at the Marina Bay Seafood Restaurant after he went back to get his d-SLR.

marina me kim

I had a photo taken with Kim at the veranda with the sea as the backdrop. I thought this would make a nice photo with the palm trees swaying in the wind.

hb kim mark

Thanks goes out to Kim and Mark who picked me up and drove me around Miri. Much love!

marina seaside

We went for a walk by the seaside to take a photo with the Miri Seahorse after the meal. The weather was just right for a stroll, if you disregard the midday sun and head for the shaded areas. 😉

beachfront property

There were a lot of beach front properties across the marina. It would be a really nice place to live in, just by the seaside with the beach just a step away from your front door.

mark kim

Kodak Moment: Mark attempts to throw Kim into the sea.

marina titanic

*cue Titanic music*

marina titanic take

This is Take #2 of the iconic Titanic scene. It seemed that we didn’t look “sad” enough for an accurate reenactment in the first photo. I put on my best sombre face for the second take but Kim was kinda smiling so this is the final version:

marina titanic final

Jack: Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me… it brought me to you. And I’m thankful for that, Rose. I’m thankful. You must do me this honor, Rose. Promise me you’ll survive. That you won’t give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise.
Rose: I promise.
Jack: Never let go.
Rose: I’ll never let go. I’ll never let go, Jack.

marina titanic foursome

The Titanic Foursome (The Titans?)

marina fishing

The Marina Bay has a lot of No Fishing signs which in grand tradition, was largely ignored. 😉

miri seahorse

I had fun with Kim, Mark and Darren in Miri. Thanks for all the great memories! 🙂

Look at my pretty nails!

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elianto nails

I was out shopping with Faye in Miri when she came across a shop selling nail polish and other manicure paraphernalia. She’s a big fan of these things and actually considered being a manicurist at one point in her life.

elianto interior

Elianto has a wide range of different nail polish colors and Faye wanted to try them on but she only had 10 fingernails…

elianto mine

…so she started using mine.

I had to rush to Guardian to get a bottle of nail polish remover before going to work the next day.

Dragon Seafood Restaurant

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dragon seafood restaurant

Dragon Seafood Restaurant is a popular destination for seafood about 15 minutes away from Miri. I went there with with a couple of friends to check out the famous seafood restaurant in Miri. There is a huge neon sign at the eating establishment, prominently located beside the road, so you won’t miss it.

dragon seafood paradise

The actual restaurant itself is about 100 meters into the turning. The proprietor had the audacity to call it Dragon Seafood Paradise. 😉 It’s surrounded by palm trees and the structure is made of timber products which makes it very inviting. There was a bit of a cool breeze when we went there that night too.

dragon aquarium

This is the signature aquariums popular in seafood establishments where the marine life is kept alive until the customer picks one. The chef then uses a net to haul the one you want before it’s cooked straight in the kitchen. There are various fishes, mussels, oysters, clams, crabs, lobsters and prawns on offer at Dragon Seafood Restaurant.

dragon interior

The interior of Dragon consists of a large hall dining area which can easily accommodate 300 people. There is no air conditioning at the restaurant, but ample fans bring down the temperature and the breeze coming in from the sea cools the place down significantly. There’s a lovely beach view due to the locality of the establishment too.

dragon hut

Dragon Seafood Restaurant also has several private dining alcoves which contains a single table and a wooden walkway leading to the hut. I noticed that this is one of the more popular options – probably coz the people wouldn’t want to mix with the proles at the hall dining area. 😉 There are wooden Venetian blinds on all sides of the wooden huts for additional privacy.

dragon waitress

This is our waitress of the day. She recommended a couple of their signature dishes and was kind enough to pose for a photo for the blog. I was a little surprised when she mentioned that she blogs too (in Chinese). Interesting..

danish royal stout ginseng.

I think that seafood is best paired with beer (or stout) and I ordered Danish Royal Stout Ginseng which is manufactured under the Carlsberg group. Carlsberg sponsored the neon billboard of Dragon Seafood Restaurant – it’s in the first photo. This stout is rich and goes well with seafood. The addition of ginseng is a great idea as it contributes to the rich flavor of the stout.

dragon rice

The first dish that came out was the Dragon Garlic Rice with Seafood. It’s customary for Chinese restaurants to divide the dish on another table into smaller bowls before serving it. This only applies to soup and rice though. The remaining rice is left at the center of the table for second helpings.

