Reliable Driver in Siem Reap

I made a trip to Siem Reap one week ago with tons of happiness. Visiting the temples at the best time of the day escaping from the crowds, adventuring into the relics exploring the concealed scenes, experiencing the local culture with local people, the trip marked something unique. I was lucky that I had a reliable local driver - Pros. He is honest, friendly, fluently English speaking, flexible with your own itinerary, and on top of all, charges a reasonable price. It warmed my heart to have him as my local companion throughout my trip.

Pros Bou

Pros' full name is Pros Bou. He drives Tuk Tuk (from 2005) and car (from 2009) with years of experience, always offering you a steady and safe journey. To improve his own language skills, he spent two years to learn English and is now learning Chinese at night school as well. He is a good example of local young people who love their jobs and strive for a bright future.

A sample quotation from Pros is as follows:

Small Circle Tour (one day, by Tuk Tuk): USD 12
Small Circle Tour (one day, by car): USD 25
The tour includes: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Phrom, Phnom Bakheng

Big Circle Tour (one day, by Tuk Tuk): USD 15
Big Circle Tour (one day, by car): USD 30
The tour includes: Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda, Ta Keo, Banteay Kdei, Srah Srang, Prasat Kravan, Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, Preah Khan

Outer Circle Tour (one day, by car): USD 65
The tour includes: Banteay Samre, Banteay Srei, Beng Mealia, Rolous Group

Seeing Sunrise (by Tuk Tuk): USD 3
Seeing Sunrise (by car): USD 5

The quotation above is valid until 31 Dec 2016. Tips is not included in the quotation.

I booked a three-day tour with Pros, he offered me free transportation between the airport and the hotel. The itinerary above is an example only, Pros is very flexible. Do feel free to ask him for a quotation based on your customized itinerary. The price will not vary much from the benchmark above.

Another bonus for booking with Pros is that you can get really local information. Pros is well-educated and speaks excellent English. From food to native products, from history to culture, Pros will be your cool guide!

Below is the contact of Pros:

Handphone: +855 12 733 075 and +855 93 733 075
WhatsApp: +855 12 733 075
Email: prostuktuk@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pros.bou.7
WeChat ID: boup936

He has a smart phone so he is quite responsive to your request unless he is driving.

Steps on Planning a Trip to Kilimanjaro & Recommendation on Local Guides

In my previous post, I shared some stories during my trip to Kilimanjaro this October. Here are a full set of steps which can help you plan a successful trip to this great mountain, and also, a recommendation on local guides.

Why Kilimanjaro?

The reason for climbing Kilimanjaro may differ from one to one. Many people whom I met on the mountain told me that it was their dream. If you need a reason, the following facts may help you:

• Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, at 5,895 metres above sea level.
• It is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Free-standing means it stands alone and is not part of a mountain range.
• It is one of the world's largest volcanoes.
• It has permanent glaciers covering the summit area, while it is only three degrees of latitude south to the Equator.

Can I Make It?
The first step is to check whether your are physically suitable for the climb. Although climbing Kilimanjaro is not technical, I still advise you to take a medical checkup before you decide to climb Kilimanjaro. Consult your doctor with your medical checkup report. Your doctor should be able to advise whether you can proceed and if you can, what should be noticed before and during the climb.

Time to Climb
To avoid the two rainy seasons, the good periods to climb Kilimanjaro are mid of December to end of February in the next year, and June to October. The former is a bit warmer than the latter in terms of temperature.

Takumi - Ramen Restaurant

Immermannstr. 28
40210 Düsseldorf

http://brickny.com/takumi/  

I like this place. I call this a Ramen restaurant because they predominant serve Ramen - A Japanese soup noodle dish. You get some other stuff like gyoza or some teriyaki dish. You can check out their website for the menu: http://brickny.com/takumi/  

The Ramen is pretty decent and it has rather authentic feel to it, the small cramped interiors, the Japanese staff, plus load of Asian faces easting there. Unless you go off 'normal eating hours'. We were there at 3pm the other day, the restaurant can be kinna full.. and I think they don't take reservations.

