Kingwood Hotel, Sibu -.-

Whisper: It's good to be home!!!

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As RH Hotel, Paramount Hotel and Premier Hotel were fully booked, I was arranged to stay in Kingwood Hotel yesterday. Kingwood Hotel is located at the riverbank of Rejang River (aka “Teh C Peng River”) which is quite convenient for travellers of express boat.

Superior - Single

However, this hotel is not so near to town center though you still can get around on your foot to the Sibu Central Market, pasar malam and even Wisma Sanyan.

Dressing table

On top of this, there are some expansion works going on near to existing building of Kingwood Hotel. The expansion covers the additional rooms, new apartment suites and the biggest banquet hall. And, according to the hotel spokesman, they are aiming to become the first 5-star hotel in Sibu.

Bathroom

Well, before going too far, I would say their service is fine but would they mind to relook at their existing facilities? Not only their TV programs are limited, the equipments and furniture are wore off as well. Imagine the power of the room just tripped off while you are watching TV program, only the air-cond and the entrance light were working. You can't even turn on any other lights nor TV. How creepy and spooky it was...when this happened without your knowledge and you were alone!!!! This doesn't happen once only, it keeps occurring! I'm so mad and I complaint to the receptionist, “You better do something about it!!!”.

Would you use this kettle to boil drinking water?

Last night, the power worked fine until I went to bed, so I assumed they fixed the problem already. However, this morning when I woke up, I found that the power is actually tripped off (how sound I sleep ... -____-). So, I got up to adjust the key slot and turn on all the lights.

The furniture is rather wore off

Halfway brushing my teeth, the power tripped again and the bathroom was dark =..= Then, I adjusted the key slot again and turned on the lights in the bathroom. After a while, it tripped AGAIN! !!!#@#$% Without second thought, I quickly dressed up and checked out from the hotel. I don't feel like to stay in this hotel any longer, not even 1second! What the *&^%#$%!!!!!!

Food That I Won't Miss Out In Sibu

Whisper: Still in Sibu, I'm =\

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If time is allowed, I will always take a meal at the following eateries. Furthermore, these eateries are accessible within walking distance.

Assorted BBQ

This food stall is known for its Cha Sao Jee (BBQ Chicken). It used to be located at the corner cafe near HSBC Sibu. However, it has now moved to Lian Kiew Cafe which is located at the shophouse behind HSBC Sibu.

You are allowed to pick the BBQ items you like to have, and of course they will charge you accordingly. Personally, I like the crispy pork and sausage served by this BBQ stall.

Assorted Plate (RM5.00)

Chu Cha at Sibu Central Market

I still remember few years back, my colleagues and I stationed in Sibu for few months. This food stall has become our dinner place as it not only serve nice food but the price is reasonable too.

There's a wide selections of food served by this food stall, namely Thai style pork, Thai style squid, Thai style chicken, claypot beancurd, claypot pork with salted fish, sea cucumber soup .etc.

Thai Style Squid

I had my dinner here last week and there are only two of us. We ordered a Thai Style Squid and Cangkuk Manis with egg. It only costed us RM10.20 inclusive of 2 plates of plain rice. We're so full that night.

Cangkuk Manis with Egg

While having the meal at food stall No.90, I ordered a goh bee teng from the beverage stall next to it. It's worth to try the goh bee teng served by this stall.

Goh Bee Teng (RM1.20)

Together Tea House
This place is very cozy and you can choose to sit on the floor to enjoy your meal. They provide a wide selections of snack food and beverages.

Fried Yee Mian (RM4.00)

Among the food served by this cafe, I like to ordered their salad fish tauhu and mix vermicelli soup.

A-Plus Food Centre
This restaurant provide all types of chu cha, you name it, you get it, all except orh jien =P

If I visit to this restaurant, I will not forget to order their chei loi (balitung) fried with dry chillies. It's very yummy, I like it!

Siong Kee Tua Kua Mee
Lastly, not to forget the kampua in Sibu. There are millions of kampua stalls in Sibu but this is the kampua stall I like to visit.

At one point of time, this cafe became our breakfast place when we were stationed in Sibu. We all like to eat the tu kua mee (pig liver noodle) prepared by the stall owner. They serve the noodle separately from the tu kua soup and it only cost RM3.50.

kampua mix with soya sauce

On top of this, it was said that the owner of this food stall is actually a very famous bestman in Sibu. A lot of Sibuans invite him to be their bestman during their wedding, don't play play.

