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Cuisine in Melaka

MELAKA BEACH FESTIVAL 2011

24 November 2011 | Last updated at 01:17AM

100,000 expected at Tanjung Bidara’s beach festival
By Jason Gerald John | 0 comments
MALACCA: Some 100,000 people, both locals and tourists, are expected at the Melaka Beach Festival 2011, which would be held at the Tanjung Bidara beach from Dec 9 to 11.
tanjung bidara

The scenic Tanjung Bidara beach will host modern water-sport activities and also traditional games next month.

The festival’s organising committee chairman, Datuk Abdul Karim Sulaiman, who is also the Tanjung Bidara assemblyman, said the event would involve both modern water-sport activities and also traditional games.

Among the activities which would be held during the three-day beach festival are sailing competitions, pillow fights, climbing the slippery pole, tug-of-war, beach volleyball and soccer, duck catching competition and mountain bike racing.

“Besides these activities, we would also be organising a beach run, fishing competition, kite flying competition, karaoke competition and also the Big Bike Charity Wash,” he said recently.

Karim said the event, which is organised by the State Tourism Promotion Board and the Alor Gajah Municipal Council, would also see a career opportunity and exhibition by the Armed Forces.

“Pos Malaysia Bhd will host a photography exhibition and a sepak takraw competition at the event.

“This event would be a huge hit among visitors to the state as it is one of the year-end programmes which had been included in the 2011 Melaka Tourism Calendar.

“I hope people from all walks of life from in and out of the country would join us for the three days of fun, games and family outing, especially during the school holidays.

“I am sure there would be something for all family members and visitors to participate in and it would surely be a memorable experience,” he said.

Read more: 100,000 expected at Tanjung Bidara’s beach festival – Central – New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/central/100-000-expected-at-tanjung-bidara-s-beach-festival-1.10102#ixzz1eaajkhmv

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Tourism Malaysia

Sushi Heng

November 24, 2011 at 12:00 pm

A friend of mine once said that in essence, Japanese food is simple but elegant. It is never difficult to learn the ways of making sushi or even a bowl of miso soup. However, this simplicity is the very same thing that makes it challenging. While anyone can make sushi, not everyone is able to make it really good and delicious. Though this fact may change with years of practice, something tells me that there are other factors that contribute greatly to the makings of a great chef.

Chef Nicholas Heng at his stall in Asia Cafe at SS15 Subang Jaya

Of late, Malaysians are spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting their favourite restaurants for Japanese cuisine. Eateries like Saisaki, Iketeru at Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Jogoya, Sagano at Renaissance Hotel and Rakuzen offer not only a wide selection of Japanese cuisine, but are also known for their authenticity and quality in all of their dishes. This also means that to enjoy really good Japanese food, one must be prepared to pay as it usually comes at a price. So what can a person do if they want great tasting sushi but not burn a hole in their pocket? They go to Sushi Heng.

It is always busy come dinner time at Sushi Heng

Do not let the name fool you though. Sushi Heng is not a spin-off of another famous Japanese food franchise that most of us know. This quaint stall modelled after a typical Japanese eatery is located within Asia Cafe in SS15, Subang Jaya. The stall is manned by Chef Nicholas Heng, hence the name ‘Sushi Heng’. Now one may wonder, what is it that makes this place so unique and different from the many other stalls that offers sushi. Well, other than the fact that the food is absolutely delicious to both the eye and the tastebuds, Chef Nicholas has a knack for creating something different for his customers.

Chef Nicholas teaching his assistant how to roll carrot slices for decoration

Chef Nicholas uses a special machine to make the sheets of pear and radish

The thinly sliced sheets of pear and carrot, used to create Chef Nicholas’ delicious sushi dishes

To be honest, when the invitation was sent to us requesting for a food review for a Japanese restaurant, we did not have any expectations. So, with an open mind and heart, we sat down and waited for Chef Nicholas to awe and amaze us with his wonderful creations. He began by serving us with one of his specially created dish known as the Diet Roll. Yes ladies and gentlemen, who said that those who are on a diet cannot enjoy Japanese food? The Diet Roll does not have any rice in it, yet it is sufficiently filling to act as a meal on its own. Instead of the usual nori sheet to wrap the ingredients, Chef Nicholas used a thinly sliced sheet of pear skin and radish. It was a delightful change as the sweet skin was crunchy and firm to the bite, and when combined with the prawn tempura and ebi, vegetables and avocado slice, the taste was not too heavy nor was it bland.