 

Lunch has good deals (if you are hungry) to get 2 dishes for what is usually the price of one plus maybe 20%-ish.  But overall, you can eat below EUR 10 and have free flow of tea. Otherwise you can always order Japanese beer to quench your thirst.  

How do I find this place as compared to what I have tried in Japan? I find it a bit saltier.. but could be in my mind... and a more liberal use of mayonnaise.. I had it in my teriyaki chicken with rice.. taste good but I think this is kinna unusual.

Otherwise, if you are looking for a casual place to go for a nice Japanese bowl of ramen at a warm, friendly atmosphere. Do try this one.

Ridiculous things you never knew you needed #2

Now.. don't you hate it when you are cooking spaghetti and it just sticks our of you pot.. You then kinna have to wait for the bottom part which is soak in water to be soft and the push the rest of it into the water. or maybe you have another technique. But most of the time, the pot is just never big enough..

Seems that it bothered someone enough and enough people agree that we needed a solution to this. Presenting the 'spaghetti pot'. 

Actually I don't know what it is called, I saw this in a Japanese 'Vogue'-like magazine while waiting for my friend at a Japanese hair dresser. 

I think I will rank this with the egg cracker... (yes, they exist, if I see it again - I will take a photo) as seriously one of those products that if you have in your home.. you most likely have more money that you can spend... which in that case, I don't mind a bit of donation coming my way.. or you are a perfectionist that is bordering on OCD. It is not that they are not helpful.. I wouldn't mine having one, but these products usually cost a fortune and you can achieve the same result free or with a small fraction of the cost... ahhh.. marketing.... they let you know about the things you never knew you needed.

Ridiculous things you never knew you needed #1

Recently I accidentally picked up a roll of scented rubbish bag! Yes, rubbish bags. Those plastic bags that you line your trash can with. 

As I was in a hurry, I grabbed a roll and went. I was surprised by the lemon scent when I opened it and took a piece out. The smell was fresh and covers the smell of the food leftovers that went into the bin. So, not bad. My first roll is gone.. and I just bought another roll from another brand to try.. who knew... it turn out to be a really unnecessary 'nice to have' and becoming something I need. =D

Sauternes - something sweet

Here's a mighty good intro from Wiki:

Sauternes is a French sweet wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section in Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. This causes the grapes to become partially raisined, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavored wines. Due to its climate, Sauternes is one of the few wine regions where infection with noble rot is a frequent occurrence. Even so, production is a hit-or-miss proposition, with widely varying harvests from vintage to vintage.

I personally love sweet wine - this has been a bit of a joke with my wine loving friends who prefer drier wines and pretty much think that sweet wines are nothing more than grape juice. But hey, I am all for individuality and I will proudly say, I love sweet wines. I really adore Sauternes. It can be quite hard to find out side of France and most probably it is because wine snobs like my friends are consistently ignoring sweet wines.

While I like cheaper sweet whites (will save this for another post), Sauternes is one which has pedigree. Sauternes' wines have been around for a long time (documented since 17th century) and are extremely expensive to make, hence the end product is not cheap too. Premier Cru Supérieur from the estate of Château d'Yquem is supposedly the most premium you can get. This poor cat has never tried it but what other 'cheap' ones I had was never disappointing. Sauternes typically starts out with a golden, yellow color that becomes progressively darker as it ages - so find the darkest shade that you can and if possible from a good year of harvest that fits your budget. 

Sauternes can be drank as an aperitif to being a dessert wine and whatever is in between. Like other white wines, it is usually served chilled. I (please take this with a pinch of salt as I am no sommelier) would suggest having it with stronger tasting food.. as it is a 'strong' and sweet wine. I feel that it goes especially well with South East Asian food which is heavier on the spices, or spicy food in general as the sweetness work well with the spices. Traditionally food pairing however is - Sauternes with Foie gras. 

Here's a list of the vintages if you are interested... 2007 is a good year it seems a 2008 no so good for instance.. but for me, I justly just go ahead and grab something I fancy that fits the budget. One man's meat is another man's poison and you don't know until you try.. if you don't get it right, try and try again.. mm somehow that sounds like the recipe for alcoholism.

