Kula, Kula Cakes!

This is by far the best place in Kuantan to go enjoy dessert.  We arrived at 6:15 PM and the place closed at 7PM. So, not very many choices left, but that doesn't matter.  Every dessert we've ever tried here has been out of this world delicious.


Tonight was Crème Brûlée and Mango Cheesecake

As mentioned in a previous blog, the Crème gets brûlée in front of you. Can you say fresh and hot?


But probably the best thing about Kula Cakes; the staff!


Yes, we have been here three times this trip and they recognize us. But the extra effort is that they are always smiles, come out to talk to us, and are just friendly.  Tonight we took the picture of two of them for the blog. Here they are:

Thumbs up for the hospitality and everyone that gets a chance, go check them out!


We are glad we went today, they are closed on Monday and we are heading out Tuesday.


Until next time, THANK YOU!

Sunday Night Dinner and Dessert

We are almost out of Kuantan.  We will travelling home on Tuesday.


For dinner tonight, we decided in a place that was rank high on our Kuantan Journey of Meals, The Black Pearl. A place well known for their pork (one of the few places in Kuantan that serves pork), their perfectly pour Guinness, and good food.  It did not disappointed.


The Elder has the Caesar salad and the Frenchman enjoyed the house specialty, the Normandy Pork Fillet.

For dessert, we decided to go to Kula Cake, the top rated Dessert Place in Kuantan. But this pace deserves a blog all to itself!

Santa and Santarina

We had the chance to see Santa and Santarina at the East Coast Mall.

We weren't sure who Santarina was, but we think that she is Santa's helper, sort of like an elf.

Here is what they look like. Notice that Santa is sitting and Santarina is standing next to him with a basket.

Friday's Lunch at Breeze Bar

Friday is the special lunch at Sunday Breeze Bar. This week was a delicious beef goulash with still the best fries in Kuantan. But the reason for this post is to once more share the view at Breeze Bar.

Enjoyable!

Animal Farm, Malaysian style

We drove to Ombok Surf Cafe today for lunch. The food was very good. We both had the rosemary chicken salad and we definitely enjoyed the meal and the area. Ombok means wave in Malay and the restaurant in close to the beach. Nice weather, good food. This was an enjoyable lunch.

Now, to the animal farm part of the trip.  We saw a cow and a goat freely walking around next to the main road and monkeys close to Ombok and Nutella (aka Sir Lancelot) at Ombok. The cat was there last and came by to visit us.

Be careful when walking

Walking and driving in Kuantan has been challenging, fun, scary, different.

Case in point, we were walking across the street to the mall. Of course, if you are not used to driving on the opposite side, this also applies to looking the correct way when crossing.  That can be challenging.

We pretty much have that part mastered.  Across the street we go, and then we are safely in the parking lot where cars are going slow and stop when you are crossing since there is a lot of traffic.

But today, the Frenchman was run over by a van and a driver busy not looking at the road.  The only thing that save him was quick thinking and cat-like jump over the hood of the van with a hand on the van as a pummel horse.  The driver was apologetic, but that teaches us a lesson that we need to be extra careful, even in the parking lot.

Another night, another movie - Jumanji

As mentioned before, for some reason, movies in Malaysia come to the theater days, if not weeks, before the official US opening date.


Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was no exception. It opens in the US on December 21, 2017 and we saw it in Kuantan on December 15, 2017.

We didn't expect much from this movie, but we were pleasantly surprise.  The movie theater was packed, much more than Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  Come to find out, Malaysia really likes Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson.


The movie was funny, well played, light and dark at the same time, and the audience participation (laughter, oohs and aahs when the Rock appeared) made it even better.


Two thumbs up from the two AIK left here.


Go see it!

No Longer Under Construction

Last year, there was a building under construction not far from the hotel, just to the west of the East Coast Mall.

We didn't realize it and would have missed it if one of the operators at the plant hadn't asked us if we had been to the new Kuantan City Mall.  The building was finished and opened in late October, 2017. It's a mall! About 50 meter from the other mall!

View of the new KCM with the Zenith Hotel behind, from Zam Zam

This is a new mall and not all the shops have been opened yet. So, we have to reserve judgment for the next time we come back, if there is a next time.  Currently, it's missing Christmas decorations.  The lone Christmas tree by the front door cannot compare to the Christmas opulence of the East Coast Mall with lights, decoration, Christmas music piped in, the Christmas shows and visits from Santa and Santarina.  We are not sure who Santarina is but we may be able to go see her on Saturday when she is at the East Coast Mall. We'll let you know.

