Siu~V

when darren met polly

2012-02-10T10:29:00.002+08:00

When Aunty Polly came to visit cheeky Darren...

Till they meet again ...

darren - random...

2012-02-01T16:26:00.002+08:00

Darren welcomes visitors now :)

He's so young now, he's oblivious to whoever's carrying him. As long as he is being cuddled and feels the warmth, he is one happy tot.

Lovely gifts from baby's Uncle Jason and Auntie Millie ...

An AWESoMe pressie from his Uncle Victor and Auntie Irene...

It's too big for Darren to put on now but his daddy sure can't wait for the day he and his son parades around with their jerseys. (what about my jersey leh?)

Baby is known to have big eyes so we are constantly on the lookout, standing by with the cam cam.
Here are some eye-catching moments when....

Baby's eyes were BIG,

BiGGER...

and....

get ready....

...BIGGEST!!!

* dun worry, no baby was harmed during any of these photo shoots. i promise. :D

CCP birthday do at Tery Pork

2012-01-28T15:46:00.001+08:00

Nestled somewhere inside Pusat Komersial Southgate is this little cafe that specialises in P-O-R-K.

When i say 'little', i mean it literally. This here is about the entire dining area of this outlet.

You can find lots of piggy decor and ornaments around this cafe. It was tempting to bring one of these little fellas home with me. :p

Then there was also this big fat fella.

A group of us were there on 3rd Jan, thanks to the request of 'Celebrity of the Day', Choy Phyll. She is generally a pork lover and recently discovered her new found love for pigs at this cafe.

With the exception of a few chicken meals, everything else on the menu spells and smells P-O-R-K.

Even though that's only one particular meat, but believe me, making your choice of order is not easy, especially for a first-timer like me. Each dish is unique and creatively prepared - so much so that you have to use your imagination to distinguish and select your desired part of a pig - loin/ belly/ steak/ shoulder/ rib...??

As usual, it is SO customary to take photos..

...and more photos while waiting for our food to arrive.

Jac acting cutesy....could improve on that snout though. hehe

FOOD time!
Here're the orders that i managed to snap a photo of (with help from Yin!). Unfortunately i lost the receipt so these dishes are gonna be nameless. Nevertheless, just the visual impact of these dishes should be torturing enough to make your mouth water.

omg, check out the egg yolk!!

The above 2 dishes came with this special tasty chili concoction.

Below is my order of Pork Shoulder Steak in Black Pepper. Yummeh! Do not underestimate the size of this piece of meat. I was stuffed after finishing the entire piece. Loved it - very tender and flavorsome!

More dishes...

RIBS!!!

Who'd knew pork on pizza can go so well together!

A peek into the kitchen that managed to whip up a sumptuous unforgettable meal for all 17 of us! It was nice of the waitress to upfront apologize on a slight delay in getting everyone's food out at the same time due to the high volume of orders.

love-birds......chirp chirp..

Choy Phyll and her signature smile from ear-to-ear, all ready to dive into her Mango Cheesecake.

All the leng chais and leng lois who turned up for Choy Phyll's porky birthday bash!

Spot the difference!
This was actually our attempt for everyone to make a piggy look - failed! lol..i like the birthday girl's expression though.
I hope i speak for everyone when i say the food here is truly of top quality and flavours, at reasonable prices too. Thanks Choy Phyll, for letting us bring you here! So, were we the largest turnout yet to celebrate your birthday with you? heehee.

Very nice Mango Cheesecake from Lavender - ideal if you're looking for something cheesy but not too rich.

Before calling it a night, my buddy Fong wanted to snap a picture with my big belly.
She must have heard baby telling her some good news - because i delivered my baby just 3 days later.

For a porky-ful time, i would recommend this place to all who can take pork. :P

Add : C-1-6, Level 1, Block C, Pusat Komersial Southgate,
No 2, Jalan Dua, off Jalan Chan Sow Lin,
55200, KL
Tel : 03-9226 0216

Oink!

darren (random)

2012-01-19T20:37:00.000+08:00

I feel so much more a grown-up now, with this little bundle in my life now. Stuff on parenting that i used to only read in books, watch on tv or hear from my friends, i am actually experiencing myself now. It's scary at times (like when i feel helpless and lost towards Darren's persistent cries), but touching as well (like when i missed Darren's cries in the middle of the night when he was admitted into hospital for jaundice recently).

Of course i can't thank my parents, in laws and hubby enough for their devoted help attending to Darren and me. The way hubby cheers me on whenever i succeed in pumping a higher mark, is simply hilarious.

I've got loving mothers preparing me simple yet yum-meh 'confinement' meals.

On a different note, Darren is starting to get chubbier cheeks. He's still getting used to being bathed - i love messing up his hair after a nice refreshing shampoo. So much hair to play with - only 2 weeks old but already needing a hair cut. hehe.

Our fave daily pastime is to discover and laugh ourselves silly at the different facial expressions of Darren. Er, does that make us bad parents ah, laughing at our own kid... ?

eg, Darren and his funny sleeping positions...

His 'tauke besar' pose...

Darren's a kid of a million faces. I just have to make sure the camera's within reach.

Like father, like son. hehe...

dried

2012-01-17T18:09:00.001+08:00

Thought this was some dried-up baby lizard.

Turned out to be Darren's cord which finally dropped off today - he is 12 days young today. =_=

It's kept in a safe place now so i can show it to Darren one fine day. That is, provided it doesn't shrink to nothing by then.

what completes us .....

2012-01-14T18:56:00.005+08:00

FINALLY.

The stork came early to deliver us our precious one on Friday 6 Jan 2012, right before midnight.

And already he looks like he needs a haircut as soon as he was born. ^.^

Photo courtesy of Moon ~.~

I'm very touched by all who came to pay me a visit at the hospital.
You guys are great!

Meet our new bolster. Baby looks pretty long too.

Baby is back home and he sleeps a lot. Nevertheless he really does know how to keep his mum busy come feeding time.

Baby occasionally plays with his grandma. He's got real proud grandparents. :P

His Daddy's new favourite pastime is burping baby after his feed... and checking for soiled diapers.

Baby : "Daddy puts me in this weird position when he wants me to burp, but i'm kinda liking it. Plus it makes me look cute in photos".

Only 1 week old and baby has started practising this 'signature look' that'll make the girls swoon over him.

Runs in the family...eh~hem.

OK, THIS look ain't gonna get him any chick though.
Baby looks frustrated when he doesn't get his feed on time.

And when baby has just pooped or made a wee-wee.....oh~oh, all hell breaks loose...

Baby goes 'O....O...o' when he needs to suck on 'something' (that only mummy has) badddd......

After a good sufficient feed, baby has a jolly belly and is happy. tee~hee.

Daddy likes to play with baby cheeks and is always trying to get new facial expressions out of him.
I think baby has a dimple...gotta check further and keep blog posted. :P

A simple gesture shows the priceless bond between mother and child.

World, say 'Hello' to Lim Darren.

birthday do . . . Yin at Morganfield's

2011-12-31T19:09:00.000+08:00

My bestie Yin is also a December baby, like me. So, what better way to celebrate than to bring her to the home of sticky bones! It's got a nice ambience too. There's been way too much publicity about this place (positive reviews so far), it was also the perfect time for me to try it out myself.

My belly became the centre of attention in this photo with Yin.

A bit blurry but so candid, me likey.... lol

with Jin and Yin.

Look who else made it!

Taking more photos before our meal arrived!

For starters, we had Sauteed Mushrooms (RM 12.90).

For the same price, you could also have a Virgin Apple Mojito (RM 12.90)

The Strawberry and Mint Lassie (RM 14.90) looked more like a Carrot Milk Frostie.

For the health conscious, there's the Chicken Caesar Salad (RM 17.90)

Noteworthy Lamb Chops (RM 49.90) as ordered by the birthday gal.

Ribeye Steak (RM 49.90) - meaty and goooood!!

If you're guessing French Toast?, guess again...This is Cordon Bleu (RM 24.90). Conclusion : Secret Recipe has a better version of this.

BBQ Chicken (RM 26.90) - half a chicken that's real tender and marinated to perfection. How come i know? Coz i ordered this!

Special House Burger (RM 23.90) - dear likes his burgers to come with bacon and this one takes the cake! Well worth the money paid for.

The STAR of the night (apart from Yin of course!).................Jim Bean Baby Back Ribs (RM 63.90 - promo price). This ain't their usual House Ribs but we decided to try this as it came highly recommended. Baby Back Ribs are a tad smaller in size but boy oh boy, were they the most tender ribs i've ever tasted! One little nudge and the meat would fall off its bones faster than you can say 'oops'.

It was all in all a very enjoyable night!! Nothing beats good food and great company! Hope Yin had a blast too!

Oh ya, bring your Std Chartered ct card to Morganfield's to enjoy a 15% discount off the bill.

Till my next visit, i'll just dream of those sticky bones. Damn those ribs.

birthday makan

2011-12-26T12:38:00.000+08:00

Recognise this place?

It's one of my all-time fave dining places, Italiannies! I only wish they'd open more outlets nearby - the nearest to me being the one at The Gardens. :(
So what do i love about Italiannies?

EVERYTHING!!

From its complimentary olive-oil and vinegar soaked herb bread, to the rustic interior of this place, i have loved every single item i've ever ordered from its menu. Including during my last visit there on my birthday recently.

Bruschetta with tomatoes, capers, cheese and pesto sauce (RM 15) - so crispy and rich with tomatoes

Minestrone - part of their Set Lunch at only RM 15.90 (very tomatoe-y and soothing)

Pasta Carbonara with beef bacon and mushrooms - part of their Set Lunch ( pasta and sauce of just the right consistency)

And MY main course - Seafood Risotto, which i loveeeeeeeed to the last grain of risotto. Not dear's cup of tea though, but then again, a good risotto is all about mushy creamy rice, a result of slow-cooking it in broth. The fresh clams, mussels, prawns and fish that came with it were cooked to perfection too! Boy, i'm drooling just thinking about it now.

Seafood Risotto (RM 32)

My glutton side would have wanted to order more food (!) but my belly was telling me, "there ain't no more space in here!"

"There goes my one-month lunch allowance....(whimper)"

With such inspirational words like "Eat Well, Live Long", how can i not come back here time and time again?

Thanks dear for i've thoroughly enjoyed my time here. Though i skipped dessert this year, i'll be sure to get 2 portions of dessert next year!

A modest and yet splendid way to end the year with my loved ones and my loved gifts!!

Here's to 1,500 more new recipes to add to my collection! ^.^

happily ever after ... jit kai and valen

2011-12-23T23:25:00.000+08:00

One more wedding before the year end - colleague Jit Kai and Valen's, held recently at Imbi Palace. Not a bad idea at all to be seated right at the main entrance, so I could see every single person who walked in.

Despite only having tried the dim sum in this restaurant years ago, i was expecting a memorable dinner too after all the promising reviews about this place.

True enough, dinner was not a let-down. :-P

The smiling duck dish....

Even the desserts were yummeh! Had to forgo the mochi though...

A very rare reunion of the 3 God of Food! You can tell by their size who's the godfather, master and apprentice.

In fact, it's a privilege to have your photo taken with them!

Is Moon drooling coz he has the IT man Mr Adrian Tan's arms around him?
Nah it's just a lighting problem.

Cheers to the happy couple!!

One for the album!

