kuching

Sri Shan Curry & Such review

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sri shan curry and such

Sri Shan Curry & Such is an eating establishment offering “authentic rich aromatic Southern Indian cuisine” that opened its doors recently. There aren’t a lot of authentic South Indian food in Kuching so I went with *x to check out the place. She was buying lunch.

sri shan decor

Sri Shan Curry & Such is located at Jalan Ban Hock and has interesting décor at the open entrance which looks like a cross between an elephant and Bigfoot. Sri Shan Curry & Such is a large establishment that spans two shop lots and there are ample seating arrangements.

sri shan vegetarian

There are vegetarian options for the ones who practice vegetarianism…

sri shan meat

…and meat for the rest of us normal people. 😉

sri shan chicken

This is ayam kurma (chicken cooked South Indian style) which goes for RM 5.

sri shan lamb

This is kambing paratal (lamb cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce) which goes for RM 6.

sri shan veggies

She also ordered deep fried vegetables at RM 1.50.

sri shan saffron rice

The food comes with saffron rice (RM 6) and a cracker.

sri shan dhal

We also ordered some dhal (free) to go with the saffron rice.

sri shan meal

It was a great meal, and I really liked the lamb. The total damage came up to RM 22 inclusive of drinks which *x says is overpriced compared to another authentic Indian cuisine outlet.

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Lunch Box Café review

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lunch box cafe

Lunch Box Café is located at Travillion Mall and I went there for lunch with Joanne to check out the place. Lunch Box Café is small compared to other eating establishments there and it seems to cater to people who actually work there.

lunch box cafe special

There is a chalkboard lunch special that has a set lunch for RM 4.50 and Heineken beer at RM 19.50 per jug which we both went for. The décor is reasonably presentable with the water feature…

lunch box cafe art

…and miscellaneous pieces of art inside the cramped space.

lunch box cafe interior

Lunch Box Café, as previously mentioned, is not a big place and you can practically see through the eating establishment from the exterior.

lunch box cafe counter

This is the food counter where you get to choose the stuff you want with your rice for the lunch special.

lunch box cafe food

There are various meats and vegetables on offer and its cooked Malay style. You have the option of one (1) meat and one (1) vegetable.

lunch box cafe joanne

This is Joanne’s dish – she ordered ayam masak merah (literally “red cooked meat”) and a vegetable which I don’t know the name of.

lunch box cafe hb

This is mine – I had the same meat but went for brinjals for my vegetable option. There is cincalok (fermented shrimp) served with the lunch special.

lunch box cafe salad

There are also a la carte options at Lunch Box Café – we ordered the Hula Hoop Salad (RM 7.20) which is described as “Deep fried popcorn chicken, pineapple and mixed greens tossed in home made salad dressing”.

lunch box cafe salad toss

We had to do the tossing ourselves and I highly doubt that the Thousand Island Sauce is home made but it tasted great. It’s inspired by KFC’s Garden Salad with Popcorn Chicken [sixthseal.com] but better coz the chicken was piping hot.

lunch box cafe us

Cheers to drinking at 2 pm in the afternoon! 😉

It’s always 5 o’ clock somewhere, right?

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BDC Taiwan Beef Noodle

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beef noodles bdc stall

BDC Taiwan Beef Noodle is located in BDC and the stall is manned by a proprietor who makes the best beef noodles I’ve ever had to date.

beef noodles bdc

The large beef noodles (RM 5) come with a generous helping of beef and noodles. The liberal portions can be seen in the chunks of beef on top of the noodles.

beef noodles bdc mixed

This is what it looks like after being mixed up a little. The beef noodles taste great and the broth is hearty too, so you can drink it together with the noodles. I’m not a big fan of soupy noodles but this won me over.

beef noodles how you cafe

The stall is located at the curiously named How-You Café.

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The Kuching International Airport (KIA) Smoking Room

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kia sibu plane

I’m stuck at the Kuching International Airport while my 5:30 pm flight back to Sibu is being retimed to 6:05 pm. It’s like a cascading effect, once one flight gets delayed, the others get retimed and I would hate to think that this is another reoccurrence of one of those gnarly 9 hour constant re-times that MAS is fond of doing as of late [sixthseal.com]. I’m on a business class ticket and the worst thing is the business class lounge is UNDER RENOVATION so I lack the privileges my premium ticket affords me, leaving me no choice but to sit here with the rest of the sardine class proletariats. 😉

I’m kidding…

Anyway, I’m on a lot of opiate agonists now and also a (too) liberal dose of benzodiazepines and I think I took too much alprazolam (Xanax) and midazolam (Dormicum) coz I’m seriously nodding off now…

kia smoking room sign

…and I need a smoke. Where the fuck is the smoking lounge?

kia smoking room door

Found it…

kia smoking room

…just to discover that it’s just a small room with just ONE ashtray. Sheesh…

Oh well, at least the ventilation is good, unlike KLIA.

