JOURNEY TO GREAT VALUE BRITAIN...DAY 4

 
There's so much more to Great Value Britain than just London. Having grown up reading Enid Blyton's stories, the English countryside came alive for us when we set foot in The Cotswolds. Rolling hillsides known as 'wolds', quaint English villages, picturesque river valleys and woodlands dot the pastoral landscape which sent us shutterbugs into a snap-happy frenzy!

Much as we were reluctant to leave the dreaming spires of Oxford, a short train ride on the Great Western Railway from Oxford Station whisked us off in a blink of an eye to Moreton-in-Marsh, one of the principal market towns in the northern Cotswolds, situated on the Fosse Way. 

 

 

Typical moody grey and rainy English weather heralded our arrival to the town but our spirits were quickly lifted by the sight of a florist shop filled with a profusion of beautiful blooms. From bulbous tulips and violets to roses and daffodils, our little group went gaga over the wide assortment of flowers in the shop. The owner was gracious enough to allow us to take some photos.

 

The charming little town grew up in the 13th century as a market town with a wide main street, narrow burgage (conditions under which land or property were held in return for service or rent) plots and back lanes. 

 

 

Most of the buildings in these counties were built using local honey-coloured limestone known as 'Drystone' (refer to pic of wall above). Many Drystone walls were built in the 18th & 19th centuries - the stones were skillfully stacked together without any cement!

Although Moreton-in-Marsh only had a main street, our brief walkabout revealed some charming shops stocked with interesting merchandise. 

After browsing through an old-fashioned toy shop (it looks like something out of an Enid Blyton's story books), we popped into Tilly’s Tea House (4 High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 0AF, tel: +44 1608 650000) – a beautiful Cotswolds tearoom for brunch.

I wish we had time and tummy space to try everything on the extensive menu but alas, it was impossible. Instead of lunch, I succumbed to Tilly's famed cream tea and it proved notable. The warm, buttery fruit scone with real clotted cream and strawberry jam was just divine!

After pinching a bite or two of my dining companions' sticky toffee pudding, Cornish pasty, salmon quiche and choc cake, I daresay they were the bee's knees too. No wonder the tearoom did roaring business as hungry visitors and locals came for their fill of cakes and to buy a selection of jams and chutneys.

Moments before our bus arrived for our next stopover which was Bourton-on-the-Water, we spotted The Cotswold Cheese Company across the road. Being the crazy foodies that we are, Jennifer and me couldn't resist dashing into the shop, just to feast our eyes on the vast selection of English cheeses and goodies in there.

We were reluctant to depart for the neighbouring village of Bourton-on-the-Water but pressed for time, we had to resist the urge to shop. Any misgivings were soon forgotten the minute we stepped off the bus as Bourton-on-the-Water was too pretty for words!

I won't bore you too much with long-winded descriptions...look at the scenic snapshots and you'd see the fairy tale setting of Bourton-on-the-Water. Bubbling brook, weeping willows by the river embankment, honey-coloured and ivy-wreathed stone houses and cosy little shops, trimmed hedges, little winding side lanes...it's truly reminiscent of an Enid Blyton story!

 

 

We even joined visitors thronging a local flea market which had some worthy buys but bearing in mind our baggage restrictions, again we had to curb our shopping impulse. 

  

  

For shopaholics, I'd recommend lugging back these interesting handcrafted miniature English cottages and some wine-scented candles or buttery shortbread in commemorative tins.

Unfortunately for us, the occasional shower soon turned into a major downpour when we reached the train station. Since it was the Easter hols, we all had to huddle in a small shelter as the rain and wind battered down after we disembarked from our bus. Sigh...suffice to say we had never been more relieved to board our train from Moreton-in-Marsh back to Oxford and onwards to Bath.

Nevertheless, it was a splendid day well spent. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and given a chance, had no qualms about returning for a repeat visit to the Cotswolds.

Travelling from Malaysia to the UK on a budget? Discover GreatValueBritain now via http://www.visitbritain.com/malaysia or visit CIT Malaysia http://cit.travel/europe/united-kingdom to plan your VisitBritain itinerary.

COMING SOON! 

The city of BATH makes a splash with us before 

we bid farewell to Great Value Britain.

IFTAR RAMADAN AT SILKA MAYTOWER

Siput sedut masak lemak cili api was the main headliner at the Iftar Ramadan spread prepared by Executive Chef Mohd Fazi Ramli and his team from Silka Maytower Kuala Lumpur this year. These little snails in their pretty ridged horn shells also known as balitong are delicious to eat but require some efforts to suck out their spiral flesh. Bathed in lusciously creamy gravy spiked with bird's eye chilli and pumpkin chunks, they were the show-stoppers at the hotel's breaking of fast buffet.

