Salty Shrimp at Panchor, Muar - Johor.

I suggest to make this famous salty shrimp as our lunch before we drive back to Johor Bahru. The Han Thoy Restaurant (N02°10.358' E102°42.761') located in a very small village (beside Muar River) call - Panchor. That is about 30KM from Muar town. It's a old wooden shop, opposite of a indoor basketball hall. (Business hour : 10am-9pm)

We had been here for few times, and this time I decided to share with all of you. The orders for our lunch :-
1) Salty Shrimp (Signature dish)
2) Kang-kung mixed with Cuttlefish.
3) Steam Patin Fish
4) Stewed Vermicelli (side dish)

My favorite!! The Salty Shrimp - Main dish of the day!
It's also our purpose to the Han Thoy Restaurant.

Kang-Kung with Cuttlefish

Steam Patin Fish (Silver Catfish)

Stewed Vermicelli

The shrimps was Marvellous!! Fish was Fresh! Cuttlefish and the vermicelli were so-so.......
The damage for this lunch was MYR62.00 (reasonable prices) for 4 adults & one kid included drink.

I rated : 4/5.


View Larger Map - Map of Han Thoy Restaurant

Related post :-
* Foods of Bukit Gambir, Muar Johor.
* Restaurant Double Lim (Assam Fish), Muar.
* Leng Kee Bak Kut Teh, Muar, Johor

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Leng Kee Bak Kut Teh, Muar, Johor

After we left Malacca, the journey continue to Muar town - another historical town. It's about 30 minutes drive from Malacca town.
I remember 2 of my friends from Singapore (Silverbeauty & Redstorm) told me there's a Bak Kut Teh they never miss on every trips to Kuala Lumpur. They definitely drop by Muar for it! I manage to get the GPS coordinates from them and want to try it too! :)

The navigation machine direct us to Jalan Khalidi, but we can't find any shop or stall after we reached the destination of the coordinates provided. So I decided to drive further to try our luck. Finally it's located about 700 meter away from the GPS coordinates been given!

The signage faded until I can't really read it! (N2°02.382' E102°33.837')

The shop is located actually opposite of a Car Showroom (It might be Toyota, cannot remember well....). We reached there around 3:30pm and it's time they gonna close, luckily we managed to convinced the boss to serve us as the 'last customers for the day!'

Our order :-
1) Claypot Bak Kut Teh.
2) Claypot Vinegar Pork Leg.
3) Assam fish.
4) Marinated salt & sweet vege.




The taste of the Bak Kut Teh was average if compare with the best in JB. The Claypot Vinegar Pork Leg good! Assam fish was above average, but the Double Lim is better!
The above meal cost us MYR27.00 for 2 adults & 1 kid included drink. Cheap?? I was really surprised!!

Overall, I rated : 3.5/5




View Larger Map

Related post :-
* Foods of Bukit Gambir, Muar Johor.
* Restaurant Double Lim (Assam Fish), Muar.
* Salty Shrimp at Panchor, Muar - Johor.

Bak Kut Teh at Johor Bahru :-
* How Yu Bak Kut Teh, Permas Jaya, Johor
* Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh, Tmn Daya, Johor Bahru
* Shi-Hua Bak Kut Teh, Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru*
* Soon Lee Bak Kut Teh, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
* Soong Huat Bak Kut Teh, Taman Desa Tebrau - Johor Bahru
* Ah Soon Bak Kut Teh, Johor Bahru*

Bak Kut Teh at Kulai :-
* Sze Hwa Bak Kut Teh, Kulai, Johor*

Bak Kut Teh at Pekan Nanas :-
* Tong Heng Bak Kut Teh at Pekan Nanas, Johor.

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Jewish Genealogy Newsletter Archive

Since one of the reasons that many people travel to Jewish sites in central and eastern Europe is to find their family roots and "walk in the foosteps of their ancestors," I'm posting here the link to the archive page of the biweekly online Newsletter, "Nu? What's New?" of Avotaynu, the Jeweish genealogy magazine.

Each issue has a lot of information, tips, links, reports, etc. Much (if not most) fills the specific needs of family historians, but there are also items of general interest to the traveler.

