Motormouth in Betong, Thailand - 2 Countries in 1 Day

For the sake of first-timers, or the newly-poisoned (followers) of this blog, Betong is a quiet (depending on how you look at it, really) town in southern Thailand, that shares its border with the even smaller and serene town of Pengkalan Hulu in northern Perak.

WHERE again you ask?!!! Just refer to my old posts (Betong - The Town Over the Border). Still reeling from the day's stretched-out meeting. And the after-effect of Monday blues.

Lenggong's Famous Loh Dee Wan Tan Mee - Notice even the press has covered this small, almost barely noticeable hut along the main road of Lenggong. Blink and you'll miss it.

(Here's my previous review of the Wan Tan Mee)

Okay, for the benefit of those lazybums (you know who you are), here's a short, short recollection. Last July (exactly a year ago), we went on a 3 days 2 nights trip to Betong, Thailand. From Ipoh to Pengkalan Hulu, it takes about two and a half hours worth of journey by car. Crossing over from Pengkalan Hulu to the other side, aka the Darker/Sinful side (hehe), it takes only about 10 minutes of travelling.

But of course, you have to get down from your car, fill in forms, get your passport stamped, etc etc. More on that later, in this very post.

The almost idyllic town of Lenggong, Perak.

From the PLUS highway northbound, we exited the Kuala Kangsar toll, and proceeded towards Gerik (Timur)/Lenggong. Don't worry, there are ample signboards to guide even the blind-est of person. ;)

Tiny, miniscule fried fish balls from Khen Pang Restaurant - The supposedly famous Lenggong fishballs. This restaurant was even featured in The Star (click HERE for the article)

Then after about an hour's worth of travelling (and incessant naggings IF you've children in your car, or those impatient young-at-hearts), you'll reach the small town of Lenggong. Lenggong is famous because of the erm, infamous Perak cave man. A skeleton of a pre-historic cave man found through some serious excavation and made Lenggong a household name of sorts, amongst the eyes of the world. The archaelogists' world, of course.

For breakfast, we stopped over for some good old Wan Tan Mee at Loh Dee, then crossing over to the opposite side of the street for some fishballs at Khen Pang. A funny scene ensued, as we expected gigantic, huge and bouncy fishballs. Thus I asked for 8 biji (8 pieces), but the waitress laughed it off. Okay ...... she explained that the balls come smaller than usual (hehe, how ironic - mimicking REAL life situation eh? ;P) and the portion served are in tens.

So we took up her offer and proudly exclaimed that ten should be enough. And the 5-10 minutes wait was a little suspicious, given the fact that fishballs simply DO NOT take that long to cook. The whole shop was occupied by uncles and aunties in their 60's, enjoying their leisure bite while scanning the dailies.

And we nearly choked (before we even put the balls into our mouths) when the fishballs were served. Smaller than a 50 cents coin, and deep-fried with lots of oil (the plate was greased like no other - even John Travolta would have been proud!), the only consolation was the balls were bouncy, or with QQ texture. I knew because we did some erm, bouncing experiment on the plate itself. Not something that we'll return for in the future. For directions to Loh Dee Wan Tan Mee and Khen Pang (opposite of Loh Dee), click HERE.

1. Get your departure/arrival form filled for you @ RM2, OR fill them up yourselves.

2. Get in line and wait until your turn for your passport/border pass to be verified and stamped.

3. If you're driving/riding over the border, show your original car grant (or photostated one, but verified by the police - Balai Polis Air Panas over at Pengkalan Hulu can serve you well) and get a declearation form (that's how it's spelled) for your vehicle. RM3 fee is chargeable.

4. And you're GOOD to go !!!!

Dang ... it was cloudy the day we went. Let's make a few quick rounds, and begone!


The largest mailbox in the world (all NINE metres of it!)


Krua Samui Thai Restaurant @ Sukkayang Road, Betong, Thailand

Fast-forward to lunch hour, we warped in a flash to Krua Samui Thai Restaurant, an authentic Thai restaurant in Betong, previously recommended by a "local" (not really, as Aunt Yoong is a Penangite who resides in Betong, but still ...), and the previous post of mine featured the many dishes we ordered for dinner during our trip to Betong last year.

