1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #208 - Osaka Castle, Japan

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #208

- Osaka Castle, Japan

(Our Japan trip opened with a visit to the majestic Osaka Castle. Built in the 1500s and destroyed several times, it now stands tall, with distinctive Japanese architecture all round. For a 100yen, the birdfeeder will give you a pack of rice crispies and you can have a whale of a time feeding the pigeons. Another month and the cherry blossoms would have painted the entire area pink. Still, it was refreshingly cool at 12C, an oasis within the concrete jungle of Osaka. How about that impressive shogun-samurai suit on that man?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #207 - CUT Restaurant by Wolfgang Puck, MBS, Singapore

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #207

- CUT Restaurant by Wolfgang Puck, MBS, Singapore

(We had some impressive steaks before, for example from Morton's, but what we had at CUT by Wolfgang Puck at MBS was special. Our entrée was an asparagus bacon dish which was delicious. But when our fillet mignon and tenderloin were served with a side each of brussel sprouts and wild mushrooms, they took the top spot on our steaks chart. The $380 bill at the end for 2 was worth every dollar, especially if it's an anniversary dinner. No wonder we couldn't get a reservation on the day itself but managed only a bar-side table - still, it was cozy enough, made even better by the steaks) 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #206 - Cats The Musical, MBS, Singapore

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #206

- Cats The Musical, MBS, Singapore

(We thought any Andrew Lloyd Webber musical would be a sure winner. And so, we checked out "Cats The Musical" at Marina Bay Sands. Somehow, it didn't quite grab us the way that Phantom did. Was it because we were right up on the 3rd level? However, when the theme song "Memory" was sung by Grizabella, the evening was worth it again - she was outstanding! Which brings to mind..how was it when it was last sung here by Jacintha?) 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #205 - Biryani dish : best ever, Yangon

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #205

- Biryani dish : best ever, Yangon

(This will sound funny from someone living in Singapore but I think we have found the best biryani dish, ever. Yes, it is in Yangon, a mere 50metres from our hotel Clover City. This biryani restaurant called Nilar is along the main busy street. When we first tried it, it blew us away - their so-called Ambrosia Biryani is a mixed version with some cashews and raisins served with its tender chicken. But the real kick came from a side spicy add-on which had small dried shrimps in it, which made it the best biryani we have ever had - so good, we tapau 4 packs home!) 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #204 - Landmarks of Yangon, Myanmar

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #204

- 3 Landmarks of Yangon, Myanmar

(These 3 other Yangon landmarks were distinctive in their own rights. The Karaweik Palace is actually a floating barge built on a lake, with a pagoda-like structure on its top. Very intricate design and worth a closer look. The Strand Hotel is an icon, built by the same Sarkies brothers who built Raffles Hotel, thus the strong look-and-feel..including the U$500 a night pricetag. The Bogyoke Market is where you go for all the touristy handicrafts before your depart Yangon. Don't forget to order a morning cuppa local coffee and sit by the roadside of a corner food stall, and watch a typical Myanmar morning go by, including this parade of young Buddhist monks)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #203 - Chinatown 19th Street Seafood, Yangon

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #203

- Chinatown 19th Street Seafood, Yangon, Myanmar

 

(This grilled seafood hawker stall right at the top of 19th Street in Chinatown became our favourite dining spot for 3 out of 5 nights in Myanmar. You can choose from an array of seafood, from fresh prawns to squids, and plenty more, all on satay sticks. But the big grilled seabass was what we really came for. We tried it once on the off-chance that it would be good, and yes, we got hooked. For U$15 for 2, this is a terrific dinning experience, in the relative coolness of the Yangon night, bombarded by the many sounds of a typical Chinatown roadside)

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #202 - Padonmar Restaurant, Yangon

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #202

- Padonmar Restaurant, Yangon, Myanmar

 

(What a delightful restaurant in Yangon, this Padonmar, tucked inside a residential area within a big bungalow. We picked it out from the airline brochure on the way back from Bagan, and it was a great recommendation indeed. The chicken and prawn dishes we ordered together with 2 vegetables were delicious, with rice served on a bamboo canister. It was a bit off city centre but the 20min taxi ride was worth it. And the bill at the end was a mere U$35 - what a steal for such delicious Myanmarese dishes )

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #201 - Golden Myanmar Restaurant, Bagan

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #201

- Golden Myanmar Restaurant, Bagan, Myanmar

 

(This restaurant serves 12 dishes at one go, all authentic Myanmarese food. It's rustic charm brings back the old days, under grandma's attap house. Just look at their kitchen - you can't find these types of stoves anymore in any restaurant, that's for sure. And their toilet is a classic hole-in-the-ground)