Tag Archives: langkawi people

Chicken Joe’s: Langkawi Hainanese Cafe

Posted on January 25, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Chicken and rice is pretty much a staple dish in Malaysia. So when you find a chicken and rice restaurant that comes with great reviews from friends it’s definitely worth checking out. Langkawi Hainanese Cafe, otherwise known as Chicken Joe’s is such a place. Located on the corner end of Langkawi Mall on  Jalan Kelibang, the main road into Kuah.

Langkawi Famous!

Joe is a talkative and friendly guy that’s definitely proud of his chicken! The Hainanese style chicken is boiled slowly in ginger, garlic and chili with the secret layer of chicken fat on top. This keeps the vapor in and results in the chicken being very moist and full of flavor.

Pre-chop tasty Hainanese chicken.

The chicken is chopped and served by Joe himself.  Add a bowl of tasty vegetable broth and rice it’s a great meal for only 6 ringgit! And Joe buys his chicken and vegetables fresh everyday. No frozen chicken in this traditional recipe!

The essence of Hainanese chicken rice.

Hainanese style chicken and rice is an especially popular dish in Melaka.   Originally cooked for the laborers or ‘coolies’ that worked long hours on the waterfront, the chicken was served with rice balls instead of rice in a bowl so that it was more convenient for the workers to take with them. Joe’s mother was renowned for her chicken and rice in Melaka and passed this family recipe down to him.

Spacious dining areas are always a winner.

While visiting Langkawi quite awhile back Joe was hanging with friends when the subject of Chicken Rice came up and the challenge was on. The chicken was so good the name ‘Chicken Joe’ was appropriately bestowed and the rest is history so to speak.

Team “Chicken Joe’s”.

And there is more at Chicken Joe’s than just chicken. They serve a unique twist on fish with chips. This is served with local mackerel instead of cod and in a sweet and sour sauce with either chips or rice. The also serve Yong Tau Foo. Vegetables, such as bitter gourd and bindhi and tofu stuffed with mackerel. This is fried in a wok and served in soup.

Picture perfect Yong Tau Foo.

The clean, simple and airy interior almost always has a cool breeze as well as a broad view of the main street that makes it a great place to dine. Joe’s also
serves a wide variety of fresh fruit juices in addition to cold beer. Delicious local cuisine at very affordable prices has put Langkawi’s Hainanese Cafe on the map and a not-to-be-missed!

 


Langkawi Hainanese Cafe (AKA Chicken Joe’s)
133 Langkawi Mall
Jalan Kelibang
Kuah, Langkawi
Open daily 9:00am-4:30pm and 6:30pm-10:30pm


 

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Langkawi People and Places, Langkawi Places to Eat

Tagged , , , ,

Little Lylia’s Chillout Cafe

Posted on December 19, 2012 by | Leave a comment

In Pantai Cenang, among those Robinson Crusoe ‘style’ eclectic-recycled-beach- décor-venues is Little Lylia’s Chillout Café. The promise of cold beer and a beachfront barbeque greets you at the entrance. As one of Pantai Cenang’s original beach bars, Little Lylia’s has seen their fair share of people throughout the years and their return customers are a testament of their recipe for success.

PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP

As an unknown tourist I popped in to check out this much recommended venue and got more than I bargained for. Not only was I heartily greeted, there were a couple of other winning points for me; art and nachos!  But before I even looked at the menu I had to absorb the 80’s style art that I recognized from my own art studies, in addition to the artist’s developments that followed.

ORIGINAL ARTWORK IS ALWAYS A BONUS

And lucky for me the artist was ‘in the house’, because not only a talented artist, Gie is also the owner of Little Lylia’s Chillout Café. I looked closely at the blown up prints and was especially drawn to the poor mosquito that somehow ended up immortalized. Sometimes those artistic accidents create conversation pieces!

IMMORTALIZED MOSQUITO ART PIECE

But as intriguing as the art is, the history of Little Lylia’s is even more interesting. Let’s just say, it was a catalyst for other similar Pantai Cenang venues but the only one named after a proud Papa’s baby girl and watched over by an amazingly large Penaga Laut Tree.

