tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53630847812117317822024-03-05T22:15:08.208+08:00Witch's Venting BurrowA place for the witch to release her spells... ;)iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-54098796243653315702009-08-03T15:30:00.003+08:002009-08-03T15:39:56.359+08:00It's finally here!<div style="text-align: justify;">Did I get your attention yet? I'm sorry for the shameless announcement and title, but my new blog is READY! I finally have my own domain. *applause* After a long wait and countless of hours of setting it up, it is now ready for its debut. *LOL* Thanks to <a href="http://www.foodpoi.com">Ken </a>for being my mentor, too. I'm such a noob at scripting. *sigh* Anyway, <a href="http://www.iamthewitch.com">www.iamthewitch.com</a> is now the new address to go. Please update your bookmarks and links dear friends. :)<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-83250672652979971382009-07-27T08:33:00.000+08:002009-07-27T09:24:30.719+08:00Le Bouchon - Dining with a French flair<div style="text-align: justify;">Thanks to <a href="http://www.bigboysoven.com/">BigBoysOven</a>, I was given the opportunity to do my maiden food review in KL. It was truly an eye-opening experience, to share the dining room with fellow bloggers as well as the press community.<br /><br />Arriving at <a href="http://www.lebouchonrestaurant.com/">Le Bouchon</a>'s quaint restaurant required some level of alertness since it's located at the corner with a not-so-distinct signboard. Even <a href="http://www.sloppychic.com/">Xin </a>missed this place though she passed by. I was lucky because a friend had once shown me this place before when we happened to drive around so I knew where to look at.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3752044594_aeb554f0f2.jpg" alt="P1030614" width="333" height="500" /><br />Le Bouchon at Changkat Bukit Bintang<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2525/3751251941_125167a13d.jpg" alt="P1030437" width="500" height="333" /><br />Perfectly set table<br /></span></div><br />Stepping into the restaurant, one would be welcomed by the rustic surroundings and furniture. The theme of interior decoration was of wood and there was even a fireplace! Not to mention the large array of wines that was placed in the reception area. However, walk further in and you'd be charmed by the dining area which was tastefully decorated with homely French interior, giving you the much needed coziness away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The numerous Tatler's awards hanging on the wall gave reassurance that this restaurant was a-cut-above the rest.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2452/3751252137_249a8ecff6.jpg" alt="P1030442" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fancy a table for two?<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2452/3752041606_af970f9800.jpg" alt="P1030445" width="333" height="500" /><br />Fireplace<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3752044680_7d1821a20a.jpg" alt="P1030620" width="500" height="333" /><br />Wine array<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2428/3752040648_1e18ef76c8.jpg" alt="P1030428" width="333" height="500" /><br />Tatler awards<br /></span></div><br />The dining tables were perfectly set with complete cutlery and meticulous arrangement. The small bouquet of white roses (my favourite) in the middle of the table gave it a personal touch.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3752042140_1263ccefc5.jpg" alt="P1030467" width="500" height="333" /><br />White roses centrepiece<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2663/3751252531_306aedd25a.jpg" alt="P1030456" width="500" height="333" /><br />Impeccable table setting<br /></span></div><br />After snapping pictures around the restaurant to our hearts' content, we finally settled down and waited for our meals to be served. We began our culinary voyage with these small and delicate cookies that whetted our appetite. No information was given on what those cookies were made of, but there was a hint of foie gras somewhere in between the layers, I'm sure. :) The rolls of bread were fresh from the oven, slightly firm on the outside but warm and fluffy inside. If I wasn't saving my tummy for the next courses, I would have taken two of these rolls.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/3751252633_f53f27901a.jpg" alt="P1030459" width="500" height="333" /><br />Cookies<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3752041998_11e3a032c3.jpg" alt="P1030462" width="500" height="333" /><br />Warm bread<br /></span></div><br />Done with the tidbits, we were served with the first appetizer for the night, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Terrine de Foie Gras maison</span> (Homemade Goose liver terrine served with fig jam and grilled sour dough bread) RM50++. We were told to eat the foie gras with the freshly toasted bread but I took my first bite just on the foie gras alone. It was sublime! The texture was soft and smooth, unlike that of peanut butter, and it literally melted in my mouth. It was very flavourful without being overpowering. Add that onto the bread and an equilibrium was reached. Rich, smooth and flavourful foie gras with warm, toasted bread. Do not be fooled by the modest size of the foie gras for after a few more mouthfuls, the richness began to kick in. I highly recommend this dish to be shared by two persons, not to mention the intimacy that it would bring by scooping foie gras onto each other's bread. