Obviously, when u have something like a restaurant name and then followed by its location/branch,you know that this has to be good since its probably the nth outlet branch..the business is probably doing good that they have decided to expand it..then again, i could be wrong..but for this restaurant, it holds true.. Forgive me for my lack of understanding of the Tamil language but doesnt Paandi means...nevermind~..lets head on down to the food review!..

For this article, i'd like to classify banana leaf into two categories: the complete banana leaf and the simple banana leaf..sounds complex? Well, typically banana leaf dishes come in these two variants (i think you'd agree with me, let me explain). The one seen here happens to be the complete variant. For obvious reasons, the banana leaf dish here consists of the full course; you have the normal 3 vege side-dish (typically you'd have cucumber-pineapple-chilli in vinegar, vege cooked with dhal and some curry vege..oh, this wan has a fourth side-dish ie. stir fried vege), 3 different dipping sauce, for the crispies; typically you have papadums (but this one gives dried chilli and chips as well), then there are little extras such as a choice of traditional soups (mooru -seen as white soup i

n the collage and rasam - slightly yellowish clear soup), optional deep fried vege (such as ladies finger and bittergourd) and meats (Curry chicken/mutton/fish or fried chicken/fish)...AND of course all of these go with RICE! We must have rice.. Lastly, for the sweet toothed, there are traditional indian desserts and cakes to savor..it is that COMPLETE!

So, you might be wondering, whats does simple consist of? Well, the one i'd classify simple consist of rice with a choice of curry gravy to go with it, the 3 vege side-dish that i mentioned, pappadums and a choice of meat (chicken/fish/mutton). It is the most basic of how a banana leaf can get.. if you were to compare the complex and the simple banana leaf, if think the complex one has way more stuff to get delighted with..but then again, never underestimate the simple one too, cos i noe of one that is just as great; simple but perfect..an article on the simple banana leaf is coming soon..till then, happy eating..p/s: i was showing this to my VP the other day and he commented that the corner lot sells even better Banana leaf..the name? Devi's corner..need to check that one next!

Nice? this is coming next...the Banana falls (Pisang waterfalls) aka Longkang Besar (Big Drain) is one of my many memorable trips i have had..Combining good company, a relatively simple hiking trail, nice exquisite forests and a giant longkang (drain), this place is a must visit for all.. Our hiking team seemed satisfied that day and so was our photography crew; for me, i couldn't be any happier..

This time around, two of our pro photographers; Wonderboy and Yellowbanana came along, which made this whole trip a photo shooting frenzy overkill hyper flash ultra modeling kinda outing.. We were practically modelling the whole journey through..felt as though we were stars, celeb or some supermodel or something..Now, youve gotta be really impressed with their shots, their skills are great..But there is also the external factor (the awesomeness factor) that this place is just full of scenic shots just begging for a picture perfect to be taken..couple it with a lil creativity and some remote flashes..wualahh~..As a beginner in photography, i knew that very day, i had to get a external flash A.S.A.P


So, for those that do not know Pisang falls that well, it is that fall which is "located near the highway lahh, dat wan with the big big drain wan"..for me, i'd conveniently call it the twin falls cos its my first time seeing one (as at now, i dont whtr its a twin fall anymore), located somewhere along the Karak Highway, in the region of Gombak. , its like, who would have known that such a nice lil waterfall exist near a major highway which connects East and West of Malaysia..



Well, after writing few articles now (damn, this is my 105th), ive noticed something..i dont tell my viewers the location places..Talking about location, coincidentally my cousins and i were chilling out at desa park just the other day and one of them asked for directions to Quadro..one of my elder guy cousins then replied, staring blankly at the ceiling, "you turn left and right..there is this road, take that!"..Everyone broke into laughter..typical guy or how a guy's brain work.. So, i wont go to the specifics but here's wat i can tell you - follow the sign that leads to Muzium Orang Asli when youre somewhere in the Kepong region.. and if you got that right, you're about 95% there already.. the rest, do your homework..

Back to Pisang, i would say that this place has a rather wide range of biodiversity (not as much as Gunung Datuk which still tops my lists)..I can give you a few examples: Gabunta(anyone watches Naruto?), the huge frog(<--see pic) guards the two tunnels of this place..then, there are numerous occasions of us seeing paw like prints, i hope they are not tigers'..There are alot of fishes at the waterfall and we even saw the Raja Brooke (the famed gigantic Malaysian butterfly..).. Then, there was this rape case that was going on here; and we bumped into the police during our hike who were hunting down the culprit (oh ya, this has nothing to do with biodiversity..lari topic)

