♪ || Joey's C a`f e` || ♪

Pot Luck Party on 初六!

2012-02-09T11:14:00.006+08:00

This year, my CNY schedule is full-packed for an entire week until I have to skip one of them to get a half day rest. I literally used up every single bit of my CNY holidays - out from morning/afternoon till late night. Albeit a little exhausted but I feel good! I reckon I should be happy that I’m busy on a festive season because that means I have a lot of relatives and friends! :D Not that I really have a lot but enough to keep me occupied for one whole week.

CNY is the best time to organize gathering with friends as everyone will be on holiday. Nic, Bel, Sus (my ex-schoolmates) and I have organized a pot luck party on 初六at Nic’s beautiful condo. I have been craving to try Nic’s cooking and pancake, so this is a good chance!

Pot luck is fun! Everyone has to bring over some home-cooked dishes for the party, so we will have a lot of food varieties and also get to try each other’s cooking. I’m cheating if I tell you that I have no stress at all! Even if it’s just fried mihun, something I’m familiar with, but the last time I touched the kitchen stove was like months ago… But I’m glad it turns out ok, pheww!

Come take a peek of what we have on the table:-

Yee Sang – Sponsored by Nic.
Green Curry Chicken & Chai Poh Egg – By Nic.
Herbal Chicken Soup – By Bel.
Fried Mihun – By me.
Honeydew Sago – By Sus.

Well Nic can actually cook very well! Her green curry is lip-smacking good! It goes very well with rice. Seeing her transformed from a rebel girl (I’m sorry :) in school to now, a lovely mother of two who can cook so well… I’m so impressed and proud of her!

Not to forget, Bel’s nutritious herbal chicken soup that can warm up anyone’s tummy anytime. Have to give her credit for making effort to cook the soup although she was in a rush. I love Sus’s honeydew sago too! Just the right amount of sweetness. Sus likes to cook and explore new recipes (a potential good wife).

Not long after the hearty lunch, guess what…. It’s pancake and tea time! Wonder why we have such a big appetite…

We stand in the kitchen to watch the making of pancake and are waiting eagerly, like a kid. It seems simple! But first of all, I need to have a non-stick pan. The outcome is very lovely indeed. It somehow reminded me of Doraemon.

Here comes the legendary pancake! As quoted by Nalyssa “The yummiest pancake in the world!” and I got to agree with her. So simple but yet so addictive! Taste even better with maple syrup. Ok, when I have my own kitchen, I’ll definitely get a non-stick pan and make this!

Words of wisdom in our fortune cookie. Chris and I got the same one! Ok,I know you can't read it here, never mind.

Like Nic said, we should do something like this more often. I guess I should learn some new recipes before the next round! Actually I have thought of what to cook for the coming pot luck gathering (if there is any) but I shall keep it a secret first for now, hehe.

開心樂龍龍!

2012-02-01T17:28:00.009+08:00

Reunion dinner – CHECKED

拜年 - CHECKED

Collect ang pow - CHECKED

Give ang pow to elderly - CHECKED

Gamble - CHECKED

Lou sang – CHECKED

Have done all the CNY routine. So there goes my Chinese new year T_T …… But today ain’t the last day yet, still got 5 days to go before it officially end. And after that I have to wait for yet another year *sigh*

So what else? Hmm… Ya, I’m one year older. Hate to say that but I’m 29 already this year and going to reach the digit “3” next year! In fact in Chinese calculation, I’m 30 already by now. But I follow western calculation one ok! To be precise, up to today, I’m only 28 years 1 month and x days old. You see, that makes a big difference!

Our first 3 days of CNY are very routine:

初一 : All gather at Grandparent’s house. Eat, drink, CAMWHORE!

初二 : Out to 拜年(visit relatives) for one whole day. About 7-8 houses to visit. Usually a tired day!

初三 : Movie day!

I have tonnes of photo to share but I’ll try to cut it short as most of them are plainly vain photos of me and my bunch of cousin sis *u*

初一

初二

*photos taken at my Aunt Natalie's new house.

初三

No photos. Surprised!

Sometimes I wonder how long can we keep this tradition as eventually, my cousin sisters will get married and they will have to be at their hubby’s house instead (as the Chinese tradition, the wife has to be at the husband’s house on the first day of CNY). ~~Unless no one wants them :p~~ But well, I suppose life is ever changing isn’t it? So cheers to now, this moment and us! : )

Lunch : Tanzini, G Tower

2012-01-20T14:30:00.007+08:00

This is definitely very out-dated. I went on Oct ‘2011 – about 4 months ago! But I still want to post it because I want to clear my blogging debts before Chinese New Year. As the Chinese saying, one must clear all debts before entering into a new year. Ermm… car loan doesn’t count I suppose :P

Buildings around G Tower are rising up fast. Sooner, there might be no more KLCC view in Tanzini! :/

We were utilizing our Milk-A-Deal’s vouchers for the lunch. RM38.00 for a 3-course lunch at Tanzini was definitely a steal! Although choices were pretty limited (only 2 options for main course) but for the price we were paying (and the view), I couldn’t complain. It was a rather quiet afternoon at Tanzini with only 2 tables occupied but the quiet vibes didn’t last long after I entered. Haha!

Salad of the day

Chilli Tagliatelle Prawn

Tuscany Style Grilled Chicken – First time eating gnocchi and I like it - very chewy. The chicken on the other hand, tasted ordinary. And I agreed with Chris that the chicken had chicken smell which was a put-off. Chicken without chicken smell…. Isn’t it ironic? Humans are so hard to please!

Crème Brulee with Biscotti – The crème brulee came in a small portion which was a plus point for me because I don’t like too much of a sweet thing.

Ice Cappuccino (and me) – cold is better than hot.

Warm and breezy Malaysia ~

Are you excited already?? I AM! Just two more days to Chinese New Year woo hoo! Although the excitement feeling has decreased as I get older but nevertheless, I LOVE CNY! It’s probably the best time of the year! Here wishing everyone in the year of Dragon:

心想事成

行運一條龍

恭喜發財!!

Christmas Afternoon Tea: Lounge on the Park, Mandarin Oriental.

2012-01-17T16:30:00.006+08:00

I simply couldn’t resist the word “high tea”! For me, it resembles a pretty tea pot and 3 tiers of too-lovely-to-eat dessert.

Experiencing afternoon tea at The Ritz-Carlton was in my birthday wish list last year but after reading reviews in Baby Sumo’s blog, I thought I’d give Mandarin Oriental a shot instead. Hehe! By the way, Chris reads Baby Sumo’s blog too. So when there’s any good find, we’d share the link among us and discuss together which one worth to try out. Cheers to food blogs!

But instead of going on my birthday, we went on Christmas’s eve. Tagging along together with us was my cousin sister, Mun.

Peppermint Tea. Although I’m not a tea person but I simply love peppermint tea. Very refreshing and cooling. But for some, it might taste like toothpaste :9

Christmas Afternoon Tea Set. Sugar overdose!

Macaron. Lemon for Earl Grey Tea. Scone. Assorted Butter & Jams.

I can’t say I enjoyed everything on the tray as some were overly sweet, but I like the sandwiches and scones. And the butter and cream. The scones were not as good as The Ritz (London) though. The freshly baked scones at The Ritz are to-die-for!

Silly faces of us. Sugar high!

Based on my experience at The Ritz, I already warned myself, Chris and Mun to keep an empty stomach before going but still, there were leftovers on the tray! We are lousy eaters… -_-

The good thing is, you can pack home the leftovers but at that moment you might want to say - PLEASE DON’T LET ME SEE ANYTHING SWEET ANYMORE!

Nevertheless, we had a pleasure time there. I especially enjoyed very much the live piano music and Christmas songs playing on the background.

Ok, end of high tea story. Now…… let’s countdown to Chinese New Year! New clothes are waiting for me in the wardrobe! I’m lucky this year, I manage to find clothes for CNY! Basically, I have started to collect since months ago. This is due to my past experience... I used to have difficulties in finding nice (and red) clothes for CNY because I shopped at the last minute like 2 weeks before. So, better start collecting early! :D

P/s:

She is Mun, my lil’ (cousin) sista. She is one good girl! She does all the house chores, she cooks, she is caring, she is humble, she has a kind heart… how often do you stumble upon a teenage girl like her nowadays? I mean, I’m proud of her!

Birthday : B's, Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside

2012-01-13T14:02:00.007+08:00

We were given 3 vouchers during check-in – 50% off for BBQ buffet dinner at The Village, 30% off for spa treatment at Fit & Spa Lounge and 10% off on ala-carte menu at B’s Restaurant. For dining, obviously the BBQ buffet dinner was the best deal, plus the environment seemed great.

So after our evening walk, we headed to the lake side where The Village was located at. We walked in to the reception…. but nobody layan us. So we walked further to have a peep at their buffet spread and luckily we did because we found that there were not many selections of raw meat and seafood for the BBQ.

And so we fled to B’s!

I was secretly feeling happy that Chris didn’t opt for that BBQ buffet as I was still feeling rather full and would prefer something lighter. The menu at B’s was quite basic, offering a mixture of asian and western food. The ambience was cosy too, with Christmas decoration still hanging on the wall.

Pan Seared Sesame Crusted Tuna with Rocket Leaves – light and refreshing.

Spicy Thai Tom Yum Goong – good enough to increase my appetite but quite salty.

Nasi Goreng Pullman with Prawns, Chicken Satay, Pickle Vegetable, Fried Egg and Fried Chicken – so many things in one plate, yum! The best option for greedy eater or for sharing :9

Although nothing wow about the dinner but at least we were back with a satisfied tummy = )

Wow, 3 posts in a week. That's a rare! Kind of rushing to finish up all outstanding posts before Chinese New Year because... it is just 1 week away!! I’m feeling excited already with so many things coming up! Time to gather with all relatives and get ang pow, tee hee! And most of all, get crazy with my bunch of cousin sisters!

Birthday : Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside

2012-01-12T15:12:00.007+08:00

On my birthday at 01:27am, I received a birthday message from Chris (we were together but Chris secretly send the message while I was out of the room). Together with the birthday message was a surprise note: Another surprise for you, pack your dress and stuffs for a one night stay at hotel. I giggled and start asking “Where ah where ah?? But I think I better not know until tomorrow so that I can be more surprise.” ^^

So basically, I had no idea where it is until we reached there! Of course I couldn’t refrain myself from making a few guess along the way but I didn’t get the correct answer.

After check-in, we were guided to our room by a friendly staff and she briefly explained to us the hotel’s facilities along the way. When she pushed open the door, I was absolutely excited to see a big and spacious room! Very much like a resort - my cup of tea!

I quickly jumped on the plush-y bed once I put down my bag. And the next thing was of course….. ahemm hemm… u know…
Ok, to prevent you from thinking about “something” else, the answer is actually CAMWHORE!

Camwhore max!!

I super love this studio room! I want to pack everything in this room into my bag and bring them home! I especially love the fact that they have ceiling fan. Because I can’t really sleep well in an air-con room, so ceiling fan is just right for me and it provides better ventilation too.

And the big bathroom and the rain shower and the toilet bowl…. Can I bring it back too? Hmm, but maybe not the toilet bowl, thanks!

Kitchen. We didn’t utilize the kitchen but Chris enjoyed brewing coffee with the coffeemaker.

In the evening, we went out for a stroll at the poolside and to explore the surroundings but time was simply too short! Before we could explore the other side of the resort, it was time for dinner!

Malaysia’s Big Ben? Lol!

To be continued… :)

Birthday : Sage, The Gardens

2012-01-10T11:25:00.008+08:00

Sage is one of the few shortlisted restaurants for my birthday this year (2011). Although I went once for my birthday as well last year, but I don’t mind to revisit at all as the foods and environment are great! In fact, I don’t mind to visit regularly like Baby Sumo did (Sage is like her canteen) but it’ll surely burn a hole in ~~our~~ Chris’s wallet if we do so! But RM100.00 net for a set of delightful 3 courses lunch is totally worth every penny. Besides, Sage has my favourite – truffle!

Hoho, Chris had a little surprise for me :) Apparently, they have this 4 courses truffle menu set. Price a little higher than the normal lunch set menu but the amount of the truffle served in each course is quite generous I would say. I was not aware until the 2nd course was served! Maybe I should have noticed during the 1st course as it was different from the normal menu but I was in a high mood I didn’t care much, plus I was away when Chris places order. Well I have say, it is very true that pig loves truffle! Say yay to truffle indulgence!

Soft and warm bread with basil dip.

Egg Mollet of Kampung Chicken on Toast with Shaving Black Truffle and Parmesan Cheese – a nice combination.

Carpaccio of Hokkaido Scallop with Winter Black Truffle and Organic Sakura Cress.

Warm Fedelini Pasta served with Shaving Winter Black Truffle and Parmesan Cheese – The aroma itself has won my heart. The pasta sauce went very well with the truffle. Absolutely yum!

Passion Fruit Sorbet – the perfect palate cleanser. Very refreshing, I want more!

Pan Roasted New Zealand Pink Snapper with Sauce Périgueux – what I love the most about this dish was the zucchini flower! :P

Roasted Marinated Black Cod Fish with Pane of Oyster and Cepe Mushroom Ragout

Before the dessert was served, I still jokingly said “Eh, is it the dessert will also have truffle..?” and I was right! I like the puff at the bottom but I have to say that the truffle in this dessert served more like a garnishing rather than complementing the taste.

Kahlua Bavarois with Coffee Jelly and Mascarpone Cream

Happy Birthday to Pig! *oink oink*

I know I’m rather late but Happy New Year 2012! ヾ(＠⌒ー⌒＠)ノ

Eat : Paris

2011-12-25T14:05:00.002+08:00

Meals we had in Paris were quite random. At times, we would dine at a decent restaurant or café, while on some tiring days we would just grab ‘n go some quick meals. But what I enjoyed the most was Chris’s home-cooked soup and breakfast. How pampered I was, I get to eat home-cooked food in Paris! I remember waking up to the lovely smell of toast and coffee in the morning ~~ Mmm well, not exactly toast and coffee but fried egg and ham. But still, “toast and coffee” makes a lovelier sentence :P
And…. in the evening, while I bath, Chris would cook soup for dinner. Aha, isn’t it good to have a personal chef? Alas, we only had kitchen to use for 3 days throughout the entire trip as we did not opt for an apartment for the remaining days.

Nope, I did not take any photos of Chris’s home-cooked meal. Too busy eating.

And I also did not take photos of the many quick meals that we had. Too tired.

So what I have is some photos of food we had in restaurant and café. Are you ready to hear your stomach growls? Tee hee...

Breakfast at Café Lateral, not far from Arc De Triomphe.

Let's start with a sweet & hot chocolate ~

Croissant, French Bread, Butter and Jam.

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon

Breakfast at Le Malakoff, Trocadero

Hot Chocolate, yum!

Fried Eggs with Ham

Lunch at Lecritoire Café, Place De La Sorbonne

Duck Foie Gras with Toasts

Salmon Steak with Sorrel, Tagliatelle

Cheese platter

Caramelized Custard Cream

Dinner & supper at Japanese restaurant
Chris & I are still raving about this quaint little Japanese restaurant opposite to Hotel Du Lourve. Everything was simple and unpretentious but yet so unforgettable. We ate about 4 meals there (dine in & take-away)!

Sushi Maki Bento - the sushi rice was fluffy and the ingredients used were very fresh. Just couldn't get enough of it!

Salmon Teriyaki.

Absolutely delicious Chicken Yakitori.

Merry Christmas!! ** ** *** Have a wonderful day!

