Feast For The Eyes

As anyone will tell you who lives in Singapore, the travel opportunities are one of its major selling points. Although a vibrant and exciting city in its own right, Singapore is only about 710km squared with a population of just over a 5 million, to put it in perspective thats less people than are crammed into London.

Acting as a gateway to Asia flights from Singapore are cheap as chips, it really is an incredibly base for travelling in the Far East. On our hit list over the next couple of years will certainly be Vietnam, Cambodia, Bali, Borneo, Thailand, the numerous idyllic islands, and the contrasting commercial hubs such as Beijing. 

Malaysia is the first port of call for travel from Singapore, you can take a boat across or drive, it only takes a couple of hours and is connected by causeway. It is so close you can pick up Malaysian phone signal in Singapore, not so good when it charges you for foreign roaming!

So lonely plant travel guide aside, we started small. We do after all have a few years to test the waters. This saturday morning we met up with some friends and hired a "bumboat" to pop across to Malaysia FOR LUNCH. This is what living in Asia is all about!

Our 'Bumboat" (actual name) commissioned by Captain Jack Sparrow. I think he napped most of the way 

It took about 45 minutes on the boat to get to the shores of Malaysia. We were in a group of about ten, and it was a great mix of home friends, their local friends, and local buddies of theirs too. Where we alighted was a place called Desaru, and it was an absolute blessing to have Malay speakers with us. The place almost seemed deserted bar two taxis which were ready and waiting for us. In nascar style they tore through the dusty roads of Desaru to take us to an incredible local seafood restaurant recommended by Ivan in our group. We only drove through 1 wedding and 2 back gardens en route with minimal damage caused. Don't quote me on this but I'm pretty sure there are no traffic laws in Desaru!

Not knowing what to expect (are only brief being "wear loose clothes") we arrived at the restaurant. It was amazing, forget western facades this was an authentic family run Malaysian seafood restaurant on the side of the road. Plastic chairs, plastic tables, bottles of Tiger beer the size of my leg, and the FRESHEST seafood you will ever east. It was amazing. The vibrant atmosphere, the hoards of locals, the smell of fresh food and the laid back attitude just made it all the more enjoyable. Ivan (who by this point was turning out to be Mr Malaysia, organising everything from the bum boats to our drivers) ordered us a selection go the best seafood they had on the menu in flawless Malay, and then disclosed that his family had been bringing him here since he was a child, and if the Tiger beer and cigarettes didn't kill him, the deep fried lobster probably would....you'll soon see why.

Eat you heart out

The infamous Chilli Crab. The little things behind are sweet doughy buns that you dip in the crab meat sauce pipping hot, best technique, stab them with a chopstick.

Quite a spread, this was course 2 of 3, Pak Choi, Crab, Wild boar (a resounding favourite with the boys) Egg and oyster omelette. Beer. 

DEEP> FRIED>LOBSTER

Beautiful Steamed Lobster, my fave!

Little lobster face

Steamed lobster meat. Nails courtesy of Gellish...

Salted Lobster (really yummy, tasted a bit like bbq crisps)

More salted Lobster

Near defeat

More wild boar

scene of the crime.

The pictures don't do what was was an absolute FEAST justice, but i hope you get a feel for the quality, quantity and quirkiness of the place. We would definitely go back (if we can find it without Ivan) and I am now fully aware of the reasoning behind the loose clothes memo! 

We consumed approximately 15 lobsters, 6 crabs, a Heard of boar, a hutch of eggs and several bowls of Nasi gooring...the cost TWENTY FIVE QUID A HEAD. incredible. 

By the time we rolled back into the cars to head back to the port, we were all nursing rather epic, however guilt free, food babies. it is easy to see why Asians are so slim. We consumed mountains of food, but it was all fresh, steamed fish and vegetables, with the exception of the devil fried lobster. As we got back to the boat a I took some snaps, it was still about 30 degrees, however the clouds were starting to come in!

Cloudy skies

home on the horizon

x

After an idyllic day in Malaysia it was back to normality on Sunday, as everyone back in the UK celebrated the Jubilee we spent the afternoon partaking in some truley singaporean past times. shopping. New laptop purchased we then headed to our favourite little British bistro, necessary patriotism, and rounded off the weekend going to see Men in Black 3.

An exciting weekend of complete contrasts, each conveniently on our doorstep. Time to empty the sand out of my handbag and repack it for work tomorrow as reality sets back in... we look forward to discovering what further delights Asia has to offer.

Good night.

XXX