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Here and There in Sydney
Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities. It is best known for the sail like design of the harbour front Opera House. The Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Skywalk are some of the places I visited.
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Penang temples
I visited to sacred places when in Penang - the Kek Lok Si temple, also known as the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, considered one of the largest and most impressive Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia and the Balathandayuthapani Temple, also known as Waterfall Hill Temple or Hill Top Murugan Temple. You need to climb 513 steps to reach the Hindu temple!!
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Walking around penang
Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic painted 9 murals in Georgetown. The street art of Georgetown represent characters and scenes that celebrate the energy and playfulness of life in the inner city. Boring streets have now been transformed into lively, witty and engaging ones. When in Penang, take time to walk everywhere. Every nook and corner has something to hold your attention…….at least I was captivated!
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Penang street foods
I think next to Bangkok, Penang is most famous for street foods. Street food is a way of life for most Malaysians and when in Penang don’t ever miss eating all those wonderful foods. Even the thriftiest or the wealthiest travelers will never leave Penang without sampling a few of these street foods. Don’t ever try “street foods” in the comfort of your hotel. And you can have street foods for breakfast , lunch, tea time, dinner, supper –anytime. Penang is open 24 hours for food.
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Peranakan Museum
The Peranakans, also known as the Babas and Nyonyas, was a prominent community in the Straits Settlements (Penang, Malacca and Singapore) hence its other name, the Straits Chinese. The Peranakans had created a unique lifestyle and customs by adopting selected ways of local Malays, Chinese and later colonial British. At the Penang Peranakan Mansion you can get a glimpse of their opulent lifestyle, customs and traditions. There are more than 1000 pieces of antiques and collectibles in this Baba-Nonya museum.
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Horse Meat Plovs and Hast Imam Mosque
Tashkent is also known as the ancient city on the great Silk road from China to Europe. The Telyashayakh Mosque (Hast Imam Mosque) is one of the most beautiful mosques I have been till now. It is the religious center of Tashkent and located in the old town. The national dish of Uzbekistan is Plov and it is served at weddings and any other celebrations. Each family and province has their own way. Every one of them proudly claim that he’s is the best! People still make it with mutton fat! The rice is cooked with yellow and orange carrot, pea, quince, mutton, beef, horse meat, dried apricots, spices, raisins,…
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In the Uzbekistan Airways Catering Kitchen
I conducted three master classes and developed a few recipes for the State Enterprise "Catering" of National Air Company of Uzbekistan. It was an unforgettable experience. The Kitchen staff of the airlines were so warm and full of hospitality. I helped out in the preparation of flight meals in the best traditions of Asian cuisine and gave tips to improve the quality of the dishes and their garnishing.
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Fruits and Food Galore
The open air markets in Tashkent are a great place to stock up on dried fruits, fresh fruits and fresh breads. Bread is respected and relished like if it is holy. My guide and interpreter told me that in traditional homes, a piece of the Uzbek non is placed under the head of a newborn baby. This is to wish him or her a healthy long life. The most popular bread is non, a round bread, and it is available everywhere. In the market, I saw the bread sellers selling the breads on old fashioned baby prams! The breads are baked in clay ovens called tandir (it is like the…
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Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent
Eski Juva bazaar is the biggest and oldest, not only in Uzbekistan but in the whole of Central Asia. Located in the heart of the Old Town of the capital and next to Chorsu square, Eski Juva has been operating on the same spot for over two thousand years. It is built near the majestic Friday Jami Mosque and the Kukeldash Madrassah, dating back to the 15th - 16th centuries. The stalls in this ancient bazaar stand under seven huge domes covered with colored glazed tiles. I was so overwhelmed and impressed with the abundance and diversity of the produce and products sold.
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Master Classes in Tashkent
My trip to Uzbekistan was sponsored by the World Association of Chefs and the Association of Cooks of Uzbekistan and International Centre of Uzbek Culinary Art. I was here to teach the best of Asian dishes and to deliver talks to couple of culinary schools. The chefs here have not been exposed to many of the Asian cuisine like Thai, Indonesian, Indian, Chinese or even Malaysian and Singaporean style cuisine. Ingredients were not easy to get and I had to modify each and every of the traditional recipes to suit the Uzbek taste buds too.
