Greek "Home Cooked" Food at Louis Restaurant, Santorini

Let's talk about food! My favorite topic besides shopping. I'm not a good food writer, but I certainly know what is good to recommend. If I take the trouble to blog about it (some more single post dedicated just for this restaurant), you'll know it's good. Being a Penangite, I have really high standard for good food, and I must say Louis Restaurant is pretty impressive.

This restaurant serves authentic Greek food. It is quite a small size restaurant and the owner's wife is the chef in the kitchen. So technically they serve "home cooked" food. The menu is pretty simple, mostly Greek food and they also have a section of "traditional food".


This is what our table looks like...

We ordered 3 dishes to share out. That way, we can sample more foods. The one I personally ordered is Soutzoukakia from their "traditional dishes" section. It is a pork dish, which they made into sort-of meatball form. The meat is so tender and soft, top with home made tomato paste. It comes with buttered Mediterranean rice, which was awesome!

Next is the pork gyros with pita bread. The pork is chargrilled and it is full of flavor. The taste is a little bit complicated, but let's put it this way... it is like our version of char siew without the sweetness. But you definitely taste some spices added while it is grilled.

Lastly is something healthier.... Greek salad. The huge tofu-looking stuff is the feta cheese. The Greeks are super proud of their feta cheese and it is easily crumbled while you're mixing the salad. Unlike other salads, Greek salad has less green leaves in it, they add a lot of tomatoes, whole olives, zuchinni and onions.

For drinks, I ordered the famous coffee frappe, this is their country's version of our "teh tarik". It tasted like ice chilled flat white, topped with vanilla ice cream. It is super bliss to have it during hot days.

Oh, did I mention, the view at the restaurant is fantastic!!! Remember to get a seat at the balcony dining area.

The price for the food is pretty decent for its standard. A main dish probably cost about 9 to 12 euros. Meanwhile, the drinks cost at most 5euros, which is my frappe. The alcoholic drinks probably cost much more, but I didn't pay notice to that.


Louis Restaurant is located in Fira. It is easy to miss it because it is located above other shops. You need to spot the entrance stairs. The easiest to get there is to locate this clothing boutique....

It is opposite this boutique. Just look out for the restaurant signage.


I totally recommend this place because:

1. The food is good. There's nothing to complain and there's a lot to praise.
2. Reasonable and affordable price, especially most of the restaurants in Santorini are quite expensive.
3. Great sea view. You can see the Nea Kameri (volcano) from the balcony.
4. Nice service. The owner personally serves you, if you're not happy you can speak to him directly.


In terms of halal food, it is a bit hard to find over there. But there are fairly good seafood, chicken, lamb, beef and vegetarian dishes for you to choose from and you can always tell the waitress of your concern. I don't think there is a certified halal restaurant in the entire island.


Next, I'm going to show you the pretty villa I stayed in Oia (the place where has the best sunset in the world), which is really affordable. Definitely won't hurt your pocket. And also in my opinion, the best location in Oia.

Hello Santorini.... Hello Fira!!!! Kalimera!!!!

I'm going to put aside my China trip and blog about Santorini first because I'm more excited to write about Santorini than China. Hahahaha... I'm going to start with the first post on Fira and some travel tips, then Oia, my hotel and the wedding I attended.


Contrary to popular belief, Santorini is not really an expensive holiday destination. The food there is pretty affordable, traveling around the island is very convenient with buses and you have plenty of hotels to choose from. It is really up to your budget and your travel style. If you're the type that needs to travel in luxury style, then regardless which destination it is, it will definitely cost a bomb. My point is, Santorini has a lot of options for you to choose from, so if you want to travel in a budget style, you can definitely do it.


Getting in to Santorini is very easy. All you need to do is get to Athens, then get a domestic flight to Santorini. The official name for Santorini is Thira. Make sure you search for the flight to Thira instead. I'm not sure why there are two names for it. You also have to be extra careful, because your ticket might be printed "Thira" and all the flight information at the airport shows Santorini. Basically, the two names are interchangeable but they're still the same place. I flew in with Olympic Air, which is the cheapest option at that time. Alternatively, you can take the ferry. If you want to save some money, you can travel to Santorini via night ferry from Athens. That way, you can save 1 day accommodation while in Greece.

The main tourist places in Santorini are Fira and Oia. Fira is like the town of the island, meanwhile Oia is a really beautiful beach village. I'm going to show you all Fira first because I spend less time here. There are too many things that I want to tell you about Oia, which I will save it later.