I read a blurb in the papers (NST p.21) – some feedback “Letter to the Editor” column about “Malaysian Lab Rats” addressing the recent announcement that Malaysia is keen on pharmaceutical companies conducting trials here due to the racial diversity that we’re blessed with for more accurate cross-culture data.

kia nst column

The person who wrote in wasn’t too keen about it, something about “using Malaysians as lab rats”. Hey buddy, speak for yourself…some of us would love to get into those pharmaceutical clinical trials. I’ll run to get the nearest pen and sign the liability waiver for any potential side effects and you don’t even have to pay me for my time.

I wouldn’t mind being one of the the first people in the world to check out the latest benzodiazepine or opioid during the clinical trial stage before it even applies for FDA approval and patents and way before the potential pharmaceutical hits the commercial market. It might never even get that far and I’ll be one of the first to experience a research only substance.

Hell, I’ll give an arm and leg to get into the trials.

Anyway, I’ll be in Sibu for the long Labor Day holiday…

Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone! =D

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Fancy Cocktails (inclusive takeaway themed mug) @ Rajang Lobby Lounge, Holiday Inn, Kuching

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rejang lobby lounge

Rajang Lobby Lounge is located at the lobby of Holiday Inn, Kuching and extends out from the air conditioned interior to the pool side seating which overlooks the mighty Rejang River (which is where it probably got its name from).

rejang lobby lounge view

There are different and contrasting views each way you look – the pool, the bar, and the interior of the lounge. The seats range from pool side recliners to comfy padded chairs and the clientele is predominantly Caucasian for some reason…probably coz this is Holiday Inn.

tutom pole

Tutom Pole (RM 30)
This Totem Pole like drink comes in a really cool sculpted design. The cocktails all have a theme and the mug is customized to fit the theme and comes specially designed for Holiday Inn.

tutom pole drink

The “Tutom Pole” (sic?) is topped with a slice of orange and a cherry in a long receptacle containing a combination of Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and wine cooler, plus some other spirits which I promptly forgot.

kereta lembu

Kereta Lembu (RM 30)
Look at the beads of sweat forming on the industrious cows. This intricately designed receptacle is shaped literally like a “cow driven carriage” (instead of horse, geddit?).

kereta lembu back

You basically have to grab the bull (or cow) by the horns to drink this one. The straw goes into the lid and the drink settles around the base (which has a large footprint) so to get all of it the cow part has to be tilted to pool the drink for consumption.

kereta lembu drink

This drink contains an egg yolk mixed in and it tastes great – nice and creamy. Hmm…I mean, Mmm…

rejang lobby tuna sandwich

Rajang Lobby Lounge also serves food. This is the tuna sandwich (RM 14++) that comes with white bread, fresh raw vegetables and Pringles.

rejang lobby club sandwich

I went for the Club Sandwich (RM 15.75++) which is a triple decker toasted sandwich with chicken, lettuce, beef bacon, tomato, mayo and egg. It’s served with chips instead of Pringles and a salad with raw onions.

fancy cocktails menu

The Fancy Cocktails menu with its themed mugs sent out a siren call in the middle of our eating expedition (it was supposed to be our late lunch) and we decided to go for another round of drinks to check out the rest of the customized mugs.

ketam batu

Ketam Batu (RM 30)
Ketam Batu translates to “Stone Crab” and it comes in a crab shaped clay mould. It is customized for Holiday Inn and the crab is painted to look exactly like a crab. It even has eyes! Awesome! (…and other adolescent hyperboles)

ketam batu drink

The straw for this cocktail goes straight through the crab…the very place you stab to kill a real live crab. Nice touch. No pun intended. This is a great drink, it’s made with lemonade and various liquors which the bartender told us but we promptly forgot. It’s refreshing and thirst quenching.

headhunter

Headhunter (RM 30)
Headhunter comes in a tall receptacle with an orange slice, a piece of orange rind carefully sliced to resemble an orchid garnish, and the entire drink is topped with a cherry. The expression on the face molded into the mug looks almost comical.

headhunter drink

The Headhunter cocktail uses a lot of cognac and tuak (a local rice wine) which is a strange combination. It has an interesting taste to it due to the unusual ingredients but it works. I was told this is the most popular cocktail in Rajang Lobby Lounge, Holiday Inn.

