Now,This Is Going To Get Confusing!



Petronas Mercedes

 Malaysia has been hosting an F1 event for something like 13 years now and if you're an F1 fan you're probably used to seeing Petronas sponsorship.
But this season there are Malaysian interests sponsoring 6 cars... 25% of the Grid!


A Lotus

 We have the Petronas sponsored Mercedes
Then the Air Asia sponsored Lotus with a Renault/Red Bull engine
and
Lotus-Proton sponsored Renault with Lada written on the side...


• 

And Another Lotus!

 I think.....
This is not bad for a country with no real racing pedigree and it must cost them a fortune.
Anyway,lets hope that they all qualify and deliver some exciting racing this season

Ceylon Bar Changkat Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur

Ceylon Bar on Changkat Bukit Bintang has been around for years and has built-up a loyal following of locals and expats alike plus there are usually a few backpackers as Pondok Lodge is situated right on top of the bar.
Although it's been open for years for some reason it's a place that I rarely visit and on my last visit there for a Roast Dinner and to watch F1 I noticed how shabby and run-down the place was looking in the harsh,unforgiving daylight.
Having said that-I guess no bar looks good in daylight but I was interested to learn that Ceylon Bar has just had a refurbishment so it was worth another look.
Yeah,it looks alright although the guy next to me said it reminded him of drinking in his living room-and we couldn't decide whether that was a good thing or not....
The bar has been extended outwards which creates a slightly smaller drinking area but it's been made smoother by removing the little wall tables and replacing them with couches along the wall which is great as it creates opportunities for easy conversation with fellow drinkers.
The decor is black and cream that has a slightly Mediterranean feel, tasteful rather than rustic.
All the furniture has been replaced.
A lot of people like to hang-out on the terrace but I find the chairs there a bit too uncomfortable whilst the upstairs area at the back is a bit too impersonal-and remote.
The bar is a nice place to hang-out but you've gotta get there fairly early to get some bar space.
What hasn't changed is the friendly service and warm welcome you get here.
I probably go to Ceylon Bar less than once a year but I'm always met with good,friendly service.
The food is pretty damn good too-and the snack menu is probably one of the most extensive menus around with prices ranging from RM 11 to RM 30 you'll have no problem finding something you like.
A mug of Tiger will set you back RM 12.60 after taxes...cheaper than Finegans or Healy Macs but not quite as good value as Gypsy.
Ceylon Bar's success(and it's always pretty busy) is,I think down to the management and staff making that little bit more effort than their competitors do...and Good luck to them! 

Kasturi Walk Central Market Kuala Lumpur

Kasturi Walk is the much-hyped new tourist-friendly development in KL
running alongside Central Market.
It opened with lots of fireworks and publicity a few weeks back.

And guess what?
It's no big deal at all.
Just an extension of Central Market so you can buy more tourist bric-a-brac.
In the publicity blurb it goes something like .." enjoy an al-fresco shopping and eating experience"
In reality it's a row of little kiosks offering snack- food and the usual tourist junk.
I saw T Shirts priced at RM 29 which I'm pretty sure you can pick-up in Sungai Wang for RM 10.
OK,so I have to admit that the pavement ,which they call a "walkway" is better than before because it's level and clean and if the stalls are all owned by local entrepreneurs then good luck to them.
Kasturi Walk even has 24hr security guards who will not let you walk down before the stalls are open.
But come on,RM 8 million for this?

Is Penang really the 8th Best Island in the World?

If you read this review here! Yahoo Travel Guide has selected Penang as the 8th Best Island In The World to Visit....placing it in the same top 10 as Bali and Bora Bora....
Come on! Seriously?
Now,far be it for me to suggest the reviewer was paid to say it...but to me Penang is really over-rated.
Here's a few reasons why...
1.It's dirty.
2.It's overcrowded.
3.It's overdeveloped.
4.Very little is done to preserve the remaining old buildings. Despite all the "hoo-ha" over being given UNESCO status they still managed to screw-up-an example being replacing the Penang Hill funicular railway.)
5.Batu Ferringhi Beach is full of touts giving non-stop hassle,litter everywhere,polluted water.
6.The strip of restaurants at Batu Ferringhi is quantity over quality.
7. It's a bit pricey...and not very friendly.
I could go on but I'm sure you get my point.
I may be a bit biased as my last few trips there just involve the Industrial Park at Bayan Lepas.