Funny anecdote about the new mall:

As we are walking through the mall for the first time, we see new stores and new restaurants. One particular one is Johnny's, a hot pot restaurant. When we saw it, we weren't sure what type of food it was since we had never seen it before. We approach and figure out what it was and go on our merry way. We weren't in the mood for hot pot.

The next day, we are walking around the East Coast Mall as we have done hundreds of times by now, and the Elder points, laugh and says: "There is a Johnny's here too!"  We must have walked past it dozens of times if not more and never realized what it was, not made the connection when we were at the new mall!

Power of observance may not be our strong suit!

Jaya Grocer in the basement is a top of the line grocery store with a wide variety of fares, including US favorites. So, if you crave a particular brand of tomato sauce, peanut butter or pasta. You are sure to find it there.  It also has an entire area dedicated to organic food.  The price is a bit more as you would expect and is worth it for a piece of home.

Other notable stores are:

• Yubiso - A dollar store type of store with many trinkets good for stocking stuffers
• Mineyo Korea House - Another dollar store type store
• Brand Outlet and F.O.S - Inexpensive t-shirts and clothing

Dinner at an old favorite

Before enjoying the new Star Wars:The Last of the Jedi movie, we went to Zam Zam, a Middle-Eastern restaurant that was one of our favorites last year.

The food didn't disappoint, nor did the price.

We enjoyed falafel with hummus as a shared appetizer, a chicken shawarma for the Elder and a beef shawarma for the Frenchman.  Accompanied with a side salad and french fries, the meal was delicious and more than enough.

Adding two bottle waters, the grand total was 37 ringgit (that's $9.25!).

The Elder, Falafel & Hummus

SWTLJ

Yes, you had to open this blog to figure out what I am talking about.

One advantage of Malaysia is that we get to go see movies a few days ahead of the release date in the US!

Last night, the Elder and the Frenchman went to see the latest chapter of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (SWTLJ), two days before the US release date. CJ should be seeing it tonight while on vacation.

We would rank the movie two thumbs up. For a 2 1/2 hour movie, the time went by quickly, the story line was engaging, a few predictability that were not to be, plot twists, unexpected turns, cute animals (look out for them at a toys store near you - what would Star Wars be without a few commercial items) and leaving you with wanting more in Episode IX.

Here are the must have items of the 2017 Christmas season

the Porg

the Vulptex aka Crystal Fox

Gift Exchange?

CJ left us yesterday but not before getting the Elder and the Frenchman so delicious Hokkaido cheese and chocolate tarts.

Meanwhile, the Elder and the Frenchman gave CJ a t-shirt (Anti-social Social Club) and cards and dice set.  Please note the name of the set and the instructions found on the back.

In case you can't read what it says:

• Do not use play methods other than the cards themselves.
• Do not use uncivil methods such as throwing off the cards arbitrarily as this may injury eyes, bodies or cause accidents.

Sweet Sorrow

To quote Shakespeare "Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow"

One of the AIK started his vacation and the Elder and the Frenchmen had to leave him at the airport for him to be on his way:

Group hug!

Until Next Time!

This is the last time all three of us will be together in 2017.  With the changes coming up with our company (our division is being sold by the end of the year), who knows when the next time we will travel together again.

Last Lunch with CJ

CJ has a vacation scheduled starting this afternoon, so one of the AIK will be leaving us.

The weather was outstanding, perfect for a quick lunch trip to the Sunday Breeze Bar. The breeze, the blue sky, the sound of crashing waves on the shore... Who wants to go back to work?

CJ and the Frenchman had Beef Merguez with fries, while the Elder chose the Croquet Monster (Croque Monsieur).  While the merguez hotdogs were very good, the Elder was disappointed with his food.  He won't chose that next time we go back.

Good last lunch for the three AIK.

Merguez Hotdog and Croque Monsieur

Mission Accomplished

Since last year's Forrest Whitaker sighting, Eric has been obsessed to get his picture with him.

Forest declined the request last year. When we saw him again this year, we had to be a little tricky. I had to use my super duper extra long zoom lens in my best impersonation of a paparazzi.  The results are a little fuzzy, but I think it's unmistakable; Forest Whitaker in the flesh in Kuantan

Driving in Malaysia

Malaysia is a country that drives on the opposite side of the road from the US. That's not too bad to get used to, especially since the cars are constructed with the driver on the right side.

It does get confusing for a few days when driving to go to the correct side of the car to enter and drive.

But sometimes the signs can be confusing...

If I ask you, the reader, what does a red octagonal street sign with a white border indicate, most would say. "that's easy, it's a STOP sign"  But not in Kuantan, at least not inside the plant.