Pork Intestines with Black Pepper, Tom Yum Seafood, Green Curry Chicken, Kerabu Chicken Feet Salad and Sambal Belacan Paku-Pakis (fern leaves)

Since the restaurant opens from 10.00am until 10.00pm (Thailand timezone, one hour earlier than Malaysian time), we decided to drop our anchor, and appease our hunger pangs, before deciding on our next plan for the day.

The stir-fried pork intestines with black pepper was still as flavourful as our previous visit, maintaining its crunchy texture, while heavily seasoned and stir-fried with cili padi (beware), and scallions. The Tom Yum at Krua Samui's resembled the version served in Malaysia, not very spicy, but with a heavier tinge of sourness. Still, beats the average Tom Yum hands down, if you ask me. The Kerabu Chicken Feet packed some punch, in the forms of finely chopped bird's eye chillies (cili padi), hence proceed with caution. You wouldn't want to emerge at the end of the meal with bee-stung lips. Lest you're a Jolie's groupie. The Green Curry chicken was spicier than the milder version served in Malaysia, even to the point of overwhelming the slightly piquant Tom Yum, which paled in comparison to this! And the Sambal Belacan (spicy shrimp paste) Paku-pakis was delicious, crunchy stems, leafy greens, with addictive kick.

The meal came to 550baht (RM60) for the four of us, including coconut drinks (whole coconuts, not watered down version in glasses), and sugar cane juice. Realise that you CAN use Ringgit Malaysia in Betong, it's accepted in every shop, but at a different rate than last time, given the weaker ringgit as of now.

For location, please refer to my old post HERE. Should be easy to find, as you just proceed north from the clock tower in Betong town.

From chickens to dinosaurs, and temples to Buddha statue. Betong is indeed, a riot !!!! Stay for the nightlife or massage services, if you've time to spare.


Scenes around Wat Phuttathiwat, a famous temple in Betong. It was raining rather heavily, hence our camwhoring session was cut short. Shucks.



Betong Town - Shopping for dried foods, snacks and such. And the Malay's HALAL restaurant in blue. There is a lane with several commendable Malay restaurants that cater to the Muslims in Betong town. Just opposite the Central Market.

A pleasing array of tong sui (sweet soups), and the one and only, ginkgo nuts soup with lotsa eggs (even quail's!!!)

We skipped the Piyamit Tunnel (very famous communist tunnel to the north of Betong town), and Hot Spring. Since we had visited both attractions before. But for first-timers, highly recommended to visit the tunnel at least ONCE.

The giant mailbox is on Sukkayang Road, to the north of the clock tower in town (trust me, you WON'T miss it). And we shopped for Koh Kae peanuts (those in colourful canisters) in various flavours, at RM11.50 for three. And the fish maws is also a popular purchase here, from RM10-RM30, depending on the quality of the maws. The cashew nuts, tidbits, etc are the other usual buys from Betong.

And the tropical fruits in abundance (Gerik, Perak) - Tis the season to be jolly?

The weather was cooling in Betong, but rather unforgiving, with heavy rains, storms and the likes. Anyway, we were almost done, and retracted back to our homeland, for some durian-bingeing session at Gerik in Perak !!!!

to be continued ..........

Chinatown, Bangkok - Night and Day

From previous chapter of Best Pad Thai, Lamphu House & Khao San Road .....

Complete with neon lights, gaudy architectures, cabs plying the route non-stop, and tuk-tuk terrorizing the streets .... Bangkok's Chinatown lights up come sundown.

Chinatown (or Yaowarat Road) is a part of Bangkok that's rather famous come sundown, aside from the perennial favourite of many (hehe); Patpong. But of course, for all the RIGHT reasons, as opposed to the RED light district aforementioned. ;)

T&K Seafood Restaurant @ Chinatown - With the cheerful workers all decked in GREEN. Such nature lovers these Thais are .....

