De Paella = House of Journey Hostel & Guesthouse

The Groupon's voucher is on! We've decided to try out the De Paella that is located at Lorong Seck Chuan in Georgetown. I'm fancy over Paella that there's no reason for me to object such dinner. It's actually quite tricky for us to find out the De Paella as it's indeed the restaurant that is located inside the House of Journey Hostel & Guesthouse. A small dining area that can cater about 12 guests and an electronic menu that is displayed on the Ipad, "simplicity" is the only word that comes across my mind.

Our 1st dish is the Tortilla De Patata (Deconstructo) or the potato with half boiled egg. The bottom layer is the fried potato with bacon that is then topped with a poached egg. The garnishing is an orange sauce that tastes alike capsicum. The saltiness of the bacon has accomplished the potato, the dish is delicious despite the egg yolk is slightly over-cooked for me. It's in the voucher, we're then served with the Croquetta and the Patatas Bravas. The ingredients are limited, we've taken the Croquetta De Gamba or shrimp that is served together with a mixture of Guacamole and Mayonnaise sauces. This is not the best Croquetta that I've ever tasted, yet the soft inner and the crispy outer have both made it still a delicious dish. I prefer to have the Croquetta without any dipping sauce, how about you? The Patatas Bravas is also made of potato but it comes with two types of sauces. This is not my option as it's chewy and I indeed dislike the strong taste of the potato.

Flipping through the electronic menu, we've decided to try out their Gambas Ajo Blanco con Mango Fresco and also the Almechas Al Vino Blanco En Salsa Verde or the prawns and the clams respectively. The prawns that have been sauteed are being served with a spicy sauce at the base and also the Mango Chutney by the side, the combination of the sauces is very tasty. On other other hand, I'm not really fancy over the clams that are cooked with a basil sauce. It's apparently too salty for me and the greenish sauce doesn't have a nice aroma of the basil leaves.

It's not in the menu but we're recommended with the Seafood Spaghetti here. The noodle is slightly hard but the spicy tomato-based sauce is very delicious. I'm the Asian and I've indeed requested for more sauce. The main character or the Seafood Paella is the final dish to be served on the table. Topped with prawns, clams and the green peas, the rice is dark in colour and it's actually too sweet for me. I've rather enjoyed the most bottom layer of the rice that is slightly burnt.

Ending our dinner with the Truffas De Chocolate and the Mango Cheesecake. The chocolate truffle is delicious but we're not really fancy with the mango dessert.

We're quite satisfied with the dinner whereby we've tried various types of food. Some dishes are really delicious while some are quite ordinary yet they're considered averagely good. We'll definitely re-visit the place again except: No more seating near the entrance as the electrically-locked metal door is really noisy and annoying!

Bar47 at Vestdijk 47

I'm exhausted and I'm looking for the nearest restaurant that I can dine-in. There's no other better choices rather than the one that is located at the ground floor of my Hotel, the Pullman Eindhoven Cocagne. I've not realised that the restaurant and the bar are actually just side-by-side... To differentiate the Bar 47, 1st point is the menu that is visible on the table while the 2nd point is indicated by the short tables and sofa's chairs.

Courtesy from the Bar47 whereby I'm offered with a holder with 3 starters that range from macadamia nuts, sun-dried tomatoes to onions. The saltiness of the Macadamias, the juiciness of the tomatoes and the sourness of the pickled onions; they're all very appetising! My favourite is the small and round onions that are not only beautiful but also very delicious. I've never thought at least that onion can be such a tasty appetiser.

I've decided to take the "Tapastry" and my greediness that I've chosen the Genneperhoeve kaasduo & Duo van Franse Saucisse and Portie bitterballen & Garnalenkroketjes. The tapas are the mixture between Dutch and French whereby the 1st platter is with Dutch Cheese & French Sausages while the 2nd dish consists of Dutch Croquette Balls & French Spring Rolls with Shrimps. A very good combinations of cheese and meat yet it's incomplete without a glass of wine! It's also a small disappointment for me that the sausages are served without any dipping sauce, maybe a mustard ?!! These are the best croquette balls that I've ever tasted; the mashed potatoes with minced meat inside are very smooth and juicy while the bread crumbs outside are very crunchy. On the other hand, the frozen shrimps are not fresh despite the sauce is indeed quite delicious.

The ambient is very cosy and comfortable. I wish that Attila is there to share the moment with me...

So... Lizzie is indeed Busy!

A nice spot to sit down on a nice Summer afternoon, the corner is belonged to Vlijtig Liesje. In other words, the restaurant is named upon the the founder whom is Liesje. They're apparently a big franchise company in Netherlands. I'm wandering around the Eindhoven town before I'm attracted by the greenish trees and bushes that I've decided to relax down my tiring feet.

Not really a plenty of beers that I can choose from, I've taken the Affligem Dark Beer that is originated from Africa. The 300 mL bottle contains 6.8% of alcohol yet it's not bitter. The beer is smooth and it's an easy drink but the ending is actually quite empty.

