Muscat, Oman : Old Muttrah Souq & Camel Mandi Oman

for mr. khairul’s birthday on march 8th, he celebrated it by taking all of us – his wife and kiddos, his mom and aunt and sis to muscat in oman! this was my 3rd time in oman since living in the UAE (united arab emirates). to me, oman is a beautiful country with its own natural characteristic like the rocky mountainous range which you can see all over the country. 

click here to read about the time we spent 2012 hari raya haji in muscat. and this othe posting is when mr. khairul’s whole family (his mak and bapak, his bapak’s sis maklong, his siblings tina, asrar and sofia) went for a musandam dhow ride to see the dolphins, way back in 2010. read about it here.

 

here’s me and sis-in-law tina at the UAE-oman border. we were immediately greeted by this amazing sight – the beautiful black rocky mountains. this is oman!

 

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our designated tour guide was this cool couple abg yuzly and kak anis. they just moved to oman from kuwait. I must say they are one of the most friendliest strangers I’ve met in a long time. tak pernah jumpa, tak pernah kenal tapi terus ngam macam dah lama kenal. both husband and wife exude warmth and sincerety. we were in good hands while in muscat!

 

abang yuzly suggested this yummy thai place for lunch. it’s ‘sabai dee thai foods’. nothing feels better than enjoying good ‘ol asian food while away in a middle eastern country! haha.

 

we had the unforgettable tom yam seafood, soft juicy steamed fish, crispy ikan 3-flavoured & squid somtam (thai salad). semua sedap. everything tasted good, especially the tomyam and ikan 3-rasa. crispy on the outside, and juicy fishy flesh on the inside. satisfying!

 

highly recommended by mr. khairul after recommendation from bro yuzly. I think it’s green tea with milk. it’s served like this, and then you stir and end up with a pale green drink. I don’t really fancy plain green tea on its own, but this bitter-sweet drink was really satisfying! I totally love it. it’s new and refreshing. glad I gave it a try!

 

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the one place to go to shop for antiques is muttrah souq – the oldest market in oman, perhaps in the whole arab world – probably about 200 years! it has got lots of nook and corners that somehow leads you to more and more little shops. you’d think that it’s just a small souq, but its long and winding narrow lanes might get you confused!

me? I love it – it’s like travelling back in time!

 

mom-in-law, maklang & sis-in-law tina with kak anis our awesome tour guide plus driver plus hostess (hot tea and karipap panas! yum!). she had just moved to oman from kuwait and was such a good sport driving us in, out and all about muttrah souq. thanks so much!

 

top right picture : mom-in-law and aunt-in-law maklang choosing their favorite arabic perfume. they’re sold in small bottles like minyak attar in mekah but these ones in oman don’t smell that strong – just sweet, and some are fruity macam bau perfume ralph lauren! top left picture : my eldest boy khaleef wearing the distinct recognizable omani cap (kopiah) and here they’re called ‘kumma’. it’s so easy to spot an omani in dubai – just for this one characteristic.

 

oh, what myriads of sights, sounds and smells when you walk in muttrah souq!

• sights : colors of pashmina, cloth, jubah of all designs and pattern, and bling blings on bags and jewelery
• sounds : the crowd; people bargaining for a price, haggling, calling out a wandering child (kahfi!!! not too far!!! kazim, come back! khaleef hold your brother!) hihi
• smell : the frankincense of course (kemenyan wangi) – for which oman is most famous for since forever, and distinct smell of arabic perfumes

 

love this shot! especially since I had to quickly take a snap! I’m not too comfortable taking pictures while the owner stared and expecting me to buy something from his shop. sorry dude! I just want a picture of your beautiful shop!

 

look at all the colors!

 

enjoying my stroll inside the muttrah souq while mom-in-law, aunt-in-law maklang and sis-in-law tina shop shop shop!

 

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before we leave muscat, oman, our designated tour guides bro yuzly and kak anis had one more yumminess to offer – a lunch date at a mandi restaurant in oman, specializing in – camel meat! yeap. ONLY camel meat.

 

no chicken, no lamb meat. JUST camels at this restaurant. the top one in this picture is grilled camel meat, and the bottom one is fried camel meat. each one with its own unique taste that I love. it’s well-marinated as I can taste the spices, and the texture is also very soft and tender – not liat at all. I can eat them all! sedap sangat!

