Summer in Seoul - nice sashimi dinner

Seoul - The first bus stop from the airport was Seoul Garden Best Western Hotel.   Dinner with Youngjin and KyoungHo was near the hotel to a sashimi restaurant.  

Apetitiser of fish and soya beans

First course of our set meal

This was the first course of our set meal which comprise of scallops, sea urchins, abalones and squids.

main course

This was really good and fresh of 3 fishes - flounder (flat fish), rock fish and sea bream.

Prawns baked in sea salt

spicy soup

Our last dish was the spicy soup with steam rice.  The spicy soup was too spicy for me but YJ and KH was slurping up this spicy fish soup.

Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda

Phnom Penh - The Royal Palace opened at 2pm and there was already a queue to buy the entrance tickets.

The walk to the Palace entrance

tree

I am not sure what's the name of this tree and it seems many tourist was gathering around and taking pictures.   So what the heck, I also did the tourist thing.

Royal Palace

Residence of the current King

The current King of Cambodia is Norodom Sihamoni who was coronated in 2004.   Today, the King is in residence as the blue flag flies full mast in front of his residence.

King and Queen dress in gold and silver thread

replica of Ang Ko Wat

Stupa

King Norodom's statue

The heat from the afternoon sun was unbearable and I had to take cover in the shade and also in front of fans whenever possible.   At least one hour to tour around the Palace grounds and then back to the hotel.

Phnom Penh Central Market

Phnom Penh - The tuk tuk driver that took us to National Museum was waiting outside and drove us to Phnom Penh central market. From the outside and also within the Central market reminds me of Benh Thanh market in HCMC but the prices here are much higher as it's all priced in USD.

Everything is quoted in USD from malls to tuk tuk. Even factory and office workers are paid in USD. The reluctance to embrace the riel is rooted in the memory of the communist Khmer Rouge regime, which outlawed private property and abolished the currency in 1975. The Khmer Rouge were driven from power in 1979 and riel was reintroduced in the 1980s.

rows of shops selling wares

wet market

This Central market is also a wet market and the stench of raw pork and chicken can be upsetting.

fish monger

We have lunch at a nearby Tim Sum restaurant, priced similar to Singapore but quality about half the standard. All the restaurant patrons are foreigners.

National Museum of Cambodia

Phnom Penh -  As we exit the Nagaworld Hotel, we took the 'tuk tuk' @ USD 2 to Royal Palace but unfortunately today the Palace was closed in the morning and will open @ 2pm.   So, I decided to go to National Museum of Cambodia instead.   The entrance fee to his museum is USD 5 with the audio headphone at USD 5.   The museum had so many artefacts and so the audio headphone was really helpful.  

entrance to the museum

Main entrance 

One of Cambodia's artefacts

Map of ancient Khmer Empire

It was interesting to note that once this ancient Khmer empire ruled much of Indo-China which once included Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.   Such a huge empire that is now reduced to present day Cambodia and with their culture and people destroyed by the Khmer Rogue.

In the centre of the Museum

One More restaurant @ Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh - The 'One More restaurant' serves good authentic Cambodian food and its really delicious.   As the name implies, you really cannot get enough and 'want more' of what this restaurant has to offer.   This is an upmarket restaurant with nice decor but with decently priced dishes.  

Kai Lan wth pork

 So very similar to Chinese Kai Lan dish with oyster sauce and it was well presented.

Cambodian brown rice

You have a choice of either white rice or brown rice and so I chose brown rice.

Fish roe soup

This soup has a very strong fish fermented taste but it was palatable.

Cambodian sausages

This is a Cambodian sausage dish with the sausage having an acquired fermented after taste.   It tasted good with the brown rice.   On the whole it worth - coming back again to this restaurant.  A very aptly name 'One More Restaurant'.   I definitely want more.....

The Ming Room Chinese Restaurant @ AEON Mall

Phnom Penh - For dinner there was no much choice at AEON mall and we chose The Ming Room Chinese restaurant.

Pumpkin stem

Scallops and Broccoli

I was expecting fresh scallops stir fried with broccoli but disappointed that the scallops was deep fried.   Furthermore, the dish was too oily.

steam Groupa

This was the best dish as the fish was very fresh and succulent.

Quaint Japanese restaurant

Tokyo - The weather was hot around 32c and so Terry and Yasu decided to take a short taxi ride to near Monzen-nakacho station.    This seems to be the 2nd time coming to this restaurant and we had a great time with good food and drink.

Special brew mushroom soup

Yellow tail sushi

Special tuna sashimi

Assorted sashimi

All tasted really good.  Terry told me that the tuna is only for this Autumn season (baby tuna) - after Autumn, Japanese law does not allow them to fish for this type of tuna.  The rest of the sashimi I was too busy eating.....to recall their names.

Cooked Belt fish 

This dish is cooked belt fish with garnished and a slice of tomato.

Special roll

This was specially ordered - sea urchin rolled with medium rare beef and simply delicious.   It tasted really out of this world - the raw sea urchin burst in my mouth the juices and together with the rare beef was just extra ordinary.

deep fried spring roll

Wow! crab-filled deep fried spring roll was piping hot and tasted really good

There are some dishes which I have forgotten what it was as we were busy talking and discussing other matters.    It was an  exquisite dinner with Terry and Yasu - thank you so much.