Sydney: A weekend in March and June

The one in March was fully self-funded and the one in June was partially funded because it was an extension from work trip. I did end up trying new food but mostly without photos because of friends who disapproved of my food photo taking habits. 

My trip in March coincided with Mardi Gras and accommodations were expensive. I booked them quite last minute and found an Airbnb listing in Burwood. 

Burwood Chinatown

Have a rice day

Seoulria

Level 2/605-609 George St, Sydney NSW 2000

Yang San Park

Number One Dixon Shopping Centre

Shop 21/1 Dixon St, Sydney NSW 2000

I had 2 Korean meals during my March trip. When we went to Seoulria, one of my friends is a vegetarian and another doesn't eat pork. So we opted out of Korean BBQ. I met up with a friend in Sydney for work secondment the next day and friend wanted Korean BBQ. So we went to Yang San Park. Food in both Korean restaurants were good. The staffs helped us cooked the food on grill in Yang San Park.

Medan Ciak

Shop 10/339 Sussex St Sydney

We went to the outlet in the CBD. There were 5 of us and we ordered our own main meals and got a box of crackers to share. I ordered nasi kapau ikan asin. The portion was huge and I was stuffed. It is not a place one can linger and chat though. 

The Eight

Level 3, Market City, 9-13 Hay Street, Haymarket NSW 2000

Booking only for private room basis. Otherwise on walk-in basis. Friend and I went on a Saturday morning. It was busy but it is a big venue. We ordered more after this but didn't take more photos. I enjoyed this and looked forward for another round of dim sum here. 

SeaSweet Patisserie

They have a few outlets but the one I had was bought from the shop in Burwood by my colleague. I was introduced to this Lebanese knefe cheese bun. Taste wise, I do like it but I had so many other meals prior that I kept this for 3 days before I had a taste so the texture was a little soggy by then. 

I tired to heat them up in the microwave available in the hotel room but I dare not leave them too long because there was a warning sign about heating bread. 

I visited a friend at his house and was treated to a very tasty South Indian food of pongal, masala dosa, 2 types of chutneys and vade. Dessert was pal payasam. Yumm. His wife even packed me some to bring back to Melbourne. 

I was introduced to this new precinct at Mascot and waned to check it out but it rained the whole of Saturday on my visit in June so I was pretty much indoors. Next time it is. 

Side note: Merry Christmas ^^

Nepal: Itinerary for 9 days

Index page for a non trekking holiday in Nepal.

Pre-travel

Breakdown of travel days and links to accommodation

Nepali food ideas

Day 1 - Patan

Day 2 - Panauti to Namo Buddha hike

Day 3 - Fly to Pokhara and overnight in Sarangkot

Day 4 - Sunrise in Sarangkot and overnight in Pokhara

Day 5 - A day in Bandipur

Day 6 - Bus ride back to Kathmandu

Day 7 - A full day in Kathmandu

Day 8 - A day in Bhaktapur

Day 9 - Transit in Chengdu

Side note: Pollen is in the air

China: 8 hour transit in Chengdu

Flight between Kathmandu and Chengdu

It was one of those not very long transit but long enough that I would try to see if it's worth leaving the airport for a while. I landed in Chengdu at Tianfu Airport and to get to Chengdu City, it would take about 1.5 hours by train one way to where I wanted to get to. So that would give me around 2.5 hours outside of the airport and leaving enough time to get through immigration and security check. In addition, it is now visa free to travel to China for 15 days for Malaysian passport holders. I decided that it would be enough time to leave the airport for dinner and walk around for a short while. 

The plan was to check out Kuanzhai Xiangzhi (宽窄巷子) and have dinner nearby as the flight landed in Chengdu at 5:35 pm. To reduce what I needed to carry, I checked in most things and very ambitiously also checked in my cap and waterproof jacket. I forgot to check the weather forecast and arrived in a rainy Chengdu. 

The rain wasn't too heavy by the time I stepped out of Kuanzhai Xiangzhi metro station so I walked to my dinner stop - the first shop reviewed in Paul's post - 纯阳馆鱼香排骨面

纯阳馆鱼香排骨面

青羊区吉祥街6号附6号 吉祥结店 – Qingyang Qu Jixiang Jie 6 Hao Fu 6 Hao Jixiangjie dian

The walk from Kuanzhai Xiangzhi station took about 15 minutes and fairly straightforward. I didn't get a picture of the shopfront as the rain got heavier and there were cars parked outside of the shop. Their menu now in both Chinese and English. I visited in April 2024. 

鱼香排骨面 is shown on their signboard so naturally that was the one I wanted. I really like chilli oil wontons (item 14) and usually would get that if I want wontons but after reading the review, I decided to get the steamed egg with ground pork (item 20) along with 'fish fragrant' spare ribs noodles (item 6). I don't think I would be able to finish 3 items by myself. 

The noodles were al dente and the soup broth were tasty and not oily. Steamed egg were silky smooth.

