Breakfast at The Delaunay @ London

We visited a friend in UK over the weekend and I was given the responsibility to look for a nice place where we can have a satisfying English breakfast. Most of the time, I would have breakfast at the hotel where I am staying during my working trips to London and this time I had to do a little research on the net to find a breakfast place.

My first choice was Wolseley at Piccadilly but it was fully booked as usual and my second choice would be at The Delaunay as it was at Aldwych in Covent Garden which is quite convenient for us since we took a tube from Marylebone station.

The Delaunay was certainly impressive right from the doorstep. At the main door, there is a smartly dressed man in thick dark blue jacket with golden buttons and a hat that opens the door for you. As we enter, there is a lady at the reception that shows us to our seats. The restaurant is very stylish and with an old charm. I like the black and white tiled floor and classic furnishing.

We were seated near the bar counter and waiters dressed in white shirts with a black vest asked for our orders. Of course English tea is a must! Luc had a Wiener Kaffee (£4.50) which is a large espresso with whipped cream. It was really delicious but "fattening" too!

Too bad the breakfast menu is only until 11am and we had to take the brunch menu. It's quite similar to the breakfast menu minus the big English breakfast. Our friends ordered a smoked salmon and scrambled eggs (£14.95) which looked really delicious. I was a little greedy and ordered a Kassler Ham with Fried Egg (small £5.75) and a chicken and noodles soup (£7.50). The breakfast was really simple but it was delicious and well presented. A bowl of soup on a cold morning is soooo comforting! That's probably an "Asian" thing to do.

Luc ordered an Egg Arlington (£18.00) which consists of 2 poached eggs with salmon and a bread base. The egg was runny and yummy!

For some reason, our friends find it difficult to leave this place without a sweet ending. They ordered a plate of Pancakes with Maple syrup (£7.50) to share. I find it hard to resist the temptation before me and I had a taste of it. It was a really good pancake, fluffy and soft. One bite after another... this is how good it is!

We had a really good breakfast and after that we walked to Covent Garden and it's already decorated with Xmas decorations. There is a big Apple store nearby which is really nice to visit and after that we went to Bond Street for some serious shopping.

The Delaunay

55 Aldwych

London WC2B 4BB

United Kingdom

Tel: 020 7499 8558

Website

Rejuvenate at Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat @ Tambun, Ipoh

For someone like me who have been born and raised in Ipoh for 17 years, I have not truly discover Ipoh unlike some tourists who had only spent a few days there. Well, I know Ipoh is famous for its delicious hawker offerings at very affordable prices but little do I know that Tambun, which is just 15 mins from the city is situated on a 16.59 acre valley full of picturesque limestone hills and beautiful sights. No wonder, the place now has been developed into hotels, tourists attraction and residential by the Sunway Group.

A hidden gem in Ipoh

It was my first time discovering the area of Tambun and it was also Luc's first trip to Ipoh. He had heard so much about my hometown and I wanted to make Ipoh a surprise trip for him. I was looking through the internet for hotels and I finally bit my tongue and decide to book 2 nights at The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat even though its prices per night is ten times the rate of the budget hotel I stayed in Ipoh.

We were asked to hit the gong to announce our arrival to the resort..

Check in time is at 3pm. Upon checking in, we were shown around the resort in a buggy by one of the hotel staff while our luggages are being sent to the villa. There are altogether 25 villas and even though the resort is running at full occupancy, I hardly see any guests wandering in the resort compound. I wonder why...

Just in half an hour from our first step into the resort, Luc already wanted to extend another night and we did!

 Lush greenery, large Thermal spring lake and waterfalls within the resort

We were then ushered to our Water Villa after a tour around the resort. The water villa is nestled on a water lily pond and it has a open roof concept for the living area and pool but a closed bedroom and bathroom area with air-conditioning. The private pool is more for dipping than swimming due to its size and there is also a thermal bathtub with jacuzzi. How cool is that?!!

 The villa is well-furnished and big...

Your very own geothermal tap for a dip in the private bath!

To make the trip more memorable, I arranged something special for him. I asked for rose petals on the bed, champagne, chocolates and roses. And the staff did it really well. Luc was really surprised and I'm glad he really like it. Well, that's the romantic side of me...

