My story~

This CHRISTMAS...

2011-12-21T16:44:00.000+08:00

This CHRISTMAS, do check out some of the interesting posts as below:

MERRY GUINNESS with Australian Masterchef Adam Liaw
MERRY GUINNESS Party @ El Meson, Bangsar

A Refreshingly Different Moment @ Garibaldi Italian & Bar

Jingle My Bells this Xmas @ Twenty.One Tables + Terrace, BSC

Christmas Baked Goodies from Butter Tree

A Love Story from Dreamz Bakery @ Kota Damansara

My Angry Bird Cupcake Class experience @ Cake Connection, Jaya One

Make your loved ones lovely desserts with New Zealand Natural Ice Cream (with recipe attached)

***

Between, I have now MOVED!

Please find Me in my new home at

http://www.ivyaiwei.com

Move, Moving ... MOVED!

2011-11-22T22:48:00.000+08:00

Hi People,

I have now MOVED!

Please find Me in my new home at

http://www.ivyaiwei.com

Chill-ing out @ Sweet Hut, Kuchai Dynasty Central

2011-11-11T15:09:00.003+08:00

I am melting..............................

The weather lately isn't that easy to tolerate. For the past weeks, there were rains and cool breeze and all. But this week, the weather is totally upside down. The sun roars as strong as it can be. Today is another scotching hot day; I wish I could just stuff myself in the fridge... but wait, I could have some cold stuff :D

At Sweet Hut

Sweet Hut Sesame Snow Ice (RM 8.90)
Yes, I need ice to lower down the body temperature. This it is!
Intensified with strong Sesame flavour, not too sweet, icy cold for the hot day. The most important thing, sesame or goma is my favourite!

Fresh Milk Oreo Snow Ice with Caramel Pudding (RM 10.90)

The shredded ice was made with milk, finally garnished with some oreo cookies flakes and the doink doink Caramel Pudding. Hmm, this was just alright and I would prefer a milk-ier ice.

Milk Almond Pudding and Mango with Sago Pomelo Soup 北海道牛奶冻糕伴杨枝甘露 (RM 8.90)

There were milk almond pudding, mango, sago, pomelo...

Similar to the yong ji kam lou but with additional of the pudding.

Sesame and Almond Soup 芝麻糊杏仁糊 (RM 6)
If you don't fancy cold or chill desserts, they do have warm desserts like this one.
As always, almond soup has got a slight hint of almond pungent taste that not everyone will love it. But I do love it :) Additional of almond soup gave an extra kick to the black sesame soup.

Yay, by the time I finished writing this, I saw dark clouds up the sky... :)

Sweet Hut
No 19-G, Kuchai Dynasty Central,
Jalan Kuchai Lama,
58200 Kuala Lumpur.

Patisserie RUI @ Mont Kiara, KL

2011-11-08T12:53:00.001+08:00

It was a lazy afternoon with the cousin. I have actually thought of Publika for late lunch; but i knew, our tummies couldn't accommodate lots. Therefore, I picked up Patisserie RUI for a cousin-sisters-tete-a-tete session.

A clean, comfy and inviting dining area in pink-purplish hue.

Red Velvet Cupcake (RM 3.50) was the only flavour available that day; appeared red and crumbly.

With whipping cream on the cake and cake crumbs were sprinkled over it. Unlike the one I had in Hummingbird, this was very very very very very light and spongy soft in texture.

Fruit Roll (Rm 4). Similar to swiss roll; with lots of fresh fruits and fresh whipping cream stuffed within the roll. I found huge chunks of kiwi(s) and a big whole strawberry in my slice of cake.

White Chocolate Cheese Cake (Rm 5)
The white chocolate cheesecakes was a less sweeter version; Very rich cheesy flavour, dense, velvety soft and smooth cheese cake. Love it.

Caffeine fix for the day. Latte (RM7)

If you fancy lighter version of cakes, here is the place for you. If you love something denser and heavier, opt for their cheese cake. Their cakes are something I fancy; soft and light so that I can have more of them. Pricewise, very affordable :D

Spotted an anpanman bike resting outside the shop

Patisserie RUI
G1B, Mt Kiara Meridin
19, Jalan Duta Kiara,
Kuala Lumpur.
Business hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am - 8pm
Direction: If you are coming from Solaris, drive towards Plaza Mont Kiara, Patisserie RUI will be in the building located on your right hand side just before the 90 degree turn into the main road of Mont Kiara.

Shabu-Shabu Buffet @ Nagomi Japanese Restaurant, Menara Hap Seng

2011-11-03T00:23:00.001+08:00

Let's feast with your eyes before reading the details, shall we?!

Lots of Steamboat ingredients

Fresh seafood

1. Huge Scallops
2. Fresh Prawns
3. Oysters
4. Super huge Bamboo Clams or Razor Clams

All types of greens (Vegetables) that can go into your hot pot. You name them...

Fish slices

Slipper Prawns

Meat Slices are all readily done at the counter.

Noodles

One of the stars of the night - Live Baby Lobster!!! However, we were told that this is not available daily.

Struggling, struggling, struggling.
It was struggling soooo hard!!!

Alright, now, move back to the tables and heat up the hot pot with just a touch.
While waiting for the soup to boil, stuff yourself with some appetizers as below...

Tofu in the glass

Sushi(s)

Tamago

Fried Idako

Crabs

Also, remember to prepare the whole table of ingredients like what we did...

Scallops was one of our favourites of the night; huge and juicy.

Duck, Lamb Shoulder, Chicken and Beef are always the great stuff to go into the hot pot. Just dip the meat slices into the hot boiling broth and swish it back and forth for some times. Then enjoy them with the dipping sauce. We had a lot of lamb and chicken slices.

The naughty Live Baby Lobster was so lively and crawling out from the bowl. We'd had a hard time dueling with it :D

Salmon slices are available during 8 - 9pm (for dinner session). You can have them raw (just like salmon sashimi) or have them cooked. I love my salmon slices go into the hot pot for 2 seconds and they will appear raw in the center and cooked on the outer part.

Nagomi prepares a variety of sauce to go with your cooked meat, vegetables or seafood.

Thai Chili Sauce;
Wafu dressing - similar to the Japanese salad dressing, goes great with salad;
Ponzu - the mixture of mirin, vinegar and soy sauce that goes great with the cooked vegetables and and raw salmon;
Nyonya sauce - or the Cincalok sauce that localized to our Malaysian tastebuds;
Goma sauce - the Sesame sauce which is made of ground sesame, soy sauce, sugar, seaweed and etc; compatible well with the meat slices and vegetables;
Kyuri Sauce - best to go with the fried stuff .

Get the sauce ready at your table :)

Though the soup that Nagomi prepared is already flavoured with konbu and bonito, you can always flavour the soup based on your preferencs with soup paste such as Toban Miso, ginger and kimuchi.

Time to cook the ingredients in the pot and .... eat them :)
Before that, add in the white vegetables, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, onions, leeks and other condiments to create a more flavourful broth.

Do end your meal with some pudding desserts and fresh fruits from the counter.

Guess what?!

Now you can enjoy the great deal at just RM 32.80++ per pax. There is no hassle to purchase the coupon or anything from those deal sites in order to enjoy the meal! All you could do is just make a call and reserve you seats at Nagomi Japanese Restaurant. Oh, by the way, this shabu-shabu buffet is only available in Menara Hap Seng outlet, don't run to the wrong place!

I would say this is really a great place to hang out with friends, have a small gathering with self service buffet line; or you can happy-hour-ing here with the friends, family or colleagues as Nagomi is offering Carlsberg bucket at RM 30+ for their customers who are having Shabu-Shabu Buffet!!!

Why wait?! Call to make your reservation now. Their buffet line is really value for money!

The buffet line is available on
Weekdays Dinner: 6pm - 10pm
Sat, Sun & Public Holidays: Lunch: 12pm - 2.30pm ; Dinner: 6pm - 10pm

Nagomi Japanese Restaurant
Suite 1-19, 1st Floor
The Podium
Menara Hap Seng
Jalan P.Ramlee
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: +603 2141 6332 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +603 2141 6332 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Webpage here

Special thanks to Debbie and Nagomi Japanese Restaurant for the kind invite.

Favourite of The Day #2: Nasi Kunyit & "Porky" Rendang

2011-10-28T11:36:00.001+08:00

Something you couldn't get elsewhere but our kitchen...

My Favourite of the Day continues with the homemade Nasi Kunyit and "porky" Rendang.

Nasi Kunyit, the glutinous rice flavoured with turmeric; resulting a golden colour and pleasant flavour, simply goes great with the any Curry or Rendang. For the rendang, instead of wild boar, mum chose the pork to make her rendang, and only the neck part was chosen. The texture for the pork's neck was extremely tender; well-spiced and flavoured.

Slurrrp! I could have this everyday; as my lunch or tea :)

Kampung Tour, Fruit Farm Tour, River Cruise & Fireflies experience @ Desaru, Johor

2011-10-25T12:23:00.001+08:00

Lazying on the beach is a perfect activity while you are on a beach vacation. However, you can't just lazy all day here as there are a lot of interesting activities awaiting you here in Desaru. Pulai Desaru Beach offers outdoor activities for their guests. If you are interested in Malay cultures, do sign up Kampong tour; or fruit farm tour, river cruise or fireflies experiences if you love the nature....

1# Kampung Tour (Malay Village)

This is super fun! The guests will get to enjoy the special kampung lunch homemade by the folks. The most interesting part is... eating with your fingers. My fingers were't the perfect utensil and I'd mess up my plate and my shirt. But well, it was a great experience!

Love the ikan masin and sambal their prepared! Yum!!!

Curry fish

Remember to wash your hand before digging in :)

2# Fruit Farm Tour

Desaru Fruit Farm

Here in this 160 acre land planted various types of tropical fruits namely jackfruits, soursop, honey orange, dragon fruits.....

and we were introduced to them one by one.

Cat whiskers plant

Passion fruits

Sunflowers attracted us the most. We camwhored the most over here!

with Citygal and Christine

There is a mini zoo in here too

3# River Cruise

Up the boat and allow the breeze caress your face :D

4# Fireflies Experience

One of the night activity arranged by Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa for us.

Before getting up the boat, we were entertained by Mamat, the cute little ape (with the diaper) owned by the boatmen.

(both photos credit to broughtup2share)

The fireflies experience was a great one. We oohed-and-aahed over the blinking little creatures as they flew over us. And there were countless of them!!!

Don't hesitate to ask Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa for more details.

Beer & Food Pairing @ Spring Garden 荔苑, KLCC - Oktoberfest!!!

2011-10-22T10:30:00.001+08:00

What comes into your mind when it comes to Oktoberfest???
Filling pork knuckles, meaty sausages and potatoes to go with the beer?!

Feeling sick of those... How about an oriental twist with the beer?! It is not about having Chinese dishes and beer-drinking but make use of beer in Chinese cooking and then pair it up with the beer.

