Port Dickson is one of those Malaysian resorts that every Singaporean has been to once when they were young, but no one could ever quite remember what they did there, or mix the memories up with Desaru. As part of my twice-annually habitual trips to Malaysia now, Port Dickson was one location we wanted to revisit. We're gradually making excursions further and further out, and one day  year I'll get to Kuala Lumpur! 

We recruited the same driving company that brought us around Malacca last year. (Our package was RM660 for 10 hours of driving on the first and last day, but contact them online for the most updated prices.) Wary of making the same mistakes we did the previous time, we opted for a bigger van this time (a whooping 17-seater!), which meant that there was plenty of space to go around for the 10 of us. The bigger bus meant that we had to alight to pass through customs on either side of the checkpoint, but honestly, getting to use the bus lane instead of car lanes meant we probably shaved an hour off the queue. We left home at 7 and crossed into Malaysia by 750am. 

We had a hearty dim sum breakfast at Restoran Ta Si Xi HK dim sum (大四喜香港点心楼). It's not meant to be a fine-dining experience, but we particularly enjoyed their xiao long bao and ming xia juan. 
Address: 
11, Jalan Camar 1/3, Taman Perling, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia 81200

We were determined to fit a durian stop somewhere along the way, and after an hour scouring the internet, we located one along the way. Not going to drop the name, as it wasn't impressive, and price-wise pretty expensive even by Singaporean standards.  
Fortunately, Malacca is in close proximity to Port Dickson and we recouped our losses with a stopover at Nancy's Kitchen, and remembering our past experience, stopped by Yeast Pastry House next door to grab their gorgeous-looking CD bread (a Kouign Amann lookalike), as well as their fabulous European Cheesecake that I was eyeing on my Malacca trip. 

Wan Loong Chinese Temple is pretty dilapidated, but we picked up a beauty of a watermelon from the fruit stall below. Worth it!

Address: 
Kampung Teluk Kemang, 71050 Si Rusa, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

We reached the Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson Beach Resort, which we heard positive things about from my brother-in-law's colleague who was from PD. Hibiscus is the current Guinness World Record Holder for the most number of swimming pools in a hotel - a staggering 634. Every apartment gets their own private pool and sauna, and since the apartments are built over the ocean on stilts, the view from the pool is an impressive sight. The nephew and niece was so stoked by this (and honestly, as was I), that the first order of the day was to take a dip, and that pretty much summed up our afternoon. Not all pools are created equal, and ours was the better ones that remain shaded from the afternoon sun. 
(I also love the fresh sandals that they provide for their residents, especially after spending the six weeks prior to this vacation looking at contagious feet warts at National Skin Centre...) However, one grip that I have, which seems more and more common in hotels nowadays, is the ridiculous bathroom design. Why do you have an open concept, and where on earth are the locks? This wasn't nearly as bad as the hotel I stayed in Guangzhou with a fully see-through glass wall (for pervy people?), but still, a design with a little more privacy in mind would be nice. 
To get around the sprawling expanse of the resort, there are about 65 buggies operating all hours of the day to ferry residents back and forth from the main complex to their rooms. The resort is designed to be wheelchair-friendly, and several buggies come with wheelchair access. The service is pretty efficient, and while things can get a little congested around peak hours, the wait was never too long (~20 minutes for meal-time).   

There are a few restaurants in the main complex as well as an open-air market style option along Hibiscus Walk. Taking advantage of the great evening weather, we made our way towards the cluster of food stalls by the beachfront. There was a spot set up for a pair of singers to entertain the crowd, and they did a pretty great job. 
We like the Prata (RM3 per piece, and comes with two types of curry to boot!) and the Chicken Satay. The highlight of the night was the fire performance that starts here at 830pm. 

Smeagol casually exhaling fire.

There is the Lighthouse Bar that stays open until 11pm, but we were rubes who went back to our room after the fire performance instead. I sat around in my pyjamas sipping a mug of tea courtesy of their complementary TWG tea bags, and snacked on the watermelon and the European Cheesecake (We borrowed a few metal utensils from the outdoors market during dinner... I'm sure they won't mind?) 
I could think of no better way to cap off the first night.


                                                                        *****

Unlike other holidays where we scramble to do as much as possible, Port Dickson is a welcome change of environment where a day's activities consists of nothing more than a leisurely dip around a pool or lounging on the reclining chairs on the beach. Relaxation doesn't come easy to me (hence the reason why I have a blog instead of making a Calvin-sized hole in my bed.) There are a number of leisure activities suitable for children and the adults. 

Yoyo Car
Never heard of a yoyo car? Join the party. It's a metal contraption with two seats between two giant wheels. You control the movements with a joystick and the seats oscillate forward and backwards with gravity. The first time it happens, it feels a little if you're going to tip over backwards, but it becomes tame after a while. My 4 year old nephew had plenty of fun operating the Yoyo car after he got used to the swinging. Toddler-friendly and approved.