The Diet Roll

The Diet Roll is so delicious, it makes dieting a piece of cake!

The next dish prepared by Chef Nicholas really caught our attention. This roll is called the Special Roll and it has red tuna, soft shell crab and avocado inside. The whole dish was sprinkled with sliced strawberries and different types of fish roe and drizzled with mayonnaise. Chef Nicholas was generous with his portions, which made every mouthful heavenly as one can not only taste the rice but also every bit of the other ingredients as well. The one thing that was noticeable was the fact that Chef Nicholas makes it a point to not only make wonderful tasting sushi, he also ensures that the presentation of the dish is ‘appetising’ to the eyes too. It might be a wild guess, but I assume that a person’s appetite and curiosity is greatly whetted when the food looks extremely appealing.

The Special Roll

The Special Roll has a piece of red tuna, soft shell crab and avocado inside

No Japanese restaurant is ever complete without offering raw ingredients on its menu, and a review without trying the restaurant’s sashimi dishes would not do the restaurant much justice. So naturally, our next dish was Chef Nicholas’ Sashimi Mix. The dish offered a selection of three kinds of fish, salmon, red tuna and butterfish. The salmon was nothing short of exquisite. It was smooth and fresh and after a chew or two, it literally melts in one’s mouth. It was indeed a very welcomed experience when compared to other salmon sashimi dishes offered at chain outlets that offer Japanese food. The same goes for the red tuna and butterfish slices. Though the red tuna has a firmer consistency to it, it was never chewy or tough and also melted in one’s mouth after a while. Once again, we could see Chef Nicholas’ generosity through the thick slices that was offered on the plate.

The Sashimi Mix

Salmon Sashimi

Butterfish Sashimi

Red Tuna Sashimi

We ended our review session with the Salmon Skin Roll. The Salmon Skin Roll came with a serving of deep-fried salmon skin on the side and was garnished with fish roe, slices of strawberries and fresh seaweed drizzled with mayonnaise sauce. The salmon skin turned out to be quite an unexpected surprise as it was crisp and devoid of any fishy and oily aftertaste, something that other outlets struggle to perfect.

The Salmon Skin Roll

A piece of the Salmon Skin Roll, beautifully decorated with strawberry slices, fish roe and mayonnaise

The salmon skin are crisp and crunchy with no fishy and oily aftertaste

So, at the very end, what makes this dining affair at Sushi Heng so special? For us at Malaysia.com, it is the fact that despite eating in a place that can be considered simple and down-to-earth, the food that was served was nothing less than heavenly.

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Tourism Malaysia

Aladdin The Musical

November 23, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Who can ever forget the enchanting tale of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine in Disney cartoon’s ‘Aladdin‘. His charms and dashing smile melted the hearts of many a peasant girl as well as Princess Jasmine. Together with the fast-talking and crazy Genie of the Lamp, they expose Jafar’s evil plans of becoming the world’s most powerful sorcerer and Sultan of Agrabah and saves the kingdom from falling into his evil hands. And like all Disney’s cartoons, Aladdin wins Princess Jasmine’s heart in the end and they both live happily ever after.

Come 25th November 2011 till 2nd January 2012, Sunway Lagoon is proud to present Aladdin The Musical. Be prepared to be entertained by Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, the jovial ‘rapping’ Genie and the evil Jafar as they transport the crowd into the magical land of Askabar. This extravagant West End production promises to enthral the audiences with flying carpets, pyrotechnics and even snow, bringing this age old fairytale of Aladdin to life. The six principal characters will be played by talents from London’s famous West End and will be joined by an international ensemble cast of dancers, fire eaters and stilt-walkers.