5 Millionth visitor to Jewish Museum in Berlin

The Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel reports that a 17-year-old highschool student, on a school trip, has become the 5 millionth visitor to the Jewish Museum in Berlin. According to the paper, Sarah-Denise Heellmanns was given a gift package and kosher gummy-bear candies.

The Museum opened in September 2001. Even before its formal opening, the empty building was a tourist draw because of its distinctive design by Daniel Libeskind. According to Tagesspiegel, it is the fifth most popular museum in Berlin, with 733,000 visitors in 2007 -- including 140,000 under the age of 18. (The Pergamon Museum hold the top spot with 1.3 million visitors). About two-thirds of visitors to the Jewish Museum come from outside of Germany.

According to a Museum Press Release

"a steady increase in visitor numbers has been sustained since 2004. In the first eight months of this year, around 515,000 people visited the Libeskind Building and the exhibitions on German-Jewish history, 8 % more than in the same period last year (visitor total in 2007: approx. 733,000).

"The Jewish Museum Berlin, whose zinc-coated building has long-since become established as one of the capital's landmarks, continues to belong to Berlin's greatest attractions and Germany's most frequented museums. The Museum is particularly popular with kids, teens, and twens: About every other visitor in 2007 was under 30 years old - a considerable number for a historical museum. The twens represent the largest visitor age group with 29 %. Almost every fifth visitor last year was under 18 (19 %). Young people often visit the Museum on school trips: Of the total number of over 7,000 tours booked in 2007, nearly two thirds (63 %) were for school groups."

Quick Trip to The Hague and Amsterdam

I'm just back from a quick trip over the weekend to The Hague and Amsterdam, where I was speaking to the board of the Jewish Humanitarian Fund, a foundation that gives grants to projects mainly in post-communist Europe.

I'd never been to The Hague before, and unfortunately I only had a little time to explore the city, which is the Dutch capital and a center of international human rights and other organizations.

Jewish history here goes back to the 17th century and there are a number of Jewish heritage sites in town.

I was only able to visit the Sephardic cemetery (which conveniently is located on the Scheveningseweg, just a brief walk from the hotel where my meeting was going on -- and just around the corner from the huge "Peace Palace" where the International Court of Justice is located and where on Sunday there was a crowd holding white balloons marking the U.N.'s International Day of Peace.)

My friend and colleague Michael Miller (who also was speaking to the Humanitarian Fund board) and I found the cemetery on the map and made our way to the entrance. The gate was locked, with a car packed just inside and it wasn't clear from the notice on the gate whether it would be possible to enter. But we knocked on the door next to the gate (which was marked with a mezuzah) and the man who lives there opened the gate and let us in.



Restored in the 1980s, the cemetery is a vast space surrounded by a red brick wall, and, as it typical for Sephardic cemeteries, the tombstones lie flat --I was told that the first graves were actually of Ashkenazic Jews, but the stones were laid flat in the Sephardic manner. (There are also a few upright stones in one section). Some are very crowded together. Most only bear the epitaph -- some in Spanish, some in Hebrew, some in Dutch. But some also bear carving -- a few with Cohen hands or Levite ewers; but we also so some with skulls and crossbones (similar but less elaborate than those in other Sephardic cemeteries in northern Europe, such as in Altona, Germany or Ouderkerk, Holland.) We found the tomb of a mohel with a small carving of a knife. (By the way -- this article, which I haven't seen yet, looks like an excellent source on cemetery imagery.)



The cemetery did not feature in the recent European Day of Jewish Culture, Sept. 7, but it did form one of the sites opened during the general Dutch day of monuments a week later. I was told that about 600 people visited it that day.

China Town of Malacca

After the Stadhuys Museum, we continue our journey to the China Town of Malacca. This area actually is the Shopping Paradise.

The most convenience way to park your car (if you're driving) is the parking of Memosa Hotel (N2°11.949' E102°15.086'). MYR3.00 per entry. Even you can have a cheaper parking along the road, but it won't be easily for you to get a parking lot within this area.

Memosa Hotel

We visited the Madam King Departmental (N2°11.981' E102°15.088') which is my wife Favorite! I noticed this Popiah stall (N2°11.974' E102°15.084') located outside Madam King always full of peoples queuing.....

I feel the design of this mosque (beside Memosa Hotel) similar to the mosque at Taipei during my visit.....