What I like most about this resort is that you don't have to worry about losing the room keys as the keys come in a form of a waterproof bracelet with chip. We even wore the bracelet for hotspring pool dipping and it's all fine! The Ipoh famous pomelo is complimentary and we are advised not to leave any food in the open living area for monkeys will be eating them. Luc fell in love with the Labu Sayung that holds our daily drinking water from the natural springs which the hotel will gladly offer it to the guests at RM100 a piece. It is said that the pot has cooling effects on the water and it also cure cough and fever. Well, we did try it out and the water in the Labu Sayung has a refreshing cooling effect and it does help with Luc's cough. A drive along Jalan Kuala Kangsar, you will find the Labu Sayung on sale at the pottery shops for RM18 each. We bought 2 and there's still a lot of money left for delicious hawker food!

So what can one actually do in a resort like this?

Well, I think I can just stay here all day and do nothing! We both take this trip as a rejuvenating trip with lots of indulging especially in Ipoh hawker food. In the resort itself, there's a steam cave which works exactly like a sauna but this one here has natural steam from the hotsprings in an enclosed cave. After a nice steaming session, you walked out from the cave and straight into an ice pool filled with ice-cold water. I nearly die from a freeze-attack. For those who enjoys yoga and meditation, there's a crystal cave (filled with crystals and positive energy) and also a meditation cave for that purpose. Along the thermal sprig lake, there are 4 dipping pot filled with water from the hotspring and also a tap for you to adjust the temperature of the water. We first started with 41°C but after a while we got used to the hot temperature and we tried the hottest pot and it was fine! After dipping, we turn on the shower head above the pot for a cold shower and it feels so good...

Of course you cannot just dip yourself in a hotspring pot the whole day. There's also a gym and Spa centre in the resort which provides the usual massages, spa packages, facial and manicure and pedicure services but this one here also provide a few unusual treatments like aqua treatment (using hydrotheraphy), antioxidant restoration therapy, colonic therapy (which cleanses your colons), Qi healing and also acupuncture. Luc went for the colonic therapy which costs RM300 for a-45-minute treatment that involves cleansing of the colons with a machine and at the same time there will be a staff to monitor the progress and to massage the points on the feet that affects the digestive system. I, on the other hand went for a nice head and shoulder massage! hehehe... The service provided is very good and professional and I like the fact that my masseuse has good massage techniques that releases the tension from the muscles of my shoulders.

In the morning, especially after a rain, it's very nice to walk along the thermal spring lake as you can see the hot water vapour rising from the surface. At night it can look a little eerie... Every morning there will be yoga lessons held at this platform and also a jungle walk activity.

The most-talked about Jeff's Cellar in this resort is indeed a sight to behold. It is only opened from 9pm to 11pm daily and one night, we decide to check it out after dinner. The cave is indeed beautiful especially with the special lighting that accentuates the cave. It is a big cave with many sitting corners for privacy and also interesting cellar that showcases bottles of wine stuck in the holes on the walls of the cave. One can enjoy a bottle of wine or even cocktails here. It is also told to us that Jef has a collection of a thousand over bottles of wine here and the cave was actually a gift from the Sultan to him. What an impressive cave but I still think Luc has a better collection than him. lol..

Our breakfast of Egg-benedict and half-boiled eggs at Pomelo restaurant...

Actually I was quite disappointed with the restaurant in the resort. The Pomelo serves a very healthy menu but it is just not my cup of tea. There was one night that we both wanted to have dinner in-room but there was nothing in their limited in-room-dining menu that we both felt like eating and thus every night, we drove out to town for some delicious and cheap hawker food! Of the 3 mornings, we only dine once in Pomelo for breakfast and there were only less than 10 guests but our breakfast took more than 45 minutes to be served. Service was slow and we were not impressed at all at the food. That is the set-back of the resort.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay here very much. Upon checking out, Luc already made a booking for our next trip here during Chinese New Year! Although it may seem a little far by Ipoh standards, a mere 15 minutes drive to the city is really a breeze! This is not a sponsored post as we paid for the bills and it is worth every cent for the wonderful scenery and peace that lies within a small city called Ipoh.