Congrats and have a great marriage ahead!

sentiments of 2011...

2011-12-20T13:20:00.005+08:00

I woke up today feeling somewhat sentimental over how fast 2011 has gone by and how i have grown from the good and the bad of things that have happened this year. BUT, since this is my blog of happy things and thoughts, i shall drown all negativity and look forward to more joy, peace and the movie 'The Avengers' in 2012!

Here are my best memories of 2011 :-

I got my new toy, which may not be the brand of a certain fruit, but it sure is the best deal around if you're looking for an affordable hp with GPS function.

I said bye bye to my old work station...

...as i moved into a new 'old' office just 2 doors away. Sure, my desk may not be as neat now as it looks here, but at least i've got a view of the jam-packed Jln Raja Chulan outside my window. Not to mention, the occasional blank stares of the white-washed wall whenever i look up from my computer monitor. Very inspirational at times, i must say.

We said bye bye to our trusty old Saga (hanky, marky?)....

...and got in a brand new City, fit for the city! New year resolution for City baby - more regular washes and scrubs for you to keep you sparkling white, promise! ;)

Visited and marveled at the awesome Marina Bay Sands, Spore for the very first time when attending a friend's wedding in Spore.

Discovered the wonders of Herbalife drink and started taking it regularly, moreso after discovering that my in-laws are taking it too. Said byebye to constipation troubles! hehe

One of the joys in life was when my good buddy Agnes gave birth to little Theng Theng. Both daddy and mummy never looked happier with the arrival of their cutie pie.

Another joy in my life comes in the form of F-O-O-D! And i give credit to these 2 guys for the most rewarding discoveries i made this year - the best tandoori chicken (drumstick!) and naan (butter!) in Ampang.

And to my bro-in-law Jason, for introducing me to Jeff Lee's Kitchen (Sg Buloh) for the best Chinese dishes at very reasonable prices!

I'm also grateful to my uncle Richard for my very first Raptor Watch organised by the Msia Nature Society. I had a jolly good time with a bunch of nature lover buddies....

....even though we ended the day with no raptors in sight.

One of my boldest move in 2011 was plucking enough courage to have my wisdom tooth surgically removed. Paid such a hefty bill, it made my tooth ache even more. Nevertheless, glad that Doc did a good job. By the way, it's one bloody tooth broken into two below.

Who says parents and in-laws hardly get along together? If you want to prove a point, just put them together on a plane and send them to a foreign country (like Beijing) where they have no one else but each other! lol...(i hope they dun kill me when they see this)

I'm glad i returned to Pulau Redang after umpteen years with the company of friends so siao, they really can brighten anyone's day! Coincidentally, instead of attempting for a NZ baby (end of 2010), i think we might have made a Redang baby instead.... tee~hee...

..for i found out i was preggers in May! Does this mean my baby loves the beach and sea?

I also attended my very first Raya open house in Melaka, organised by the Yg Dipertua Negeri Melaka. It's been a long wait but worth all the Raya goodies and delicious Malay delicacies i could stuff into my growing belly.

As Daddy turned 70 years old, he bought us a very nice birthday dinner at the same restaurant where my wedding dinner was held. Stay forever young and healthy, deh!

I finally became an aunty in June as my nephew Dave came into our world.

Last but not least, I'm grateful for my loved ones surrounding me. Colleagues and family who mean the world to me. I am so touched with friends, whom knowing that i gotta avoid sugary food, would go to the extent of getting me birthday cartoon jellies + lamb pie instead. Talk about creativity! lol.

and just last night, it was my first time having 23 friends sing me a birthday song!

So Happy Birthday to me today...

and thank you, 2011 for the best gift of all....... little baby Darren! ^.^

happily ever after .... Chee Foong & Lydia

2011-12-17T22:08:00.001+08:00

This is the season of weddings and we've been looking forward to the long-awaited union of Chee Foong (whose 'stage' name was Sean that night) and Lydia.

It was my first time at Ah Yat Abalone Forum Restaurant, Avenue K. Why they call this a 'forum' is beyond me. ;P

Flipping through the pages of the looooooooooove album.....

This one's my fave pic of all! Simply too adorable!

2 good friends welcoming their latest member into marriage-hood!

What struck me as i walked into the dining area was the red-ness of the whole place! Very 'ong' ah!

Dinner that night started off with juicy roasted suckling pig! MMMMMM.......

Even had time to take a picture of the wedding cake on the stage. Why?

Coz it was the first time i became the first person to be seated in a wedding dinner! So there was plenty of free time for me to take pictures and poke my nose around... hehe

It was a whole lot more fun with the arrival of the leng-lois...

...who all wanted to take photo with the preggy one...See, they're rubbing my tummy for good luck!

Photo time!

Overall the food was nice and became even nicer when it came to dish number 3 - the Abalone dish!

I was more captivated by the GIANT mushroom i had on my plate!

I bet the desserts were damn sedap too, though i could only imagine how they tasted, in my head! bummer...

Time to give cheers to the happy couple!

This is a photo where the glasses ended up getting more attention than the people. It wasn't easy getting a clear shot amidst the clanking of a million glasses....

...until i then got this shot!
Now, THIS is how one should scream his lungs out during a yam-seng session. No joke.

To end one heck of an eventful night, the boys...

...and the girls parade it out for keepsake.

Congratulations to you guys for taking this next step and Happy Forever!!

dave at random

2011-12-12T22:59:00.002+08:00

Dad sent over some photos (really random ones) of their recent trip to Universal Studios S'pore with Millie, Jason, Victor, Irene and little Dave. The pics taken were just too cute not to put up here....

This is the funniest i've ever seen my mum pose...way to go, mum!

The most wanted man on a hot Sunday!

Highlight of the trip - cutie-pie Dave definitely! lol, he still has dat Gerrard-look..

He certainly knows how to put the biggest smile on his grandparents' faces!

Love!

ahoy pirate!

2011-12-11T16:25:00.001+08:00

Friday was Treasure Hunt day in my office, an event i would have loved to participate in if i wasn't preggy. :p Anyway, it was a 'Pirates Theme' that day, so i was working amongst people playing dress-up.

Moon was looking more like Sinbad than a pirate.

His moustache did give me a fright though. haha.

But most of all, i think Derek here takes the cake for being bold enough to dress up like this and then walked out to tapao lunch!

Hope you enjoyed the pics above just for fun!

baby's blessing

2011-12-07T22:27:00.001+08:00

So the other day, i paid a visit to my gynae.

hey look, it's my gynae...

He was explaining to me about my delivery method options, providing me a complete breakdown of the medical costs and all. It was a real thorough breakdown, in terms of consultation fees, medication charges, procedures, admin fees, etc. From what i recall, he mentioned that a natural delivery would come up to a total cost of RM 4,085. Wow, that's pretty costly, I thought, vividly remembering that a few months back, he proclaimed the cost to be around RM 3,000.

Nevertheless, there wasn't much time for me to react as shortly after,... i woke up. =.=

Casually, i recited my dream to hubby, who then instinctively decided to try his luck at lottery (since there was a specific 4-digit number in my dream). oh-kayyy, why not, i thought. Just for the fun of it. Let's see what they say about dreaming winning numbers....

We took the humble approach and took up a minimum bet.

Guess what the winning numbers turned out to be today......

he-he-he...what a pleasant surprise indeed.

Though our winnings were a mere RM 60, i'd like to think of this as baby's first gift to mummy and daddy as our bundle of joy celebrates his 33rd week with us.

Yup, i'm THIS huge now as lil one's getting bigger and bigger day by day.

Can never get enough of his kicks and punches though.

At least i know he's getting more exercise than me. >.<

shuang lim for assam pedas

2011-12-05T21:59:00.001+08:00

Traveling to Muar one day, we decided to try one of this small town's famous dishes, Ikan Asam Pedas (Fish in Tamarind Sauce and Chilli Paste). The highly recommended place being this one - Restoran Dauble Lim. Hmm, not too sure if it was intentionally spelled this way, as its other name is Restoran Shuang Lim.

Nevertheless, we arrived quite late and despite being the only ones there, we were thankful they were still opened. :)

So, what's the big deal about their Assam Fish? Not much to shout about really, except for their really fresh fish (Muar is a fishing village). We got the fish head (less meaty) drowned in more sauce than you can ever ask for. It wasn't too spicy nor too sour, perfect for lapping up an entire plate of hot piping white rice.
I do wish they would throw in some vegetables in the sauce, though. Some ladies finger or long beans perhaps? mmm, makes me miss my mummy's version of assam pedas.

RM 18.50

Their Sambal Squid tasted as appetising as it looks. And HOT too!

RM 8.00

We ordered a small serving of Stir fried Lala with Cili Padi for kicks and turns out, the size of the lala meat came in size 'small' too.

RM 8.00

Nothing like a fluffy Fried Omelette to please everyone's tastebuds.

RM 6.00

And my fave vege - Belacan Kangkung!

RM 5.00

Lunch came up to RM 54 for 4 pax. Just goes to show that small towns are starting to charge heftier prices nowadays. hehe. But all in all, still a decent meal for a family or friends get together... (boy, i miss the kangkung...)

Restoran Shuang Lim
30-2, Jln Abd Rahman,
84000, Muar, Johor.

Tel : 017-630 7166

stem cell banking for the lil one

2011-11-27T23:19:00.001+08:00

As a parent-to-be, one of the issues one might ponder over is cord blood stem cell banking. For the price those stem cell banks are charging nowadays, it's no wonder one has to carefully think it over before investing in this so-called 'luxury'. And you've only got one chance to get it - during the birth of the baby, where blood from the umbilical cord (which is super rich with baby's stem cells) is drained and cryopreserved at approximately -190Celsius in a 'bank' - a proper facility which you had better pray doesn't go bankrupt along with your baby cells.

We read about these stem cells being a possible cure for chronic diseases like certain cancers, heart diseases, blood-related disorders, diabetes or even neurological diseases (...promising..) but how developed is our country's medical R&D in applying this technology when it's necessary.. (...doubtful...)?

So many other questions I could think of, but seriously, I've read about this technology before, and after some Internet research on it, something struck my awareness chord that this was the way to go.

The health benefits of these stem cells could benefit not only the child himself, but possibly his siblings or even parents. If there is even a remote chance that it might help the public, why not.

It's an investment for my family's future anyway and i'm hoping that perhaps 5 or 10 years down the road, researchers will discover more about the fascinating stem cell.

Hence, we have signed up a promotional package with StemTech International. They may not be the leading player in the stem cell market but it was their friendly service and detailed explanation that won our hearts over. Plus they were a subsidiary of TMC Group (listed co) and is in collaboration with Tropicana Medical Centre.

The price?
For a duration of 21 years, baby's stem cells will be stored in their deep-freeze storage facility - all for a price of about RM 4,100.

On top of that, we got various beauty vouchers as well as free medical check-ups... Sweet.

SO, there you go. Despite my gynae's non-encouragement towards the investment of stem-cells, we have decided go ahead and take advantage of this technology. At least it gives us a peace of mind if ever our family is faced with any medical challenges, this serves as an additional treatment option available to us. ;-D

On a different note, i also just noticed that i'm starting to experience numbness and stiffness in my finger joints and left wrist, moreso when i'm asleep, where hands movement are limited. Oh oh, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome alert! Is it normal??!

I probably need to exercise my fingers by typing on the keyboard more often.
Oh, and thank God Doc told me to remove my wedding band.....my fingers are also beginning to swell.....!

and my feet too!!