The pungent aroma of fermented durian made the dish of ikan patin masak tempoyak a close rival for local palates. Usually the fish would be too soft and disintegrated but I was pleased to find sizeable chunks of it in the heady gravy. An acquired taste for some yet for those in the know, this speciality is a must have come breaking of fast time.

Kari kepala ikan merah also passed with fiery red colour as we found lots of okra cooked to tender perfection, tucked amidst chopped pieces of red snapper fish head in a rich, appetising curry that seduced us into eating an indecent amount of rice.

Top marks also go to sotong sambal petai, another irresistibly zingy speciality which has springy squid rings tangoing with stinkbeans in saucy chilli haven. The heat from the sambal was relatively mild and gave ample room for the assertive pungency of the crunchy beans to shine. Love prawns? Then you must try the sublime udang panggang kuah percik - the shelled prawns suffused in a complex spice-laden gravy a cinch to enjoy.

We were pleasantly surprised by the chef's fresh spin on a familiar chicken dish - think of it as a dry Malay red curry - resulting in a beguilingly delish ayam masak merah bermadu. Such a simple tweak yet the outcome was splendidly agreeable.

Kambing kurma ubi kentang was another dish that won hearts with its rustic heartiness. Again the symphony of spices emanating from the meat and gravy left our tastebuds singing with gustatory pleasure.

Nasi bukhari and Penang curry mee were the other choices that hit the spot for us. Rebung masak lemak daging lembu, chicken & beef satay, ikan bakar and murtabak deserved attention too as these specialities were perennial favourites.

Assorted tropical fruits, local kuihs, cakes and jellies formed part of the sweet parade in addition to DIY ais kacang, ice cream and dessert broths: pengat labu, bubur cha cha and bubur kacang hijau.

 

Although the Iftar line-up at Le Maison is considerably modest compared to many other hotels, it definitely can give some of the bigger, more famous eateries a run for the money.

The Iftar Ramadan Al Mubarak dinner will be available until 3 July 2016. Priced at RM90 nett per adult, diners can enjoy 50% discount on the last three days of the promotion.

For reservations, please call Le Maison, tel: 03-2692 9298 x 8094. Address: Lobby Level, Silka Maytower KL, Jalan Mushi Abdullah, Kuala Lumpur.
 

NOSTALGIC TASTES AT SPRING GARDEN

 

Imagine feasting on the King of Fruits when you break fast during the weekend at Spring Garden. Yes, diners can look forward to enjoying a durian buffet (while stock lasts) when they buka puasa at the lakeside restaurant on Saturday and Sunday.

The spacious restaurant is heavily wood-accented and sits right by the Botanical Garden lake in Putrajaya. There's even a wide patio dining area with a splendid view.

 

 

True-blue Malaysians who are partial to the creamy, sweet flesh would be thrilled - well, we were when we treated to the thorny delight during the sneak preview!

 

We reckon coming in a close second has to be grilled seafood, ranging from irresistible flower crabs to stuffed squid. The ones we had were fresh and sweet, their delicate flesh imbued with hints of spices.

Suffice to say, just the sight and aroma of them being grilled alone would leave you drooling. Other choices to try include local fishes: kembung and pari which are perennial crowd faves.

Of course, no buka puasa dinner is ever without the all-time Malaysian satay and rightly so. Whether it's beef or chicken, these tempting skewers must be enjoyed with the trad accompaniments of nasi impit (ketupat is even better!), peanut sauce, chunks of cucumber and onion.

True to its Sajian Nostalgia Kampung theme, the spread offers plenty of familiar delicacies such as tahu sumbat (stuffed fried beancurd with yambean and carrot shreds), assorted fresh ulam and kerabu (the kerabu tempeh ikan bilis is rad) alongside a wide plethora of kampung-style main dishes.

City folks would be pleased to find yummy fried snacks: keropok lekor, spring rolls, sweet potato and banana fritters to nibble on. Our multi-racial foodscape means yong tau foo, steamed baos (top marks for the chicken barbecued buns), siew mai dumplings, nasi briyani and acar sayur would likely be on the menu. We can vouch for the specialities mentioned on the sedap scale.

Kid-friendly fare is part of the equation too. My finicky teen gave thumbs up to the fried rice, spice marinated fried chicken, ayam madu mamak and deep-fried prawns with oats.

We didn't eat much dessert that evening after overloading on durians. But rest assured, there are lots of sweet treats laid out to end the meal with. Here are the menus for reference.

For reservations, call Spring Garden, tel: 03-8889 1188. The restaurant is located at Taman Botani Putrajaya, Presint 1, Putrajaya. Reservations are advisable during the fasting month.