Fujiko.F.Fujio Museum (Doraemon Museum) and Doraemon Cafe

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My favourite colour is blue and since young, I have a strong preference over cartoon characters that are predominantly blue in colour like Donald Duck, Cookie Monster, Smurfs and not forgetting, DORAEMON! Of course, no trip to Japan would be complete for a Doraemon fan without stopping by the Fujiko.F.Fujio Museum, more affectionately known as Doraemon Museum, in Kawasaki! Fujiko F. Fujio (Fujimoto Hiroshi) was the creator and manga artist of Doraemon, and he had lived in Kawasaki for a long time.

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From Shinjuku Station, we took the train via Odakyu Odawara Line to Noborito Station, where shuttle bus services are available at ¥210 (S$2.60) per person each way. The bus journey took about 10 minutes and we cruised past various houses that looked similar to the ones we had come across in Doraemon manga! It was an interesting experience.

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Tickets are not sold at the museum and must be purchased in advance. Our helpful Airbnb host from Tokyo bought the tickets using the Loppi automatic ticket machine at one of the Lawson convenience stores and passed them to us on the day of our arrival. A specific entry date and time slot (10:00, 12:00, 14:00 or 16:00) must be selected when purchasing your ticket, so we gave our host a few options just in case tickets for a particular time slot were sold out. Alternatively, you can also purchase your tickets online but it will be relatively more expensive.

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Photography is strictly prohibited at areas where Fujiko F. Fujio’s extensive collection of artwork is displayed. Upon admission, you can request for an English audio guide which will give you greater insight into Fujiko’s life and artwork. Finally! We could take photos at the Woodcutter’s Spring. Keep pressing the lever and Gian will pop out!

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Manga Corner. The manga were all in Japanese.

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Gachapon Machines.

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Interactive Play Area which caught the attention of many kids.

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Joined the queue to catch an exclusive Doraemon short film, not available anywhere else!

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Movies run every 20 minutes.

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Children’s indoor play area.

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Time for diaper change and milk feed!

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We took our very first Neoprint at Doraemon Museum and I think it makes a pretty nice souvenir too!

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Small shop selling Doraemon snacks.

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We headed to the outdoor area where plenty of photo-taking opportunities await us!

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Remember this playground? It’s where Nobita likes to hide whenever he’s being bullied by Gian and Suneo.

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This Dokodemo Door (Anywhere Door) is one of Doraemon’s most commonly used gadgets. Be transported to anywhere you want just by walking through this pink door!

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We bought this vanilla-flavoured Dorayaki ice cream to share and it was sooo good!

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Deliciously creamy vanilla sandwiched between two fluffy pancakes! What a great cold weather sweet treat!

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We had our lunch at Doraemon Cafe! Prior to this, we had to get a queue number and it took about 45 minutes to an hour before our number was called. The wait wasn’t that agonising for us because we were occupied with taking photos at the outdoor area.

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Iced Strawberry Flavoured Milk (‎¥510 ~ S$6.40) is also available as a hot drink. There are 9 types of latte art and you will be randomly given one, so treat it as a surprise!

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You can take home this cardboard coaster as a souvenir.

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Doraemon’s Rice Casserole with Soup (‎¥1230 ~ S$15.40) was quite tasty; Little misschewy enjoyed it too! It was creamy and cheesy, but I don’t think we found any ingredients in there!

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From the Sweets Menu, we ordered the Dessert Plate (‎¥1200 ~ S$15) which resembles the layout of the outdoor area where we took photographs earlier!

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Cafe staff offered to help every table take photos!

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Before leaving the museum, we made a beeline for the Gift Shop and it was really crowded! Everyone wants a piece of Doraemon!

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Be prepared to set aside approximately half a day (inclusive of travelling) for a visit to the Fujiko.F.Fujio Museum! We reckon it’s totally worth it if you want to relieve those precious childhood memories! 🙂

Fujiko.F.Fujio Museum
Location: 2-chome 8-1 Nagao, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-city, Kanagawa Prefecture, 214-0023
Transportation Access: Shuttle bus service run from Noborito Station (Odakyu line or JR Nanbu line)

Opening Hours:
10:00 – 18:00
Closed every Tuesday except during the Golden Week (April 29th to May 5th) and summer holidays (July 20th to September 3rd). Also closed during Year-end and New Year Holidays (December 30th to January 3rd).

Purchase admission tickets in advance by selecting preferred date and time slot.
Entrance time is divided into quarterly time-schedule: 10:00; 12:00; 14:00; 16:00
(Visitors must enter the museum no later than half an hour within the reservation time schedule.)

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THE CHEWYS’ MARCH 2016 JAPAN 10D9N ITINERARY
(Tokyo – Osaka – Kyoto – Kanazawa – Shirakawago)

Day 1: Singapore to Narita Airport > JR Narita Express to Tokyo > Check into Airbnb at Kita-Ikebukuro > Asakusa Temple & Shopping Street > Shopping and dinner at Sunshine City

Day 2: Tokyo Disneyland

Day 3: Tsukiji Fish Market > Ueno Park > Shopping at Ameya-Yokocho Market > Tea at Fujiya Peko-chan Milky Restaurant > Pokemon Centre at Sunshine City > Dinner at Ichiran

Day 4: Tokyo DisneySea

Day 5: Fujiko•F•Fujio Museum (Doraemon Museum) and Doraemon Cafe > Shopping and dinner at Harajuku

Day 6: Shinkasen from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka > Check into Airbnb at Shin-Osaka > Osaka Castle > Dinner at Dotonburi (Namba station, Midosuji line)