Aladdin The Musical

So come and experience a fun and magical time with Aladdin The Musical at the Amphitheatre @ Sunway Lagoon. The musical will show once a day and twice on Saturdays. There will also be extra shows on 25th December 2011 and 1st January 2012. Tickets are priced at RM 100, RM 200, RM 250 and RM 300 for adults and RM 50, RM 100, RM 120 and RM 150 for children up to 12 years old. Performance schedules are as below:

Shows from Sundays to Fridays @ 8.00 pm

Shows on Saturdays at 7.15 pm and 9.15 pm

Extra shows on 25th December 2011 AND 1st January 2012 at 7.15 pm and 9.15 pm.

*Please note that there will be no shows on TUESDAYS.

For those who would like to purchase the tickets, please log on to AirAsia Red Tix’s website here or call Sunway Lagoon at 03 5639 0000. Alternatively, one can also purchase tickets for Aladdin The Musical at the following Rock Corner outlets located in The Gardens, Mid Valley, Mid Valley, KLCC, Subang Parade, The Curve and One Utama. Tickets can also be purchased at Victoria Music outlets located at Sungei Wang, Amcorp Mall, Tropicana Mall and Bangsar Shopping Centre.

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Tourism Malaysia

Stories From The Hills [SFTH]

November 23, 2011 at 2:25 pm

The greatest treasure that travellers carry home from their journeys are not exotic items and artifacts from faraway lands, nor are they precious metals and gems from the four corners of the world. No, the most valued treasure a traveller accumulates are the stories of the places he has been and of the people he has met. The most famous traveller of them all, the legendary Marco Polo, knew the truth of this, and till this day, he is remembered because he knew how to tell a great story.

The view of the Titiwangsa Mountain Range from Casa Brina, Pahang

And so, in the spirit of Marco Polo, we now share with you, our readers, some of the stories we came across during the Kembara Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia Pahang 2011.

Chapter 1: “I never looked back ever since”
The story of Mr. Francis, the best tour guide in Malaysia and how he started on this amazing journey

Chapter 2: “A journey of love back to nature”
The story of how a lady saved a river and turned it into a little piece of paradise

More chapters will be added in the upcoming days, so stay tuned.

Check out the candid photos we took of the trip at our facebook page here

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Tourism Malaysia

The Best Tour Guide In Malaysia [SFTH1]

November 23, 2011 at 2:26 pm

“I never looked back ever since”

Mr. Francis Loh, arguably the best tour guide in Malaysia

On our journey in Pahang, we were led by Mr. Francis Loh, a man who laid claim to the title of the Best Tour Guide In Malaysia. You could sense that he was proud of bearing the title, even though it might carry with it a hint of self grandeur. The truth, however, is that he deserves the title. Hailing from Balik Pulau, Penang, Mr. Francis has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of all things tourism related in Malaysia, and like many other people we met in Pahang, carries nature close to his heart.

Mr. Francis leading the Kembara Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia Pahang group to the village of Janda Baik, Pahang

The many spots that we passed along our journey in Pahang came alive through his vivid descriptions and explanations. The anecdotes he shared with us flowed freely, allowing us a glimpse of the beauty of nature, as things that might have been ordinary were revealed as precious and rare treasures. A master storyteller, he kept us all enthralled and in awe of the richness that surrounded us.

The view of the Titiwangsa Mountain Range from Casa Brina, Pahang

His own story of how he began as a tour guide is no less compelling and dramatic. Quite a while back, he was part of a weekend trip to a waterfall near Janda Baik, Pahang. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the rest of the group had gone ahead, leaving he and his family to catch up with them when they could. The trek into the jungle meant that Mr. Francis and his family would need to navigate across a waterfall, one that plunged around 90 feet down into a deep pool. Mr. Francis did not make it across that day, instead he slipped and went over the falls.

The next thing he knew, he was in the pool, looking up at the rushing water, at the very bottom of the waterfall. And he was alive. He made his way back to his family, and what followed was a soul searching journey for him that set him firmly on his current path – as the best tour guide in Malaysia.

This is the first article of Stories From the Hills, the feature series on Kembara Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia Pahang 2011

Check out the candid photos we took of the trip at our facebook page here

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