Steamed egg ground pork, RMB 7

1 tael of 'fish fragrant' spare rib noodles, RMB 13

It was pouring after I finished my meal, so heavy that I had to wait under a shade even to walk back to the metro station. I decided to scrap my plan of strolling Kuanzhai Xiangzhi and went back to the airport. So my Chengdu transit stop was pretty much 'I went out and ate a bowl of noodles' but tasty noodles and steamed egg. 

Side note: Almost Christmas

Nepal: Food ideas to try

Bara (lentil pancakes) in making

I find that I like Nepali food, they are tasty. Here are some ideas of Nepali food to try.  

Nepali Khana Set / Thali Set

Nepali Khana or Thali set are served on a brass plate for food to be warm longer. They are typically consisted of bhaat (rice), daal (lentils), tarkari (vegetables), achaar (pickles), salads (usually some raw vegetables for crunch). If you opt for non vegatarian set, it would come with a type of protein. 

Or you would see dal bhat which is lentils and rice, or dal bhat tarkari which is lentils, rice and vegetable curry.

Veg khana set from Nepal Khaja Ghar, NPR 255

Also vege khana set from a shop in Pokhara, NPR 300

Samay Baji

Samay Baji is an authentic traditional dish of Newar community in Nepal. Newar people are the indigenous people of the Kathmandu Valley. It is typically served during special occasions and ceremonies. I had this in Bhaktapur in a restaurant name Newa Lahana. If you only want to try one dish in Nepal, please eat this. 

Here are the components included in the Samay Baji I had - small Samay Baji buff. 

In the middle, bottom:

Beaten rice (chiura) - This is a type of flattened / beaten rice and tasted like uncooked rolled oats but flatter. 

On top of the beaten rice - I think this is one is chatamari (bara can be included in samay baji as well)

Clockwise from hard boiled egg:

Hard boiled egg - as an added protein to the dish

Chhwela - roasted buffalo meat

Bhatmas - roasted and seasoned black soybeans, the crunchy element

Achar - pickles

Aloo wala - spicy potatoes

Another buffalo dish

Buffalo choila

Black-eyed peas

Small Samay Baji buff from Newa Lahana, NPR 390

Rice and curry

Not the whole set but just curry served with a lot of rice. 

Rice & vegetables curry at guesthouse in Sarangkot, NPR 230

Rice & egg curry at Samsara in Bandipur, NPR 250

I don't know why I take questionable photo like this. It wasn't midway eaten, I just asked for the rice to be halved because I would not be able to finish it. Don't know why I didn't move the fish to the big plate. 

Rice, vege and fish in Kathmandu, NPR 220

Momo

This is Nepal's version of dumplings and is probably one of the most popular street food in Nepal. There are a few varieties to choose from - steamed, fried kothey (steamed with pan-fried crispy bottom), jhol (soup), sadeko (spicy salad). 

Kothey buff momo + banana lassi at Pokhara Momo, NPR 300

Steamed vege momo at Bhaktapur guesthouse, NPR 250

Thukpa

This is Tibetan cuisine but very popular in Nepal. I noticed a few times I ordered chicken as the protein but given buffalo instead. Weird coincidences. I ordered mixed thukpa - noodles mixed with momo. 

Mixed buff momo from Himalayan Dorjee Restaurant, NPR 180

Chow mein

I see chow mein in the menu of many shops. I guess similarly to thukpa, this could be from Chinese influenced. The portion was huge, this one I didn't finish. 

Vege chow mein, NPR 220

Choila

This is a typical Newari dish, traditionally popular with water buffalo meat. I ordered the chicken choila from a random shop near the guesthouse. I wished I remembered where it is but I took a random turning on my walk back to the guesthouse and saw 'choila' written on a blackboard menu stand outside a shop. So I just walked in for dinner. It was very tasty and had a good spice kick. 

Chicken choila, NPR 375

Bara / wo (lentil pancake)

Bara or wo is a pancake made with lentils. They can be served with a fried egg cooked on top or minced buffalo meat or both. I had it first in Patan, at a small shop named Honacha which is at Patan Durbar Square behind Krishna Mandir. I walked it, found a seat by the door placed my order of a mixed bara. I was asked if I wanted potatoes too which I said yes. It looked like potato sadeko but this dish didn't come. So I only had the bara. 

The second time I had a bara was the free breakfast in Bhaktapur before I left for the airport. 

Mixed bara at Honacha, NPR 70

Bara for breakfast in Bhaktapur

Chatamari

Chatamari is known as the Nepali pizza. It doesn't taste like pizza though, just looks round. It is made of rice flour. I had this egg chatamari at Falcha Cafe in Bandipur. The one I had didn't look like the images I found online though. 

Egg chatamari from Falcha Cafe in Bandipur, NPR 200

Wai Wai Chatpate

When I was in Nepal, I saw many people holding a snack with Wai Wai plastic packet and I got curious and asked some fellow Dumre-Kathmandu bus commuters when we stopped for lunch. They told me it was tasty and offered me to taste. I decided to order my own when I got to Kathmandu. It is a snack with mixture of dried instant noodles, puffed rice, nuts, spices, etc. The taste was tangy and spicy. The snack was scooped using another piece of paper. 