Behind The Scene

2011-12-20T09:22:00.009+08:00

Bruised feet, sore legs, grumpy mood….. all ugly facts which you can’t see in the pictures. The entire process was filled with anxiety I would say. From the moment we jump-started on the photographer hunting mission to receiving the photos – we were all exciting yet nervous. Worried that the photographer wouldn’t turn up, worried that the dress would reach late, worried that the dress would look terrible on me, worried about the weather, worried about the outcome of the photos… too much to worry!

Let me roughly draft out the entire process:-

1. Search for photographer in Google and send enquiries to shortlisted ones.
2. Compare prices and quality as well as their photography styles.
3. Send confirmation email to the selected photographer and a couple of follow up emails to confirm on the venue, date and miscellaneous stuffs.
4. Browse for dresses and gowns at Tao Bao and Ebay.
5. Send enquiry to Malaysia’s Tao Bao agents, get quotation, do comparison and put in order.
6. Wait for parcel to arrive.
7. Send dresses and shirts to alter.
8. Hunt for accessories and shoes and also black blazer for Chris.

……………… zzZZZ where am I now? I give up. Too tedious to list down every single thing *yawn*

In one word, we did most of the things and arrangement by ourselves. Besides, I also did the make up by myself. As for the hair-do, long story cut short, I did it at a saloon nearby to our rented apartment – a very last minute decision. It costs me about RM200. Had quite an unpleasant experience in the saloon. What I can say is; I nearly ended up looking like a mushroom head.

After all ~~the pain~~ the time and energy spent, we are more than glad that the outcome is satisfying and we are also grateful that everything has sailed smoothly for us.

The greatest gift for our 10th anniversary. There isn’t any better way to freeze the beautiful moment ♥

With Love, From Paris

2011-12-13T13:59:00.005+08:00

Recycling the name of my album in Facebook :D

As promised last week, more photos of our photo shooting in Paris ~ Have to do it fast while I’m feeling hardworking!

A pair of workmates, a pair of mother-daughter, a pair of friends, a pair of doggies and a pair of loving couple (:P) ~

Between the white and red dresses, which one you like better? Many complimented about the red dress. In fact, the red dress does fit me better although both have been altered. The white long dress kept sliding down during the photo shooting day which was pretty annoying and embarrassing as we had to travel a lot on feet. I had to keep adjusting it like every minute… -_- Although I’m pretty sure I won’t wear it again but I do love the white dress. It is quite what I wanted and probably the first long dress that I own.

I got them both from a popular China’s online shopping website – Tao Bao. Each costs about RM150 including shipping fees and agent’s commission. It’s considerably cheaper than buying or renting from bridal shop but do not expect very fine quality and alteration is most probably unavoidable. There is a minor flaw on the red dress but I’m fine with it as long as it’s not something too obvious. Well, there’s always a risk purchasing things online.

Talking about dress, I don’t know which dress to wear for Chris’s cousin sister wedding dinner this coming Sunday. I thought of getting a new one but couldn’t find any last weekend. Actually, I did found a few nice ones at a boutique nearby my house but it doesn’t look good on me :( What else, thanks to my fat thigh.

I am not a BRIDE!

2011-12-09T16:26:00.009+08:00

…. Or I am? Gah, I’m confused now!

This is exactly what I replied to my friends in Facebook.

After I have uploaded our photo shoot in Facebook, comments like “Congratulations…!” and “Nice pre-wedding photos..” were pouring all over my album! I am certainly happy with all the lovely messages and compliments from friends but somehow, there’s a hint of guilt inside me as I’m not a real bride. Not that I don’t want to be, but I can’t. Not in Malaysia anyway.

For us to get officially registered as a “couple”, we would need to travel a thousand miles away from home which, is out of our budget for the time being. But at the end of the day, it very much depends on what your heart thinks. As long as we are both happy together, nothing else matters.

.
.
.

Actually…… I FREAKING WANT TO GET MARRIED LIKE MAD SINCE THE DAY I KNOW HOW TO READ A.B.C!!! I AM JUST A TYPICAL GIRLY GIRL FOR GOD’S SAKE!
So yeah, I said it.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t jump happily when Chris told me that we are going to have a pre-wedding-like photoshoot at Paris! What can I say, Chris is a sweetheart (not when is nagging me though)! Gosh, how many times have I said this?

I want to confess again…. I purposely bought a white dress for the photo shoot because I …… ~~like white dresses~~ desperately want to look like a bride T.T ….. I adore white bridal gowns. I mean how often does a girl have the opportunity to wear white gowns? Anyway, the one I wore for the photo shoot is just a very simple one (and cheap too). That’s what I want – simple and comfortable. Will probably share more about the dress in the coming post ~

So after all the mumbles and confessions, it’s finally time for photos! Individually hand-picked by me for your viewing pleasure :D

Je t'aime

Cotton candy love.

More to come in the next post! ♥

Happy long weekend for those who are working in Selangor! Yay, I LOVE DECEMBER!

Perfect 10!

2011-12-07T17:42:00.006+08:00

1, 2, 3…. 10 years and counting!

I feel amazing. 10 years may seem like a very long period but spending it with a lovely person, 10 years is nothing! Of course we do have ups and downs, arguments, conflicts and tears which are unavoidable in every relationship but we learn along the way. In my humble little dictionary, the most important word for a rewarding relationship is “APPRECIATE”. Ahh, I don’t know how to elaborate more as I’m not at all a love expert. In fact, I have uncountable flaws which is a shame to mention!

Nevertheless, we always love to do things that’ll keep the passion alive like a dinner date, going to holidays and small surprises. I’m really grateful to have found someone who doesn’t mind to do something romantic. I personally know a lot of guys/people who don’t! Especially those who have got married. It doesn’t always have to be HUGE and expensive ones. Some simple and sweet gestures can go a long way.

Chris is caring, loving, charming, knows how to cook, works hard for our future, good in catching cockroach…. and much much more! I’m very blessed indeed :)

I’m looking forward for our many years to come ♥

P/s: I should have written this on 1st Oct but simply have no time to do so. So, better late than never? :D By the way, that’s our photoshoot in Paris. Will definitely post more soon!

L.O.N.D.O.N ✈High Tea at The Ritz

2011-11-29T16:07:00.001+08:00

My first ever authentic English tea experience! ♥

Dressed appropriately for the high tea because dress code applies. The very gentleman maitre d’ offered to snap photo for us once we took out our camera. Very attentive, indeed.

What I can say…. I have always loved English high tea because….. they’re simply too pretty! I know there’s a price to pay for all the “prettiness”. The 3-tiered tray, the tea set, the gold-plated tea spoons and not to forget, the excellent service and the classy setting – it all comes with a price tag. But these are the little lovely things that make the entire high tea experience worthwhile.

Again, it was Chris’s idea to go there. I never did much research about dining places. Actually Chris intended to keep the high tea and dinner cruise as a surprise but as always, Chris spilled the beans! =D

Oh my love! Starts from the bottom: Sandwiches with 3 types of filling, scones, macarons, mini pastries and cakes. Tips: Please please go with an empty stomach! Everything is refillable! Non-stop!

We had set a bad example for everyone. We went with a half-full stomach - just 3 hours after binging on carbs at China Express (Chinese fast food)! Well, to our defense, we didn’t know that the fast food portion can be so big! If I could turn back time, I would skip breakfast and lunch and starve myself enough to eat everything on the 3-tiered tray + 3 times refill! *greedy mode turned on*

We were so full that we hadn’t taste anything on the top tier until the very last minute when the maître d’ approached us:

Maître d’: Hi lady, is there any problem with the desserts?

Me: Oh no no, we are just too full (insert smile).

Maître d’: Make sure you try a bit of everything lady.

So we did. But dreadfully. One lesson learnt.

L.O.N.D.O.N ✈Stonehenge

2011-11-25T08:00:00.004+08:00

We went to see batu again.

We joined a one day tour to Stonehenge which is about 2 hours from central London. Yes, we travelled so far to see stones, again. But they are not just some ordinary stones. If you learn more about it, there are a lot of interesting facts and mysterious yet amazing stories behind.

An audio guide was provided to us but I just listened for the first 5 minutes and then I was too busy camwhoring.

The weather was lovely that day. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. Just perfect for taking photos. The vast green field and kambing biri-biri(s) made me feel like I’m in Australia. Oh gosh, I miss Australia.

After finishing one round, I asked Chris “Hey, do you think we should walk one more round?” Luckily we didn’t! Because we were the last one to go up to the tour bus and were 10 minutes late! Told you, tour group is not for us because we love to do things at our own pace (and we are a loser in punctuality).

Monday is a replacement holiday for Awal Muharram! So I will have a long weekend again… Did you notice that many public holidays fall on Sunday this year? Anyway, just don’t fall on Saturday! It would be a waste for me as I work a 5-day week and there’d be no replacement for any holidays that fall on a Saturday. So cheers!

Happy fly-day! Oppss, I’m an Air Asia fans :)

L.O.N.D.O.N ✈ Do As The Tourists Do

2011-11-21T15:34:00.009+08:00

Being the first time in London, we must do as the tourists do! We tried not to overwhelm our 3 days itinerary by picking just a few of must-go famous spots such as London Eye, Big Ben (Clock Tower) and Tower Bridge. And of course, a trip to London wouldn’t be complete without ~~a lot of~~ a little bit of shopping at Oxford Street. The rest of the empty gaps in the itinerary, as usual, we’d leave it for any last-minute decision. Our itinerary is always flexible. That’s the biggest pros of travelling without a tour group. We could jump on any impulsive decision and do things at our own pace. But then again, we still need to plan ahead as there are places with time restriction.

1st stop in London – Oxford Street! A looooooong stretch of shopping street. All you need is money, money, money! $$$$$! Walk till your leg break!
I have tried my best, but both photos couldn’t merge perfectly together.

Today’s menu: London Eye, London Eye River Cruise & 4D London Eye Cinema. Again, we bought the ticket online and there are many combinations of ticket available.

On the cruise.

The gloomy London Eye. Photo taken on the upper deck of the cruise - 5 minutes before it started to rain and we all had to run down to the covered lower deck. So ‘potong steam’!

I’m in the “eye”!

Up we go! Taking photos as if there’s no one else inside the cabin. They can’t chase me out, can they?

London Eye at its highest point.

Buckingham Palace.

Hey I’m The Princess of Goodyear Court. Open the gate for me! !

Big Ben, the clock tower. One of the most iconic landmarks of London.

I think this is a decent shot. Tell me it is! Otherwise I should just shoot pork burger for the rest of my life!

No, this is NOT the London Bridge but Tower Bridge. The real London Bridge is, well, just a very normal looking bridge. Like many people, I had always thought that Tower Bridge is London Bridge. When the cruise passed by London Bridge, I was like “So this is the London Bridge??”. What I can say is… our childhood song ‘London Bridge is falling down’ is misleading!

I'm going for a nice body scrub tonite. Just RM10 for members! Thanks to the monthly promotion at my regular beauty saloon. Yay, let's kick away the Monday blues!

L.O.N.D.O.N ✈ The Red Telephone Booth

2011-11-18T14:50:00.005+08:00

Whenever I think on London, the first icon that pops up in my mind is the RED TELEPHONE BOOTH! It’s almost like a must to take a photo with the telephone booth. Very touristy but hey, I’m a tourist! So here it is, our own version of “I’ve been to London” photo =D

Did I mention that it’s hard to find a clean telephone booth? Public phone nowadays is being extremely underutilised because, well, who doesn’t have a mobile phone? Or rather, who can live without a mobile phone? However, the existence of public phone as a part of public amenities is still essential. Hopefully the government of London will preserve the appearance of their renowned red telephone booth because they are an irreplaceable icon of London (for tourist to camwhore).

Sekian, terima kasih.

Why it sounds like I’m writing a conclusion for an essay with the title of “The Importance of Public Phone”? Perhaps the SPM exam season now has inspired my long lost menulis karangan skill! Oh well, I’m sure I’ll get a very low grade for that piece of crap!

You can call all you want,
But there’s no one home,
And you’re not gonna reach my telephone!

Happy Fly-day!

pAris ♥ Dinner Cruise on Seine River

2011-11-08T17:34:00.006+08:00

Eiffel Tower.

Paris is a romantic and beautiful place. Yes, that’s undeniable. But behind all those flowery pictures, there is an ugly side......

Dog poops are everywhere on the street – Parisian loves dog. They love to bring them to walk and their doggie will poo poo freely on the street. No, don’t ever hope that they will clean it up. Just watch your steps! Oppss… !

Pickpockets at tourist spots and in the Metro – It’s not something new there. It’s almost like a routine. We did our research on the website like Trip Advisor before we went. In fact, it happened to one of our friends too who went there just one month before us. So we changed our plan and took cab instead. To say it all, be extra extra careful of your belongings especially when you are at tourist spots. Always look around and be alert to your surroundings. Anyway, we saw a lot of police with firearms around Eiffel Tower, which is one of the high risk places. That at least made us worried a little lesser.

Dirty and complicated Metro – Though we have tried hard to stay away from Metro, we did take it once during our photo shooting day (that’s another story altogether) with the guidance of our photographer. What I saw was dirty and old subway, complicated metro lines and suspicious looking people. Brrr, I’m sorry but I just felt unsafe in there.

After all, we have to be thankful that we were safe and sound during the entire trip (although we did bump into what they called it “The Golden Ring Scam” people, where we ran away immediately when he tried to approach us. You can read about it at Trip Advisor.)

Alright let’s flip to another page with happier stuffs.

.

.

One of the best moments of my life :)

Dinner cruise on Seine River! Wow wow, that was like the best of the trip! Because there’s no crowd, no rush and no hassle… just sit back, relax and enjoy the food and view.

Chris browsing through the menu of the night.

Looking at the birds flying across the sky while listening to the soothing music…. mmm, bliss ~

Arrgh, what should I do? Look at the view or eat my food or take photos?? Couldn’t concentrate on one!

Chris took the early dinner cruise which starts from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Just enough time to see the night view for a while but I'm already too happy! Highly recommended to everyone, very worth it!

Cheers to nice food, great view, romantic music and lovely boat restaurant! And most of all, cheers to Chris for the dinner arrangement! I ♥ u……

By the way, that was our last night in Paris. The dinner ended our Paris & London trip so perfectly that I had an emotional moment. But it lasted just for a short moment… because, everyone has to go home. However far you go, however beautiful it is….. there’s no place like home :)

Us in pAris ♪

Au revoir!

pAris ♥ Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe & The Lourve

2011-11-03T11:48:00.018+08:00

Merci for visiting my blog! ♪

Merci is the most frequently used word during our stay in Paris beside bonjour (as we only know this two words, lol!). It means 'Thank You' and the pronunciation is very easy especially if you know how to speak Cantonese. Aheem hemm, come follow after teacher Joey:
Meh Si.... Meh Si....
It’s like what’s up in Cantonese. Yes, just that simple! :D

Notre Dame Cathedral.

Chris keeps on complaining about my lousy shots. I hate to admit it but yeah, I’m pretty sucks in human portrait shot. Give me a pork burger and I can do better than that, haha!

Lights of blessing...

Have to act cool in front of the cathedral :P

Poser Chris. Very much influenced by me. Lol!

From another side of the cathedral. Isn't it beautiful? I personally think that, getting married in a cathedral is very romantic.

Arc de Triomphe. My heart skipped a beat whenever the cab we were in, turning around the enormous Arc de Triomphe roundabout. Imagine an enormous roundabout without any dividing line, cars coming in from all directions fighting to go their own way… The traffic seems ok in this photo as it was taken in the late morning but it can be pretty scary during rush hours.

