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Showing posts with label Thai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thai. Show all posts

Sipping My Way Through Club Med Phuket

 

I’m not the type to fill my holiday schedule with activities. Just give me a quiet spot, a good view, and something nice to sip on. That's my ultimate definition of bliss.

At Club Med Phuket, that's exactly how my days unfolded. While others were doing archery or some form of sports, I was busy curating my own "itinerary": a menu of drinks, each paired with a different feeling of the day and a different shade of the sea, so to speak.

☀️ Mornings always began with coffee.


There's something about starting the day with coffee that feels grounding. That first sip with sunlight reflecting off the pool. That quiet pause before the day properly began.


Morning calm: Coffee + light salad + Phuket sunshine. The ritual that grounded the day.


Coffee + sea + blue sky = three shades of calm. The kind of moment I refused to rush or be rushed.


Mid-morning refuel with a glass of creamy, nutty smoothie; paired with a toasted light bite.

🌿 Afternoons called for something cooler.


Usually some kind iced concoctions. These afternoon drinks became tiny celebrations of slowing down while I hid in the shade. Each sip was a testament that holidays don't need to be rushed.


Post-lunch at the lounge near the main bar, I settled in with this bright, citrusy cocktail that tasted like bottled sunshine. I'm pretty sure it was mango.


Excuse me while I sipped on a pineapple-topped frozen delight, relishing my unapologetically holiday mood in the lounge corner.


The pink cocktail was gentle and vodka-soft, the other bold with apple and ginger. Together, they turned a simple afternoon into a double dose of calm at the Zen Pool.

🌅 Evenings were for cocktails.


Mojito, espresso martini, something citrusy, something sweet. Each one felt like a little chapter — light, fizzy, soothing, or bold — depending on the mood.


It was more than a cocktail. It was a glass as blue as the pool, glowing quietly against the skyline as the day gave way to night.


More cocktails in the early evening by the pool, when the sky still has hints of blue, and the night hasn't quite begun.


A crisp cocktail with a leafy crown, perfect for slowing down as the day fades.


There's something about an Espresso Martini at night. It's strong and unapologetic, like a bold jolt that carries you into the late hours.

And somewhere between the first sip and the last, I realised I didn't miss the activities. I didn't need to tick boxes or keep up with a schedule. The simplicity of it became its own kind of ritual, a way of noticing the small pleasures that often get lost when we're too busy "doing."

Maybe that's the real luxury of a place like Club Med. It doesn't pressure you to do everything. It gives you the space to choose your own version of holiday happiness, even if that means spending everyday measuring your days in cups and glasses.

Because sometimes the best souvenirs aren't activities ticked off a list, but the little rituals you bring home with you. And mine? The freedom of doing almost nothing, but still come home with memories worth keeping.



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Road trip 3: Colek Buah @ Wakaf Che Yeh, Kota Bharu


Colek Buah is a traditional dish similar to rojak buah. It is a popular snack among locals because it is light, tasty, and best eaten while spending time with friends and family.

 

A good pack of colek buah contains a few types of cut fruits. For this stall nearby the famous night market at Wakaf Che Yeh, Kota Bharu, the lady seller uses local fruits and preserved fruits from Thailand.
 


 Local fruits include pineapples, mangoes, guavas, young mangoes, buah kedondong, and buah katak puru (the brown-skinned fruits that resemble potatoes in the photo above).

 

Preserved fruits from Thailand include preserved mangoes and mini white grapes that are super duper sour.
 


There are nine types of fruits mixed with dark, sweet and salty sauce in the colek buah combo that I bought.

 

You can see tiny dried shrimps in the sauce too!

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You can read about our previous road trips and upcoming posts about our Kuala Terengganu (KT) - Kota Bharu (KB) trip here.

:)
 
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Road trip 3: Chengmai Thai Food Restaurant @ Kampung Kulim, Kelantan


Chengmai Thai Food Restaurant (清迈餐厅) is very popular among the locals and they will strongly recommend this restaurant to visitors from out of town.

Do set the following address in your GPS device if you intend to drive to the restaurant - No. 107, Kampung Kulim, Wakaf Bharu, Tumpat, 16250 Kelantan - because it is located in a residential area that seems to be in the middle of a jungle.



