Eat Breakfast Singapore Style in Dubai @ Ya Kun Coffee & Toast

there’s a new place in dubai that takes me home – the feeling of eating breakfast at a kopitiam back in malaysia – but it’s actually a singapore café called ‘ya kun coffee & toast’, open since 1944!

 

 

it’s open in ibn battuta mall, appropriately placed at the china court (the rest memang tak masuk tema la kot – india court, egypt court or persian court), it’s right by the carpark area. just walk in, and you’ll be greeted by an old chinese uncle pouring out coffee. really singapore lah! haha.

 

the cute chinese uncle showing the way~

 

such a pleasant, comforting surrounding while you enjoy your kaya toast breakfast. a man-made pond with sounds of trickling water and birds chirping!

 

the unmistakable merlion on the counter – the mythical creature with a lion’s head and body of a fish – the mascott of singapore.

 

famous landmarks of singapore. bestnya lah kalau restoran malaysian macam ni kat dubai!

 

offering a selection of typical kopitiam breakfast – the classic kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs or sandwiches. the sandwiches are uniquely singapore – tomyam sandwiches or sardin sambal sandwiches!

 

we took the kaya peanut toast set – complete with milk tea and soft-boiled egg. simple, straightforward and traditional. what’s not to like?

 

hot milk tea. take a sip. feel the wind. listen to the trickling water. lovely.

 

my kaya peanut toast. to me, proportion is key. not too much spread on my bread; or too little. this one is just nice. but aiyo the bread is too thin lah! tak puas wo. 

 

haha so fascinated watching bapak mix pepper and light soy sauce into the soft-boiled egg. my sons are fans of soft-boiled eggs. especially my eldest. he loved it since he’s 6 months old! haha. back in malaysia this was mr. khairul’s favorite breakfast to be eaten with his roti canai.

 

can you spot the two singing lovebirds? so wonderful to be entertained while we munch our toast and sip our tea.

 

tapau some kaya balls. sorry, kaya ball kat jusco pon lagi sedap kot. maybe because yang kat jusco tu kita makan panas-panas kan dia buat dan-dan tu jugak. yang ni maybe has been sitting for some time. so it’s not so freshly made, not as soft and gebu – but the kaya inside is tasty.

 

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oh well. to me, we might come back for the perfect soft-boiled eggs but that much dirham for kaya and toast? I think I can get 3 pieces of KFC chicken with the same price. aku tunggu mak mertua bawak homemade kaya lagi bagus kot. kih kih.

but if you’re dying for a small piece of singapore, amidst china-themed surroundings and man-made pond, head on to ‘ya kun coffee & toast’ when you’re at ibn battuta mall, jebel ali.

Asean Delight @ Spore Deli, Karama

are you a malaysian tourist in dubai sick of all the indian briyani and western fast food in your travels here? have some food close to home at ‘singapore deli’ in karama – offering singapore-malaysia-indo dishes that are hot and spicy – just as we asians like it!

if you’re a malaysian staying in dubai and has never heard of ‘singapore deli’, then you haven’t really lived in dubai. haha. or maybe you’re just a REALLY fantastic cook. huhu.

 

 

we’ve been here many times before when we first came to dubai around 2008 but i never got around to blog about it. now after a long time since we last came, we decided to have our dinner here.

it’s in karama, right opposite the burjuman center.

since the weather is nice and cozy and chilly, we enjoyed having our hot dinner right outside. it was more windy than usual that night, but when else can we savour winter in dubai than this time of year? just sit back and enjoy the cold air lah!

 

 

how’s their menu like?

interesting dishes that sounds suspiciously more indo than singaporean dishes – nasi tumpeng mini, nasi pepes, nasi timbel, nasi pecel ayam; down to the usual malaysian delights like nasi lemak and ayam panggang. the most singaporean dishes would be the chicken rice, and of course singapore meehon.

the place should be called asian deli instead! haha. takpe, kita kan serumpun. we have pretty much the same food! share-share makanan ni biase lah. haha.

 

i would eat this ‘nasi tumpeng mini’ again simply for its delicious sambal tempe goreng! terangkat!

 

mr. khairul tried the nasi tumpeng mini. this one is called ‘mini’ because usually the ‘nasi tumpeng’ is served with A LOT of different dishes (lauk) in small portion which is arranged all around the cone-shaped yellow rice (yellow because steamed with added tumeric/kunyit powder), and usually served as a celebratory dish – on special occasion.

this mini one was served with ayam panggang (juicy sweet grilled chicken), tempe goreng sambal, cut-up cucumber, egg and keropok. the actual huge-portion nasi tumpeng is also available at singapore deli for the really hungry tummy!