I still remember having my first Crème brûlée at Tang Lin club in Spore..I still remembered saying "How come they didnt have this in Malaysia?".."they do!" i was told..i kept quiet..i was very young that time..then, came other mind blowing desserts..desserts that were on fire!!.. a second blow of culture shock for lil coconut (the first being a naked gwailo in the toilet by the pool)..It was awesome (i dont mean the gwailo, i meant the dessert).. Still burning whilst served, i thought to myself "How am i gonna eat this?"..As the fire went off, i dug my fork into the cake and grabbed a bite of what i'd call heaven =)

Well, its been a while since that memorable day; i still remember every moment clearly. Every time i see desserts on the menu now, i would smirk at myself.. In today's article, i'd like to introduce two flaming desserts i find truly interesting; the Bombe Alaska (top left pic) and crêpe suzette (bottom left pic) found in the menus of Victoria's Station..I know, VS is famous for its steaks but why intro ppl something they already know..i bet most ppl din bother to look at the desserts section ;) from here, i think you know where im heading..i'd say: go try it if you havent right? yup..thats right..

Describing the dessert and seeing pictures is half the story, eating the dessert is one part, experiencing how it is made is another..I wont say that the Bombe Alaska and Crepe here in VS is the best (at least not as good as in Tang Lin's) but its worth it!..Basically, the Bombe Alaska dish consists of a fruit and ice cream core followed by a cake layer and some cream finishing.. A lil rum+fire gives this this a wow factor and a burnt cream outer texture..The crepe suzette on the other hand isnt as ganas as the bombe alaska but, it involves alot of flames in the making as well..If i were really to break it down to lay man's term, i'd describe the dish as just pancake with orange sauce..Something which isnt a big deal if you put it that way but watching is being prepared IS!!..Anyway, do consider that these dishes take about 15 minutes to prepare, the former being slightly longer since it involves whipping cream and chilling b4 served (ps: although there is fire involved, the desserts are very much cold rather than hot)..

Most probably i think this would be familiar for ppl living in Damansara (Address: 77, Jalan SS 20/11) since this place packs the crowds during lunch hours..But one question remains? Why the crowd? To me i think the fish head bi hun (that's what the place is famed for) gets a okie from me..nice clear soup but tak cukup ummphh..wait till you guys try the one at Sri Kembangan then u shall know what real Fish Head Bi Hoon tastes like..But unlike typical fish head bee hoon, this place boasts other fish choices such as, well in this case, Salmon..The fried or the steamed ones (left and middle pic) are the more typical and common options available..Its interesting to know that for many, fish head bee hoon that comes in milk-based ginger and salted vege soup is something new..I think many are mislead by the typical bee hoon with pomfret in clear salted vege soup stereotype they get at many chinese seafood restaurants...something with and additional milk ingredient isnt new.. so for those who are unfamiliar, its time you tried..Have fun~ =)

Perhaps one of my favourite waterfalls here, in and around the Selangor region, is the Kanching waterfalls..note the 's' after the word waterfall..There is more than one here; 7 to be exact!..Ive been exploring quite a number of waterfalls recently and even gained the title of 'the waterfall hunter'..But ever since the rainy seasons, expeditions have slowed down a little, some cancelled and a few failed attempts as well..

Now, going to waterfalls or rivers during rainy seasons is very discouraged (a kind reminder)..and the last thing you would want happening to you would be to be caught in the middle of a tsunami of currents..thats how ppl die you see..its like standing somewhere along a sewage pipe when God suddenly decides to hit the flush button.."Shit!!"..

So for those out there who just started hiking , exploring the beauty nature has to offer, constantly have in mind "what if" scenarios at all times and be prepared..learn to read cues and respect nature..For what i know, nature can be an unforgiving teacher..


Pic: Group photo

Back to Kanching, for this expedition, we had a group of ten person; with skill levels ranging from beginner to pros that day..(i'd consider myself intermediate ;p )..so yeah, Kanching is suitable for beginners, since a major part of the way is paved and concrete (there are alot of steps to climb though)..Like any other forests, off road courses are available (well duhh!) you just choose whichever way you wanna go (just kidding)..for this jungle, there is a lil path that runs parallel with the waterfall shown here on the left (this is the seventh waterfall that i mentioned; it being the last and the hugest) which leads you to a lil enchanted forest id like to call heaven (shown here on the right)..For Kanching, the deeper you hike, for obvious reasons, you get further away from the public, and the better and huger the waterfall gets..So, dont just stop and give up after the first few; go right up until the last one, its well worth it..

Acknowledgment: Superb photos taken Aaron..