The Banjaran Hotspring Retreat

1 Persiaran Lagun Sunway 3, 31150 Ipoh, 

Perak, Malaysia

Phone:+605 210 7777

www.thebanjaran.com

Puerto Banus @ Marbella, Spain

We were recently in Marbella, Spain for Luc's brother's wedding. I have only been to Valencia, Bilbao and Madrid and thus going to Marbella is a new experience for me. It's really a popular destination for many Belgians as the flight only takes 2 and a half hours from Brussels airport and many Belgians own a holiday home in Marbella due to warm weather. From 11 degrees Celsius in Belgium, we arrived in Marbella with 26 degrees Celsius. That's a escapade from cold weather.

We hired a Fiat 500, a very cute car for just EUR8 a day from Firefly where they have a car rental office at the parking area of the Malaga airport. Yes, the rental fees is cheap but that does not include the full coverage insurance (EUR35) and also the payment for a full tank of petrol (EUR60). You can practically send the car back with an empty tank. In the end, it's not really that cheap. It's quite easy to drive in Marbella, partly because we have a GPS and also Luc has been there a few times before.

 Puerto Banus is one of the must visit places in Marbella. This is a marina located in the area of Nueva Andalucia and many of the big and beautiful and luxurious yachts are docked here. Around the marina, there are many bars, restaurants and expensive boutiques which is a popular place among celebrities and the rich and famous. A common sight here is the cars. There is never a lack of cars like Ferrari, Porsche, Bentley and many other sports cars. Afterall, only the rich has yachts.

The bars and restaurants here are quite happening. Many people enjoy a drink here watching people and also the wonderful yachts. After a long walk, a mojito is necessary! The Sinatra Bar is quite popular here and it was already opened since 1977!!! That's a long time ago...

What I love about Puerto Banus is that it is a very beautiful port with amazing view of the terrains and crowded buildings in white by the sea. The weather was cool and it's perfect for a day out!

And of course I don't mind owning a yacht this size.

Looking for a dinner venue is not difficult as this place is filled with restaurants. One of the places that Luc recommends that we visit was Lamoraga. It's a contemporary restaurant serving Spanish cuisine and it used to be packed and reservation is not easy.

However, that night Luc and Peter felt that the food offerings were not so good anymore. To top it up, we could get a reservation easily and the quality of the food has gone down. To me, this restaurant does not have a wow factor for me but it's okay. We had a great night nevertheless dining and chatting and sipping our wine. The night went by in a breeze.

Marbella is really a nice coastal town. Hopefully we can return soon!

A Romantic Day in Paris

The last trip to Paris has been a really romantic journey. From arrival to departure, Luc really made me feel like a princess. I arrived on Air France to CDG at 6am and had to wait for my luggages for 40minutes (even with SkyPriority) and that is the longest wait I ever had for a holiday trip. That is one part of traveling that I dislike. As I walked out of the arrival hall, there was already a guy waiting for me with my name and he carried my luggage, and then drove me to the hotel in a nice Mercedes. I was relieved that I don't need to queue for a taxi after a long flight! It was really thoughtful of Luc to arrange that.

We stayed at Hotel Du Louvre which is just next to the Louvre because I told him that I would like to visit it. It was a small, nostalgic but cosy hotel with windows that opened to the streets. That morning I arrived, he arranged for a typical Parisien breakfast to be served in the room. The croissants were really crispy and delicious. And in the evening, after we returned from dinner, a surprise awaits me in the room. There were rose petals on the floor and also on the bed, forming a nice heart shape. On the table, there was a bottle of chilled Krug champagne and it was all arranged by my sweetheart. He knows I like Krug and that was so lovely!

Since Luc knows Paris pretty well, he took me to some places that I had not been. First we wanted an afternoon drink and light food and he took me to Harry's New York Bar which is celebrating its hundredth year anniversary. I know that the name doesn't really ring a bell especially it's located in Paris but this bar is no ordinary bar. This place is filled with old and rare whisky goodies. It's also one of the favourite bar for the whisky boys. The selection that they have is amazing with Macallan dating back to the 50's. They do not serve food before 6pm and they also do not have a menu for the whisky. If you want to know what they have, you will just have to walk to the display cabinets and also the bar. Everything from the deco to the bartender is vintaged.... *smiles

In the evening, Luc made a reservation at Le Baudelaire at Le Burgundy Hotel at Rue Duphot which is just 10 minutes walk from the hotel where we are staying. The restaurant serves a gastronomic cuisine with Parisian influences and it received its one Michelin Star since its opening. We took the Tasting Menu which costs € 210 comes with wine pairing and I must say that the wines are pretty good and I am very satisfied with the wines they served. 