When the sun was out, it was so warm that I can take off my coat. But in the morning and night, it was freezing cold!!

Doing the city walk.

The autumn sun - warming up the cold air.

A long and beautiful park along the way to Pont Alexandre III Bridge.

Pont Alexandre III Bridge – the most expensive-looking bridge.

I love lourve :D We were there 1 ½ hour before its closing time. Obviously not enough time to cover all galleries but we managed to see what we must see inside like The Mona Lisa and The Venus de Milo. Tips: Buy whatever entrance ticket online beforehand. You do not want to waste your precious time queuing up in the long queue.

Inside Lourve.

Eiffel Tower from afar.

I just realized that the pyramid itself has no lighting at night. The light came through from the surrounding buildings. Anyway, it was a freezing cold night!

Merci beaucoup for reading my craps!

pAris ♥ Eiffel Tower

2011-11-01T09:11:00.012+08:00

Bonjour! Been away for a while! Having a hard time squeezing out time to blog (as always).

Dream came true, yay ~ : )

Happy to announce that I have been to two of my dream places last month! That’s Paris & London :D I’m feeling so grateful because it was one of my biggest BIGGEST dreams ever! Thanks to Chris, my love, for making this happen! And Air Asia too, for the affordable air fare! In fact, thanks to everything! :’)

Sad thing is, we have used up our next year’s holiday quota :( If there is one, it’s definitely a BONUS!

Going to trip like this really hurts the wallet. Anyway, time for photos!

First photo in Paris! *excited* Can you see my tail?? It was a rainy day! Luckily it stopped after a while and we managed to walk to Trocadero. Just 2 mins from our apartment :D

Couldn’t get much nice pictures as the weather was gloomy…. :(

Back to Eiffel Tower on the 8th day to go up to the top! Wee wee woo woo! The queue at the ticket counter was crazily long! Aha, luckily we bought our ticket online! Tips: Get your entrance ticket online!

We’re up! Overlooking the Champs De Mars Park.

Seine River. Standing inside the 2nd floor lift that was heading up to the summit, I couldn’t help it but…. I started to sweat! As far as I know, I don’t have any serious height phobia but the fear just pop out halfway through. But I know I’m not alone! Because when the lift reached the top and the door opened, everyone in the lift gave a sigh of relief… Ahh!

Lingering around in cold, waiting for the best moment.

Yes, I’m waiting for you Sunset.

Down under.

Lights up! Eiffel at night.

Been scratching head on how to organize my post because things are a bit messy. But I have decided to post whatever that comes up first in my mind and just go with the flow. Cheers!

Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie

2011-09-28T15:18:00.006+08:00

I suddenly came to realize that there is a lot of restaurants that are refurbished from a bungalow house, all which has their own theme and signature. I have been to a few so far and I like the fact that, they are spacious and quiet. Some are even hidden in the mid of the city, which is an adventure to look for them.

Not all is quiet though. For an instance, Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie at Jalan Imbi is full of life!

We were there on a Sunday morning and were pleasantly surprised with the crowd inside despite the early hours (yes, 11am is still early on a Sunday). It was what we called “FULL HOUSE”! We nearly couldn’t get ourselves a table if it’s not the lovely lady who got up quickly when she saw us wandering around for a place to sit. The breakfast time was over (until 10:30am only) but there were a few options of hot meal available.

Garden Salad – complimentary with any hot meal.

Chicken Bolognese Spaghetti – Simple meal that you can cook at home but lazy :P

Margarita Pizza – Basically, it’s a vegetarian pizza with only tomatoes, basil leaves and mozzarella cheese on the top. My first time eating margarita pizza and I LOVE IT! Chris loves it too!

Testing the gooeyness of the cheese :P

Milk Chocolate Cheesecake and Le Caramelis – They say girls have a second stomach for desserts but I think I was not born with one. I always find that towards the dessert time, I’m usually filled to the brim and to finish up the dessert is like a dreadful task.

Fraise, Pistache & Limone Macarons – as sweet as it is. Despite the attractive colours, I don’t really like the macarons here.

Bitter Americano.

A cuppa to end the meal.

Tokyo Street

2011-09-20T09:04:00.006+08:00

Yes, Tokyo Street!! I’m sorry but I just got to know about Tokyo Street like a month ago via Baby Sumo’s blog. I was like “OMG #%&&*, I never heard anything about this at all! Am I living in the city??” Well, indeed, I suspect I’m living in the suburbs not city!

So yes, I was finally there for the 1st time 3 weeks ago! It was crowded with ~~people who don’t want to be left out like me~~ youngsters and families who wanted to catch a breath of Japan! It’s undeniably the hottest thing in Pavilion right now. The usual quiet 6th floor has now become a hotspot!

The ambience and the settings at Tokyo Street made me want to go to Japan even more! I have been craving to go to Tohoku after watching a TV travel programme. The view of red leaves during autumn is just so charming! And countless of onsen (hot spring) in the most beautiful surrounding that you can ever imagine!

But we are now talking about Japan, not Sekinchan or Kelantan! Maybe I shall start buying lottery tomorrow. Worst of all, I’m still in deep holi-debt (short form for holiday debt) T.T

For the meantime, Tokyo Street it is!

Ochado (茶の道) - Ochado’s Lemonade & Roasted Milk Tea with Pearls. The lemonade was fine but the roasted milk tea had too much pearl! Too much pearl make my gums tired and also blocking my way to sip and fully enjoy the milk tea. I shall ask for less pearl next time or maybe just skip it. Anyway, nothing wow about the milk tea flavour too, too light for my liking. Not worth the queue.

Wishing board. I want to make a wish too …..

~~I WANT TO GO TO TOHOKU!~~
~~I WANT TO WIN LOTTERY SO THAT I CAN GO TO TOHOKU!!~~
I WANT TO STAY HEALTHY SO THAT I CAN LOVE AND BE LOVED!! (Be real Joey, you are not that sentimental. I know you!)

Chris’s Birthday : F Concept Dining by Buffalo Kitchen, Bangsar

2011-09-13T09:00:00.009+08:00

This was not one of the shortlisted restaurants that I picked for Chris’s Birthday treat. Not until when Chris rejected all my suggestion and came out with this option which was recommended by KampungboyCitygal (one of my favourite food blogs) food blog.

I called up to do booking once final decision was made and requested for a brighter area which was the “library area”, as suggested by the staff. The exact same place as where KampungboyCitygal were seated.

Remember this photo? Scroll up to see my new header!

Locating this restaurant was a brisk as it is right opposite Bangsar Village.

We were their first customer of the day as we were there at 12:00pm sharp (rarely so punctual :P). The restaurant was quiet and bright and had an open kitchen, as what I expected after reading the blog. I love their no-nonsense menu where you don’t need to crack your head thinking of what to eat.

Started off with the complimentary bread.

Smoked Salmon Crispy Egg Salad – Just by reading its name on the menu, we knew we couldn’t miss it! The crispy egg was neither too hard nor soft, paired with mayo mixture on the top and a handful of rocket leaves on the side, it won our heart! Honestly, is this a salad? :D

Barramundi with Seafood Risotto – I finished up most of the risotto as Chris was filled to the brim (in one word, I’m the bigger eater). I have tasted a couple of risotto dishes and I must say each one has different kind of texture and taste. This one had a grainier texture where the rice was still in its whole when served. Be it smooth or grainy, watery or dry – I like it all.

Chinese Steamed Sea-Bass – It was a surprise I would go for chinese style dishes instead of western. Maybe I’m tired with all the pan-seared and grilled. I was not disappointed at all with my choice. The fish was fresh and tender. When eaten together with the chilli paste (akin to belacan) on the side, the fish transformed from the-girl-next-door into a bombshell (lame pun)! I loved the roasted potatoes too.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Mousse – A very sweet ending to the meal. Too sweet indeed! From its name, I expected it to have a bitter taste but no traces of espresso were found inside the dessert.

Irish Coffee – Having the mood to try something new, Chris ordered this randomly without having an idea of how it tastes like. After Chris added in a pack of sugar, I had my 1st sip of Irish Coffee…. I went like *insert sour-ish face* the bitter taste was so strong! There was alcohol in the coffee! Just a minute ago I was complaining about the lack of bitter taste in the Dark Chocolate Espresso Mousse, and now I’m groaning about the over-bitterness in this Irish Coffee! How ironic! But hey, I found out that they both are the best match for each other. 1 scoop of overly-sweet mousse + 1 sip of overly-bitter coffee = a match made in heaven! ♥

The King of the day. Happy Birthday!

Sleep : Tasmania & Melbourne

2011-09-07T14:39:00.011+08:00

Final post of Tasmania & Melbourne trip, at last! We have had enough of the “Eat” posts. So to end my Tas & Melb trip log, I shall talk about the next human basic needs that comes after eat - SLEEP!

Salamanca Terraces, Hobart - After long hour flights from Malaysia to Melbourne and from Melbourne to Tasmania, we spent our first night resting at Salamanca Terraces in Hobart. It’s a very spacious apartment with 2 bedrooms, kitchen, living room and a balcony overlooking the Salamanca Market which is open every Saturday.

View from the balcony of Salamanca Terraces

Swansea Beach Chalets, Swansea - A lovely cabin by the beach. It was like a dream come true. I had never stayed so near to the beach and had always wanted to stay at somewhere like this where I can walk out to the balcony anytime to enjoy a borderless sea view. But it can be a little chilly during winter especially at night. The cabin is not as spacious as other apartments that we rented but it has everything that we needed. Anyway, Chris and I slept in the smaller room for 2 nights and I’d have to say the room was really really tiny. We barely had space to open up our luggage! Also, one of the bed heaters was not working, so Chris had to sleep in cold…. Pity!

Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village – from sunny beach to freezing mountain! I thought.. “How am I going to sleep tonight, it’s so bloody cold!” but to my surprise, I had the best sleep of the entire trip that night. The reason was simple – the heater in our room was working well! :D Seriously, heater is absolutely important during winter! But of course that’s not the only reason why I slept so well. It was also because of the room was very well furnished, the bed was very comfortable, the lighting was very calming, the ceiling was high and together with the soft music playing on Chris’s Iphone – I dozed off till the next morning and woke up feeling recharged :)

The name of Wilderness Village is not created without a reason. There is actually real wildlife around that area. For an instance, we had Possum and Wallaby visiting us at our balcony. We fed them with sweet corns but they left ‘poo poo’ for us, great!

Oh yes, did I mention that they upgraded us to Premium Spa Cottages for free? Now I know why everything seems so great! Anyway, the only spa facilities that I can see was a bath tub with Jacuzzi. But overall, I can’t find a single fault about this cottage! It’s perfect!

Citadines on Bourke Melbourne – Located in the heart of the city, modern and chic interiors, well-designed kitchen – these are just a few of its winning point. But it all comes with a price tag. This is possibly the priciest hotel/apartment that we have stayed in. Worth it or not – it depends on your personal preference and judgement. But we surely love this apartment to the bits :) 1 night is just too short!

Plum Serviced Apartments Southbank – Location is not the most ideal but the price is very competitive. Though not as new as Citadines but the apartment is well-kept in terms of their cleanliness and tidiness. If I were to find a fault, it would be the cigarettes odour that lingers in the living room although it is clearly stated in their policy that Plum Serviced Apartments is a non-smoking building. Seems like some irresponsible guests ignored the rules.

Raya Holiday !

2011-08-26T14:41:00.008+08:00

My company has just announced that this coming Monday is a holiday too! The best thing is; it’s free for us!! ♪( ⌒▽⌒)/ ~ I love 'em love 'em love 'em !

I’m too excited when I got the news that I jump and laugh and do silly acts! and I also posted the good news in my Skype, FB, MSN and HERE! I will have….. 9 days holiday in a row! That’s kind of too long for a person who has no planning to do anything yet, except celebrating Chris birthday :P

Wishing everyone Selamat Hari Raya Aildilfitri!

Maaf zahir & batin ~

Eat : Melbourne

2011-08-25T10:30:00.002+08:00

Countdowning to long Raya holidays, woo hoo! My office is closing on the 2nd of Sept as well in conjunction of the Hari Raya & National Day. So I will have….. let me count ….. 6 days off in a row! But I got no planning though. Maybe just take it slow and easy, you know, laze in the bed with my stinky bolster or watch TV till my eyes drop! :D same ‘ol activities….

Caffeine fix at t’hooft, Bendigo.

This is it, the best waffle! Waffle with strawberry and lemon. The cream especially was very nice – smooth, creamy, buttery… ahhh I don’t know how to describe but yeah, it’s that good :9

The same goes to my Eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce portion and texture were just at the right balance. One thumb up!

Their little efforts to save the mother earth :)

A cuppa a day, keeps the sleepiness away…..
Tog’s Place at Castlemaine.

I wanted a light and easy breakfast that morning, so I went for yoghurt with honey and dried fruits. The yoghurt tasted a bit sour-ish when eaten alone. But with the companion of honey and dried fruits, it tasted just fine :)

As you can see it, it’s a BIG breakfast. For hungry pig ~OO~

Chocolate goodies from Chocolate Mill. I’m going to bring you all home! ^^

Chocolate ice cream ~

Something quirky – Chili hot chocolate. A bit of spiciness that can warm my throat down to my stomach, I like it!

Aiming to finish up my Melbourne & Tasmania post before the long holiday! *fingers crossed* ^^X

Eat : Melbourne

2011-08-24T13:59:00.006+08:00

Whoopss, time to blog! Hmm, I shouldn’t make it sound like a task huh? Because I really do enjoy blogging if it’s not because of time constrain. It has been 2 months since I came back from the holiday trip and I have yet to finish my Tasmania & Melbourne post! How efficient…..

Our 1st Vietnam’s delight at Pho Mekong Vietnam at Melbourne, CBD.

Rice paper rolls – so light and refreshing. My kind of food.

Broken rice with chargrilled chicken

Vermicelli with spring rolls – the spring rolls were crispy but because it is a cold noodle salad, the vermicelli was more to the dry side. Wanted to try their rice noodle soup which is one of the most common and popular dishes in Vietnam, but the broth contains beef stocks :( However, after we have made our order, we found out in their menu that they do serve rice noodle soup in chicken broth upon request but ahhh, too late!

Handroll sushi galore!! Chris & I are crazy about handroll sushi from Sushi Sushi! Been missing it since the first time we had it last year. Spicy Prawn is my favourite but I love all of ‘em!

We had an uber-chic little kitchen in our studio apartment. So Chris & I decided to do a little cooking for that night. We went to the nearest supermarket as suggested by the helpful staff at the reception. We got ourselves some salmon fillets, fresh scallops, broccoli and also a pack of seasonings mix. For marinating, we used ginseng spice that we bought at 41° South.

Alright, to be honest, it doesn’t taste as nice as the picture may look :D But presentation-wise, not too bad right?

Dessert from Brunetti :)

Tea time at Daylesford town! A BIG bowl of seafood chowder (?) - very filling and comforting. And (Ling’s) Nachos with dip which I only eat the nachos because the dip had grounded beef.

Home-made steamboat at Ling & Dex's house, yay! Specially requested by Chris :D Chris was sick of western food already.

Eat : Tasmania

2011-08-12T16:00:00.016+08:00

I must confess…..

I HATE editing food photos! ! It makes me hungry every single time…. GAHHH!

Now I’m craving for hand roll sushi and waffle and ABALONE!! Don’t edit food photos at night, especially after you have brushed your teeth (because you’ll have to struggle whether to eat and brush again / eat and skip the brushing / don’t eat at all)!

Ok, 2nd batch of Tasmania foodies ~

Our friend, KK, cooked us breakfast everyday while we were in Tasmania.

