Foodie Friday: Excapade Sushi @ Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam

Date Visited: 17th February 2013

In order to fly to Bangkok directly from Kota Kinabalu, we don't have many choices and all required transit, either in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Brunei. And since we flew with Royal Brunei Airlines, we had to transit in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei for almost 8 hours before reaching back home. Luckily my relatives are staying there, hence we decided to get out from the airport instead of stuck inside the airport and doing nothing for the whole long 8 hours.

Again, the thing that my family and I love to do in Brunei is definitely to satisfy our crave towards the cheap, huge and fresh sushi in one of the famous Japanese chain restaurant in Brunei. That would be none other than Excapade, which has quite number of outlets all over Brunei and this time around, we went the one in Gadong area, not so far way from the airport.

#1: Ready for the foods?

#2: Kani Maki and California Maki - My favourite kind of sushi

#3: Sushi

#4: Mentai salmon sushi

#5:

#6: Tamago sushi and inari - Another of my favourite

#7: Chicken Katsu Curry

#8: And more sushi

Well, actually we ordered more than the above cause my family and I were separated into two different tables but guess what, the total damages for almost 20 people of us was $170++ (roughly around RM425). Surprisingly cheap, right?

Excapade Sushi (Gadong Branch) 
Abdul Razak Complex, 

Bandar Seri Begawan BE3519, 

Brunei Darussalam.

Couldn't get enough of Excapade's sushi and more? Check out my first post of Excapade Sushi in Kuala Belait Branch.

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Foodie Friday: Excapade Sushi @ Kuala Belait, Brunei Darussalam

Date of Visit: 12th January 2012

Right after I back from my Phuket trip last year, 3 days later I went to Brunei to attend my cousin's wedding with my family. We travelled by road and it was freaking long roadtrip which took more than 7 hours and had to go through 6 different immigration before reach the desired destination. It's kinda troublesome and exhausting journey but on the bright side for a part-time traveller like me, my passport was occupied with 2 pages of passport stamp for just 2 days short trip. I did blog about this before and if you haven't read before, check out this - 7 Hours Road Trip from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei.

Right after meeting up my cousin and the rest of my relatives upon reaching Kuala Belait, my daddy immediately brought us to Excapade Sushi, which is one of the famous Japanese chain restaurant in Brunei. He went before and he can't stop repeating telling that it is the best Japanese restaurant that he ever visited. You will be surprised that most Miri and eventhough KK people willing to cross the border just to satisfy their crave towards this Japanese cuisine in Brunei. Even most of my friends who went before also informed me that I shouldn't miss out Excapade if I have the chance to visit Brunei.

#1: One of Excapade Sushi's outlet in Kuala Belait

I'm not too sure how many of Excapade Sushi outletS around Brunei but the one we visited in Kuala Belait is located just nearby my cousin's house. It always fully occupied especially on weekend and during lunch time but we were kinda lucky mainly because we went on weekday and plus, it was before 6pm, which we arrived earlier for dinner time. Hence, no worry of long queue and long hour of waiting for seats. 

Ok, now let's us have #foodporn session, shall we?

#2: Salmon Sashimi - What can I say more about this? Delicious, thick and most importantly fresh.

#3: A small set of sushi with combination of tamago sushi, salmon sushi, kani maki and mini California maki.

#4: Mini California Maki (top) and Inari Sushi (bottom) - Both are my favourite & it's incredibly huge. Unable to fit into my mouth at one time.

#5: Tamago

#6: Tama Unagi Sushi

#7: Salmon Sashimi again but in smaller slice

#8: Tempura

#9: A bento set of Tori Katsu (fried chicken with breadcrumb)

#10: Vanilla Milk Shake

#11: Dessert to end our late lunch - Mango Pudding with Chocolate Ice-cream

And you know what, we visited Excapade Sushi a year later which was 2 months ago but at the different outlet while waiting for our flight back to KK from Bangkok. We went the one in Gadong area (will blog about this in the future post). Seriously, if any of you ask me what will I recommend if visiting Brunei, I will definitely say "Visit any outlet of Excapade Sushi" cause not just their sushi and other meals which were so huge, fresh and serve in great quality but it's definitely worth every penny you pay. I was kinda forgot how much we paid during the first visit but for the second visit, the total damages was $170++ (roughly around RM425) for almost 20 people of us. Surprisingly cheap, right?

 
Excapade Sushi (Kuala Belait Branch) 
No 2, Block B,
Ground Floor, Bangunan Pg. Hj. Hashim,
Pg. Hj. Mohd. Jadid,
 Lot 7561, Jln. Jaya Negara,
Kuala Belait KA 1931, Brunei.
Opening Hours: Daily from 11am - 2.30pm and 5.30pm - 10pm

And this concluded as my final post for my 2012 Brunei travelogue. We didn't go for any sightseeing cause our main purpose was basically to attend my cousin's wedding. Plus, I stayed and studied in Brunei before when I was kinda very young and went most of the places around Brunei. Hence, my family didn't have the intention for another revisit. However, if you want to know more about Brunei, you can check Jeff's travel blog - click HERE. 

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Double B: Bangkok & Brunei Trip 2013

When I met Bangkok for the very first time October last year (click HERE), I wish and pray hardly that I could able to go there again and yes, my wish was granted whereby my family and I did visit Bangkok for this year Chinese New Year holiday.

My dad almost signed up with tour company that cost almost RM3,000 per pax and luckily I managed to stop him from doing so. Imagine with that amount of money, I could travel and shop like crazy in Bangkok twice. So ended up, and once again I in charge of becoming the tour planner as well as as their so called "tour guide"; from booking the airtickets, reserve hotel rooms to arrange tour for 10 people. 