Spring Garden; a member of Tai Thong Group has collaborated with Guinness Anchor Beer (GAB) and brought out the idea of pairing food and beer through dishes cooked using GAB beers and ingredients, as well as the ideal beverages to complete the gastronomic experience.

Special thanks to GAB for the warmth invite, I get to sample some dishes on the evening with a gang of beer lovers. :)

Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab & Chilled Pigeon with Tiger Beer 芋絲軟殼蟹拌啤酒乳鴿 (RM22 per pax)

Soft shell crab was battered with right amount of curry powder and deep fried into perfection; a great snack to kick start and go with the beer. While its companion, the chilled pigeon was immersed with the Tiger beer overnight; resulted a very well infused meat with the white beer.

Guinness Stout Shanghai Dumpling served in Hot & Sour Seafood Soup 黑啤小龍包燴海鮮酸辣湯 (RM 25 per pax)

Beer in Xiu Loong Bao?!
Whoaaa, this was my very first time having Guinness Stout in the dumplings. The mixture of minced meat and Guinness broth was explosive with Guinness Stout. Feeling dizzy after that? Have the hot and soup soup that helps to freshen you up.

Baked Cod Fish with Tiger Beer 虎啤燒焗銀鱈魚 (RM 28 per pax)
I love the sauce which was mimic the teriyaki sauce; light but flavourful. Compatible well with the beer-flavoured baked cod fish.

Pan Fried King Prawn with Guinness Stout 黑狗啤煎大生蝦 (Seasonal price)
This was one of my favourite of the night. Fresh king prawn tossed with flavourful Guinness gravy and onions; a fingers-licking good experience!

Chilled Hong Kong Kailan with Crispy Squid 二松脆魷冰镇芥兰 (RM 15 per pax)

2 way kailan - the stem were chilled and dipped in sourish sauce while the leaves were deep fried with shredded squid. I find the chilled kailan was like an antidote after overdosing with beer. Refreshing!

House Special Noodles with Shredded Chicken & Spicy Sauce 麻辣雞絲撈面 (RM 15 per pax)
This was the spicy hakka noodles; deliciously tossed with spicy sauce and shredded chicken

Chilled Lemongrass Jelly, Dragon Fruits, Heineken topped with Ice Cream & Glutinous Dumpling with Guinness Stout 龍果香茅凍喜力啤雪糕拌黑啤羅米糍 (RM 20 per pax)

Finally, we ended the meal with both Heineken & Guinness Stout in our sweet ending. The chilled jelly was refreshing with Heineken; thought the glutinous dumpling was on the bitter side due to the Guinness Stout, I just love the way it was!

*Please call a day or two before if you would like to try the above dishes.
Menu above is not just for the month of October. They are still available after October :)

Ohhh, before I end, we were also introduced to GAB's special beers for Oktoberfest

from left to right:
Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier has a rich malty aroma; goes great with roast beef or chicken, barbecues and party food.
Hopf Ice Wheat Beer is pleasant and easy to drink; best suited with seafood barbecues and mild cheese
111 Zwickl Beer possess sparkling full bodied and full-flavoured, and has a mild yeasty flavour; best paired with salad, grilled seafood or chicken, cold platters and cheese.

I love October :)

Spring Garden KLCC
Lot 413, 4th Floor
Suria KLCC Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2166 9881

Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa @ Kota Tinggi Johor

2011-10-20T10:38:00.001+08:00

After reading all the food-related blog post, let's take a break from them and check out what we (with all my partners-in-crime) did during the Malaysia Day holiday :)

Jeng Jeng Jeng

We actually traveled to south (Johor); stayed in Pulai Group's resorts; for soul and mind relaxing and to take a break from the hectic and annoying schedules.

Special thanks to Pulai Group :)

The resort lies in the heart of Desaru, is one of the beautiful beaches in east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Here in Desaru, one can get to enjoy the scenic view of azure blue blue sea as well as the green green tropical rain forests.

Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa is a 5 storeys high resort with 193 fully furnishes sea / pool and garden view rooms, loft rooms and presidential suites. All rooms are furnished with a private balcony!

Welcome drinks

Resort Lobby

Our Room

Toiletries

Standard Room

Love Suite (best for honeymoon stay)

The view from the Love Suite

for room rates, kindly check out their homepage

Pool by the sea

She was relaxing on her lazy bed

You can play volleyball game here too!

Time for some beach activities!

Here we were "meditating" by the sea

With Citygal and Christine

Chris, the photographer

Yay~

Night view from our room

Here in this beach resort, you can pamper yourself with a spa treat at the Pulai Spa

The Pulai Massage: 60 minutes session at RM 118 per person and 60 minutes at RM 220 per couple.

To be continued...

I will share up what kind of activities we can do in Desaru, Johor soon :)

The Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa
PO Box 29, Bandar Penawar,
81900 Kota Tinggi,
Johor, Malaysia
http://www.desaruresorts.com/

Herbs & Spices @ Bandar Baru Sri Petaling

2011-10-17T08:59:00.001+08:00

As I recalled, Sri Petaling is always a food hub. We used to look around for lunch or dinner after the great walk / exercise in Bukit Jalil Park (that was years back then when the park was still pretty new and beautifully established).

Recently, Sri Petaling has got a new face. It has now expanded; with new restaurant, desserts houses, bubble tea just popped out along Jalan Radin Bagus. Guess there are more than 50 over restaurants along that road. Say, if I wanna try out one restaurant per day, I may need 2 months to complete the task!

***

For you who love Hainanese fares, western cuisine and Kelantanese local delights, do check out Herbs & Spices! A simple and cozy restaurant which is manned by a pair of Hainanese husband and wife; while the chefs in the house, they are specialized in both western and local cuisine.

Special thanks to Herbs & Spices for the invitation and Broughtup2share for the arrangement.

Hainanese Mutton Soup (Rm 10.90)
The soup was well-flavored; with the additional of herbs like wolf-berries (gei zi), it was quite similar to the Chinese herbal soup but with additional of soft delicate mutton.

For Western selection:

Hainanese Chicken Chop (RM 15.90)
This was my favourite. The chicken chop was deep fried into perfection and served with french fries and coleslaw.

You can have chicken chop to be eaten alone or drizzle it with the homemade Hainanese sauce for extra kicks

Prawn Fritters (RM 16.90)
Snack for sharing! However, I find the coated batter was thick. Hmmm, still prefer tempura-liked batter :)

Rib Eye Steak (RM 28.80)
As you all know, I don't take beef.
So, for further description, feel free to hop over BroughtUp2Share and eatonlylar.

Spaghetti with Chicken Chop (RM 15.90)
The spaghetti was tossed with chef's homemade pesto sauce, not too sourish but appetizing. Arranged on the size was the Hainanese Chicken Chop as mentioned.

Lamb Shank (RM 26.50)
This is another signature dish of Herbs & Spices. The portion was huge!!! The meat was soft and succulent, drenched with chef's special gravy. You will need minimal jaw activity for this.

For Asian Selection:

Nasi Dagang is another must try in Herbs & Spices; prepared by the house's experienced Kelantanese Chef. There are side dishes such as Ikan Tongkol, beef rendang or ayam berempah for you to choose from. Each plate comes with sweet sambal, acar and a hard-boiled egg.

Nasi Dagang with Beef Rendang (RM 12.90)

Nasi Dagang with Ikan Tongkol (RM 9.50)

Nasi Dagang with Ayam Berempah (RM 12)

Black Pepper Udon (RM 11)
The stir fry udon in black pepper sauce with lots of seafood such as prawns and mussels.

Nasi Goreng Sri Petaling (RM 12.50)
The local fried rice comes with sunny side egg, anchovies and satays. Comes with real wok hei and their satay was really smokey and fragrant.

Sago Melaka (RM 4)
Love the pairing of rich coconut milk and thick gula Melaka with the sago.

Creme Caramel (RM 5)
sweet egg custard

English Triple (RM 6.50)

Apple Pie (RM 8)
served with vanilla ice cream.

SPOTTED!!!
Groupon is now having promotion on their Rib Eye Steak and Braised Lamb Shank at a very good deal. Do get some coupons to try them out!!! (For limited time only)

Halal
Herbs & Spices
51, Jalan Radin Bagus,
Bandar Baru Sri Petaling,
57000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-9057 5592

Uncle Jang Korean Restaurant @ Ampang

2011-10-13T09:48:00.001+08:00

Remember I told you guys I had a fiery dinner before the "monopoly mission" in Nabe Bakery?!

Thanks to Chris who discovered this restaurant from Uncle Jang's Facebook page. Together with kampungboycitygal, we were brought for an interesting but fiery dinner. haha...

Uncle Jang serves Dak Galbi (닭갈비); which is originated from Chun Cheon, Gangwon province. It is a popular south Korea dish that made by stir-frying the marinated diced chicken in Korean chilli paste (gochujang) based sauce, sliced cabbage, sweet potatoes, scallions, onions and tteok (rice cake) on a hot plate. In Korea, their Dak Galbi also includes cheese and ham.

Besides Dak Galbi, Uncle Jang also serves Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), Dakgyetang (kimchi chicken soup with rice) and Pork cutlet too.

We were there very early, that was why there was no sight of people. However, during the dinner time, the restaurant was crowded and almost 80% were the Koreans. One can choose to sit on the floor or chair and you will be served promptly.

Simple bilingual menu on the wall.

Complimentary condiments to go with the Dak Galbi - lettuce leaves, kimchi and pickled onions.

We had the Dak Galbi in spicy (RM 22 per portion) and non spicy (Rm 19 per portion), Tteok (voucher from fb page) and ramen (RM 6).

The waiter will help you to cook you dak galbi, and once it is ready, he will inform you. So, worry not about the overcooked or undercooked food.

Before digging in, remember to put on the huge napkin. Like what they did :)

You can also wrap the dak galbi with lettuce leaves + kimchi + pickled onions for extra kicks

When there was left about quarter of the stir-fried food, we asked for rice (comes with seaweed and greens) at RM 6 to stir fry again with the left over dak galbi to create deeeeeeeelicious fried rice. Of course, the waiter will cook it for you.

Deeeeeelicious fried rice.

The portion for dak galbi was quite huge. 2 servings was more than enough for 4 girls (with additional of ramen and rice). As we had 1:1 servings (spicy: non spicy), it was extremely fiery hot for us. I would suggest taking up 1:2 (spicy: non spicy) for not crying out throughout the meal like us

Thanks to this cold soup in curbing the spiciness!

Uncle Jang Korean Restaurant
D7, Jalan Excella III, Excella III,
Off Jalan Ampang Putra,
Taman Ampang Hilir,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-8051 2208

No 1-1, Jalan Puteri 1/7,
Bandar Puteri Puchong,
47100 Selangor.
Tel: 03-6211 2536
(above Maybank)

opening hours:
Monday : 12pm - 3pm; 6pm - 11pm
Tuesday: 6pm - 11pm
Wednesday - Friday: 12pm - 3pm; 6pm - 11pm

Lai Ching Yuen 荔晶园 @ Grand Millennium Hotel KL - MIGF 2011

2011-10-12T10:28:00.001+08:00

When it comes to fine dining, is it only about Western food, Italian cuisine or French cuisine?! Not really as we do have Chinese fine dining nowadays.