For the best view of Fira, go and take a seat at Franco's Bar. They don't serve food there, but you can order some drinks. Remember to get the table at the terrace.

For the girls.... there's a super nice fashion boutique right above Franco's Bar. The price for the dresses can be a bit steep, about 80euros for a simple dress. But if you can afford it, get it because every piece is specially designed and you won't find a second piece in the world. I really love the turquoise dress near the door, of course I didn't get it 'cos I can't afford it. At times like this, I really wish the mister is with me.

Fira is quite a small town with endless stretch of souvenir shops, cafe, restaurants and some high end shops. There's no escape of doing touristy stuff there. There are also some hotels here, but the hotels in Oia is more popular than here.


The highlight of the place is the cable car that will bring you to the volcano island.

I didn't take the cable car because I was rushing to my friend's wedding. This is on my "to-do" list the next time I go back to Santorini. I went to Fira just for lunch (the food in Fira is cheaper than in Oia), souvenir shopping and to take some photos.


Huge diamond ring outside Ohtiro jewelry shop...

The owner said, he will give this ring to the lady who can fit her finger in this ring. Definitely not me. It fits my neck though. When you're there, remember to try it, maybe you're the owner!


I almost bought this donkey tote bag for Hongkiat because donkey and souvlaki reminds me so much of him.  He kept making fun of me because I wanted to eat souvlaki so badly. He said it sounded like I want to eat so-lucky. Will talk about souvlaki and other Greek foods soon.

With my bff-cum-travel buddy Yvonne. We've traveled so many countries together!!! We're both the super adventurous bimbos...

Meet my new travel friend Vanessa from Abu Dhabi...

Isn't she adorable!!! I love her so much because she calls me jie jie and not aunty. Teehee....

The view of the sea calms me. The small island in front is the volcano. It is still active but it hasn't erupt for a long time. Dangerous!!!

Say hello to Eva... Eva didn't wear her panty, so she had a little mishap in this photo...

Cam whore moment....

This is the souvenir market at Fira. You can find plenty of stuff but remember to scout around before buying. And do bargain.

Do check out the museum at Fira too. It is located at the main street. You definitely won't miss it. Thera is also another name for Santorini, just different spelling from Thira.

There are a lot of walking and climbing up stairs to do in Santorini. It is best for you to wear flats or in my case, I wear my flip flop.

Next post I'm going to show you guys my Greek lunch at Fira. It is a restaurant with super nice view, good food and reasonable price.


Meanwhile, if you have anything to ask me about my trip, just drop me a comment. I will answer from there.

Going for the biggest trip to date, this year

Hello everyone!!!


I'm currently in KLIA waiting for my flight while enjoying my cup of rose petal tea at the Harrods. If you don't know, Harrods has a branch at KLIA departure hall, it is only accessible if you have boarding pass. To be honest, I don't fancy the food here, but it is a very convenient place to sit down and have your laptop on while waiting. There's a free wifi here too! It is only available for patrons, means you have to buy something to get the wifi password. The free wifi in KLIA is always congested.

And what is this biggest trip of the year???? I'm going to Santorini for Jac's wedding!!! On top of that, I will also be going to Athens and Dubai.

When Jac invited me, I thought I couldn't have possibly afford it since the air ticket itself already cost a bomb. But luckily she invited the mister also, so I told him and to cut the story short, I can now afford it. The mister is not going with me though :(


And here are roughly the stuff that I will be going.


Santorini
1. Will be staying at Oia's Sunset Hotel. Oia is famous of its sunset and it is remarkably the most beautiful sunset view in the world. The hotel is overseeing Aegean Sea, so the view must be breath taking. I can't wait to go there already. By the way, as I am typing this, Yvonne is already in Santorini waiting for me. Yay!!!! Get to travel with my old travel buddy!!!
2. Jac's wedding. I have to dedicate one day for this occasion. It is a small wedding, but it is going to filled with joy and memorable events. Jac's love story is amazing and it is worth it for us to travel this far to join the union of the beautiful couple.
3. I think we're going on a small cruise but I'm not really sure. I don't have the planning for Santorini because I have to follow the rest.


