Pantai Pandak > Dinner at Golden Dragon Restaurant

Pantai Pandak

This beach right here deserves its own post. It was breathtaking.

Photos could not reflect the beauty of it.

Pantai Pandak was a 20-25 minute drive from Pasar Payang.

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We departed at about 6pm so that we could catch the sunset at about 6.30pm.

The beach was a pretty long stretch (with enough space for everyone to "soak in the moment").

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"The waves came crashing, wave after wave;

Not too much, not too rushed, taking its own pace each time it rushed on shore.

Every grain of sand my toes sink into each time, with every wave which washes ashore,

I feel alive, I feel peace, I feel like I can be one with the sea.
Now then, will I be able to travel the world if I were to become one as the sea?"

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Next up was dinner! Being in Terengganu, we wanted to get a good seafood dinner.

We found a restaurant, Golden Dragon Restaurant, which was recommended on Tripadvisor (No. 2 in Terengganu) and decided to give it a shot. 

This was probably one of the best decision throughout our entire trip.

Food: 4.5/5

We ordered jumbo prawns (x 4; no pictures because it was the first dish and was wolfed down); fried oyster omelette; steamed fish and stir fry beans (no pictures because its just beans, lol). Anyways, the jumbo prawns were huge, and probably was about an average palm size. Taste was good and not too salty, yet flavorful. 

Price: 4/5

The whole meal only cost us RM 130, and this included drinks for the the four of us.

Location/Parking:4/5

Located in Chinatown, there are plenty of parking lots around. As dinnertime was past 6pm, there was no parking fee. Chinatown is pretty busy but we found a parking space once we turned into Chinatown so I would say that parking shouldn't be too big a problem.

Toilet: 3/5

Basic but kind of dangerous for kids as you will have to pass through a very hot kitchen (toilet is just beside the kitchen and there are no barriers what so ever on the way). Not very clean but bearable.

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Must get: "Pau"/Buns from the shop next to Golden Dragon Restaurant. The shop mainly sells "bak kut teh"(a Chinese pork rib dish served in Chinese herbs broth), but they sell pau right out front.

We got some for breakfast and they tasted really good. Plus, they were pretty reasonably priced, at RM 12 for 8 "pau"s.

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Next up: the long awaited Lang Tengah!

Kuala Terengganu (town) > Pasar Payang + shopping list

Penang > Titiwangsa R&R > Kuala Terengganu (town)

> Lang Tengah > Penang
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After a satisfying lunch, we headed off to Pasar Payang (a local market) for some shopping.
Now there are four things I think everyone should get in Terengganu:
1. This fish keropok which comes with sauce

 2. A spicy and sweet version of fish crackers
Not too spicy though. I could take a whole packet and I'm pretty bad when it comes to spicy stuff.
WARNING: very addictive, one packet can be finished in one sitting.

3. Serunding - Chicken (Ayam) or Beef (Lembu/Daging)
These babies are delish! We bought about 6 packets and the guy who sold it told us it could easily be finished in one sitting. Boy, was he right. It tastes like "Bak Hu" or chicken floss.
Tastes good with just plain rice or bread and butter.

4. Batik (Terengganu and Indonesian)
These are a must get.
The Indonesian batik was only selling for RM 10 and the colours were just too pretty to not get them.
Terengganu batik was on the higher side and was priced at RM 16-20 per piece.

 A closeup of the Terengganu batik.

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Pasar Payang is made up of two floors, the floor below generally sells keropok (local crackers or chips), dodol (local sweet confection) and many other food stuffs. Apart from local goods, there are a number of Thai products for sale too as the Thailand border is pretty nearby. There is also a wide array of Terengganu batik as well as Indonesian batik at the market.
Apart from that, there is a wet market selling fresh produce.

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Do note that opposite Pasar Payang, there are proper brick walled shops in what looks like a complex. The batik found there are seemingly of better quality and patterns may differ from what is found in the market. For example, we got this batik at RM23. Still a pretty good steal if you asked me.

As you can see, the pattern is more on the contemporary side rather than the traditional Terengganu batik. You might want to check some shops out along the way if you have time.
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Keropok lekor is a must when in Terengganu. It is basically a traditional Malay fish cracker snack orginating from Terengganu. While the ones I've tried in Penang were crunchier, I found a liking in the Terengganu version as I found it soft but more packed with fish paste.

 We took this photo opposite Pasar Payang. I really love Terengganu architecture which is intricate. This is also reflected in Terengganu batik which looks more detailed as compared to other batik which has bigger and elaborate prints.

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Next up, we headed over to Pantai Pandak to catch a beautiful glimpse of the vast South China Sea.

Day 1: Kuala Terengganu (town) - Madam Bee's Kitchen

Penang > Titiwangsa R&R > Kuala Terengganu (town)

> Lang Tengah > Penang

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For our trip, we stayed at DJ Citi Point Hotel. The room was sufficiently similar to the ones in the website's album, so we did not take any photos of it.

In short, I would stay here again the next time I'm back in Kuala Terengganu. A short review:

Price: 4/5 

We got a room for four at RM 140. Pretty good I would say.

Location: 4/5

The hotel was smacked right in the center of Kuala Terengganu's main attractions in town. It was within walking distance to Pasar Payang and Chinatown. 

Cleanliness: 4/5

The room was clean (a super important factor). The bedsheets and toilet were also clean. 

Facilities: 3.5/5

The room is basic, with two complimentary bottled water, towels and a television. They also sold food, snacks and some daily products at the reception at reasonable prices. 

Service: 4.5/5

The service was great, receptionists spoke good English and were friendly. 

Parking: 4/5

There are plenty of parking spaces right in front and around the hotel. However, note that the parking spaces are payable by the hour from 8am until 6pm. 

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Our first stop in town was at Madam Bee's Kitchen. It was ranked as one of the top restaurants in KT and we had to give it a try.

The quaint shop is located along Jalan Kampung Cina, Terengganu (Chinatown). 

Likewise, parking is convenient but payable by the hour.

Madam Bee's Kitchen serves Kuala Terengganu styled Nyonya food.

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We arrived the shop at about 3pm and was told that most of the famous dishes were already sold out.

So, we ordered whatever was left.

1. Chicken rice

Mum enjoying the rice.

2. Terengganu style laksa 

- looks like pasembur but tastes sourish and a little similarity to Penang lemak laksa

 3. Thai style beehoon

*jeng jeng* Plot twist: Halfway through our meal, the famous dishes we wanted to try initially were replenished. So, we got to try the famous kerabu rice (blue colored rice eaten with raw vegetables and chicken). The mix of flavors were indeed interesting, and personally I like it. The vegetables may however taste a bit too raw to some.

 Dad approves.

 We also got a taste of the highly recommended by tripadvisor bubur cha cha (a Nyonya dessert consisting of coconut milk, sweet potato, taro and yam). It was not too thick or sweet, good for those who dislike sweet desserts,

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Food: 4/5

All in all, as we have born and bred Penangnite tastebuds, we agreed that the meal was above average. However, we appreciated the Terengganu version of food and found that the flavors were interesting and hence, worth the try.
Recommended: Terengganu laksa and Nasi Kerabu. Coffee was good too.

Price: 4/5

Our bill came up to RM 42.50 for all the above including 4 drinks. Pretty reasonable.

Service and ambiance: 3.5/5

The service was so-so plus shop was pretty small. Hence, understandable as the shop was full with customers.

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Legit question: are these fun sized arches made for me or what?

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