(ooh, Can you see the popping veins on my feet?)...Varicose Veins alert!!
My feet looks like the world map now.

'Ben's General Food Store'...aint for grocery shopping

2011-11-21T22:36:00.001+08:00

Several moons ago (by that, i mean many many months ago), hubby brought me to 'Ben's'. Not the usual posh, dim-lit 'Ben's' that i know in KLCC and Pavi, but this one's much more cheery, with a vintage old-school feel once you stepped in...and with a name like 'Ben's General Food Store', which i found to be real artsy and authentic!

Even the menu's in the exact same design and font as Ben's.

Being a repeat customer, hubby knew exactly what to order - starting off with their signature Nutella Milkshake. With all the good stuff like nutella, hazelnuts, milk and vanilla ice cream thrown in and blended together, who can ever say 'NAAAAAH..' to that eh?!

One thing i love about this place is its fire-wood pizzas, reasonably priced and good enough a serving for two! Just pay RM 8 more than what you pay for a milkshake...lol.
I chose the Salsiccia, which is pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan and spicy lamb sausages!! Seriously, we took the longest time deciding on our pizza coz they all seemed sooo gooood! Well, maybe not the one they call 'Breakfast Pizza' coz i'd prefer my Western Breakfast served on a plate rather than a piece of flattened dough.

Finally, we wanted some greens to go with our meal and opted for the infamous Caesar Salad. Safe choice maybe, but hey, at least their version has something called gruyere crisps, which i was curious to try.

This is the store's cafeteria-like setting.

So cool eh? Mostly came in pairs or small groups of four, so sitting in this sort of arrangement was indeed refreshing. Plus, with your stranger neighbour so close by, you can literally count the pizza crumbs on his plate.

Don't forget to ask for your free drink of plain water. Such a resourceful and hygienic way of serving it. *applause*

Caesar : "I may be served small but i come freshly plucked from the garden with just the right amount of dressing on me. I guarantee you will fall in love with my sidekicks, Ms Eggy, Mr Beef Bacon and Master Gruyere"

Nutella : "I may look bland and my color, pale...but just one sip, and you'll start doing flips"

Salsiccia : "They say less is more...Take their word for it coz I'm here to prove it!"

And i'm here to show it!

Eating your gruyere crisp is like eating a piece of honeycomb cheese. We had to fight to see who gets the last piece of gruyere!

erm, those who know me well would know why i just had to take a photo of this upside down pizza base...singing "i'm loving it"...

And my last piece of photo is the salad counter....perhaps when i drop by Bangsar Village next time, i'll drop by and choose my fave salad to take away... :P

A highly recommended place to try out, guys! Just hope you get more hits than misses when you dine here next. ^>^

Bangsar Village I,
G17 & G18, Ground Floor,
No 1, Jalan Telawi Satu Bangsar Baru,
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2284 8790
Website: http://www.thebiggroup.co/

Opening times: Open daily, 10.30am-10.30pm

happily ever after.... Corvea and Martin

2011-11-13T18:35:00.001+08:00

Yesterday night was the perfect setting in the grand halls of Xin Cuisine, Concorde Hotel,

where two lovebirds celebrated their marital union with loved ones.

Now these two hardly qualify as a pair of lovebirds.

While i feasted on a sumptuous 8-course dinner (which included Steamed Cod Fish!!),

it was nice meeting up with friends, old...

..and current.

But no one beats the glowing bride who was looking like a million bucks the entire night!

Here's a toast to Corvea and Martin for a long lasting happy relationship.

Hope you get a lil' one really really soon!! ^.^

can't get enuf of dave!

2011-11-11T22:20:00.001+08:00

This is my nephew Dave on his day of birth.

And this is Dave 4 months later.

"How cute am i..!!"

Dave got to meet his aunty Sylvia (me!) and uncle Mark for the very first time in S'pore last month.

No one can deny the unconditional love and joy on the faces of the grandparents...

Come to think of it, Dave looks a lot like his Daddy when he was young.
Daddy celebrated his birthday recently with his very-clueless-looking bundle of joy by his side.

Dave has started learning to turn over and he must be super loving it coz he's always smiling and giggling when he's lying stomach down.

Here's some awesome photos that'll make you go all goo-goo gaa-gaa......

I was desperately trying to make him giggle....not sure if tickling his chin helps..

yey, i did it!

Dave's impression of driving an F1 car....

tee~heeeeee

Dave's eyes remind me of a certain England footballer.......guess which one..!

...especially the eye brows! Any idea who.....??

.........STEVIE G!!!......

Nevertheless, with a face like this...

other female toddlers who see him also M-E-L-T!!!!!

tony roma's at jln yap kwan seng

2011-11-09T22:50:00.005+08:00

Dinner today was at Tony Roma's along Jln Yap Kwan Seng. Parking was free so me likey...

Dear ordered their specialty - Beef Short Ribs (RM 58.90).

My first time watching him finish all the bell peppers on his plate. (impressed)
Ribs were soft and tender - not that you can see them, covered underneath all those pepper strips. hehe.

No, i did not just have fries and onion rings....

They call this dish the Fiery Cajun Chicken Sandwich (RM 19.90).
Well, I'm still searching for the 'fiery' part of my grilled chicken breast.
My side companion was a lovely cup of Creamy Pumpkin Soup. Now, THAT's a first for me.

*burp* ....

baby bluezzz...

2011-11-07T13:12:00.001+08:00

Let's see...i'm 28 weeks into my pregnancy and it just dawned upon me that i've still got tons to do before i can actually welcome a little one into our home!
I've been having very detailed vivid dreams every night and last night was no exception as i dreamt i was on a 4D 3N holiday in a resort in Perak. And can you imagine how busy my brain was the entire night as i actually played out every single activity i did during my 4D 3N there. See what i mean by 'detailed' dream?! The last thing i could remember from my dream was my ex classmate (whom i've not seen in ages), Peggy asking me to buy her a bag of fish ball from Perak when i get home.. (???)

Some nights, i would dream of my 50+ yr-old male gynae nagging me on my diet intake and sugar level, leaving me feeling depressed and guilty. Nevertheless, i take that as my sub-conscious mind reminding me to see what i eat, not eat what i see.

Some dreams absolutely amaze even myself for its potential to be a movie blockbuster, like when the storyline gets really sci-fi and complex - some sort like the movie Inception! maybe even better! i would wake up feeling super excited, wishing i could tell my dream to a scriptwriter and turn it into an Oscar-worthy epic!
Would want to think perhaps the little one was channeling his creative juices through me! lol.

'Cept for the dreams, i've been sleeping well (thank god!) especially since i've recently discovered that sleeping on my left side was a much more comforting position for me. Like what they say on the Internet, this helps reduce the pressure on my liver (which is on my right side) and promotes the best blood flow for the heart, fetus and uterus. As for leg cramps, have only experienced them twice (so far) on my right calf so no biggie about that. As for frequent night urination, i've got dear hubby to wake me up every night for the much needed toilet wee-wees... tee~hee.

Now back to my baby blues, when i woke up this morning of Raya Haji, something told me to compile a checklist of things to pack in a labour bag...and so i did.
May be too soon to think of it now, but looking at the list i came up with, it may not be such a bad idea to start preparing for it now!

If you think that list was longer than any grocery list you've ever seen, then wait till i got on to the even bigger stuff - a checklist of stuff to get for a newborn. As i got by, the list just got longer and longer and what you see below is only one of the many pages of my 'Notes'.

Time for me to clear up some storage space in my store room. Not to mention, hope these items don't clear up my wallet too much too! :op

claypotfun for fun times

2011-11-05T23:35:00.000+08:00

It was my bro's birthday, so he brought us to this place so we could buy him dinner - 'Claypotfun' in East Coast Parkway, Playground @ Big Splash, S'pore. A place that serves none other than good Cantonese-style claypot rice, or so my bro claims. Hmm, we'll see.

The interior looks like another kopitiam, but the moment we entered the shop, the aroma of claypot rice was just too much for our salivating taste buds.

After much deliberation over the menu, we settled on 2 dinner sets, featuring the following cowabunga! dishes :-

Crispy Fried Chicken Wings!!

Claypot Braised Pork Liver!

check out the amount of spring onion!

Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Fish - superb!

Sweet Sour Pork - tasty and crispy

Veggie dish

Soups for everyone!!

Main star of the dinner - Claypot Village Chicken with Sausage Rice

Very good i must say...the rice wasn't your typical black sauced type (sauce served separately) but eating it plain tasted so much better!

Co-star of the night - Claypot Pork Ribs with Black Bean Rice

ok ok ler...i still preferred the Chicken rice

We ordered so much, there wasn't enough room on the table!

Towards the end of dinner, something else caught my eye - humongous salted fish hanging in the kitchen!

Dinner came up to SD 125 for 6 adults + a toddler :D

How's that for a fabulous memorable night out with loved ones eh? :P

beware....

2011-11-01T22:32:00.000+08:00

......chEEky baby on the loose!!!

nephew dave at 2 mths old... =_=

good fried beehoon!!

2011-10-29T16:39:00.001+08:00

On my journey to JB recently, dear brought parents and i to this coffee-shop known as 'Sam-lao Mai Fun' (3rd storey beehoon). So there i was thinking to myself, what's the big deal about fried beehoon?

Wow, was i pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted - from the texture of the beehoon fried to perfection in taste and it wasn't too greasy either.

You can find a dish of this beehoon wonder on every customers' table, accompanied by other side dishes. We chose the simpler dishes such as stir fried french beans,

..'pai guat wong' (Emperor Pork Ribs) and

their signature Fried Tauhu with Mayo...crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. nice.

Everything tasted even better with their home made sambal belachan!

Not bad a meal for RM 46.50 for 4 pax. I would definitely want to drop by again next time i'm in JB. >o<

wedding : ai lin n chee seng

2011-10-26T22:34:00.002+08:00

I recently attended ex-colleague, Ai Lin's wedding dinner.

The location couldn't been better - Chong Fatt Restaurant in Genting Klang, less than 5 minutes drive from my condo. sweet...

Hence, my early arrival for the dinner. We got some early shots with the happy couple - Chee Seng and Ai Lin.

I must say, the food surpassed my expectations of this place.

I especially enjoyed the fresh steamed pomfret which came in a pair!

A favourite in any Chinese wedding dinner!

The steamed glutinous rice came in small packages and it tasted damn good!

Dessert!!

Here are more pictures of the night....

The AXA gang with Ai Lin...

Got these great shots from the wedding album...

Congrats!! Have a blissful life together, guys! ~.~

here we go again....

2011-10-16T15:57:00.003+08:00

Hair today...

...gone tomorrow!

boy, do i feel light-headed now....

more of dave

2011-10-14T22:25:00.000+08:00

Got the latest snaps of my little nephew Dave......

...who is now lookin awesomely hensem!!!

Especially like this photo of him at the clinic, looking so nervous waiting for his jab.

Can't wait to meet this little angel la...

departmental dinner 2011 - Shogun

2011-10-09T18:18:00.001+08:00

Planning our company's departmental dinners are always fun, as we all get to decide the best place to spend the RM 50 allocation per head. For so many years in a row, we've always gone for Japanese buffets, which i have no complaint at all. heehee.