garlic rice

The Dragon Garlic Rice with Seafood tastes good. This is one of their flagship dishes that the waitress recommended in place of plain steamed rice. There are bits of seafood inside the rice and the garlic rice is done just right – perceptible, but not overpowering. It’ll still wreck all sorts of havoc with your breath though. This dish would give you some serious halitosis problems but it tastes great! 😉

soup divide

The next dish was the Seafood Soup. It was also divided on the adjescent table and divided into four (4) equal servings before the bowls were passed to us.

dragon soup

The Seafood Soup had clams, abalone and fish pieces. It’s more like a broth – the liquid is clear and infused with flavors from the seafood ingredients.

dragon clams

This is a clam dish cooked with a variety of herbs and spices. The clams are huge and different from the ones we get over here. It’s surprisingly tender and juicy too. The best thing about the clams is that it’s fresh, unlike the ones we get over in Sibu which tend to have a bit of an odor associated with it.

dragon prawns

The next dish is Faye’s favorite seafood order – prawns steamed with eggs. The implementation at Dragon Seafood Restaurant is nice and the presentation is better than the regular restaurants. The prawns were tender enough to be eaten wholesale together with the shell. Well, at least that’s how I eat it, but then again, I’ve been told I have a cast iron stomach. 😉

dragon crabs

The final dish was butter crabs. The crabs we eat over here tend to be cooked with eggs or chilli but there is now an increasing trend of ordering butter crabs. The crabs are deep fried with butter to create fluffy buttery pieces. I love this dish, and I could also eat the shell (except for the huge ones) which surprised my dining companions.

dragon us

Dragon Seafood Restaurant is a nice
eating establishment that s
pecializes in seafood. The seafood is fresh and the service is attentive. It can be a little far from Miri town but it’s worth the drive.

Shiki Japanese Restaurant

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shiki

I went to Shiki Japanese Restaurant with Kim and Mark straight after I arrived in Miri. Kim came and picked me up and we got there at around 8 pm. I lost all the photos from that night due to The Balcony Incident. This photo was obviously taken the next day since it’s daylight in the picture. 😉 I wanted to reshoot the interior too but Shiki was closed when I got there the next day. The rest of the photos are from Kim. Thanks Kim! 🙂

shiki chi don

I had Shiki Chi Don (RM 32.80) which has an assortment of raw seafood like salmon, squid, tuna and octopus nicely arranged on a bed of fragrant rice with pineapples. It tasted good and the presentation was excellent but I couldn’t finish the rice due to a late lunch during the road trip from Sibu to Miri.

shiki shochu

Shiki has Sapporo and Asahi beer but they ran out of both so I went for the Jinro Plum shochu (RM 42.80) which the proprietor recommended. It’s imported from Japan and it tasted nice for a premium shochu.

shiki me kim

It was great to meet up with Kim. It was actually a bit of a last
minute thing since I only left a comment with my cell phone number on
her blog the day before I went to Miri. She texted me when I was in Tatau (somewhere between Sibu and Miri) and I called her back and made a dinner date with her at 8 pm. I also got in touch with Darren and the four of us went for drinks at
Island Club after dinner at Shiki. It was great to finally put a face
behind the blogger(s). 🙂

shiki group

This is a group photo of us at Shiki – Mark kindly picked up the bill, which came up to RM 138.46 for the three of us. Cheers!

The Balcony Incident

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balcony club

I lost my Sony Ericsson W580i cell phone AND my Sony T2 digital camera on Saturday night at Balcony, Miri. Balcony is a club that opens till late and is very popular with the Mirians. I arrived in Miri at around 8 pm and met up with Kim and Mark at Shiki – the Japanese restaurant for dinner.

island club

We went to Island Club (a pub) after that for drinks and Darren joined us there. I took a total of 111 photos that Saturday but didn’t have time to upload them to my notebook due to excessive social commitments. I had to meet up with some other friends straight after that at Balcony so I went there after Island Club.

ketamine note

SWIM was given a complimentary RM 1 dollar note, folded in a rather peculiar manner as a gift. I was a little taken aback by the RM 1 folded note offering – it’s not everyday someone gives you an RM 1 dollar note. I took the keta…er, I mean currency and opened it up.

ketamine

The content inside the folded RM 1 note was rather unusual – it consisted of a white powder, which I assumed was sugar. *cough* This photo was taken the next day – I lost my digital camera that very day so it couldn’t have been from the original batch. The original gift had MUCH MORE powdered sugar than from this batch.