 

 

i went for the less-adventurous choice of ayam nasi panggang – which is just white steamed rice served with juicy-sweetly marinated grilled chicken and some cut-up veggie. we requested for a small bowl of plain savoury soup, FOC. it went very well with my plate of grilled chicken and rice. yum.

this dish relied solely on the grilled chicken as it doesn’t have anything else. the grilled chicken is marinated well, and tasted delicious. especially goes well with young kids who doesn’t like spicy food – and my khaleef loved it!

 

my growing boy had one whole plate all to himself!

 

if you wanna try another good plate of nasi ayam panggang, try the one in betawi. also a nice small place get indo food. read my review here.

we also tried the tantalizing kangkong belacan – spicy with that unmistakable yumness of belacan, just as it should be. well, of course any abe kelate in lembah klang can make a better plate of kangkong belacan, but we dubai beggars can’t be choosers, right?

 

 

it opens daily from 12 noon to 12 midnight, with the exception of friday of course, when they open after friday prayer at 3pm. should you crave for malaysian, indonesian and singaporean dishes in dubai, go to ‘singapore deli’.

..also, it’s just a nice change to visit a restaurant in dubai where you can speak malay to its waiters…

Just Ban Smoking!

"UAE approved warnings on cigarette packets with a graphic picture covering about half the packet...it also bans tobacco company from using 'smooth', 'silky' and 'light' or similar words to describe the product." - gulfnews today. click here for full report.

while i applaud UAE's effort in curbing the filthy smoking habit among its people, i can only snicker in sceptism at its effectiveness. tak jalan punya! this is not my way of belittling UAE's noble effort, but rather a scornful smirk towards the *incorrigible smokers.

*incorrigible : incapable of being corrected or reformed.

buat lah apa saja. rise the price of cigarette. put no-smoking signs. put pictures of blackened lungs on cigarette packs. have taknak campaign. ban tobacco advertisement on tv. create awesome no-smoking ads. under 18 cannot buy cigarette. cammon, tell me the truth - NONE is really working, right?

1. rising the price of cigarette - have you ever wondered why run-down flats in kl with owners who probably can't afford monthly insurance payment, managed to have astro satelite dishes mushrooming all over the building? same logic. mahal macam mana pun, orang yang tak berapa mampu pun will make it a priority, because they want to.


2. put no-smoking signs - i was there. at PWTC. there was a no-smoking sign. and this man still lit up a cigarette, without a care.


3. put ugly pictures of what harm rokok can do - smokers KNOW that smoking is harmful to them. they KNOW their health is affected. so pictures are just pictures. it's JUST the box. again, do they care? nope!

i'm sorry. it's just my sincere opinion. this is coming from someone who has lived with a smoker for her whole married life. and because of the same reason, i will tell you what REALLY works :

the ONLY way smoking can be deterred, or lessened, or eradicated totally - is to BAN SMOKING. the best example is our neighbour singapore. even as a non-smoker, i was surprised to see the long list of smoke-free places in singapore.

this includes so many, many places like carparks, playground, clubs and even hawker stalls! kat malaysia, hawker stall la tempat yang paling seronok nak merokok...

the best one was definitely 'no smoking within a 5 meters radius from ANY doorway. gile best. this means that even when you walk OUT of an air-conditioned, smoke free building, you need to make sure you're 5m away from the entrance before you light up a smoke, or else!

when we were in singapore last july, mr. khairul was restless as he searched for a place to smoke. it seemed like everywhere we go, it's a no-smoking zone. fantastic! whenever he felt like it might be okay to smoke, he was still cautious - can i? can't i? anyone watching? it was great to see him without smoking while we enjoy the holiday.

so you see, singapore makes it VERY DIFFICULT for anyone to smoke. also, singapore makes smokers feel like they've done something worse than armed robbery! as someone gets less and less chance to smoke each day, eventually they will come to their senses - hey, i CAN do without cigarette! it is possible. it can be done. i can slowly quit.

in this matter, i hope one day malaysia can emulate our neighbour, who is already famous for its squeaky clean image - ban smoking!