Tu kua soup

All in all, there're still a lot of nice food out there in Sibu. My experiences tell me that you will never get hungry when you come to Sibu, considering the food selections and portion.

RH Hotel, Sibu

View from my room - facing the teh-c-peng river

After get off from the plane, we hired a taxi to RH Hotel. This is where we are going to stay thoughout the trip.

Bathroom

As a frequent traveller to Sibu, I will say this is the best hotel I ever stay in Sibu at this point of time. It is located strategically in Sibu town area.

Coffee corner

There is even a bridge crossing to Wisma Sanyan which enable the hotel guests to get to the shopping complex easily. It is very convenient!

Big big bed

Besides, the room is cozy, spacy and clean.

Dressing table

Please Switch Off Your Handphone

Kuching International Airport

I've reached Sibu safely and the flight doesn't delay. However the weather doesn't seem to be very good, the sky was quite cloudy. Thus, it was quite shakky inside the plane. @____@

This is what you get of payingRM270++ for the ticket -.-

During the flight, my colleague and I have heard a familiar Nokia message tone. We guess someone might have forgot to switch off the handphone. =\

This is what happen at the arrival hall where there is 2 flight landed around the same time, it's so congested!

After the plane has landed and before the fasten seatbelt sign is turned off, everyone get up from their seats and unload their baggages from the overhead compartment. While waiting for our turn to get down from the plane, I overheard a phone conversation, well, actually is that uncle speak too loud.

uncle: "hello, eh, I don't dare to pick up your phone just now ... the plane still flying"

=..= Ladies and gentlemen, please tell me, got difference mer?

Sibu Airport

If the plane is crashed, something happen to me (choi, dai kat lai xi!) I'll cekik that uncle first!

Pre-Sibu-Syndrome (PSS)

I'll be flying off to Sibu tomorrow on official duty for FIVE DAYS FOUR NIGHTS ... sob ... sob... T___T


So as to comfort myself, I went to Tomoe Japanese Cuisine for lunch today with my colleagues and we have ordered an Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza)....ssshhhh......... =X

Okonomiyaki , RM12.00 (Sorry, Galvin ... you gigit meja dulu ya)

Big Prawn, Big Prawn, Here I Come!

We are not going to Serian for no reason. The next itinerary in the line is to visit a kopitiam at a small town near Serian - Tebakang. Sounds insane? I don't care and you'll know why later, bleeekkkk!!

Jit Hin

This shop is quite deep inside the kampung so it's not recommended to go there alone. However, it's known for its big big fresh water lobster. I learn about it from one of my colleagues who has visited this shop earlier on.

Ginger Sua Tu Bak (Swine Pork)

This is my second visit to this shop. I still remember the first time I visited this shop, I can keep myself quiet for 20 minutes and fully concentrate on eating the prawn joyfully (one only wor, imagine how big the prawn is!) when the prawns were served. Not even the sky fall down, hiak!

Bilin cooked with local red wine

However, this round kak su a bit as the tau keh nio says "today the prawn not so big". T____T

Though a bit disappointed, but we still order the prawn laa. Nonetheless, the prawn is fresh and sweet, yummy!

Fresh water lobster cooked in tomato paste

Before we left the shop, we asked for their contact so that we can call up and check with them next time, rather than we drive all the way from town and get the words "today no prawn" (pengsan).

Jit Hin 益兴
Phone Number: 082-895154 (This number was given by the kid, hope he didn't holland me)
Closed on every Monday

A Day Trip to Ranchan Recreational Park

Ranchan Recreational Park or much well known as Ranchan Pool by the locals in Miaw Miaw Land is located near to Serian town, which about 60km from Kuching. It's a cool place to visit during holiday or weekend with your family or friends. It's also a ideal place to getaway from the buzzy town.


However, a recent visit to Ranchan Pool makes me feel regret about its facilities and surrounding though the trip is fun. The facilities look abandoned and litter can be seen everywhere. It looks so awful!

Besides, there are also lack of directive sign boards to the water catchment areas. Imagine at one point of time, we do not know which way to go when we try to reach higher level of Ranchan Pool. =..=

Another thing that I'm quite boh lat is the lady toilet (I do not know how about guy toilet, I don't go, alright? Cause I'm a LADY). Imagine there are only 3 toilets available and there's no bathing facilities in place. 3 toilets!!!! Where got enough if the place is crowded??? We have to stand there in wet and wait for our turns, sigh! And, we can only use the poor little water pipe to rinse the water on to our body. I even have to squat down to get the water rinsed on to my body as the water pipe is too short, kanasai! This is so inconvenient for day tripper like us (You gotta pay RM0.20 to enter the toilet).