balcony urinal

I went to take photos and videos of the Balcony club and decided that a sugar rush would do me some good since I was pretty tired from the drive. I locked myself inside the toilet and partook in the saccharine particles. Perhaps I was a little bit too drunk and I accidentally insufflated (snorted) the entire contents of the sugar inside the toilet instead of consuming it for the sugar energy.

balcony toilet

This was a mistake since I don’t think the stuff was sugar at all. 😉 I immediately felt the characteristics of a certain NMDA antagonist come over me the moment the entire batch was snorted. I looked up into the ceiling and saw several layers of ceilings (?) and felt my entire perspective altered. I was looking at the RM 50 dollar rolled up bill that I used to insufflate the powder and thought…Oh, fuck!

balcony stairs

I wanted to call my friend (who were all looking for me – apparently I was inside for the better part of an hour) but I couldn’t manage to move so I was kinda stuck inside the toilet coz I was so fucked up I didn’t even know where I was. I was told the next day that the staff of Balcony unlocked the toilet door and helped me to my feet (and I couldn’t even walk straight even with two people holding me up).

balcony blur

The two staff members went from table to table to ask which group I was with. I think I sat down with an unknown group of people and talked to them (at least to the extent to which you can talk on that particular NMDA antagonist) before my worried friends found me. They took me home and I realized I lost my cell phone AND my digicam. One of my friends went back to search for it but it wasn’t there anymore – I don’t know where I left it.

kj faye

Much thanks to KJ and Faye for taking care of me that night! I lost RM 700 from my wallet and my Public Bank credit card and Faye canceled my cell phone service and credit card that very night in case someone stole it and used it.

boulavard

I went to the Sony center at Boulevard to get a new digital camera the very next day since I really needed one for blogging. Faye gave me her spare cell phone and her backup SIM card so I still could use a phone. I was meeting up with Kim the next day for lunch so I really needed to replace all the photos that were taken that day. I was undecided about whether to get a Sony T70 or T300 but settled for the former since I seem to have a penchant for losing things when I’m less than sober.

sony shop

It cost me RM 1178 for the T70 plus a 2 GB MS Pro Duo memory card and a Sony leather case. The T300 would have set me back RM 1599 which is not a lot more considering it has a 3.5 inch LCD (versus 3 inch for the T70) and it’s a 10.1 MP digicam (versus the 8.1 T70) but the decision to go for the T70 (besides me always losing things) is that that the 3.5 inch LCD on the T300 makes it hard to put it inside my pants pocket and I want a compact digicam for me to bring around.

sony t70

The worst thing about The Balcony Incident wasn’t the loss of the money, credit card, cell phone or digital camera. It’s the 111 photos INSIDE the digicam that I took earlier during the road trip and in Miri. That cannot be replaced while the others can. Oh well, at least I’ve learnt a lesson – reduce my sugar intake. I’m switching to Pal Sweet. There’s a lot less calories in the latter to boot. 😉

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort

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hilton batang ai

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is a private and secluded nature retreat near Kuching, Sarawak. It’s accessible only by boat and is operated by the Hilton chain of hotels.

hilton resort

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort aims to provide a world class authentic Iban resort in the middle of prime rainforest. The entire resort is surrounded by a lake.

batang ai longhouse resort

There will be a boat to take you to the resort itself and the entire Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is visible as the boat is pulling up to the jetty. The rooms are built in the traditional Iban style longhouse (communal living quarters) design. There are several of these longhouses in the resort – in fact, the entire resort looks like a traditional village in the middle of the jungle!

hiltong batang ai resort

The 20 minute boat ride takes you to the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort jetty, where you disembark and walk up a wooden path to the elevated resort grounds. The air is fresh and cool from the surrounding rainforest canopy and I immediately felt refreshed by the large lake surrounding the resort.

batang ai lake

The entire lake is visible from the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse resort reception area. The calm body of water around you is very therapeutic. This is what a retreat resort should feel like. 🙂

welcome drink

There will be Hilton staff waiting for you with a welcome drink (some kind of fruit juice) at the resort lobby. The resort is made of timber and is very well maintained, which is quite impressive for rural resorts.

lobby

The Hilton Batang Ai Resort lobby is furnished in traditional native design with timber being the main structural support, as well as interior wood fittings. It provides a warmer ambiance than steel and glass constructions and well suited to this rainforest resort.

check in

The checking in procedure is relatively uncomplicated and a porter will carry your bags and lead you to your room.

ulu ai

The rooms are located in longhouses surrounding the main communal resort area and all are within a short walking distance from the lobby. The longhouse design is done like an authentic Iban longhouse built on raised stilts.