***

Lai Ching Yuen 荔晶园 (or previously known as Zing 晶苑) is one of the few Chinese Restaurants that participated in Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) 2011 which is happening in the whole month of October. Together with the couples from Brought up 2 Share, Eat Only Lar and Citygal, we were here to sample their MIGF menu.

The interior is decorated in a modern classic way, mainly in red.

Before we were served with the 6 courses fine dining menu, we were presented with snack - soft shell crabs to munch on while waiting for the chef to prepare us the dishes.

Chef in action

Special Duo Seafood Combination
Scallop Salad with Assorted Fruit served in Golden Cup
Huge fresh scallop rested on the huge golden cup, dressed with mayonnaise and garnished with ebikko. It was quite a good start for the dinner.

While its companion - the Crispy Seafood Spring Rolls were crispy but a lil' too oily to my liking.

Double-boiled Sea Treasured in Whole Coconut
Stuffed with chicken, fish maw, sea cucumber, dried scallops, chicken soup and double-boiled for hours. It turned out to be collagenous-liked, sweet with seafood essences and warmed up our tummy after the down-pour. Delightful!

Baked Fillet of Sea Perch with Wild Mushrooms wrapped with Crispy Filo

A Chinese dish?! or a Western dish?!
I would say it is a fusion! With pastry layers that brushed with melted butter; wrapped in the sea perch and mushrooms trio and baked until golden brown. Creative idea it was but again, it was a little too oily to my liking.

Steamed home-made Spinach Bean Curd
with Chinese Wine Topped with Fresh Crab Meat

This was my favourite of the night. It was the blend of spinach into the soya to create this fresh healthy beancurd; topped with strips of crab meat and drizzled with flavourful chicken broth.

Fried Rice with Minced Goose Liver and Pine Nuts
This was full with wok hei! And I find the mince goose liver's texture was quite similar to the fried lard :P

Combination of Avocado Puree with Durian Custard Rabbit Dumpling

Special thanks to Amanda and the team from Grand Millennium for hosting us on that evening.

For Full Festival Menu: RM 268 ++ per person with wine; RM 158++ per person without wine.

Lai Ching Yuen 荔晶园
Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur
Level 1, 160, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603 2117 4180

Hee Loy Fatt @ Kampung Baru Balakong, Seri Kembangan

2011-10-10T11:59:00.003+08:00

We are bored with our usual family-dining-out restaurant/ chu char place. It is time to check out some new places.

Travel a little further away from Cheras, we found this hidden gem, Hee Loy Fatt which is located inside Balakong New Village. I am sure the Balakong folks know quite well about this restaurant. During the days, it draws patrons for lunch; especially patrons who are working around that industrial or office area. Actually, it is not a new place to us as we were brought to this restaurant for few times; just happened that my camera was not with me every time I went there. Not until a family gathering recently, I was finally equipped.

Vege (RM 12)

Stir-fry Long Bean with Salted Egg Yolk (RM 15)

Tofu (RM 16)
Looks simple, but the minced meat and dried shrimps on top were the darlings

Squid with Salted Egg Yolk (RM 28)
The squid cubes were coated thinly and evenly with the salted egg yolk. I could have this all by my own.

Pork Ribs (RM 32)

We had 2 styles of pork ribs in a dish. One of them was the salad pork ribs while the other; I just can't recall the name. Both were really good, very well marinated and seasoned.

We often come here for their Cincalok style steamed fish (RM 32) as it is our favourite.

The fish was fresh and drenched prettily in orangey-red sweet and sourish appetizing sauce; the sauce itself goes great with bowls of rice!

Another star dish would be the Japanese Snail 日本螺 (RM 28). I think we had it cooked in Kam Heong Style (literally means golden fragrance). The snails were stir-fried with curry leaves, curry powder, dried shrimps, shallots, garlic and chillies; creating a aromatic scent that intensity your taste buds and appetite.

Restoran Makanan Laut Hee Loy Fatt
103, Jalan KB 1/8,
Kampung Baru Balakong,
43300 Seri Kembangan,
Selangor.
Tel: 603-8961 8289
GPS: 3.028705, 101.747032

Samplings on the Fourteen @ Berjaya Times Square Hotel, KL - MIGF 2011

2011-10-06T12:05:00.003+08:00

Hari raya and mid autumn festival were over and deepavali is another month ahead; no reason for makan-makan celebration? Aha, not really as there is this Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) which is happening on this whole month of October!

***

Together with the couple from eatonlylar, we were invited to sample Samplings on the Fourteen’s festival menu. Special Thanks to Siew yee for the wonderful evening.

Samplings on the Fourteen is located on the 14th floor of Berjaya Time Square Hotel (east wing). It is a swanky new restaurant that serves western classic fine dining dinner; in charge by Chef Valmurugan (Sous Chef) and his team. During the day, it is run by students and served as a practical site for Berjaya University College of Hospitality.

The ambiance is posh-looking and dimly lit. Best for some romantic dates. Couples, do check out the window seats which are over-looking the magnificent KL view.

I love their table setting, everything are arranged harmonically.

With the open kitchen concept, we get to see how Chef Val and his team putting in efforts to prepare the yummy-licious meal for all of us.

Chef Val said Cheeeese to the camera, how cute :)

Their a la carte menu consists of western classic fine dining cuisine that covers all 7 courses - To Begin’, ‘To Warm’, ‘To Grain’, ‘To Fish’, ‘To Meat’, ‘To Grill’ and ‘To Finish’. In conjunction with MIGF 2011, we were presented with the hearty MIGF Festival Menu with Wine Pairing.

White Wine and Red Wine

Fluffy Bread and butter

We get to sample a small appetizer before the appetizer from the menu came up.

Appetizer

Combination of Seared Foie Gras, Tomato and Onion Tart &
US Scallops with Yellow Mushrooms, Chive Salad
****
Cloudy Bay, Chardonnay

The seared foie gras, tomato and onion tart were arranged prettily on the plate. The foie gras was seared fragrantly, very flavourful and melted right in your mouth. The matching tomato and caramelized onion gave an excellent kick to the velvety foie gras. We could hear our ‘mmm mmm mmm’ humming over the table.

Across the garden (chive salad), was the juicy fresh scalloped that was pan seared with the mushrooms; garnished with golden fish roe. Every bites of that fresh scallop with the fish roe were explosive with freshness from the sea.

Soup

Light Smoked Duck Essence
with Ginseng Root and Raviolini
****
Cloudy Bay, Chardonnay

The soup was pretty adventurous, unlike most of other restaurants that serve creamy soup or cold soup, Chef Val came up with something light but hearty for the tummy – smoked duck essence, a Consommé. The soup looks too oily for you?! No No No, they are actually the duck essences! I like this creative idea by adding ginseng root into the soup, it gave a lil oriental touch to the classic western dish.

Sorbet

Celery Mint Sorbet
a refreshing intermediate for palate cleansing

Main Dishes

Roasted Australian Pistachio Crusted Baby Veal Rack
served with Greens, Potato Comfit and Truffle Jus
****
Nicolas Catena Zapata, Malbec

Baby Veal Rack dish is one of Chef Val’s signature dishes. The meat appeared pinkish in colour; juicy and tender. The outer skin was covered with layer of pistachio; creating a perfect crispiness to the skin. The whole thing required just minimal jaw exercising activity (chewing).

or

Cajun Spiced Black Cod
Seared Prawns, Vanilla Oil and Escarole Risotto
****
Puligny Montrachet

The black cod was sweet and fresh; arranged neatly and sandwiched in between the prawn and risotto. Love the way the chef used the potato skin as the lovely bowl for the risotto. The fragrant potato skin went great with the rice as well as the cod. The prawn was really fresh and flavourful with just minimal seasoning!

Dessert

Ricotta Cheese Cake
Chestnut Mousse with Raspberry Coulis and Almond Crisp
****
Peter Lehmann Barossa Art Late Harvest Frontignac

The dessert was a piece of art! The ricotta cheese cake was very rich and creamy, at the right level of sweetness, we just love it to the last bite!

This set comes with Coffee or Tea

As a participant of MIGF2011,Samplings on the Fourteen offers 3 special menus for the whole month of October :

Full Festival Menu RM350++ per person with wine, RM180++ per person without wine
Light Festival Menu RM100++ per person

Samplings on the Fourteen
Berjaya University College of Hospitality
14th Floor, East Tower,
1, Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: +603 2117 8000 ext 8131
Fax: +603 2117 8155
Email: bth.samplings@berjayahotel.com
Business Hours: 6.30pm – 10.30pm (Monday to Saturday)

Chocolate Appreciation Evening with Van Houten ♥

2011-10-04T09:57:00.003+08:00

Do you love chocolate?! How do you eat your chocolate?! And how do you appreciate them?!

Chocolate is my favourite snack. My feet go weak on anything with chocolate. I always want my waffle to be covered with thick layer of chocolate spread; opt for rich chocolaty ice cream; sinful chocolate cake; and I even want my facial mask to be rich in chocolaty scent.

Well, I do love having wine with chocolate too :)

***

Just some weeks ago, I was invited to indulge and appreciate chocolate with Van Houten in Chinoz on the park, KLCC. Thanks to Van Houten for this lovely invitation

On the evening, we had Deanne Yusoff to share her passion towards chocolate with us. We were also taught to appreciate the chocolate with our five senses - look, smell, touch, listen and taste.

1# Vision
We were given a bar of plain semi sweet chocolate and we were asked to use our vision. A good chocolate should have consistent colour, texture and natural finishing looking, free from air bubbles and blemishes.

2# Touch
Then, use your touch sensory to rip open the wrappers, run the fingers down the bar of chocolate, When we touch the chocolate, it should not melt immediately in hands.

3# Smell
Next, it's time to use the olfactory receptors. Savouring chocolate begins with the moment after unwrapping and inhale the aromatic cocoa.

4# Listen
Listen to the sound of snapping chocolate. A clear, clean snap indicated that the chocolate has better quality. This is because higher quality of chocolate has greater level of cocoa butter and smaller particle size. Therefore, a snap will give a clear sound.

5# Taste
Finally, it's time for the last sense. We used our gustatory system to appreciate the chocolate. Good quality chocolate tends to have a long, pleasant aftertaste that lingers in your mouth.
Mmmmm....

After the appreciation session, we were introduced with the pairing session. I didn't know that chocolate compatible well with coffee! (just forget about the mocha ya...)

The first pair was cafe latte and semi sweet chocolate. Put a small block of chocolate on your tongue, take a sip of cafe latte and allow the chocolate to dissolve slowly in your mouth. Mmm, I love this pairing the most as this combination gave special kick to my taste buds.