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2651/3751253841_e66ebd6476.jpg" alt="P1030541" width="500" height="333" /><br />Foie gras terrine<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/3751254485_da245264d1.jpg" alt="P1030582" width="500" height="333" /><br />Sour dough toasted bread<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3751254605_d33595ee78.jpg" alt="P1030585" width="500" height="333" /><br />Foie gras terrine and fig jam on sour dough bread<br /></span></div><br />Second on our list was the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Soupe de moules noires au safran et légumes aromatiques</span> (Black mussels and saffron soup with aromatique vegetables) RM20++, something lighter that provided a much needed contrast compared to the aforementioned rich starter. The soup was creamy but never thick, and each mouthful was packed with the goodness of fresh mussels. It definitely cleared our palate and left us in anticipation for the next course.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/3752042948_99380f8392.jpg" alt="P1030540" width="333" height="500" /><br />Black mussels soup<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3473/3751254811_c16c2c5073.jpg" alt="P1030598" width="500" height="333" /><br />Creamy but light<br /></span></div><br />Continuing on our culinary adventure, the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Filet de morue rôti au sirop d’érable et piment, asperges vertes à l’ail, beurre blanc de betterave</span> (Roasted cod fillet with chilli-maple glaze, green asparagus with garlic, beetroot beurre blanc sauce) RM62++ was served. I was blown away by the absolute thickness of the piece of fish, not to mention its amazingly smooth and flaky texture. Kudos to Chef Jerome for bringing out the best of this fish and for doing it the justice that it very much deserved. The meat was firm without being hard, and every bite was just a pure delight. The beetroot-induced sauce gave it the unique pink colour and provided the refreshing twist to the otherwise ordinary taste of fish. Simply genius.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2482/3752044276_7b65cbb8ff.jpg" alt="P1030601" width="500" height="333" /><br />Cod fish fillet<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/3752044454_a5dce07222.jpg" alt="P1030605" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fresh cod fish<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2493/3751254267_3f21f17412.jpg" alt="P1030574" width="333" height="500" /><br />White wine to be paired with white meat<br /></span></div><br />Taking a break from our 5-course dinner, I took a stroll outside of the restaurant to note that there was an area for al fresco dining, if you wish. As expected, more wooden furniture that complemented the French homely theme of the restaurant. There was even a mini fish pond for your viewing pleasure.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/3751254119_be45d284ae.jpg" alt="P1030560" width="333" height="500" /><br />Al fresco dining<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3751251671_320e207337.jpg" alt="P1030440" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fish pond<br /></span></div><br />Following our cod fish was the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Pavé de bœuf rôti , sauce Bordelaise, ratatouille et pommes sautées aux lardons de canard fumé </span>(Roasted beef tenderloin, Bordeaux wine sauce, ratatouille vegetables and sautéed potatoes with smoked duck bacon) RM98++ . This, my friends, is the epitome of steaks. The pinnacle of culinary art. The steak was done to perfection, never a minute over- or under-cooked. Best of all, no signs of bloody streaks at all (sigh of relief), and yet never tough. Each bite of the exquisite steak was savoury and left us desiring for more. At this point of time, after going through 3 courses and already feeling full, desiring for more of the steak spoke millions for the quality of it. Worry not about the waistline nor the cholesterol meter for that matter, for one never gets to eat steak as good as this very much in a lifetime. Make no mistake, I declare this the best steak that I have ever had.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2431/3752045544_753c1f9807.jpg" alt="le bouchon - 124" width="500" height="333" /><br />Best steak (Credit: <a href="http://www.foodpoi.com/">www.foodpoi.com</a>)<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2487/3751255635_3176429912.jpg" alt="P1030631" width="500" height="333" /><br />Steak done perfectly<br /></span></div><br />Finally, to end our beyond-satisfying meal, was the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Crème brulée aux framboises</span> (Crème brulée with raspberries) RM18++. Creme brulee on its own, is nothing to boast about, but the ingenious Chef Jerome combined it with raspberries hidden at the bottom that would tantalize your taste buds with its strong soury tang. The top layer was sweet and hard, followed by the soft and smooth custard and ending with the sour raspberries. The effect was a decadent 3-in-1 experience when one eats the 3 layers together. Definitely a twist compared to the more commonly found sweet desserts that might leave you feeling too full for good.