Singapore : Jurong Bird Park

if your kiddos have seen the movie ‘rio’, (about blue, a very domesticated blue macaw caught in an adventure with free-spirited female bird of his kind; named jewel) then they would enjoy a bird park thousand times more.

khaleef knew the movie inside out, so he was very excited at the prospect of meeting all the ‘characters’ of the animated movie at ‘jurong bird park’, singapore on our recent visit there with my abah, umi and two younger sisters.

kahfi & khaleef with atok and opah umi

you can buy the entrance ticket to jurong bird park together with night safari, or singapore zoo with special rates – but as we’re pressed for time, we chose to buy tickets to jurong bird park only. we just added extra dollars to ride on the monorail that circles the park.

the train is really good when you’re travelling with kids and older people as we can take a break from walking and the heat, and just enjoy the trip around the park in an air-conditioned train. there is a voice-over explaining what we’re seeing as we’re passing each attraction.

there was quite a line when we want to go on board, but the process was done very fast and organized, and we didn’t wait too long for the next train. also, my abah and umi (senior citizens) did not need to line up, and asked to just sit on the side until their turn comes to board the train with the rest of us who were lining up.

good call!

abah and umi took full advantage of the train, relaxing while checking out the attractions, and then stopped to rest at the entrance. us ‘youngsters’ then continued our bird-park experience on foot.

visiting the ‘parrot paradise’ was really heavenly for khaleef and kahfi who had been busy spotting characters from the animated movie, ‘rio’. they saw nigel, the white parrot, and became ecstatic when they finally saw a BLUE PARROT, and kept shouting, “blue! blue!” it was quite a sight.

a rare family picture among the parrots!

as in any bird park, a bird show is a must. and man, look at this crowd! serves us right going on a sunday! it was a regular fun-filled show, with a couple of jaw-dropping acts by the intelligent feather-friends.

the best part to me was the endearing little talking parrot who sang ‘happy birthday’ and ‘rasa sayang’ in perfect diction and pitch. lagu cina pun dia nyanyi! amazing! begitu agung ciptaan Allah!

one of the highlights of jurong bird park is the highest man-made waterfall in an aviary – plunging down 30m! fine, doesn’t look like much in my photo, but it was a beautiful sight when you’re coming from the wooden walkway, down a corner, and voila – the sound and sight of falling water.

made me think of the last time i was at a waterfall spot – and i really can’t! punya la lama tak pegi!

another precious family photo – i use the word ‘rare’ and ‘precious’ because it’s SO difficult to get the two younger boys to stay put for a photograph!

if you enjoy birds, interested in knowing the types and species – while walking in a very beautiful and CLEAN setting – jurong bird park is an enjoyable choice of holiday activity for kids and adults alike. the staff are courteous and helpful, the souvenir shop is well-stocked, and the toilets are very clean!

singapore does well – the place really merit as a tourist attraction of an international level.

my two younger sisters with three african tribal warriors

please don’t think i gave too much credit to singapore, or puji melambung sangat. (especially since malaysian’s tigers latest ‘brawl’ with the lions on the field! haha) but benda yang baik ape salahnya kita jadikan contoh; especially the cleanliness part, and beautifying our own bird park.

when i complained about getting only ONE park-map to be shared with the 4-5 of us, my youngest sister azot (who had just been to our KL bird park) said, at least in jurong bird park, we’re asked to share but at least we get the map for FREE. in KL bird park, you have to PAY for a park-map.

what?!

oh, a tip – if the heat gets to you, there’s a penguin attraction at the entrance; and it’s very cooling inside! better yet, just stand at the entrance, where the burst of air-conditioner is at its best! haha. tapi jangan le sampai menggangu orang nak klua masuk ye. hihi.

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never heard of the animated movie ‘rio’? heard of it but haven’t watched it? watch the trailer, people! it’s an enjoyable movie with lots of laughs!

Singapore : Universal Studios

it’s not just the thrilling rides, or the accurately designed buildings and sets, or the awesome shows or even the meeting with famous movie characters – it’s me and my four Ks, going to this fun place with abah and umi, and with my two younger sisters. a long-awaited family trip, at last.

universal studios singapore : USS.

 

 

going to USS was so much easier and laid-back since we’re staying INSIDE sentosa island, at one of the five hotels – festive hotel – which is like 5 minutes walk to USS. we could arrive at the entrance by 9am, go back to freshen up by noon, and be back an hour later to rumble again at USS till the park closes at 9pm.

USS is divided into few attractions : hollywood, madagscar, shrek’s far far away, jurassic park, ancient egypt, sci-fi city and new york. a small park, comparatively speaking but still full of fun for everyone.

 

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MADAGASCAR

 

 

attraction

we walked through hollywood section to our first stop – madagascar. line up to take a picture with the four main leads; marty, alex, gloria and melman. if you’re patient enough to wait, the line will be short as the day progresses. by evening, there were hardly anyone there at all!

we missed the penguin singing, so if you go to USS, be sure to check their schedule and be there in time to enjoy the show!