Day 7: Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto > Kiyomizu-dera Temple > Kimono rental and outdoor photoshoot > Dinner at Kichi-Kichi Omurice > Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka

Day 8: Thunderbird Limited Express from Shin-Osaka to Kanazawa > Check into Hotel Nikko Kanazawa > Kenroku-en Garden > Kanazawa Castle > Lunch at Sushi Zanmai > Omicho Market > Higashi Chaya District > Tonkatsu dinner at Tomikinton (富金豚)

Day 9: Nouhi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go > Sightseeing around Shirakawa-go > Nouhi bus from Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa > Thunderbird Limited Express from Kanazawa to Shin-Osaka > Dinner at Dotonburi (Namba station, Midosuji line)

Day 10: Kansai Airport Limited Express “Haruka” from Shin-Osaka to Kansai Airport > HOME SWEET HOME

We will be covering more on our Japan trip, so do stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy for more updates! 🙂

Guide to Eating Ichiran Ramen in Japan

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5 nights in Tokyo, 3 bowls of Ichiran Ramen. Honestly, we could have easily eaten 5 bowls if it wasn’t for my concern that we were only eating Ichiran ramen and nothing else in Tokyo. After our 3rd consecutive night of Ichiran ramen, I told misterchewy that we should stop and at least try other types of Japanese food. LOL. The hubs had his first taste of Ichiran back in 2010 when he was in Japan for an attachment programme and when he got back, he wouldn’t stop raving about it. Of course, he had to revisit his old love on our first night in Tokyo, and the nights after.. For the first-timer like me, the dining experience at Ichiran is definitely unique, and can be a little intimidating as well. Luckily, everything is still fresh in misterchewy’s mind and we didn’t hold up the queue for not knowing how to place our orders. By the end of our trip, I became such a Ichiran ramen pro that I could do everything with my eyes closed. LOL.

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1. Automatic Vending Machine

Upon entering the restaurant, you will see this vending machine where you purchase your meal tickets from. There was only one vending machine at the branch we patronised in Ikebukuro and three in Dotonburi (Osaka). Put in sufficient cash before selecting what you want. Your meal ticket will be generated. It is quite small (about a quarter of the size of my palm) so be careful not to misplace it!

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2. Customise Your Ramen

One of the staff will then hand you this piece of paper for you to circle your preference. You get to select the Flavor Strength (weak/medium/strong), Richness (none/light/medium/rich/ultra rich), Garlic (none/a little/regular/half clove/one clove), Onion (without/white green onion/green onion) Sliced Pork (wihout/with), Ichiran’s Original Red Sauce (0/0.5/1/2/others) and Noodle’s Texture (extra firm/firm/medium/soft/extra/soft). In case you are wondering, Ichiran’s Original Red Sauce is their red pepper sauce mixed with three types of spices.

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3. Direction Board of Vacant Seats

This signboard shows you the occupied vs unoccupied (空) seats. If you go in pairs or groups, the staff will try their best to have all of you seated together.

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4. Locate Your Cubicle

The cubicles are all numbered at the top. This reminds me of my school days in the library!

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5. Hand Over Meal Ticket and Preference Sheet

This is where your meal ticket and preference sheet come in. A pair of hands will grab these two items before shouting something in Japanese while pulling down the bamboo screen and scurrying off to prepare your order.

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6. Ramen is Served

It took only about 5 minutes before the bamboo screen was up again, revealing a pair of hands placing my bowl of piping hot Ichiran ramen before me. There I was, feeling very blessed that I could have my bowl of ramen in my small little cubicle, without any distractions or conversations. YES, SAVOUR THE MOMENT!

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7. Itadakismasu!

Taking photos is optional. Eat your ramen while it’s still hot!

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I took a mouthful of the broth after mixing the Ichiran original red sauce in. The broth was milky rich with a zing of spice, yet it doesn’t feel like it had been artificially laden with too much MSG. Very addictive! On my first visit, I went for the “extra firm” noodles which were too firm for my liking, and for the subsequent visits, I had it toned down to “firm”. It was PERFECT! Each bowl of ramen with pork slices costs ¥790 (S$9.80) which is really affordable for such exemplary standards. It is a little more expensive at ¥910 (S$11.40) if you want an additional egg to go along with it. The egg wasn’t fantastic so we only had it on our first visit. All in all, Ichiran ramen is the BEST ramen I have ever eaten!

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8. Refilling of Noodles (Optional)

Don’t finish all your soup if you wish to refill your noodles as Ichiran does not accept orders for extra soup. You can choose either Kae-Dama (¥190 ~ S$2.40) or 1/2 Kae-Dama (¥120 ~ S$1.50).

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9. Calling for Dessert (Optional)

This step is applicable only if you order the dessert like I did. It was new on the menu and I just had to try it! When you are ready to have your dessert, follow the instructions on the small metal tray. Place the tray on the bell and press the bell to alert the staff. Initially, I thought that my dessert was going to be served in that tray. Hahaha.

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The Matcha Annin Tofu (¥390 ~ S$4.90) looked promising! It was wobbly silky smooth and tasted rich of matcha without being overly sweet.

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10. Ichiran Souvenirs (Optional)

There wasn’t any Ichiran souvenirs at the Ikebukuro branch but on our last night in Osaka, Dotonburi, we chanced upon magnets and coasters on our way out after dinner. I collect magnets so these were totally ideal for me! There are also packaged Ichiran ramen with soup bases that you can purchase as gifts for family and friends.

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For full list of Ichiran restaurant locations, click here.