 

the plate of rice that we shared among 12-13 of us! that’s A LOT of rice, I tell ya! the white one is like our nasi minyak, while the other one is like nasi tomato but not quite. lebih kurang. I prefer the ‘nasi minyak’ because it’s more milder than the orange one.

 

how big is the plate of oman mandi rice and camel meat? see lah. hihi.

 

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old muttraq soup, thai food in oman and oman camel mandi. we shop, we eat, we happy – owh, what a holiday!

it was a happy weekend for us, and the day that my mr. khairul turned 35. however, speaking of march 8th, I can’t help mentioning MH370, that went missing on that very date. at the time of writing, the plane is still missing and reportedly ended its flight path in the vast indian ocean. my thoughts and doa go the the perished souls on board, and the grieving family. may Allah continue to give them strength. Allah knows best.

Thanks For Lunch Treat @ Soy, Ibn Battuta Mall

if you ever wanna eat at ‘soy’ chinese restaurant, the best branch would be at ibn battuta mall, simply because of the ambiance – it’s located at the CHINA court! I mean, what better way to enjoy oriental dishes than at a section of the mall with a CHINESE theme?

(ibn battuta mall has sections named after countries – china court, india court, egypt court and few more – representing the travels of the great explorer ibn battuta)

 

thanks so much for the delicious treat abg kama azlan & kak mas, our lovely buddies from abu dhabi – great company, good food, delightful conversations and lots of laugh! thanks for thinking of us when it comes to lunchin and munchin!

 

 

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I want one of these. cute square thingys to put sauce, dips and condiments

 

I’m not a fan of spicy tomyam, so this one I like – which means it’s NOT that spicy. so for those who love their tomyam to be authentically super spicy, please make a personal request to the chef. heheh. I enjoy slurping this ‘tomyam prawn’ because it has enough spices and taste to make it delicious, and less-spicy enough to make in tolerable!

 

this dish is surprisingly good. I’ve only eaten sweet spicy fish, so this was a nice surprise. ‘sweet spicy hong kong chilli prawn’ is NOT that spicy for this malay (try la sambal udang melayu style baru tau spicy tak spicy!) but being a non-fan of spicy dishes, I love it. the use of lots of capsicum gives it an additional taste that I like, and the texture of the prawn is nice and tender.

 

the star of the table was this magnificent dish of ‘black pepper crab’. aku ni pemalas nak kopek-kopek so I let the boys have their fun scouting for crab flesh in the middle of the thick peppery gravy. us ladies just wait by the side for our knight in shining armor to drop pinch of crab flesh on our plate. thanks guys! this dish is alright!

 

mix green veggies – fresh veggies, crunchy and tasty. a simple dish that satisfies!

 

for the kids – ‘crispy honey chicken’, which sounds promising but fail to impress. the chicken is too dry despite coated with liquid. had it been bigger pieces, this would have been a better dish.

 

girl talk over two plates of delights. blueberry cheesecake and a very questionable chocolate cake. I say ‘questionable’ because the chocolate cake has got this weird after-taste that’s similar to a soap bubble. like, seriously. what WAS that? we didn’t even finish the chocolate cake. (nways, got a girl-crush on kak mas. she’s so cantik! she reminds me of my lovely auntyna. kan? kan?)

 

the blueberry cheesecake, however, is a winner. deliciously smooth and creamy. yum!

 

here’s kazim sharing a plate of chocolate cake with uncle kama azlan. this was BEFORE we realize that the weird soap-bubble taste was not a figment of our imagination. kih kih.

 

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thanks again abg kama azlan & kak mas, for the treat at ‘soy’ ibn battuta mall! always entertaining when hanging out with you guys. the next time you’re in dubai, you know who to buzz – especially to keep you guys company la for lunch, dinner or supper!

Yummy Sotong Goreng Tepung @ Muhibbah Seafood

it was our final makan-makan before i went back to dubai last april.

(i kept the post till today, coz i miss home so much, and just wanna keep writing about ‘em even as i’m back in dubai…)

abah suggested this place at sungai penchala serving chinese food called ‘muhibbah seafood’. it’s like a huge bungalow – spacious, white and looks like a dining hall rather than a restaurant. in fact, they offer to hold weddings or corporate dinner there too.

we parked by the roadside in front of the restaurant, and i think there are staff over there to assist.