We also had milk chocolate to go with espresso con panna

and to go with espresso

Churos with Van Houten Chocolate Dippings

***

Cocoaphilia
[ko ko fee lee yah]

noun:
a. appreciation of chocolate
b. refers to the passion of a person, who is nuts over chocolate
c. someone who knows that Van Houten is good chocolate.

It defines chocolate lovers who are passionate about chocolate. They are the one who appreciate the rich, fine taste of chocolate made with finest coca and high quality ingredients.

So, are you one of the Cocoaphilia(s)???

Crumbs Frozen Yogurt

2011-10-01T09:17:00.002+08:00

Crumbs has brought the frozen yogurt hype to Hong Kong citizens. It is now sprouting all over the island and their 8th branch has arrived in New Territories not long ago.

When Citygal and I were travelling in Hong Kong last year, we joined the queue at the Causeway Bay branch to get ourselves a cup of Crumbs. Yes, the queue... long queue are always spotted outside the small little shop.

Various toppings are available for you to go with the frozen yogurt such as their signature house crumbs, mochi, mini meringue, oreo, fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, M&Ms, gummy bear...............

Besides their yummy frozen yogurt, Crumbs also offers home-baked scones too! Flavours are such as cheese, raisin and chocolate (HKD 6 - 7 each)

We had the regular frozen yogurt with 1 topping (HKD 28). The large one with 2 toppings costs HKD 32. The frozen yogurt was smooth, very smooth, and with a light hint of sourish taste; it was creamier than the one we usually had. The plus point was the house signature topping - the crumbs!!! crunchy bits of crumbs with light cinnamon taste, and the crumbs tasted like those from the apple crumble!

Happily enjoying our Crumbs in Hong Kong!

The great news now is, I don't have to travel to Hong Kong to get my Crumbs!

Because...................................

Crumbs is now in Pavilion KL!!!
yahoooooooooooo :)

It is about 2 days old in Pavilion KL; well, probably 3 days old by now.

Crumbs offer various selection of toppings.

I didn't really notice what are the toppings available as I eyed on fresh blueberries and strawberries without second thoughts. :)

Priced at RM 12.90 for large size with signature house toppings - crumbs and additional of 2 toppings of your choice. The regular one is Priced at RM 11 with only one signature topping of your choice.

Of course, they offer scones too! Freshly bake from oven every 15 minutes with the flavours of Raisin, chocolate and cheese (priced at RM 2.90 each; minimum purchase of 3 pieces with any combination of the flavours). As I was too full to go for their scones, i sampled a little from the sampling tray. Love the crumbly buttery scones; will ta-pao (take away) them and pair it with coffee or tea for a perfect afternoon tea next time.

By the way, I heard that their official launch in Pavilion KL is TODAY (1/10/11) !!! with lots of surprises :)

Crumbs (Causeway Bay)
Shop 1C, G/F, Central Mansion,
8 Cannon Street, Causeway Bay
Tel: +852-2793-9393

Crumbs (Pavilion KL)
P1.11.04, Level 1,
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
Facebook Page: Crumbs Malaysia

Hua Hin Train Station @ Hua Hin, Thailand

2011-09-28T10:35:00.001+08:00

When you are travelling in Hua Hin, Thailand, you will find a lot of this sign standing along the road. No matter where you go, you will find this; along the road, or in the postcard, or even made as souvenirs (just like the small tiny one behind this large sign)

Wonder Why?

One of the famous attractions in Hua Hin is the railway station and it is actually the sign of train station in Hua Hin.

Hua Hin Train Station

The train station is built in the reign of King Rama VI. It is a wooden building with Thai concept and painted brightly in yellow and red.

Very vintage-y feel, don't you think so???

The railway

Fancy a train ride to Hua Hin?
You can take a train from Butterworth.

There is this royal waiting room just next to the train station

Hua Hin is a royal seaside getaway town. In those old days, train is the only alternative way (besides boat) to get to Hua Hin from Bangkok. Therefore, this waiting room is built for the royal family.

My lovely friends are now Hua Hin.

Both of them make me miss Hua Hin so muchie. Awww...

For more places of attraction in Hua Hin, kindly view Trip Summary; or view my other post on the very old-school village - PlearnWan, Hua Hin

Upper Deck, Tanzini @ GTower Hotel, KL

2011-09-26T10:47:00.001+08:00

Fancy a candle light dinner with your loved ones?

Here you go, a new fine dining place

Upper Deck is located right above Tanzini; overlooking the magnificent view of KL; featuring the unique seasonal menu that changes every 2 weeks resulted from the creative energies between executive chef, Johnny Fua and Upper Deck sous chef, Alven Tan.

Thanks to an invitation from Goldis Berhad and Gladys, together with a few other bloggers, we were invited to fine dine in Upper Deck and we had a chance to indulge the luxurious six course dinner on that evening.

Mojito

Amuse Bouche
We kicked start with the crab cake topped with chip and served with a refreshing piece of cucumber; and prettily decorated with sauce / syrup. The minced crab was light but explosive with flavours.

Appetizer: Baby Lobster Tail Salad
Assorted Heirloom Tomatoes, Garden greens, Basil Ravioli, Aged Balsamico

Or: Duo of Hakkaido Scallop
Caramelized scallop, edamame puree & Carpaccio scallop, crab roe emulsion
Fresh scallop was grilled and served on a bed of edamame puree.

Carpaccio scallop with crab roe emulsion was creamy and melted away when I had it between my hard palate and tongue. I love this.

Soup: Momotaro Tomato Gazpacho
Chilled momotaro tomato succo, tiger prawn salsa timbale & apple mint oil
It's all about the art here! The soup came lovely in pinkish orangey colour. Hah, warm colour can actually boost one's appetite. Momotaro tomato flavoured the soup well. I like the light tangy sourish taste of soup that ended up a refreshing note in my tummy.

Or: Smoked Duck Tea
Smoked Duck Consomme and Ox Tongue Ragu Ravioli, black trumpet mushroom

She loves this!

Starter: Butternut Squash Cappellacci
Sea urchin and Avruga caviar
Uni, Uni, Uni (sea urchin in Japanese)!!!
Another flavourful dish of the night. With cappellacci stuffed with creamy butternut squashed; topped with air-flown fresh sea urchin and garnished with avrugi caviar.

Or: Pacific Rainbow Trout
Dole Sweet Corn Risotto, Black Truffle, Styria Pumpkin Seed Oil
Crispy skin and succulent sweet flesh, combined with black truffles and sweet corn risotto; special and perfect combination.

Intermezzo
sorbet of the day to cleanse our palate

Fillet of Yellowtail King Fish
Over-roasted Lemon Grass infused Hamachi Fish, Braised Kohlrabi and Fennel Broth

1824 Beef Tenderloin & Cheek
Slow-roasted Beef tenderloin and Cheek, Swede Puree, Summer Root Vegetables, Zinfandel Reduction.
As I am not a beef-taker, feel free to read further description from kampungboycitygal.

Lamb Rack in Granola Bar Crust
Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin, Baby Vegetables Niçoise, Spiced Peach Chutney
The lamb rack appeared to be pinkish in the center and some even thought that it was undercooked. But I love my lamb rack this way; the lamb was juicier, tenderer and not overly done.

Upon explanation from Chef Johnny, he told us that he used sous-vide (French for "under vacuum") technique to prepare the lamb rack. So, the lamb rack was sealed in the airtight plastic bag and water bath for some times at a predetermined temperature. And the purpose is to cook the lamb rack evenly. not overly cook it and "lock" the juice inside the lamb rack

Look, I can have a garden on my plate! The "soil" and "plants" were all edible. How cute!

The sweet ending of the night was profiteroles that filled with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. The banana and coconut ice cream was quite a surprising combination. I did not know they both compatible well. However, the ice cream was too icy cold and the pastry was too frozenly hard to my liking. Overally, I still enjoyed the creative combination of ice cream with touches of chocolate sauce.

A cup of coffee to go with the sweet ending.

Dear gentlemen, here is another option for you to impress your date or loved one during the special occasion. The great thing is, it won't hurt your wallet badly.

As the dinner may take up to 3 hours or more (for 6 course dinner like us), I would suggest you to come here earlier (probably 6.30 - 7pm); take your own sweet time for photo-taking; have you seats here and watch the dusk to fall and the light-up city centre; and then enjoy the meal slowly.

Upper Deck @ Tanzini
Level 29, G Tower,
Jalan Tun Razak, KL
Tel: 03-2168 1899

Opens only for dinner, except on Sundays
No a la carte selections.
RM 155++ for four courses, RM 185++ for five courses and RM 215++ for six courses.
Menu varies every 2 weeks.

The Bridge over River Kwai @ Kanchanaburi City

2011-09-23T08:55:00.001+08:00

Feel free to view my previous write up on Kanchanaburi Town.
And for trip summary, please view HERE

***

The greatest attractions in Kanchanaburi are the historical bridge over the River Kwai and the death railway. The railways connects Thailand and Burma; built by the empire of Japan during the World War 2. Forced labour - Asian labours and allied prisoner of war (POWs) were used in its construction. Almost half of the prisoners worked in this project died from disease, maltreatment and accident.

It is even filmed as The Bridge on the River Kwai where it borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942-43 for its historical settings.

Here, I am going to share up some photos I have taken during my visit to the River Kwai. :)

You could just walk along the railway. Of course, you have to be really careful because at some times of the day, there are train passing through.

On one end, there are folks selling souvenirs such as Jade, and tee shirt and goodies.

Grab a piece of souvenirs for remembrance

River Kwai Park - a place selling goods and souvenirs

Dim Sum @ Jade Pot, Old Klang Road

2011-09-21T12:37:00.001+08:00

My last visit to Jade Pot for steamboat was a great and satisfying one. When I learned that Jade Pot serves Dim Sum daily from morning till late noon; I decided to pay a visit with my family.

Tea (RM 2 per pax)

Jade Pot Egg Tart 一品蛋挞仔 (RM 4.80 for 3 pcs)

BBQ Pork Pastry 香麻叉烧酥 (RM 4.80 for 3 pcs)

Fresh Prawn Rice Noodle Roll 手折鲜虾肠 (RM 5.80)

Pan Fried Radish Cake 香煎萝卜糕 (RM 4.80)

Prawn & Cheese Roll 芝士春卷虾 (RM 5.80)

Pan Fried Shanghai Dumpling 上海煎锅贴 (RM 5.80 for 3 pcs)

Pork Dumpling (Siew Mai) 一品蒸烧卖 (RM 6.80 for 3 pcs)

Prawn Dumpling (Har Kao) 一品鲜虾饺 (Rm 6.80 for 3 pcs)

Steamed Beancurd Roll 耗油鲜竹卷 (RM 5.80 for 3 pcs)

Sze Chuan Dumpling 四川龙抽手 (RM 5.80 for 3 pcs)

Steamed Scallop 原笼双子座 (RM 4)

Fried Spare Ribs with Fermented Beancurd 香炸南乳骨 (RM 8.80)

Sai Yong Wantan Noodles 粤式细蓉面 (RM 6.80)

BBQ Pork Bun 酱王叉烧包 (RM 4.80 for 3 pcs)

***

I love their BBQ Pork Pastry; the pork was well seasoned, being not overly salty or sweet. Their Siew Mai was good too; flavourful and packed with pork and shrimps meat. Though the Rice Noodles Roll was not the smoothest one I have had, their dried chili flakes and shrimps that came along with the dish was the star! We had most of our dim sum with this chili instead of the chili sauce provided. Sze Chuan Dumplings came sourish, hot and spicy; that was another dish we heart. Sai Yong Wanton Noodles was lovely too; the egg noodles were springy and QQ in texture while the wanton(s) with large shrimps were huge.