Prawn Curry

This is one of the best dishes of the night. I keep "digging" in the gravy for bamboo shoots. :P



Thai-style Steamed Grouper (Siakap)


This is my favorite dish of the night. The sauce simmers slowly in the steel plate the whole night over charcoal, thus keeping the fish moist and tender. Highly recommended; you must remember to order this dish.



Roasted Pork Knuckles

Satiate your hunger for porky goodness with this huge chunk of roasted pork knuckles. Definitely a must-have for pork lovers!



Sweet and Sour Chicken

A compulsory addition to our food fiesta.



Stir-fried Kangkung with Garlic

The only vegetables dish for the night.



Fried Calamari Strips with Garlic

Fragrant, yummy, and crunchy! It's finger licking good!

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You can read about our previous road trips and upcoming posts about our Kuala Terengganu (KT) - Kota Bharu (KB) trip here.

:)


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Movie: Dark Flight (2012)

Have a safe journey

Dark Flight (2012) is Thailand's first 3D horror movie. However, I didn't watch the 3D version.

Synopsis: A senior flight attendant, New (Marsha Wattanapanich) is back on the job after surviving a mysterious inflight incident many years ago. Unfortunately, she's somehow back on the same aircraft again! She realizes it but it's too late for her to turn back. Now, she has to deal with vengeful spirits from the past who are determined to take her life this time as passengers start to be possessed and kill one another.

What a huge letdown. This movie doesn't have that familiar dark and scary element projected by some of Thailand's most successful horror movies. Comedic relief moments that are supposed to diffuse tension is way too much and they are kinda lame. Some scripts are incoherent and wasted, and the CG effects are nothing to shout about.

Marsha Wattanapanich doesn't shine in this movie, not like how she outdid herself in Alone (2007). She doesn't really do much in this movie except freaking out and looking pitiful and sorry all the time. The rest of the cast is... out of place and annoying most of the time.

However, there's one character that deserves to be mentioned. Anchalee Hassadivichit who plays the bitchy woman steals the limelight when she goes berserk and starts to chop everyone up. Some gore and bloody splatters plus scary make-up jobs done on the ghost flight crew are also some of the decent highlights of this movie. That's all. :S

Well, the entire movie is not scary at all and I think it's too mild to be called a horror movie.

Oh well, I think you can give this movie a pass.


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Project 365 2011 - Photo #345

Uptown-special-fried-rice

This is Uptown Special Fried Rice at Restoran 111, Damansara Uptown. The taste is like a blend between the Thais' Tom Yum fried rice and the Malays' Kerabu fried rice. Lemongrass is abundant, that's the best part!

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Lunch @ Black Canyon Coffee, BU Centerpoint

Everyone knows where is Black Canyon Coffee, BU Centerpoint, right?

This is our second visit. I like its tagline: A drink from Paradise... available on Earth.

Black Canyon's current meal sets are pretty good. Set A is their individual meal sets, featuring Thai cuisine, priced at RM11.90++ per set.

Each set comes with a bowl of Spicy Mini Chicken Tom Yum.

Spicy Stir-fried Minced Chicken & Hot Basil with Rice & Fried Egg
I'm not quite sure what does hot basil mean, but I think they might be referring to the stalks of green peppercorns mixed with basil leaves that they use to spice up this dish. Don't bite into the peppercorns. They are very peppery! Overall, this dish is awesome - the ingredients set your taste buds on fire but you'll still enjoy your meal.

Tuna Green Curry Stir-fried Rice Stuffed in Omelet
I love dishes with green curry
. They are usually milder than red curry and I enjoy drinking the gravy. So, I'm very delighted to find how well green curry blends with rice, tuna flakes, and omelet in this dish, a combination that I've never tried before. Highly recommended!
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Movie: The Unborn Child (Sop Dek 2002) (2011)

The Unborn Child (Sop Dek 2002) is Thailand's latest horror flick in 2011 after Laddaland.

This movie is inspired by the true story of a woman who claimed that the ghost of her aborted child was haunting her. The number "2002" in the title refers to the number of illegally aborted fetuses discovered in a Bangkok temple.