This year was no exception as we chose to go to Shogun, Farenheit 88. For only RM 52.80 per pax (ok, so we exceeded the budget by just a teeny bit), they served all the sashimi and raw oysters that i could ~~have~~ NOT have in the world. Thank God the meal was free. What with my condition right now, you absolutely would not find me going for any Jap buffet if i have to pay for it myself. :P

These are my departmental colleagues with Boss sitting the furthest away on the far left.

Don't we look like one happy family! Too bad Qish, my other colleague was absent that night.

Boss (in the middle) with his right and left-hand men whom he frequently calls 'young man!'.

I'm glad we all had a great time that night, especially with the new recruits and additions into the department.

Here's to many more fun and memorable times together, Health Department!

'baby needs' ...

2011-09-28T23:00:00.000+08:00

Apart from a healthy balanced diet, here are my 10 'baby needs' ....

1. I've never heard of a maternity toothpaste before, but since i got this free, why not use it... :-P

2. My stretch mark lotion to keep my 'itching' days at bay. I switched from Pureen to Mothercare's UK imported cream (smells like sweet coconut) after i found the latter more effective.

3. Baby needs an occasional boost of bird's nest to replenish nutrients and for a fairer skin. Sorree, hubby doesn't get a share of this. ALL MINE!...muahahaha

4. A good friend recommended Elken's Dr Xeniji; a fruit and vege supplement fermented for >3 years in Japan, thus turning it into an enzyme catalyst. In short, it's nourishing for preggy mums and baby for a healthy metabolism. My most expensive companion (by far) these 9 months...almost 600 bucks a bottle!

5. Spirulina tablets - speaks for itself. No chemicals, all organic, hence it's safe for baby :o)

6. Doc introduced me to this DHA supplement to increase IQ (of the baby lo). Here's to another Einstein in the making? Stocked up on my supply from Caring Pharmacy after getting a great deal from them... RM 45/bottle.

7. Don't ever forget baby's daily intake of multivitamins to provide what your intake of food can't. I went from taking these little pink dolls to an iron pill called Sangobion.

8. Manuka honey is a wonderful and absolutely safe remedy for coughs and colds, or even when you feel a sore throat coming.

9. Another important baby need comes in the form of milk powder and i go for the Chocolate flavour.

10. Finally, once in a while, i can't help but crave for that cool taste of my fave carbonated drink...

(ok i admit, that's more like a 'mum wants')

Moon's Birthday at Suki-ya's

2011-09-25T12:20:00.001+08:00

Suki-ya "House of Hot-Pot" is not your regular kind of steamboat buffet restaurant. If ya looking to stuff yourself with tons and variety of meat, then this may not be to your ideal liking.

However, I personally enjoyed my time here recently and you will soon discover five reasons why i said so.

First of all, it's Japanese!! :-)

Now, to go to this restaurant, head over to the end of Tokyo Street in Pavilion (6th floor). It's right beside the Daisho store. We arrived early for dinner but the entire place was a full house later on in the night.

With a name like 'Healthy Bar', don't expect to find any greasy fatty food or high cholesterol seafood stacked up.

Instead, they've got clean, fresh crisp greens and a variety of mushroom, balls and noodles for your selection. Sorry i happen to be a vege freak. :-)

Also found some ready-made sushi rolls which turned out to be pretty good too.

Of course i didn't dine alone; i was with a bunch of buddies to celebrate Moon's birthday. Since us health underwriters called the shots, hence the decision to go h-e-a-l-t-h-y that night! (haha, sorree Jac)

Basically, this place only provides you 3 kinds of meat - chicken, beef (imported from Australia or so they claim) and lamb. All very thinly sliced (so they cook in no time), non-marinated (so you taste the freshness of it) and can be replenished till your belly's content! My fave was the lamb! :-)

Aaah..there's nothing like having quality steamboat in the company of great friends, in a non-sweaty environment. The thing i dislike about steamboat restaurants is when they still use gas stoves. Use electric hobs already!

For the same type of food, you can choose to either pay RM 29.80++ (for lunch) or RM 39.80++ (for dinner). A reasonable additional 10 bucks for more time to dine and mingle. Choose from their 3 types of soup base - shabu-shabu, sukiyaki and kimchi. While my fave was the sukiyaki (as it had more flavour to it right from the beginning), the kimchi was alarmingly too hot and spicy for my liking. One wrong slurp down the throat and you'll be ruining the rest of your dinner.

Jac with her swift cooking moves only took chicken and beancurd the entire night. apalah... =.=

From all the different sauces and condiments we got, their sambal belacan really got POWER!

Finally, the time came for dem girls to show Moon some birthday loveeeeee....

....guys included too.

THIS coming from his own manager...?!

But finally, his sweetheart takes the cake.... ><

Some other photos we took that night...My belly looks huge when standing up.

"Moon, you trying to style your hair like Tintin's?"

Hey, i can hide it sitting down.

My last fave of the night - their free flow of ice cream! :-) Shape it right from the ice-cream dispenser itself and top it off with all sorts. I love it that it's not too sweet, but i was too full, all i had was one cup. Note to self : next time, start off with the ice cream first.

Choy Phyll and her impression of .... erm, go figure...

One last photo before we say goodnight...

GOODNIGHT!

oh ya, i've got one last pic to post here just because it looks so damn cute....all 3 of dem!

just another cheesy article on pregnancy tips

2011-09-18T22:50:00.000+08:00

Talk about tips on getting pregnant, there are tons of write-ups on the Internet.

But, for the benefit of some of my fellow frens, here's MY own take on what works and what doesn't....at least for me that is :p :-

The numero uno of it - it's NOT all about the wife ... hubby plays a damn important role too!

For dem ladies, get a proper body check up (basic blood and urine test) which should definitely include a papsmear and ultrasound of abdomen and breast.

Just so u get a clean bill of health at the start of 'GO'. You know, make sure you got all the right props and utensils before you start 'baking' anything.

Number 2: It helps a great deal to strengthen your immune system at least six months before actually making any pregnancy plans. And in case you actually do get a bun in the oven, it makes it a whole lot easier to carry your baby through the crucial first trimester. I basically forced myself to a daily dosage of Elken's Spirulina and regular Herbalife drink.

(Not advertising anything here, just sharing :D)

Throw in some form of exercise (you and pardner, mind you) once or twice each week. I personally enjoyed hill climbing.

Number 3 : Cut down (and i mean REALLY cut down) on fried/ fatty food AND cold drinks. In my case, more often than not, that meant saying NO each time hubby picks up a can of Coke.

Number 4 : No smoking and no alcohol which may greatly affect fertility. No drugs too coz you never know when you are actually already preggy. Exactly the reason why i had to stay fit and healthy - to avoid popping pills. Plus it certainly wasn't easy refraining from picking up that glass of wine whenever i attended wedding dinners.

Here's something else i learnt from my dad -soy products like tofu actually lower a male's sperm count!

So, instead of your regular tau foo fa, guys, take Bio-Zinc instead to help produce healthy sperm.

Number 5 : I learnt from a few of my senior colleagues that Eu Yan Sang's 'Bak Foong Yuen' ( a Chinese herbal supplement) actually regulates my menstrual cycle, hence increasing my chances of conceiving. Well, no harm in trying (even if one dosage costs around RM 15...i took 3 a month). My cycle almost immediately became consistent, so much so that i was able to suspect something amiss when i was just one and a half

weeks late. So yup, you could say i took 'the test' and found out about my pregnancy pretty early.. (proud)

Number 6 : You've heard this over and over again but it really is so true that you do not stress yourselves out. In fact, you'll just be piling on unnecessary stress when you find that you still get your period after months and months of trying.

Go on a holiday together to de-stress.....so much for making an NZ baby; i think this could well have been a Redang baby. hehe.

Number 7 : 'Do it more' in order to 'make it once'. But not to the extent that you're participating in some kind of marathon...Be comfortable with your own pace and you wouldn't even need to bother with an ovulation calendar.

Reading stuff like the different sexual positions to aim for a boy or a girl, or how you should lift your legs in the air afterwards, all paint a truly hilarious picture. You're bound to try it at some point and after a while, just laugh yourself silly. lol.

Number 8 : Stay positive, just be happy and think 'what will be, will be'.

*******************************************************************************

There now, my own version of what we did to end up where i am today. Wouldn't say it's 100% foolproof; i'm still hoping and praying for the best to come for me and growing baby. ^^

But i hope sharing this here will benefit someone else even if only in a small way.

Don't be disheartened if the results don't go your way.

Funny thing about this is you are likely to follow all the above steps, but nothing happens.

Then just when you start to give up, wa la, u get a positive result!

Took us 8 months to realise this. ^.^

esha & ravin ... happily married

2011-09-17T22:44:00.001+08:00

It was on Sept 10 that i was at Restoran Nelayan, Titiwangsa Lake to attend a wedding dinner. My first time here, so wasn't sure what to expect, except i was hoping it was gonna be a night free of mosquitoes.

The stunning bridal car was parked right in front of the restaurant.

The celebrated newly weds, Ravin and Esha looking dashing as ever. Imagine having to plaster that smile on your face the whole night.

As we made our way towards the banquet hall...passing by other diners...

...luckily dinner was to be served in an enclosed air-conditioned hall.

The main table which sat only 6 people...

This cupcake tower was the first thing that caught my eye once i entered the hall! Even moreso, check out the amount of cream on top of each cupcake!

This one here (as our table gift), looks more edible.

All in all, our course dinner was as expected, if not better for a quality Malay-style wedding dinner. Never mind there wasn't any sharks fin soup (those poor creatures!) but at least food was aplenty and came in a timely fashion.

Kudos to the couple too for bringing in one of the better emcees and sitarist Hamid Khan with his band, who kept us all entertained throughout the night with songs in different languages (even Chinese and Latin!).

Whilst it was a joyous occasion that night, no one was prouder than the parents of the bride, watching their only daughter all grown up and starting a new chapter in her life.

Even I managed to embrace a whole new experience from this destined communion, particularly on the morning of Sept 10. Here's what happened...

First, we headed over to Lanson Place to pick up the bride for the wedding ceremony.

The nice lobby of this exquisite serviced apartment.

Finally went up to find a glowing Esha donned in a cream-colored elaborately embroidered baju kurung and tudung. Ain't she a pretty sight? I so envy my sister-in-law looking so serene and elegant in this traditional wear... =)
(Oops, did i forget to mention that Esha is Mark's younger sister?)

You see, Hwee Nee (Esha is her Muslim name) had found her soul mate in Ravin (an Indian Muslim) and finally on this blessed day, they were to be married in the National Mosque.
With the solemnization being held at this place of worship,

...that calls for me to be dressed for the occasion (and place) too!

dun laugh k..

thanks Hwee Nee, for the attire!

i said dun laugh leh..

While i thought wearing something somewhat baggy like a baju kurung could hide my growing belly, boy, was i wrong. lol.

Looking back at this picture, i can't help but laugh at my 'dangling' baju kurung as compared to how it's usually worn. Truth is i had to wear my baju kurung way above my huge waistline, hence exposing my naked feet. (shy).

After some brief introduction and exchanging of greetings among the new family members, it was time to gather inside the hall for the wedding ceremony to begin.

The hall looked magnificent and the lights bring out the best of traditional Islamic art, calligraphy and design. The men sat on one side,

while the women gathered in the opposite direction. That's me with my mum-in-law, Esha and Jill (Esha's best friend).

Calm and anxiously waiting for the ceremony to begin....

