Backpacker with Strays 2: Walk with Foods and Budget

Social media hashtags like foodporn, foodie, foodblogger, foodstagram and foodlovers are exactly not our kick. 

Hashtags on foods seem to be rather splendid fingers exercise for us to practice our knowledge on luxurious food. 

All we could humbly know is to eat, with small amount and affordable, compatible bucks. 

 There are just too many places you won't discover until you walk from corner to corner instead of passing by with a vehicle, like what you do in a Safari.

You can always find lil food by the streets, we call them streets food or makanan tepi jalan which taste like the aura of street.
 

 Ice-cream Bread.

Most of the time we prefer simple and smooth ice cream. 

That was when we glanced at someone's (a lil kid actually) who was licking her ice cream, before we turned our head and quickly seek for where on earth that lil head got this moderate and nice pet. 
The boss was friendly and recognized us during our return after a month since we first visited.

 

So...we ended up having it twice. 
Only get one each time we visit this place so that we wouldn't get ourselves too full while having opportunity to feed our taste bud tad by tad.

  Having roti canai with Teh tarik kurang manis is not uncommon among most of us, but having it at a very old place at Jalan Gartak Kuching do lightened up our appetite. 

We forgot to order only one teh tarik like we used to share, to save money of course. 
Nevermind, we learn a lesson.

It was a thunderstorm morning when we first arrived Kuching by K10A. 
Kuching was flooded and ya we weren't got captured by the media for getting caught in the rain. Teehee.

Most of the time people oversight some food places because they are obsessed with the popular ones. Hence we decided to rush into a new place at Jalan Datuk Ajibah Abol (Kampung Masjid) and got ourselves some new try.

Most importantly they are worth for our bucks.

 

 Mee Crispy Hong Kong.

 I was browsing on the list of Mee Crispy with different names until I got puzzled and asked the friendly person who served us: Which is the nicest one? "Hong Kong", he said. 

Not really into crispy mee cause am not a fan of Yee Mee（伊面）. But believe me this is delicious and served in compatible portion.

Immediately we thought of Wafa and Hanim,  
"For sure they would like this big portion." Teeeheee.

Good friend of you girls, ya? 
Wink. 

 

 Nicky's end-product after puzzling of what to get from the dazzling food menu. 

 

 Japanese pastry while walking on the street during our second short Backpacker with Strays. 

Just a tad to eat when we were so reluctant to spend more money for lunch (wanted to rush back to cook).

Kolo Mee at Ohana Cafe Tabuan.

The first new place we visited during our 3rd Backpacker with Strays on the third day of New Year.

 It was 2.30pm when we walked down passed the Carpenter Street to seek for a favorite bicycle shop.which selling Japanese bicycle like Jingle (my bicycle) but it was closed. 

So we were planning "What's next with lower price" while walking into the row of shops on the quiet Kuching Street until we bumped into a small humble eat place name Zul Place at Lebuh Wayang Kuching.

   It is a concept cafe with many tiny little effort you can see.

Nicky wanted to try on the Chinese style chicken rice (Hainan style) which she used to taste when she was at Tanah Merah so we explored one here, of course with Halal at Coconut Milk Kopitiam Jalan Padugan and its unexpectedly nice!

 Well, Burger King has never been in our taste list. We were always reluctant to spend on fast food, well this sounds sarcastic HAHAS, Ok kidding dude, it depends. 

So we got our try on Burger King， Err..despite Burger King is everywhere around us.

But the only thing for sure is, it is less greasy and salty compared to McD.

All we are looking for are the foods which are out of the stream and Internet, of course sometimes they are not, especially when you are in the mall or city. 

 A week later, we decided to have our first visit with a bus ride to Viva City (and not forgetting the strays), the newly open mall at Kuching. 
It was a month later since its grand opening.We call this mall the Rushing Mall. You will get what I mean if you ever visit Viva City and observe every single piece inside.

Nicky and I aimed to get some try on different kind of food instead of being lured by the saless EVERYWHERE. 

STAY STEADY, Girl. 

 NanChosss.
Ok Nando's.
 I have been looking at this Chicken almost every once in a week when I was in Selangor but I never know it hits a hugeee crowd and looong queue when it hatches in Kuching. Nicky suggested to get a dig at this place so we decided to try with the smartest budget way.
What makes it nice could be its sauces, smooth and melt in your taste bud. Ok am not a connoisseur or foodie, this is just what came across my mind.

Hainan Chicken Rice at Viva City Food Court. 

Since the first try of Hainan Chicken Rice at Coconut Milk Kopitiam, Nicky seems to have not enough over this dish. After two rounds of loiter at food court, we augment on this one dish for another food attempt. It is a Normal (breast part of chicken, If Special would be drumstick part) Hainan Roasted Chicken Rice.The chilly sauce are nice especially the belacan.

Trend of chicken rice nowadays, everywhere. Take note ya. 

No more chicken rice RM 3.50 anymore. 

Cry no tears. 

Worth mentioning, what freaked us out was the card system at the food court. 

Err, you got to purchase a card with RM 2 at the counter, then top up with a minimum of RM 10. After that, pay your chicken rice with the card back at the chicken rice stall. 

If you have nothing more to purchase, you may refund your balance at another counter. Refund is only available on the similar day.