Thanks to sc, we managed to manoeuvred our ways to one of Chinatown's best offerings, the seafood restaurants. We took a cab from somewhere around Khao San Road (we were fresh off the river taxi ride from Wat Arun) to Chinatown, telling the driver that we were on the prowl for seafood at Chinatown. And hey, no perfect Engrish necessary, as Chinatown (or better known as Yaowarat, referring to the name of the road) is well-known to locals and foreigners alike. 100baht/RM10 per way, and don't try to bargain unnecessarily. (Trust me, I did and nearly got rolled over at Chinatown!!)

Tangy tangerine juice, sweet coconut juice fresh from the shell, and the condiments - sweet, sour and fiery

There are two VERY prominent seafood restaurants in Chinatown, by the roadside. But of course, you can choose to sit inside, with air-conditioning in times of near-heatstroke. One of them being T&K Seafood, with workers all decked in lime GREEN T-shirts, while their stiff competitor wears RED, directly opposite of each other, named Lek & Rut. At each other's throat or not, I don't know. But one thing for sure, both outlets were packed like sardines the moment we were there for dinner. And it wasn't even a weekend or public holiday.

Juicy, succulent LARGE prawns barbecued @ 150baht/RM15

Most impressive dish in their repertoire is their BBQ seafood, from crabs to prawns, and fish to squids. Fresh, succulent supplies grilled to perfection, retaining most moisture, and freshness. The prawns for one, reminded me of our very own Tanjung Tualang's BIG-headed river prawns, only a little larger at T&K. From 150 to 300 baht per serving. Very juicy, sweet & fresh. Smokey flavour imparted from the grill, the prawns can be eaten plain or with the accompanying dipping sauces. One being the sweet Thai chilli sauce, another was the slightly sour & spicier green chilli dip.

Fried Meat Crab with Yellow Curry Powder @ 300baht/RM30

The crabs cooked with the thick, almost gelatinous curry powder and beaten eggs fared not too well though. The curry paste being a little overwhelming and rich, while the crab (only one, for we ordered the small portion) was nothing to shout about. (300baht for Small, 350baht for Medium, and 400baht for Large).

Oyster Omelette/Or Chien @ 100baht/RM10

Unlike sc's version, this one did not come on a bed of bean sprouts, but instead akin to the average fried egg omelette commonly found everywhere. Not crispy at all, with meagre servings of oysters. Served with a sweet chilli sauce. Forgettable.

Steamed Squid with Garlic, Lemon Juice and Chilli @ 150baht/RM15

Fortunately, the steamed squids fared so much better. Springy, fresh squids complemented perfectly by the zesty sauce. Almost resembling the type of gravy used in steaming fish, Thai-style.

Tom Yum Seafood @ 100-150baht/RM10-RM15

The Tom Yum came brimming with fish slices, prawns, squids, mushrooms and such. Surprisingly not spicy at all, given the country's notorious fiery dishes. Maybe because it was Chinatown? But the combination of flavours worked wonders, especially paired with the fluffy white rice.

See the small, confined seating area? In fact, there are FIVE storeys to T&K, climbing the steep staircases endlessly til you find an empty table!

The meal was priced at 1035 baht/RM103, including drinks for the four of us. Reasonable, but not dirt-cheap. But still, with prawns, crabs, and squids all present (albeit in small portions), it's a steal, really.

Location : T&K Seafood Restaurant @ 49-51 Phadung Dao Rd, Chinatown, Bangkok.

Tel No : (02) 223 4519. Opens daily: 4:30 pm – 2:00 a.m.

(info taken from sc's blog HERE)

Hop over after dinner, for some cooling desserts .......

Chinatown in Bangkok's not only famous for the seafood, but also for the many shops selling cheap bird's nest soup, shark's fins soup, as well as outlets selling typical Chinese dried goods.

Sweet, cooling and soothing .... who cares if they're real or made from jelly? :)

We passed by Nam Sing, a few shops away from T&K Seafood, and instantly drawn to the two shoplots, air-conditioned restaurant serving shark's fins and bird's nest soups. Of course, at Chinatown, you can savour a full bowl to yourself, at almost dirt cheap prices.