 

my youngest sis did all the ordering!

 

the seats give a certain garden-party look, though. and the very green table cloth doesn’t help! i didn’t say it looks ugly – just reminded me of patio furnitures…

 

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this black pepper beef looks more delicious than it actually taste. slightly bland, it could use a little more salt! has high potential but just barely!

 

asparagus with belacan was good. the veggie was fresh, and not that spicy which is fine by me! fresh and crunchy.

 

ikan tiga rasa (fish with 3 key-ingredients, maybe? haha) the fish is well-fried – crunchy on the outside, and the flesh is tender and juicy on the inside.

 

steamed fish was delicious. highly-recommended.

 

i’m not that into prawns, but this dish is tasty! really juicy and well-marinated. must-order too! i mean, cammon – recommended by someone who DOES NOT even like prawn, and this dish was too tantalizing to ignore, made me wanna try? that’s gotta be something!

 

not the best lemon-chicken i’ve ever tasted, because the batter-fried chicken is not as crunchy as i hoped, but it’s still a good dish. what can i say, i’m a fan of lemon chicken far and wide!

 

okay, this doesn’t look too inviting, but i’m telling you this was one of the best sotong goreng tepung (fried calamari) ever. it’s in the flour that makes it so crunchy and tasty. the texture is just perfect too.

tomyam is tomyam – it’s delicious, able to satisfy any fans of tomyam. the portion is acceptably huge, and can be shared. what else is left to say?

 

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from left : the newlyweds my sis syidot, her *HUBS* nash, abah, umi and my youngest sis (future bride) azot

 

also joining us : my bro-in-law din, micha, my sis syimot & cuya

 

the whole family!

 

khaleef with atok *smile* ~miss you, abah. i’m coming home soon! again! haha.

Old Boys Weekend : Dubai ‘12 @ Papa Junior Thai

the actual ‘old boys weekend’ or OBW of the malay college kuala kangsar (MCKK) has come and gone weeks ago, but as usual the old boys of MCKK in dubai don’t want to be left out from the annual gathering.

back home in MCKK, the old boys gather over sporting events, musical gigs or simply to catch up. here in dubai, OBW meant to borak and makan. chat and eat! regular party-planner mr. khairul (who also happens to be the most junior among the attendees) started the ball rolling, sending out invites.

this year’s turn-out doubles last year’s – 6 old boys from MCKK spoke of school, business, politics and the usual gossips – all over spicy tomyam gung and thirst-quenching iced tea at ‘papa junior’.

from left : shamsul v86, shon v84, zaim v82, nizalman v90, hassanal v90, kay v96

this time they brought their ‘old boys weekend’ from our usual hotspot al-tawasol mandi restaurant to a thai place in dubai international city. this humble thai restaurant is called ‘papa junior’, very near dragon mart.

i’ve heard of this place since years ago, but this was the first time i went. it’s a popular place among malaysians, to get a little taste of our thai neighbour. ade la rasa macam pegi kedai abe goreng-goreng!

the ladies made their appearance too to support the husbands’ reunion – kak muna (abg shon’s wife), kak noni (bro nizalman’s wife) and kak rozi (abg zaim’s wife) provide all the laughter and words of wisdom at our little ladies table!

from left : kak muna, kiddos, kak noni, kak rozi, & me

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for a place that is said to sell cheap thai food, ‘papa junior’ was really lovely. the decor is nice with bright orange walls, and colorful fake flowers on the walls. the general feel is that the owner really put an effort to beautify the place eventhough it sells food at a cheaper price.

before food was served, the waiter put these telur masin (salted egg) on the table. this is seriously the first time i was served telur masin at a restaurant in dubai! that was a good start!

i always say this about thai restaurant – you DO NOT go to a thai restaurant and not order TOM YAM! so yeah, this is a must-try – tomyam gong in ‘papa junior’ is really delicious, spicy and not too oily. the serving is also huge with generous portion of prawn. i’m not much of a tomyam fan – but yum!