Athens
1. We'll be staying in Hermes Hotel. I love the name already even though I haven't reach there. The hotel is facing directly to Acropolis. The night view is amazing. That is one reason why I choose this hotel.
2. We will be going to Acropolis. And some other temples. Athens is a city of Gods. My mission there is to get myself familiar with at least 10 gods.
3. Dining... I love Greek food. On my list.... svolakia (or however you spell it), coffee frappe and tzaziki (or however you spell it)


Dubai
1. I will be on my on in Dubai. Will be staying in Al Murooj, which is one of the famous 5 star hotel in the city of Dubai. The architecture resembles middle eastern flavor.
2. Will be visiting Burk Al Khalifah, which is the tallest man made structure in the world. I already bought the ticket just in case the queue is long. I'm so excited over this because you guys know how much I love visiting tall buildings in different cities.
3. Will be shopping in the biggest mall in the world - The Dubai Mall. It's like a shopaholic dream come true. I already know what I want to buy...  Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, NARS, Illamasqua, etc.
4. Riding camel by the beach during sunset. It sounds kinda stupid to do such romantic stuff alone. But if I don't go for it, I might not have the chance next time.
5. Dining in Al Mahara. It is an underwater restaurant located at the famous 6 star hotel Burj Al Arab. OMG!!! I'm so excited over this. They were fully booked, but after I emailed them, they decided that they can add one table for me. Yay!!! The perk of traveling alone. You can fit anywhere!!!


Laptop running out of battery. See ya!!!

Doing Non-Tourist Thingy... Late Afternoon Walk at Suzhou Creek

When traveling to another country, do something which is common to the locals. That way, you'll feel more involved in the way of living and gain a memorable experiences that you cannot have while doing tourist stuff. While in Suzhou, we join hundreds of locals at the Suzhou Creek banks. They are probably doing what they do on a daily basis, but for me, it is once in a lifetime experience.

The river bank is so picturesque. Every part of me feel so involved in the place. The scenery of oriental rooftop hidden behind willow tree. Saturated river that  flows calmly. And people around me speaking ching chong ding dong ning nong. I don't understand a word, but they sound like they're singing! 

It is my first time seeing willow tree...

Suzhou Creek is an extension of Huangpu River which flows to the end of The Bund. During history, this river serves as a line to separate international settlement and the Japanese. And during the economy boom, it serves as a route for traders to go into Shanghai. I can imagine how important and busy this creek was last time. Right now it is more of a recreation place rather than a transportation route. 

If you have the time, do take the river cruise. I couldn't find the owner of the boat so we didn't get to ride on it. I bet it there are pretty amazing view down the river.

There's a huge platform underneath the bridges where people do Taiji, break dancing and mini exhibition. 

My most memorable moment there was an extraordinary scene that I saw. A family was strolling along the river bank with their kids. Quite a normal sight. But the baby's pants was cut off a hole... A big hole around the private part area for convenience of the parents.

I was speechless. Sometimes I really don't comprehend the way of life of the Chinese as much as I want to experience their culture and living.

Stay in a Chinese Palace in Pan Pacific Suzhou, China

Have you ever dream of staying over in a Chinese Palace before? It's much easier to do it in real life than dreaming. Pan Pacific in Suzhou is designed like a real palace and every guest is treated like an emperor/empress.


When I first arrived Suzhou, I didn't know that this is supposedly a hotel. I was wondering what palace or temple that the driver brought us to. Check out the magnificent exterior...

This is what I fist saw in our car. Little that I know, this is actually a hotel...

At night it can be a little bit creepy to walk around but it is also very safe. You kinda feel like you're walking in a palace ground. The surrounding is quiet and calm. It is so therapeutic to sit in the garden and have a chat with friends.

The corridor scares me a lot. I wouldn't dare to walk out of the room at night. This is what I meant by "creepy"...

The architecture is really breath-taking. It is one of those special resort that you don't want to leave. It is hell of an experience to stay there because the entire hotel is well-designed to provide that oriental palace ambience.

Don't judge the old school exterior of the building. The interior of each guest room is very modern, equipped with high speed wifi and modern amenities.

I didn't take a lot of photos of the hotel, which I regretted. Whenever I travel, I don't have the habit of taking photos of the hotel. I'm not sure why. I think this is a habit which I need to kick off because I know it is quite important to write about hotels. A lot of my friends are asking which hotel I stayed in whenever I travel, so I will start blogging about hotels to keep everyone informed.


By the way, the recreation center in Pan Pacific is amazing. There's a very long pool and it is located in the courtyard. Sadly I don't have a photo of it. And there's also an indoor heated pool (I think). I happened to pass by. I didn't dare to go inside because it was midnight and there were a few guys having their bath there. It will be really awkward if I go there alone. So, I stood outside and took a photo. It looks so nice from the outside.

I only stayed there for a night and I didn't take a lot of photos, I have to google these to show you guys the lobby of the hotel. It is damn awesome!

