San Shu Gong, Melaka…if you truly love 3-in-1 coffee, this is one to try

San Shu Gong is like a dreamy convenience store which sells all sorts of local delicacies and tidbits such as durian cendol, dodol, kamquat drinks, milk tea, white coffee.

The 3-in-1 coffee sold here is a very nicely balanced coffee, on the light side of bold, and with a natural sweetness.   It has a full-mouth feel and is very smooth. This is a fabulous coffee, with a price to match. But if you truly love coffee, this is one to try. Short story shorter, this is an outstanding 3-in-1 coffee.

Other than the 3-in-1 coffee, I was disappointed however with what I experienced. The quality on most other stuff wasn’t very good, some were VERY hard and others were super chewy. The flavours on most tasted artificial it was to the point where I could only have one bite. The service levels in the store ranges from disappointing customer service to a full-on customer service failure.

San Shu Gong is a true one item wonder. However, if 3-in-1 coffee is not your thing, then walk or drive on past. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Baan Khanitha by The River, Bangkok…not worth the hype/reputation/money

The Asiatique branch on Baan Khanitha is located at the riverfront area, directly facing the Chao Praya river coupled with the cool breezes and sumptuous views across the water. Other than that, like most overrated restaurants, it is totally fine except for their breathless praise and endless attention that’s celebrated for its own sake regardless of its actual quality.  This is not to say they are not good… just they are not worth the hype / reputation / money.

I tried the lot and these are clearly for people who do not know good food and/or good value. Ruam mitr appetisers (mixed appetizer deep fried spring roll, fried chicken wrapped w pandanus leaff, shrimp cakes, fish cakes), Yam som o (spicy pomelo salad w shrimps n chicken), Tom yam khung nang (spicy river prawn soup), Gaeng phed ped yang a-ngun (roast duck and grapes in red curry), Gaeng karee gai (chicken in yellow curry), Pla hima samoon prai (grilled snow fish topped w crispy lemon grass, galangai, kaffir lime leaves, n young pepper corn), Hoy shell phad prig Thai dam (stir fried scallop w black pepper sauce)

This riverside restaurant of course delivers on the picturesque views, but that’s about all there is to it. This is not about bad food. For the kind of money you will pay here, why settle for anything less than the absolute best? This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Sister Wah, Hong Kong…a Hong Kong heavyweight

If you have not eaten beef brisket noodles when in Hong Kong, you have never been to Hong Kong. It’s essentially beef brisket stewed for a helluva long time using Chinese seasonings and spices.

That unctuous broth, those incomparably bouncy, slurp-worthy fresh egg noodles and the rich, oh-so-tender, fall-apart-in-the-mouth beef briskets at Sister Wah is amazing. This bowl of noodle soup was the most easily, inarguably tasty thing I’d had in Hong Kong this recent visit. The Seaweed with three items in soup (squid ball and beef balls) was delightfully interesting too.

Sure, the dive isn’t much to look at but, complete with small round tables and stools for you to share with fellow diners, it’s the kind of joint that locals rave about and cabbies swear by. It’s just a heartbeat away from the Tin Hau MTR station Exit A.

We’re talking about the delicious, tender, slow-cooked-to-lip-smacking-perfection kind of beef brisket here. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

 

Universal Citywalk, Orlando…super touristy but I love the atmosphere

Universal Citywalk is a shopping and entertainment area that is free for anyone to enter. You don’t have to go to the parks. You can hang out here. Located at the entrance of their main theme parks, there is a lot to see & do; plenty of dining options, drinking holes, souvenir shops and cinemas. All or almost all of them are chains so you aren’t getting any local flair here.

The largest Hard Rock Café in the world, The Bubba Gump Shrimp & Co and many more…no matter what your taste, you can find something you love here! For what they do, Hot Dog Hall of Fame is great. The place itself was pretty teeny tiny but they offer a line up of 9 hot dogs all served with French fries. The Detroit: Koegel dog, Abbott’s coney chili and diced onions was simply outstanding. I wish I had ordered two.

CityWalk’s Rising Star, Bob Marley-A Tribute to Freedom, Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville, AMC Universal Cineplex 20 with IMAX and many others provide entertainment that comes alive when the sun goes down. More than 10 million people worldwide have experienced the unique style of Blue Man Group. Three mysterious, talented, and energetic bold and blue characters takes the audience ona goofy, kiddish, colorful, big ole party…which would be fun for kids. It’s definitely so overloaded with skits/acts that you almost forget there’s legitimately no substance to them. I’m not sure why the audience was laughing so hard; either they were into the silly acts or they were all high.

Super tourist-y or not, I love the atmosphere and hustle & bustle of CityWalk. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…