There are six more drinks in the “Fancy Cocktails” menu and we’ve made it a mission to drink all of them (and take the themed mugs back home). I want a collection of all the 10 customized theme mugs! I think it would look great on my desk at work. 😉

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Washing dirty linen in public

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launder kuching

My damn washing machine broke down (to be fair, it’s been in service ever since I came to Kuching to work) so I had to use a laundry to get my linen services done in the mean time. LAUN’DER Laundry Services and Dry Cleaning is located just behind my office and they washed, dried and ironed about 12 kgs of miscellaneous items for just RM 10.40.

launder kuching girl

The staff is friendly and the turnaround time is fast (same day service).

It’s perfect for washing dirty linen in public. 😉

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New Year 2006 – Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll @ Somerset Gateway, Kuching

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somerset gateway

New Year’s Eve ’05 and the countdown to New Year ’06 was celebrated in an unconventional venue this year – Somerset Gateway, Kuching. Somerset Gateway is a serviced apartment located in the heart of the city and it’s managed by The Ascott Group. It’s one of the best places to chill out and crash in and you can hit the clubbing districts and make it your base to boot.

somerset gateway reception

Anyway, a group of us (spearheaded by me and Cherie) booked a 2-bedroom serviced apartment for RM 380 per night. It is a reasonable rate coz the facilities are great; and the privacy and security, better. I think we checked in sometime around 8 pm with everything we needed to usher in the New Year with the insobriety that New Year celebrations demand. 😉

somerset gateway apartment

The apartment we were in was the last one available that night which is either due to the high influx of tourists and travelers or locals having a home session coz most of the clubs were raided during New Year’s Eve. Oh, and about the title, there were no sex, drugs and rock and roll…at least not all three – we listen to hard trance. 😉 That’s a joke, btw.

somerset gateway fugitives

These are the first two fugitives – it looks like we’re on the run. I thought that was pretty funny.

somerset tour

Download: Somerset Gateway, Kuching video tour [sixthseal.com]

somerset gateway kitchen

This is the kitchen / food preparation area of Somerset Gateway serviced apartments. They have a fridge, freezer, all the utensils and cooking implements you need (except scissors!), plates, glasses, and they even threw in a front loader washing machine and a dryer on the side. You get the idea…

somerset gateway master

This is the master bedroom…it’s just beside the guest bedroom (or the other bedroom) and it has a huge bed instead of two single beds like in the guest bedroom.

master bedroom bath

There is also a toilet / shower and bath area which is inside the master bedroom. There is a smaller shower and toilet outside.

cherie chair master

There is also a chill out chair and the entire apartment provides a really great view of Kuching. It’s amazing to just suddenly drag open the blinds and let the amazing panorama of Kuching hit you, it’s nice. I usually just look out but I learnt that trick from Cherie.

somerset night

Download: Somerset Gateway view [sixthseal.com]

somerset gateway view

It was close to 10 pm on the last day of 2005 when we turned down the lights and chilled out.

pills are prescribed

There were trip toys and party packs and glow sticks to play around with…

chill and pop

…and we totally missed the countdown coz we were pretty fucked up by 11 pm.

Cherie: When’s the countdown?
Huai Bin: I’m not sure but I think it’s coming soon.
Hope: What’s wrong with you guys? It’s already 3 am in the morning! You totally missed the countdown.
Cherie + Huai Bin: Okay.

(a few minutes pass)

Cherie: When’s the countdown again?

I think that went on for quite a while. 😉

somerset gateway pool

Anyway, we crashed until 2 pm and went to chill at the pool on the 15th floor. There is a sauna and other facilities as well, including a couple of tanning chairs.

somerset gateway pool people

There were some other guests frolicking around in the wading pool and eating chicken wings.

cherie hb roof

The only thing we could eat (drink?) was bubble tea with lots of Chivas inside.

coffee master

Coffee Master does room service in Somerset Gateway, Kuching so the four of us ordered a lot of juice (self-infused with more Chivas) and some untoasted club sandwiches for later when we have the munchies.

soap dish
Before
(Soap dish)

soap ashtray
After
(Ashtray)

But nah, we didn’t thrash the place.

I think we actually cleaned up pretty much everything for them…at least Cherie did.

