From our Blog
An Italian's Adventurous Food Trip to Malaysia (By Happysuffer)
Tuesday,
April 22, 2014
Cinzia Greco, who
loves travelling made a trip to Kuala Lumpur recently and enjoyed it so much
that she wants to share her wonderful experience.
Food, good food
at that, elevates a travel experience. Here. Cinzia (Cynthia) shares the food
she eat at her friend's new outlet. And if you are in Kuala Lumpur, you may
want to give the Gastro Project in Section 17, Petaling Jaya a try and be blown
away by their food, the decor, well, the whole experience!
Cinzia also
shares some travel booking sites that she uses for her travel needs. Images are also courtesy of Cinzia.
Thank you,
Cinzia, for sharing your experience. I hope you enjoyed yourself here in
Malaysia and will be back soon.
Read Cinzia's
travel story:
One visit to
Malaysia is enough to make you fall in love with it and to inspire in you the
desire to travel there again.
However, if you
are expecting a post describing the countless natural beauties of this country,
you should not be reading this as I would rather focus on a specific aspect of
my most recent experience in Malaysia. So, keep on reading if you like to find it
out.
What is so great about Malaysia is the
extraordinary melting pot of races and cultures, the balanced mash-up of
traditions and religions where diversity is seen as something positive, an
enrichment rather than a limitation.
Perfect evidence for this is the local
cuisine, an explosive combination of gastronomic ingredients that, if combined
together in the right way, can create exquisite recipes and dishes.
During my last trip to Malaysia, I got the
chance to have an excellent guide: a good old friend of mine I met in UK
several years ago.
I was really excited to see him after so long
(unfortunately, in my previous visit to Malaysia we could not meet up as he was
abroad for work).
Plus, I was particularly excited as I knew he
and his family had open a new fusion restaurant and bar in Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, near the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, just for the sake of their
shared passion: food.
I could not wait any longer to go there and
try what they describe as a sublime culinary experience and not only.
This time, I did
not have to bother with accommodation search as my friend was putting me up in
his apartment. But just to provide readers with useful information, during my
very first visit to Malaysia I checked the various accommodation options listed
in the main hotel booking portals, such as Booking.com and Expedia. Eventually
I ended up choosing a nice hotel through the HotelsClick website simply because
they were offering the best price. Before booking my room, I gathered some
information about this site that was previously unknown to me and, although
opinions were different and not all positive, I just clicked the book now
button… And I have to admit that everything went great!
For my next trip
in general, I’d like to use this site http://www.homestaybooking.com/ that put
travellers in contact with local host families: I think it could be a different
way of travelling.
But let’s go back
to my latest trip. My friend couldn't pick me up at the airport and, to tell
you the truth, that was better for me as, when I travel on long distances, I
tend to suffer from jet-lag quite a lot. So I was happy to have some time to
recover and to meet my friend at the top of my shape.
We had arranged
to meet the day after my arrival at The Gastro Project, their restaurant. He
didn't tell me much about the place so it was a great surprise to find out
that, apart from food, they had conceived it almost as a movie sanctuary with
plenty of photos and posters from the film-making industry (loved the Godfather
series!). That was a goal for me considering my passion for movies: the
combination between food and cinema is a winning one! (They also have a wall
screen projecting movies on a daily schedule).
Cocktailing at
the bar
So, on my
friend’s tip, I started my experience at The Gastro Project at the bar with a
cocktail, of course. I had Hmmmm which is made of fresh strawberries, almonds,
brown sugar, dark rum and midori liqueur. Sublime!
They also serve
beers and different types of wines. To make sure you have something to taste
along with your cocktail, finger foods and canapés are always handy.
Chatting with my
friend made me hungry: time had come for dinner!
Dining at the
restaurant
So we moved to
the restaurant area where, you know what… I could not make my mind up while I
was reading the menu. So I had to trust my friend once again. According to him,
one of most popular dishes, something The Gastro Project has become famous for,
is the Japanese salad. And after tasting it, I understood why!