walkway

There are oil lamps hung on the top of the walkway…

patio

…and the entire longhouse has one facade dedicated to the common corridor and patio, true to the Borneo longhouse design.

queen bed

The room itself is furnished with modern fittings, and provides the amenities of contemporary living.

tv desk

There is a TV and a comfortable spring queen sized bed, as well as chairs and a writing desk.

bathroom

The bathroom facilities includes a shower (no tubs here) and sink and is in a separate room from the sleeping quarters. The tap water is filtered by the resort and is safe for drinking without fears of cholera or other water borne pathogens. 😉

coffee tea

Coffee and tea making facilities – don’t worry, there is an electric kettle and even a fridge – are available in-room. There is also a wardrobe and a full-length mirror.

balcony

The blinds opens up to reveal a nice view of the nature retreat and the design was intelligent enough to incorporate three (3) sliding doors – a glass door for retaining the air conditioning, a mosquito netting if you want the maximum outdoor experience without the inconvenience of insect attacks, and a wood panel for total privacy.

armchair

There is also a comfortable armchair for you to relax, put on your smoking jacket and have a big fat cigar while enjoying the rainforest view. Just kidding, you can’t smoke in the rooms. 🙂

ecolamp

Batang Ai Hilton Longhouse Resort is a eco-friendly resort – the lights in the room go out if you’re not within a certain proximity to conserve energy. The bedside lamps tur
n off automatically when you’re not lying on the bed and turn back on when you step close to the area. Very nifty.

longhouse

The longhouse design is modeled on the traditional Iban living arrangements. The longhouse is a communal dwelling structure where families live in rooms joined by a central common walkway. The Hilton Batang Ai Resort faithfully reproduces this design and all of the fittings. There are even replica kerosene oil lamps (which are electric lights) illuminating the corridor.

patio me

There is also a communal patio with deck chairs on one side of the longhouse. The design of this is excellent as the deck faces the jungle (instead of being adjoined to the room) so privacy is ensured, coupled with a serene nature view.

me sandra patio

It should be noted that smoking is not permitted in the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort rooms so indulgences in tobacco should be done at the patio.

pool table

There are recreational facilities ranging from tennis courts to table tennis. Phoenix trashed me at the ping pong table due to my ethanol attenuated reflexes. At least, that’s what I’ll like to think since she got the better of me at pool as well, both times while competing for the 8 ball. The pool table costs RM 4 in tokens for one game.

lobby pool

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort also has a wading pool and a swimming pool. The swimming pool is surrounded by palm trees, creating an illusion of an oasis in the middle of the jungle.

buddychum

Unlike other resorts in remote areas, the Hilton Batang Ai Resort is maintained in excellent condition. There is no evidence of neglect prevalent in such remote retreats and the resort is kept so clean that you can even walk barefoot if you’re so inclined.

lakeview

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort would be a paradise for nature lovers. There are guided walks through the forest (including the classic Smuggler’s Trail which crosses the border into Indonesia) and outdoor activities like recreational fishing and jungle trekking are scheduled throughout the day.

tranquil lake

There are also trips by longboat (a local variant of the schooner without a sail) to nearby longhouses where travelers can absorb the local Iban culture.

pool

I noticed that the overwhelming majority of the visitors are older Caucasians blazing a trail through the off-beat path. Younger Caucasians tend to follow the Phuket-Bali route while the more mature and seasoned travelers tend to gravitate towards Sarawak.

pier us

The staff is majority native Iban too so it’s also an ideal place for a private retreat for person(s) without the luxury of overt relationships (e.g. having a romantic sojourn with someone else’s wife/husband) in their own stomping grounds. Don’t worry, I won’t tell if you won’t. 😉

poolhouse

The facilities at the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort includes a swimming pool and a smaller wading pool. There are also numerous deck chairs lining the pool area for soaking up the sun.

me pool

I went in for a leisurely swim in the swimming pool…

me sandra inside

…and Phoenix decided to join me and we spent almost an hour inside the water. My skin was all wrinkly when I finally came out of the water.

legs

I noticed a couple of chronologically advanced Caucasians basking in our warm tropical climate. Other popular poolside activities includes reading (there is even a small bookstore at the resort lobby selling novels) and interestingly enough, playing card games.