Below pictures are the street of China Town - Jalan Bunga Raya


You might notice that the TV antennas over here are installed with a long pipe and at least 6-10 meters above the roof, the reason behind is to receive Singapore broadcasting TV channel.


View Larger Map

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I'm Back and Getting ready for the Cabrio Challenge...

Hi there everyone,

Wow, 3 months went by in a flash! We were in Europe for the summer (doing some work, yes) and time just flew by. I cannot really recall what it was that kept us so busy for this period so that it flew by like it did, but hey, it was probably because we had so much fun! Anyway, it does explain my virtual absence in a way. I hope you enjoyed Sarah’s input last month!

As for me, I have been outdoors a lot lately, as detached from my laptop/the internet as I have ever been over the past 10 years, and you know what...it wasn’t so bad! Still, I'm glad to be back on the block now and writing to you because this coming Thursday I am leaving again to participate in the CABRIO CHALLENGE. This convertible car rally concept was set up last year by a small group of Dutch driving fanatics when they drove 20-some-odd cars from Amsterdam to Singapore. Now they have asked CAT-DMC to organize this year’s (and first) Latin American Edition! How cool is that? Of course I am thrilled to be a part of it and I will be sharing the fun with you while I am on the road. You can read my updates from the Cabrillo Challenge here:

http://www.catdmc.com/cabriochallenges/


Happy Trails!!

Bart

The Museum Of History and Ethnography at Stadhuys, Malacca (Melaka)

2nd day of Malacca Trip

After our breakfast at the hotel, we visited the Museum at Stadhuys. The "Museum Of History and Ethnography".
Entrance fees are MYR5.00 for adult & MYR2.00 for children below 12 years old. Kids below 5 year old are free.
After the entrance, this the first thing you explore.....

The Drainage System of Stadhuys

The drainage system that could be seen around the Stadhuys Complex now was either built during the British era earlier. This huge Stadhuys Complex seemed as though it did not have a drainage system at all during the Dutch era. Only when it was studied to plan the restoration work that it was found many drains criss-crossing in the Stadhuys Complex. This is one of those underground drains that were accidentally found while removing the cement floor.
Obviously the Dutch arranged and built the drainage system before the construction of the Stadhuys. This was typical Dutch architecture. This drain is not functioning now due to to the construction of an additional structure that somehow has blocked the flow.
Laterite blocks were lined up and cemented with lime plaster to form the drain. Then the drain was covered with granite slabs and tightly held together by clay. This part if the drain was purposely exposed to show the drainage system that existed in this building. - Sources from Stadhuys Museum

The pictures of the museum for sharing......

Sukhothai and Sawankhalok Ceramics

The pottery and ceramics industry has existed for a long time in Thailand. Because it depended on royal patronage, the production of Thai wares was localized in nature, dependent in the rise and fall of the state powers, and was therefore known by the location where they were made.
In the middle of 13th century, a new kingdom was established in Sukhothai in Northern Tailand, and within 50 years, especially under King Rama Khamberg, the Empire of Sukhothai had become a cultural, trade and administrative center. This encouraged the growth of the ceramics industry to meet domestic needs as well as for export purpose. At first, the kilns in Sukhothai produced ceramics, which were low quality due to the rough clay found around the city. Sukhothai ceramics can be categorized into white wares and under glaze painted wares.
During the middle of the 14th century, a new ceramics center was open in Sawankhalok, not far away from the city of Sukhothai. The clay found in this area was finer quality that Sukhothai, enabling the production of better ceramics. The Sawankhalok ceramics industry grew, producing many varieties of ceramics, including artistic, decorative wares. The ceramics were not only white in colour but also brown and green, with an under glaze. - Sources from Stadhuys Museum

After this, we proceed to another building on the right........

The statue of Cheng Ho

Can you see the "Clock Tower"?

After the stair case below, we finish our visit for the Museum.

