Wrapping Up 2013, the Memorable Eating Experiences

I have other Malaccan posts to write about but because today is December 31, a pretty significant date in Japan, I’ll save Malaysia for later.

Since I started writing this blog in 2010, I have been doing the end-of-year wrap-up posts highlighting whatever main events I had in each month of a given year.  This year I will take a different approach and talk about some of the most memorable eating experience I had in a given month.  Here we go.

I was in Hue, Viet Nam in the early part of January on holiday. The grilled meat on skewers is minced chicken wrapped around lemongrass which you remove from the skewer/lemongrass and wrap in rice paper with veggies, dip in sauce and eat. Tasty.

Technically this photo is from January but because my visit to France extended to the first couple of days in February, I am posting this as my February experience. Went to a wine bar in Arles wanting to eat lightly and this snack-like meal turned out to be one of the best.

I was in Eugene, Oregon for the first time in March. I did not expect much from this local restaurant to which I was taken but was quite blown away by this salmon. Had great Chinese in Toronto, Canada and a special homemade lunch in New York on the same trip as well.

Two of my good friends and I go to a region-specific restaurant every month and for April, we went to a Bhutanese restaurant in Tokyo. Bhutan, to which I have been twice, is a special place to visit and this “ema datshi” brought back fun memories.

Vacationed in Moscow, Russia in May which may not sound too much like vacationing but had some great food including the signature beef stroganoff at the classic Metropol Hotel.

In June at a business dinner in Tokyo, had Korean samgyeopsal barbecue for the first time and it was surprisingly good. Not sure if it’s just the restaurant we went to or if it’s the norm but the BBQ was served with many different kinds of herbs and lettuces which enhanced the taste of the meat.

My best friend and I go out for sushi every month to the same sushi restaurant and this is from July. I used to think that this prawn was better served raw but at some point this year, we tried it boiled and discovered that this was better.

My August vacation was spent in Switzerland, staying in Lugano, Basel, and Zürich. Was set on trying cheese fondue at least once and got to do it in Basel.

In September I took a guest out to a Japanese restaurant in Tokyo, one that I frequent. I knew the food was going to be good and the rice at the end was exceptional but it was more the company that made this dinner a particularly special one.

October is the birthday month for my best friend and me. We took a day off to do a lavishing lunch in a Michelin-starred French restaurant.

I had so many soft-serve ice cream cones this year. This one from November I had in Hibiya is though good nothing special. I was just so surprised by the sheer size of it and how it was served.

And finally in December, did a brief end-of-year vacation in Malacca, Malaysia. Had several good dishes and this was the best. At a Portuguese-Malaysian restaurant, the huge baked fish is wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in complicated spices. Spicy and somewhat sweet at the same time and very aromatic.

So that’s it for my 2013.  Another year of great eating experiences for which I am grateful.  Hope everyone is having a peaceful new year’s eve.

A Tea Break in Malacca

On my first day of walking in and exploring Malacca, I was intrigued by this “tea”.  I don’t normally do tea or coffee breaks and tend to keep going until lunch or later to just go for the “drinks” but this caught my attention partly because years ago I was in Bangkok with my Thai friend who bought a bottle of cold black herbal drink sold in a Coke bottle at a big outdoors weekend market and told me it had a “cooling effect”.  Wondered if this was the same and tried it.  It was called “Herbal 24 Cooling Tea” and it’s a cold drink.  The “24” is probably the same as what is explained here.  As I was told, it was bitter.  As for the cooling effect, not sure.  It wasn’t that hot to start with though humid enough to be unpleasant.  I liked the drink. 😀

I had the “24” herbal tea which was bitter. The “5” tea is supposed to be sweet.

My tea didn’t come out of either of these pots but this is the store front.

There is seating area behind the big pots. It was good to sit down and get some rest.

Halle Herbal Tea House

Eating in Malacca: The Nyonya Experience

“Nyonya” is a term used to describe the women of Peranakan Chinese and their cooking which is a mixture of Chinese and Malay kitchens using lots of spices.  It also features pork dishes which is different from the Islamic Malay cooking.

For my first real meal in Malacca, I went to a Nyonya restaurant recommended by a nearby shop owner where I bought Chinese sausages (or so I think).

The little back room with a high ceiling to which I was shown where they had smaller tables.

Great that they had beer which is not always the case in Malaysia but I guess in Nyonya and Chinese restaurants they would.

My spicy chicken dish. Very aromatic. Spicy at first but after a while, it just becomes a nice complicated mixture of spices and not hot spicy.

Rice to go with the chicken.

Restaurant Anak Nyonya

Streets of Malacca, Malaysia

So on my real first day in Melaka/Malacca, Malaysia, I just walked and walked and kept walking.  It’s a small town and walkable but there is the heat and the humidity issue so it can be tiring though the humidity probably was not at its highest for this time of the year.

After having gone through Portuguese, Dutch & British (& Japanese though it doesn’t count for purposes of this post) occupations, the houses/buildings that line the streets of Melaka are an interesting mix with much Chinese presence.

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Leaving on a Jet Plane

Called it a day yesterday though our offices are open until today before we close for the new year holidays.  Off to Malaysia via Viet Nam (has to do with mileage and upgrades and such) this morning ♪

At the Nippori Station.

Catching the 6:55 am Skyliner to Narita Airport.

Checked in for the 9:30 am flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

My ride.

The usual “airport in the morning” drink.