LITTLE LYLIA, HERSELF

Gie is quite charismatic and his own personal history has spanned more than few decades as well as continents. In addition to his years in the Merchant Navy he attended art school, which is quite a broad spectrum in itself. Add drummer to the mix and you indeed have a man who could mix and mingle with quite a variety of people, a bonus when running a cafe on a popular ‘tourist’ beach, like Pantai Cenang.

AND I FINALLY FOUND AN ISLAND DRUMMER…

Little Lylia’s opens daily at 10am and welcomes customers until late into the night, with live music from 930pm until 1230am. A beachfront option for breakfast, lunch or dinner and live music a stone’s throw from the sea? Perfect. Their laid-back atmosphere is also inviting for all manner of dress, so wandering in covered with sand won’t be a problem.

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE BBQ ON THE BEACH

Their menu is diverse and inexpensive (by western standards), from smoked Salmon and eggs to sandwiches, burgers and salads, they’ve got it covered.
And if you find yourself within aroma reach of the evening BBQ? You might easily find yourself watching another glorious Langkawi sunset, from a perfect spot.

AND AS THE SUN SLOWLY DIPS…

But! I have to mention the nachos.  To me, there’s something comforting about nachos and they tend to remind me of various escapades in my life. Whether it be surf trips to Costa Rico, dive trips to Mexico or late night American snacking… I love nachos. So throughout my travels, I’ve ordered nachos in some very odd places in Southeast Asia whenever they’re available.

YES,THOSE ARE REAL NACHOS AND SOUR CREAM!

Little Lylia’s nachos have the right combination of vegetarian or non-vegetarian ingredients to make it work, including sour cream!  This is the closest I’ve come thus far,  in my Southeast Asia travels, to re-uniting with my culinary memories. So my sombrero is off to Little Lylia’s Chillout Cafe for this tasty local treat and their very cool venue, I just wish it hadn’t taken me so long to discover you!

 

Little Lylia’s, Chillout Cafe
Pantai Cenang, Langkawi
(on the beach behind Best Star Resort)

 

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Langkawi Bars & Music Venues, Langkawi People and Places, Langkawi Places to Eat

Tagged , , , , ,

Kristiani(Abiesha)Cleaners, Langkawi Luxury or Affordable Practicality?

Posted on November 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Another trickle down effect of growing up with American television in the 60’s was that hiring household help was a luxury indulged by the wealthy. But later down the road of adulthood, more and more of my ‘blue-collar‘ co-workers were indeed becoming big fans of this luxury. Eventually biting the bullet and giving it a try, it became apparent that it wasn’t just a luxury but an affordable practicality. and had nothing to do with class system. But after moving to Singapore, that whole premise flew out the window.

NOW I CAN WRITE MY OWN

Prior to my overseas employment in Singapore, I’d read as many Culture Shock and over-seas-survival books as possible. Probably having been written years prior by bored Embassy wives, some of these books encouraged readers to hire ‘maids’ because it was expected and it helped the community monetarily.

I don’t know if I ever saw ‘maids’ that were actually Singaporeans, but certainly plenty from other Southeast Asia locations. But witnessing a barely-out-of-her-teens girl wash a garage-parked car at 5am as one of her daily chores or the helpers (complete with uniform T-shirts) following their high-heeled employer down a busy street carrying her small boutique purchases? I had to rethink the whole class system thing.

KRISTIANI SPOKES-MODEL

Later when staying in Malaysia, I found fighting the elements vs. clean house ‘battle’ on a daily basis exhausting, yet those images from Singapore were way too fresh in my mind to even consider seeking assistance. But I eventually did hire a stay-at-home-mom neighbor as an excuse to help her  earn some extra income. I’m not saying it’s true everywhere, but hiring a neighbor ‘friend’ is not a great idea, especially in the household help arena.

The relationship line from friend to employee is too easily muddled. It also opens the door for their friends to drop by and visit them on ‘the job’. And then the all to often requests to “borrow” this or “can I have” thats?, can be an exhausting exercise in cultural politeness.

UNIFORM AND ADVERTISING IN ONE BRILLIANT PACKAGE!

Having to basically un-hire my neighbor and finding my daily schedules busier and busier, my house was beginning to look like the home of a wild bachelor. I was in dire need of a professional cleaning service that was to my knowledge, non-existent in Langkawi. So when I first spotted the  Kristiani Cleaning Service postings  on Facebook my heart soared. At the time of my initial contact I was told that services were only available in Kuah with plans to expand, but it still gave me hope. And indeed good things come to those who wait.