#1: We flew with Royal Brunei and transit in Brunei 

It's been so long I never flew with  this airline as I used to travel with them like almost every week when I was kid, according to my parents.

#2: We were so surprised when our deluxe room being upgraded to Presidential Suite but only for first night.

Since I went Bangkok before but for my family members, this was their first visit, some places I went for second time, which I think worth and highly recommended for their eye opening.

#3: Terminal 21 - Good shopping place with unique concept

#4: Damneon Sadouk Floating Market

#5: Finally got to find the famous coconut ice-cream stall in Chatuchak Weekend Market

Whereas some I came across for the very first time such as:

#6: Wat Pho - Temple of Reclining Buddha via Chao Phraya Tourist Boat

#7: Stopby Chinatown for Chinese cuisines

#8: 4 hours long roadtrip just to get closer with these tamed tigers in Tiger Temple Kanchanaburi Seriously a #butthurt case

Not just Bangkok that we went, due to our 9 hours transit in Brunei while waiting back to KK, we're heading down to Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei for huge and scrumptious sushi at Escapade, the best Japanese restaurant in Brunei which highly recommended by most of my friends and family.

#10: My shopping haul: 4 dresses, 12 tops, 2 shorts, 7 skirts, 4 bags & accessories

Talking about shopping, I can't deny that Bangkok is my favourite place to shop compare to my experience in Shenzhen, Jakarta, Bandung, Seoul and other cities I went before. Definitely for sure, I will go Bangkok again for third time. I think Bangkok has put spell on me, gosh!

By the way, my blog - Travel & Living Journal of DT has being nominated for 4 categories in MITBCA or Malaysia International Tourism Bloggers Conference & Awards; "Tourism Shopping Blog", "Tourism Travel Blog", "Tourism Blog of The Year" and "Tourism Destination Blog" by some mystery but sweet lil angels, which he/she doesn't want to reveal himself/herself.



Actually I kinda hate begging for votes from you guys but if you think my blog deserve those categories, I would appreciate if you could cast a vote for my blog. Follow the following steps if you like to vote my blog:

1. Go to MITBCA website - link.
2. Register with your email or you can even log in with Facebook (the easiest way but no worry, it won't appear in your Facebook page)
3. Click "VOTE" and remember, you can only vote one only for each category. 

Among all the categories at this moment, my blog got the highest votes for "Tourism Shopping Blog" category. Hence, kindly please cast more votes for this category.

Thank you guys and let me know if you had voted for my blog. Voting start now until 22nd February 2013.

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7 Hours Road Trip from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei

Just came back from Phuket, Thailand last week and working for 2 days, I off to Brunei again with my family to attend my cousin's wedding. (My 2nd trip for the year 2012) It has been so many years that all of us has anticipated for his big day and now it's finally arrived. Instead of taking flight, my daddy decided to take a long 7 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei. He has been doing that for hundreds of time since I was a little gal. Even my aunty and cousin from Kuching, Sarawak, who took a flight to Kota Kinabalu decided to join us too for this long road trip.

Packed all the things and we are ready to go.

Brought along my leftover Brunei Dollar from my previos trip in case wanna buy anything there

This is not the first time my family and I experienced this kind of road trip because we ever drove all the way from Kuching, Sarawak and pass through expensive sultanate Brunei before arrive Kota Kinabalu for a week. The longest road trip I ever had in my life!

Stopby Papar to pump petrol fuel before going for a long long journey

Luckily my dad did pump his vehicle to the maximum because in Brunei, there is a limit amount of petrol fuel given to a Malaysian vehicle by the petrol station; some only allows $5 and even the max will be $20 only.

The stretch covered by this route known as "Borneo Overland Trail" can be both challenging and fascinating; challenging because it involves traveling through some of the more remote corners of Sarawak and Sabah where some of the roads are not being repaired or improved yet (Sigh! This is how our government treat those live in remote areas).

But I guess the most challenging part is where this route brings us across several state and international borders. Don't be surprised when the next thing you enter the border, you will be in one of Brunei District and once you enter another border, you are somewhere around Sarawak. Try imagine a drive from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei, you will need to passthrough 6 IMMIGRATION!

After 2 and half hours we reached the 1st immigration: Sindumin, Sabah

2nd immigration: Lawas, Sarawak

Just a few miles away, we reached the Brunei's border. Quite a long queue because besides inspect passport, they also require to fill in vehicle form.

The 3rd immigration: Temburong, Brunei Darussalam

There even a public bus if you are lazy to drive

Another Brunei's immigration: Puni

The thing you'll probably need the most is patience especially waiting for the lines to get into ferry crossings across the river which can accommodate 6-7 vehicle at a time.

The price list. Which will be more cost saving?
Paying in Ringgit Malaysia or Brunei Dollar? You do the maths

See, now back to Malaysia again. The 5th immigration: Limbang, Sarawak.

Finally the last immigration for this trip: Kuala Lumrah, Brunei and we're officially in Brunei.

There are actually up to maximum of 8 IMMIGRATION if continue the journey to Miri, Sarawak which we did came across in our past road trip. My family and I ever experienced road trip in Peninsular Malaysia too from Penang to Kedah, Perlis and reached Hatyai, Thailand but never encounter so many kind of immigration. Deng!

Once we saw this, we realised that we had reached my aunty's place finally.

7 hours ride is really damn tiring and exhausting journey but the most fascinating throughout this journey was we were enjoy each and every pretty interesting Sabah rural life all along the journey, and see the differences of some district which has developed within the past few years especially Temburong, Brunei. But probably the best part for a part-time traveller like me was "PASSPORT STAMP COLLECTION".

Just a 3 days visit and already occupied 2 pages of my passport

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