Har Kao must be eaten once it is served. Love the amount of prawn stuffed within the har kao skin; sadly, the skin a little too thick to my liking. Fried Spare Ribs with Fermented Beancurd was served piping hot. This fried stuff was a little salty if ate alone, I would say, it is best to go with the white rice. The filling in the BBQ Pork Bun / Bao that came with tons of fatty meat were something we fancy too. The filling itself was very flavourful and not overly sweet. The only let down was the bun. Unlike those hand-kneaded bun, this machine-made bun stick onto our hard palate easily and we had to flushed it down with the help of tea.

The Egg Tarts were not something I fancy. Yes, they had flaky pastries but they were overpowering with artificial custard taste instead of the real egg-y flavour. I find Steamed Scallop is priced slightly on the higher side. It came in only a miniature piece and only a small thin layer of scallop was stuff in it. As for the other dim sum(s) I did not describe in text, they were just okay to go after.

Jade Pot Steamboat Restaurant 一品锅
No 413, Batu 5,
Jalan Kelang Lama,
58000 Kuala Lumpur.
(opposite Pearl Point Shopping Mall)
Tel: 03-79879918 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 03-79879918 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Chee Cheong Fun @ Restoran You Lee, Taman Connaught, Cheras

2011-09-16T09:15:00.001+08:00

Besides the Dai Be Steamed Fish that is located inside the You Lee Kopitiam, there is another good stuff to try out - the chee cheong fun from the stall that tucked in one corner end in this kopitiam

This stall owner (the uncle) is very patience in preparing every plates of chee cheong fun. He will flip open the chee cheong fun and lay them flat; then add a little sesame oil and chop them horizontally to create the kuey teow-liked noodles. Finally top it with the sauce and garnish with the fragrant toasted white sesame.

White silky smooth chee cheong fan drenched with homemade black sweet sauce (tim zheong) and home-grinded chilli sauce. Toss-toss everything together to create a well balanced flavour in every strand of chee cheong fun. I find their CCF is quite addictive and will have it at least once a week for breakfast or lunch. Slurrrp Slurrrp...

If you don't fancy tim zheong, you can try this version of chee cheong fun which is drizzled with chilli sauce and soy sauce. Not to forget the pickled green chilli that go great with the chee cheong fun, this plate of CCF is something my mum loves.

Besides sauces, there is the curry version of chee cheong fun too; comes loaded with curry and tofu bok and fried pig skin. Hmmm, taste similar to curry kuey teow as the chee cheong fun has soaked up the curry sauce. Bear in mind that the curry version is quite limited in quantity. Do come earlier if you wish to try their curry chee cheong fun.

If you find having chee cheong fun only is kinda plain, you can always hop over the opposite stall and order yourself some yong tau fu.

***

It is a public holiday today!!!
Happy Malaysia Day and have a great weekend ahead :)

***

Chee Cheong Fun
Restoran You Lee
Taman Connaught
Located at the same row with Domino's Pizza and Restoran Sun Ming (famous for the roasted duck); Restoran You Lee will be at the corner end.

Sumptuous Desserts @ The Gardens

2011-09-13T08:44:00.001+08:00

Durian is everyone's favourite in Malaysia; golden yellow in colour with creamy-like texture. Every year during the durian season, people will hunt after D24, or zhuk geok, or the latest babe - Mao Shan Wong. Some will go for the sweet one while the others may love the one with bitter-taste. Well I have to say I am a little odd (though I am a Malaysian); I tried hard and very hard to accept this Malaysians' favourite. However, my gustatory and olfactory system just seems to anti it.

I was at Sumptuous Desserts with the couples from eatonlylar and broughtup2share one evening, sampling the famous little delicacies made of durians.

Since their desserts are made of durians, then why am I here???

Read on and you will get to find out why.

Durian Pancake or also known as "Durian Bantal" in BM (RM 10 for a box of 6)
This is one of their best sellers. From the appearance, they do look like cute little pillow.

Within the thinly piece of crepe, it was loaded with real durian fruits and the finest fluffy cream. Sumptuous Desserts uses only local durian, mainly D24, 101 and clone durian in their pancakes. As I didn't sample this, feel free to view eatonlylar for further descriptions.

Cempedak Pancake (RM 8 for a box of 6)
Sumptuous Desserts is really thoughtful, though they offer a variety of desserts made of durians, they come up with something for non durian lovers (like me!!!)

Same as Durian Pancake; it was made with thinly piece of crepe, loaded with cempedak flesh and fluffy cream. Tastewise, it was not too overpowering; not too sweet and tasted as though you have cempedak fruits with soft fluffy cream without messing up your hands with cream. Innovative!

Mango Pancake (RM 10 for a box of 6)
I love this the most as it has the lightest flavours among 3 pancakes. The green coloured crepe comes from pandan juice

Same as the other pancakes, it was packed with fresh mango flesh and cream. Due to the unpredictable nature of the mangoes, the mango pancake may vary from time to time, some may be slightly sweeter or sourish than one another.

Sumptuous Desserts also uses durian in Hokkaido cakes (RM 7 for a box of 3)

Instead of cream or custard cream you find in the normal Hokkaido cake / Hokkaido Chiffon Cake, this one is filled with durian cream. I nibbled a little on the spongy cake (not the cream). It was light and fluffy in texture; and yep, it was intense with strong flavour from durian cream. The couples love it.

Here is the final one for durian lovers - Durian Cream Puff (RM 7 for a box of 3)

Sumptuous Desserts sells only freshly daily made desserts. No artificial colouring or preservative are used in their pancakes as well as other desserts. Only fresh juice is used to colour the crepe. Therefore, the desserts must be consumed within the day.

Thanks to Sumptuous Desserts and Steven for the lovely invitation.
Sumptuous Desserts's kiosks are also available in Sungei Wang Plaza, Ikano Power Centre and Sunway Pyramid.

Sumptuous Desserts Kiosk
LG C-1, Lower Ground Floor,
The Gardens Mall,
Mid Valley City, KL
Tel: 012-372 8848

Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant @ Pavilion KL

2011-09-08T09:09:00.001+08:00

Yay, dinner time!

いただきます
Itadakimasu...

Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant is our new love. Together with my Partners-in-crime, we hopped over Pavilion KL for a casual evening dinner.

Kari Kari Pasta (RM 5.90) ｶﾘｶﾘﾊﾞｽﾀ

A great snack to go with beer. Though we didn't order any alcoholic drink, we find ourselves keep munching it.

Mum always nags, do not play with your food! But, you are allowed to do so here!
Tsubuse Mentai Potato Salad (RM 12.90)
Provided with the masher, you have got to mash everything up to form the potato salad. Do mash it evenly to create a well balance taste in every spoonful of your mashed potato.

Tokujo Irodori Sushi (RM 20.90)
Assorted sushi made of salmon, unagi (eel), tuna. The ingredients were fresh and superb.

Hiroshima Okonomiyaki (Rm 16.90)
It is a flavourful Japanese Pancake that made of batter and with ingredients such as shrimps, meat and lots of cabbages. The cooked okonomiyaki is then drizzled with sweet okonomiyaki sauce, aonori (seaweeds), mayonnaise and finally tipped with lots of bonito flakes. The bonito flakes danced prettily while the pancake was still hot. It is quite a filling one as noodles is part of the ingredients too! Great for sharing.

Kushiyaki Moriawase (RM 16.90)
Assorted skewers that come with beef with springs onions and asparagus, chicken thighs, wings, and soft bones. Sadly, it was not as good as the one I had in Yashiki. Lack of smoky fragrant taste and not char enough.

Unagi Kamameshi (RM 19.90)
This eel pot rice is not something ordinary. You will have to wait for about 20 minutes for the rice to cook.

Once the rice is cooked, add in the lovely unagi.

The rice was really flavourful as it was infused with dashi, mushrooms, and essences from the other ingredients.

Gyuniku Sukiyaki Nabe (Rm 24.90)

This is the Japanese hot pot where juicy pink beef slices are part of their main ingredients.

Allow it to shimmer with other condiments such as shitake and enokitake, tofu, chinese cabbage and leeks. When the soup is starting to boil, stir an egg into the broth to create a smoother texture.

Watami offers an extensive menu. from appetizers to sushi and sashimi, and yakitori and grilled stuff to ramen and rice, and finally desserts. We will return for more...

ごちそうさまでした
gochisousamadeshita!

Watami Malaysia: Japanese Casual Restaurant
C4.04.00, Level 4,
Pavilion KL shopping mall,
168, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +6 03-2141 6671
Website

Khun Thai Village Restaurant @ Butterworth

2011-09-05T21:41:00.002+08:00

When we were travelling up to the north, we were brought to Khun Thai Restaurant by one of our family's friends who is a resident in Butterworth. With the name, Khun Thai, you may have guessed what kind of cuisine they are serving.

Khun Thai Restaurant serves delicious authentic Thai cuisine where they emphasize on seafood and grilled stuff; and allow the customer to dine al fresco-ly.

The ambiance is kind of romantic when the dusk falls. One can choose to dine 'indoor' (tables under a roof) or 'outdoor' (under the bamboo and straw huts), cute and romantic, don't you think so?! But you may find yourself dueling with the mosquitoes sometimes.

We started off with our favourite Thai appetizer, Mieng Kam.

Wrap up the toasted peanuts, chopped bird eyes chilies, chopped shallots, lime cubes, dried shrimps, ginger cubes, and toasted coconut flakes with betel leaves. Then, drizzle the sweet sauce over it before popping it into your mouth. Munch munch munch... It was explosive with flavours.

Kerabu papaya (RM 8) was way too fiery hot to our liking and we could hardly finish it. Perhaps the chef has overdosed it with chilies or is it made that way???

Claypot glass noodles with prawn was fragrant and good but it was not as memorable as the one I had in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

Stir-fry petai with prawn in Thai style.

Tom Yum was thick, sourish but not very hot. Just nice to be on the palate.

Lab gai - Northern Thai style sauteed minced chicken (RM 10)

Steamed "dunno-what" fish
Sorry as I can't recall the name of the fish. The fish was really fresh and succulent just with a touch of parsley, chillies and chopped gingers.