Carbonara spaghetti with salmon & gourmet sandwich.

Oysters from Barilla Bay. 1 dozen grilled with bacon, 1 dozen eaten raw.

Smoking hot Bangers & Mash. My breakfast in the cold Cradle Mountain.

Oysters as side dish. KK's grilled oysters were way better than this!
The Ugly Duck Out, Swansea.

Hot smoked Tasmanian salmon with teriyaki glace & rice – as much as I enjoyed eating the big plateful of rice, the sweetness of the teriyaki sauce didn’t seem to goes well with it. But overall, the ingredients were fresh and I have to mention about the friendly waitress there. She was very friendly and soft-spoken. In fact as far as I remember, I have never stumble upon any rude people in Tasmania or even Melbourne.

Whole river rainbow trout with rice (Selina’s)

East coast scallops

Chris was so sick with western food on the 5th day, thus we went for an overpriced chinese restaurant at Launceston, Me Wah.

Steamed fresh baby abalone. I don’t know why but looking back at this photo makes me wanna scream – I WANT TO EAT ABALONE! FRESH AND STEAMED ONE! WITH THE…WHATEVER SAUCE! I simply think that it’s nicer than braised one.
Superior shark’s fin.

Scallops with XO sauce and snow peas – the scallops were somewhat lack of seafood sweetness. Maybe dried scallop is better after all because it has a stronger aroma and taste.

Quick breakfast at Long Bar Café (Launceston airport) before departing back to Melbourne.
Look at the runny egg yolk inside the sandwich, YUMMMM!!

They name it the First Class Breakfast :D Can’t afford a first class seat but I can have first class breakfast! *self-cheering*

I ♥ FOAMMMM! *the foam monster*

Bye Tasmania ...... ( T ^ T )/~~~

Eat : Tasmania

2011-08-10T13:48:00.005+08:00

Woo hoo! Time for foodies! Hmm, after viewing at the bunch of photos, I think I shall cut it into a few post. Otherwise, it would be too congested to stuff in all into a single post. Sorry, I’m a neat-freak. Even my blog post has to be neat ☆彡( ´ ▽ ` )

Butterscoth & chocolate slice at Salamance Market. It was rather hard to chew and can be too sweet for people who is not a sweet tooth but I enjoyed the rich butterscotch taste.

Richardson’s Bistro at Freycinet Lodge.

Al fresco dining area overlooking the Great Oyster Bay. Chris & I thought dining at their open area was the perfect idea despite the hot sun but no we were wrong! I mean, the view was great but the sun was simply too burning that afternoon.

Grilled west coast salmon served on tagliatelle pasta with pesto and rocket. The salmon was thick enough and cooked till medium rare – perfect. Chris also enjoyed the sundried tomatoes that were tossed together with the pasta. If the pasta can be a little less oily, this dish would be perfect.

Lodge made burgers - Huon aquaculture atlantic salmon with aioli. The salmon patty and burger bun were more to the dry side. I nearly choked as I was rushing to finish it due to time constrain.

Salmon Rillettes with toasts at 41° South. As I’ve mentioned earlier, one of the best meal I’ve had in Tasmania. It doesn’t need to be a 5 star restaurant to have a memorable meal. A simple meal in a tranquil surrounding, with a hint of green grass smell in the air….. that’s all it takes.

Dinner at The Grey Gum at Cradle Mountain. This is Grilled salmon served on a bed of risotto. The risotto was creamy and very comforting. Somehow, it reminded me of chinese porridge.

Are you hungry yet?? Well, I AM!

Castlemaine & Daylesford, Bendigo

2011-08-05T10:12:00.007+08:00

Visitng Ling & Dex again at Bendigo, 2 hours away from the CBD. I was deep asleep in the train the entire 2 hours – I was too tired after days of travelling! But to be able to fall asleep while in the train and airplane is a gift :D Don’t you agree?

Joey’s ……… Café? :)

Again, Ling & Dex arranged a very fulfilling 1 day trip for us to Castlemaine & Daylesford which were about 1 hour away from Bendigo. These two towns were rather small and quiet but packed with small surprises :)

This wall might seem a bit eerie but we love it!

Super love this pix! Must ask Chris to get wide angle lens, tee hee.

If this is the exterior wall of your home, will you clean it? 唔好意思, 潔癖症又發作了 ……

Winter. Castlemaine. ’11.

REAL mineral water taken at Locarno Spring. Please ignore the bottle and focus on the ‘bubbly’ water inside. It had a “rusty” taste but I reckon that’s the taste of zinc and magnesium? :D

Lake Daylesford.

t’hooft. A cosy café in Bendigo.

Old and rusty bench. Dare to sit on it?

Thanks to Ling & Dex again for the FOC B&B, for being our tour guide, for cooking us the tastiest steamboat (in Bendigo only :P), for being our driver and everything! :)

Photos of food next!! Yay, finally!

Back to the City!

2011-07-26T16:18:00.006+08:00

I ♥ Melbourne City

After being surrounded by vast grass fields, endless mountains and never-ending long roads for about 5 days, we were back into the “steel forest” finally! Craving to hunt for AUD10 & below goodies! *a poor shopaholic*

You can’t see my shopping bag here because Chris was holding it for me, lol!

DIVA was having sales!! AUD5, 3, or 2 and some even AUD1 only! Can’t even get that price in pasar malam (night market)! Bought a lot of for myself and as souvenir. Freaking cheap compare to Malaysia (after discount though)!

And a COTTON ON fleece and knitted cap AUD10 each, a long cardigan AUD5… and a handful of useless stuffs…

Alright, end of shopping story.

My newly bought knitted cap. The price tag was still on :D

A cold and lonely harbour

In the slow-moving city tram….I was actually very tired after so many days of packing & unpacking.

Oh, did you notice my Twitpic at the sidebar? This works like a mini blog, which I can share some of the daily photos taken with my phone. Sometimes it’s a lot easier to post a short update rather than a lengthy one *lazy blogger*

:)

41° South Salmon, Honey & Dangerous Acts In The Middle Of The Road

2011-07-21T16:00:00.008+08:00

Literally…....

Nah, not this. This is nothing compare to the next photo.

We sat in the middle of the road, risking getting hit by heavy truck! KIDS, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THE ACTION DEMONSTRATED AS ABOVE. THEY HAVE UNDERGONE AN INTENSIVE TRAINING FOR SUCH DANGEROUS ACTS. THANK YOU.

And we still can laugh out loud as if we have done something brilliant….

A very friendly dog living in 41° South. He loves Selina.

We came across 41° South Salmon & Ginseng Farm in a TV programme and we thought, we must go there!

Salmon feeding pond. Beware, don’t fall into the hungry salmon pond!

They breed salmons and make them into smoked salmon and rillettes which you can buy and bring back to home as souvenir. In case you are wondering, the smoked salmon is seal-packed and can last up to 3 days without refrigeration. Beside salmon, we also bought their leatherwood ginseng honey and ginseng spice. The ginseng spice is good for marinating meat or as what you can think of like sprinkle on top of the spaghetti or soup. Highly recommended!

Photobomb #1

Lunch time! Salmon Rillettes with toasts. I can still remember clearly the warmth of the sun on my skin, the little cottage on our left, the grass field in front of us and……. the salivating dog beside me! Although simple, but this is one of the best meals I’ve had in Tasmania.

Next stop: Honey Farm. Just about 10 minutes away from 41° South. It was out of our plan but since it’s so near and seems interesting, we dropped by to say HI to …..

The Busy BEEeee…….. :D (ok, very lame I know)

Free tasting of more than 50 kinds of Honey! Honey feast! I have a sweet lips after that ^3^

And ice-cream! Leatherwood & Blue Gum honey ice cream, YUM! :9

Ahhh, in a blink of an eye, it’s sunset time already. Guess what, it’s not even 6pm yet!

Sunset at Round Mountain

1 week passes by faster than I thought! I’m aiming to do 1 post a week. So far, I’m doing good :) So cheers to me & you! ^.^V~

Tahune Airwalk

2011-07-15T10:52:00.004+08:00

It’s Friday Friday! Let’s make everything slow & easy…… and air-walk with me, into the green green forest…..

At the starting point of Tahune Airwalk

Camera is a useful props too :D

Airwalk-ing walking….

Surrounded by tall trees

Stopping every now and then for photos....

Breathing in the freshest air ~oo~

Huon River behind us

Standing on the extended cantilever, going to walk further to the viewing platform! Can you see the meeting point of the Picton and Huon Rivers? =)

Reached the viewing platform! Excited! I’m 48 metres above the ground!

Selina was suffering backache but managed to walk till the end. Overall, the entire walk was pretty easy and relaxing :)

And also some “tid-bits” of the day ~

A mini apple store beside the road. There was no one around, so it acts like an honesty box, to test you whether you can resist temptations :D Actually, we came across this cute apple store through a HK food programme and we were so excited we found it!

“If you choose to steal my produce I hope you choked!!!!” o.O…… If you notice, there is a CCTV installed, so never think of “grab & run”! Unless you wanna be a You Tube star! :D

Somewhere on the way to Tahune Airwalk. We saw this nice view and asked Uncle KK to “Stoppp the car!!” :D

Selina risked catching a cold by jumping down from the car without her jacket!

She is Cindy. Her owner rides her to a nearby café to get a cuppa :) Petrol saving!

The ultimate photobomb! The expression on my face: annoyed to the max -_-

Sunset at Barilla Bay. Our oyster feast plan demolished because the winter trading hours of the restaurant was:

Wed-Sun – Lunch
Fri-Sat – Dinner

And we were there on a Sunday…… =.=
But we bought back 2 dozens of oyster to eat though.

I think I left a bit of my heart here ♥

Jubilee Beach & Wineglass Bay

2011-07-04T16:44:00.006+08:00

I can sit here for a whole afternoon......
but too bad, time was not enough!

So this is the balcony of our beach chalet at Jubilee Beach, Swansea! How can I not miss this cosy beach chalet? I reckon this is a dream house of many people, just the perfect place to retire at.

Ya, how I wish I could hear the sound of sea wave (real one!) to sleep every night! But heck, I might get bored after a month or so, lol! I’m just a typical city girl, forgive me… :D

When I was small, and Christmas trees were tall......
Alright, I know it's not Christmas tree but this lyric suits this picture too well :D

Footprint on Jubilee Beach. Our signature pose.

It can be quite cold at night staying at the beachside during winter as the wind is strong. While I was freezing my ass off at night, I was so hot the next day that I have to take off my jacket!

Because…….

…... we climbed for more than an hour at Freycinet National Park to reach the Wineglass Bay lookout!

Chris nearly suffocated during the climb (sorry, I have to mention this again :D). We did stop halfway through at another lookout which is the Coles Bay lookout. The view was… awwww….
Nature is just amazing…. Especially for those living in the city, it’s good to go back to the nature once in a while to feel the nature, to appreciate the nature which is, a part of US!

Sorry for the lame panaroma shoot because we were in a hurry!

And finally, we reached the Wineglass Bay lookout! But it was already near sunset time, we had to run back down afterwards! Omg, so rush! So we able to snap only a few photos as we didn’t want to be trapped in the dark mountain o.O

Exhausted but loving every precious moment here.. as they sky was getting darker and darker........ we had to run!!

I'm glad we made it to the top together :')

Cheers~!

Cradle Mountain

2011-06-27T14:41:00.009+08:00

I’m back!! Back to my routine life after 10 days of holiday….. Just finished unpacking and started to filter what seems like thousands of photos! I wish to upload all at once too but really, I don’t wish to flood my friends with 1000 pieces of crap photo in FB! :D

Certainly, I will update to my blog as well when I have that little extra time to do so *fingers crossed* There wouldn’t be long grandma stories as I want to make my post entry as simple as possible (the truth is, I’m too lazy to write ^^).

To kick start my Tasmania & Melbourne trip entry, I’m going to post ~~some~~ a lot of photos we took at Cradle Mountain. It was my first time seeing and touching snow, woo hoo, so excited! There was no snowfall though, only frosted snow on the ground.

It felt like we’ve been sitting in the car for the entire day….. it’s a loooong way to Cradle Mountain!

The moon has come out to work, giving such a beautiful color to the sky

A warm kiss in the cold :D Oh this is one hot photo in my FB! and I still couldn't figure out why. Perhaps, it's because I never posted any photos of Chris kissing me? Yes, must be that! :D

Beer, anyone?

Everything was lovely there except, it was a tad cold. But without such temperature, there wouldn't be snow :)

Blissful moment..... :)

Oh yes, my first time. Wee!

Actually, it's not easy to walk on snow! Mind your step!

Although there was no snowfall at Cradle Mountain while we were there, but a small piece of land covered with snow was more than enough to make us HAPPY! :)

With the love-liest person in the world! LOL!

Throw it higher baby!

Enjoying the splash! :D

That's all for now!

Bye!

Hot Air BaloOn Surprise!

2011-06-08T09:21:00.003+08:00

It was supposed to be a surprise for me but well…. Chris blurted it out at the last minute, as always! Haha! (Sorry for spoiling your surprise plan once again :p)

It is one of my little dreams (I have way too much dreams!) to ‘fly’ in a hot air balloon, especially after watching a travel program ‘Last Paradise’ (現代塵世美) series 5

Inside the episode, the host, Wong Cho Lam, travelled across Australia. One part of the show, he went to a hot air balloon ride in Melbourne. The view was… absolutely STUNNING!

Chris secretly checked on the prices via internet but it is way too expensive to ride on a hot air balloon in Melbourne. But as a bonus, Chris found a charity campaign in Malaysia - with hot air balloon ride! At the right time and right place! Was that lucky or what?

But wait……

As nice as the photos might seem….we didn’t ride on it!! T.T…………..

According to the hot air balloon crew, it was rather windy that day. We waited for an hour or two but all we can see was a giant balloon laid flat on the grass… Also, we just found out that the ride was only 5 minutes per group. The organizer finally agreed to make a refund to us and that’s the end of the surprise-hot-air-balloon-ride story.

Surprise?? YES!!

Lucky? NO!

Sleepy Monday

2011-05-30T15:14:00.005+08:00

After all those weekend movie marathons and late night sleeps, more often than not, I would wake up with an extra heavy head and puffy eyes on a Monday morning. And then I would get my ass out from the bed, do my morning routine blurrily and drive to work half-awaken. When I’m finally in the office, sitting in front of the PC, I would start to regret why I didn’t go to bed early on Sunday night – you know, as always…

Well this picture tells it all…..

.

.

.

........ why do I...... feel so ..... sleepy... I think.... I really... need to... to...doze..... off... like.... noooooowwww.. zzzzZZZ

LOL!! He is Nicole’s 1 ½ month old baby boy, Ashraf :D

Yeah, I made it to the Fullmoon Party! Here, I’m going to throw in a few photos of the evening ~

1. Oppss, Ashraf's crying.......
2. Magic kiss coming *3*
3. One happy baby :P

Ohh, little boy fell asleep :)
Sus said I look very motherly here, lol! :P

Ashraf: Ooi Aunty, me sleeping.. can't you see?? can't you just leave me alone, for a while??

And a little souvenir for us! To be honest, I've been eye-ing on this the entire night! :D Too lovely to resist!

A bucket of love. Love 'em!

Home-made cookie by Nicole & Nalyssa. Isn't it cute? They name it the "NICOLE-DINSKY creation" :D

Despite all the blues, today is a good day :) My colleague, Sharon, cooked us Fried Noodles for breakfast (and lunch, because a lot of leftover). The noodles she used were brought back to KL all the way from her hubby’s hometown, Kuantan. Yummy!