gym towel

The pool towels are provided and there is also a small gym with minimal facilities for you to turn that blubber into beefcake. 😉

me sandra beside pool

Drinks (both cocktails and mocktails) can be ordered and consumed by the poolside. There’s nothing like enjoying a nice tropical cocktail while reclining on the poolside with a good book and some SPF 50 sunblock…

flora

There are also concrete paths lining the resort and you can opt for a stroll with a loved one. The flora are all labeled with local and scientific names and there is an abundance of trees, plants and flowers.

forbidden f ruit

Eating the forbidden fruit.

safe drinking

The Batang Ai water is safe for drinking. At least that’s what the resort tells me. 😉

camwhore

Camwhore!

replica

There is also a replica longhouse at the resort where I saw mini natives going about their daily lives.

the light

The path is also illuminated at night so you don’t have to worry about losing your way.

nanga mepi

Dinner is available from the Nanga Nepi Restaurant. This is the only restaurant available in Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort and serves international and local cuisine.

nanga mepi table

The tagline of the restaurant goes “Embark on an adventure of jungle cuisine as you discover the exotic flavors of Sarawak”.

dinner rolls

Complimentary dinner rolls are served with butter upon your arrival, which is a bit of a nice touch. It all adds up to the positive ambiance of the restaurant.

batang ai delight

I had the Batang Ai Delight (RM 15.50) for the non-alcoholic session of the drink. This is a mixture of mango juice, grenadine, and 100 Plus (the isotonic drink) and it really taxes the gray matter to ponder why such a concoction would come with such an astronomical price tag. 😉

ruai delight

Phoenix had the Ruai Delight (RM 15.50) which looks suspiciously like a chocolate milkshake but is actually made of pineapple, vanilla ice cream and coconut cream.

lubok antu discover platter

This is the Lubok Antu Discovery Platter (RM 22). It’s a starter with a combination of beef and chicken satays, prawn samosas, and vegetable spring rolls, served with homemade chilli and peanut sauce.

pansoh manok

I went for the Pansoh Manok (RM 26). It’s chicken pieces flavored with Iban eggplant and herbs slowly cooked inside bamboo over hot coals. This is a local signature Iban dish.

chicken

It’s served with local vegetables and steamed rice. It tastes pretty good actually, but that could be the THC talking. *cough*

sri aman campuran

Sandra had the Sri Aman Campuran (RM 44) which is a combination of local favorites – grilled fresh water prawn with spicy tomato sauce, beef rendang, mixed satays, jungle fern and steamed fragrant rice.

prawn

The fresh water prawn is from the Batang Ai lake and it’s gargantuan! It must have been on a serious course of PGH (Prawn Growth Hormone) therapy. The flesh is succulent and sweet, and goes very well with the spicy tomato sauce.

sago gula melaka

This is the Sago Gula Melaka (RM 10). It’s a dessert of pearls of sago served with coconut milk and local brown sugar.

sago pearls

It’s a local dessert that’s served warm and tastes great!

wong irup bar

The Wong Irup Bar is the only lounge in Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort and serves a variety of alcoholic drinks, including several of their in-house concoctions. There are specialty cocktails containing tuak (a local Iban rice wine) for those wanting a sample of the local culture.

wong irup bar seat

We opted for a table for two with comfortable rattan armchairs.

bartender

The bartender is a friendly Iban local who recommended three (3) of their signature cocktails.

batang ai sunset

Phoenix had the Batang Ai Sunset (RM 20) a signature cocktai

l containing gin, Cointreau, orange juice, lime juice and grenadine syrup.

longhouse paradise

I had the Longhouse Paradise (RM 20) a local cocktail made of tequila, tuak (a local rice wine), Drambuie, mango juice and sprite.

longhouse brew

We also tried the other specialty cocktail – the Longhouse Brew (RM 20) which is a concoction of tuak (Iban rice wine), tequila, coconut milk and grenadine syrup.

bar smoking

Wong Irup Bar is the only place within the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort where smoking is permitted. I capitalized on this by using their decorative candles to light a Marlboro.

corridor night

The corridor at the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is highlighted (no pun intended) at night by the quasi kerosene lamps hanging on top. This is a common fire hazard in traditional Iban longhouses but the resort version uses electricity.

adam

Thou shalt eat everything except the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

bed wine

The resort pretty much tones down after 11 pm when the restaurant and bars close. You can bring your own wine for consumption after the bar closes.

making love

I found it very relaxing to just lay back, relax, drink some wine, make love and lounge at the deck at night, watching the night sky as the insects chirp around you. Not all at the same time, of course.

sunset us

Smoking on the veranda at night is tranquil (depending on the substances ingested, of course, and in my case, it’s always tobacco ;)) and while Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is not for everyone, it’s perfect for city dwellers wanting a weekend getaway with a loved one.

