a mum's diary

The last time we were here was during our honeymoon. Yeap exactly 14 years ago. Any changes? Minimal I would say. More resorts and hotels have popped up to cater to the growing number of Singaporeans visiting. The place is still laidback. The only so-called mall that we visited was Giant which had just opened. Port Dickson was basically a place to rest and relax,unwind and rewind.

We had wanted to try the Grand Lexis Resort initially having heard so much about it from fellow friends but it was fully booked reason being it was the school holidays. The next best option for a water villa was Avillion Port Dickson. The exact same place we stayed for our honeymoon.At that time it had just been opened and there were parts of it that weren’t ready yet. Now it was fully transformed with a private beach, amenities and such. There was even a mini zoo also known as the petting zoo for kids. It was indeed a nice place to stay with breathtaking views of the straits of Malacca.

We took a 2 bedroom villa this time round as my mum and best friend tagged along. There were 2 king sized beds in the respective rooms and a queen lounge bed outside. It was sufficient for the 8 of us. There was even a mini kitchenette. 2 balconies too! One in the master bedroom and the other at the common living room.

One of the priveledges of our stay was the free access to the Avillion Riau Club lounge. A new addition to the resort. There was afternoon tea and evening cocktails served for guests. I loved the decor of the place as it reminded me of Miami Vice.

On our first night there we stumbled upon a cosy tomyam place, Barakat Tomyam Seafood was what it was called where we had our dinner. Just mere minutes from Avillion. Their speciality was of course tomyam. Cheap and reasonable. Food was good though served in small amounts. Eventhough it was enough to last us through the night we still had cup noodles for back ups. Heh.

We didn’t really venture out to the town. Our agenda here was just to have a relaxing time, let the kids hit the pool and beach. Basically santai. Breakfast spread was good the next morning. With roti canai as top on the list. Other than that there was the usual amaerican breakfast dishes.

I really love their private beach. So quiet and peaceful. No need to jostle with the crowd for a lounge chair. The place was ours.

The mini petting zoo was a hit with the kids and adults alike. Though not really a fan of pets I was contented to just be the camerawoman. Whtever the pets you name it they have it. They even have roosters and hens! Huge turtles too. All live as one big happy family in the same compund.

Did I state that we’re able to see ‘live’ the low and high tide of the sea? It was indeed remarkable. During low tide people would go down and look for remis and other shellfish or venture out. Like what these 2 did.

There were also millions of hermit crabs too! Well if you can see them in the picture that is. Whole families of tiny baby crabs scuttling around like ants from where we stood of course in the villa. I was too chicken to go down.

And when it was high tide the seawater went really high but it was great for fishing and crabbing which we did not have the time to do. Bummer.

On our last night we had seafood BBQ at a newly opened place at Kampung Gelam Port Dickson. It was not exactly at a typical kampung though. There were several stalls well actually 2 huge ones,the only ones which were opened that night which sold fresh seafood. Enjoyed our dinner very much. Everything was cooked to perfection. Best part? It was darn cheap.

Overall.. my take on Port Dickson? A great place to unwind. Till then wait up for the continuation of our holiday to the next state…

While we were at the Fullerton Bay, we seized the opportunity to try every dish that they had. I must say they were truly not a letdown. It was gastronomical to the very last bite. Every flavor just explodes on your palette and makes you wanting more.

We had our annivasary dinner in the room. I ordered the steak and the mister had the lamb shank. We both shared the appetiser which was onion soup. Mind you this was no ordinary onion soup. There was no hint of that pungent onion smell. It was rather well like any ordinary soup but with flavors that will blow your mind.

Did I not mention that there were cheese in the soup? Totally delicious especially when dipped with hot piping bread rolls which of course comes with it.

I wanted my steak to be well done but the chef suggested it to be medium well because if it’s too well done it’ll be too hard for me to consume. The chef’s suggestion did not disappoint. The steak came in perfection. Every bite was so juicy and the meat so tender. It was the first time that I really took my time to enjoy my steak.

The mister’s lamb shank or lamb chop as I called it did not disappoint as well. It was perfectly cooked. With ratatouille on the side it was the most perfect main dish.

