Makan Pagi in KL

I love breakfasts! Well I generally love food but there’s something about “breakfasts” that literally stretches my smile into a mile. I love making them and I especially love having them while I’m still in my pajamas. Whenever I travel, LOCAL FOOD is always the top priority. So obviously, when we were in Malaysia I had to start my day with an authentic makan pagi (bahasa for breakfast).

On our first morning, we found a quaint Indian “carinderia” looking restaurant near our hotel. I already knew what to order: Roti Canai (pronounced "chanai," not "kanai") and Teh Tarik! This is a traditional breakfast set in Malaysia. Roti Canai is a type of flatbread. It’s like a local pancake actually, only thinner, lighter, fluffier and maybe a little “greasier”. Since it’s basically an Indian recipe, it had to be cooked (fried) in ghee (animal fat). This is usually served with Teh Tarik (pulled tea with condensed milk) and Dhal (curry). Of course you have to eat it with your hands. Pull pieces of the fluffy dough and soak them in the curry sauce for some finger-lickin’ yummy ending.

The next morning, we set off early for Genting Highlands. We decided to get some breakfast at KL Sentral. We found this quaint kopitiam (how Malaysians/Singaporeans call their traditional coffee shop) on the 2^nd level. Ever since getting my fill at Toastbox here in Manila, I’ve always wanted to try the REAL kaya toast & kopi breakfast set. A classic kopitiam breakfast would include a toasted roti benggali (Indian white bread) served with homemade kaya (a rich jam made with coconut milk and eggs), and their locally brewed coffee or kopi tarik, which is sweeter than what we’re used to because of the condensed milk.

So when you're in KL, "makan" like Malaysians and try these traditional breakfast sets. Better if you can really go to small, family-owned kopitiams in the neighborhood. But fret not 'cos you can easily get these breakfast fares everywhere, especially in the mall. So go "makan" your heart out!

The best thing about breakfasts is that they can be enjoyed the whole day! So who ever said you have to be a morning person to get these goodies? Some people MAY NOT agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (the carb-conscious crowd, you know) but I always believe that breakfast is the LOVELIEST meal of the day. I’ll tell you more about beautiful breakfasts next time… For now, let me fix myself a milk tea. Selamat makan!

A Budget Hotel that feels like 5-Star!

We chose Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as our honeymoon destination primarily for the FOOD! But before I blog about that let me tell you first about this wonderful board and lodging discovery we found in downtown KL.

After the wedding, we obviously had to work with a tighter budget for our honeymoon. It’s good that Joseph and I are basically no-frills travelers so this new boutique hotel fit our budget perfectly without causing us some hassle and stress.

I was desperately looking for budget hotels on the internet when I found a goldmine. TUNE HOTEL, located at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, in downtown KL, is operated by Tune Air Sdn. Bhd. founded by Tony Fernandes, the same founder of the AirAsia, the low cost airline in Malaysia. We flew AirAsia going to KL so booking in Tune Hotel just fit perfectly.

Guess how much we paid for a 3 Nights/4 days stay? …(drumroll)… only a little less than 3,000 Philippine Pesos. Yes, no kidding. At first I thought hey this might be a motel type of place (You know like those flower group of low-cost hotels you can find along Pasig?) but seriously this was a LEGIT & CLEAN hotel.

Okay here’s the concept behind such low-priced accommodations. First of all, bear in mind that this is a BUDGET Concept Hotel. Forgive me for saying this, but you know Malaysians have a "better" definition of the word “budget” than Filipinos. Tayo kasing mga Pinoy pag sinabi mong agad na budget alam mo agad na super tinipid ka talaga.

In this case, for PhP3000 it even beats staying in a so-called 3-star hotel here in the Philippines. Let’s admit it when you’re traveling in a foreign country, you’re out touring most of the time anyway, right? (Unless you’re like a hotel hermit like Woody Allen or something) Anyway… staying in Tune Hotel is CHEAP yet COMFORTABLE because they have taken out the stuff that you don’t REALLY get to use anyway but end up paying for it in bigger hotels such as Cable TV, Room service, Telephone, Mini-Bar, etc… What you really need from a reliable hotel is a GOOD SHOWER, a GREAT BED, NICE AIRCONDITIONING, and PROPER SECURITY. You may not have the other extras inside the room BUT you have all of these 4 important factors in 5-STAR CLASS. Since the hotel is in downtown KL, it’s so near the KL tourist spots like the Petronas Tower and Menara. It’s even a stone’s throw away from the monorail. Around the area, we even found some great off-the-beaten track places to eat.

I’m obviously raving about this place because it really deserves it. It was such a blessing to find it in the Internet. I really recommend this cheap yet chic hotel. Check out the interiors. Not bad at all. In fact they were so hip and funky. With such a concept I thought that only young travelers would be able to enjoy it but guess what, I found a couple of senior citizens staying there too. So it’s really for everybody.

Another good thing that I liked about it is the hotel’s concern for energy conservation. To cut down on energy costs, guests can only pay for the amount of air conditioning used. They style is prepaid. So for our stay we paid for a 12-hour use of air conditioning. That cost was already included in the 3k bill. So imagine how cheaper it would have been if we didn’t get some AC. But you know what since we were out most of the time, the prepaid 12-hour AC lasted us for the whole stay.

Joseph and I really recommend this hotel. It was a small room but the bed made us feel like we were honeymooning in Shangri-La. I swear! =)