“AUNTY” IS A WELCOME ADDITION TO MY SATURDAY MORNINGS

I kept contact with ‘Kristiani’ and watched them produce not only an active  Facebook PAGE but also a BLOG and being a big fan of folks with creative initiative, I love promoting enthusiastic self-promoters.  I especially like seeing them succeed. Their efforts eventually brought them enough clients outside of Kuah, where they now have a growing number of additional satisfied customers. Which includes of course me!

I can’t speak highly enough of their services and ability to tackle even a house like mine efficiently and in a timely manner. And they’re willing to clean per your particulars, just ask and you’ll receive. I feel very comfortable with these ‘strangers’ in my house, because of their professional demeanor, yet now they’ve  become my friends as well. They do have free reign and aren’t shy, so any questions they have are asked…

THE SMILING FACE(S) BEHIND KRISTIANI CLEANERS

And Kristiani herself? Well, that’s actually the name of the company. The sole mastermind behind this much-needed Langkawi business is a young mother named Evelyn. With a husband and two under-school-age children, this powerhouse manages to juggle many balls and yet always smiles. That attitude trickles down to the rest of the team and it shows in their excellent services.
Kristiani Cleaners is actually an affordable and practical Langkawi luxury!

 

**In March 2013, this wonderful cleaning company had to change their name to Abiesha Cleaners, for a few odd reasons.
Same crew and same great people!

KRISTIANI CLEANERS ( AKA Abiesha)
tel: 49668292 / 0172770170
email: kristianicleaners@gmail.com
blog: kristianicleaners.blogspot.com

 

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Langkawi Services

Tagged , , ,

Tuba Island, Magical Indeed

Posted on November 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Having heard very little about Tuba Island, but having seen a few intriguing photos I’d been interested to know more, especially about the island’s community. My previous information sourced in general seemed sketchy at best, so the idea of being dropped there by boat alone wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind. Tuba Island sounded like a place that needed a formal introduction to be fully appreciated.

ONLY 15 MINUTES FROM LANGKAWI!

HELLO TUBA ISLAND!

Well good things come to those who wait. And I was finally able to source Tuba Travel and Tours as an escort service. Looking back, I can only wonder how many people have indeed braved the journey solo only to find an empty looking fishing village awaiting them? Perhaps they walked around a bit but couldn’t wait to get back to ‘civilization’…

SOMETIMES SLEEPY VILLAGE, SOMETIMES NOT

THESE DANISH TOURISTS HAD NO PROBLEM CHATTING UP OUR DRIVER

Actually, that was my initial reaction after arriving at the rather modern looking ferry dock, but then the journey began. I’d imagine most of my 6-hour day on Tuba Island would be spent sitting on the beach, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Was more like how did we fit it all in, in under 6 hours!

THE DIVERSE LANDSCAPE OF TUBA ISLAND

YES, THEY EVEN HAVE A POST OFFICE

After being collected by our friendly local driver, the actual size of Tuba Island became more apparent. Winding down this road and that, I could only imagine how far I would have gotten on my own.  Stopping in several kampungs via chaperone saved quite a bit of time as well as gave a more in depth overview of the island community. From the beaches to the interior; homestays, small hotels, markets, medical clinics, schools, a police station and even a post office emerged!

THE ULTIMATE ISLAND ABODE

THE MINIMAL IMPORTANCE OF PETROL IS REFRESHING

In some areas, with the mountain backdrops, it’s easy to picture Langkawi many decades ago in a good way. Although residing on an island in ‘modern’ times can sometimes be frustrating due to the lack of some more modern specialized services, seeing the little Utopia of Tuba Island is food for thought. All the basic necessities are covered as well as the health, education and safety of the community. And it’s apparent from the friendliness of locals that their system works.