THE CHEWYS’ MARCH 2016 JAPAN 10D9N ITINERARY
(Tokyo – Osaka – Kyoto – Kanazawa – Shirakawago)

Day 1: Singapore to Narita Airport > JR Narita Express to Tokyo > Check into Airbnb at Kita-Ikebukuro > Asakusa Temple & Shopping Street > Shopping and dinner at Sunshine City

Day 2: Tokyo Disneyland

Day 3: Tsukiji Fish Market > Ueno Park > Shopping at Ameya-Yokocho Market > Tea at Fujiya Peko-chan Milky Restaurant > Pokemon Centre at Sunshine City > Dinner at Ichiran

Day 4: Tokyo DisneySea

Day 5: Fujiko•F•Fujio Museum (Doraemon Museum) and Doraemon Cafe > Shopping and dinner at Harajuku

Day 6: Shinkasen from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka > Check into Airbnb at Shin-Osaka > Osaka Castle > Dinner at Dotonburi (Namba station, Midosuji line)

Day 7: Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto > Kiyomizu-dera Temple > Kimono rental and outdoor photoshoot > Dinner at Kichi-Kichi Omurice > Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka

Day 8: Thunderbird Limited Express from Shin-Osaka to Kanazawa > Check into Hotel Nikko Kanazawa > Kenroku-en Garden > Kanazawa Castle > Lunch at Sushi Zanmai > Omicho Market > Higashi Chaya District > Tonkatsu dinner at Tomikinton (富金豚)

Day 9: Nouhi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go > Sightseeing around Shirakawa-go > Nouhi bus from Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa > Thunderbird Limited Express from Kanazawa to Shin-Osaka > Dinner at Dotonburi (Namba station, Midosuji line)

Day 10: Kansai Airport Limited Express “Haruka” from Shin-Osaka to Kansai Airport > HOME SWEET HOME

We will be covering more on our Japan trip, so do stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy for more updates! 🙂

Tokyo Disneyland: The Happiest Place on Earth

Tokyo Disneyland

OHAIYOU! It has been two weeks since we got back from our Japan trip and we are still suffering the post-holiday blues! Before we share more about our Japan itinerary as highly requested already by a number of readers, we will first be doing a series of short posts on certain places of interests. Of course, we will kick things off by sharing our trip to Tokyo Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth! This was my third visit, misterchewy’s second and Little misschewy’s first!

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Little misschewy’s birthday was on a Friday but after much deliberation, we decided to go to Disneyland a day earlier to avoid the weekend crowd. A few weeks before, we bought our tickets via Tokyo Disneyland’s website, which in our opinion, is a highly recommended move if you want to get into the theme park as swiftly as possible! WHEEE! WE ARE READY! 😀

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We went straight for the Castle Carrousel ride at Fantasyland!

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Spinning teacups and saucers at Alice’s Tea Party!

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Fly on a pirate ship to Never Land at Peter Pan’s Flight!

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This is nice but be prepared to queue at least an hour!

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Dumbo the Flying Elephant!

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Somehow, I was quite amused by the sight of all these parked strollers. Haha.

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Little misshewy actually ran towards the Castle Carrousel and gave us a cheeky smile, indicating that she wanted to go on the ride again.

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We managed to catch the colorful Daytime Parade, “Happiness is Here”!

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This colorful parade filled with fun will make your heart thrill with happiness. Goofy leads the parade followed by a float designed with a huge Mickey Mouse toy. And there’s a float that expresses the vibrant, lovely world of the Disney princesses and fairies, and lots more. The parade presents all kinds of happiness for you to experience.

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After all the excitement, we took a short break by stopping at one of the restaurants at Disneyland for lunch. As expected, the food was overpriced and tasted mediocre. But we really needed to rest our legs plus the little one was sleeping in the Tula.

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Pooh’s Hunny Hunt at Toon Town!

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HAHAHA Little misschewy was frightened by the weird lightings and loud noises from the honey shooting game.

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I think Little misschewy adores Donald Duck as much as I do! She was shouting “Nonald Nuck! Nonald Nuck!” but it was a pity they stopped allowing people to queue for photos with Donald 🙁

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We saw many kids and teenage schoolgirls with popcorn buckets slung around their necks and couldn’t resist getting one for Little misschewy as well. Actually, there are plenty of other designs but we were too lazy to scout for them. This is one of the popular designs featuring characters from Frozen.

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We got the normal Caramel flavoured popcorn but if you are popcorn connoisseur like one of our neighbours, you can also try the other flavours such as Salt, Curry, Chocolate, Honey, Strawberry and Soy Sauce & Butter! You can’t get all flavours at one location, so check the map!

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This girl really very happy leh!

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We managed to get one miserable Fast Pass at Tomorrowland and we used it for Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek!

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It was quite a run ride and our first time on it!

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After Little misschewy’s diaper change and milk feed at the Baby Center, we headed to one of the shops and these caught my attention!

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If you refer to the photo of our lunch earlier, you will notice that this is a mini replica of our pork katsu bun!

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I bought the miniature Donald Duck popcorn bucket but now I kinda regret not getting the pork katsu bun and Mickey pancake!

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I think it was about 7pm when we sat and joined the crowd for the Nighttime Parade, “Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights”.

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The Disney stars are literally sparkling in this nighttime parade of lights and music. With Mickey and his pals, including characters from Aladdin, Toy Story and other Disney films, appearing on colorful floats, nighttime in the Park is even more fantasy-filled.

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After the intriguing Electrical Parade, we rushed off to It’s A Small World at Fantasyland. As children of the world sing, enjoy the “happiest cruise that ever sailed”. This is one of my favourite rides in Tokyo Disneyland and I love to experience this all over again each time I visit the park.