this is a beef dish, but i can’t remember the specific. it could be soy-sauce or black pepper based. what i remember was that the texture if the beef was quite crispy because of the dry-fry. also, it’s a bit more salty that i would like it to be. not really a favorite.

what i find interesting though, is what was on the side…

yes, notice the presentation of the dishes? the decor on the plate? the carvings on the veggie? lovely, right? i mean, ‘papa junior’ is just a small place in little international city, dubai but they still put huge effort in decorating their dishes with carved veggies. nice touch there, ‘papa junior’!

this dish is shrimp tempura – freshly fried tender shrimp. kazim loves this!

kailan ikan masin (veggie with salted fish) was fresh, well-seasoned and tasty. complements the rest of the dishes very well. another yum.

we went ‘fishing’ too at ‘papa junior’ – bad pun, sorry! haha. the top one is steamed fish, and at the bottom is ikan tiga rasa (and yes, kak muna actually ordered in BM and the waiter understood what she meant!) both tasty, both well-marinated and fresh. a must-try too – either one, or just get both!

this is definitely my favorite – fried calamari. crunchy on the outside, and tender flesh on the inside. again, the pretty carved tomato in the middle, and yummy dips on the side that are served with the dish. i would just order this and tomyam gong alone! burp!

this is papaya salad thai style (som tam) or was it mango? either way, it’s a nice addition to all the savoury dishes and spicy gravy. sweet-spicy with a tangy twist. if you like that kind of thing…

the kakak-kakak said (they’ve been here countless times) that this is one heckuva sambal belacan. really brings out the best in all the dishes!

another item that the kakak-kakak really recommend was THIS – a tall glass of iced-tea. i told them i was having a bout of coughing, and that didn’t stop them! haha. they still urged me to try and have the ICED-tea because the hot one is just not the same. ok, i’m NOT a fan of tea with milk (most of the time i prefer teh o) but this one is really good.

the secret? a pinch of brown sugar and coconut milk! delicious!

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our group filled the restaurant with so much noise and laughter, that i was glad we were the only ones there before a small group came in.

i’ve been joining these ‘small’ reunions between these MCKK old boys in dubai a lot of times, but i am still amazed that they’re never bored talking about their school AND never tired of wearing anything with the quad-colors on them!

such commendable spirit; or like how they would put it – speret koleq!

 

the outside of ‘papa junior’ is also eye-candy. there’s this really cool benches that’s also like a bridge of some sort – really cute to put in my garden one day! hihi. the area at the front entrance is also extremely spacious, that the boys from MCKK took some extra time to chat, lagi! dah nak balik pun nak bersembang lagi!

‘papa junior’ is highly recommended, especially for fans of thai food. should really give it a try. the food is delicious, affordable, great effort in presentation of the dishes, AND the service is friendly and fast. 

the ambiance is also nice and pretty, spacious for family with kiddos and a relaxing place to bring friends. there are tons of parking spaces behind the restaurant, but you gotta know exactly where to park, or else you end up walking quite a bit. good luck!

for us, the only drawback is that the place is so far away! nways, it could be worth it if you really, really want tasty, cheap tomyam!

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...and speaking of old boys of malay college, here are some of mr. khairul's unforgettable meetings with a couple of his seniors - including a really super-senior - even older than my abah (class of 65)!

this was with sir mohd ibrahim a.k.a mad bra v59. mr. khairul first noticed his small mckk pin on his coat during a MATRADE event, and thus started his 'koleq' networking. OMG. a pin? a small tiny MCKK pin, and THAT can get these two generations to connect? that's huge, man. 

he's all that is wise and golden (hihi) and what mr. khairul commended about him was how fit he was to travel far and wide and getting involved in all these events!

this shot was with dato adissadikin v87 - ceo of exim bank. mr. khairul met him in his recent trip to qatar. again, with the *magic* of koleq connection, both fell into informal chats once they knew they belonged to the same alumni. no 'dato-dato', no protocol. just plain brotherhood. he shared his experience in the corporate world - brother to brother!

..and this is bro node (azhar) v80, batchmate of our pal here bro ikmal from ras al khaimah. also met when mr. khairul was in qatar, at one of the booths. always great to finally meet another mcob no matter where he is! he's an aspiring businessman in qatar, making a name for himself - a fine example for any young fellow (especially a *junior* like mr. khairul!) to emulate.