Now it’s my turn to cook Fried Mihun tomorrow since I’ve promised them earlier, I have to DO IT! Although I have practised for a few times but.... OMG, I'm stressed!

Flower Dress

2011-05-25T14:08:00.003+08:00

Perhaps my boyfriend’s-shirt-era is over. I want to try something more womanly, which I have never tried before….. like, flower dress!!

This is like my first flower dress ever! I can’t even believe I actually bought this, let alone why I love it! Hmmm, must be the hormonal changes :D

This proved it! I can “carry flowers”! With some combination of accessories and belt, it looks pretty chic :D

In fact I got a lot of compliments from my colleagues when I wore this to work =D

Under the Hot Sun

2011-05-20T15:57:00.007+08:00

As if we haven’t got enough of sun rays lately…. here I am posting a “hot” picture taken at Kuala Selangor few weeks ago.

Because when I think of Kuala Selangor, I can only think of 2 words…. SEAFOOD and HOT SUN! Ok, should be 3 words not 2. It was so hot that my shoulder area got burned even I was not exposed to the sun for very long.

Say Hi!

Lunch at River View Seafood Restaurant, Kuala Selangor.

Salted Egg Pumpkin. Oyster Omelette, Herbal Fish, Rojak.

Do not tremble while walking on this.......

It's Friday! Say Hello to weekend! Have a fullmoon party to attend this weekend, hopefully I can make it! Anyway, I missed the Wesak Day Procession this year T.T ...............

Fried Mihun

2011-05-11T14:19:00.004+08:00

I have promised my colleagues to cook Fried Mihun for them as breakfast. But before that, I need some “rehearsals” to refresh my skill as I haven’t been cooking for 2 months already! I need to have a quick peep at my mini recipe notes on what seasonings to put, well, to be safe.

And here it is…..

Serves 4-5 person
Ingredients:
- Mihun (I prefer Jasmine brand)
- Eggs
- Fish cakes
- Chinese cabbage
- Coriander leaves
- Garlic
- Dried shrimp
- Cili padi

Seasonings:
- Soy sauce
- Sweet soy sauce
- Sugar
- Pepper
- Water

Steps:

1. Soak mihun in water for 15 minutes, drain and set aside. Chop chinese cabbage, coriander leaves, garlic and cili padi. Cut fish cake into slices.

2. Break eggs into bowl, add a pinch of salt and beat until well-blended.

3. Heat up some oil in wok, pour in beaten eggs and allow it to set slightly. When the eggs begin to solidify, use the wok ladle to break eggs into small pieces. Remove the eggs from the wok and set aside for later use.

4. Again, heat up some oil in the wok. Throw in dried shrimp, garlic and cili padi, stir until fragrant. Add in fish cakes, followed by chinese cabbage. Continue stir frying until chinese cabbage is half-cooked.

5. Pour in mihun, eggs and seasonings mixture. Stir fry until all ingredients are well-mixed with the seasonings. Let the mihun soak up the remaining seasonings and we’re done!

Doesn’t look too bad eh? Taste-wise, I think it should taste a bit saltier. Room for improvement we called it! :D

Jarrod & Rawlins, Damansara Heights

2011-05-09T15:33:00.007+08:00

What’s better than a nice and hearty breakfast on a Saturday’s morning after 5 days of yogurt and plain crackers?

The even greater thing is that you don't need to be an early riser to have breakfast here, because they serve breakfast menu all day! Yay!

The sun is rising... but sitting at their al fresco area is the best way to enjoy the fresh air.

Strong aroma to perk up your brain.
Orange juice spells H.E.A.L.T.H.Y.

Crusty bread with butter. Mmmm~
Bigger than my face!

J&R’s Egg Benedict Indulgence – When I saw this, I thought I have to order extra snacks to eat but I was so wrong! It was very filing. This is enough to feed two people in fact! I was filled to the brim after half of it *burp* By the way, the smoked salmon was a tad salty.

J&R fried breakfast – HEAVY!

I just love such weekends when Chris has some time to spend with me, exploring new eating places and taking photos! =)

Joey talks: Her career

2011-04-27T10:38:00.008+08:00

Noticed that I didn’t really talk much about myself in my blog. Personally I do not mind to share about myself, my thoughts and things that have been happening around me in my blog but when it comes to my career life, I’m tongue-tied.

To be honest, my career journey all along is not very impressive. To say it all, I’m an ambitionless person, floating aimlessly in the career land. To think at another point of view, it might be because I just haven’t got a job that I have passion in? Perhaps.

Hmm, passion? I have loads but real passion, I’m still figuring out or maybe too lazy to figure it out anyway. Working for me is just to earn a living.

I’m sure many will agree that it’s not easy to find a good company. In my career life so far, I’m lucky to have found 2 companies that I love working in. One is one of my ex-companies and another one is of course, the new company that I’ve joined recently. It’s a small organization but filled with a bunch of lovely people! I’m so thankful that I have to shout it out here. It has been great and enjoyable so far.

The lovely bunch - Sharon, Natalie, Majess & Brenda.
Not to forget my bosses (not in the picture), they are nice people too!

In such a lovely company, you wouldn’t mind to work a little extra and give 101% effort :)

All nicely made up & dressed for our office photoshoot ^^

I can smell a hint of passion is growing in me. Please let it last longer!

Danny & Man Wai’s Wedding Dinner at Jerantut

2011-04-06T09:16:00.005+08:00

Attended Chris’s cousin brother wedding dinner (bride’s side) all the way at Jerantut. About 4 hours away from where we are living! Jerantut is a small town at Pahang. It is basically a very simple and quiet (read: boring) town. The only place of interest would be Taman Negara (National Park). Anyway, it’s a very short trip as we only need to stay 1 night there where half of the evening was spent on queuing up for bathroom and dolling up for the dinner.

The dinner started at 6:30am, way earlier than wedding dinner at KL. But that also mean that the dinner ended very early and there’s nothing else we could do except going back to our 3-star hotel. I couldn’t fall asleep easily in stranger’s bed but what made it worst was the noises that came from the main road across the hotel – speeding motor and car and even lorry!

Ok, picture(sss) time!

All ready for the dinner!

Poser!

Tattoooo!! I want a real one, please! :(

Chris was one of the photographers of the night.

Group photo with the bride & the groom, finally!

These are just a few photos that I picked from the bunch, I have lots more actually! But don't want to make my post too heavy-loaded with photos :P

Nice day!

LomoLomo

2011-03-29T10:37:00.009+08:00

I ♥ it!

Discovered this amazing new apps in Chris’s I-phone. Even though I’m never a Lomo hard core, but I’ve always love photos with Lomo effect. And although I can easily do those with Photoshop but it’s always good to have a shortcut, isn’t it? :D Inside this apps, there are several Lomo effects and lens to choose from. This acts just like an actual Lomo camera but minus the film. How great! I can’t stop camwhoring with it since :P

Besides, I’m also playing The Sims 3 Ambitions. Honestly, it is quite addictive!

Uggghh, I have always thought that the global craze over I-phone is very abnormal and unhealthy but yet, look at me now! I’m slowly falling into the pit of I-phone’s devotee! -_-

Nalyssa’s 3 Years Old Birthday Party

2011-03-22T15:11:00.005+08:00

Forcing the birthday girl to have a photo with me.

It was Nalyssa’s 3 years old birthday! Did I mention that she is a cute, sweet and cheeky little girl? Her sweet voice can melt my heart ~

It’s a Mickey themed party. Each of us had to wear a hairband with Mickey’s ears which was handmade by Nicole herself. Consequently, there was a bunch of grown-ups with Mickey’s ears wandering around – a funny sight :)

Oppsss, camwhore break :p

Thinking back, I never had such birthday party during my childhood. During good times, my parents would buy me a cake… otherwise, it would be just like any normal days, but mom would at least make me some “red eggs” (It’s a chinese culture, symbolizes prosperities and good luck) :) Oh, the same goes to Bel & Sus - they never had such a happening birthday party during childhood too. Kids nowadays are rather lucky, aren’t they?

Well done, mummy Nic!

On a side note, we really have to give a round of applause to Nicole because she’s due in the next two weeks but yet, she managed to organize an eventful birthday party for her girl. She is a hyperactive mum! In a month or two, she will need to organize yet another party – her baby’s boy fullmoon!

Chris's Mum Birthday: El Cerdo, Changkat Bukit Bintang

2011-03-17T10:20:00.006+08:00

Private dining room with Chinese settings.

Celebrated Chris’s mummy birthday at El Cerdo, located at Changkat Bukit Bintang, KL. It is the porkiest place I’ve been to – doorknob with a pig head, cute photos of piglet on the wall, flying pig chime, a handful collection of pig’s figurine on the display cabinet, and of course, a porky-loaded menu. In one word, you can spot a pig everywhere! Literally “The Pig” place.

Hours of waiting..........

It was a looooong evening. Just allow me to calculate the hours we have spent for that entire dinner: 2 hours of travelling time (caught in traffic jam) + 2 hours of waiting for Chris’s family (they were caught in traffic jam too) + 1 ½ hour eating = a total of 5 ½ hours in which, 4 hours were spent on nothing except getting a new high score (of my own record) on “Veggie Samurai”.

Piglet chopping in action.

If you order Roasted Suckling Pig at El Cerdo, there’s a tradition to follow before you can actually eat it. The steps are (as much as I can remember):
1. The lucky one will have to knock the plate on the table for 3 times
2. Chop the piglet 3 times –on the head, centre and butt
3. Make a wish
4. Dump the plate on the wooden bin to break it

Apparently, it is a Greek Tradition where the act of breaking the plate brings a meaning of breaking all the bad things so that only good things remain. That’s what I understand from the waiter’s explanation.

Cesar's Salad.
El Cerdo’s Family Sausage Platter – sausage indulgence.

German Crispy Knuckle – Luckily this didn’t put my pork’s quota to waste (I limit myself from eating too much pork). The fats layer had a Jell-O like texture, I didn’t know I was actually eating a layer of “bad” fats. The skin was undoubtedly crispy.

Griiled Seabass.
Spaghetti with Mixed Seafood in Home-made Prawn Bisque – nothing wow about it. The sauce was rather plain.

Roasted Suckling Pig (half) - Its crispy skin was so seducing but I didn’t eat any of those. I’m sorry but I just can’t bring myself to eat a piglet!

Happy Birthday to you "Oink oink", happy birthday to you "oink oink"....! Lol, that's exactly how they (the waiter team) sing!

Werner’s Special – a twist from the usual birthday cake. The glass was filled with mango sauce, chocolate mousse and raspberry sherbet. A good balance of sweet and sour.

Family potrait taken by a very friendly waiter. A bit blur-ish though.

Cute pig-ass paper bag!

I have taken a day-off on coming Friday! Yay to long weekend!

Carol's Birthday: Tanzini, G Tower

2011-03-09T09:43:00.001+08:00

The night view at Tanzini is a candy for the eyes. Breezy wind, city view, dazzling lights – the terrace is the place where you would want to sit all night long. Throw in a couple of your favourite besties and it’ll be a perfect girls night out – ONLY if they have bigger tables and more seats out there at the terrace. But on the other hand, I would prefer to go during the day as taking photos of food seem to be easier and more ideal when there’s daylight.

Soft Shell Crab Salad. Cioppino (Seafood Stew).

Grilled Chicken Fillet.
Saffron Risotto with Pan-seared Scallops - for some, they dislike risotto because the texture of the rice is rather chewy. But that’s exactly what I love about risotto – the chewiness. There was a well-balanced flavour in this dish, not too cheese-y nor creamy.

Vegetarian Aglio Olio – custom made for Mun, a vegetarian.
Mushroom steak – the healthiest “steak” ever! I was surprised it actually tasted very good! Perfect for vegetarians.

Lavender Ice Cream. Tiramisu A Pezzi.

Exotic Cheese Cake for the Birthday girl!

Many happy wishes for Carol! :)

Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐), Pavilion

2011-03-07T14:24:00.000+08:00

Golden Pumpkin with Salted Egg – Both pumpkin and salted egg are my favorites. Thus I can hardly say no to dishes that combine both together.

Xiao Long Bao – I reckon many of us enjoy testing the durability of its very thin skin by hanging the Xiao Long Bao in the air for a few seconds with a chopstick, before popping them into the mouth. This is part of the fun, isn’t it? The broth inside was very sweet. A high quality Xiao Long Bao I must say.

Truffle Xiao Long Bao – We have had the normal Xiao Long Bao, now here comes the real treat, exclusively only at Din Tai Fung. The additional of truffle brought an extra sweetness to the broth inside the Xiao Long Bao. I couldn’t say I have much knowledge about truffle, but it seems that the usage of truffle has been very popular these days. The only thing I’m sure about truffle is that, it’s rather pricey.

House Special Steamed Chicken Soup La Mian – a bad decision. Not only did the chicken meat was hard, the soup had a strong chicken smell too.

Hot and Sour Soup – Just right for someone who has a low appetite. Not suitable for those who have a sensitive stomach though.

Yam Xiao Long Bao – A complimentary "gift" on your birthday. If you happen to be dining at Din Tai Fung during your birthday, just flash your I/C to them and you’ll get your “Birthday Xiao Long Bao”. The yam filling was not too sweet but the skin was too thick, especially the top part. Tips: If you have ordered a lot of dishes, it is wise not to redeem.

"兔"气杨眉, 初二

2011-02-21T11:08:00.005+08:00

A day of visiting relative’s house on a hot and humid day! Sweaty and sticky and tired…. This year was a bit special though because the 6 of us (including Chloe) were in the same car – the complete set of “Crazy Cousin Sis”! We made the car our mini disco – we sing, we dance, we shake and got crazy in the car! Thanks Nicole for being the driver (I hope you don’t need to service your car after that) :P

We also watched Lion Dance at my sis in law’s parent’s house. I especially enjoyed the long gossiping session at my uncle’s house (last station of the day) until the wee hours. It’s a good way to know what has been happening in the family; even if we can’t provide any good help but we can at least mentally support each other =)

Sometimes I’m amazed at how well we can bond with each other. I can’t say it’s perfect but it’s…. GREAT! We don’t meet each other everyday, we often poke at each other but we are great companions to each other (I hope). In one word, we are a CRAZY BUNCH! =)

I stick on bracelet tattoo again, love 'em so much!

You're in my heart just like a tattoo.... Loving my (faux) tattoo! :D

"兔"气杨眉, 初一

2011-02-10T13:41:00.000+08:00

I was down with bad sore throat and cough during the 1st day of CNY. Went to see doctor with all my make up and new dress on and the doctor just gave me some very light medicine for my sore throat, not even antibiotics or proper medicine for my very bad sore throat! Perfect day! T.T

All red. Red = Prosperity.

Back to Grandma’s house even was feeling unwell because I can’t afford to miss the biggest day of the year! I could as well missed camwhoring with all my cousin sis if I go back home instead. Lucky thing was, camwhore can cure my sickness temporarily. I can barely speak loudly due to the sore throat but I can smile to the camera as if I was not sick at all :D

To be honest, the 1st day of CNY this year was …. hmm… a boring one! Some were sick, some were not feeling well, some went back early, no gambling session…. just not as fun as before. But we, the 5 cousin sis, made it all up at night. We chatted and played a “fun” game for the entire evening. To cut it short, the rules of the game is - the one who got the joker card is the King who can randomly pick 2 person in the group and instruct them to do things like dancing, singing, sexy catwalk… anything at all! It’s fun to watch back all the videos and photos now :D

The Crazy Bunch

It’s always good having them around.