Related Melaka post :-
* Panaroma Malacca (Melaka) Tour Bus
* An Evening at Malacca (Melaka)
* Stadhuys, Malacca (Melaka)
* St. Paul's Church, Malacca
* Aldy Hotel, Malacca (Melaka)
* Jonker Walk Night Market, Malacca (Melaka)
* Ole Sayang Nyonya Food Restaurant, Malacca (Melaka)
* Malacca (Melaka) River Cruise
* Dim Sum Restaurant at Malacca
* Special Homemade Herbal Tea at Malacca
* Portuguese Village, Malacca (Melaka)
* Famous Malacca's Popiah
* Hotel Equatorial, Malacca
* Taiwan Beef Noodle Malacca
* Nyonya Suan Restaurant, Malacca
* Mahkota Parade, Malacca
* Malacca (Melaka)

MY TRIPS - Home

Francesco Spagnolo on European Day of Jewish Culture

I know I already have placed my friend Francesco Spagnolo's blog on my blog list, but I do recommend readers take a look at what he is writing this week. As I noted earlier, in my post from Siena, Francesco is an Italian musicologist who is now the director of research at the Magnes Museum in Berkeley, California.

He took part in a whole batch of events during the recent European Day of Jewish Culture in Italy and has begun posting reportage and reflections on his experiences. I met Francesco when I was beginning my research for Virtually Jewish: Reinventing Jewish Culture in Europe; I can't quite remember how I connected with him, but I do remember arriving at his apartment in Milan from Budapest, sitting down, and starting to talk, talk, talk. We don't, alas, see each other all that frequently any more because of geography, but we haven't stop talking. Skype is great!

Meeting of Poles Who Care for Jewish Heritage

The Associated Press runs an article reporting on the first conference of (non-Jewish) Poles who care for Jewish heritage, which was held this week in Zdunska Wola, Poland. The filmmaker Menachem Daum attended and said it was a great meeting -- lots of people in attendance. It's wonderful to hear that these people, who long have worked in isolation, are getting recognition. I look forward to staying in touch with some of them and following continued progress. It is particularly important and even urgent that their work be supported, as resources to maintain cemeteries and other Jewish heritage sites are so strapped. In Warsaw a couple of weeks ago, I met with Monika Krawczyk, the CEO of the Foundation for the Preservation of Poland's Jewish Heritage, and she painted a very pessimistic picture -- time is really running out to save some synagogues.


Catholic Poles take initiative to save Jewish cemeteries

By The Associated Press

Tags: Poland, Roman Catholic

About 30 Roman Catholic Poles have taken it upon themselves to preserve what they see as a unique and important aspect of their nation's history - the crooked and crumbling markers in Poland's neglected Jewish cemeteries.

Kamila Klauzinska, 35, has helped lead the grassroots efforts of a group of Poles who believe that preserving the nation's roughly 1,400 Jewish cemeteries is important to remembering and preserving a shared past.

"It's our common heritage, so how can we not try to save it?" Klauzinska said at a meeting this week of some 30 people involved in similar community efforts across the eastern European nation.

READ FULL STORY

Panaroma Malacca (Melaka) Tour Bus

This is the tourist Red double decker bus. (Imported from London)
There are 2 tour bus route at Malacca (Melaka), Blue & Red Line. The double decker bus is the Red route (Line). The journey of the Red Bus pass through 13 interesting points within the City Center.

It route start from :-
1) Hang Tuah Mall
- Shopping Mall

2) Chetty Village (Kampung in Malay)
- Chettys are straits-born Indians and offspring of Indian traders who came from Panai.

3) Jonker Walk
- One of the tourist attraction. You can find numerous of shops selling antiques, souvenirs, furniture, cafe and many more.....

4) Kampung Hulu Mosque
- The Mosque of Hulu Village was built in 1728 by Dato Shamsuddin and it is the oldest mosque in Malaysia.

5) Stadhuys
- The Stadhuys (1650) was the official residence of the Dutch Governor. It now houses the Historic & Ethnography Museum which has many traditional bridal costumes and relics on display.

6) Museum Samudera
- Malacca (Melaka) Maritime Archaeology Museum.

7) Dataran Pahlawan
- The largest shopping mall in Malacca.

8) Hotel Equatorial
- The 5 star International Business Class Hotel in Malacca.

9) Bukit Senjuang
- St. John's Hill Fortress. Reconstructed by the Dutch in the third quarter of the 18th century, the cannons in this fort point inwards towards the mainland because at that time, the threat to Malacca was mainly from inland rather than the sea.

10) Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho
- Budget Hotels and shops are situated in this street.