The 1st course of Joel's summer vegetable salad with celery salt, aigo boulido and young salad leaves was well executed and I like the creativity of the chef in the ingredients used as well as the food presentation. He plays with a lot of different salt and soury flavours which unfortunately does not make a tick in my palate. I always like more natural tasting food that uses less salt and that night, I found some of the dishes like the turbot and wagyu beef were a little too salty and some too sour. His style is indeed for the adventurous. But I'm glad the amuse bouche, starters and wines were really good.

When in Paris, do what the Parisiens do. I had to shop. Not to satisfy my shopping cravings but more because I really need to buy some autumn/winter clothing. The weather has not been very kind and it does not help when I arrive there with a suitcase full of summer clothes. We went shopping at Galeries Lafayatte and I came out with a nice fashionable black Moncler jacket and an electric blue Karen Millen coat. Then I wanted to stop by Longchamp and we bought a foldable travel bag which is in their new collection and it came in really handy during our trip to Marbella.

 A customary visit to the Louvre.

People say if you really want to visit the whole Louvre, it will take at least a week!

It was indeed my best trip in Paris. Despite our leisure schedule, we also managed to meet some of Luc's friends and seriously, a few days in Paris seemed too short and we didn't even went on a cruise trip on the Seine river. Well, Paris would still be there and we have already planned to return in Dec!

In the City of Love

It's good to be back in Paris again. This must have been my 4th time in the City of Love but of all the times I have been here, this is the only time I felt the romance of this city. People always say that Paris is romantic but trust me if you come here alone or with your co-worker, there is no air of romance but probably only shopping atmosphere.

Luc booked us a room at Hotel Du Louvre which is situated just next to the Louvre and it's very convenient (especially for shopping) because the Galleries Lafayette is just within walking distance and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré  the shopping street filled with big brands is just in front of the hotel.

One of the must-eat in Paris would be its macarons. The last time I went to Laduree, I was like a little kid in a candy store and this time, they have even more flavours. My favourites remain such as the ones with framboise and lemon. Although they say Pierre Herme is the best, I've yet to try them.

This time we were a little more adventurous going for flavours such as black peppercorns like this one here in the picture and also another one with ice mint. My god... these macarons are really expensive. I think we paid like almost 2-3 euros for one macaron. I've once written about Laduree here in Dec 2010.

 

 One of my favourites - The Citron (with lemon)
The sweetness and texture is just perfect!

 Guess what's in the box?

Luc indulging in a chocolate eclair! That's one of my favourites in Paris...

Just a few macarons and an eclair is enough to fill us up during the afternoon because the chocolate filling is quite rich and creamy. Lucky we both decided to share.

One of the beautiful sights around the hotel we stayed in is the Paris Opera House. On the second morning, we decided to walk to towards the Opera House and to have breakfast around this area. There was one nice and traditional Parisien cafe next to it and it's called Cafe de la Paix. This is a very popular cafe and it's always busy.

Luc and I decided to have a simple Parisien breakfast of 2 croissants and a cup of coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice. You know you are in Paris when the bill comes! For that breakfast, we paid 40 euros. I told him that for 40 euros, I maybe can even have a seafood dinner in KL. Of course there are many other places for breakfast but this place is great for people watching and the cafe is very beautifully decorated.

What a wonderful day in Paris!

Sahaja and Sawah Villa Retreat & Spa @ Bali and Beers!

Bali was my next destination just after 2 days I came back from Langkawi. For the past 1 month, it had been really a hectic travelling schedule from Belgium to Singapore, then home and a day trip to Malacca followed by 4 days in Langkawi. Bali was an impromptu trip for my sisters and mom because my sister has 2 weeks of "holiday" before her new job commences and she decided to be generous and paid for our accommodation.  

But of course a last minute air ticket is not cheap. Air Asia gives a better flight schedule and we each paid RM1000 for the air ticket to Bali which normally could have been much less if we book it earlier. It was mom's first trip by Air Asia and she hates it already. I guess at her age, Air Asia is not a friendly airline for her. I missed their Pak Nasser Nasi Lemak onboard (not that it tastes very good but it's always the dish I will order for my flights on Air Asia) and I counted that they gave me 7 miserable peanuts on my rice dish. If you order it onboard, it's going to cost you RM15... gone are the days when it costs RM10.