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Fireworks were cancelled so we decided to leave as it had been a long and fruitful day for us!

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Last minute souvenir shopping!

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Here’s a brief outline of our itinerary which we promise to share in greater detail! In the meantime, check out these 16 Hotels near Tokyo Disneyland That Have the Wow Factor by HotelsCombined to complete your Disneyland experience with the entire family.

THE CHEWYS’ MARCH 2016 JAPAN 10D9N ITINERARY
(Tokyo – Osaka – Kyoto – Kanazawa – Shirakawago)

Day 1: Singapore to Narita Airport > JR Narita Express to Tokyo > Check into Airbnb at Kita-Ikebukuro > Asakusa Temple & Shopping Street > Shopping and dinner at Sunshine City

Day 2: Tokyo Disneyland

Day 3: Tsukiji Fish Market > Ueno Park > Shopping at Ameya-Yokocho Market > Tea at Fujiya Peko-chan Milky Restaurant > Pokemon Centre at Sunshine City > Dinner at Ichiran

Day 4: Tokyo DisneySea

Day 5: Fujiko•F•Fujio Museum (Doraemon Museum) and Doraemon Cafe > Shopping and dinner at Harajuku

Day 6: Shinkasen from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka > Check into Airbnb at Shin-Osaka > Osaka Castle > Dinner at Dotonburi (Namba station, Midosuji line)

Day 7: Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto > Kiyomizu-dera Temple > Kimono rental and outdoor photoshoot > Dinner at Kichi-Kichi Omurice > Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka

Day 8: Thunderbird Limited Express from Shin-Osaka to Kanazawa > Check into Hotel Nikko Kanazawa > Kenroku-en Garden > Kanazawa Castle > Lunch at Sushi Zanmai > Omicho Market > Higashi Chaya District > Tonkatsu dinner at Tomikinton (富金豚)

Day 9: Nouhi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go > Sightseeing around Shirakawa-go > Nouhi bus from Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa > Thunderbird Limited Express from Kanazawa to Shin-Osaka > Dinner at Dotonburi (Namba station, Midosuji line)

Day 10: Kansai Airport Limited Express “Haruka” from Shin-Osaka to Kansai Airport > HOME SWEET HOME

We will be covering more on our Japan trip, so do stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy for more updates! 🙂

Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa Penang

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Earlier, we reviewed Golden Sands Resort Penang and we are gonna do a quick post on Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa today. When we were in Penang, we spent the entire day in Georgetown before checking in for a night in the evening. Rasa Sayang is located just next to Golden Sands.

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We stayed at one of the newly refurbished Garden Wing rooms which had a spacious and airy, nature-inspired ambience. Elegant yet understated, the family-friendly Garden Wing allows guests to feel relaxed and at ease. The Garden Wing rooms are designed with the family in mind, marrying function and beauty, both practical yet elegant.

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All rooms are serviced by the resort’s housekeeping team at least twice daily. Each room is facilitated with an in-room locker, data port for internet, IDD telephone with voice mail, satellite television with non-stop in-house movies, and more!

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The bedroom is furnished with a separate shower and bathtub as well as Shangri-La’s collection of bathroom amenities, hair dryer, slippers and bathrobes.

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The 189 rooms and suites at Garden Wings are breezy and pleasant, offering accommodation which features views of the sea and gardens. Most of the suites feature a spacious terrace with a separate sitting room and parlour, giving it a touch of home.

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We took a buggy ride to Golden Sands Resort so that Little misschewy could have her dose of fun at Adventure Zone, a modular play area designed for kids of all ages.

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The 10000 square foot facility has a comprehensive indoor playground with three categories of drop slides and multiple sections of modular play equipment. The main highlight are the drop slides, which have been proven to be extremely safe and offer a high level of enjoyable for both children and adults.

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This is the toddler-friendly area that was more suitable for Little misschewy.

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Can’t say no to her favorite ball pit!

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We had breakfast at the Spice Market Cafe the morning before we checked out. It is a casual restaurant that offers authentic ethnic cuisines from diverse cultures such as Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Thai and also Western. Located on the ground floor of the Garden Wing, the restaurant is right beside the swimming pool under the rain trees.

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Hearty breakfast before we make our way to the airport for our flight back home! Daily buffet breakfast at the Spice Market Cafe is from 6.30am to 11am.

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Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy, @misterchewy and @little_miss_chewy 🙂

Golden Sands Resort Penang Blog Review

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With 2015 coming to an end soon, I really have to say that this year has been a pretty exciting one for The Chewys. We went on a total of five short trips to nearby countries, which is extremely rare and something which we never thought we could achieve now that it’s no longer just the two of us.. With a young one in tow, we have to take into consideration numerous factors when it comes to travelling and for now, long haul flights are definitely out of the question! We have always wanted to visit Penang for its delicious street food and I guess we couldn’t pass up the chance when we were invited to review two of Shangri-La’s resorts in Penang. We spent the first two nights in Golden Sands Resort before transferring to Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa.

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Upon touching down at Penang International Airport, no time was wasted and we were whisked away in a limousine to the lovely Golden Sands Resort. We were caught in a bad jam but thankfully, the limousine was equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi which kept us occupied throughout the rest of the journey. Golden Sands Resort is located along Batu Feringgi Beach, which is about 45 minutes’ drive from the airport. Unfortunately, we spent more than an hour on the road that day because we couldn’t get a better flight timing and reached Penang during its peak hour in the evening.