The kadi arrives and delivers the wedding sermon (kutbah nikah).

The rest of the family members and guests gather closer, including the women too.

A nervous looking bride waits patiently for her turn, while her hubby faces the kadi.

The kadi makes sure everything he spoke off is understood by the groom.
This includes the conditional divorce, which (to my surprise), speaks of how to invoke a divorce in the event the husband leaves the wife for a period of 4 months without providing for her whatsoever. wow.

In fact, the kadi had on this very serious 'dun mess with me' expression on his face the entire time.

After a doa (prayer) is recited, the groom now faces his wife-to-be to read his vows.

The salam from the wife...

The exchange of rings.

A peck on the forehead seals the deal!

The uncanny resemblance of mother and daughter.

Heading to a tea break after the ceremony...

Happy Family!

Finally, a brother's message to his new brother-in-law: "You had better treat my sister well....

...or else I'm gonna come after you!"

As from me: "Congratulations in taking this next step in your lives and here's to creating sweet memories for eternity!"

win soon fish head noodlez

2011-09-11T15:22:00.002+08:00

Introducing Win Soon Fish Head Noodle in Kuchai Lama....Been here?

Expect a queue waiting for their tables in front of the shop, but thank god the restaurant runs a systematic approach of giving out numbers and letting you place your orders while in queue. That means your food arrives in a jiffy once seated.
Oh, and we saw the lady tauke venting her frustration about how some customers refuse to let others share a same table with them, making her work a little bit difficult. =_=

I ordered the normal Fish Head Noodle (without wine, for now :-/ ) which was RM 8.50.

What i liked about it was the fish - very tasty, tender and most importantly, fleshy!
What i didn't quite fancy was the lack of condiments like spring onion, fried shallot, ginger, salted vege, tomato, and those other bits and pieces of toppings that bring out the flavour of the noodles to the max!

Dear tried their Fish Head + Prawn Noodle (with wine definitely!) which was rather pricey at RM 15.80. He claims the prawn wasn't as succulent and springy as he had hoped for. While he liked the soup, yours truly who managed to steal a spoonful of the soup, thought the taste was too rich in wine, overpowering the original flavour of the soup and milk.

Guys might have wished for a bigger portion to fill their stomachs, so finish up the soup, and that should fill you up pretty good. Apart from the pork lard bits, i got an inkling that the soup's overloaded with msg too as i got real thirsty shortly after lunch. Dun think you'd want to order a second drink here too, seeing that their drinks are quite pricey - RM 3.80 for iced milk tea and RM 3.30 for soya bean.

In short, me think the noodles here just about fall short of getting THIS expression from me.....

My all time fave fish head noodle still goes to Woo Pin.
No doubt about that. ^o^

melaka raya open house

2011-09-04T22:59:00.000+08:00

The holidays are finally over and my greatest achievement this time was my successful visit to the Raya Open House, jointly hosted by the Yg DiPertua Negeri Melaka and Chief Minister. After various failed attempts during past years, i was adamant to follow my dad's footsteps (literally!) this year.

It was a double celebration this year (coincidentally, it was also my country's Independence Day), hence i was expecting a massive crowd to flood the halls of MITC (Melaka International Trade Centre). So, a plan was strategized - let the 'kiasus' fight it out in the morning and hopefully, we'll just stroll into the halls after 2pm.

Our plan worked!
Almost immediately, we were ushered into the hall and omg, never in my life i imagined the scale of this event. Rows of food stalls surrounded the perimeter of the hall and it was really spacious.

The halls decked with pretty colored balloons and watching the jovial crowd mostly dressed up in formal Malay attire, really set my festive mood. And there's nothing like shaking hands and showering Raya blessings to whom i seriously suspect was the Royal family.

The Head of the State chilling in the background.

Now, the moment has come to show just some of the delicious FREE food i had :-

Everything was surprisingly tasty....it was sad i couldn't try everything they served.

i found my roti jala!

My favourite was this Soto Ayam!

Who would have guessed there was even a Mamee van there giving out free samples of their Mamee 'Ayam Kampung' flavour! Poor dear queued with a bunch of kids just to get a few strands of mee for taste. lol.

I must say we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal.
Dad especially went nuts over their crispy fried yam and banana fritters! Aah, but not before dabbing off the excess oil. lol.

Dear, the lekor lover...

I wana do this again next year! (burp)

a wedding n a baby : Chun Beng n Yi Ling

2011-09-01T18:24:00.000+08:00

My ex-colleague Chun Beng ("ah~Beng") and his lovely wife Yi Ling finally held their wedding luncheon recently, which was also a double celebration for his new-born bundle of joy. sweet.

It was my first time in Sooka Sentral, KL Sentral.

I had no idea what to expect dining at a place called 'Chili Espresso'.

It was a refreshing change to dine outdoors buffet style, instead of the usual wedding course meal.

Lots of space to move about too. Can you spot my table? Look for the guy hiding behind a vase of roses.

Choy Phyll can't wait to pile up her plates with lots of food.

A buffet spread need not have the widest array of offerings - it's the quality that counts!

A sweet gesture from the lovely couple + baby - Andes chocs in a ribbon-tied mini glass. :-P

Lovely local kuih-muih all prettily lined up in rows. Can't resist not picking each one of them!

Pastries anyone?

The main attraction of the buffet table has to be this fruit decor. I couldn't tell the actual edible ones from the ones meant for decor only.

The theme was Thai so i was practically salivating as i braved through the buffet line. Everything looked YUMMEH!!

From the mango salad and fried chicken to the green curry and roast lamb, i wanted them all on my plate! (shy)

Thumbs up to their cheesecake (including durian cheesecake!) and choc fudge cake too!

Serena ordered an after-meal cappuccino and we soon discovered that they served their coffees with cute little foam patterns like this...

...and this...

...and this!

Here's the star of the day - none other than a 2-month old very robust looking Pierre Teoh!

Little Pierre looks just like Daddy too!!

And here's jovial mummy, Yi Ling. No doubt junior's gonna grow up strong and cheery - he's in such great hands!

One last group pix for the album...

Lookin' good, little one...

go be a great leader one day and dun forget auntie SiuV!

'jeff lee kitchen' can be MY kitchen anytime.....

2011-08-27T16:22:00.002+08:00

I have discovered my favourite thing in Sungai Buloh! .. and no way i'm talking about my boss (who lives there). I have found Jeff Lee Kitchen! and have fallen in love with this fella.

Thank God we made early reservations so we were immediately seated. What instantly caught my eye were the hanging ducks and chicken in the kitchen. Wonder if Jeff Lee is one of the cooks banging away the woks in the kitchen.

Just a simple typical looking coffee shop, but you can find the most traditional home-cooked style Chinese cooking here. The variety of dishes are aplenty - you name it, very likely they've got it.

Here's what we ended up ordering, after going back and forth with the choice of dishes - all of which are worth ordering. Really. Just check out my grading of the dishes below in parenthesis.

1. A must try is their signature noodle (very much like the springy wan tan mee) topped with tasty rich mince meat. (8/10)

2. There's no resisting a crispy skin roast duck with meat so tender, dipping it in sweet lemony sauce just spells d-i-v-i-n-e... (8/10)

3. Stir fried bitter gourd with salted egg - i've only just started learning how to enjoy this bitter veg and i found this dish quite a refreshing one. Especially since they steamed the salted egg first. (7/10)

4. Deep fried Mantis Prawn in Thai Sauce - absolutely addictive. Eat first, show remorse later. =P (7/10)

5. A unique twist to our vege dish is this recommended 'Paku-Pakis' Cold Thai Salad. The perfect blend of sweet, sour, spicy and tangy, i could eat this everyday! (10/10!) Kinda got the impression from the lady boss that this may not be a dish that's available everyday. So good luck.

6. Crispy Thai-style Tofu with a side of pickled ginger (looking very orangy) and century egg. Nothing that much to shout about this dish but just because they made it 'thai-style', i'm giving this a 6/10.

7. I saved the best to show you last .... (drumroll).................their Claypot Pork Innards Porridge (we Chinese call it 'Chee Chap Chok'). This much you see here is actually a 3-persons portion. Generous ingredients without the saltiness of the porridge. Simply gorgeous. (8/10)

I'm gonna up it to a 8.5/10 grading because when eaten together with this mix of minced meat and dry shrimp, it completes the formula for a flavoursome porridge. yummmmmeh.

Each of the above dishes were priced between RM 10 - RM 15, except for the half duck which was RM 24.
All in all, a reasonable RM 112 for 6 pax.

I ate till my belly felt like it was gonna explode, and yet my brain still wanted to try more of their other dishes. Mann....what a glutton i was. *shy*

I would love to have a second, third, etc...date with Jeff Lee sometime soon. I've heard their Hainanese Chicken ('pak cham kai') is not bad too.

Finding this place (on GPS) is simple and parking's not a problem as there's a huge car park space opposite the shop, which coincidentally is also located between a wet market and football field. I came here on a weekend and there were hoards of foreign workers loitering around the area, watching ongoing football matches.

I think the bigger challenge here is remembering to make early reservations by calling them at 03-6156 1817. They have 3 booking sessions for dinner (6pm, 7.30pm and 8.30pm).

Otherwise, take the risk as a walk-in and join the waiting crowd.

birthday : jin at jung won

2011-08-24T22:30:00.000+08:00

My last meal at a Korean restaurant was years ago, so yeah, i was pretty excited when i got a chance to dine at Jung Won on Jalan Ampang Hilir. Thanks to Jin who wanted to go Korean for her birthday dinner. Also thanks to Derek for suggesting this place to us.

It's the first 'outdoor' Korean restaurant that i heard of, with lots of parking space and easily spotted too - beside Sayfol International School. Having an outdoor concept's great, so you don't end up smelling like a piece of barbecued meat yourself.

We were the first ones there so we got the option of sitting on the floor or on chairs, in which we conveniently chose the latter.

Right in front of us was this cute little well-kept garden.

A very pleased-looking birthday gal with a very 'prosperous'-looking me and dear.

This is like an audition for a toothpaste ad.

Drinks generally start from RM 3 with the cheapest (and the only refillable one) being hot green tea.
While i opted for their Ginger Tea (yes, i'm a SUCKER for anything ginger-y!), the recommended Iced Citron Tea actually had a more unique taste. It sucks though that the drinks came in such small glasses. I had to resort to a ration of small sips just to make my tea last till end of dinner. ;(

And now for our list of orders, to start of with....Oxtail Soup (RM 30) which was very good and peppery. Goes damn well with rice.

This is Sam Kyeh Tang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) at RM 30. I couldn't really taste the ginseng in it, so i rate it just mediocre.

A Jin favourite - Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab (Mixed Rice with Wild Vegetable in Hot Stone) - RM 25.
Don't get me wrong, i love the idea of runny egg yolks mixed with rice, but for some reason, I didn't quite know how to enjoy this particular concoction. Could it be because of those tiny sesame seeds sitting comfortably on the yolk?

We snacked on Kim Chi Jeon (Kim Chi pancake) - RM 25 which was flavourful (not as spicy as expected) but wished the batter was crispier and thinner.

With those burning coals glowing ever so lovely, how could we resist not ordering the creme de la creme of all Korean cuisines - B.B.Q.!

We went for 3 kinds of meat - Daki Go Kee (Chicken) - RM 29

Ju Mulreok (Beef) - RM 60 and best of all,

Deji Salbee (Pork Ribs) - RM 30. This was by far the best tasting meat when barbecued.

