Monjul in Paris' Marais

Our friends Ben and Ken arrived today, and of course they want to go out and eat.
On the recommendation of our hosts at Hotel du Haut Marais we went out to Monjul.

"Mr. Rabbit" Rabbit terrine gears scone with sage, shypon of mustard, quince confit.

"Cylindrical Paella" chicken stuffed with paella flavors of ice juice of chicken parmesan risotto, shellfish emulsion, saffron tile.

 

...and for dessert - Black Forest in a glass and Mon Cheri: whipped cream to popcorn, chocolate kirsch cherries way Mon Cheri.

You read it right. Popcorn flavored whipped cream.

A chilly day of qualifying at the French

We were last at the French Open in 2001. It was warm and sunny then.
So we return in 2013 and a couple of days before the tournament begins we take in a couple of rounds of qualifying. It's usually fun watching the qualifying players up close and it's quite evident why some players need to play qualifying rounds.

On this particular day, we were occasionally pelted with corn-sized hail and freezing rain showers.
Luckily they were quick to pass.

We didn't make it into the main rounds this year but it was great to be back at Roland Garros.

Paris, It's still here (as we knew it would be), and yes, it's pretty much the same.

It's been a decade since we've been to Europe and what better time for a re-visit, a week after the passing of marriage equality in France.

The flight(s) over were a bit of a headache with a delay on the first leg and probably the worst meal on an international flight we've ever had.

We're staying in the 3rd arrondissement for the first time since all of our favorites in the 5th and 6th are now well over $400.00 a night. The Hotel Du Haut Marais is a great find on the northern border of the Marais. We were well taken care of by Didier and Marc in their renovated B&B. Keep it in mind on your next trip to Paris.

It's cool and a bit damp in Paris. Unusual for this time of year but it's not stopping us from doing what we need to do here.

World Clown Association in Kuching

Hesitated a little before deciding to do this post on the World Clown Association's annual meeting in Kuching, Sarawak, on the Malaysian part of the Island of Borneo. 

Received some comments from a Facebook post that made me aware some people have a phobia involving clowns. Not sure where this "fear" comes from.

In any case, we happened onto the Association's weeklong meeting in town and attended their final public "show" at a local shopping mall in town. 

Not sure what goes on at a clown convention but I'm sure there were classes and seminars on things such as face painting, making balloon animals, 

150 or so clowns showed up and entertained the large crowd on hand.

There was a "Paradeability" competition and other "on stage" performances.

Clowns are entertainers and they never seem to tire of getting their pictures taken.

There was a large contingent of Clowns from Asia, but probably from the fact that traveling to Kuching for the annual meeting was less of a challenge for them. I believe the organization's roots are in the United States, and there were plenty of clowns representing the U.S., but there were clowns from Puerto Rico, New Zealand, and other countries as well.

Kuching Sarawak on Borneo

Kuching is the Capital City of Sarawak, on the western portion of the Malaysian part of the Island of Borneo. 

It's also known as the Cat city (Kuching) and statues of cats are scattered around the main business district. There's also an extensive cat museum here.

Kuching is a good city base to venture out in search of Orangutans, or Hornbills. A trip to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center will give you a good chance of seeing Orangutans. 

Eating on the streets of Kuching.
Eating small meals, as in many parts of Southeast Asia, is a way of life here. Covered, open air "hawker"type eating areas are all over the city.
Several vendors selling a variety of items will share a common seating area, similar to food courts we have back home.

Alan in front of City Hall, Kuching.

Kuching, like many of the large cities in Malaysia, have large Chinese communities.
Chinese Temples are scattered throughout the city.

One of the gateways leading into the main "Chinatown" area.

The Sarawak River winds through the city.

Alan in front of the Sarawak Assembly Hall.

While we're on the subject of food...

Traveling and eating go hand in hand. If you travel, meals you've had can be some of the best or worst memories from your trip.

It's usually a lot of fun to try out the local specialties and sometimes other dishes you feel nostalgic for. Then again, if you love a certain type of cuisine, you'll find opportunities to sample the local way of preparing it.

Khao Soy is a curry based noodle soup famous in Northern Thailand, served above with the local Northern Thai sausage.

Fried Dal with Butter served with Kashmiri Nan. Almost a perfect meal. This particular one is from a restaurant in Little India, Penang.

Some of the best Satay you'll ever have. Two ladies were turing and basting the skewers constantly over the charcoal grill. This is a Malaysian version in Kuching, Sarawak on the Island of Borneo, and delicious. Served with cucumbers and an incredible warm chunky peanut sauce.

It's not always Pho in a Vietnamese restaurant and although there was Pho on the menu at this restaurant, it's not the main reason people come here. All the finger foods (above) are the big draw here and served with plenty of greens for wrapping. There are a variety of sauces for dipping and single clove garlic (eaten raw).

Here's a Chinese/Malaysian noodle dish available just about anywhere in Kuala Lumpur. Simple as boiled egg noodles, tossed in a brown sauce and topped with BBQ pork and greens.

Nyonya Cuisine is probably one few have heard of. It's a mixture of Chinese, Malaysian and Peranakan  food. Above is a typical appetizer served in little fried pastry cups. A good thing to try while in Malaysia, and particularly in Penang where we sampled it.

Also in Penang, Malaysia, we found this great outdoor restaurant serving up an eclectic array of Asian dishes. Plenty of seafood but we opted for pork ribs cooked with Guinness Stout, Gai Lan with oyster/cognac sauce, tofu with lobster sauce and watercress soup.

And finally Hainan Chicken. Chicken and Rice restaurants are everywhere in the big cities in Malaysia.
Typically served with a bowl of soup (broth) and sometimes with boiled bean sprouts.

Many locals swear by certain restaurants serving the "best" Hainan Chicken in all of Kuala Lumpur and they wouldn't eat it anywhere else. We're not as picky but there are some that serve up a mean chicken and rice dish.

Eating simple in Singapore

Singapore is a great eating town and it seems you can get just about anything you want any time of the day.

Hawker stalls are organized in clusters throughout the city and are very popular for locals and tourists alike.

Alan and I love Indian food and Singapore has a very distinct "Little India" with a wide variety of Indian cuisine to choose from. Sad to say but we didn't try the Curry Fish Head Promotion (above). It does look good though and I can imagine all the tastes and flavors involved.

Masala Dosas are one of our favorites and Alan, yes, eating with his fingers (above) can never get enough of it. We came here twice in our brief four day visit this time.
Not to worry though. Sinks with soap and paper towels are located nearby for washing up before and after.

Our dear friend Casey took us to Bak Kut Teh restaurant near the downtown area. It's a local treat and very popular.

Buk Kut Teh involves pork bones boiled for hours creating a wonderfully flavored broth. You eat the meat off the bones and take as much soup as you'd like. Servers will continue to top off your soup until you tell them to stop.