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We were escorted to the check-in counter on the ground floor and our luggages were being sent up to our room thereafter. Appreciated the little welcome note and fresh fruits provided.

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Our Deluxe Sea Facing Room is just one of the 387 guest rooms in Golden Sands Resort. It spans about 30 square metres and is a cosy haven for a small family like ours. I like that the design of our room is kept simple, such that it is not over-the-top and it emanates a low-key and laid-back charm, which is perfect for a family beach holiday.

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There is a private balcony in our room which offers refreshing views of lush tropical greenery, the resort’s swimming pool as well as the enticing sea view beyond. It was actually pretty therapeutic lounging by the balcony while sipping a bottle of beer.

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Little misschewy was contented with her comfortable corner in the room.

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Double sinks!

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Premium Shangri-La toiletries

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It was already late evening by the time we settled down and obviously heading out to Georgetown for dinner would be a very bad idea. Golden Sands Resort has a plethora of dining options that will definitely make you spoiled for choice. The new Sigi’s Bar and Grill is a fun, family-style restaurant located right on Batu Feringgi beach and we say, go for it!

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Besides their extensive Ala carte dinner menu, Sigi’s also offers BBQ buffet which is great if you want to try a bit of everything. We had roast chicken rice, sambal fish, grilled chicken wings, mutton curry, etc and certainly ate to our hearts’ content!

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For registered hotel guests, children under the age of 12 can enjoy complimentary buffet meals when accompanied by a paying adult, up to a maximum of 2 children. Little misschewy loved the fried calamari rings!

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We were so well-fed that we almost didn’t have room for desserts!

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Took a leisurely stroll back to our room and saw that the resort has gone the extra mile in providing a turndown service for its guests. Not all hotels and resorts practise this, and it is a nice touch that Golden Sands Resort sees to it that rooms are refreshed and bed linens are turned down for sleeping.

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Even though we had two days of food trail ahead of us, we couldn’t resist having the buffet breakfast at Golden Sand Resort’s Garden Cafe!

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Piping hot food awaits!

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The resort’s swimming pools look so inviting, don’t they! We regretted not packing our swimsuits along!

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Hahaha pardon the little one’s expression. She was feeling bummed out that she had to miss out on all the fun!

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Besides the pool, there are also other activities such as massage and foot reflexology services available.

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For the adrenaline junkies, parasailing is a popular choice.

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We were truly impressed that there is a family entertainment centre otherwise known Adventure Zone, housed within the resort. More on that in the next blog post!

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Snapped a photo with Golden Sand Resort’s mascot, Polly the Parrot, before we boarded the complimentary shuttle bus to Georgetown for our Penang food trail!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy, @misterchewy and @little_miss_chewy 🙂

The Chewys’ Family Trip to Bangkok Day 5: Victory Monument Thai Boat Noodles and Home Sweet Home!

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YOOHOO! We have finally come to our last day in Bangkok! When we booked our stay at Aloft Bangkok hotel, we didn’t know that the buffet breakfast is only for one. On the day we checked in, we were asked if we wanted to top up so that both misterchewy and I could both enjoy the breakfast. I rejected the offer because there is simply too much food to try in Bangkok, why confine ourselves to hotel breakfast everyday? Every morning, the hubs would eat a bit at the hotel since we already paid for it, while I shower Little misschewy in our room.

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So here are some photos taken by the husband, showcasing some of the breakfast food available at Aloft Bangkok hotel.

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Since our flight was around 3pm, we had a bit of time to do some last minute shopping at MBK Shopping Centre. Didn’t buy much for ourselves, just some cute magnets for our family and friends. Lunch was supposed to be at HERO Food and Gathering since it’s near our hotel but I know the hubs missed eating the Thai boat noodles that we had back in 2012 at Victory Monument. So I suggested taking a cab there instead.

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Nothing much has changed and we sat at the exact same table where we sat three years ago, this time with a big baby in my arms. LOL.

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Not sure if the photobomb was intentional but oh wells.. Haha.

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We don’t take beef so we had the Noodles Thicken Soup with Pork (THB 12). Every mouthful was SO SO SO GOOD. The broth had been thickened and made more flavorful with pork blood. Noodles were thin and springy and the pork balls were full of bite.

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It really isn’t easy eating while babywearing so you gotta be quick. Aim, kiap, and shove into mouth. LOL.

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We ate a total of 12 bowls of boat noodles. Definitely could have stomached more but we didn’t wanna go overboard with ordering.

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Rushed back to our hotel to do some last minute packing and it was time to check out! Booked a cab to the airport with the help of the GrabTaxi app.

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That’s all for our Bangkok 5D4N trip! See you again soon! 😉
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy, @misterchewy and @little_miss_chewy 🙂

The Chewys’ Family Trip to Bangkok Day Four: Art in Paradise Museum, Unicorn Cafe, Alpaca View Farm & Cuisine and Chatuchak Weekend Market

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Sawadee ka~~! I realized I made a mistake in my previous blog post. This isn’t my final update on our Bangkok trip because there’s still the last day of our trip but it’s gonna be a short and sweet concluding post, I promise! It was my birthday on our fourth day in Bangkok so needless to say, I was the Queen for the day! Lololol. We were dressed in my favorite colors, white and light blue! 😀 Here’s a quick wefie before we head out for the day! Wheeee!

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As we were early for our visit to Art in Paradise, we went for breakfast at PunThai Coffee at a shopping centre nearby.

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When in Thailand, drink Thai Iced Milk Tea! What else!

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My Kurobuta Pork rice was fragrant and slightly spicy. However, the portion was too tiny!