It was the best in room fine dining experience both me and the husband had ever had.

All these went perfectly well with our bubbly ‘champagne’ for the night.

And who could ever forget about dessert? Banana split ice cream made specially by the kind people of Fullerton Bay. Mind you banana split is not even on the menu. They whipped up just for us for this special day.

There were several sweet treats given to us and the kids too. We were being spoilt rotten!

This entry is way overdue because National Day week has long gone but nevertheless I shall still blog about it because me and the family had way too much fun on that day. As per everytime that the parade was held at the floating platform, me and the bff never fail to get a marina bay view room at the Ritz to secure the best seats in the house. And we always call our family and friends to come celebrate with us. This year’s National Day was a tad bit special because it falls in the month of Ramadhan. And not only can we host our National Day gathering, it was also a chance for us to host an iftar together at the Ritz. The Ritz was of course fantastic. Their room and service never fail to make us feel welcome. I shall blog about it in a different entry much later because I feel the hotel deserves an entry of its own. And so the theme that day was of course All Decked out in RED and guests were each told to bring food for the iftar. It was potluck night. Food came in droves and alhamdullilah there was plenty for everyone. Thank you all who made it. A blast as usual.

As promised, a review of the wonderful food we had in Bali. Many who have not been to Bali often asked me if Halal food was available there or if it was easy to get. The answer to both questions was Yes of course. As in other non-muslim countries usually the majority of halal food that we would eat would be Indian or Arabic food. Fast-food joints would usually not be halal. Good news for all fast-food enthusiasts, in Bali, most of their fast-food joints are halal. And not only they’re halal their menu is different too. More choices if you ask me and most importantly delicious. Take for instance Pizza Hut. They have a wider variety of crusts over here. And a better variety of appetizers like these bruschettas.

For those who crave for local food there are lots of stalls selling food from Padang etc. Mostly nasi campur or rice with a variety of dishes. My personal favourite is this stall selling Ayam panggang or barbequed chicken. What makes it special is the sauce that they smear all over the chicken. Delicious! And it comes with a set of rice and raw vegetables  plus extra sambal belachan or sambal terasi.

Another one of my favourite stall selling everything that’s fried. Their fried gurame fish is so crunchy that you can just eat it like a snack.

There are stalls selling bakso too. But none are comparable to the one that I had in Jakarta.

At least one day is always set aside for dining at Jimbaran Bay which is famous for their seafood. Amidst the setting sun, sound of the waves and the cool breeze, dinner will never be this good. There are many restaurants to choose from and it doesn’t matter which ones you choose cos most of them serve almost the same seafood dishes. My personal favourite would have to be the Jimbaran Bay Seafood Bumbu Bali. Prompt service and the meaniest sambal ever served. Seafood are cooked almost to perfection.

Fresh seafood all night long. Some of the fishes here have names which I don’t even know exist. But they taste damn good.

Choosing and then weighing. That is how they calculate the total bill. How you cook them is all in the package. Good right? And vegetables and fruits are complimentary.

Everything that is BBQ-ed taste so good. All in all we chose three big fishes, a kilo of squid and king size prawns. Its enough to feed the lot of us.

Cola and Aqua..a perfect combination

Ground nuts as appetizers.

The main dishes came in traditional fare. Very nicely served. The Balinese way.

Aftermath of delicious seafood dinner

Lazy to eat out? Fret not! Hotel food’s the answer. At the Hard Rock Hotel where I stayed, food was aplenty. There were many restaurants to choose from. There was also the Hard Rock Cafe restaurant as an alternative. My kids love the western food at the hotel. The pizza’s super thin and super crusty. The taste is different as its done in a wood styled oven. Even their french fries are delicious. Fried to perfection home-made style.

I also tried the nasi goreng at the Splash bistro. Comes with an assortment of condiments like egg,prawn,chicken and pickled vegetables. Not bad at all.

So there you go a short review of all the food that I’ve tried and tasted in Bali. Will hopefully try more during my next stay. My foster family’s gonna bring us to their village to try some authentic village food. Now that I cannot wait.