11) Hang Li Poh Well
- The oldest well in Malacca (Melaka), was built in 1459 by the followers of Hang Li Poh, the Chinese Princess who married the Sultan of Malacca. In the olden days, the well never dried up and was the only source of water during the great drought.

12) Morten Village
- The village was found in early 1920s and named after J.F. Morten, the land commissioner. It is the only Malay Traditional Village located in the middle of the city which retains the traditional lifestyle, culture and architecture.

13) Hotel Renaissance
- The hotel was built in 1984, recently refurbished the hotel to the modern facilities.

And last, back to Hang Tuah Mall.

The bus fares (for the Red & Blue Line) are MYR5.00 for adult & MYR2.50 for children. The fares you pay are all 'Day Ticket'. That's mean you can get down any bus stop and come back from any bus stop without limits. One ticket for both Tour Bus. Tickets are selling onboard.
The interval for both lines are 30 to 45 minutes.

Actually we have very limit time this trip, so I plan it to my next trip for the ride of the Red & Blue lines Tour Bus.

Related Melaka post :-
* An Evening at Malacca (Melaka)
* Stadhuys, Malacca (Melaka)
* St. Paul's Church, Malacca
* Aldy Hotel, Malacca (Melaka)
* Jonker Walk Night Market, Malacca (Melaka)
* Ole Sayang Nyonya Food Restaurant, Malacca (Melaka)
* Malacca (Melaka) River Cruise
* Dim Sum Restaurant at Malacca
* Special Homemade Herbal Tea at Malacca
* Portuguese Village, Malacca (Melaka)
* Famous Malacca's Popiah
* Hotel Equatorial, Malacca
* Taiwan Beef Noodle Malacca
* Nyonya Suan Restaurant, Malacca
* Mahkota Parade, Malacca
* Malacca (Melaka)

MY TRIPS - Home

An Evening at Malacca (Melaka)

When we walked pass the St.Paul's Hill in the evening, our stomach started to request for filling! :)
We saw this policemen riding on the horse during their patrol duty!!

We were having some light foods at the Newton Food Court (N2°11.398' E102°14.882') which is located beside Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall. My friend told me that they had a marvellous 'Teow Chew Bak Kut Teh' in the food court, but we were unlucky to ordered the worst 'Fried Oyster' I ever eat before! (The first stall on the right) Really regretted! Please don't try! My daughter was having the fish porridge, taste was average.....

Newton Food Court

After the food court, we decided to walk back to Aldy Hotel. We pass by the "Menara Taming Sari" (N2°11.456' E102°14.822') which is on the right, follow by the Museum Samudera (N2°11.522' E102°14.797').

Taming Sari Tower

MYR20.00 for foreigner, MYR10 for Malaysian, MYR5 for children
Height : 110 meter

Museum Samudera

Opposite the Museum Samudera is a shopping arcade for souvenir

And cross over the bridge, that's the famous night market of Malacca - The Jonker Walk night market. The stalls at Jonker Walk are same as my last visit.....cloths, toys, foods,and etc.....

Do you still remember how long you ever see this kind of herbal tea stall? I mean the herbal tea fill in the copper container?

Every time I visit Jonker Walk, I just wanna snap a few photos of this Geographer Cafe. I wonder why??

I noticed this Classic Cafe opposite Geographer Cafe also not bad, at least not that crowded.

We finish shopping around 12 midnight, and ride on the Trishaw for MYR5 back to the hotel.(Too tired to walk, our legs are calling S.O.S!)
I bought 4 cans of Carlsberg that end our first day in Malacca.

Related Melaka post :-
* Panaroma Malacca (Melaka) Tour Bus
* Stadhuys, Malacca (Melaka)
* St. Paul's Church, Malacca
* Aldy Hotel, Malacca (Melaka)
* Jonker Walk Night Market, Malacca (Melaka)
* Ole Sayang Nyonya Food Restaurant, Malacca (Melaka)
* Malacca (Melaka) River Cruise
* Dim Sum Restaurant at Malacca
* Special Homemade Herbal Tea at Malacca
* Portuguese Village, Malacca (Melaka)
* Famous Malacca's Popiah
* Hotel Equatorial, Malacca
* Taiwan Beef Noodle Malacca
* Nyonya Suan Restaurant, Malacca
* Mahkota Parade, Malacca
* Malacca (Melaka)

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