Banana Boat
It goes for RM25-35 per person, depending on which type of boat you choose. RM25 is the standard banana-shaped one, and comes with a stabilising platform to rest your feet on either sides of the boat, and makes it harder for the banana boat to flip over. The RM35 version is a giant inflatable sofa and is suitable for 4 year olds. The downside? Water collects in the crevices and soaks you waist-down even before the speedboat tows you off towards the sea. 

Massages
There are two locations for massages. There's a fancy one on the second floor above the main lobby, and a cheaper one on the beachwalk just slightly beyond the outdoor dining area. I had a terrific foot massage in the afternoon, and went back in the evening after dinner. When the masseuse walked in the door and saw us again for the second time, he was pretty dumbfounded, and stared at us in the doorway for about 5 seconds. Can't say I blame him.

For the beach walk massage, they open at 12pm but there's only 1 masseuse available. In the evening, more slots (~6) are available.  

Outside Destination
If you have transport options available, you may enjoy the night markets of Port Dickson, the Wan Loong Chinese Temple (as above), the Army Museum and the Ostrich Farm. 

Meal options
There's Umi Restaurant with 30% off for residents. Roselle Coffee Roaster also has 20% off for members, and the ala carte option was terrific, and a far better dining option than their buffet. The oxtail stew with cheese was simply delightful, and other dishes such as the Cantonese Noodles and Nasi Goreng were well-cooked. The ala carte meal at Rosella was the best of the trip, besting the meal we had outside the resort at Xiwang Seafood. 


                                                                        *****
The resort goes the extra mile to make the stay a luxurious experience. Singers fill the air with melody not just at the outdoor dining area at dinner-time, but also in the morning in the main complex and bewitching the small toddlers into gathering at their feet. Post-lunch, an hotel attendant sets up a complimentary fruit juice stand in the main lobby. The people working here are always unfailing polite. These small touches do add up to a pleasant weekend stay at Lexis Hibiscus. 
One unhappy episode did occur in the middle of our last night, when a thunderstorm knocked out the electricity in our rooms. We awoke by the harsh bright emergency light that lit up in our bedroom. Everything else was down: the air conditioning, telephone, lights, wifi and power points. It seemed that everything all ran on one grid and went down together. The loss of wifi and telephone line made it impossible to contact anyone outside our room or to confirm if the damage was isolated to our room or if it was a widespread problem that would have been noticed by the staff. With the air-conditioning off and the bright emergency light in the bedroom, sleep became unfeasible and the electricity was only restored two hours later - something you don't want to experience at 3 o'clock in the morning before you check-out. A little acknowledgement would have been appropriate instead of pretending everything was as status quo the next day.  

But still, all in all a wonderful stay, and would recommend to people interested in Port Dickson. 

I think I found my new go-to ice cream parlour in Singapore. At $3.20 a scoop, prices are reasonably low enough that I can grab my gelato fix every so often.

I chanced by Geometry Cafe with a friend just under a month ago, and I haven't been able to shut up about it since. Something about the cafe makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Is it the friendly store assistants behind the counter? They deserve a raise! (And mad skills for keeping the two scoops of ice cream and the mass of spun-sugar perfectly straight on a hot tart base.)
The gelato here is some of the best I've had. Their Earl Grey Tie Guan Yin gelato is inspired. It is a subtle blend of both teas that balanced each other out delicately. Each bite was a piece of work. On my second visit with Miss XS, I was so fixated on ordering that again, I didn't even want to sample any of their other flavours. And it was every bit as good as I remembered. 

Miss XS chose the Pistachio, which was heavily flavoured. The flavour-per-calorie is off-the-charts. The chunks of pistachio nuts in the gelato provided a nice touch of contrasting texture. 

We ordered both scoops on top of a French tart, which came with a whimsical spun-sugar on the top. The tart crust was perfectly crisp, and I thoroughly enjoyed the almond filling within. Miss XS thought it was a little on the sweet side and didn't think it went all that well with the gelato. Still, it was a great dessert option. We'll be back, and hungry for more. 

Geometry Cafe
2 Jalan Bukit Merah, Block 2, Singapore 150002

Liang Zhao Yi Duck Porridge and Rice (above) and Balestier Road Hoover Rojak (below), both Bib Gourmand 2016 (Michelin) recommendations. Lucky to have them located next to each other!

I think I've exhausted my market options in Chinatown. As spectacular as some of the food stalls over at Hong Lim, Smith Street, Maxwell and Golden Shoe Complex are, it sure gets monotonous eating there day after day. I cajoled J into showing us around Novena, and we started first at Whampoa Food Centre. It was pouring as I exited Toa Payoh MRT and waited forlornly for Bus 145, but the food made up for the poor weather. 

(2017 Update! Because I've signed up for a 6-weeks rotation at the National Skin Centre at Novena, I've had the opportunity to revisit Whampoa over this period. I enjoy asking people milling around the market what to try, and the entries here are a run-down on which stalls I think are terrific... as well as some local gossip, but don't quote me.)