A week before CNY

2011-01-31T14:58:00.000+08:00

Phewww, last weekend had been a hectic one! Grandma’s birthday, Chinese New Year shopping…….. I was also filled with some continuous hair-pulling matters – my ceiling fan spoiled, an ant colony made my wardrobe their home and my black silk skirt as their “nursery” room, gastric and cough attacked me… what else? *cry* But let’s see:

Ceiling fan – fixed

Ant colony – cleaned. But I believe there is still one BIG colony underneath my wardrobe which is out of my reach, unless I move the entire wardrobe out.

Gastric and cough – got an injection for my gastric. Must eat on time and shall not let myself hungry for too long. Still coughing, hope it will get better or at least not worst during Chinese New Year.

Is 2011 a good year for PIG (my chinese horoscope)? Well, I don’t know. Good or bad, life still has to go on. But I do wish that everyone, including myself, will stay healthy and happy as always :)

On Grandma's Birthday at 天后宫(Thean Hou Temple) :)

Yuzu, KLCC

2011-01-22T17:07:00.005+08:00

My new job is way more demanding than my previous one. I think sooner or later, I have to abandon this blog once again :( I miss blogging, I miss reading all my favourite blogs! A part of me really wishes to be a full-time blogger but that’s impossible right now as it’s not something that I can earn a living from. I’m hoping that I will be able to update at least once a week to keep this blog and the connection with my blogger friends alive. Fingers crossed and wish me luck! I miss ya all ~

Continuing from my Christmas lunch at Tanzini… We drove to KLCC and went in to Yuzu for dinner after an hour or two window shopping. We wanted to have something light as our tummy was still in a “full” mode but looking at what we ordered at last, our initial plan didn’t seem to work =.=

Unagi Tofu Set – The flavourful unagi went well with the plain tasting tofu. An interesting combination, but I can’t say that it’s some kind of foods that’ll make me crave for more. On the other hand, the tea pot soup was very refreshing, I licked the pot clean.

Inaniwa Pasta Set – Carol’s pasta set. I forgot to ask for a taste of the pasta but Carol told me it tasted like Spaghetti Bolognese.

Grilled Saba - Chris was trying to look for a grilled saba that can beat Kampachi’s one. This was good but still failed to be on top of Kampachi’s grilled saba.

Christmas Eve: Pasta De Gohan, Sunway Pyramid

2011-01-11T21:32:00.009+08:00

It’s 2011 already but yet I’m still not done with 2010 yet :D Too many gatherings during the end of the year and I was in a miserable (and horrible) state last week, thus the lack of mood to write. Anyway, it’s all over now for the time being and I’m back to normal again :) In fact, I will enjoy the blissful time I have now and I certainly hope that I will have a peaceful year ahead.

The Lonely "Tree" - Christmas Eve should be a tad merrier than this but am happy with my companions :)

Cream Soup with Garlic Toast

Pasta - Cod Roe & Egg with Wafu Sauce – PLAIN, is all I can remember about this pasta. Quite disappointing as previously, we had some memorable ones at this place.

Pasta - Squid, Octopus & Spicy Cod Roe with Wafu Sauce – this was a tad better than Cod Roe & Egg with the presence of squid and octopus, but still, there was nothing wow about it.

Fried Rice with Salmon – the rice was very moist but then again, the taste was pretty bland.

Pizza - Scallop & Prawn with Tartar Sauce – used to be our favourite but I wonder why this time, the scallops and prawns were rather tasteless as if it had been blanched in the water for too long. The thin base was not as crusty as before too.

Pizza – Chicken & Mushroom – I like this one better. The base was crusty and there were at least some taste in the chicken and mushroom.

Everything we had at Pasta De Gohan that night, failed to cheer up our palate on a Christmas Eve. So to compensate on the rather disappointing meal, we had ice cream from Kindori!

Matcha with Almond and Hazelnut
Cranberry with Hazelnut and Chocolate Confetti

We get to pick a lucky draw from the small Christmas tree too. This is what I got.

Am ending the post with gleeful photos of myself, to remind me to stay happy and positive! I was in a high spirit that night.

美好回憶 ~ Yong Tau Foo, Madras Lane

2011-01-08T08:41:00.001+08:00

I have fond memories of this Yong Tau Foo stall at Madras Lane, Petaling Street.

When I was a kid – mom always brought me here whenever we were at KL. It was mom’s all-time favourite Yong Tau Foo stall. I remember me, being a little displeased by the humid condition in here, eating away a hot bowl of Yong Tau Foo while wiping sweats on my forehead.

When I was in college – Proudly, I brought my college mates here and told them this was the best Yong Tau Foo in KL. And we went to KLCC after that instead of going back to college :p That’s probably the best privilege of being a college student, tee hee… Chris and I were regular customers too. The aunty from the drinking stall would know what drinks we want. She would ask “可樂(Coke in Chinese)?” and we just had to nod our head and smile :)

Now – Same humid condition, the familiar smell of Madras Lane and as packed as ever. The aunty able to recognize us even it has been a year plus since the last time we visited but she didn’t mention “可樂” this time, which we are pretty grateful of because we try to avoid high sugar canned drinks nowadays. BUT if she has ever mentioned the words “可樂?”, we’ll go ahead with it surely for not wanting to hurt her feelings, you know, just in case. Anyway, she certainly has an amazing memory power.

Big bowl of Yong Tau Foo – ladies finger, bittergourd, brinjal, tau foo (beancurd). The beancurd is as smooth as it used to be and has a lovely taste of soya. They are never stingy with the fish paste and ingredients. I have no doubt why they are still a renowned Yong Tau Foo stall in Petaling Street even after so many years.

Fried Fu Chuk (Fried beancurd sheet with fish paste) and Fried Dumpling - Their fried fu chuk is my favourite of all! I don’t why but I think it’s even crispier than before. Another big plus point for them. So good, I have to ask Chris to order more for me.

Chee Cheong Fun – from a stall right opposite from them. With only sweet sauce and a dash of chili sauce – simple and delectable. Goes well with the Yong Tau Foo too.

Do I have to wait another 1 year plus to savour them again?

Wedding Anniversary

2011-01-05T16:18:00.003+08:00

Not mine, of course! It was the 31st wedding anniversary of Chris’s dad and mum. We were “invited” to their wedding anniversary celebration at Rakuzen, Empire Gallery. I’m serious, each of us received an e-invitation card from them (though more like a forwarded email =.=). The dinner was on a Wednesday. Although arranging a dinner on a weekday is not always the perfect idea for us who are working but after all, it feels good at the same time to have a little break in between working days. Moreover, I’m the least affected one as I offwork quite early nowadays. I can still have enough time to change and make up :)

Some photos of the night:

Same 'ol same 'ol family potrait ~

Chris & I and the lovely couple of the night.

We are a lovely couple too, I hope :)

Birthday Lunch: Sage, The Gardens

2011-01-02T14:59:00.007+08:00

Gleeful me :)

This is the place where Baby Sumo has strongly recommended in her blog. She is a big fan of them. Having seen so many good reviews about them, Chris decided to bring me there on my big day :)

Warm bread – I always love to be served warm bread. It can feed my growling tummy (and indirectly reduce the impatience in me) and gives the meal a lovely start even before the starter arrives. We especially love the greenish basil pesto dip. I soaked my bread with the dipping, greedily!

Warm Artichoke Soup with Foie Gras and Sea Scallop – I was blown away. It had a very rich and creamy texture. The flavour was… quite extraordinary for me. Was it the flavour of artichoke? I got no idea, as I’m a dummy when it comes to cooking ingredients. Oh and, this was the first time I had foie gras. As what people always said, it had a melt-in-your-mouth texture. One word – SINFUL!

Fedelini Pasta with Egg Mollet, Winter Black Truffle – This was absolutely gorgeous! By tossing the mollet egg with the pasta, it added an ultra smooth texture and liquid to the pasta. It all just went sluurpsss into my mouth. Not to forget, the winter black truffle had added an extra fine touch to the gorgeous pasta.

Roasted White Pomfret with Zucchini Flower and Coral Sauce – the flesh of white pomfret was firm and flaky. The pomfret skin had a light crisp to it. The zucchini flower looked odd to me at the first sight as I never had something like this. The stalk tasted just like, well, zucchini. I tasted something gummy inside the flower. I think the chef stuffed some mozzarella inside. Odd but lovely.

Ginger and Lime Brulee with Mixed Berries and Almond Tuile – Love the burnt and crunchy caramel on the top of ginger and lime brulee. I appreciate the ginger taste in the crème brulee that had given it a refreshing note.

2 choices of Artisanal and Fermier Cheese – Pardon me, the waiter did tell us the name of both cheese, but I just can’t get my head round their rather complicated name -_- the taste of both cheese unfolded a truth about me – I am not a cheese lover! I do love cheese, but just NORMAL, COMMERCIAL cheese. The yellow colour one was ok but the white one…… I’m sorry but it smells like someone’s hair hasn’t been washed for weeks. I just don't know how to appreciate expensive cheese :(

White or brown? Blossoming.

Some caffeine to end the meal. Stain on the cup, don't stain on my teeth.

Just ignore the river.

Albeit the view was not as spectacular as Tanzini, the entire restaurant was very bright and “white” – an important factor for taking photos. The service was excellent too. Now I totally understand why it’s a favourite restaurant of Baby Sumo :)

The table behind me - was it Boo?

P/s: I think I bumped into a food blogger that looks like Boo, from masak-masak. It occurred to me that she might have been invited to review about their new menu. Haha, it’ll remain an unanswered question.

Christmas P

2010-12-29T08:43:00.003+08:00

A loooooong list of Christmas presents I got for this year!

.

.

.

Ok, I lied. I don’t have a proud list of Christmas presents like some people do, but I will at least have two every year.

One from Chris.

One from myself.

:)

This is what Chris got for me this year - Dior Skin’s Liquid Foundation in Nude colour (actually I picked this myself *cough* but anyway….) this is my first ever liquid foundation as I never own one before. I had always wanted to have one in my makeup box but I was worried that I’ll further ruin my already-clogged skin. But since now my skin has slightly improved (after some hard work & hard cash), I decided that I shall be able to use them on my skin on an occasional basis (e.g. dinner, special occasion).

Christmas gift from myself – 3 books by Cecelia Ahern. Comes in a lovely Christmas box. Her book, “PS, I Love you” has been made into a movie which I haven’t watch. However, just by reading the summary at the back of the book, I think this book is going to make me cry. Come to think of it, if “Shopaholic & Sister” can make me cry, what else can’t? -.-

The Christmas cheers have ended but hopefully, the spirit remains. I have yet to blog about my Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner. So much to blog, so little time.

Christmas Lunch: Tanzini, G Tower.

2010-12-27T09:00:00.016+08:00

This again has proved the power of food blogs. I’ve heard of Tanzini through some food blogs that I frequented as Tanzini had invited a few food bloggers to review about their foods and hotel some time ago.

Al-fresco area.

Bright environment, chic decorations and furnishings as well as excellent service. Not to forget, the dazzling view of KLCC and a brilliant al-fresco area to enjoy the view – they have it all.

Initially we wanted to book a table for dinner on Christmas night but sadly, they were all fully booked. To be exact, the entire restaurant was booked by a family (obviously a rich family) for a private function. So the next best option was, lunch. The restaurant was rather quiet and empty when we were there. We were given the one and only menu of their Christmas Brunch Set. There were servings of lamb and beef which we don’t eat, so after some talk with the helpful manager, he agreed to take it off from our menu and replace it with fish instead.

Trio of Juice Booster Shots – consists of apple, orange and celery juice. A healthy and refreshing drink to start the meal.

Antipasti Tower:

Goat Cheese and Smoky Tomato Bruschetta – the goat cheese had a very strong flavour. I popped it in my mouth and let the cheese slowly melts by itself.

Seared Baby Scallop wrapped in Duck Pancetta – without looking at the menu, I would have thought the duck pancetta was bacon. The saltiness in duck pancetta has given the baby scallop a good boost of flavor. It had a light aroma borrowed from the stalk of rosemary, which I love.

Smoked Salmon

Eggs, Tanzini Style:

Omelet with Truffle Butter and Asparagus Spears – a nicely folded omelet with the center remained moist.

Half-boiled Egg Truffle Butter and Asparagus Spears – very ordinary. I prefer the omelet much better.

Seasonal Festive Platter:

Fresh Baked Bread – warm and lovely.

Blanched Baby Spinach – Bland tasting but I suppose healthy food should taste that way. It prepares the stomach for the main course ahead.

Rustic Potato Salad – lightly blanched baby potatoes tossed in olive oil, lemon and dill. Slices of fennel gave this salad a crunchy bite.

Garden Salad

Roast Turkey – First time having real turkey meat. They said turkey meat has a rough and dry texture like chicken breast but for me, it’s all fine. This one particularly, was nicely roasted as the meat was in between tender and dry – just nice.

Pan Roasted Omega 3 Barramundi with Cornetti Beans – Apparently, the fishes came from their own farm and bred in a clean and chemical-free environment. If that’s true, it is certainly a plus point for health conscious diners. What I like about this dish was the crispy and full-of-omega-3 fish skin.

Sauces for Roast Turkey & Pan Roasted Barramundi

Festive Petit Fours:

Christmas Log Slice – light and fluffy with pistachio bits.

Brandied Christmas Pudding – Firm and hard with chewy nuts and raisin. Had a note of sweet spices too.

Fruity, Nutty Chocolate Bark – This has won my heart among the other two. Despite the oh-so-cute and lovely baby cherries garnish, the bittersweet taste of the chocolate bark was something I highly appreciate too. One baby cherry + a bite of nutty chocolate bark = a match made in heaven.

Latte & Cappuccino - happy ending.

Endless chatter.

We have a planning already - to celebrate Carol's birthday this coming January at Tanzini. This time, dinner. I'm sure the view at night is even more stunning.

ho hO HO ~

2010-12-24T22:33:00.000+08:00

Santa Claus is coming to town, Santa Claus is coming to town, Santa Claus is coming…. to town! :D

Why Christmas song is ever so melodious to the ear? I can’t help but feeling the joy rising inside me whenever I hear Christmas songs playing on the radio and shopping mall. And in fact, I have found out that we do have Christmas weather here in Malaysia after all. Although we have no winter and snow and all in Malaysia, but we do have cooling weather towards the end of the year, which, I name it “The Christmas Weather” :D

Rainy days may have caused me some hassle, but without the rain, the weather wouldn’t be so refreshing. I can still enjoy such christmas-ty weather for about another month before the arrival of Chinese New Year when the weather will be burning hot again.

White Christmas Deco at Empire Shopping Gallery. When can I have a real white Christmas? :D

Here, wishing everyone a

!!

BIG & Warm hug! ^________^

Kampachi, Pavilion

2010-12-22T08:52:00.006+08:00

Kampung girl going out to city. Christmas deco in front of Pavilion.

Haven’t been to KL for months! 3 months at least… Thanks to a 40% voucher, I can finally get out from the kampung :P Chris wants to utilize that voucher to get some new clothes for CNY. Ahh, how I miss the crowded noise at KL.

A quiet Sunday afternoon. Green Tea.

We start the day with a lunch at Kampachi, a Japanese restaurant by Equatorial Hotel. The entire restaurant is very spacious and calm, with Japanese music playing on the background. We opted for a seat near the glass panel which is brighter and has a small view of the bustling street.

Soft Shell Crab Temaki – utterly crispy.

Soba & Chirashi Set – a rather big set, just perfect for greedy pig like me. I can have soba and rice, all at the same time! The set includes a bowl of soba with soup, prawn tempura, chirashi don, chawan mushi, pickles and fruits.