Anyways, it's just a 3-hour-flight and I don't have much complaint. Yiling booked us a Villa at Sahaja and Sawah located in the Tabanan area for 5 days 4 nights. She managed to get the villa at a good deal through Groupon and we thought it was a good idea to give it a try. But what we didn't know is that the journey from the airport to the villa took us 2 and a half hours and with the addition of poorly maintained roads towards the villa at the paddy field area, we were bumping on the car seats for half an hour. I really hope that their government would do something about those roads.

After such a bumpy ride, we were relieved that we finally arrived at Sahaja and Sawah which is a boutique retreat that offers a beautiful view of the Tabanan paddy fields. There's an air of tranquillity at the retreat and it's no surprise that this area is used as a shooting location for "Eat, Pray, Love".

The consolation to such a long and bumpy journey would be their helpful and smiling staff. They were very nice in introducing the place and also helping us with our bags and luggages. We were given the end Villa and there are only 4 units of the Indah Villa with 2 bedrooms. It has a very nice view of the paddy fields and a faraway beach (which is not for suitable for swimming). All the Villas are decorated in Balinese style furnitures and lots of wood and timber are used to give it a "resort" ambiance.

Our Villa comes with a private pool (with a 1.5m depth), 2 double bedrooms, 2 open air showers with bathtubs, a kitchen and living area. The refrigerator, gas stove, cookery and cutleries are provided so that you can also cook your own meal at the villa. Most of the days we eat out (or you can also dine at their restaurant) and there were two nights where we stayed in for dinner. Their in-room menu is also commendable and there is free wifi in the villa and also at the lobby.

The Sunset View

Breakfast is provided every morning and there are a few items to choose from. My favourite is their Mie Goreng which tasted like Indomie Goreng and for a few days, I prefer their eggs, bacon and toasts menu. You can also have a glass of fruit juice, tea or coffee to go with the breakfast. The breakfast is carried into our villa by the staff every morning after we have placed an order the night before or the morning itself.

I prefer swimming with my sisters in the morning and afternoon because it can be quite chilly in this area. I found that this place is less warm and sunny compared to the Ubud and Kuta areas. Ziling enjoys sun-tanning while I enjoy swimming a few laps at the private pool.

This is definitely a nice All-Ladies-Holiday including my mom. The Lim sisters and Mommy had fun and lots of shopping. We went out on 2 days by using the transport from the hotel. It costs IDR$800,000 for a 8-hour day out and the hotel driver will take us to anywhere we like. The driver has been really nice and he even helped us to bargain at the markets and he also volunteered to carry our shopping bags. This is really a hotel with great service and staff.

I don't mind to come back again provided that something is done about the bad road conditions. This is a nice retreat away from the tourist areas in Bali and if you like tranquillity and unparalleled views of greenery, this is the place for you. If you like going out and roam around the island, then this is not recommended because going to Ubud takes almost 1 and a half hour too. 

Banjar Kelecung Kaja, 

Desa Tegal Mengkeb  Kecamatan Selemadeg Timur, 

Tabanan, Bali 82164, Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 8747489

Website

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When I came back from Bali, I immediately asked my friends to come out for a beer. I have not seen them for a few months as I was in Belgium spending time with my partner and I missed hanging out with them. One couple recently got engaged and planning to get married next year and I wanted to take this night out to congratulate them too. There's always a reason to indulge in a pint!

I chose 42 East at Taman Tun because it's less crowdy and they are my friends' favourite football viewing place. But the best part is that they serve Kilkenny draught at a good price from 11am to 10pm at only RM55 for 3 pints! The service was very good and they allowed us to "park" our drinks too. I think that night, we easily drank 20 pints of Kilkenny.

Of course we have to have some "beer food"!!! The BBQ ribs is quite good which comes with a choice of sauces. I like the crispy bacon and the chicken wings. These are definitely good complimentary dishes to the ale. Just look at the perfectly poured Kilkenny with bacon strips... makes me want to have one too now as I was writing about this beer party with my friends.

All my Kilkenny Beer Kakis...

I miss working with them and some of them has left my previous workplace but we continue to meet up even when we are not working under the same roof. It's the camaraderie that keeps the group together. It's funny how a bunch of co-workers can turn out to be great friends instead of us killing each other in the process of climbing that corporate ladder. And for this very reason, we cheers to that!