Best eaten wrapped in a piece of lettuce leave, bit of salad, a piece of garlic and some sauce.

Let's admit - one of the reasons we all dine Korean is their bottomless order of side dishes. My fave were their kim chi, fried nuts and anchovies, spinach and potato salad! Yum-meh!!

It turned out to be a very fulfilling meal for all of us. All for a rather reasonable price of RM 312 for 7 of us.

That's a whole lot of cleaning up of plates of all sizes for the waiters that night. >.<

The ritual of 'song and cake' before calling it a night.

The restaurant must have one super fridge as Jin had difficulty cutting into her birthday cake! lol.

Glad the birthday girl had a great Korean night!

Saeng-il chugha haeyo, Jin!

sekinchan ikan bakar

2011-08-21T11:43:00.000+08:00

I just learnt that Sekinchan is a little town near Kuala Selangor. This I HAD to know after dining in one of the Sekinchan Ikan Bakar outlets along Jalan Pahang recently.

It was an impromptu decision, in fact a vast contrast from our initial plan of having McD take away. LOL.
Sekinchan was just next door so we figured why not. So we got directions from one of those ikan bakar fellas to head to their wide parking space behind the restaurant. First-timers here would most likely be scratching their heads trying to figure out the car park location, so my advice is .. STOP and ASK.

No, they're not using the online ordering concept.

In fact, ordering's pretty simple and straight forward. EVERYTHING will be 'BAKAR'-ed. From the seafood to the vegetables. Head to the seafood counter and select your fish/ squid/ prawns/ clams/ vege...The selected 'victim' is then weighed, price-tagged and labeled with your table no. Head back to your table for further orders.

The price of seafood is seasonal (as expected) so either you ask first or be slaughtered with the prices!

They priced the drinks reasonably well though, perhaps to make up for the pricing of food. :p

The outlet we went to has a huge seating area and is brightly-lit so you'd know if they serve you burnt fish.

Dear is drinking one of their recommended drinks - Apple + Asam Boi. Bet you're already cringing by the name of it.

You might have difficulty selecting the right size of fishes if you come in a small group. Especially if a variety of dishes is what you're looking for. We managed to select a decent piece of pari (RM 8), just the right-sized so we have room to stomach other variety of seafood as well.

A small heap of squid rings...(RM 6)

And a piece of jenak (RM 10). I think they used the same sambal sauce for each dish, which was ohh-kay but not spicy enough.

I've never had my oyster mushrooms (RM 5) cooked this way.

Finally, a must-have to complement our dinner - a variety of sauces and dip.

Overall, quite a hefty price to pay, but then again, when does grilled fish come cheap?

Frankly, i still prefer my mum's version of Ikan Cencaru Sumbat Cili... (salivating)

Another thing i've just learnt (from their official website of course) is they've got 15 outlets in KL and Selangor plus one each in JB and Melaka(!). So, instead of listing it down, here you go.

Worth a try, ~~the most~~ at least once. =)

bUn

2011-08-15T23:32:00.000+08:00

Yo peeps, u know i love baking rite?

Boy oh boy, have i got a bun cooking in the oven right this moment!

=^.^=

All goes well, this little bun's gonna be popping out from the oven in right about ..umm....5 months time!

I'm guessing the end result's gonna be junior marky...

me can't wait. ^_^

jac and jed's house warming

2011-08-13T15:49:00.001+08:00

Jac and Jed invited us to their lovely cosy crib recently to have a nice Sat lunch. I'm not allowed to disclose the location of the house (:p), so this is all i got to show on the outside.

Lunch was a simple yet sumptuous 'Nasi Ayam Kukus Berempah' (steamed rice with herbed fried chic) with as much helping to the curry as i want!

YESSSS!!

Let's not forget the sate and rice which was just as great!

Yin Pheng made her famous radish cake which was all soft and starchy in the centre...yummmeh.

For dessert, what would be better than ice cream of all sorts, shapes and sizes? Nothin'!
Just look at how happy these people are...

I took a little house tour after lunch which i in my opinion, was decorated in simplicity yet full of class. Especially love the wooden flooring on the upper floor.

A bunch of others filled up the spacious living room to watch some dance competition on tv.

Jin running away when she caught me taking a picture of Jac's bookshelf which was twice Jin's height.

Mark showing us how to relax on the sofa with a drink in your hand after a hard day's work at the office.

The last surprise we got was a lovely home made Tiramisu cake!

It was a fun afternoon with 16 + 1 (the photographer) boisterous young punks bringing down the house.
Thanks to the great hospitality of Jac and Jed!

As The Terminator put it - 'I'll be Back!' .... (can ar?)

bitter butter moment

2011-08-10T18:50:00.001+08:00

When it comes to butter cookies, the brands that almost always pop up are Kjeldsen's, Royal Dansk and Danisa. Sad, but you can't always find the brand you want in the mart when you want them.

So, you might end up settling for another (less expensive) brand.

Recently i learnt a lesson - that no matter how much of a die-hard fan you are of butter cookies, never risk buying just ANY available brand.... even if it's 'calcium enriched'.

For a cheaper price, you'll probably end up comprising on its taste.

Or worse still, you end up buying a tin of biscuit crumbs instead.

watabummer.

charlene & kenny ... happily ever after ...

2011-08-07T10:47:00.001+08:00

I recently had the privilege of attending one of the grandest wedding ceremony (for me so far) at the luxurious 5-star Palace of the Golden Horses. This was only my second time here since my ex-company's annual dinner here umpteen years ago. With their wedding sets exquisitely priced at a 4-digit number, it just means stuffing more notes into the red packet.

Kenny and Charlene finally tied the knot! I can say 'finally' because they've been together for like what, 13 years?! Bet they've already been acting like a married couple - this event's just to make it official. lol. Their story just goes to strengthen my unbiased theory further that long dating couples CAN have happy endings. My sister being another example of this. (glad she doesnt read my blog to see this).

Cool to have met all my close ex-HLA buddies there. We couldn't find the bride when we arrived, so we took pictures with the bride's mum instead.

Glen (the trainer cum JOKER), Jason & Annie, Happiest Mummy of the nite and mua

Then we spotted Alex and Wai Yin who arrived shortly after. Jason and Alex certainly made Wai Yin and Mark feel out of place with their coats and 'amboi Jason, dengan tie lagi!'

Adorable-as-ever Tannie whom i've not seen in 7 years made a surprise entrance.

The peanuts served at the cocktail was so good, we wanted them all for ourselves.

Now check out the interior of the banquet hall...

How romantic is the setting eh!

Even our table-gift chocs were damn sedap! Either that, or i was getting so hungry...

...i could eat the menu.

I didn't manage to capture all the dishes due to my pai-sehness to the rest of my fellow dinner comrades. But here're some shots...

All of the dishes were carefully divided and individually-plated by our conscientious and friendly waiter.

And hubby's swift hands got me the drumstick of the night!! yoo~hoo...

SMACK YUMMEH!!

While there wasn't much activity on the stage that night apart from the toasting of champagne, video playbacks of bridal shots plus tea ceremony and speeches by the groom and his emcee, i still very much enjoyed dinner in a much-favoured dimmed-lit setting, against the background of a live band playing soft jazzy tunes. Classy yet eventful. Most memorable speech of many weddings i've attended has to be when the bride's father Mr Ho (a doctor) went up the stage to talk about the most important value in life after wedding - filial piety..... that means "To love, honor, obey and respect ones parents as well as, to advise, teach and care for them as they age." The entire 'preach' was so endearing and engaging, Mr Ho eventually got the loudest claps of the entire night! Get the direct hint, Kenny and Charlene? hehe...

Our 'brightest' group photo which made the white curtains behind us look ORANGE! Must be to blend in with Charlene's shimmering traditional Chinese costume.

My pardner has a glowing thumb....?

We were the last few to leave this 'horsie' place....till we meet again.

Have a great, blessed life ahead guys!!

And to Wai Yin, may you fulfill your dream of finding your long-lost twin brother.

Try HK.

cko birthday nom~nom

2011-07-24T22:18:00.000+08:00

Tired of thinking where to bring a friend on his birthday?

We know just the place - Lau Heong!

If you're a Chinese residing in Klang Valley, chances are you've dined here before. It's super famous for its signature curry fish head, pork knuckle, sting ray, chicken wing and squid.

Jin's hand-made mini hamper for birthday boy Chua. I can never pull out something this cutesy.

Time for cake-cutting. So many moving mouths as we sang the birthday song...

...while desperately trying to keep the candle aflame..

HaPPy BirThdAy CKo!!

The stack of glazed fresh fruits on the cake look absolutely mouth-watering! While we feasted on this rich yet light dessert...

...Derek (as usual) diligently whacked the leftover of dishes.

If derek had teeth made of steel, that humongous pork bone would never have stood a chance.

when colorful's the theme

2011-07-17T15:57:00.000+08:00

It was by far the most colorful Friday at work ever. Not only did our office have a 'Colorful Day' theme where we (were supposed to) dress in colorful attire, but my friend Yin Pheng even celebrated her birthday in vibrant colors.

A lot of us wrote little wishes on sticky notes and plastered it all over her cubicle - chair, laptop, mouse and all!

A cheesy little gesture from her staff.. "."

Our eventful day at the office continued with a surprise visit from 4 clowns who gave each of us a toy balloon! What a pleasant delight. And here, we chose the skinniest clown to take a photo with.

Choy Phyll who initially asked for a pirate's sword was even excited that it turned out looking more like some private part. hmm.

My colleague Gaik Bee asked for a 'tikus', and till today, is still wondering which part of her balloon looked like a "tikus". It's heart, maybe.

Moon and Alia with a green poodle.

At least i think it's a poodle, if not 2 very muscular dogs.

At dinnertime, we brought Yin Pheng to La Bodega for her birthday celebration.

And we made sure everyone else in Bodega knows she was the celebrated one that night.

One thing about Bodega is while it's more suitable as a hanging-out place for drinks, the meals here are generally only mediocre, like my Caesar Salad,

and their famous Seafood Paella, which wasn't as expected despite the 30-minute wait.

All we could afford was a birthday potato-bun?

Na-ah, there was an even bigger surprise when we took out the actual birthday cake -

topped with flaming trick birthday candles that you simply can't blow out!

After all the huffing and puffing, we decided to cut off the top layer of the huge cake and just eat the bottom part. ;P

tgif brekkie is 'Total-Garbage-I-Feel!'

2011-07-10T13:13:00.000+08:00

TGI Friday's is taking it one meal further by serving breakfast, but only at its Hap Seng outlet. As part of its introductory promotion, till 18th July, we can now enjoy the second brekkie set free (the cheaper one) with the purchase of a first one. Sounds terrific right? Plus it's TGIF, so quality must be assured.

Me and pardner decided to try it out one Friday morning, since it was just a short walk from my office. After scrutinising the menu (not all sets include coffee/ tea and juice), we opted for the American Breakfast (which had 2 types of beverage)...

and Three Stack Pancakes.

It was brekkie in al-fresco style - works in the States but in Malaysia, not a very pleasant experience dining in the hot weather amongst the stench of overnight uncollected garbage which was located just beside the restaurant. What a first impression...