 

 the rides

kiddy rides dominated ‘madagascar’ section. there is ‘the crate ride’ which is like disney’s ‘it’s a small world’ ride. just 8 people in a boat going through diorama picturing scenes from madagascar. totally adorable but the ride is really slow. surely a hit with younger kids. again, be patient – go for other rides first because as evening approaches, there would be hardly any line at this ride.

we went right in the morning, and had to wait a little over 40 minutes for this 15-minute ride!

next, try the merry go round, and choose which character to sit on. even adults can join in! for moms with babies, there are seats on the moving merry-go-round for you to sit, while holding your baby. kazim and i sat on the benches. there are only 2 sets of benches so be quick when it’s your turn to ride!

 

me holding kazim, with my sister syidot; while my youngest sis azot at the back on melman, next to khaleef who’s riding the foosa!

 

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FAR FAR AWAY

 

attraction

see the little hut with the crescent moon on the door? that is probably one of the most recognizable toilets in the world! haha. i was so excited seeing the life-size replica of shrek’s humble abode in the swamp. cute!

wish shrek was in though. he’s probably out saving fiona from the fire-breathing dragon…

this section also included the beautiful lord farquad’s castle. as you walk through ‘far far away’, you’d be entertained by soundtracks from shrek, including the quirky song of ‘duloc’.

 

the shows

a must-see : catch the 4D shrek show, please! if you think shrek by itself is funny and entertaining, imagine shrek in 3D AND you get to FEEL the wind when shrek flies on dragon; or FEEL the snoot on your face when donkey sneezes; and FEEL the tickles at the back of your knee during the spider scene!

great, great stuff!

we caught the LAST show of the day, and there’s only ONE other family with us. we practically got the whole theater to ourselves. seronok gile gelak kuat-kuat!

 

 

the rides

if your young ones loved roller coaster, and you’re looking for a mild one, take a ride on the ‘enchanted airline’ which is a short roller coaster ride on a dragon-train. still heart-pumping, but kids-friendly.

enter the souvenir shop and you’ll see a small ferris wheel at the back of the shop. again, GO IN THE EVENING and there would be hardly any people lining up. your kids can ride again and again – no waiting!

 

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JURASSIC PARK

 

 

attraction and shows

fake rock hills and plenty of greens – that’s the setting for jurassic park. make sure you catch the WATERWORLD show which is an amazing live action-packed show roughly based on kevin costner’s movie ‘waterworld’ – a group of people living on waters in search of dry land. explosions, aeroplanes crashing down, stunt man falling down from 10 m high and so much more. make sure you know the time schedule for the shows!

 

the rides

in jurassic park, there are rides for kiddos and bapak kiddos alike! khaleef enjoyed the ‘dino-soarin’ – an interactive ride where there’s a button to push that would take your ‘ride’ higher, and when you let go, it will drop with a jerk! khaleef had fun ‘navigating’ his pterodactyl!

there were few more adventurous rides like the you’ll-get-wet ‘rapids adventure’ and ‘canopy flyer’ that gave you an air-view of parts of USS.

 

 

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ANCIENT EGYPT

 

high and mighty statues of anubis (the human with the head of a cat) guarding the entrance of the rides were quite a sight. there’s even a ‘market of cairo’ – but selling sodas and snacks la, bukan souvenirs from cairo ya!

it was so apt that we reached this section of USS at the peak of noon. in ancient egypyt, at noon, when it’s really scorching hot. memang padan sgt la tu!

 

 

the rides

my sisters and mr. khairul tried the ‘revenge of the mummy’ ride – a roller-coaster that moves at top speed – in the dark! syida and azi said it’s probably better than the usual roller coaster as they cannot see whether the train is about to plunge down or soar up. the unexpected element is the thrill of the ride!

me? of course i didn’t go! i sat outside in the heat with the three boys; waiting for those crazy people to finish up having fun by scaring themselves on a roller coaster ride!

 

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SCI-FI CITY

 

 

the rides

there was one for the kiddos n kiddos at heart. a sci-fi version of the revolving-tea-cups ride. funnest when it moved real fast!

mr. khairul tested his metel when he took a brave ride on the incredibly scary-looking roller coaster ride – the galactic bla bla something. haha. there were actually two trains moving together at great speed – red for human, and blue for cylon. my sisters and i totally sat this one out, so mr. khairul went all by himself!

…and survived!