Imagine when there is a long queue during a weekend or holiday, refunding would be a boring task to do.

  
Ice Tube Fried Ice Cream.
Mocha flavor with Almond topping.
 The first thing we came to the stall we asked the handsome man, are you selling your hat? It was a real nice and cute moo moo cap!
 Mocha Ice Cream with Almond topping and one is definitely enough for two person. Smooth ice cream and very colourful side decorations. 
"Must be creative", whispered the macho sifu to his helper. 

 

The Manhattan Fish Market. 

We got a free coupon from Manhattan Fish Market when we were passing by this shop with our eyes aiming at the Seoul Garden right opposite it. Ok am kidding, we were just walking straight without having the intention to visit this place. 

Out of no where, we returned to this place, sat down.

Tadaaa we got our Oligami, Ok it's Oligolio for FREE. 

It is good to visit places which are neeew, ya?

BLOWING NAILS.

We intended to share a set of grilled fish with rice but we were eventually served with another dish. 

Rezeki, thank you. 

Kuma Mono 熊食.
  First tried this Bear Pau when I was at Kuala Lumpur two years ago. 
It was a new experience for Nicky and really glad she tried this.
The milky-taste bread surpasses the highlight of its paw design.
 
 

My partner in everything. 

We could walk thousand miles every where, with no temper no complaint.

 But...
She loves to get the ugly part of me.

Few days later, lil sister Jyiona sent me a message on the day she had her last exam paper.
She wanted me to accompany her...eat eat eat. 
What a silly girl.
So we brought her to Seoul Garden Hotpot.
Yea, she was over the moon, happily showing her bus ticket to me. 

 Chicken Bulgogi Bibimbap.
Many people were asking the friendly outspoken waiter whether there is rice in a Bibimbap. 
Well the origin of Bibimbap before it is packaged into the market, was actually all the left-over left in the fridge of the Korean people.
They mix whatever they have, including kimchi and stir it. So it is no something weird if you see people eating a Bibimbap by stirring it or mixing all the ingredient in their bowl.

Nicky's Marinated Chicken Slices.
It is spicy as it is marinated with the chilly powder.
 Eating this with a small bowl of plain rice serves you duper full tummy.

Jyiona's Marinated Beef Slices.

 Kimgaru rice tastes humbly nice.
Rice with suitable amount of seaweed.

 

Lil Jyiona was  very satisfied with her meal and immediately we brought her to Ice Tube Fried Ice Cream, green tea flavor with Coco Crunch topping.

Her head tilt with the rhythm of the scraper tool on the flat pan.

 
 And all Nicky and I were doing...laughing over her cuteness.
How glad we were to see her gulping happily over her foodsss.

Mr Siew Bao 烧包先生.

This is not uncommon among most of us but it was the first try for Nicky.

Mommy has been forbidding me from eating siew bau because according to her this is apparently "heaty" (热气).

So I don't usually have this even when am in hometown. 

I was thinking this is non-halal but smart aleck Nicky pointed me the seller who are in her hijab. 

Well she was correct and this is great!
How happy I was whenever I know some Chinese food are made in Halal.

Another principle of us is to try food we never tried, not following the stream. 

Both of us are actually apparently food consumer who are pretty misanthropic - who are highly critical of society in terms of food. 

Okay it is like, why do we need to get a plate of veg with RM 8 since we could cook it ourselves with the almost same taste (or better）? 

This is very Mom-Dad style I know but, 

you know this feeling when you are getting used of living thrifty since the day you are living alone. 

 

This is ABSOLUTELY delicious I would say.

Yesterday again we went for our 5th Backpacker with Strays. Out of no where, we came to Jalan Chan Chin Ann and saw this place where we were thinking of "Makanan Padang"(The Indonesian food).

 Bingo! We were right. It serves many kind of food. 

And we got the Balado Chicken and Pandan Chicken.

We were mumbling how nice if we could bring our family here earlier.

WAIT, MOMMY.

  Ayam Pandan and pucuk ubi with Balado sambal and soup.

  Chicken coated with Balado sambal and pucuk ubi with soup.

Balado, it is the name of the sambal. 

It is much spicier than that of Nasi Ayam Penyet. 

Initially we were thinking to get us some soup or pucuk ubi as side dishes but fortunately we dropped the idea. The side amount of soup and pucuk ubi served together with the main dish were more than we could ask for.

 

 

And how Nicky's elder sister responded to our food attempts after knowing we finally decide to get ourselves some slightly different-from-everyday-food after tightening ourselves up for so many months.   

 


Walk around Kuching, meet new friends, you would discover more food and good places to save more of your bucks. It costs not more than RM 20 to get yourself  a day in Kuching, if you know how to plan and spend well.

With a backpack and sport shoes.
A drinking water bottle cause it is better to save your bucks for ordering drinks. 
Check weather forecast using your mobile phone apps a day before setting off.

 Learning all public transport's route: bus, Zon 4 van (If you are from Kota Samarahan area) 
 (the uniqueness of Sarawak of having van as one of the main transports ) and taxi (not adviceable cause it's too costly).

Not forgetting, 
  a bottle of strays biscuits if possible.
You love to eat well, so do the strays. 
 

 Walk around with less money for good places and good food. 
Remember, 
 eat in small quantity if you aren't a fan of big eater so that you can try many food in a day. :)