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Blogged about Art in Paradise museum separately because there are just too many photos to share. If you are keen, you may click here to read more about our experience!

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After endless posing for shots at Art in Paradise museum, we took a cab to Unicorn Cafe! It’s the only place that I shortlisted for my birthday cake!

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Simply love the interior of Unicorn Cafe!

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This would be the ideal sofa set for our new home! My favorite shade of blue!

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Please don’t let my photos fool you. Unicorn Cafe wasn’t empty when we visited. All tables were filled but I was lucky that there was enough time for me to snap photos when those people left their seats.

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Little misschewy actually gave the blue unicorn a peck on the mouth. Hahaha.

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My beautiful rainbow birthday cake! Almost couldn’t bear to eat it. Shared it with misterchewy and Little misschewy. Taste wise, nothing to shout about but I’m not complaining.

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Thank you misterchewy and Little misschewy for the memorable birthday celebration! 😀

Unicorn Cafe Bangkok
Sathorn Soi 8,
44/1 Sathon 8 Alley,
Silom, Bang Rak,
Bangkok 10500
(Nearest BTS: Chong Nonsi)
Tel: +66 86 397 9262

Opening Hours:
Tue to Sun
12pm – 8pm
(Closed on Mondays)

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Next, we went to Big C Supermarket opposite CentralWorld! Somehow, it feels similar to our Giant supermarket. We love shopping for snacks and bought so much for our family, colleagues, friends, and not forgetting the Nuffies! Because there were too many bags of food, we cabbed back to our hotel before going out for dinner.

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Thanks to Little misschewy’s godma’s recommendation, we specially made a trip to Alpaca View Farm and Cuisine at Ladprao. The place is situated up north, quite close to Chatukchak I would say. If you wanna head there, plan these two places within the same day yeah!

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Adorable little piglets!

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Here’s the highlight – alpacas!

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Close up shot of the alpacas. Prior to this, we had never seen an real alpaca before so it was pretty exciting for us. The only alpaca I came across was the alpaca plush toy. Hahaha. Anyway, I’m not sure what these two were doing. Any idea? LOL.

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We chose to have our dinner indoors so that we could escape from the heat. For some strange reason which I can’t recall, we ordered fruit smoothies instead of beer. Haha.

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Egg omelette

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We tried the Pork Knuckle and to our surprise, it was really delicious! Damn, we should have ordered beer to go with it. It would be heavenly! The pieces of pork knuckle was crispy on the outside, yet wonderfully tender on the inside!

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Doing a taste test on the fries to determine if it’s too salty for the little one.

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Hehe Little misschewy was busy munching on her fries! She was wearing the dress that her godma Mag bought for her in Hua Hin!

Alpaca View Farm and Cuisine
11 Soi Ladprao-Wanghin 71,
Ladprao Rd,
Bangkok 10320
Tel: +66 81 406 6400

Opening Hours:
Daily
5pm – 1am

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Since the night was still young, we hailed a cab to Chatuchak to see if it really opens on Friday night! Turns out to be true!

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Not all the stalls were open though but it was quite good already I suppose.

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Only bought a few souvenirs for friends and colleagues. Didn’t buy any clothes because we didn’t see anything that we liked 🙁

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First time eating coconut ice cream! This wasn’t from the ‘legit’ stall because we couldn’t find it when we were there. I guess the stall only operates on Saturdays and Sundays. This was also quite good la!

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Little misschewy fell asleep in the midst of all our coconut ice cream excitement. Hahaha. Hope you guys enjoyed this post!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy, @misterchewy and @little_miss_chewy 🙂

The Chewys’ Family Trip to Bangkok Day Three: Karmakamet Diner, Kidzoona & Molly Fantasy, Eat Rice & Noodles, Talad Rot Fai Srinakarin Train Market

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Hellooo everybardy! Did anyone miss me? Hehehe. We moved into our new place a few weeks ago and were extremely busy handling almost everything on our own, with some help from both our parents. We are still trying to adapt to our new lifestyle! This also explains why we went MIA for a week. Haha sorry for the lack of updates! Can finally continue sharing our Bangkok itinerary with you guys. Thanks for being so patient! 🙂

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Us on our third day in Bangkok! Every morning we would take the complimentary tuk tuk service by Aloft Bangkok hotel to Nana BTS station!

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I planned our brunch at Karmakamet Diner. The place wasn’t too hard for us to find, with the help of Google maps of course. We reached slightly before 10am and had to sit outside for a bit before being ushered to a table. Upon stepping into Karmakamet Diner, I was blown away by its rustic charm.

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The outdoor setting totally has this dreamy feel to it.

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Haha but we didn’t want to be bitten by mozzies so we chose to sit indoors. Bangkok is really not a child-friendly country. There wasn’t a single cafe or restaurant we went to that had baby chairs. Luckily I did my homework by emailing or sending messages on FB to ask the F&B establishments on my list whether they provide baby chairs. To my horror, NONE. A kind mummy friend from my March edd group lent us her orange Sack’n Seat!

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The Sack’n Seat acts like a portable high chair. Simply attach it to any chair with a backrest and your child will be securely restrained in his/her seat once the straps are fastened. Until he/she attempts to climb out of it of course.

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I chose the Poached Duck Eggs with Gravlax on Karmakamet Ratatouille (THB 290) because it sounded promising but I was disappointed by its pathetic appearance. Taste wise, it was only mediocre.

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When misterchewy’s Salmon Pattie Egg Benedict (THB 320) arrived, I immediately congratulated him on his choice. LOL. Why standard so different one?! This is like breakfast sent from heaven!