Happy drinking!

"Ugly fish"

Hi, Siew Fong here, with my first post written from Tokyo, eating la vida loca (haha). Nice to meet you all and looking forward to sharing fun stuff here.

For my first post.... tadaaaa... i present to you.... Ugly Fish!!!! No, this is not the official name for this traditional Tokyo delicacy which has delighted Tokyoites since the Edo period.

My colleagues and I went to a famous restaurant in Asakusa, Iida-ya(どぜう飯田屋) which specializes in anything ugly fish related, as this dish is believed to be best eaten in summer and is extremely nutritious during this season. Ugly Fish stars the Dojo Loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), a freshwater fish that live in paddy fields and wetlands all across Japan. The Dojo loach has also been made famous by the previous Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Noda who likened himself to this bottom-feeding, humble species. Try googling it, and you will see his face plastered all over your screen.

It was not easy to be excited about this dish, as no matter how they tried to decorate and beautify the plate, they still consisted of scrawny black little things. When fried, these flavour-less fishies pick up the salty taste of the batter, and the earthy taste of fried burdock root shavings. I love anything fried and salty, and this is not an exception.

When uncooked though, Ugly Fish is covered in a slimy film, which is said to help them live a little longer even out of water. Resilient little things, these guys! The freshest heroes are served in all their naked glory, their greyish, at times bluish naked glory, a la "hot pot" style. One of the highlights of serving it this way is for one of us to gross out a newbie to this dish, squiggling them fishes to feign life. Of course after a while, it gets stale. Covered with dashi stock, the fire was turned up, and the fishes made their inevitable jumps along with the gurgling stock.

The Ugly Fishes soon lost the twinkle in their eyes, the glisten of their skin. Death descended, and Death became. We enshrouded them with a blanket of thinly-sliced green onions, a yin and yang of flavours. The Dojo nabe (どぜう鍋), as this style is called, was then served sprinkled with Japanese shichimi powder (chili and mixed spice) and a kind of Japanese pepper called Sanshou (山椒). The fishes are to be eaten whole, head, body, bones. Chewing on their softened bones can be a challenge for the uninitiated, and one has to take care not to rush too much and choke. The perk? Calcium.

They are actually pretty good, really, once you deal with your initial reluctance and suspicion. At least, do it for the sake of seasonal traditions, and the experience is well worth it, especially when accompanied by some good warm sake...

Check out Iida-ya's homepage & menu

Somersby Cider

I love cider.. I usually drown Magners as it is most easily found (called Bulmers in Ireland) mainly because I like the taste and it is the most common cider you can find in Malaysia. I particularly like Magners Pear which will give you an indication that I like them sweet. Not all the time but most of the time. I find that this is the perfect drink for a hot summer day. Which is every day in Malaysia.

I was at a meeting (I kid you not, a proper business meeting) and saw that they sold Somersby Cider - never seen it but again I haven't been out much these days. This means I must try it.

Then I read the label and seems that it is made in Sweden and distributed by Carlsberg. Eh? Swedish cider?

Searched it up on Google and it seems that Carlsberg owns this brand. It has 4.5% abv but because of its sweetness you won't feel a thing. This is the perfect girly drink or one for those that don't like the 'bitter' taste of beer but wants a kick of alcohol. Not a bad at all - taste like apple juice with sprite/7up and a tinge of beer. Be careful though - it still has a fair amount of alcohol so don't gulp it down too quickly.

One small note on serving methods; I find that my Magners/Bulmers usually will come in a pint glass with ice in the UK and Ireland but I don't see this when served local ciders in Germany, France and Italy. Somersby in Malaysia though it came with ice. Hmm... It’s nice that is cold but I feel it gets more and more diluted in the end when you are drinking outdoor in tropical weather - unless you drink very quickly. Maybe it is better to serve it with a big chunk-type of whisky ice cube or just no ice?

Type: Modern cider with 4.5% abv

Where: The Royal Selangor Golf Club

When: A warm evening

Accompaniment: Muruku and peanuts

Conclusion: Love it, will order again. Highly recommended for those that like sweet, light bodied alcoholic drinks.