Soba with soup – apparently, their soba is made of imported buckwheat and is handmade daily. Perhaps because it is handmade, the soba has a nice grainy texture. The broth is very light tasting.

Prawn Tempura – crispy and has an airy texture. Eager to try more of their tempura next time.

Chirashi Don – this is like sushi in a bowl, with assorted sashimi served on top of a bowl of rice. I’m not a big fan of sashimi but among the bunch, I prefer the salmon belly.

Chawan Mushi – very smooth and has a strong taste of shitake mushroom.

Saba Set – This salt-grilled mackerel has got a thumb up from Chris. The mackerel is tender, juicy and has the right amount of saltiness.

After hours of shopping, Chris has got a few tops and slacks while I got nothing! -_- which, is quite unbelievable. But never mind, I can have Godiva Dark Chocolate Decadence ^^

Not as good as I imagined it would be, to be honest. Some extra bitter taste of dark chocolate would do it good. But yumsss to the whipped cream :9

Would love to try their cakes too, next time maybe :)

My Pixie Cut

2010-12-21T08:39:00.004+08:00

It seems like I’m still in the era of pixie cut craze.

Yes, I cut my hair again. In fact, I have been keeping this pixie hairstyle for about a year now. But this time much shorter on the right side, similar to my first pixie cut. I’m very much influenced by Sammi Cheng’s pixie cut which I think looks uber stylish and smart on her. I love it from the very first time I saw it at her concert in HK.

Despite having a little boyish attitude, this haircut has its feminine side too as one side of the hair and fringe particularly, will be kept long. So you basically can have both boyish and girlish looks in one haircut. That’s what I love about this haircut. Although some might think I look better in long hair but I just haven’t had enough of it yet. This haircut makes me feel energetic and light (and younger, perhaps?) :D

This haircut needs some styling to look its best, which, I’m very lazy at. I would style it with a bit of wax or hairspray only when I’m going out.

I'm lovin' it ~

2010-12-16T17:27:00.005+08:00

I had a sudden craving for a hearty breakfast this morning. Forget about the yogurt and wholemeal biscuits for one morning, can I? When was the last time I had breakfast at McDonald’s? Probably a year ago? Hmm.. that’s quite long. Instinctively, I drove in to the McD’s nearby my office. That’s possibly the wisest decision I’ve made, for today :P The greetings from an enthusiastic staff, the jazz songs playing in the background, the morning sun rays, the smell of my Egg McMuffin… just fab!

Just one thing… the calories! (and the price. A clerk like me can’t afford to have breakfast like this, everyday!)

List of Fours

2010-12-14T22:23:00.014+08:00

Yesterday, as usual, I dropped by at Sunshine’s blog and was reading her latest post under the title of List of Fours. Little did I know that at the end of the post, there was a surprise for me - she tagged me! Gosh.. but it was quite fun because I never did anything like this before. So here is my List of Fours :)

1. Four shows that you watch (all from Hong Kong :p)

• 義海豪情 (No Regrets)
• 公主嫁到 (Can’t Buy Me Love)
• 和味蘇 (Kitchen Diva Louisa)
• 刑警 (Gun Metal Grey)

2. Four things you are passionate about

• Food
• Photography
• Cooking
• Shopping

3. Four words/phrases you say a lot

• Oh my gosh
• Sh*t
• I don’t wanna go work….
• Thanks

4. Four things you've learned from the past:

• Never take things for granted
• Fight for your rights
• Exercise is essential for overall wellness.
• Time can heal all wounds

5. Four places you would like to go (I have loads!)

• Paris
• Milan
• Japan
• Hawaii

6. Four things you did yesterday

• BodyJam class
• Blog
• Paid telephone bill
• Discussed with brother where to dinner this weekend

7. Four things you are looking forward to

• Jingle bell jingle bell… Christmas!!
• My birthday!! ^^
• Chinese New Year!
• Holiday Trip, woo hoo!

8. Four things you love about Winter (although there is no winter in Malaysia)

• I can wear gorgeous winter jacket, trench coat and scarf!
• I can wear my favourite pair of boots!
• The chilly breeze ~
• My skin is less oily

9. Tag 4 people to play along (oh, I don’t have much friends in blogsphere. Hmm..)

• Belinda at myminisode (she is a busy bee)
• Laura at laurahii (she is busy too)
• Baby Sumo at goodyfoodies (she only writes about food)
• Michelle Chin at Niche (I’m her blog reader, not sure if she’ll see this)

Voila!

K Break at Newbox

2010-12-14T08:52:00.007+08:00

I remember I was feeling low that particular morning. I was sick of sitting in this office cubicle; worrying boss would pop in anytime without a warning. My heart was screaming for freedom! I didn’t know what I could do than just letting my resentment flow away by itself when suddenly, my mobile phone was singing “When I hear the birds start singing I wanna see you….”. It was my aunt, Natalie calling. Her call came at the right time and moreover, her suggestion to go Karaoke at night sounded like a savior to me! Gosh, I really need some fun!

Four Old Folks :D

We only managed to drag along my brother and sis-in-law to complete our “Old Folks Group of Four”. Frankly, at first I thought, there would be less fun without the presence of the younger ones but I was downright wrong! It was all fun and we all (except sis-in-law :P) sang our heart out shamelessly! To my surprise, Aunt Natalie knows a lot of new songs, like most of them! Oh, she is one hot aunt!

Everything tasted reasonably good except the disastrous sushi, cold and hard. So yea, sushi is served cold but it should taste fresh instead of stale. But well, you can’t complain much. It’s a medium-range buffet spread.

Left: I love the fried mihun and fried beancurd sheet.
Right: Oh this is a blurry photo but my aunt looks cute here ^^

It was a fun-filled night. I was feeling contented and lighter all over. We shall do it again soon because we deserve a break anytime, anywhere!

Friend is like a pot of flower

2010-12-11T10:47:00.012+08:00

Selina has got to be one of my very few close friends who misses me a lot, like all the time :P if you didn’t know yet, she is my ex-colleague (in fact, I have many ex-colleagues, ahemm). Since after we go the separate way, she has been the one who persistently asking for a meet up and gathering. She is such a sweet dear but I have to let her down most of the time because I’m always busy during weekend (and weekdays even). Not to say busy, but weekend is my only time to be with Chris. Hence I would always turn down most of the gathering/event planned on weekend.

To be very honest, at times, I would be rather annoyed by routine questions like “when can we meet up?” or “when you will be free?”, it’s not like we didn’t meet up for ages. But at the same time I’m upset with myself too for not be able to fork out some time for a dear friend, what a nice friend I am.

Don't be frightened by my after-work-bare face -_-

Last few weeks ago, I managed to spare a night on a weekday to have a nice dinner (at Tony Roma's) and long chat with her, just before she started her new job. Ahh, who cares about that pile of dirty underwear at home? I can wash them another night. You know, for the sake of friendship

BBQ Chicken Sandwich - I'm sorry but this is prolly the worst burger I've ever had -_-" Overcooked chicken, overseasoned BBQ sauce, weird chicken smell.... Ramly burger can beat this without any effort.

Grilled Pacific Cod - the fish fillet was a little bit over-grilled but still better than the burger!

Our conversation was non-other than about love, relationship and a bit of career. Perhaps it’s because we are linked in a way – her boyfriend and husband-to-be, KK, was introduced to her by me. AND KK is Chris’s ex-colleague. See, we are related in many ways in fact.

Brownie! My endorphin stimulator.

Of course, the night ended with two happy hearts, after all the ranting and toxin were out from the body system :)

Awal Muharram with Mun

2010-12-07T21:19:00.005+08:00

I’m all alone today, during a public holiday! Chris has to work today. Sad sad…. Except, I’m not exactly alone all day but at first I thought I was going to be because no one wants to entertain me *sad face* until the last minute when Mun, my cousin sis finally showed a little kindness towards her lonely-27-years-old-big-cousin-sis. Otherwise I would go on a solo shopping spree.

Lovely cousin sis, Mun & I.

Oh, I hate finding car park during shopping peak season! I spent nearly half an hour to locate a vacant car park. I count myself as lucky to have spotted a guy who was going into his car and was about to leave (and reached the spot faster than all other competitors). Lesson learned: Please be an early bird next time. Otherwise don’t go out at all! -_-

A quick bite before embarking on our shopping marathon.

Messing up in the fitting room. Do both of these tops look nice on me? Still in my K.I.V list.

It’s the Malaysia Year End Sale now. SALE signboard can be seen in every shop but ironically, I only bought a top, some books and a surprise Christmas gift for Chris. But it’s ok, because I already have some reserved new clothes for coming Chinese New Year :)

Dinner & dessert at Secret Recipe ~

Vegetarian Fried Rice with Satay and Meatball Spaghetti.

Walnut Brownie, warmed up! Yums! and a free slice of cake for dine-in of RM40 & above (for Citibank Credit Cardmembers) :) We ordered many extra food just to reach the minimum amount of RM40 =.= Oh greedy pie....

Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio, Sept '10

2010-12-02T09:09:00.008+08:00

A lunch I had with Selina & KK on 1Malaysia day. Yes, that’s about 2 1/2 months ago -_-

First of all, I got the photos rather late from KK. Secondly, I was busy with my HK/Macau posts. So finally, after being stored in my hotmail inbox for weeks, it has a chance to be seen by my friends and all of you who are reading this :)

I recommended Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio to them after a pleasant dining experience I had there on August. But I wasn’t too delighted this time as there were some hit and miss in what we ordered. Maybe I had set my expectation a little too high.

Pan Fried Scallops, Fresh Ginger Sauce – reminded me of the starter I had on August, Crispy Scallop Tart. Fresh and juicy scallop that’ll make you craving for more.

Crab & Spinach Charlotte, Salmon roe, Creamy Mustard Sauce – well, at least this was a hit. Shredded crab meat and spinach all sheathed in a cabbage leaf (is that a cabbage leaf?).

Duck Confit & Porcini Hachis Parmentier, Porcini Sauce – had an unpleasant taste of duck. I called myself lucky because it was KK’s main course, not mine :P

Cod Fish on a marinated Cauliflower Tartar, Potato Mille Feuille and Orange Butter Sauce – Maybe I was not lucky after all because my main course, Cod Fish, didn’t taste too appealing either. First of all, the fillet was slightly overcooked. The supposedly tender and juicy texture of cod fish was ruined. Secondly, the marinated Cauliflower Tartar was just too raw and sour. I don’t know if it should taste that way or maybe it’s just me.

Raspberry Frozen Souffle, Pistachio Dacquoise, Pistachio & Raspberry Coulis – ahh, the desserts made up for the not-so-good main course.

Strawberry Transparence, Lime & Ginger Mousse, Italian Basil Sorber – we love this entirely except the weird-tasting Italian Basil Sorber on top of it.

Au revoir ~

Photographer: KK Tan

Bits & Pieces of HK and Macau

2010-11-30T09:50:00.009+08:00

before I toss the entire album into recycle bin............

This will be the last post of my HK & Macau '10 trip :)

The Venetian Macao

2010-11-26T10:20:00.011+08:00

We got a pretty good deal for our hotel stay at The Venetian Macao :D Much thanks to James! I had been looking forward to stay at The Venetian Macao that everyone’s raving about since its opening. We missed the chance to stay there 2 years ago, so finally this time, we made it there!

Surely, I had seen some photos of their room before we went – very royalty and classic. It turned out exactly the same as the photos, thankfully. The moment I entered the room, everything was very appealing. The bed, the bathroom and… the living room! The entire room was very spacious and elegantly decorated. More like a mini suite to me…

I'm still practising on how to shoot a better human potrait :) I'm a noob in that. Do these look ok?

The first thing we did was, record a video of the room and shortly after, we turned the hotel room into a photo studio! Snapped loads of portrait for Chris’s parent and the result was pretty good, with the help of external flash.

Left: Chris & Parents
Right: I asked them to kiss Chris on the cheek. A very rare but lovely sight ~

How can I be left out? Can't get enough of the plushy bed.

But appearances can be deceiving. There were flaws behind all those glittery golden furnishings. The living room chair for an example, may look expensive but actually it’s very light-weighted, as if it’s made of low quality wood. Same goes to the mirror frame. You get the picture. While the bathroom on the other hand, would be perfect if it can be more ergonomically-designed.

Nevertheless, on the whole, it was a pleasant stay. The most spacious hotel room I have stayed so far.

TGIF! :D

Macau Fisherman's Wharf

2010-11-25T08:57:00.001+08:00

No money to travel around the world yet, like many of us? Well, Macau Fisherman's Wharf (澳門漁人碼頭) can make your dream (partially) come true. Inspired by a few famous landmarks from China, Tibet, Rome and so on, they imitated and built them right inside their theme park. And the best thing of all, you don’t need to pay a thing to visit the theme park. Just get ready your camera and show your camwhore potential to the max!

A word of advice: Can be freaking hot during afternoon/summer!

Hi, we are at The (Fake) Coliseum, Rome!~

My dream came true, yay! (Hope I can visit the real one next time *sigh*)

Self-hypnosis: I'm in Rome, I'm in Rome..... -o-

Joey: Can we go yet? It's super hot here, I'm melting! -_-

The next second, I'm in China! Back to the mainland :D

Emm, maybe I should change into a Cheongsam and put two fake braids to look the part :D

An Afternoon at Downtown Macau

2010-11-23T08:47:00.006+08:00

2 things you must do at Macau (otherwise your trip to Macau wouldn’t be complete):-

1. Snap heaps of photos at Ruins of St. Paul’s (大三巴牌坊)

Ruins of St. Paul’s. Still as charming as ever.

Bustling with endless tourists from all around the world.

The sun was roaring at its highest pitch.

I can barely open my eyes but I forced it to open wide for the sake of taking photos +.+

Camwhore, camwhore.

My first visit was during winter season when the temperature was much more comfortable and less humid! Photos much nicer as well! I LOVE WINTER T.T

2. Grab dozens of biscuits at Koi Kee Bakery (鉅記)

Hand-made egg roll. The aroma is very alluring.

There is a dozen of Koi Kee’s shop along the street, with promoters luring you to try their biscuit. One might think that Koi Kee has been commercialized but all in all, the quality and taste of their biscuits are very well maintained.

Every tourist would most possibly end up carrying a few bags of Koi Kee’s biscuits in their hand after a walk at the streets near Ruins of St Paul’s.

Home-cooked Lunch at Macau

2010-11-19T08:39:00.005+08:00

Woo hoo, I love home-cooked meal! After days of eating heavy and sinful meals, a good old home-cooked meal is simply delightful. Nothing can beat a home-cooked meal!

Scrumptious lunch at James’s house (Chris’s cousin brother) - Fried Prawn in Batter, Steamed Fish, Stir-fried Vegetable, Braised Pork & Egg. Oh, and the soup (not in the picture)! The fish maw in the soup was so smooth and gooey. Mmm, love it! Another favourite of mine was the Fried Prawn in Batter – crispy to the bite.

All cooked by Chris’s aunt. She was there at Macau to visit her granddaughter.