And so, these are the fish that made the dish. They are not very pretty looking but but but don't judge the book by its cover, they taste great!!!

Steamed large Mantis Prawns (their mantis prawns are priced by sizes and weight) and La-la Clams were the stars of the evening. The fresh, fat, juicy and firm prawns and clams were steamed with slices of garlic and chopped cili padi. We polished the plate clean; the soup tasted really fresh and full with essences from the prawns and clams.

Pricewise, it is reasonable; about RM 180 for 5 of us inclusive of drinks, rice, and tit bits. The most expensive dish will be the Mantis Prawns and La-la Clams. Afterall, they are the fresh catch and priced accordingly to season and quantity. I would say it is quite reasonable.

Fancy this Thai restaurant but never want to travel far to Butterworth?! No worry, they have branches in PJ and Kepong too!

Khun Thai Village Restaurant
No. 104, Jalan Permatang Tengah,
12300 Butterworth
Tel: +6 04-332 7523
Map Here

Khun Thai Village Restaurant (PJ)
No. 6, Jalan 5/44,
Petaling Garden,
off Jalan Gasing,
46000 Petaling Jaya.
Tel&Fax: +6 03-7781 7523

Khun Thai Village Restaurant (Kepong)
17A & 18A, Jalan Desa 2/8,
Desa Aman Puri,
52100 Kepong
Tel: 012-490 5220

Royal Vietnam @ Starhill Gallery

2011-09-03T11:15:00.001+08:00

Royal Vietnam is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant; serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine with a fine dining concept, has just opened its door about 2 months ago in Starhill Gallery. They are specializing in the royal cuisine that was once created for kings and queens in Vietnam. Besides that, their Chef consultant was the personal chef of some Vietnamese VVIPs!!!

The ambiance was rather grand; decorated with classy wooden furniture and colourful Vietnamese silk lantern; dimly lit to create a posh-feel. The waitresses were dressed prettily in Áo Dài while the waiters were dressed in their traditional costume too.

Thanks to Royal Vietnam for the lovely evening, I had an opportunity to experience the Vietnamese culture as well as the find royal food presentation and crafting.

Flying Dragon Salad

Dragons were beautifully crafted out of carrots while the body consisted of prawn salad.

Oh by the way, dragon (like us Chinese) is considered as one of the lucky animals to the Vietnamese.

Phoenix Dance Sausage.
Peacock inspired dish. The feather tails were made out of salted egg rolls.

Pomelo salad

Fried Rice in Turtle Shape.
Turtle is another lucky animal too.

Vietnamese Deep Fried Spring rolls presented in the Mighty Cock way.

Roasted Chicken stuffed with meatloaf

Pho bo dac biet, the beef noodles soup is something not to be missed. The bowl of silky flat noodles was loaded with lots of beef slices, beef balls and covered with flavourful broth. Add in some chili padi to give an extra kick to your bowl of noodles.

And finally, we ended our meal with a cup of aromatic Vietnamese Dripped Coffee. Yummm...

Royal Vietnam
Starhill Feast Gallery,
Jalan Bukit Bintang,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +6 03 2143 9778

More review:
BroughtUp2Share

Nabe Bakery Cafe @ Ampang

2011-09-01T09:04:00.002+08:00

We often come across French bakery, Japanese pastry bakery or Japanese-inspired bakery or so on. How about something from Korean this time???

We (with kampungboycitygal and Chris&Christine) had a fiery dinner earlier, we needed something cool and icy to chill our tongues; therefore we drove around and spotted this bakery.

Nabe Bakery Cafe is a bakery that popped up in this area just about a month ago. There is a small little section for you to sit and sip on their drinks and munch their baked goods. Small but lovely.

This hearty cafe is run by a lovely Korean husband and wife couple; they have put in a lot of hearts in their baked goods as well as serving the best from their cafe.

cute cookies

Iced Mocha (RM 9.50). Citygal said this was better than the one from Starbucks, which we all agreed.

Tomato&Orange Fresh Fruit Juice (RM 8.00)

At first I though Red Bean Icewater was just like the ang tao bing from kopitiam. But but but... I was wrong. The Korean type of ang tao bing or 红豆冰 is quite similar to our ice kacang. With shredded ice and topped with lots of red beans, fresh fruits (mango, watermelon, honeydew), and drenched with syrup and milk. Oh yaaaa, there is another interesting ingredient - soft and QQ rice cake!!! That is another think I love in this Red Bean Icewater (RM 9.50). The rice cake was soft chewy and sweeten; and different from the rice cake in Ddeokbokki.

Cheesecake (RM 6.90) was smooth, looking dense but light; lighter than the Japanese cheesecake I made. There was a very thin layer of sponge at the bottom and the rounded corner (I wonder how they made it). As you put it on your tongue, you may find the outer layer was at the right temperature but the inner layer was chilling.

Yes, we met out mission - something cool and icy to chill our tongue. By the way, the walnut pie and some bread are looking attractive; but we were too full to try them on.

And our night went off with self-prepared card games...............

Nabe Bakery Cafe
No. 16-11, Ground Floor,
Jalan Ampang Putra,
68000 Ampang.

Lot 10 Hutong @ Bukit Bintang - Part 1

2011-08-29T15:49:00.002+08:00

Lot 10 Hutong is a gourmet heritage village that grouped up the best of the best eateries in the country. Therefore, you get to try out the best of the best food in Malaysia. I would say, this is the best food court in KL city and also, the one and only food court in shopping complex that serves Non-Halal food.

My family always comes here fore meal due to the variety. Anyhow, I haven't got to try out all of the stalls because we often stick to the same old choices that we had previously.

Many many thanks to Rachel for the kind arrangement; together with Citygal, Witch & Lionel and Ken, we were down here to sample the famous dishes from the famous stalls as well as some new faces that popped up just recently.

1# Campbell Street Mini Popiah

Used to be at Lorong Tiong Nam since 1970s; but we were told that we can only find Campbell Street Mini Popiah in Lot 10 Hutong now as the one located at the old place has already closed down.

As I recalled, the queue is always long. It always took me some times to get my order done.

You can choose from egg popiah (RM 3/roll), vegetable skin popiah (RM 2.50/roll) and normal one Campbell Mini popiah (RM 2.50/roll). The minimum order is 2 rolls.

We get to sample one each. The popiah(s) were filled wth lots of ingredients to create the juiciness. I love the fragrant egg version the most.

2# Kong Tai Singapore Hokkien Noodles

Singapore Hokkien Noodles (RM 8.30)
A different version of Hokkien Char. This version from our neighbour country has omitted the use of dark soy sauce. The plate of noodles came wet, topped with shredded eggs and shrimps, fragrant with lard and filled with wok hei.

By the way, their "orhhh jian" (oyster omelet) is great too!

3# Kim Lian Kee Hokkien Mee

This is our local KL version of Hokkien Char. Founded in Year 1927 and has now passed down the secret recipe to the 4th generation.

Kim Lian Kee Hokkien Mee (RM 8.90)
The thick fat yellow noodles, prawns, pork slices, shrimps are stir-fried with generous amount of crispy lard fritters and thick dark sauce, turned into glossy brown and fragrant noodles. Their sambal added with a dash of lime juice gave an extra kick to the glossy noodles.

4# Soong Kee Beef Noodles

Hakka noodles topped with minced meat (RM 6.50 for small; Rm 7.50 for large)
I love the springy noodles tossed with lots of minced meat. You will be surprise with their minced meat as they are actually the minced pork! And the beef?! Hidden in the bowl with soup. I will have to give this a pass as I don't take beef. Well, according to my friends, the beef balls, tripe and beef slices were all tender and bouncy.

5# Yummy M&M's Nutmeg Juice

A brand new stall located at one corner.

Let's have some thirst quencher before I continue with the other good stuffs in Lot 10 Hutong.
Penang Nutmeg Juice (RM 3.80) was really good, chilled and sourish that actually boost your appetite.

and

To be continued...

Happy Merdeka and Happy Holiday to everyone.
Wishing all of you have a great holiday!

Yashiki Yakitori & Bar @ Viva Home

2011-08-26T13:37:00.001+08:00

TGIF!!!

Remember ~~I had~~ we had a soul and mind cleansing dinner on one Friday?
That was not all; because we had another cleansing session after the dinner.
(Do take note with the term on what is their real cleansing session means).

Well, I really needed some meat. So, I simply tikam (pointed) to a place that serves some protein. We then ended up in Yashiki Yakitori & Bar

Yakitori or the grilled skewers; they come in bite-sized pieces of meats to offal, mushroom, vegetables ... or anything that can go on the bamboo skewer, and grilled.

Sexy pork belly, salmon with pork belly, chicken... arrived piping hot, very very very fragrant and juicy. (priced at RM 3 onwards per skewer)

and who is Yakitori's best friend?!

That will go to sake.
We had a bottle of sake to share among all of us.

You are able to choose the types of small cup (ochoka) you preferred from 4 choices and you can have your sake warm or chilled. We had ours chilled. Mmmmmm..... :)

Yashiki Yakitori & Bar has quite an extensive menu. However, we were too full to sample the others. Will definitely drop by to try out the others on the menu and extra cleansing session :)

By the way, it's Friday today!!!!!
What's your plan?!

Eas Group - the First ever Mooncake portal in Malaysia

2011-08-24T09:35:00.000+08:00

The once a year mid autumn festival is coming soon!

Have you bought something (ie: mooncake gift set) for yourself, your family, your friends, your colleagues?! Or are you the person in charge to get the gift sets for the clients in your company but you have no idea what type and where to get them at the cheapest deal?!

Or... you are afraid of travelling out under these hot scotching days and have to spend a lot of time braving through the heavy traffic for boxes of mooncake?!

FEAR NOT!
Eas Group is here to save your day and you could just sit at home / office and get what you want in just a few clicks :)

Eas Group is a marketing spin off of an established food manufacturing company in Malaysia. Every season, Eas Group will feature attractive promotions on stuff to do, see, eat and buy in various cities in Malaysia. And this season, Eas Group features the MOONCAKE! Therefore, they have launched the first ever moon cake portal in Malaysia.

On their website, you can find that they have the largest availability of flavours (on mooncake).
10 well known brands available and there are more than 53 flavours for you to choose from.

The Brands available are:

Hotel Equatorial, Hotel Renaissance, Yu-Ai, I Desserts Cottage, Q Jelly, Leong Yin Pastry

Ghee Hiang, Jolly Jelly House, Purple Cane & Kam Lun Tai

So, how does it works?!

This is the shopping guide for you. Just follow exactly the step stated, mouse over the icon of each brand to check out the promotion, click BUY on your selected brand, customized your preferred package, fill in all the details required and make your payment.

It is as east as ABC right?! It works almost the same as those bulk buying deals online; with just a few clicks, you can have your mooncakes / gift sets at your door step or the nearest pick up point.

Yay, I saw my favourite brand's mixed nut moon cake here too!