At the end of the movie, before the credits roll, we're told that this movie is produced as part of the campaign against illegal abortion in Thailand.

As usual, there are a few sub-plots, sometimes two or three, in most Thai horror movies. These sub-plots will finally converge to reveal the main plot. If you're lucky, the ending will be a good twist. Otherwise, you'll get a lousy ending that spoils the entire movie.

After watching, I find that I don't really like the facial expression and body language of the main characters. They are either too exaggerating, fake, annoying, expressionless, or just being plain bimbo.

The storyline doesn't make much sense as well. I've watched way too many horror movies to know which story will work and which will backfire. Stories about angry aborted fetuses teaching his/her parents a lesson by haunting and harming them - in my opinion - they don't work. In fact, the storyline is way too childish and unrealistic.

This is supposed to be a movie that educates Thai teenagers about the consequences of illegal abortions. So I suggest, emphasis should be put on more of the suffering and pain the young mothers-to-be will go through during abortion. Also, more gruesome images of horribly dismembered and disfigured aborted fetuses should be shown to increase desired impact, not baby rubber dolls soaked in red dye and poorly CGI-ed fetuses floating around.

Well, I don't bother to recommend this movie to anyone. Somebody should do a remake, perhaps a mockumentary or something similar.

Say no to abortion or aborted fetuses will haunt you. Serious. :P


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Movie: Laddaland (2011)

Would you "stay" or "move out" if your village had ghosts? 

Laddaland (2011) is Thailand's latest horror flick, from the studio that brought us "Coming Soon", "4Bia", and "Phobia 2", all of which I have watched. Hehe.

Laddaland's director Sophon Sakdapisit co-wrote the most successful Thai horror thriller ever, "Shutter" and "Alone" (trailers). If you're a big fan of Thai horror movies, you'd know what I'm talking about.


Teaser:
There is an urban legend about a village where screams and shrieks fill the night. Mass murders are taking place and no matter how much the residents pray, it seems like nothing can save them. The death toll continues and the residents are fleeing from this place. This cursed place is called "Laddaland".Synopsis: Thee has bought a new house in a neighborhood named Laddaland and relocated his family - wife Parn, teenage daughter Nan, and son Nat - from Bangkok for a better life away from his mother-in-law who despises him. Parn and Nat are thrilled but Nan is peeved about having to settle down in a brand new environment. Barely a few weeks later, bizarre things start to happen in the neighborhood.

This is the best line from the synopsis - "Death is something we all must face sooner or later, but in Laddaland, your dead neighbors are what you must deal with."


Laddaland is not as eerie as Shutter but it's hauntingly compelling with shock factors, especially unbearably dreary slo-mo scenes with jarring music to scare the pants off you. Apart from dealing with ghosts, this movie also probes the issue of family dysfunction and how much stress a family could handle before everyone is pushed to their limits.

If you're a Thai horror flick fan, I do recommend this movie.


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Movie: My Best Bodyguard (我的最佳保镖) (2010)

My Best Bodyguard (我的最佳保镖) (2010) is the action debut of HRH Princess Ubolratana, the Princess of Thailand. This movie is a collaboration between Thailand and Hong Kong.

Well, I wasn't aware that the leading actress is a princess till I did a search online.

Synopsis: Nicha (Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya), a famous and competent news reporter from Thailand stumbles upon a deadly secret about an experiment created by a foreign pharmaceutical company owned by Shawn Lee (Shawn Yue
余文樂).

The experiment uses unsuspecting Thai citizens as test subjects to find an antivirus. Nicha must find the victims before it's too late. Little does she know that her good intentions will send assassins from the pharmaceutical company after her.

To make matters more complicated, the National Security Special Detachment (NSSD), led by Jate, is also on a secret mission to eliminate the test subjects before the virus spreads throughout the country.

Action scenes, especially those that involve car-chases, heavy artillery, and things get blown up in this movie deserve thumbs up - not bad for a Thai-HK collaboration.
Acting wise, a few of the Thai male actors do worth a mention, especially the two lead actors, Jate the NSSD leader, and another unnamed solo assassin hired to protect Nicha. Shawn Yue (I think he's the only actor from HK) starts off with pretty impressive English but his impact in the movie dwindles horribly when he starts to babble his strings of conversation liners in most of the scenes involving him.