Not happy that it took quite a while before our drinks arrived, given we were only the second seated table.
Lagi not happy that they only had coffee ready at that time. Though refillable, don't think anyone would actually want a second cup of this...

dun recall ordering Diluted Black Coffee!

Non-refillable kiddy-sized Orange Juice

The slosh of milk you see is all because their !@#$ milk teapots did not have this little nip to allow a smooth flow of milk into the coffee. =_=

The only satisfactory thing about brekkie was their American Breakfast. Loved every bit of it especially the runny scrambled eggs (my style!), tasty Hash brown and homemade Orange Marmalade Jam. Would you have paid the normal price of RM 9.90++ for this?

It was another 10-minute wait for the Pancakes and just as we were hoping it to be a really good treat, the waitress brought us this.

wtf, you call these hard, overcooked fugly-looking flat things...pancakes?!! and where's the butter??

Even I could make them better blind-folded!

Such crummy quality coming from a reknown place like TGI Friday's. Even after we questioned the waitress, she dared to claim THAT is indeed how their pancakes look like. Aw, come on, guyssssssss...we ain't five-year olds!

There was just no compromising, and we demanded for a change to the American Breakfast, only to be told that they've ran out of Hash browns and replaced it with baked beans(!). Urgh, talk about keeping stock. Sunny-side eggs turned out to be very raw in the centre - i could still see the liquid egg whites...eww.
And they've replaced the marmalade with butter(?!)

What a shame a blogger (me) had to go through such a horrid dining experience and now, it's plastered all over the internet. Lesson to TGIF - don't start something new if you are not ready for it.

If not for the Buy1 Free1 promo, or the fact that this happened on Friday, my mood would have been crankier and my reaction.....detrimental!

it's dave's world

2011-07-02T16:27:00.000+08:00

Guess what, I recently became Auntie Sylvia with the birth of my nephew on 21st June!

a 2.7 kg 'bun' finally out of the oven at 6am! :P

Proud parents, Irene and Victor - i think the little one looks too much like my bro!

Can you believe a newborn just 12 hours old in this world is already looking so alert (not to mention, so serious)? I thought newborns just keep their eyes shut all the time!
The parents named him Lucas (i adorrrrre that name coz it reminds me of hottie Chad Michael Murray of 1 Tree Hill!! lame but i dun care!..).
Check out his super high forehead, which for the Chinese means high intelligence and good luck! (umm, dat reminds me to check MY forehead width.. :o1 )

datz a full head of hair, Lucas!

The second surprise came when i found out Lucas became DAVE a week later!
watttt???
Apparently, after soughting some advice from a Chinese master in names, Lucas wasn't such an ideal name and instead of naming the baby 'David' (which sounds sooo conventional...sorree Davids out there..), 'Dave' became the definite choice... and 'Dave' means 'beloved'.......awwwwwwwwwwwwww..

i'm officially Dave Yap Ding Cheng

dun quite like the name 'Dave' eh, Dave? lol

welcome to the world, baby Davey............auntie Siu~V can't wait to hold you.... ^_^

vanessa's nom~nom session

2011-06-25T13:16:00.000+08:00

Nothing's quite as satisfying as having someone make you delicious finger-licking fried chicken,

mouth-watering juicy pork rolls

and home made Chinese-style fried rice.

Can you believe Vanessa cooked all that?! Lol, neither can i.
But still, it was nice of her to invite us for lunch at her lovely crib at The Peak.
Highlight of the day - Vanessa and her proudly owned Krups coffee-making machine.

I'm no coffee-drinker (ya ya i know, my loss), but those lattes

and cappuccinos sure were a hit!

I was contented with the food and being in the company of good buddies.

Choy Phyll brought the weirdest thing one could ever bring to a food party - raw lotus with the stems intact.

I was taught to dig out the seeds and peel off the skin to get to the edible part of the very raw-tasting lotus nut. Do it wrong and you'll end up with this bitter aftertaste.
Not my fave thing in the world to eat but it certainly has its nutritional value.

While some may find it a tool to entertain others with.

fong fong birthday nom~nom

2011-06-18T12:42:00.001+08:00

We were at Marco Polo's recently for Fong Fong's birthday dinner.

Erm, we probably shouldn't be making the birthday gal stand while we all sat down for the cam cam.

She didn't mind as soon as she saw the delicious vibrant-looking cheese tarts we bought her from 'Oops!'

We took the RM 78/dinner set for 4 pax, which consists of 4 dishes, soup, rice and Chinese tea. But being the hungry bunch we were, we added 2 more dishes at RM 20 each. The dishes were okay though i missed their previous promotion where there were more selection to choose from plus free dessert too.

The rest of the evening was to just pose for fun random pictures!

..and leaving the scene of laughter....bet you were paying more attention to the girl in red....lol

They put us right at a corner of the restaurant, somehow knowing how boisterous and noisy we would be!

hehehe....lots of love, Fong!!

look out point western food

2011-06-14T12:30:00.000+08:00

Look Out Point Western Food in Ampang-Hulu Langat is a great hideout to get away from the hustle and bustle of KL town and yet still lets you view the KL skyline in all its splendour.

I was here recently to make use of this meal voucher for two which i bought over the Internet for only RM 45.

This was what i got - 2 bowls of Mushroom soup with decent pieces of garlic bread,

2 cups of health greens which was probably a necessity so you feel 'less guilty' indulging in your entrees to come...

Steak in Brown Sauce (with MORE vege on the side!) ... dun forget to ask for a medium-rare steak!

and my Chicken Cordon Bleu with generous heaps of coleslaw and fries.

Seriously, the amount of food we got for RM 45 could have fed a family of four. We had to pay for our drinks separately though and my only comment on that is, the drinks come quite costly, even for juices. And, it's RM 3 extra if it's juice with 'no ice' (!)
But the food was real good, i must say; beyond my expectation.

Having to sit by an open window and soaking in the panoramic view of KL city lights, was a plus.

Thanks to Groupon Malaysia for dishing up this deal, i might just bring my family here one day.

Though this deal's no longer available on the Internet, it might just be reintroduced if there's a popular demand.

Jump on the bandwagon of this Internet craze now to get yourself a good, if not great deal (some even up to 90% discount). But of course, do check out only those reliable sites since you're actually paying real money upfront. I've got a few to name - Groupon Malaysia, MyDeal, MilkADeal and Dealmates

Don't forget to check every single one of them every day....You never know what you can save on!

p.s. - omg, check out Dealmates (quick!) for RM 1 Chicken Rice! chio crazy...

wat's d big deal about Caffeinees....

2011-06-08T23:28:00.000+08:00

There's so much hype going on about a particular white bungalow in Kampung Pandan, could it be over rated? There's nothing like trying it out myself so decided to head to Caffeinees for dinner one fine Friday.

Me and my dinner pardner were the only ones there, around 6.30pm. So, already I was quite surprised by the turnout. And it really does look like i'm in someone's house.

On the interior, there are just a few tables loosely scattered inside the restaurant, which in the first place, falls flat in comparison to the exterior of this white-washed walls cafe.

The waiters there aren't very well-versed in English nor Malay either. After some communication breakdown, we decided to go for one ala carte and a Set Dinner, which at RM 39+/set, does not exactly give you much savings compared to its ala carte prices.

The Mushroom Soup was fine, but the garlic bread a great letdown!

It was SO chewy, it tasted like some leftover from lunchtime. Minor item yes, but major impact on this cafe.

I selected the Seafood Olio as my main, but it looked nothing like how an Aglio Olio should look like!
Looks like pasta in green curry.
My only consolation - it wasn't salty (it wasn't tasty either) and it didn't have a very pungent basil taste which i dislike.

Yin's beef burger which looks like some cheap-o sesame bun bought from the local roti-man on a motorbike.
According to Yin, the best part of this meal was the buttered-then-grilled buns. The rest was easily forgettable.

For dessert, we went for the Tiramisu coz it had a thumbs up on the menu. It was just ok, but too small, definitely not worth the RM 12 they normally charge.

Please don't hate me when i say i don't think i'll return to this place ever again. Well, at least not for dinner, and especially not for their Seafood Olio! For some reason, seeing the photo of this dish makes me wana *puke leh.

Or perhaps i am wrong, and this place is actually good for 'Drinks Only' and for watching the 'll'-s (leng lois)?

You tell me. I only had Iced Lemon Tea that day.

dad turns 70!

2011-06-04T12:12:00.000+08:00

Good 'ol Daddy turned a proud 70 this May and the best times of his golden years is just about to start.

To celebrate the good times, Dad booked a private room at New Lagoon restaurant (same place i held my wedding dinner!) in Melaka Raya,

and invited a few of my uncles and aunts to a great dinner.

Me with sis and Uncle Richard.

Apart from his grey hair, Dad doesn't look his age at all!

We started off dinner with the must-have Longevity Noodles.

Cold Dish

Two-style fish which was the exact same dish i had during my wedding dinner. Damn creative and nice!

Daddy loves his...

...fish head! Look how meaty it is.

Stir fried lotus root and veg....missing the macadamia nuts though.

Braised Pork with Pau. A dear's fave!

Prawns ("ha ") for happy (ha-ha) and prosperous years ahead...

Sea cucumber with Broccoli...i tried a piece of the gelatin-like squishy sea plant. eew.

To end our RM 550 dinner that night, the most important dessert of the day - Dad's Chocolate Banana Cake!

Just perfect with a bowl of refreshing coconut pudding.

Dad - the happiest man in that room that night! :D

Here's wishing Daddy great health ahead, and keep that tummy slim ya!

shots in beijing

2011-05-29T20:46:00.000+08:00

Traveling to Beijing, China gives you the opportunity to grab cheap interesting souvenirs like these colorful 'for display only' wooden chopsticks,

these heavily-painted things are not for use!

or some really nice glass figurines going for only RM100 per piece...after much bargaining, of course!
Transporting the soaring eagle, Chinese cabbage and the horse safely back to KL ain't easy though. If you're wondering what's the use of a cabbage if you can't cook it, well apparently since cabbage is 'pak choy' in Chinese, it's translated as '100 types of prosperity luck'. There you go, another of those beliefs.

i took the horsie of course, since i'm one!

Back to the fundamentals of a guided Beijing tour, if you expect to be served food that looks like this, then you are in for a surprise... Not a very tummy-fulfilling one.

photos from Ben's Grilled Seafood pasta and Ben's Nasi Istimewa

Apart from a non-spicy diet of the Beijingese (ok, i did not just create this word), a typical Chinese from Malaysia will most probably crave for a nasi lemak bungkus or char kueh teow as soon as he is served his first meal in Beijing.

dun worry, this is not what they serve in Beijing - this was just a display in some museum in Beijing :)

Misinterpretation of tour information could happen. Like when they proclaim there is to be a 'Roast Duck Dinner', this is what they actually mean.

let's play spot the duck

Also an important point to note is you'd better pray that you get a fairly decent hotel to crash in for those few tiring nights. Decent with clean and hair-less sheets!

BUT despite any 'flaws' that one might encounter during a trip, more often than not, it's the friends and family that you travel with that makes your day (and night) an enjoyable one. Like when my parents traveled to Beijing recently,

with none other than my parents-in-law!

If you think putting any parents and in-laws together in a foreign land is a catastrophe, then you are so wrong.

I've got some really coooool in-laws,

Haven't you heard that 'opposites attract'? Look at the size of both my dads.

And i've got two sporting mums who can really ~~rough~~ laugh out any situation!