Don't forget to check out their special icons with description too.
Some of the brands offer early bird discount, bulk discount, bonus with every purchase, lucky draw and free delivery :)

Why wait?!
Log on now to www.eas.net.my and start exploring the various mooncake gift sets with just a few clicks.

Check out their Facebook page for more surprises and free gifts :)

Hummingbirds Coffee Bar @ Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar

2011-08-22T11:42:00.001+08:00

Oh... It's Monday, again.
Weekend always comes and goes fast.
I am sure most of you are having Monday blue now...

Let's cheer up the day with something sweet here ^^

I was here on one lazy Sunday for an afternoon tete-a-tete with my bestie; seated in one corner and lying lazily into the comfy high-back sofa.

Hummingbirds Coffee Bar is a cozy little cafe tucked inside Beatrice Looi's boutique at Jalan Telawi 3.

We had 2 sets of The Day's Special (RM 16 per set). Each set comes with a cup of tea or coffee and a slice of cake listed or choice of 2 cupcakes.

Orange Tea

Long Black Coffee

Hummingbird cake's texture was quite similar to the carrot cake; with banana, pineapple and walnuts (I guess) set in it, creating a moist and dense and intense with flavours. The touch-up was a layer of dense cream cheese frosting. We both love the Hummingbird cake and we find that it is quite value for money for this huge piece of cake.

Since we were not interested with their ordinary-looking American chocolate cake, we had their cupcakes instead. R

Red Velvet cup cake came in very bright red. Again, it was touched up with the same dense cream cheese frosting. The cake itself was dense, very smooth and velvety. However, it left a stinging feeling on my tongue and a kind of light bitter aftertaste on my friend's.

We too were introduced with the Lemon cupcake. The sourish from the lemon was okay but we were kind of disappointed with it as the cake was on the drier side. Cupcake is priced at RM 6.50 per pcs.

Colourful Macarons.

Wasabi flavoured macaron was something exotic. The macaron was not sugary sweetl the filling was smooth and creamy. It was not very spicy but just a nice short hint of sharp wasabi essence. RM 5/pc or RM 27 for 6 pieces. Kinda pricey though.

Hope these can sweeten up your Monday :)

Hummingbirds Coffee Bar
Beatrice Looi Boutique
Jalan Telawi 3,
Bangsar
Tel: 03-2201 5889

Favourite of The Day #1: Braised Pork Trotter

2011-08-19T11:57:00.000+08:00

In fancy restaurant?!

Nope

***

In posh looking Chinese dining place?

Nope...

Not anywhere but my house.

I just couldn't believe my eyes, I could have this braised pork trotter on a normal weekday at home. It was not some kind of special occasion eg: Chinese New Year or some reunion dinner or anyone's birthday. Just a simple normal day...

Mum made us braised pork trotter!!! Fried and braised for hours; used a special way to flavour the whole pork trotter; and created this special this. I love the fats part the most; soft, silky soft and melted right on the tongue. The skin was packed with collagen while the meat was succulent.

Okay, don't drool in front of the screen :P

I wish i could have half of mum's skill! YUM!!! ♥

Happy Friday!

Kechara Oasis New Age Vegetarian Cuisine @ Viva Home

2011-08-17T13:03:00.005+08:00

My gang of friends has been acting weird lately. They seems to hunt after some kind of cuisine which I don't usually go for - that's the vegetarian cuisine. And the weirdest thing is that they are doing it every Friday. I thought, people will go for some meaty food with a drink or two on Friday?! Well, according to them, they said they wanna have a soul and mine cleansing on Friday and opt to avoid those sinful foods. Weird reasons from my weird friends, or... I am the weird one???

Kechara Oasis New Age Vegetarian Cuisine has opened its doors in Viva Home Mall. It is bigger than the one in Jaya One; the ambiance and the decors are really posh looking; with high ceiling, it looks really grand. The staffs are friendly and the service provided is attentive.

On the food we had, I truly have no idea on the names of dishes, as I did not take charge in ordering. Will try my best to name them.

Vegetables with mushrooms.

Stir fried vegetable with lotus roots, pea, ginkgo, carrots, baby corns... and finally tossed with macadamia nuts.

Fried Mayo Mushroom was my favourite. Deep fried crunchy mushroom drenched in thick homemade mayonnaise.

This was the 100% non fat healthy 'pork'.
Look like Tung Po Yuk (meat) and taste like Tung Po Yuk too! except the texture of the fats was different from the real fats layer lar.

Beancurd with minced 'meat'

Yin Yong Kai Lan.

Kung Po Eel. The eel is made of soya and stir fried in classic Kung Po style

I remember I had really good momo with buttery skin during my visit to Kechara Oasis in Jaya One last time. Hence, I asked for momo as I didn't find the pan fried momo in the menu. They recommended the momo with soup. The soup was great, really great, thick, broth-y, sweet and fresh. But... the momo was not the momo I want. The skin was thick, way too thick and too doughy to my liking.

Nyonya style Assam Fish
Stir fried fish (made of saya) with okra and eggplants.

De-boned 'Fish'. The texture of the 'fish' was so real!

We even had a birthday celebration here for the August babies with homemade The Fake Funghi :)

I'd love to visit here again for the unique vegetarian cuisine. But guys, not every Friday, okay?!

Kechara Oasis
Viva Home

Simply Mel's @ The Sphere, Bangsar South

2011-08-15T10:03:00.001+08:00

BENG NAKI KUMI! (Kristang language)

It means Come Here and Eat!

It's the month of Ramadhan, I get to join the buka puasa crowd at Simply Mel's.
Thanks to Aly for the lovely invitation :)

Simply Mel's, a new restaurant serving Malacca Portuguese cuisine is located conveniently at The Sphere, Bangsar South. Family recipe is Simply Mel's highlight. The dishes are homely taste and the best thing(s) I find are their sambal, cincalok and anything to do with the chilli and spices.

For main course and dessert, you could choose from 3 different sets from their Ramadhan promotion.

We kicked start with something sweet to break fast.
Buah Kurma, homemade Onde-onde and Mel's Pulut & Kaya

Then, continued with Appetizer Platter of Ulam, 2 kinds of Sambal Belacan, and fluffy Cincalok fritters.

ohhh, the darker colour of sambal was really fiery hot!!!

Love the appetizing cincalok!

On the main courses:

Set A (RM 38+) consists of Serai Chicken, Kembung Rebus, Kangkung Belacan, Ketupat/Rice. The dessert will be Sago Biji Gula Melaka

Set B (RM 48+) comes with Beef Curry Malayu, Kembung Rebus, Kacang Bendi Udang Kering, Ketupat/Rice. Dessert is Pulut Hitam.

Set C (RM 58+) comes with Pineapple Curry with Prawn, Kembung Rebus, Kacang Botol Sambal, Ketupat/Rice. The desserts are Pulut Hitam and selection of fresh fruits

Each set comes with homemade jelly rose sirap

Pulut Hitam was quite different from what we usually had. Additional of mata kucing or dried longan gave extra sweetness to the dessert. Do add in the very very very thick santan based on your personal preferences into your Pulut Hitam

Sago Biji Gula Melaka

Besides the Ramadhan menu, Simply Mel's also serves a la carte dishes such as their signature Keluak Curry, Chicken Seybah, Crab stuffing, Chicken Pongteh and many many more.

During the month of Ramadhan, Simply Mel's is featuring the Malaysian's favourite - Durian flavoured ice cream by The Last Polka, in addition to their selection of Salted Gula Melaka, Nutella and Strawberry Cream Cheese.

Simply Mel's
Unit 1-1A, 1st Floor, The Sphere,
No. 1, Avenue 1, Bangsar South,
No. 8, Jalan Kerinchi
59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Website: www.simplymels.com
Enquiries: inquiries@simplymels.com
Tel: +603 2241 4525
Business Hours:
open daily from 10am to 10pm

Hung Kee Wanton Mee @ Taman Shamelin Perkasa, Cheras

2011-08-12T09:00:00.001+08:00

Who doesn't know this famous Hung Kee Wanton Mee located at Jalan Loke Yew?!

Established since mid of 1960s by the Phoon family from a small shoplot and now has expanded to air conditioned shoplots and a branch in Taman Shamelin Perkasa.

I frequent to their branch; say like once a week after grocery shopping nearby and ordered myself a plate of wanton mee. Hmmm, to be specific, that will be their noodles with char siu (BBQ pork) only (RM 4.50 per plate). You can always have their noodles with char siu and wanton (come in 6 pcs) but I never like their wanton(s) as the skin may be too thick to me.

Their wanton noodles are handmade; every strand is springy in texture and tossed in well seasoned sauce. Do opt for semi-fat char siu (半肥瘦叉烧) that comes fattier (this time the char siu was not fatty enough); I enjoyed chewing the fatty charred part that gave a sweet aftertaste.

Verdict: Their char siu may not be the best one you have had; but the yellow thin strands of springy noodles are something you will love. Another reason I love coming here is, I don't have to fight through the traffic and travel down to Jalan Loke Yew for a plate of wanton mee as we have one Hung Kee (their branch) in Cheras :)

Note: All photos above by iPhone.

Restoran Hung Kee (Taman Shamelin)
18 - 20, Jalan 4/91,
Taman Shamelin Perkasa
56100 Cheras
Kuala Lumpur.
(Located opposite Pudu Ulu Park)

DIET Cafe @ Cheras Business Centre

2011-08-10T10:31:00.000+08:00

There isn't many western cafe like this one around Cheras. What we normally find in Cheras is the economic style western corners that open during the night (eg. Taman Billion). While this - DIET Cafe opens all day long, from morning till late.

DIET Cafe is actually stands for "Do I Eat Today? Cafe". It has a casual and cozy ambiance and serves quality range of western and fusion dishes using fresh ingredients.

I was here with my siblings one Sunday. We are not the morning person; happy to find a cafe that serves all day breakfast on th weekend. But then, that was not a day for their breakkie; we were actually hunting for the Banger 'n' Mash and Chicken Parmigiana

Hangover (RM 8)
It was the combination of apple, lime and mint to reduce hangover. Something to wake you up :)

For nibble, we had the Crispy Beef Bacon and Cheese Rolls (RM 10)
Melted cheese on the crispy beef bacon!

Banger 'n' Mash (RM 19)
It was the premium chicken sausages served with homemade mashed potatoes and caramelized onion gravy. The chicken sausages were a lil' overcooked to me; the mashed potatoes were really good, with tiny bits of chunks in it and drenched with gravy that was on the sweet side.

Chicken Parmigiana (RM 26)
Grilled marinated chicken breast layered with melted cheddar cheese, eggplant, and homemade tomatoes sauce and served with spiced wedges and garden salad. The melted cheddar cheese gave an extra kick to the tender chicken breast.

'Old-Skool' Carbonara (Rm 20)
The classic style carbonara served with beef bacon and mushroom. Carbonara was made in a diluted way; but still creamy as usual. And this was quite a filling one.