 

 

 

oh, i hate roller coasters! the last crazy one that i went on was the ‘triple looper at sunway which has since been closed after someone fell off it to their death…

 

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didn’t we get hungry?

we stopped to eat at ‘the friar’s’ at far far away – munching seafood platter and icy-cold lemon tea. look through your USS map carefully to spot halal foot outlets, which can be easily found inside the USS. i think you can even pack up nasi lemak and egg sandwiches to save some dollars!

make sure you bring a water bottle, because when empty, you can easily fill them up again with all the water coolers found all over the theme park.

for dinner we also at at far far away, this time at a old tavern-like makan place called ‘goldilocks’, serving food like in KFC.

 

abah & umi @ ‘the friar’s’

 

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it was very disappointing that we didn’t see po from kungfu panda, but we met puss in boots! ‘nuff said! he was absolutely adorable and charming!

Singapore Getaway With Abah

just came back from SINGAPORE!

 

abah plays travel agent this time around. he made a comprehensive list of places to go, with time and duration. he also included the prayer timetable and wrote it in bold red marker (so we won’t delay solat!). he also made copies and passed it on to us right at KLIA before embarking on this unforgettable 5-day singapore trip.

way to go, abah!

 

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we checked into FURAMA HOTEL CITY CENTER situated near the china town. it’s a regular modern hotel that’s affordable; with tight space but very comfy feel. basic, but simple and cosy. what stands out about furama city center is that it’s one of the few hotels with muslim kitchen. (yes, in singapore tak banyak hotel yang dapurnya muslim-friendly!) this means, you don’t have to worry about eating hotdogs during its complimentary breakfast. muslims travelling to singapore, i suggest furama city center. semua halal, insyaAllah!

 

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day one began right away as we took a cab to VIVO CITY, singapore’s latest mega mall. it’s got retail, tons of makan places and fun for the whole family at its one-of-a-kind ankle-deep pool on its rooftop. so when you go to vivo city, make sure you bring a change of clothing for your little one, and just let go – it’s just angle-deep!

 

we had lunch at GARUDA NASI PADANG in vivo city ground floor. your choice of dishes from indonesia served with steamed rice. excellent food, but get ready to be really patient since the service is quite slow. fortunately the staff were all courteous, and smiling though swamped with crowd and the rush. great food, if you don’t mind waiting!

 

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day two started off swiftly as we took the MRT (mass rapid transit) from CHINATOWN to OUTRAM PARK, then take another train to BOON LAY station, and then a cab to the JURONG BIRD PARK. phew! it was worth it. birds of all kinds, in a beautiful, clean environment. jurong bird park has certainly made its mark as an international-level tourist attraction. khaleef had fun spotting all the birds, since he had just seen the bird-movie RIO, for like the millionth time!

 

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we left furama city center on day three, and scooted off to the awesome entertainment-packed SENTOSA ISLAND, a popular island resort in singapore, boasting 5 hotels, the siloso beach, a casino, tons of tourist attractions and of course, the universal studios. we checked into the colorful FESTIVE HOTEL (one of the 5 hotels inside sentosa island) on to our most anticipated activity of this trip – to enjoy UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE!

 

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the FESTIVE HOTEL on sentosa island singapore is probably one of the most beautifully decorated hotel i’ve ever been to. i just LOVE the interior design! ours is the family room complete with a loft bed for the kids! gile cool!

 

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UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE (USS) is what we came here for. staying inside the sentosa island itself is an advantage to us, as we can be there very early, leave for awhile to fresh up in our hotel room, and walk out again to continue the fun at USS. USS is just 5 minutes walk from our hotel. excellent!

 

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it’s day four at singapore and we’re not slowing down! the plan was to explore some of the fun stuff they have around sentosa island. first stop was the UNDERWATER WORLD SINGAPORE. here, you don’t just SEE the sea creatures, you get to touch, and feed them as well!

right next to the underwater world singapore is the DOLPHIN LAGOON. if you’ve been to any dolphin show, or seal show – this is pretty much the same thing. dolphin balancing balls, seals clapping hands and catching hoops with their neck – same old stuff. enjoyable, but the heat could really rival dubai’s!

 

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we also managed to catch the awesome 4D shows at SENTOSA 4D MAGIX. see, and even ‘feel’ the actions on screen! just imagine, when the pirate jumps off the plank, into the sea, we could feel the splash with water spray – spraying right into our face!

 

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this is a very short summary that definitely DOES NOT do justice to the amount of awesomeness experienced during this trip. not just because of the journey made, and the destination – but the priceless company that matters.

this was our first family trip with abah – me, mr. khairul and my boys; with their atuk and opah umi. thanks abah, for giving me right about 5-6 postings that can last me the whole few weeks! can’t wait to blog about them in detail!