Abuden, look at the bright side, there's no entrance fee charged when visiting the park waa, what to do?!

Lucky Strike

When we are on our way to Serian Ranchan Pool in Oocean's car yesterday, suddenly something dup and splash on the car windscreen.


We all quickly switch our focus to the car windscreen when Oocean screamed out "got bird shit on my car!!!" (something like that laa as my processor is low yesterday) Muahahahaha.....don't know simik bird aim the target so well! =X

"Cheng"

When comes to eating "cheng", the kopitiam near to Bishop Gate at Carpenter Street is always the best choice. I went there to have my lunch yesterday as I have longer lunch break.

Why? Firstly, it's not easy to get a parking space at Carpenter Street. Secondly, this place is always packed with the locals and tourists. Thirdly, the seats are limited.

Waiting for the food hungrily

So, whenever you want to eat the "cheng" at this kopitiam, be prepared to (based on my own experiences):

• stand near to people who have finished or almost finished their food so that you can quickly grab the seats.
• ask people if can share table with them.
• Wait for your table to be cleaned and place your drinks order to the lady I circle in blue.
• sit and wait passionately for the guy I circle in red to place the utensils on your table and take your order (this is the way they are doing it, so don't keh kiang and approach him to give your order, he will refuse it).
• wait for the food to be served

“cheng” (RM6.00 for Big bowl, can be shared by two)

The "cheng" usually comes with 3 layer meat, minced meat, fish cakes, fish balls, prawns and various type of pig spare parts boiled with salted vegetable and seaweed. With the recommendations from my other colleague, we order the O Cho Mee (kolo mee with black vinegar) and it turns out pretty nice too.

O Cho Mee Kosong (RM1.50)

Oh ya, besides the "cheng" and the kolo mee, it is also worth to try out their Teh C Peng too.

50 Cents

Yo~ yo~ check it! check it! ....hey ya...ain't talking about Aaaaaaamerican rapper 50 cent...Rather is our Malaysiaaaaaaaaaaaa 50 cents coin....

If you realise, those 50 cents in release in 1960s - 1970s, there is a line in the middle instead of the words 'BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA'.

Naahhhh.....see...I got 3 biji ^____^ (I know...I know....3 only maa....shout simik shout) [whistle]

Something Different at Ramadan Bazar

Every year, Muslims will have one month fasting period according to their Islamic calendar. They will fast from dawn till sunset. **Salute** During this period, there will always be some Ramadan Bazars appear in Miaw Miaw Land. Most of the Muslims will shop the food there and bring home to eat when they are breaking their fast.

I used to visit the Ramadan Bazar at Satok during Ramadan and always come home with full handed of food. However, I have not been there for the past few years. I don't know why, maybe I'm too laaaazy to drive to Satok though I know there are a lot of tempting food congregate over there. Maybe it's also because the food is almost the same at every stall, just the matter which stall taste nicer.

Cucur rodei, cucur sayur, cucur udang

Mountain of lekor

Normally at this type of bazar, it's not very hard to find a wide variety of local delight in Miaw Miaw Land. The commonly seen dishes are nasi briyani, satey, umai, lekor, kuih, kebab, roasted chicken, .etc.

Kebab

Umai

This year, maybe I crave for 'sinful' food too long that I willing to make an effort to Ramadan Bazar at Satok. =P

gulp...look at the prawn...

Assorted kuih

When I walk in to the bazar, I can smell different type of food aroma flying in the air. Different scene of food also come into my vision. It's smokey too, as the hawkers panggang the satay on the spot.

Different type of soup: sup tomyam, sup su'uun, sup power, sup tendon, sup pari-pari, sup ayam cendawan

As I stroll along the food stall, a few food stalls draw my attention. I noticed there are even food stalls that sell ang ku kuih and bak zhang. Frankly say, this is my first time seeing Chinese traditional food sold at Ramadan Bazar.

Ang Ku Kuih

Bak Zhang

Apart from that, there is this leng cai making cotton candy there. We are attracted by the way he roll the cotton candy. He is very sporting and willing to let us take the shot while he is making the cotton candy. And hor, he gave us a free cotton candy before we left the spot, he is so kind! ^_______^

You see, you see, he can pull up so high!

At the end of food shopping, I still end up with full handed of food. Sigh, I thought I'm clever enough this time just to bring certain amount of money. So that, I can limit myself from over buying...but you see.... =______=