I don’t think
there is a better dish to begin your dinner with: your belly will be grateful
to enjoy this delicate salad made of greens, avocado, pomegranate, pine nuts
and edamame with a delicious topping of sesame dressing.
After the salad,
I opted for a selection of two pasta dishes: spaghetti aglio e olio with
crabmeat andorecchiette with lamb and cumino sauce.
My friend had
pumpkin ravioli: of course I tasted them and I must say they were excellent.
Being a lover of
lamb meat and couscous, my second course choice was obvious: lamb stewed with
carrot and apricot and served with aromatic couscous. The meat literally melt
in my mouth as though it was butter.
I was ready for
dessert, but first I need to refresh my palate with a mint sorbet. I have to say that I am not passionate about
dessert, but still I had to taste their offer. So I went for a trio of dessert
including:
• an English
strawberry trifle with layers of fresh cream, custard and strawberries
• some chocolate
cake balls with rum cocoa sauce (a must for chocolate lovers)
• a truly
original cardamon pannacotta with a caramel sauce
I don’t need to
say that every dish was paired with the most appropriate selection of wines.
I am Italian and
the passion for good food is ingrained in my DNA. Also when I am travelling,
I’d love to enjoy the most typical local recipes or, as in this case, the
combination of different influences merging into the same dish.
So, it was a
pleasure for me to discover that we Italians have this passion in common with
the Malaysian people.
By Happysuffer
http://all-about-malaysia.blogspot.com
Homestay
Malaysian Homestay Programme
What is a homestay programme?
A homestay programme gives tourists the opportunity to stay with a chosen family, interact and experience the daily life of their homestay family and learn the culture and lifestyle of the rural community in Malaysia. A homestay programme cannot be classified as a lodging facility. It focuses more on lifestyle and experience, including cultural and economic activities.
What types of activities are offered in a homestay programme?
Each homestay programme offers different types of activities, depending on the culture, food, economic activity as well as location. Every state in Malaysia has its own uniqueness in terms of culture, ranging from the nasi dagang in Kelantan to the sumazau dance in Sabah, as well as the long houses in Sarawak. Examples of homestay activities include:
(i) Culture and Lifestyle
History
Traditional dances, traditional songs and traditional food
Traditional games and sports
Culture: marriage, assembly of animal sacrifice and festivals
(ii) Economic Activity
Rubber tapping
Fish breeding
Agriculture: paddy, cocoa, oil palm, fruit
(iii) Recreation
Sightseeing
Jungle trekking
White water rafting
Visit to nearby tourism products
(iv) Environmental preservation
Tree Planting Programme: Tourists are encouraged to plant trees at their homestays with the aim of preserving the environment and further beautifying the landscape of the homestays.
The Malaysia Rail Explorer is a new homestay package where tourists are invited to experience rural life in Kelantan. Visiting Kelantan by train is the best way to experience the culture and traditions of the state apart from enjoying the railway journey from Singapore to Kelantan. For further information and to make reservations for this package.
How much are the homestay packages?
A 2-day 1-night homestay package is between RM150 and RM250 inclusive of accommodation, food and activities (the cost depends on the activities offered by the homestay operator and activities requested by tourists). A detailed cost for each package can be obtained from the official Homestay Malaysia website.
How do I make a reservation for a homestay?
The particulars and cost of each package can be obtained at the official website of Homestay Malaysia. Tourists may choose the state they wish to visit as well as the activities they wish to participate in. The map to the homestay and the information about each homestay can also be found at the website which makes it convenient for tourists to make their reservations directly.
The Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC) at Jalan Ampang is the focal point for information about tourism in Malaysia. It also provides the facility to make reservations for homestays.
"The Malaysia Rail Explorer" is a new homestay package inviting tourists to experience rural life in Kelantan by taking the train from Singapore. It is the best way to learn more about the culture and traditions of the state.
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