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Tuah Baker – Hot from oven

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tuah baker

I was walking through Sarawak Plaza half stoned (okay, totally stoned) when I noticed an opening sign for Tuah Baker
with the tantalizingly munchies inducing quote “Good bread is the most
fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh
butter, the greatest of all feasts.”

tuah baker bakery

The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread ala Rotiboy steered my senses
to their booth in the middle of the food court – the smell of the
piping hot baked goods was strong enough to overpower all the other
proprietor’s offerings in the food court. Tuah Baker – Hot from oven is
heavily inspired by Rotiboy’s concept – except instead of the coffee
cream bun, they also have a chocolate cream bun.

tuah baker buns

The buns go for RM 1.60 each and there are no discounts for more
than one purchase, unlike Rotiboy (which I’m comparing this bakery with
due to the remarkable similarity in concept). It was timely on our
behalf that we got there just as the goods came out from the oven, so
we got the only kind of bread one should eat – piping hot, almost
tongue scalding. 😉

tuah baker bag

I got one coffee bun and one chocolate bun and would have got more,
except they’ll have gotten cold by the time I’ve gotten around to the
third one. This is what the coffee bun looks like – the buns all come
in a brown paper bag, except this one doesn’t have any bakery insignia
on it. The buns are finally put into the paper bag and “baked” for a
short period – so the paper bag feels toasty as well. 🙂

tuah baker bun

The buns are warm and crispy – there’s nothing like the remarkable
aroma of baked bread smelling of freshly brewed coffee with a crispy
crust around a wonderfully soft and fluffy bun. One of my friends,
being unfamiliar with Rotiboy products, remarked: “This tastes like
cake!”

Tuah Baker only sells the fresh from the oven coffee and chocolate
buns and it’s best to get them while a fresh batch is out of the oven.

MC3 club @ Travillion, Kuching

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mc3 zen

MC3 is the latest club that opened up in Kuching in the new Travillion mall at Padungan. It’s located above Zen
and it seems to be the most popular place to go clubbing in Kuching. I
went to MC3 three nights in a row (it’s named MC 3, after all). 😉

mc3 club

The place has a nice decor and a great sound system (love the bass)
with more lasers and other light displays than you can shake a stick
at. The place had a great turnout on Friday night and it was absolutely
packed on Saturday night.

mc3 sunday

The Halloween Party last night (Sunday night) was mostly comprised
of regulars coz it’s a Sunday night after all. I can’t believe I went
there three nights in a row, I was actually pretty fucked by the second
night (due to the comedown) but I went again the next night and last
night. Jesus…

mc3 dance floor

MC3 club plays a variety of dance music but I love the hard trance
they were putting on for the Halloween Party last night. The bass was
so strong; I could feel the air inside balloons reverberating to the
beat, which I found to be highly entertaining and novel for some reason.

I just did a cerebral systems diagnostics and it told me that I will
not be able to continue writing in a lucid manner, so here’s the long
weekend at MC3 club, Kuching in photos:

mc3 ericka me

Ericka and me (she brought me to MC3 three nights in a row, that’s how hardcore she is).

mc3 depth charges

This is me and Lucas doing several depth charges with beer and a
shot of Chivas in a row on a Friday night (I work Saturdays) while May
Kee looks on. I know you threw up first Lucas. 😉

mc3 sebastian ericka

This is Sebastian and Ericka on Saturday night. Sebastian is a model – bit of trivia here.

mc3 john me

Here’s a photo of me molesting John [blogspot.com], my favorite Scorpio guy, on Saturday night.

mc3 valerie me

This is Valerie, which I’m sure you’re all acquainted with in one of
the previous posts on sixthseal.com – I bumped into her there on Friday
night and again on Sunday night (that’s last night).

mc3 halloween

Happy Halloween!

Download: MC3 club dance floor video [sixthseal.com]

MC3 is a great place for clubbing in Kuching – it’s not as
pretentious as some other clubs and there’s a chill out place
downstairs – Zen, which is operated by the same management.

Panorama view of Kuching in the morning

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kuching panorama

Here’s a panoramic view of Kuching taken this morning as I was
driving to work. It’s shot from the Petra Jaya overpass just before the
toll station from across the river. I used Panorama Assist in scene
mode and the Nikon Picture Perfect software to stitch the four
individual images that I took. The nice thing about the Panorama Assist
mode is the translucent overlay of the previous image that was taken to
be used as a guide for the next panoramic shot.

This is Kuching in the morning…welcome to our city. 🙂

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