So for balance, a few good points about Penang are:
1.You get some nice views of greenery and beach.
2.Georgetown is very nice to wander around for a few hours.
3 The food is OK-but so what?
4.It's not KL-so it's nice to visit once in a while.
5.If you think of any more let me know...

My wife fondly remembers cycling around Penang as a child-try doing that now and you won't survive the first road junction!
Many people from Penang now work in KL and they will all say the same thing...that Penang is overdeveloped,overpriced and dirty.
It was probably a brilliant island to go to 25-30 years ago but in my opinion the rampant development over the past 2 decades has destroyed any charm that "The Pearl of the Orient" used to have.

Late Night Nan Bread @ SK Corner

A few years back it was almost compulsory to have a late night supper of nan bread after a heavy night to try and mop-up the excess alcohol in your system....
Venue of choice was the 24hr coffee shop now sadly replaced by the 7-Eleven at the corner of Changkat Bukit Bintang and Tengkat Tong Shin....oh Happy Days!
These days after a night of partying on Changkat Bukit Bintang if you want a nan supper and can't be bothered to walk very far you will probably head to SK Corner a bit further down Tengkat Tong Shin.
When it first opened it was quite good but sad to say it's gone downhill recently.
And it's never as busy as it used to be...so I'm not the only one who thinks so......
Like so many food places these days they are either increasing prices or cutting-back on quality/quantity
I don't think they can make their nans any smaller so they have cut back on the dips/sauces that you get with your nan.
I used to like the dhall curry dip as there would be a surprise chunk of potato and the chick peas would be quite wholesome and at about RM 2 it was a good value supper (RM 3.50 if you added a 100 plus into the mix).....
Alas no more...
I was served a thin watery tasteless gravy that had no flavour whatsoever.and the nan bread wasn't even cooked properly..quite disappointing and not worth going there again...
The Maggi-Mee Goring was also dreadful....
Something so simple...and they've screwed it up!
If you want a nan supper try either along Jalan Nagasari heading towards the Istana Hotel or the Indian restaurant underneath Cruz Club on Jalan Sultan Ismail....or even the recently opened (but rather uninviting looking) new place up the steep bit of hill on Changkat Bukit Bintang heading towards Bukit Bintang near Jalan Alor....If you find any others please let me know....

Best Not To Ask.....

If you're sensible enough to ask "What's in the other 10%?", you're probably not crazy enough to actually eat it!......

Starduck @ Lot 10 Food Court Bukit Bintang

I mentioned here that you can find the Best Hokkien Mee in the World at Lot 10 Hutong Food Court.
I would have to say that this is without doubt the best food court in KL and the thought of eating some Hokkien Mee to help cure a hangover is rather comforting.
Incidentally,the German Restaurant mentioned here!  in the same foodcourt has gone off-the-boil a bit...they've cut down on portion size but maintained the price.I now avoid it.
Anyway...back to the point... On days when you're feeling fine you may need something less oily and lardy than Hokkien Mee

Fear Not.
Have a look at Starduck-Duckling,it's opposite the Sun Moulin Bakery and usually has a queue-always a sign of good food.
Here they specialise in Roast Pork and ,as the name suggests,Roast Duck.
The Roast Pork is gorgeous!
It's a little pricey (about RM 12 for a dish) compared to other stalls but it's worth it as it's unlikely you will ever find anything better in the heart of KL...and even in the suburbs food stalls like this are fast-disappearing.
So,what do you get for your RM 12?
A big glutinous ball of clotted noodles,a "nod" towards vegetables with an unidentifiable green-thing and some mouth-wateringly good slices of roast pork.

And the "secret sauce" which I think is sweet soy sauce.
The trick is to "untie" the noodles by continuously tossing and separating them with your chosen utensils (fork and spoon or the twig technology of chopsticks) and mix them in with the soy sauce underneath them.
Once the noodles have changed colour from white to brownish...you're ready to eat.
You'll be surprised how good it tastes.
Unbelievable!
And yet it's so sweet and simple...a bit like my wife!...