Ahhh, we were all too full for desserts. A good reason for revisit :) hear that the fluffy pancake and the risotto are heavenly good.

Verdict: It may seem a little pricey for a meal in this area; but trust me; you will find yourself satisfy with the portion and the taste for western food in this area. ohhh, bear in mind that the parking is quite a headache one during working hours.

DIET Cafe
27, Jalan 3/101C,
Cheras Business Centre
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-91301700
Business Hour:
Mon - Fri: 10am - 12am
Sat - Sun: 8am - 12am

Aik Yuen Restaurant @ Setapak - for glossy and fragrant Hokkien Mee

2011-08-08T10:49:00.002+08:00

Where to find a good plate of Hokkien Mee / Hokkien Char?!

Well, Aik Yuen Restaurant that is located at Setapak is one that serves great plate of Hokkien Mee.

Here you go, the glossy looking Hokkien Mee (RM 13 for 2 pax) coated in dark brown colour. Came piping hot and full with real wok heil tossed with right amount of pork lard and other ingredients such as pork slices, squids, prawns and the sweet dark sauce that flavoured and coloured the thick far noodles.

Fried "Peh Ge" (Rice Cake) (RM 6.50) was another good to try. Cooked in the way same as Hokkien Mee; the only difference is the rice cake that came with chewy texture.

Cantonese Fried (Yin Yong) or Wat Dan Hor (RM 6.50) had the smoky aftertaste. Perhaps the chef forgot to season our Yin Yong; it was tasteless and unmemorable.

the bouncy Deep fried 'saito' fish cake

Stir-fried Lala
Sweet, sour and a little spicy clams

Deep Fried Sotong were fried to perfection. I love coating a lot!!!

That was my first time trying out Stir Fried Siew Yoke (RM 10) in Hokkien style. It was sweet as it was stir-fried with a lot of black sauce. Interesting but i prefer the Cantonese style that made saltier and not in a black-y way.

Aik Yuen's Kitchen; just opposite Aik Yuen's Restaurant.

Aik Yuen Restaurant
Jalan Sarikei
Off Jalan Pahang Barat
53000 Kuala Lumpur
(behind Tawakal Hospital in Setapak)

More review on:
Brought Up 2 Share

Ristretto Cafe @ Mont Kiara 10

2011-08-05T14:04:00.001+08:00

After a night swinging with the beautiful melody at No Black Tie, I got a bit lazy and unmotivated the next day. Ohhhh, Chinese oldies are beautiful; especially when they performed them in a jazzy way.

My girl friends knocked off my laziness and dragged me over for a cuppa and a late lunch at Ristretto, Mont Kiara. Ristretto serves Peruvian dishes. The ambiance was small but cozy; suitable for a perfect afternoon tea or daily caffeine fix.

We started with something new from the menu. Papa a la huancaina persona (RM 18).
It was the boiled potatoes and egg served with the spicy sauce; the sauce came creamy and spiced and drenched all over the potatoes. But well, I would prefer the sauce to be made in a more appetizing way.

Jalea Mixta (RM 35)
It was like the seafood platter; loaded with deep fried seafood such as squids, prawns, mussels, clams and tapioca.

We were surprised with the portion, this huge plate for a person?! The chef told us, the portion is made for one pax in Peru!!!

The platter came really huge and could easily feed more than four (as starter). The batter was just right, neither too greasy nor too thick. And it was best to go with the sourish dipping sauce.

Arroz con pollo (RM 25)
Or known as the rice with chicken. I find this was kind of Asian-inspired. With deep fried chicken which was tender and juicy lying on the fluffy rice that was well-spiced and flavoured and came in a familiar sourish hint. It was very appetizing.

Of couse, the coffee here is a must to order. Cafe Latte (RM 5)

Cappuccino (RM 5)

Flat White (RM 5)
All came prettily with latte art on top. The flat white was frothy, velvety smooth and milky. Not bitter too (without the help of sugar). Lovely.

With Chris&Christine and Citygal

We were too full to try out their desserts. Will save it for out next visit, girls & guy?! :)

***

心若倦了泪也干了
这份深情难舍难了
曾经拥有天荒地老
已不见你幕幕与朝朝

xin ruo juan liao, lei ye gan liao
zhe fen shen qing, nan she nan liao
ceng jing yong you, tian huang di lao
yi bu jian ni, mu mu qu chao chao

Ohhh, jazzy oldies are still in my mind now. Chinese oldies are pretty, aren't they??? ♥

Ristretto Cafe
Unit 3A @ 10 Mont Kiara,
Jalan Kiara 1, Mont Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.
http://ristretto.com.my
Business hours:
Open daily from 9am to 11.30pm

Marina Bay Sands, SkyPark, The Shoppe @ Singapore - Day & Night

2011-08-02T12:20:00.001+08:00

Remember I told you guys I had a homestay with aunt and family?! Well, I was lucky as my aunt brought us to Marina Bay Sands and had a night stay over there. Woo hooo......

I am sure you must have heard so much about this mega structure; need no further introduction, allow me to use the photos to do the talking.

The lobby

Hallway

I was over excited to have a room fronting the fabulous view of Marina Bay. Trust me; you would rather stay in the room all night, mesmerizing the view of Marina Bay

Marina Bay Sands is the largest hotel in Singapore; with 2561 rooms and suites spread over three towers at the height of 55 floors. There are a total of 18 different types of room for you to choose from.

With very spacious corridor and a wide and huge full length mirror on the left once you entered the room. Those who love camwhore with love the mirror a lot :P

The spacious room with comfortable bed; the decorations were simple and elegant. And tell you what, the curtains was very fun to play with because they were electrical curtains! With just a touch, you can have the sheer curtains and the heavy curtains open or close.

Very very very very very very spacious max bathroom! This is just the bath tub section. There were individual units for toilet and rain shower.

My brother and his bed.

They were actually enjoyed having fun in this huge bathroom

During the day;

The fabulous view of Marina Bay

Do note that there are rooms facing the views of the main Marina Bay and also the Sea on the opposite side. do let them know which type of room you prefer upon check in.

Let's Move Up, shall we???

The 55 storeys hotel towers, connected by the sky terrace on the roof - SkyPark

The 150 meter infinity swimming pool which is the world's largest outdoor pool at that height.

However, only the hotel guests can use this facility (and unlimited access to the SkyPark). Well, the public will be able to access and view part of the swimming pool.

One bad thing, the water was freezing cold

Jacuzzi; you (hotel guests) can just sit in, and enjoy the view :)

To the deck

At the deck

with my Brother

Singapore Flyer during the day

Bored with the day view, you can do some shopping or window shopping at the shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Mall, or catch a play in the theater, visit to the ArtScience Museum...

or skate here! And my most enjoyable moment in the mall was to watch people trying their luck in the casino.

Fancy a boat ride?!

SkyPark seems to be more happening at night.

Singapore Flyer during the night

Lights up!!!

Sigh... I missed the Wonder Full Show. :(

The Esplanade

The night is soooooooooooo beautiful, isn't it???

Love you, Auntie C. ♥

SkyPark
Operating hours:
Monday to Thursday 10am to 10pm
Friday to Sunday 10am to 11pm

Ticket Price:
Sgd 20 for adult
Sgd 14 for Children (ages between 2 - 12 years old)
Sgd 17 for senior citizens (aged 65 years old and above)

Su's Cakes for Kicks @ Fahrenheit88

2011-07-30T17:46:00.001+08:00

Yay! Tea Time!!!

I settled myself at Su's Cakes for Kicks while waiting for the parents to do their shopping.
Digging into a piece of cheese cake and sipping away the hot caffeine drink.
If only the place has better privacy setting, I would stay here all afternoon with a magazine / book with me.

Cappuccino (RM 7.50)

There was only a number selection of cheese cakes available on that Sunday. No sight of baked cheese cake and there were only chilled cheese cake and cookies. Therefore, I chose to have Dark Chocolate Cheese Cake (RM 8). It was made with imported Belgian dark chocolate that smoothly blended with cheese; rested on the Oreo cookies base and final touched with glossy chocolate cream topping. Neither too bitter nor too sweet. Just right to go with a cuppa.

Su's Cakes for Kicks started as home-based cake bakery back in 2004. We can now enjoy her tantalizing homemade cakes in Fahrenheit88 and now, she has opened a small collection depot at Lorong Kurau, Bangsar.

Happy Weekend~ :)

Su's Cakes for Kicks
Fahrenheit 88
Jalan Bukit Bintang
http://www.cakesforkicks.com

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U.d.d.e.r.s Ice Cream @ Singapore

2011-07-28T08:43:00.001+08:00

What's for SUPPER?!

scream for ICE CREAM!!!

Harrr??? Not fattening meh?! You may ask

Yes, it may be fattening, but how could you resist having one when everyone is queuing for it???

Seriously, when I got there at about 11PM, the queue was really long; the place was crowded and there wasn't any vacant table available.

Ground floor and first floor were packed with youngsters. I was begging in heart, please gimme a table for 4; I came from far (ie KL), die die also must try out this famous Singapore homemade ice cream.

Thankfully I did not have to wait for long :)

Udders is Singapore homegrown ice cream. It is famous for the "adult" ice cream or the liqueur-ed ice cream.

There was this huge chalk board on the wall, scribbled with all flavours.
What's that for?!

It is not the menu but a kind of voting system. On the board is a list of suggestion of flavour to be experimented; patrons can note down the flavour they wish to turn them into reality or vote the existing one using the colourful chalk.

Hmmm, Ham & Cheese flavour; hotcakes & butter flavour; Apple pie flavour... I wish they all turn real.

There are 3 categories on the flavours - liqueur, Asian-inspired, and cosmopolitan. On the liqueur category, you may find rum-rum raisin, wineberries, martini and even choya umeshu sorbet. Chocolate, Snickers mars, earl grey fall into Cosmopolitan category. If you love some explosive flavour, try gila Melaka, D24 durian or even Mao Shan Wang Durian (King of cat mountain durian) that fall in Asian-inspired category.

Strawberry Fields and Orange Choc Bitters.
Strawberry Fields is made with fresh strawberry while Orange Choc Bitters is the dark and bitter Belgian chocolate spiced with orange liqueur - Triple Sec.

Bailey's & Bourbon and Awesomely Chocolate. Both fall into the premium range.
Bailey's & Bourbon is the Bailey's Irish cream combined with Bourbon while Awesomely Chocolate is blended from 2 dark chocolates plus dark chocolate shavings to create the rich chocolate flavour.

I love all the flavours I tried; rich in flavour and creamy in texture.

This is really an interesting ice cream place, with innovative flavours coming out from time to time. And of course, some flavours will go retire too (discontinue)

Singaporeans love desserts a lot, guess they love hiding in here most of the time. See, opens till late (1AM) on weekend and eve of public holiday :)

U.d.d.e.r.s (Siglap)
87 Upper East Coast Road
Singapore 445223
Tel: +65 6448 8732