Playing with Qing Qing .. Her skin was so soft to the touch. Can I hug her to sleep? But count me out when it comes to midnight milk-feeding and napkin-changing =.=

See ya again Qing Qing ~

金桃源饭店 & 晴晴

2010-11-16T08:56:00.012+08:00

Chris’s cousin brother was too kind enough to bring us around for local delicacies and sightseeing in Macau when we were there for the first time 2 years ago. Chris and I have been missing the 脆皮鸡 (Crispy Skin Chicken) we had in a Chinese seafood restaurant. Without him, I swear we wouldn’t know where to find such a good restaurant as it is located in town, away from tourist spots. One of those local’s best-kept secret s! Hence, we were so looking forward to revisit this restaurant this time BUT the luck was not on our side – the restaurant was on a rest day the day we went! *sigh*

But anyway, he brought us to another Chinese restaurant, 金桃源饭店. Which, thankfully, was as good as the previous one! Not even one dish was below “Good” rating. Everything was so flavourful, I wished I could order another 2 bowls of rice BUT I didn’t because I was too ‘paiseh’ (shy) …. -_-“ No doubt why it was soooooo crowded. Worth the 20 minutes of waiting outside the restaurant!

Ready to get hungry?? Scroll down……!

金牌炸子鸡 (Crispy Skin Chicken) – Not as crispy as the previous restaurant but still good enough to cure our craving for the time being. I simply love those crackers.

豉椒炒蜆 (Stir-fried La La with Black Bean Sauce and Chili) – Salty & spicy. One more bowl of rice please!

蒜茸蒸虾 (Steamed Prawn with Garlic) – strong flavour of garlic! The glass noodles in the bottom tasted so good after absorbing all the flavours from the sauce! My favourite dish of the bunch. Just make sure to pop a lot of mint candies into the mouth after that!

海味煲 (Seafood claypot) – a pot of seafood goodness.

椒盐九肚鱼 (Pepper & Salt Fish) – the flesh of 九肚鱼 is very tender naturally. I have tried the braised version at Chris’s home but it was my first time eating fried ones. The tenderness of the flesh remained even after been through a frying process, credits to the chef, but it can be quite salty if eaten as it is (without rice).

酸甜猪扒 (Sweet and Sour Pork Chop) – I didn’t eat much of this but Chris said the meat was tender.

腐乳油麦 (Stir-fried Lettuce) – 7 plates of seafood/meat but only 1 plate of greens – not at all a balanced meal! :D

脆皮乳鸽 (Deep-fried Pigeon) – This is the only dish that we didn’t touch because… we don’t eat bird… I mean pigeon :/
_________________________________________________________________________

I think we all need a break from all those sinful foods!

So let’s navigate away from it for a while and adore this cute little baby girl, 晴晴 (Qing Qing).

She is Chris’s 9-months-old niece, born at Macau. Ohh, how I love baby girl! So tame and calm… Chubby and bubbly ~ ~~Yummy yummy, come give Jie Jie a bite !~~

Just so cute *sniff & kiss*

The House of Dancing Water (水舞間)

2010-11-11T08:52:00.009+08:00

We were lucky to have a Macau trip planned in early of October as coincidentally, it was just 3 weeks after the launching of The House of Dancing Water (水舞間). Apparently, it is a HKD 2billion project and it is by far, the world’s largest water-themed show! Impressed yet? Hold it there; be prepared to be even more impressed after the show!

Oh and their theme song “Water of Love”was sang by Sammi Cheng (Chris’s idol since teenage years).

Waiting anxiously for the show to start.

By the word water-themed, obviously, I was expecting to see lots of dancing water with lighting effects and music. But my expectation was totally wrong! Because, they gave me far more than that!

Heart-thumping water & motorcycle stunts, amazing acrobatics & aerial arts, incredible stage effect and design that made me go “awww..ahhh… and wow”! It is, up to now, the best visual experience I’ve had!

Chris and I even had an extra little “special” experience compare to those seated higher in behind – we got water splashing on us in between show! Shiok! Thus, those audiences in 1st and 2nd row will have a towel provided for them before the show starts. Some well-informed audiences even brought along big plastic sheet and raincoat for extra protection! Well, for me, I don’t mind getting a bit wet because it is part of the fun – I’m feeling it!

We only took a few photos of the show as we wanted to concentrate on appreciating the entire amazing show. After all, you have to go and watch it yourself for an out-of-the-world visual experience!

Gathering on Deepavali ~

2010-11-09T14:28:00.010+08:00

This is one of the best things being a Malaysian! We don’t just celebrate New Year of our own ethnic; we celebrate ALL New Year of the 3 main ethnic groups in Malaysia – Malay, Chinese & Indian! Oh, and Christmas too!

Aheemm, I have to confess that I’m happy because we have loads of public holidays here! I’m sure every Malaysian does! We can make use of the holidays to go for a vacation, to rest at home or .. to have a gathering with friends and ex-schoolmates like we did!

With Mr. Self-timer. Just right in front of Dragon-I.

8 girls in total with 2 of them having a baby bump, what you can expect is a F.O.C all-about-pregnancy seminar talk. Though I’m not expecting to get pregnant, but I really love to hear everything about it and at the same time admire how beautiful they look even with that extra bump on their tummy. That has kind of changed my perception in pregnancy.

To be totally honest, I didn’t get to really mingle closely with all 8 girls as I tend to stick to those who are closer to me and am more familiar with but I still feel very grateful and happy to be able to meet up with all of them. It feels really good to be surrounded by friends :)

Trapped in the snake-long queue. Bel's naughty face.

Not just that, Nicole, Belinda and I had a crazy shopping spree after the lunch. Coincidentally, it was a “Friends & Family” sale day at Quicksilver. 50% off everything in the store for member card holders and their friends! Lucky us, Nicole is their member! Spent hours there – digging out clothes, trying on bikini and finally, queuing up to pay money! Spent a fortune there but the ultimate shopping queen was……

Nah, I’m not going to reveal here but just take a look at the receipts below o.O....

Total damage.

After being in the “shopping war” for hours, we were all dehydrated and hungry!! So Manhattan (Fish Market) we went! Had a really good and long chat, all about ~~sex~~ womanly stuffs! Nicole is a guru in this! :D

Soulmates ~

The best thing is, we are very open to each other even in some rather sensitive subjects. It ain’t easy to have such soulmates.

Super blurry photo, but I simply love the matching smile on our face :)

Cheers to friendship!

The Fleming Hong Kong

2010-11-04T08:38:00.004+08:00

I don’t usually have the urge to review or talk about a hotel but The Fleming has given us a really good impression that it worth a credit or two from us to show our appreciation.

So it’s not an uber luxury 5-star hotel, but the quality of their room and services is not in any way lower than them. They may not have a grand lobby, but they have very friendly and helpful receptionist. They may not have a luxurios-looking building exterior, but they have very ergonomically-designed and comfortable rooms. There is no doubt why they are an award-winning boutique hotel.

Getting changed

We took their superior room. At one glance, it looks just like any ordinary hotel room but when sleeping time comes round, you’ll appreciate the quality of their bed - neither too hard nor too soft. And one fact I like the most about their bed is that, it’s not too springy. Meaning that you’ll minimize the chances of disturbing your sleeping partner whenever you make any movement in the bed.

Sometimes, it’s the little kind gesture that counts – like this cute piece of weather notification on our desk every day.

Oppss, sunny day with random rain tomorrow ~

And this pair of utterly BIG and comfy slippers! One of the best hotel slippers I’ve worn.

If you do not have such a big feet, do not wear such a BIG slippers.

Location wise, it is near to the city with a MTR station within walking distance.

Price wise, slightly cheaper than 5-star hotel but with 5-star services.

What’s not to like about this boutique hotel? We are one BIG happy customer! :)

HK - Random Foods from Supermarket, 7-11, 大家樂 & 許留山 ~

2010-11-02T08:38:00.007+08:00

Supermarket
Supermarket may not be the most interesting place to visit during travelling, but if you have sufficient time, do pop in for a short stroll. This is one of the ways to get to know their daily living and you’ll never know what surprises you may find there (like the Hokkaido Milk Ice cream ♥)

I just love supermarket with lotsa food counters! They simply have too many choices there – sushi, bento rice, sandwich, roasted pork, fried vegetables and even stir-fried crab, all readily packed for u to Grab ‘n Go! Very convenient for office ladies and working people.

Sushi Box Set (Taste Supermarket, Citygate Outlet) – they have one of too many sushi box sets to choose from! Reasonably fresh and good tasting.

7-11
Ok, so 7-11 is not something new and I’ve talked about it for countless time. And I need not to mention again how convenient it is and how much I love 7-11 in Hong Kong. But you definitely will be grateful to find a 7-11 nearby to your hotel.

Looking for some instant hot meal to warm up that tummy during winter? Pop in to the nearest 7-11!

Stomach growling in the wee hours? 7-11 is there for you 24/7!

Craving for a dose of latest celebrities gossips? Get a magazine or two at 7-11!

Instant 碗仔翅 (Mini Shark’s Fin bowl) – Don’t let its name fool you, actually there is no shark’s fin inside but nevertheless, it tastes great! Add a dash of vinegar (included) to the gluey concoction for an extra sour taste.

荷葉飯(Lotus Leaf Rice) – Throw it into the microwave, heat it for a minute or two and weeee, a hot and delectable supper right in front of you! Of course, don’t compare it with those freshly cooked in restaurant. But for a quick supper at odd hours, this is good enough!

Café de Carol (大家樂)
If you are in a rush to cure that hunger pangs, go for Café de Coral (大家樂) as they are everywhere in the city and town! Fast, convenient, affordable and tasty.

Our tea time – Grilled Chicken Wing and Condensed Milk Toast. Salty + sweet in the same plate… pretty weird indeed :D

Sweedish Chicken Thigh – tender and not oily.

Hui Lau Shan (許留山)
Think of desserts, think of Hui Lau Shan (許留山)! :D

北海道牛奶: 慕絲 - 紅豆抹茶 & 粒粒芒果(Hokkaido Milk: Mousse – Red Bean Matcha & Mango) – one of the latest dessert series made from Hokkaido milk. Smooth and light in texture.

XO酱萝卜糕 (Fried Radish Cake with XO Sauce) – Our all-time fav! So aromatic and flavourful – with a great help from XO Sauce.

多芒鸳鸯黑糯米 (Black Glutinous Rice in Mango & Coconut Juice with Extra Mango) – cooling dessert ~

什果芒果捞河 (Mixed Fruits & Coconut Noodle in Mango Juice)

That's about all HK foodies we had this time! Will start working on Macau post, but before that, I will make a small review about the hotel we stayed at HK :)

HK - 五代同糖 & Hokkaido Green Tea Ice Cream ♥

2010-10-30T22:25:00.005+08:00

五代同糖 - Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Egg Pudding – I saw it first at my friend’s Taiwan holiday trip album and I thought it is a Taiwan’s specialties. I have to love its presentation – egg pudding in the egg shell itself! Very lovely indeed. The pudding is equally as nice as it looks. Can be finished within seconds ~

Warm Chocolate Cake (心太軟) – an ultimate comforting food. Soft and warm - with hot chocolate lava flowing out from the inside ~ Spells L.O.V.E.

Original Soufflé – scoop down for a spoonful of melt-in-the-mouth cake. It has an enticing bubble-like texture.

Pineapple Snowflake Ice

City Super – Times Square, Causeway Bay

Hokkaido Green Tea & Milk Ice Cream – not any other green tea ice cream, it is made with Hokkaido Milk which is one of the hottest things in town. Even Hui Lau Shan (许留山) has a new array of desserts with Hokkaido Milk as its main attraction. The smoothest ice-cream I’ve ever tasted so far! What can I say, I’m in love! ♥

HK – Lin Heung Kui & Chee Kee

2010-10-28T23:23:00.009+08:00

Lin Heung Kui (连香居) - Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan

水滾茶靚. Becareful, hot boiling water!

During our first visit last year, it was bustling with people that we have to share one small table among 5 people! Not very comfortable to be honest but for good foods, it worth the tolerance. So, we were quite pleased when we saw lots of empty table and lesser crowd this time as we went during brunch time (off-peak hour). But the cons were; only very few dim sum carts strolling around and many of our preferred dim sums were not available.

燒賣 (Siu Mai). 蝦餃 (Shrimp Dumpling).

蘿蔔糕 (Pan-Fried Turnip Cake). 叉燒飽 (BBQ Pork Bun).

雀仔蛋燒賣 (Siu Mai with Quail Egg). 蒸魚球 (Steamed Fish Ball).

蒸魚雲(Steamed Fish Cheek). 魚翅餃 (Shark Fin’s Dumpling).

蒸豬肚 (Steamed Pork Belly). 红烧魚翅 (Braised Shark’s Fin).

Chee Kee (池記) - Percival Street, Causeway Bay

雲吞麵 (Wan Tan Noodle) – Springy noodle and plump wan tan. They added some shrimp roe in the soup, something different from others.

蝦籽撈麵 (Shrimp Roe Noodle) – Toss the shrimp roe together with the springy noodles and voila! A simple and savoury combination, just the way I like it.

蟹粥 (Crab Congee) – the congee is thick and grainy and the crab has a surprising amount of crab roe.

皮蛋 (Preserved Egg)

魚皮(Cold Fish Skin) – similar to the one we tasted at Nice Congee Shop – but better. Less artificial and very appetizing with the additional of fried peanuts.

白灼芥蘭 (Blanched Kai Lan) – For a dose of green vegetables, it is a wise choice to order Kai Lan when you are at Hong Kong. The freshest version you can ever get

熱豆漿 & 薏米水 (Soya Bean and Barley Drink) – the barley has a light zesty taste of ginger. Not bad for a bloated tummy.

Next: Dessert & Snack ~

HK – Lan Fong Yuen, Nice Congee Shop & Maxim’s

2010-10-25T23:31:00.013+08:00

Lan Fong Yuen(兰芳园) - Chung King Mansions (重慶大廈), Kowloon

Been there twice during last trip and blogged about it already. Definitely a place worth revisiting, hence the third visit together with Chris’s parent!

金牌猪排包 (Signature Pork Chop Bun) – something you can’t miss here! A thin slice of tender pork chop & tomato sandwiched between 2 slices of lightly toasted burger bun - simple and unpretentious. Nom ~

Egg, sausage, ham & toast – wouldn’t it be nice if I could wake up to a hearty breakfast like this every morning?

絲襪奶茶 (Milk Tea) – actual translation should be Pantyhose Milk Tea but it doesn’t sound nice so I cut off the “pantyhose” :P Yum cha yum cha ….

Nice Congee Shop – Woo Sung Street, Jordan

A well-hidden shop! Kind of like an adventure to locate this humble congee shop. It is located at some old streets away from the glamorous city, surrounded by old buildings and apartments.

Old buildings. The sky was getting dark and raining.

Inside the shop. Small and cramped, just like what we seen in some TVB dramas. Ahh, I like that feel.

魚皮(Cold Fish Skin) – uber crispy! Too crispy that it appeared a tad artificial to me. Wonder what they used to soak the fish skin to make such a crispy texture. Despite the doubt, it was good.

魚腩粥 (Fish Belly Congee) – A bowl of thick and smooth congee with a generous amount of fish belly hidden underneath. They used 鯇魚 (Chinese Carp Fish) for all fish congee.

魚尾粥 (Fish Tail Congee)

鯪魚球 (Fried Canton Carp Ball) – big and chewy.

Maxim’s (Fast food restaurant) - Mongkok
You may see “Maxim’s” (美心) everywhere – in every corner of the street and in the subway, especially. But there are two types of Maxim’s (under the same roof) – bakery and fast food restaurant. They have more outlets for bakery shop compare to fast food restaurant. Having said that, it isn’t easy to locate them. While Café de Coral (大家樂) wins hands down in the quantity of outlet, the roasted pork at Maxim’s is undeniably better.

雙拼 (2 combo of your choice – Roasted Pork and Steamed Chicken) – the crispiness of the skin of roasted pork is simply addictive.

I'm salivating now looking back at those photos.... *tummy growling*

Next on the menu: Dim Sum & Wantan Mee ~