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I think misterchewy must have sensed my jealousy, so he offered me some of his egg benedict. It was seriously good that I started to push away my poached duck eggs. Hahaha.

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Huge ass cotton candy bigger than my face! Ok it’s actually called Strawberry in the Cloud (THB 390) and you have to wait at least 15 minutes if you order this. It’s super Instagram worthy and we ordered this mainly for photos 😛

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Our cotton candy came in beautiful hues of pink and blue. We were busy eating it until…

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One of the wait staff told us that there’s something underneath! LOL.

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Karmakamet Diner is like the perfect place for some portrait shots!

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After brunch, we headed to Ekamai Gateway Mall where Molly Fantasy & Kidzoona indoor playground is located. I had blogged about this separately and you may click here if you are keen to read more about it 🙂

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Lunch was at EAT Rice & Noodles, by the same boss who set up EAT (Eat All Thai). Over here, we got to savor traditional Thai food with a modern take.

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Thai Iced Milk Tea

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Minced Pork Thai Basil with Fried Rice Noodles

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Phad Thai with Fried Wonton

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Mango Sticky Rice

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Since it was still quite early, we returned to our hotel to rest and recharge before heading out again to check out Talad Rot Fai night market. We took the BTS to On Nut and hailed a cab from there. We are not sure why but many shops were not open that day, which was a pity.

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It was pouring that night! Total bummer. But we already travelled all the way there, so the three of us shared one umbrella and braved the rain.

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Spotted my favorite Thai dessert – Luk Chup! *squeals* BUY!!

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Really cheap and good! They tasted way better than the ones we bought at the Thai airport in 2012.

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Out of curiosity, we bought a box of Egg Fried Squid to try on the spot.

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OMG let me tell you that it is seriously DAMN GOOD.

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After we were done eating, we bought another box to bring back to our hotel for supper.

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It was a pretty happening day for Little misschewy! LOL. Our next post will be the final update on the last day of our BKK trip! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

The Chewys’ Family Trip to Bangkok Day 2: Hello Kitty House, Siam Ocean World, Teddy House’s Kitchen, After You Dessert Cafe & EAT (Eat All Thai)

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From Day Two of our Bangkok trip onwards, things got more exciting because I had put in much effort in planning our itinerary to cater to all of us as a family. But first, Little misschewy needs her milk milk in the morning before we all get ready to head out for a day of adventure!

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Hahaha looks l like I spoke too soon cuz she fell asleep while we were making our way to Hello Kitty House at Siam Square One! Our Tula baby carrier has lotsa sleepy dust! 😛 We were there quite early, even before it was opened for business so we sat at one of the pink benches outside and waited patiently. In the meantime, I also passed a sleeping Little misschewy to misterchewy so that I could pose for photos however I wanted at Hello Kitty House later on. LOL.

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Hello Kitty House finally opened at 10am and we were greeted by a glum-looking male staff in pink polo tee. Some Hello Kitty related song in Japanese was playing on repeat but it was very lively and cheery. I’m not a hardcore Hello Kitty fan but the song made me feel hyper and suddenly in love with Hello Kitty. HAHAHA. The place looks so prettyyy and best of all, it was relatively empty!

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Let’s check out the upper floor!

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Hello Kitty heaven!!

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This is like the perfect place for a Hello Kitty fanatic to hold her ROM ceremony or something. Hahaha.

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Ordered cakes because they looked so pretty in their rainbow colors!

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Just look at this! Candy Cream Cheese Cake (THB 175) in my favorite pink and blue! Prior to our visit, I read reviews that the food at Hello Kitty House really cannot make it but aiya since we were there already, just try right? Eh but surprisingly the cakes didnt taste that bad leh. Or maybe my taste buds got problem. Hahaha. But Chanelle loved the cakes too!

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The Rainbow Mille Crepe (THB 175) was also irresistable! It came in shades of red, yellow, green, blue and purple! I took a tad too long to admire the cake that misterchewy asked me, “Are we going to start eating?” Lololol.

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Yes we are! But since Little misschewy woke up from her nap, let me take a photo with her first!

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Very unwilling! Okay fine..

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She wanted to eat the cakes too! And gave her stamp of approval!

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We went to the basement of Hello Kitty House where the shop and spa are located.

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Plenty of Hello Kitty merchandise here!

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After an ultra sweet breakfast at Hello Kitty House, we headed to Siam Ocean World which I had blogged about separately.

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Settled our lunch at Teddy House’s Kitchen! Besides Hello Kitty House, this is another cafe that will appeal to little kids.

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Teddy House Kitchen is filled with plenty of stuffed bears which makes the whole place look inviting.

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We decided to just order one pancake so that we would still have room for other food later on. We were the only ones in the cafe but our pancake took really long to be served. Thankfully, it tasted quite good with maple syrup and vanilla ice cream!

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Next, we went to After You Dessert Cafe! The hubs and I had heard so much about After You’s delicious shibuya honey toasts and made this cafe a must-visit on our list.

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Not surprisingly, the place was packed to the brim and we chose to sit by the window as it was the only empty space left.

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It was Shibuya Honey Toast without a doubt! The toast was crisp and had a dense and chewy interior. SO DAMN GOOD. The three of us were chomping down on this.

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We walked around for a bit at Central World before having early dinner at EAT (Eat All Thai), which was recommended by my good friend YP. EAT is all about using premium ingredients to whip up delicious Thai food.

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The only time we can eat in peace is when Little misschewy falls asleep! LOL.