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3439/3751253497_3bbc7228fe.jpg" alt="P1030530" width="333" height="500" /><br />Creme brulee<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2440/3751255837_135130d1cb.jpg" alt="P1030647" width="500" height="333" /><br />Soft and smooth creme brulee<br /></span></div><br />Some camwhoring ensued:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/3752045010_8774b02382.jpg" alt="P1030639" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch and Chef Jerome<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2573/3751253955_0cfe014b85.jpg" alt="P1030552" width="333" height="500" /><br />Chef Jerome presenting the new menu<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/3752040264_9b7c991cc4.jpg" alt="P1030650" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch with Sidney from <a href="http://www.bigboysoven.com/">BigBoysOven</a><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2659/3752045438_b81686fe10.jpg" alt="P1030648" width="500" height="333" /><br />Clockwise from top left: Louis, witch, <a href="http://www.sloppychic.com">Xin</a>, <a href="http://www.foodpoi.com">Ken </a>and <a href="http://www.benjicajess.com">Jessica</a><br /></span></div><br />This was an additional dish of lamb and asparagus that were presented for photography purposes. C<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">arre d’agneau à la croute de fromage de chèvre, courgettes à la fleur de thym, pommes dauphines épicées, sauce au Cabernet sauvignon</span> (Rack of lamb with goat’s cheese crust, roasted zucchinis with thyme flowers, spiced dauphine potatoes, Cabernet Sauvignon sauce) RM82++. My, even the name is a mouthful itself.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3536/3752042460_4435e0ffe9.jpg" alt="P1030488" width="500" height="333" /><br />Rack of lamb<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/3752042362_e3e90b26f8.jpg" alt="P1030484" width="500" height="333" /><br />Asparagus</span></div><br />Once again, may I present to you:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Le Bouchon's New Menu by Chef Jerome Carrouee </span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">APPETIZERS</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Terrine de Foie Gras maison</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Homemade Goose liver terrine served with fig jam and grilled sour dough bread </span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />RM50++</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />*****</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />SOUP</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Soupe de moules noires au safran et légumes aromatiques</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Black mussels and saffron soup with aromatique vegetables </span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />RM20++</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />*****</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />SEAFOOD</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Filet de morue rôti au sirop d’érable et piment, asperges vertes à l’ail, beurre blanc de betterave</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Roasted cod fillet with chilli-maple glaze, green asparagus with garlic, beetroot beurre blanc sauce<br /></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">RM62++</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />*****</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />MEAT</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pavé de bœuf rôti , sauce Bordelaise, ratatouille et pommes sautées</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">aux lardons de canard fumé </span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Roasted beef tenderloin, Bordeaux wine sauce, ratatouille vegetables and</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">sautéed potatoes with smoked duck bacon</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />RM98++ </span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />*****</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />DESSERT</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Crème brulée aux framboises</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Crème brulée with raspberries</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />RM18++</span><br /></div><br />Chef Jerome has really brought my senses to a brand new degree, setting outrageous standards which would be hard to beat by other restaurants. It was indeed a great honour to have tasted the works of art from the chef himself, while opening my eyes to what French cuisine had to over. This is definitely a must-visit for food critics and food lovers alike. A well-deserved 8-time Tatler award-winning restaurant.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Le Bouchon Restaurant</span><br />14 & 16, Changkat Bukit Bintang,<br />50200 Kuala Lumpur,<br />Malaysia.