Chatpate, NPR 50

Sel roti

This is a traditional Nepalese ring-shaped sweet fried dough made from rice flour. This was my after hike snack from Panauti to Namabuddha. 

From a shop near Namobuddha bus stop, NPR 55 with a bottle of water

Yomari

The word 'yomari' combines the word 'yo' and 'mari'. 'Yo' means 'favorite' or 'loved' and 'mari means 'bread'. This traditional delicacy is a steamed rice dumpling shaped like a fig fruit and stuffed with a mixture of brown cane sugar, ghee and sesame seeds (chaku). The texture is like mochi but with Newari flavours. I had this as my dessert in Newa Lahana in Bhaktapur.

Chaku yomari, NPR 90

Juju dhau

Juju dhau literally translates 'king of yogurt' in Nepal. It is a specialty of the town of Bhaktapur. A good juju dhau will not fall when tipped upside down. I think this article on how Juju dhau is made is interesting. It is tasty, and probably because of the boiling process with brown sugar. 

I stupidly thought I need to return the clay pot that contained the juju dhau only to be told I can throw it away. 

Side note: TGIW!

Nepal: The cultural city Bhaktapur

The Golden Gate

Bhaktapur, or Khwopa in local Newari tongue is the cultural capital of Nepal. Bhaktapur's history goes back to as early as the 8th century when it used to be the capital city of Nepal Mandal till the 15th century. Shaped like a flying pigeon, the city spreads over an area of 6.88 square kilometres. Pottery and handicrafts are the typical products of the city and are well known for their uniqueness. 

Entrance fee to the old city: 1,800 NPR

Yes, you read that right. There is an entrance fee to the old city for foreigners at the cost of 1,800 NPR. Fees covers all except entrance to the National Art Museum. There are numerous ticket booths across the old city. I requested for extension as I planned to stay a night in Bhaktapur and was given an extension of 3 days to the end of my visa with the presentation of my passport. 

Getting to Bhaktapur from Thamel

Bus fare: NPR 35

Bhaktapur is in the same direction of Panauti if you depart from Kathmandu, so the buses to Bhaktapur are at the same area. 

I told the bus conductor that I wanted to go to the old city and he told me when to get off the bus. Here's a map I took at the ticket booth. I darken the arrow to show the location of the ticket booth, and you can see that there's a bus stop near the crossroad marked with name 'Suryavinayak'. 

Where I got off the bus

There are 4 squares in Bhaktapur - Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Pottery Square and Dattatraya Square. 

Durbar Square

This is the main square of the city and one of the main pieces of architecture in this square is the Golden Gate. This square also houses statue of King Bhupatindra Malla on the top of stone monoliths, National Art Gallery, the palace of 55 windows, the Vatsala Temple, the big bell and many temples. 

The Golden Gate (the first photo) is the main entrance to the Bhaktapur Royal Palace. It was the last contribution of Malla's reign to the heritage of Bhaktapur by King Ranjit Malla. The door showcases different symbols, representations of deities, animals and ancient styles of architecture. 

Next to the Golden Gate is the 55 Window Palace. So named because it is believed that it has 55 beautiful wooden windows and all carved exceptionally. The reconstruction of this palace was started by King Bhupatindra Malla but only completed during the reign of King Ranjit Malla, the son of King Bhupatindra Malla. 

Taumadhi Square

The next important square of the city is Taumadhi Square. One can find multi roofed temples and rectangular temples at this square. The major monuments of this square are the Nyatapola Temple, Bhairavnath Temple, Timadhav Narayan Temple. 

Nyatapola Temple to the left, Bhairavnath Temple to the right 

Nyatapola is the tallest pagoda style temple in Nepal, standing at 5 storey high. There are 2 statues at each storey, said to be the guardians of Goddess Shiddhi Laxmi inside the temple. The stone statues are wrestlers, elephants, lions, griffins, and 2 goddesses named Sighini and Baghini.  

The other major temple in this square is the rectangular Bhairavnath Temple dedicated to Lord Bhairav. The Bhairavanath established in this temple is a formidable incarnation of Lord Shiva. 

Pottery Square

Next up is the Pottery Square. It is a square full of pottery works as there are still many potters working with their traditional wooden wheels in Bhaktapur. There are a couple of shrines in the square like the Jetha Ganesh Temple (the double storey structure).

Dattatraya Square

The last square is the oldest part of the city and famous for wood carving. One of the most famous carving in this area is the Peacock Window of an old Pujari Math as it is one of the finest carved window in Kathmandu Valley. I asked and was told I needed to pay to one of the museum/shop to view it. I didn't proceed because I read that it can be viewed from outside but I went back and forth for the longest time but didn't see it. Maybe I'm too short. So I don't think the right Peacock Window but they are still very impressive.

Side note: How does butter mochi taste like?