An easy and simple meal, I've taken the Stokbroodje B.L.T or the baguette with bacon, salad and tomato. There's possibility to choose between the white or brown baguette and I've of course chosen the healthier one. Despite that pork bacon has always been my favourite choice for bread, but the fat is indeed quite sinful. It's a little weird that to use Mayonnaise as the base because its milkiness doesn't match the saltiness of the bacon. The baguette is quite chewy and the portion is as well too much for myself alone, I've then decided to finish only the bacon and also the delicious solid cheese that has been mixed with Pesto sauce.

I'm surveying the orders by the other customers and I think that to enjoy a cold beer with some snacks will be the best matches during the sunny days. My sandwich is not really great but my heart is warmed by the friendliness of the waitress.

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Everything is just Different, at Gala House Restaurant & Cafe

Owing a promise to Elaine, but we're no longer able to realise it as the Pirate's Tavern has closed down permanently. Wandering around and we need some food to fill up our hunger urgently, we've decided to try out the Gala House Restaurant & Cafe that is located nearby. If you're coming from the direction of the Cititel Hotel and entering the one-way road of Muntri Street, the Gala House is the 2nd house on your left.

The menu is quite interesting as it's combining the Asian flavours into the Western Cuisine. The more attractive element is the special and unique naming for some of the food and beverages. For examples, we've taken the Orang Kaya Coffee, Dalmatian 101 and Cran-Danny Cooler. They're basically the chocolate brandy affogato, vanilla latte that's topped with chocolate chips while the Mai-Tai alike cooler is actually the mixture of orange juice, lime juice, pineapple juice cranberry juice and sprite. You're tempted to try out the drink just for its name, aren't you?

Before moving to the main courses, Su has decided to try out the Gala's Roasted Tomato Soup that is claimed to be the grand nanny's recipe. The soup is quite thick, rich with tomatoes and it's definitely delicious. Phui Yee's friend has taken the Chicken Martini whereby it's a deep fried chicken breast with melted Mozzarella that is served together with a sauce of Martini Bianco and tomato reduction. The chicken meat is tender and I like the special sauce that really contains the taste of the Martini. It's neither too sweet nor bitter.

A friendly service that has been provided by the waitress, Elaine and Su are allowed to order the Spaghetti Aglio E Olio that is customised with additional beef bacon. The garlic, olive oil and dried chili have been sauteed perfectly except that the spaghetti is not salty enough. Phui Yee and I have taken the Pesto Linguine and Gala's Rendang Spaghetti respectively. Both of the pasta are very tasty. The pesto sauce or the homemade basil paste is very refreshing. My appetite is stimulated by the nice aroma of the Chicken Rendang. The dish tastes alike the dried version of Penang Laksa Lemak yet it's marvellous!

Ending our meal, we've ordered the Jack Daniel's and also the Bailey's Stout Cakes. The layers of cake that is covered with the Jack Daniel's Whiskey and Chocolate is very thick and smooth. We've enjoyed the richness of chocolate that is neither too sweet nor bitter. The Bailey's Stout Cake has a white topping that contains caramel. It tastes special but this is somehow not my piece of cake.

Surprisingly that this small cafe is producing such a delicious meal. It's a great innovation that how the chef has combined the Asians into the Western cuisine. The price is reasonable with the quality of food, we like it.

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You need a Moustache for the Houze!

Located at Campbell Street, the Moustache Houze is there to serve desserts and drinks to the customers. This small cafe is within the region of heritage trail in Penang and it's a cozy place that you can sit down for a short relaxation after the tiredness of walking around under the hot sunny days in Malaysia.

I'm here on my curiosity to try out another cafe in Penang. The cafes are blooming here, to cater the needs and new cultures of the locals and foreigners that are looking for leisure in slowly pace. Attila and I have ordered the Earl Grey Tea and the Kenya AA Syphon Coffee. The transparent glass for the tea is printed with a moustache that looks very cute, I guess plenty of people has already the idea to capture a picture with the moustache. My cup of coffee is served in a white cup that has a gold line. It looks elegant but both the aroma and the taste is not strong and it's too thin. For me, it's just not thick enough to "kick start" my day!

We've shared the Real Durian Musang Crepe Cake, the Mixed Berries Red Velvet Cake and the Chocolate Cookies Puff. The layers of crepe are filled with sufficient Durian and cream that you're not only seeing the fibres but also able to smell the aroma and taste the deliciousness of this "King of the Fruit". Please eat it quickly while it's still cold or else, it'll be too molten! I normally dislike the dark red colour and the powdery taste of cake but being separated into 3 layers that are stacked with cheese and mixed berries, the saltiness and sourness have made up my favourite Red Velvet Cake so far. Their so-called "Not to be Missed" Cookies Puff is a porous bread that is filled with ice-cream that you can choose from Green Tea, Vanilla or Chocolate. I don't really think that this dessert is special as the taste is considered only as ordinary and I as well dislike the rough puffy skin.

The ambient is quite peaceful and I like the ample space that has made me feeling very free and relax. Despite they don't have the best coffee or cake that I'll think of on my 1st thought, but it's still a cafe that I'll visit for a relaxing afternoon.