sandra pool

Time seems to slow down, and you really get to recharge your batteries at the place. Checkout time is at 12 noon but you would probably want to check out earlier to take the 12:15 am boat to meet the 1 pm shuttle back to Kuching. You can opt for a short stroll by the poolside or soak up the warm morning sun with the cool breeze coming in from the lake by the jetty.

noodles us

You might want to bring some instant food like cup noodles to the resort. Food at the restaurant is not cheap and while it’s not very expensive either, it’s also fun to boil some water and slurp some instant noodles in bed for breakfast.

sunrise

You can catch the rising sun if you wake up early enough for the sunrise over the lake.

me sandra steps

There is still time to go for a stroll if you wake up early in the morning. You can opt to have a leisurely lovemaking session…

poolchair me

…lounge by the poolside,

smell flowers

…or just stop and smell the flowers.

goodbye ai

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is a very chilled and relaxed environment – perfect for a weekend getaway.

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It should be noted that there is no cellphone reception here, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on the reasons for your trip.

trip boat

I felt totally refreshed from the weekend getaway. 🙂

OT

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ot

I just came back from work. I had to do some serious OT today at the office due to an event (?) tomorrow. Dinner was provided courtesy of the management. I have to wake up at 5 am tomorrow to boot but the consolation to that is that I’m going on a road trip to Miri this Saturday for the long Gawai holidays. 🙂

I promise the Batang Ai trip report will be up tomorrow – it’s seriously long and should entertain you all while I’m gone for the weekend. Cheers!

Mr. Sandman is calling. I gotta go.

Big taukeh

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taukeh

Sell lah! No use one that company, make me lose money only. Buy that what, what, that computer company Ah Kau was talking about. Buy! Buy! Just buy! How much they want? 6 million? Tell them go fly kite. Tiu nia ma! If 5 million can lah. I not free now. Pang sai. If 5 million then ON.

Si ki na, nowadays worker cannot harap one. Small small thing also want to call me.

Sarikei

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sarikei

Sarikei is a town located about 105 km from Sibu. Sarikei is famous for its pineapples, which is cultivated here and exported. I drove down with Faye to sample the Asam Tom Yam Big Prawn Noodles over there (see previous post) and had an acute case of the post-lunch coma after the enormous serving was consumed and decided to stay the night before driving back early next morning.

pier street

Sarikei is a pretty small town by anyone’s standards and the main commercial area is concentrated around the pier (esplanade). There are only a few main roads in town and you’ll be hard pressed to lose your way around the town.

sarikei pineapple

There is a gigantic 3.6 meter pineapple located at the Sarikei waterfront. This distinctive feature pays homage to the famous Sarikei pineapples, most of which is exported and is renowned for it’s sweet and juicy fruit.

pineapple prick

The Sarikei pineapple replica is perhaps the most popular photo op available in this sleepy little town. There were a couple of other tourists taking photos with the prickly fruit too. I don’t know what the structure is made of but the thorny leaves are not very conducive to sitting, as I found out first hand.

pineapple us

Faye also wanted to take a photo with the famous Pineapple of Sarikei. Please, no jokes about inserting bromeliads where the sun don’t shine. 😉

kings inn

I was feeling rather drowsy after lunch and didn’t feel like driving back home so I cruised around town for hotels to check into. I had seen a billboard on the road leading to Sarikei advertising King’s Inn and decided to spend the night there. It was a rather impulsive decision since we didn’t even bring a change of clothes (or even the basics like a toothbrush). I had an extra pair of pants and a spare pullover in my car from a road trip several months back and Faye elected to wear the shorts and T-shirt I was currently wearing at night so it worked out alright.

kings inn outside

King’s Inn is newly renovated and has WiFi in every room. The proprietor of Glory Cafe recommended the place to us since it’s clean and relatively cheap. It cost us RM 40 for a double room. The occupancy rates are very high – we saw a FULL sign being put up as soon as we checked in.

kings inn lobby

The lobby at King’s Inn is smaller than my bedroom but it’s comfortable, with a couple of rattan lounge chairs and some reading material (mostly newspapers and magazines) on the shelf. There is also a water cooler and a chiller with sodas and snacks.

kings inn bed

The room at King’s Inn is indeed clean and neat. This is pretty good by rural standards – there are no international class hotels over here, most of them are budget hostel accommodations and dodgy old inns. The only complaint I have is the desk between the single beds, which prevents the beds from being joined together. King’s Inn ran out of queen sized bedrooms so we had to go for a double single bed room.