And the courtyard...

Pros:

1. Amazing exterior and interior.
2. Memorable stay with Chinese palace ambience. You can't find this in any resort anywhere in the world.
3. Modern guest room. Clean and efficient room service.
4. Equipped facilities for guests recreation.
5. For a five-star resort, the price is reasonable.


Cons:

1. It is located in Suzhou, which is a bit far from Shanghai city. There's nothing much to do in Suzhou anyway.


I only stayed here for one night during my trip to Shanghai, which is a very short time. When we knew that it is so far from the city, we had to relocated ourselves and book a room in the city. I would go back just for a fuller experience of the hotel.

Travel Back in Time at Hangzhou Qinghefang Ancient Street

If your trip to China is to get close to the ancient Chinese side, you should take a stroll at Qinghefang Ancient Street in Hangzhou. A stretch of 2km shophouses are preserved (some refurbished) to keep that ancient feel.


Earlier I blogged about the old Chinese tea house in Hangzhou, it's also located along this street. I made a separate post is because that tea house was really unique. (Click here to read).

Qinghefang is a place where you either like it or loath it. Although it does give you that historical vibe, some parts have been refurbished. For those who are looking to 100% original ancient Chinese experience, this place might be a disappointment. I personally feel that the place is more of a tourist spot. I hope you get what I mean. Meanwhile, I will just show you some photos..

Check out how the Chinese used to preserve their food before there was fridge... The dried the meat are spread with salt and placed under hot sun until all the moisture completely retrieved and they'll hang it in the kitchen. So, I assumed those days people eat a lot of smoked meat.

There are a few famous pharmacies along the street. These pharmacies are not like our modern day pharmacies. They're like those you see in Wong Fei Hong movie... Poh Chi Lam. The tai si (doctor) will be seating in their chambers to consult the patients. While on the outside, patients have to report themselves at the counter. The system is pretty much like modern days clinic.

This pharmacy was established in 1649. That's a loooooong time. Even my ancestors were still in  China back then! They have a liong cha (herbal tea) counter at the entrance where you can take for free. It was boiling hot and the taste was so bitter. I think I've never drank anything as bitter as that before in my life. I don't really recommend you to drink it, but I believe it does have some medicinal benefits.


There are a lot of stalls that sell candies and snacks along the street. I spotted this man who did candy art. I think that was pretty cool but I just couldn't wait for the queue. You just tell him any animal that you love and he will sketch it out with caramel...

And there's also tok tok candy. You can read more about it at my Cupcakes party blog <<here>>. There was a long queue as well.

I found the dramatic chicken in 9gag at the souvenir stall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shopping at the Qinghefang Street can be average. You can find souvenirs which can be found anywhere in the world. But the price was pretty low. If you're hunting for general souvenir for your neighbors or colleagues then this is the place to go to. But if you're looking for something special, you might want to skip the idea and go to better places.


I went in to a curio shop and found this painting that looks EXACTLY like my cousin. I thought it was a little bit creepy. The portrait painting itself is already creepy to begin with, and the coincidence really make it worse...

When the sun was blazing hot and we were almost dehydrated, we found an airconditioned shop at the end of the street, or rather an art studio. I can't remember the artist name because it was in Chinese. His artwork centered on bronze/gold sculpture.

Even their flooring and staircase is made out of gold!!! It matches our golden shoe!

The most famous sculpture is the laughing man with all his tiny kids...

"Duo zhu duo fu" means the more child you have, the happier/blessed you are.

If you don't want to go inside the studio, you can view the similar sculpture outside. It is placed right in the middle of the street towards the end of the road.

I spotted the no pants boy... His siblings must have pulled it off on prank.

I much prefer to browse around inside the studio. The airconditioning was really a luxury in hot burning day.

Like I said, the Qinghefang Ancient Street is not anything spectacular that you have to visit. Although it is nice to do some tourist-y stuff there, it really depends what is your purpose of visiting. There are many cool shops around if you have the time to explore, but to some people this might be a waste of time.

Personally, I will go back to the Taiji Tea House. But I won't spend too much time browsing around. By the way, scarves there are cheap. You can get inspired Hermes scarve for as cheap as USD1 per piece. The price goes up as the quality gets better. And you should go into those small curio shop and hunt for women accessories. I bought 2 rings for 10 yuan and a necklace for 5 yuan. There was also a chao tao fu (smelly tofu) stall at the entrance of the street. It is a very famous Chinese delicacy. If you dare, try it!