Beijing's forever jam-packed with tourists, both local and foreign.

In fact when asking a favour from a stranger, you might as well be direct and say," Excuse me, can you take a photo of me, my wife and the few hundred tourists behind us?"

Don't forget to say 'xie xie'.

When you think Beijing, you think Wonders of the World. So, to be able to walk the steps of the Great Wall is an achievement one should experience in life.

Beijing also has a great number of historical and cultural museums, which luckily for my parents, have English translated descriptions.

Covering the grounds of the large-scaled Summer Palace and The Forbidden City on foot are enough to make your knees go wobbly by night time.

Working the camera for the very first time, i'm so proud of both my parents.
Filtering all 357 photos taken of their 5D, 4N Beijing trip was not an easy feat. A hilarious one though.
I'd never imagine my dad mastering the art of self-taking (camera in his own hands) with such precision.

Or standing while posing for the camera.

I thought taking photos in front of mirrors were something only ~~vain~~ bloggers do. lol.

All the photos posted here are my parents' 'work of art'.
A nice touch of capturing the locals performing their daily tasks.

ok, i have no idea what this is, just thought it looks pretty cool.

There were other impressive shots such as the world' largest LDC screen at 'The Place'

and the National Theatre Dome. Nice ain't it?

Not bad results for an amateur photographer!.....................though,

.... there were the occasional 'snapping my own finger by accident' moments,

..and the 'what are you trying to show us actually' photos.

But THIS.......!

Now, this just looks so wrong.

air asia flies u for 10 cents!

2011-05-23T23:25:00.001+08:00

decisions, decisions.......

Forget about sticking to my original schedule, getting to view the Flight Schedule page is already half the battle won! You see, they first place you in this so-called 'Waiting Room' for minutes and minutes, till which either the page fails to download or hallelulah, you get to view the flight details but not at the promo price you are hoping for. (drat)..u start cursing in your heart.

So you then go back and forth repeating the same process until ....

1. you start pulling your hair out or

2. you start smacking your nearby colleague because you think he is Tony Fernandez or

3. your boss finds you doing something 'unproductive' (or in some companies, 'illegal') OR

4. finally, you stumble upon the cheapest rates for BOTH to and fro journeys! (your heart does a little somersault at this point :))

I experienced no. 4 right after 2 hours of searching the seemingly endless possibilities (thankfully the travel period is only from Feb - June 2012) and spent another 2 hours later trying to get my booking and payment through. Didn't help that i had to key in and re-key in the Guest Details like 4 times due to the alien-looking error messages that kept popping up. To make things worse, Maybank2U's TAC request was down today for Maxis users! (disgruntled look). Luckily i managed to get other means of payment through another bank's direct debit. Anything but paying by credit card where they make you pay a service fee for it!

Tell me, would you resort to all this hassle and distress for such mere savings? Only in Asian countries will you find such kiasu-ness for mad sales like this, but hey, i prefer to call it 'smart shopping'. :D

Plus, it's only once that Air Asia holds a lelong-lelong like this on their 10th Year Anniversary. So why not take full advantage of it to see the world, or wherever Air Asia flies you. Seriously, the 10 cents rate (for one way) is applicable even to places like Bangkok! Now now, of course you still got to pay the airport tax and fuel surcharge (some places waived!).

In fact, last i hear, the tickets for Tokyo are already sold out!

For me, after a good long session of finger tai-chi (i mean clicking the mouse lor), i'm glad i managed to get tickets to one of my Asian countries wish-list, Hanoi in Vietnam.

Ah yes, beautiful Hanoi (and not too dirty i hope) is a city rich with tradition, in both food and culture. In my language, that means mad eating and mad shopping. tee~hee

Then maybe i'll make a trip around Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and gawk at their many limestone caves from a private junk.

At RM 250 return air fare per pax, I think it's as good as it gets.

The entire process is truly a test of patience, my friend.

Patience will eventually get you the best deal, and patience also means waiting for your trip to finally unfold.
Like mine, which is booked for a year from now. :P

bus-ted

2011-05-19T23:47:00.000+08:00

Something came over me that made me hop up a Metro Bus to get home today. I knew it was the worse decision i could make but i thought it was still kinda early (only 5.45pm), plus i couldn't resist it when the bus was parked right outside my office and the conductor kept yelling 'Genting Klang, Genting Klang'.

What started out as a 'convenient' move for me turned out to be my worse ~~night~~daytimemare as it took me an hour and a half to finally reach home. The amount of manoeuvring through the jam-packed roads of KL made it seem like the bus was just going in circles. The reckless overtaking and the blaring horn prevented me from getting any shuteye throughout the journey. For some insane reason, our driver today wasn't a very patient one as he persistently honks at every car in front of him as soon as he sees a traffic light turn green. Irritating.

I always wonder since a bus driver frequently gets himself stuck in a jam, is it an employment prerequisite for drivers to have a big bladder?

Another thing a Metro Bus driver and a RapidKL driver (in particular) have in common is this feud between the two 'rivals'. A bitter reality that sprouted because one particular company pays their drivers and conductors by commission based on fares collected. As a result, you may see Metro making more trips but on the other hand, i can't stand it when they tend to wait for passengers at particular 'popular' spots, sometimes up to 15 minutes of waiting!

One famous spot is at this bus stop beside the Chow Kit Monorail Station where there are usually hoards of people boarding buses from here. Most of the time, you'd find at least a Metro and a Rapid (both heading the same direction) playing the waiting and yelling game. Since a Rapid doesn't have a conductor, it'll be the Metro conductor yelling and gesturing to get passengers into his bus.

A seasoned passenger (like me) clearly knows to look for a Rapid instead of a Metro because 99% of the time, the Metro will still be waiting after the Rapid continues its journey. Sometimes there's more of a drama to witness, when both buses repeatedly revs the engine (sort of like wanting to trick the people into thinking they are going to start moving first). On rare occasions when a Metro eventually starts moving before a Rapid, that's when the Metro conductor might snigger at those who just boarded the Rapid, 'Bai baiii.. kita jalan duluuu...'

Nevertheless, i gotta remind myself not to conveniently hop onto any bus right outside my office, next time.Sure it saved me 60 cents (from taking the train), but it just looks too damn deceiving from the beginning. Such a pain in the ass... ... probably from sitting down too long. ~.~

eccucino

2011-05-16T14:36:00.000+08:00

Buffets are sinful pleasures. Especially seafood buffets. No one escapes from that guilt feeling of popping prawn after squid after oyster into their mouths, all the while thinking 'this is my last piece, tomorrow i'll start dieting' or 'nevermind, tomorrow i will hit the gym'.

I blame those restauranteurs for creating such gastronomic dilemmas for us. I especially blame the banks for coming up with those hard-to-miss dining promotions by using their credit cards.

Just like the latest Citibank's 'Buy 1, get 1 free' promo at Eccucino (Prince Hotel & Residence, KL).

With a price of only RM 51 nett for a 1 pax buffet (NP : RM 88++), i took a gamble to bring a particular someone here for his birthday. After all, a simple dinner at say TGiF's or Victoria would have come up to around that price. Hence, i went for variety instead.

Eccucino holds a themed buffet daily, as in 'Malaysian Delights' for Mondays, 'Seafood' for every Wednesday, 'Italiano' for Fridays and 'International' for any other day. Ideally we chose the 'Seafood' of course.

The place was barely occupied with only a handful of foreigners having a quiet dinner by themselves. But don't let the emptiness of this place fool you.

I found the food worth my RM 50 bucks. hehe. They may not serve over 100 variety of dishes but even if they do, you wouldn't manage to try each and every one of them. They've got the key items in a seafood buffet though - the oysters, the salmon and the lobster. Nice.

Dun these jewels come at RM 5 per piece? Five of these, and i would have covered my buffet cost.

Three professionally prepared prawn tempura that tasted like heaven!

My first time ordering an ice cream waffle in a hotel buffet. Who could resist not having a piece of this?!

We went for the kill immediately!

Me...i was in total bliss as long as i got to play by the chocolate fountain with an endless supply of sweet succulent strawberries!

I highly recommend all Citibank Cardmembers to take opportunity of this buffet dinner promotion. You've got till 31st Dec this year to make that reservation through 03-2170 8888 ext 8119.

Dun say i didn't share ... ^-^

something to ponder in life

2011-05-14T14:33:00.000+08:00

I've had the pleasure of attending "Team-building : Building Bridges" at Berjaya Hotel conducted by one of the most charismatic and entertaining trainer i've ever seen. In fact, labeling him as a 'trainer' is simply undermining his abilities. He can easily pass off as a stand-up comedian!

I tried googling his name and striked gold! At least, i think this is the same person we're talking about.

Err, too bad the link doesn't seem to exist...you try it.
Mr Alphonse in his most whimsical ways, taught me the 5 things we must remember to succeed in life:-

1) EGO must GO
2) Rubbish must THROW (in other words, throw all negativity out the window!)
3) Don't let the situation control you, I control the situation
4) Tuhan tau! (in other words, do unto others as you would have others do unto you ... leave the punishing to God!)
5) This world is a better place because of ME

Make sense hor? i'm gonna carry it with me from today onwards.

Coincidentally, the first contribution i made to society today was by rescuing one of nature's beauties....

Poor birdie was trapped on the 16th floor of my condo...flapping her wings like mad trying to squeeze through the little gap of the window.

All it took was a kind soul (that's me) to give a little push of the window to free ms birdie!

What a beauty, isn't she?

theng theng

2011-05-10T23:27:00.000+08:00

A 3-month old Theng Theng who previously looks like this, is now as cute as a button.

That is, right until ...

...she ends up in my arms.

sorry, no experience holding young infants ler... awkward awkward.

farewell ailin & yuenwei

2011-05-09T00:30:00.000+08:00

In life, there are things so adorable that you just can't bear to eat them.

Then there are other things that look so damn mouth-watering, you just can't wait to stuff them down your throat..like these pretty baby donuts

or this decadent-looking walnut chocolate bomb!

Both were farewell treats by two of my close colleagues, Ai Lin (the only person in my department who moves at the speed of lightning) ...

...and Yuen Wei (our temp staff for 3 months who really helped us through the hectic times).

10 of us were at Mdm Kwan's recently for their farewell lunch. Ooh by the way, the girl seated in front of me is Gaik Bee, a new member of our Health team. With Ai Lin gone and my department undergoing manpower expansion, we are now looking for more heads than ever to fill up the empty work stations!

Dear Amy has been a fantastic mentor to Yuen Wei.

Isn't it such a cliche that you hear people ordering 'Nasi Bojari' at Mdm Kwan's? This time we decided to go for rice with dishes at Mdm Kwan's, namely we ordered their Chicken Curry...

Assam Udang...

and Mix Vege Soup for the chilli-haters.

Quantity ordered was just nice (for a quick 1-hour lunch that is)- there was even time if Ai Lin had wanted to throw in her goodbye speech.
The dishes tasted ok, though for the prices charged, i had hoped for more of a 'wow' in terms of originality and authenticity.

The dishes here are mostly either in 'small' or 'large' size so by ordering everything 'large', each of us got our own piece of chicken curry and cold beancurd.

What we did not expect was when we ordered a pot of Chinese tea as drinks, we instead got 10 little individual teapots of tea.

And when we ordered 10 plates of 'white rice', they instead served us 10 plates of 'fried rice'.

Only at Mdm Kwan's.