The accompanying ginkgo, red dates and longan in syrup

At Nam Sing, we were served with cooling chrysanthemum tea the instant we sat down. Welcomingly refreshing, given the hotter than ideal weather in Bangkok right then.

The bird's nest is segregated into 4 different classes, with 1st class being the most pricey (1000baht/serving!), and the 4th being cheapest (200baht/bowl). We picked the 3rd class (hehehe, being 3rd world mentality and all?) at 300baht/RM30 per bowl. Enough to be shared amongst two, served with sides of either longan, or ginkgo nuts in syrup. A lovely end to the meal, and call it placebo effect if you would; We felt soothed, refreshed, and radiant almost instantly. LOL.

Location : Nam Sing Bird Nest @ 39-47 Soi Texas, Phadung Dao Road, Yaowaraj, Bangkok, Thailand. Various other branches elsewhere, even in Pattaya, and Hong Kong! Opens from 9.00am - 2.00am.

Daytime in Chinatown .... a little lonely, but not without its charm

Then one fine morning (after we've moved to a boutique hotel in town - more on that in later posts), we've lost all opinions on where to have our breakfast. Sure the omnipresent 7-11 was tempting, with cheap hot dogs, burgers, pizzas and buns, but we practically had them for breakfast almost every single day during the last trip, 3 years ago.

Wat Traimit in Chinatown, still under construction it seemed

So, for something completely out of the ordinary, we ventured to Chinatown for some good old dim sum breakfast. Yup, read that right. Dim Sum in Bangkok. We were near locos, nearing the end of our trip. Side effect of over-paranoia (no thanks to H1N1)?

Temples at almost every corner in Bangkok. Nothing to do after meal? Let's Pray! Enough of shopping and walking around? Let's Pray! ;)

But dear taxi driver was probably not very familiar with Chinatown area. As we requested to stop at any good dim sum outlet, and though he nodded, we alighted from the cab directly in front of a hotel. Or sorts. And thinking "Wah .... so posh meh ... go hotel's dim sum restaurant?!" Only to be shamed as the hotel does not permit entry to outsiders. Whoops.

A corner lot at Soi Sukon in Chinatown, serving typical Chinese hawker fare.

And so, round and round we went on foot, desperately seeking for a dim sum place to satisfy our hunger. We woke up rather late that morning, since it's a Sunday after all.

But to no avail. Most shops were not even opened that early, and directions from the locals ain't helping at all.

Chicken Rice, Popiah, Pork Noodles and Pork Congee for breakfast -Simple, yet effective

Thankfully, as the locals spoke Mandarin fluently around the area, one lady guided us to Soi Sukon for breakfast. Or wait .... that has to be brunch, by that time.

A very old and classic coffee shop, it reminded us of Penang's typical kopitiam, with several stalls all around, lining up to satiate the hunger pangs.

We had some hawker grubs, particularly memorable was the porridge with pork meat balls, and a raw egg, and the unassumingly-delicious popiah (julienned vegetables + pork slices wrapped crepe-style, served with a sweetish sauce).

This uncle was even featured in the papers! Frying some Or Chien/Oyster Omelette

Nice, crispy edges gave the Or Chien some crunch, with lots of bean sprouts, chives and coriander. And of course, plump oysters. But if I'm not mistaken, mussels were used instead.

The Or Chien/Oyster (or in this case, mussels) omelette was scrumptious, miles better than the one at T&K. A little greasy, but negligible given the extra crisp in exchange. No wonder the uncle was frying the omelette non-stop that morning!

The meal costed a mere 193 baht/RM19.30, for everything including drinks.

Location : Corner shoplot No 342 (facing a corner 7-11 Store), on Soi Sukon 1, Samphantawong, Bangkok, Thailand. Here's a Google Map of the place.

Sweet, sweet Bananas on a High !!!

Ever heard of roasted bananas? They're sweet, they're filling, they're cheap, and they're everywhere in Bangkok !!! Located in front of a 7-11 Store, opposite the aforementioned No 342 Coffee Shop.

And that wraps up the Chinatown segment of our Bangkok 2009 getaway .....