So before we close the Lembing/Kuantan chapter, allow me to wrap things up with some 'other' pictures of the trip not covered in the articles before this..phew! baru saja finish one trip..&!@^#*(!%@$ cant wait to start the next..been idling on this one for quite some time now plus i recently went for a weeks hol in Spore..so, this blog has been left rotting..time to get some things kickin'...So, to finish things off, i think its worth while mentioning some other stuff that we did whilst at Kuantan..When youre stuck in a small town like Lembing waiting for the next big thing to happen, you could always visit their local tourist spots which in this case happen to be their their tin mining museum and abandoned mining mines..its pretty interesting considering that these mining mines used to be the longest of its kind (in the world?)..and the town to which the mines are situated next to (ie. Lembing town) is what is left of what used to be a bustling city..comparable to even Singapore at one point in history...As time went by, tin mining business dwindled..high costs and health and safety hazards, stuff like that and things just halted..

Now, talking about the mines, there is this tunnel that is situated somewhere behind the hill which i find it most fascinating (oh, im being a little vague here; 'the hill' refers to the hill just next to the museum following a steep windy road up)..although the tunnel is gated to prevent ppl from going in..the tunnel actually exhausts cold chilling air..colder than youre average air-cond..and you could feel it by just standing outside..I overheard from a tour guide that underground water runs beneath these grounds which causes this air-cond effect..Hence, there are also two wells infront of the tunnel where mine workers would wash up there..Who said olden ppl din have air cond and cold water..

Next, aik..i forgot why i put up this picture..nothing much to say about this hot spring..kinda dirty and not well maintained..very 'sulphur'ry, hence the bluish green coloured water..and the water pinches your skin a little too when you soak in it..this place is located somewhere along the drive toLembing waterfall..






Ahaa, this is worth mentioning..Teluk Chempedak..Super nice beach..a little too commercialised perhaps and a little too many ppl as well..But it was super windy that day and a little drizzle too which chased away almost all of the crowds and us having the beach to ourselves..Since Teluk Chempedak faces the east, ie the South China Sea, the waves can get a little nasty at times..Superb beach located near the capital city of Pahang, ie. Kuantan and its worth visiting..the distance from Lembing would be an hour
plus drive, which isnt that bad..
pic: A shot from Chris

Now that we've got the Sunrise part covered and the food part as well, its time to intro you the very best of LEMBING..rainbow waterfall~..having just one shot at this (its our last day here), we managed to hire a 4wd the night before the hike the following morning..The truck+driver+ guide combos are easy to find here in Lembing since every hotel/motel offers this service..its just a matter of bargaining the price and by luck, you get whatever condition of the truck they give you..and your guide's level of friendliness..

In case you were wondering, the hiring of the truck costs about RM 280 and could easily fit 10 at any one time..That brings us to about RM 28 per person for like about an hours ride into the forests..the terrain is mostly muddy and stoney (if there is such a word).. plus a few river crossings and a hell lot of obstacles to watch out for (you'll have to dodge branches, leaves and lalang countless times if youre sitting outside - and do sit outside!),in which it actually adds up the fun actually..oh ya..the price also includes the fee for the guide too..an hours tracking is required after a point where the 4 wheeler cant take you no more..there's a thigh-deep stream which youll have to cross which basically marks the beginning of your approx. 45 mins hike to the waterfall (it takes lesser time actually, if you dont stop to pangsai half way ; ) )..That's me btw..in the picture on the left..

So, here we are..at Lembing's hidden treasure..the last few minutes of the hike would prove to be most exciting as you slowly begin to hear the thunderous roar of the waterfall..and as you march forward, partially getting glimpses of the waterfall, you quickly hasten your speed to get a clearer view..with each step bringing you closer to the waterfall, you cant help but to feel a sense tranquility and serenity..its that magical..the moist covered air, the breathtaking scenery instantly rejuvenates the mind, body and soul..and to our delight and much to our luck that day,we were able to witness the rainbow , first hand..and then, we viewed it from different angles, the rainbow then curved differently..and at the height of it, there were even twin rainbows..

Well, Lembing waterfall isnt as Gigantic as the Kanching..which is several articles away from this post, but because it's so huge, water from the top free falls into virtually tiny droplets /sprays of water into a pool..these droplets along with strategic positioning of sunbeam during times of about 9am to 11am causes the rainbow to form. Hence, the rainbow waterfall.Now, as much as i noe that anyone would love to stand right beneath the shower of water, pls mind that there are constant rocks falling from up there..and trust me, you wouldnt want to get hit by any of them, regardless of size, falling from that high..

A dip in the pool is definately a must when you come here..and there is free fish spa (dr.fish) here too..the only thing is, it isnt fish..its shrimp!..fresh water shrimp abt 2 centimetres in length..and they are fun to catch too..which is another thing to do if youre here..the cold most wind that blows at your face whilst sitting by the side of the waterfall really freshens you up. no matter what state youre in...and for two hours of these, i think ill come back for more..The reason why we only had 2 hours is because, crowds start coming in at about 9..and that's what spoils things sometimes..thank god we came early..