Whampoa Soya Bean and Grass Jelly Drinks
#01-52
Ever since Selegie Beancurd at Hong Lim closed down, I didn't know where to get my fix. Until now. Their generic appearance belies their creamy soya bean and their smooth-as-silk traditional beancurd. It was so good, I bought 2 boxes back home. That's no mean feat since I am taking public transport and have to transfer bus-train-train-bus. But it's worth it. 

J drinks their soya bean everyday. If I live 'round here, I'll drink this every day too. Update! Whampoa Soya Bean has opened several branches all over Singapore, including one in the area where I live. Wish come true?

Nam Xiang Chicken Rice
#01-21

The friendly owner has been manning this stall since 1986. We ordered 1 chicken and 2 bowls of rice ($23).

Portions are gigantic!

The rice wasn't oily/fragrant enough, but the chicken was tender. The breast meat was a little dry though. 


Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon 
10am is the awkward time between breakfast and lunch, and when I walked to Whampoa with a friend, I didn't expect there to be a queue anywhere. It was true for the majority of the stalls... save for this one. Like all true blue Singaporeans, no matter which country we went to for our university, we joined the queue first, without knowing what we were queuing for. (We grilled the person in front of us, who after he recovered from his shock, recommended the Fried Fish Bee Hoon Soup Noodles and the Tom Yam Soup Noodles ($4.50 each), both immensely enjoyable even in the hot morning.) And while I'm in formal clothes to boot! We especially enjoyed the tom yam's sourness with its spicy kick, but the normal soup ain't no slouch either. Kudos to the crispy fried fish fillets. 

Rabiah Muslim Food (Nasi Melayu)
The Malay cai fan here is very popular with the residents around Whampoa. Located next to the famous Singapore Fried Hokkein Mee (see below), it draws a crowd when it opens. Their Ginger Fried Chicken is one of the best fried chicken I had: it was juicy, the size of a turkey drumstick and generously coated with crunchy batter. I was in fried chicken heaven. Based on a person's recommendations, I had the squid and asked for my rice to be drizzled in their fragrant curry, both solid recommendations. Damn, this was the best meal I had at Whampoa to date. The portion was generous, but at $8 for rice, chicken drumstick and sotong, it sure doesn't come cheap. (Gossip: when I sat down, the person sharing a table with me told me he loved that Malay stall, until he found out that they overcharge Chinese patrons. He told me if I was Malay, I would have been charged $5 for my meal. Shucks. But with every bite of their curry and chicken drumstick, the sting of the news gossip lessened somewhat.) 
Hi Leskmi Nasi Lemak

I saw the queue before I spotted the stall. $3 gets you a set of fried egg, fried chicken wing, fried-peanut-anchovies (I'm sensing a theme here...) alongside a bowl of coconut rice. The chilli is splendidly flavorful that goes well with the freshly-fried chicken wings. This stall is a local favourite, and it's easy to see why. 


Wish-List
Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee 
Opens at 3.30pm. (Local tip! According to a nearby resident that I struck up a conversation with, the standard of noodles vary wildly, depending on how long the queue is. The noodles are excellent when fried in small batches, but if the queue is long, they fry noodles in giant batches and this means the noodles would lose the characteristic singed smoky flavors of Chinese stir-fry. 

Founder Ba Ku Teh
Okay, not technically in Whampoa Food Centre, but it has rave reviews online, and I've hankering to try ever since I started my 2017 rotation.
  Nearby attractions
Sing Hon Loong Bakery
They sell bread to Ya Kun. 'Nuf said. Read all about it here. 

Founder Bak Kut Teh

Founder Bak Kut Teh is one of Singapore's most renowned Bak Kut Teh brand. The official opening hour is 12pm, but when I walked in two minutes to 12, several tables were already occupied. Throughout my meal, the restaurant just becomes more and more packed. Rumor has it that this store counts Jay Chou as a fan, and every inch of the walls is covered with pictures of the owner posing with celebrities - local and from overseas. 

I ordered the Founder Bak Kut Teh Soup ($9); I figured if that bowl is good enough to have the restaurant's name on it, it'll be darn good. The hot, rich and peppery broth was textbook Singaporean Bak Kut Teh, and the waitresses totting metal pitchers of broth make sure you'll never see the bottom of your soup bowl.  The long bone of the pork rib was soft and tender: perfection in a bite. But it was done at the expense of the overcooked short ribs which was a bit more tough to chew. You Tiao ($1.50) was crispier than the ones at Song Fa, but it could still use another couple of minutes in the toaster. I dream of fresh crispy you tiao to accompany a bak kut teh meal, but I'll have to wait for another day. 

The weak air-conditioning is the sole thing that they could easily improve on. The blazing heat makes drinking hot soup less than appealing, and I only felt warmer and warmer towards the end of the meal, and the uncomfortableness detracted from the experience of the meal. They could take a leaf out of Song Fa Bak Kut Teh's book and look into upgrading their air-conditioning.  

Founder Bak Kut Teh
347 Balestier Road, 329777
Hours: 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-2am

Near this area? Check out my favourite stalls in Whampoa Food Centre!