kings inn tv

The fittings in the hotel room is pretty standard – there’s a vanity mirror on a desk, a very small 14″ TV set, several cloth hangers and a plastic stool. It’s only RM 40 per night nett so it was alright with us since we’ll just be staying until 4 am before we have to drive back to Sibu. The room is clean and the air-conditioning is cold and that’s all that matters. 🙂

main street

I crashed for about an hour due to excessive consumption of alcohol the previous night before waking up to go exploring around the small town. The last time I was here was back in 2002 so a good six years had passed since I have been in Sarikei. This is the Main Street of Sarikei town taken at dusk.

sarikei toilet

I would be remiss if I didn’t do a reenactment of the popular pose at the Sarikei Public Toilet that received critical acclaim (?) back in 2002. The photo is somewhere in the archives of sixthseal.com – this is our version of the “I was here” photo.

sarikei clock

The Sarikei town clock is also another landmark in Sarikei. The town clock served an important function back in the days when wristwatches and cell phones weren’t available but no one probably bothers to look at it nowadays, except for the visitors. I took the liberty of squeezing myself into an empty waste disposal post. I don’t think that worked out very well for my shorts…

shell

Sarikei Wharf Esplanade is another popular place to watch the sun set (and for lovebirds to gather at night). It’s conveniently located at the main row of shophouses in Sarikei town. You can take a leisurely stroll in the evening when the sun sets as the cool breeze coming in from the Rejang River makes it ideal for a nice walk down the wharf.

playground

There is also a playground at the esplanade where the children play on the plastic swings and slides. It seems to be a very popular pastime among the families over here. I guess there’s nothing better to do on a lazy Sunday evening.

fishing

The other popular activity for locals is fishing by the pier. We saw quite a number of anglers whiling the time away at the wharf. I went to have a look and saw that the people here mostly use baited hooks instead of the jigging or popping method which is more popular with recreational fishing enthusiasts elsewhere.

pineapples

We also went exploring at the local market and found a cache of pineapples. Pineapples are Sarikei’s claim to fame and the variant they cultivate is noted for its juiciness and sweet texture. It costs RM 4 for a kg of the fruit. One pineapple weighs about 1 kg or less, depending on the size. Sarikei’s pineapples is a must try if you ever come over – it’s delicious!

pasar tamu

The local marketplace has received a makeover of sorts and is now painted in (rather garish) tribal designs. The taller building behind the market is an old Chinese operated hotel which has become rather run down since the glory days of Sarikei as a wharf town.

local foreign

The difference is clear.

mangrove

Sarikei also has numerous smaller jetties and docking bays made out of roughly bound timber. I found a little path opposite a place selling coffins (of all things) which led to a mangrove beach (it’s actually silt deposits from the river).

jesus

Jesus walks on water (with adidas trainers)
“Ye of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” – Matthew 14:31

sheraton

Dusk came over pretty soon and we took a shower at the hotel before heading out for dinner. I had asked for recommendations from the receptionist at the inn we were staying at and she suggested checking out Sheraton Seafood Centre.

prawns egg

This is the steamed prawn with egg, which is flavored with chilli, ginger and Chinese red wine. It tasted absolutely fabulous! The prawns were so tender and juicy it came off the shell with just the gentlest of nudging from a chopstick.

deer meat

This is deer meat cooked with dried chillis. I’m not sure about the legal status of deer as a protected species, but they serve it (as well as bats and other exotic wildlife). It’s good, tender and spicy.

pork

This is sweet and sour pork which is one of our staples. It’s nothing to write home about – I’ve had better. We wanted sweet and sour fish but the proprietor (who is also the chef) advised against it since it would take a long time with the crowd at the place.

dinner

The meal cost us RM 40.20 inclusive of drinks. Faye paid for the dinner. That’s why I sayang her while posing for this photo. 😉

chicken king

We saw a couple of bars and pubs around Sarikei and was intending to check out the interestingly named Fire before noticing the distinctive Guinness sign and neon blue lighting above Chicken King Restaurant. Chicken King Restaurant is er…emulating, shall we say, the KFC operational model and has almost the same menu items.

chicken king interior

However, the second floor is al fresco (albeit covered) and offers a cafe style environment. I asked the proprietor and he told me it’s been open for six months and they serve a small selection of beer. It’s called Chicken King Cafe and is meant as a watering hole with a more relaxed ambiance.