About the Princess, she's not an A-lister but kudos for her to step into an action genre to show her action chopping skills. There is always room for improvement but for now, word of advice, don't deliver your lines like an announcement to the people. (Quoting from movieXclusive)

Well, I won't say that you must watch this movie. It's a high budget production but with decent entertainment value. Do a search online and you might be able to download it.

Note: My previous statement does not imply that I support piracy or illegal downloads.
:)


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Movie: The Detective 2 (B+ 侦探) (2011)

The Detective 2 (B+ 侦探) (2011) is a Hong Kong thriller movie by the Pang brothers. It's the sequel to the 2007 movie, The Detective (C+ 侦探).

Synopsis: Private investigator Tam (Aaron Kwok) is embroiled in the investigation of horrendous serial killings after his buddy Inspector Chak (Liu Kai Chi) showed him some photos of the crime scenes. As his investigation goes deeper, all clues suggest that the murderer is a psychopath suffering from multiple personality disorder. Can Tam find the killer and solve the case?

Based on reviews, the visual impact of the movie is said to be good but the storyline is less impressive and with an insufficient level of suspense compared to 2007's The Detective, also starring Aaron Kwok and Liu Kai Chi.

As this movie rolls on, I couldn't help but recognize undeniably strong affiliation with Thai cinematography and story presentation. Well, the whole movie is shot in Thailand and the projection of society in rundown, sleazy Bangkok is really strong.


The storyline focuses on the dark side of human nature prominently and creates slow-building, terrifying, and heart-gripping tension with clever sound effects and camera plays.

However, there's one thing that I find a bit off about this movie. Most of the dominant roles, I mean the supposedly Thai characters, speak to one another in either Cantonese and Mandarin. Now this is weird. I
've been to Thailand before and it's impossible to hear day-to-day conversations in either Mandarin and Cantonese, not even English, without a decent word in the Thai language.

Finally, the movie ends with a weird, open ending. I wonder if the Pang brothers have decided to do a A+ Detective in the future.

Anyway, if you like movies by the Pang brothers, you might want to watch this movie. :)
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Buna Kafe & Restoran @ Ground Floor, Kelana Mall

Buna Kafe & Restoran, located at Ground Floor, Kelana Mall specializes in Thai and Kelantanese dishes. I've had my lunch and dinner at this restaurant with colleagues and friends for countless times.

Note: Buna's Foursquare venue.

Apart from rice and noodles dishes, Buna also serves Thai sweet desserts with coconut milk as well as the well-known Thai salads - Songtum (Young Papaya Salad) & Kerabu Mangga (Mango Salad).

Take a look at some their delicious and recommended dishes.

Green Curry Beef and Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables

Ikan Tiga Rasa (Three Flavored Fish)

Sweet and Sour Fish

Kailan Ikan Masin (Stir-fried Kailan with Salted Fish)

White Tom Yum

Green Curry Chicken Laksa

Tom Yum Beehoon

Beef Kueh Teow Soup

Pad Wun Sen (Fried Vermicelli) and Nasi Dagang Ikan

I like this restaurant because I get good, delicious food at affordable prices. Prices range from RM5 for salads and stir-fry vegetables to RM9.90 (Tom Yum, noodles and rice dishes). Main meat dishes such as chicken, beef, fish, etc will be charged differently according to cooking style. 10% service charge will be added to your overall bill too.

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Here are some of their awesome and delicious desserts.

Water Chestnut and Jackfruit with Coconut Milk

Mango with Sticky Rice and Coconut Milk

Kuih Tako

There are many more great dishes. Do drop by soon. :)
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Project 365 2011 - Photo #25

Awesome and must-try Beef Kueh Teow Soup from Buna Kafe & Restoran @ Ground Floor, Kelana Mall.

Foursquare

There are many other delicious dishes such as Green Curry Chicken with Rice, Chicken and Cashew Nut with Rice, White Tom Yum with Rice, Roti Jala with Chicken Curry, and many more! Their desserts are awesome too, especially Water Chestnut and Jackfruit with Coconut Milk.

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