Here is the sign:

It is quite difficult to only SLOW at the sign, rather than STOP.

When we get back to the US, do you think that if I showed a policeman this sign he would understand why I only SLOWed at the STOP sign?

Three Thumbs Up Movie

Sunday evening rolled around and we decided to go see Thor: Ragnarok

This was a great movie.  We agree with Rotten Tomatoes very high 92% rating.

Even though the Elder did not see any of the previous Thor movies, there was nothing necessary in the other movies to follow the story line.  I did have to explain a few things that referenced older movies, but this did not distract from enjoying the movie.

Last time we were in Kuantan, we saw Dr. Strange. Thor: Ragnarok has the post credit clip that we saw then toward the beginning of the movie. That was a nice tie in.

Some of the favorite lines:

"He's a friend from work!"

"Welcome Dr. Banner, strongest Avenger!"

Brunch at La Casa

We headed to La Casa for the Sunday brunch but decide to order regular food.  CJ had the spaghetti meatballs, the Elder the eggplant and the Frenchman duck pasta.

The food was good but not awesome. CJ did have a question about his meatball and we talked to the owner, Thomas, about that.  He thanked us for the comment and went back to the kitchen.  He returned and told that he scrapped the meatballs and they are making a new batch.  He also comped us three Crème Brulée.

Another issue was that the appetizer, the beef tartare, showed up after the meal were coming out. We returned the main meal and asked them to keep them warm so we could enjoy the appetizer first.

This seems to be an issue in Kuantan.  The definition is as follows:

appetizer

noun

•  a small dish of food or a drink taken before a meal or the main course of a meal to stimulate one's appetite.

I think there is a disconnect with that definition in Malay.  Here is how to say it in Malay:

pembuka selera

I think we need to learn how to say that

Final Note about La Casa

#1 Restaurant and #1 Dessert place

Last night dinner cemented Def Leapard (aka Bayleaf Steakhouse) as the Top of the Top Tier restaurant in Kuantan, hands down.

The service was great, the food awesome again, and we didn't have just the steak which we previously ranked as best in Kuantan. The Elder had the Salmon Spinach Cheese, and CJ had the Rack of lamb.  The Frenchman had the tenderloin steak cooked blue.  We also had a side of Chinese rice. All cooked to perfection.

The appetizer actually showed up as the appetizer, the meals were served together. Service is top notch. The Elder spoke with the chef and owner to give him our compliments.

And Kula Cakes, excuse the pun, takes the cake!

Friendly service. The girl that brulee the creme at the previous visit, came out of the back to say hello to us.  Our choices that night was the coconut cake for the Elder and CJ and the Pavlova for the Frenchman.  The coconut cake was awesome and the Pavlova with its light cream filling and meringue crust was delicious.  As an aside, CJ ordered a bread pudding to take back to the hotel and have for breakfast. It was also outstanding.

The consistency of the quality and taste of the food along with the outstanding service earned Bayleaf #1 restaurant and Kula Cakes #1 Dessert place in Kuantan from the AIK!

Congratulations!

A day at the movies

We had a few minutes to spare after work and before bed and decided to walk to the theater at the East Coast Mall and enjoy a movie:  Justice League was the choice.

A definitely plus of movies in Kuantan is the price; 45 ringgit for the three AIKs ($3.75/person for assigned sitting)

A definitely minus of movies in Kuantan is the total lack  of movie etiquette; they were several small children sitting around us and, at times, we felt we were at the play ground. Children were running around, screaming, crying, jumping.  This is not the first time that we reviewed movies in Kuantan and lack of control (Movies in Kuantan)

Now to the movie review.

Rotten Tomatoes gives Justice League a 40% and My Little Pony a 46%

That pretty much sums up the movies.  Not DC best effort.  Wonder Woman was much better. 

Justice League is slow moving, inconsistent, and lack luster.  Wait for it on DVD, Netflix, Red Box, etc. if you have to pay full American movie theater prices.

Another day, another lunch

We thought we would try a newly opened restaurant at the mall across the way from the hotel, Seoul Garden.  CJ had tried it previously because it open after the two older AIKs left last year.  But this is a first for the Elder and the Frenchman.

In the tier level, Seoul Garden ranks as a middle tier.  The food was decent, the service pretty good. We sat outside. The weather was perfect for us, raining but we sat in a covered area. The inside was very cold because of the air conditioner

The Pros:

• They give you a glove to eat the hot wings.

 The Cons:

• They didn't have all the food that we wanted
• No Mandu
• No cream of chicken soup

We would return as a quick place for lunch that is convenient to the hotel.