chicken king tv

The entire perimeter of the place is open and there are plenty of ceiling fans to provide adequate ventilation. There are various seating arrangements and a huge projection TV to attract customers but we were the only ones there.

view down

The place affords a nice view of the main street of Sarikei, though it seems that this town becomes a bit of a ghost town after 10 pm. Perhaps it’s due to it being a Sunday, but the rural lifestyle seems to adhere to the sleep early, rise early philosophy.

drinks

We ordered a couple of beers to relax and chill out at the place before heading back to the hotel. The Guinness Stout is priced at RM 7 per bottle and the Tiger Beer is priced at RM 7 per bottle.

pier night

There is another pier opposite King’s Inn where we were staying and we saw a bit of man-on-man love going on at a secluded bench when we went for a night stroll. I was surprised to see such tolerance of GLBT relationships in a small, rural town. 😉

pier night us

Despite our decidedly heterosexual orientation, the two male-male couples were kind enough to take a photo of us by the pier at night before we went back and hit the sack. I had to wake up at 4 am the next morning to drive back to Sibu in time for work.

pineapple night

Sarikei is a sleepy, quiet town that’s ideal for a weekend trip away from the city with friends and family. The hotels are cheap and the seafood and the pineapples are great! It just cost us a little more than RM 100 for the entire trip.

Note: You should be careful when driving back at night. There is a turn going into Durin before reaching Sibu and the 40 km of unpaved gravel road is seriously going to mess your car tires up. It took us 1 ½ hours to drive back due to a wrong turn into Durin. It takes MUCH longer for that detour and there are no road signs but if the marker jumps from Sibu – 100 km to Sibu – 50 km within a kilometer, you’re on the wrong road. Stick to the main road.

Glory Cafe’s Big Prawn Asam Tom Yam Noodles, Sarikei

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glory cafe

I drove down to Sarikei to sample the famous RM 14 Asam Tom Yam Big Prawn Noodles at Glory Cafe on Sunday morning. I went with Faye and the journey from Sibu to Sarikei took about 45 minutes. It can take up to an hour (or more/less) depending on how fast you drive – the distance is approximately 105 km. Glory Cafe is located at the only Magnum 4D outlet in Sarikei – do note that there are other gaming operators there (Sports Toto) – it’s the Magnum 4D outlet you should be looking for. The QAG 4114 arrived at Glory Cafe at just a little before 12 pm and parked right in front of a fire hydrant no-parking zone. 😉

asam tom yam noodles

It took about 20 minutes for our order to arrive. The Asam Tom Yam Big Prawn Noodles came in a large glass serving bowl and is filled to the brim with huge big prawns, noodles and the asam tom yam soup. Asam Tom Yam is a cross between asam laksa and tom yum soup. It is made of tamarind, lemon grass, lime leaves, fish sauce and chili peppers. It is a delicious contrast of sweet and sour flavors with a hint of spiciness thrown into the mix. You can opt to substitute the default noodles with other carbohydrate chains e.g. rice vermicelli, kueh tiaw, tang hoon etc.

big prawn macro

The big head prawns in the RM 14 Asam Tom Yam Big Prawn Noodles are huge and the chef was generous enough to include several of them in the dish. Each prawn is sliced vertically for easier consumption. Nevertheless, this is not a dish for dignified foodies – you almost certainly have to manually separate the shell from the crustacean with your fingers to get at the flesh.

asam tom yam mee

I went for the Asam Tom Yam Big Prawn Noodles (RM 14). The egg noodles is thick and has an almost tangible sweet undertone that goes very well with the asam tom yam. The noodles go well with the sour (from the tamarind) and sweet flavors from the soup. I noticed that the noodles also tend to absorb the flavors better. The noodles taste better than rice vermicelli due to the latter being unable to absorb the flavors of the asam tom yam soup. The portion is huge and it will definitely satiate all but the most voracious appetite.

asam tom yam mee hoon

Faye went for the Asam Tom Yam Big Prawn Rice Vermicelli (RM 14). Rice vermicelli is known locally as bee hoon. It’s the same dish except with rice vermicelli in place of the noodles. She thought it tasted alright until she sampled my noodles…after which she promptly took possession of my bowl. I am considering an appeal to the International Court of Justice for the disputed two-cubit Asam Tom Yam Noodle Island, I mean, bowl.

glory cafe us

It should be noted that the asam tom yam concoction is a notorious fabric stainer. You should probably reconsider wearing white or light colored articles of clothing during the consumption of this particular dish. The splash damage can be considerable despite elaborate measures to avoid such occurrences.

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