IN THE JUNGLE, THE MIGHTY JUNGLE…

NICE SANDY BEACHES, TOO

Although there’s not a swimming beach per say, the beaches are sandy and wide open for exploration. And there’s plenty of jungle!  But since Tuba Island is a community and not a public park, access to these parts can require negotiations involving people’s home environments. This is a good thing, not only for your own safety but also for the environmental protection. There are a few quaint abodes nestled amongst the vines but access prevents the rainforest from becoming a ‘public’ dumpsite. And seeing nature doing it’s own ‘development’ is a beautiful thing.

WILD KANTAN

NATURE’S VAST SCULPTURES

There are decades of history on Tuba Island and who’s to know how much is actually documented. Some of that history is buried, literally. One of the island caves remembers the frightened villagers who hid there for months from Japanese invaders during World War II.  Certainly there are trees still standing on Tuba Island that have seen it all and will probably be standing for generations to come. That’s the beauty of Tuba Island, its simplicity has been it’s survival and greed seems not to be a word in the community’s vocabulary.

IMAGINE LIVING IN HERE FOR MONTHS!

ECO MINDED HOMESTEADING

You probably thought I was going to give you a blow-by-blow account of my trip to Tuba, right? No, I’d rather you have the experience for yourself. But for anyone who has dropped in, kicked a few rocks and left? You may not truly have experienced this ‘magical’ island. Some may view Tuba Island as ‘undeveloped’ and perhaps living in the past, but perhaps it’s more true that they’re protecting their island from the future.

 

 TUBA TRAVEL & TOURS
Saturday-Thursday
T: +6 017-456 5613
E: tubatour@hotmail.com

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Langkawi Sightseeing

Tagged , , , , , , ,

The Art of Cuisine @ Art Cafe

Posted on October 20, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Spending much of my time in Langkawi, I was initially drawn here by the beaches, rainforest and the simple ‘island’ lifestyle. It was easy to leave behind the bustle of a cosmopolitan lifestyle of San Francisco in exchange for new adventures in Southeast Asia, but I soon found out a few things were missing… one was an art ‘scene’.

INDOOR SEATING OR EXCLUSIVE PEOPLE WATCHING PERCH

Weekly art openings and café’s full of both aspiring and successful artists  have always been a part of my adult life and the inspiring creativity that these people and places exuded always a superb escape from the redundancy of my previous 9-5 life.

MIXED MEDIA WORKS BY MO WEI QUAN

It was only recently that I finally popped into the newly refurbished Art Café in Kuah and a glimmer of hope for the creative future emerged . The original cafe has been around for almost eleven years, but the recent inspiring alterations have created a rather unique venue and the name suits it to a tee.

AVANTE-GARDE USE OF SPACE

Not only in artistic décor but menu as well, in fact the menu is even a work of art! A picture book creation by owner Belinda Koh’s own sister with clever graphic renditions of culinary delectables. Mouthwatering selections devised
by Belinda and her staff through experimentation with local ingredients!

ARTISTIC RETRO TOUCHES!

Belinda herself is a force to be reckoned with, from mother to Charity Club Board of Director, business woman, artist and culinary explorer, she does it all… and she does it well. I also found her quite easy to chat with, as she slipped me some of her latest tapas creations.

CRISPY FRIED PEPPER LEAVES, AN ART CAFE CREATION

Not being much of a cook myself, it’s nice to hear how her various culinary treats came to light. From those delicious Crispy Fried Pepper Leaves to her ‘secret’ recipe for Ginger Chicken. Her inventive soups and salads such as Koay Teow Bakso and ‘Gado-Gado’ Indonesian Mixed Salad with peanut sauce, all delicious and reasonable priced.

GADO-GADO, INDONESIAN MIXED SALAD

Art Café is a relaxing respite from the busy Langkawi Fair Mall, where it’s located. And there’s no rush to take your order or give you your bill, you’re welcome to linger and simply reflect on the artistic atmosphere.

LANDSCAPE BY MOOI

The well lit and displayed works of watercolor, acrylic and mixed media art pieces are by local Langkawi residential artists, such a Mooi and Mo Wei Quan. The works are unique and available for purchase. Other artists as well, are welcome to display their sell-able art at Belinda’s artistic discretion, ensuring variety and balance. The essence of Art Café.

 

ART CAFE
Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall (ground floor)
Jalan Persiaran Putera
Kuah, Langkawi
04-966 2188

 

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Langkawi Art and Culture, Langkawi Places to Eat

Tagged , , , , ,