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Salted Chaiya Egg

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Phad Thai

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Crab Meat Fried Rice

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Tom Yum Goong

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We stopped by Erawan Shine to offer our prayers before heading back to our hotel and calling it a day!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

The Chewys’ Family Trip to Bangkok Day One: Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 & Sukhumvit Soi 38 Street Food

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Hellooo chewys! I wanted to blog about our Bangkok trip earlier while it was still fresh in my mind but unfortunately, the bombing took place at Erawan Shrine shortly after we got back and I thought it wasn’t such an appropriate time to share our travelogue so I decided to delay it for a bit. As I had mentioned briefly in my previous posts, this trip’s agenda was to celebrate our 5th dating anniversary as well as my birthday! I never had a birthday trip before so I was rather excited even though I had been to BKK a few times. Hehehe 😛

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We booked an afternoon flight so that it wouldn’t be so rushed for us. With a little one around, be prepared to spend at least twice the amount of time than you normally would. We used to take about an hour at least before we could head out of the house but now we need to wake up extra early to start preparing! I’m also quite paranoid when it comes to packing because baby’s stuff are usually necessities. If I could say so myself, I think I almost brought the whole house to BKK. LOL XD

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Much love to Changi Recommends for lending us one of their overseas Wi-Fi router. The Changi Recommends booths are located in all 3 terminals and are open 24/7. It was very convenient for us as we only had to pick up the Wi-Fi device after checking in our luggages. That saves us on delivery charges! Upon your return, simply return the device by dropping it off at the Changi Recommends booth at your arrival terminal. Now that’s hassle-free! The last thing you would want is to fret over the collection and returning of your Wi-Fi device, so I’m really glad that Changi Airport Group established this subsidiary in 2012 to save travellers all the unnecessary trouble while providing affordable internet access to keep us connected during our trips.

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A shot with Little misschewy’s favorite durian before we wave goodbye to my in-laws!

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Our third family trip this year! We travelled to Phuket in January and Hong Kong in March 🙂

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A wefie before take off! I’m not sure if the monkey face by Little misschewy was intentional but I’m posting it up anyway!

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I don’t know about you but I love plane food! Somehow, plane food makes me really happyyy! This was some fish spaghetti and it was quite good!

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But we couldn’t really eat in peace with an active toddler who refuses to stay in her seat.

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The hubs Tula-ed her and walked up and down the aisle a couple of times and she finally conked out. Zzz.. I think misterchewy looked sleepy too. Hey, nobody said parenthood would be easy 😉

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Sawadee ka~ Welcome to the Land of Smiles! 😀

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We were desperately trying to hire a cab using the Grab Taxi app but to no avail. I guess the airport is too huge and the drivers ended up waiting elsewhere even though I had typed out the exact location where we were standing. Some drivers called but there was a communication breakdown and we were like argh ok nevermind forget it. Wasted my overseas call money! Lol. In the end, we decided to try our luck and went downstairs. Ahlamak! Should have just come here earlier la! Just get a printout from the machine and there will be a taxi car plate number stated on it. Plenty of taxi drivers waiting there!

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A few hours without Internet connectivity made me feel uneasy so I switched on our Wi-Fi router as soon as we touched down. The hubs benefited from this as well since the router is able to connect up to 8 devices simultaneously. If it wasn’t for this router, I couldn’t have posted so many photos during our trip on my Instagram and Facebook page 😛

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Because of the traffic jam, it took us almost an hour to reach our choice of accommodation, Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11, which is one of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) properties. Hotel accommodation in Bangkok is fairly affordable across the board. We went ahead with Aloft because we could earn Starpoints and the hotel rates were really attractive. Plus, the hotel is located quite near Nana BTS Station, which is a pretty centralized location.

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Aloft Hotel also provides complimentary tuk tuk service to and from Nana BTS station.

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Aloft hotel has this very cool and artsy fartsy vibe which I think most youngsters would appreciate. Lol.

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Our Aloft Room spans about 30 to 33 square meters – plenty of space for Little misschewy to roam around even with a playpen in the room. I love the layout of the room and also the idea of waking up to a nice view of the city upon waking up.

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Our ultra-comfortable platform bed was topped with plush bedding.

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The bathroom is also very spacious. There is a sliding door to separate the walk-in shower from the vanity sink.

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In case you are wondering, that’s a bottle sterilizer which we requested from the hotel.

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The floor can be very slippery for toddlers so please request for a baby bath tub!

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The view from our room.

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Hahaha failed wefie with the bubs because she just didn’t want to sit still on my lap even for 3 seconds.

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I actually planned to go to HERO Food & Gathering for dinner but misterchewy, being a fuddy duddy, was more keen to check out Sukhumvit Soi 38. I mean most guys should be quite thrilled to be eating in a restaurant full of Marvel superheroes right? So Sukhumvit Soi 38 it was. We took a cab and it was a huge mistake because the jam was horrendous. Should have taken the BTS instead.

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We found it strange that there were only a few stalls there. Little did we know that Sukhumvit Soi 38 was closing down and most stalls had relocated elsewhere.

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We walked all the way to the end and started with the wanton noodle stall. This was not bad but the slices of char siew were pretty good stuff.

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The phad thai was so damn good that we had to resist ordering another plate in order to save space to try other food.

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We saw this stall selling sticks of meat and seafood. Basically, you pick out the sticks that you want and someone will barbecue the food for you. We tabao-ed some back for our supper.

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Wanted to try more food but the little one was cranky already. Settled our dessert before heading back to our hotel.

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The mango sticky rice was amazing! Very sweet and juicy mangoes and the glutinous rice was wonderfully soft and chewy.

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That’s all for our first day in Bangkok! Keep a lookout for day two!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