TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

Shanghai cuisine although originating locally, do have influences from its neighbour provinces. Traditionally, Shanghai dishes are marked by the emphasis on sight, smell and taste. Thus, it is not surprising that most Shanghai dishes are served heavily seasoned. In particular, the use of chinese wine in the cooking is fairly common. The elaborate table layout at a restaurant in a Shopping Mall near The Bund where I had my meal, Shanghai, China (2015) During my brief visit to Shanghai in July 2015 as part of a working trip, I had the chance to try Shanghainese food in Shanghai itself! I thus tried to made full use of my 2-day stay in this famous Chinese city to try as much of the local cuisine as I could. The result was satisfying. The heavily seasoned and tasty dishes find total agreement with my taste buds. Here are some of the dishes that I had the chance to try during my stay in Shanghai. Due to personal preferences, I do not eat pork. But I find the presentatio...

Short trips allow us to get away from work for a few days, recharge and return to work with that extra zest. People often asked me how I manage to work so hard without being stressed or burnt out. My secret lies in the short breaks I took every 3 to 4 months. For such trips, traveling regional is the answer.  My favourite beach holiday destination, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2016) In the month of March, I realised that I still have some vacation leave left over from 2015 and decided to take a short trip to my favourite regional destination of Bali. While I still chose to stay at the Nusa Dua area, I decided to modify my itinerary a little this time by staying further north of Nusa Dua at the Sofitel instead of at my usual accommodation at the Grand Hyatt. Sipping drinks by the beach at teh Sofitel, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2016) The trip was a nice one. Everything about the Sofitel was awesome, the service was great and the food served at the hotel was delicio...

Murals are generally artwork not painted on canvas but artful paintings on walls and buildings. I have always marvelled at murals and the artistry talents behind these beautiful art pieces. And if the murals are applied on old historical buildings, then the added charm of these building mixed artfully with the painted pieces truly bring out a magical feel of fairy tale proportions. Dragon Dance mural, Old Town, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2016) In my many trips to Ipoh's Old Town district, I usually spent a couple of quiet afternoons wandering through this part of the city that exudes charms from another era. Standing all over this area are old buildings dating back decades. Unlike other cities, these buildings are in no danger of being demolished to pave ways for modern skyscrapers. Therein lies the charm of Ipoh's Old Town. Over the past few years, many independent indie-style cafes have sprung up around the area. More often than not, these cafes tend to build around th...

Currently on vacation in Bali, I am writing this article from the comfort of my hotel room at the Sofitel Nusa Dua. Despite my previous numerous visits to Bali, I have not known of the Pirates Bay restaurant in Nusa Dua before. This unique dining place is located along the beach and is within walking distance of 5-star hotels such as the Sofitel, Westin and Grand Hyatt. A quick glance on Google Map will help you locate the Pirates Bay easily if you are anywhere along the beach of Nusa Dua. As the name suggests, this is not your usual restaurant in Nusa Dua where one sits and dine on the beach. Instead, you get the chance to climb up a treehouse and dine right there! Treehouse dining experience at the Pirates Bay restaurant, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2016) Intrigue by the chance of such a unique dining experience, I decided to make my way from the Sofitel, walking by the beach for about 20 minutes to reach the Pirates Bay. The menu includes mainly western style d...

I usually travel to Bali for vacation once or twice a year because the island is only about a 2.5-hour flight from Singapore. Being a creature of habits, I will almost certainly stay in the Nusa Dua area due to its long stretch of white sand beach and also because of my familiarity with the surrounding areas. I have dined at the Bebek Bengil (a.k.a. Dity Duck Diner) restaurant in Nusa Dua each time I am in Bali. Bebek actually means duck in Bahasa Indonesia. The signature Bebek Bengil (a.k.a. crispy duck) dish at this restaurant is something I always enjoyed every time I dined here. The duck meat does not taste too gamey although at times, the duck breast can be a bit dry resulting in the meat being chewy. The accompanying condiments and side dishes are the highlights of the menu here and they are served together with the main course without any additional charges. Those who enjoy asian spices will definitely savour the rich tastes of these condiments and side dishes. Service ...