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tel. no.:</span> 03-2142 7633<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-45720820230618542282009-07-24T12:30:00.003+08:002009-07-27T08:41:19.588+08:00Fatty meaty crabs<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">*Updated with prices</span></span><br /><br />Time for seafood! Actually, just crabs! :) Due to the rare occasion that the four of us sickawans got together in KL, we decided to go celebrate with big fat juicy crabs at none other than Fatty Crab in Taman Megah. It was my first time being there and the notion that I wasn't aware of this restaurant's existence was showered with "What do you mean you don't know Fatty Crab???" coupled with gasps and stares from the rest of the gang. *LOL* Seriously, I was never aware of this place before that, and I don't know why is that a big deal. :P<br /><br />Anyway, after much searching and rounding the neighbourhood of Taman Megah, we found the place located in the smack of the pasar malam (night market) on that Sunday. Bad idea. Traffic was congested and finding a parking was no easy task. All in the name of fatty crabs. We reached there about at about 6-ish and thank goodness we had a table without having to wait. The first thing that attracted me upon reaching was this very strong aroma, even from outside of the shop. No, it's not the smell of crabs at all. It's the smell of chicken wings! Seriously the scent stretched all the way out and opened up my appetite in no time. *LOL*<br /><br />Without further ado, we ordered chicken wings! In fact, we ordered the wings TWICE, because the first plate was polished off in no time and everyone was craving for more. :) The chicken wings (RM2/pc) had to be eaten while they're hot to experience the slightly crispy layer of skin on the outside and the warm and smooth meat inside. Albeit oily, the taste was just gorgeous, especially on empty stomachs like ours.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3498/3750472525_1d68b00f21.jpg" alt="P1030378" width="500" height="333" /><br />Chicken wings (RM2/pc)<br /></span></div><br />We also ordered the signature fried rice (RM4 for serving of 1 person), which was apparently also well-known in this restaurant. The fried rice was fried with traces of carrot bits, green peas and eggs. Though there was not much ingredient or meat used, the rice was still delicious due to the 'wok hei' and sufficient seasoning used. Good for filling the tummy while waiting for the crabs to arrive. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2546/3751264816_8011fa6efb.jpg" alt="P1030388" width="500" height="333" /><br />Signature fried rice (serving for 2 persons)<br /></span></div><br />Fatty Crab used the unique way of eating crabs with toasted home made bread (RM0.30/pc), instead of the common mantou, which I found very refreshing and creative. I mean, this is how normal families would eat their leftover curry with at home, but no one actually popularized this idea in restaurants. The bread, with the toasted texture, was slightly crispy without being hard. Almost perfect combination with the sauce of the crabs. But beware, once they're left too long, the bread became cold and tough.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2557/3751265044_79024a4943.jpg" alt="P1030387" width="333" height="500" /><br />Toasted bread to go with crabby sauce (RM0.30/pc)<br /></span></div><br />And the star of the evening finally arrived, crabs done spicy and sour style (RM28/600gm). The crabs were huge and meaty, unlike the ones I had before in Penang's seafood restaurants. Most of the crabs I had back in Penang had big shells but were almost hollow internally with little meat to spare. These, however, really stood up to their name. Fatty and meaty. :) It was the first time I didn't mind the trouble of peeling crabs because I knew they had so much to offer. The sauce was sour and slightly spicy, and it went extremely well with the toasted bread. The crab meat, though meaty, was not exactly fresh from the sea. It didn't have that texture of springy and flaky meat, however, it was definitely much better than the average crabs elsewhere. The sauce was absorbed everywhere inside the crabs, making every bite a juicy and yummy one.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2459/3750473403_314c5e67c0.jpg" alt="P1030383" width="500" height="333" /><br />Spicy and sour fatty crabs (RM28/600gm)<br /></span></div><br />The gluttons we were ordered satays as well! We really have extra big stomachs, you'd be surprised. The satays (RM0.70/pc) were nothing to shout about though. I guess once I had the satay at <a href="http://iamthewitch2.blogspot.com/2009/04/good-friend-seafood-and-satay.html">Teluk Kumbar Good Friend Seafood</a> restaurant, other satays would be difficult to claim the no. 1 spot in my heart. :) These satays were not bad, to give it due credit. Just that the meat wasn't really marinated well and you have to eat it with the satay sauce or risk it being bland.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/3751264136_b78788127a.jpg" alt="P1030380" width="500" height="333" /><br />Chicken Satay<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2531/3751264366_fea4316e19.jpg" alt="P1030382" width="500" height="333" /><br />Satay sauce<br /></span></div><br />Overall, the meal at Fatty Crab was indeed a satisfying one. The bill came to about RM27/person for everything I mentioned including sugar cane drinks. Oh sugar cane drink is a must! Cooling down your palate after eating the hot and spicy crabs.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2434/3751263576_c92e139949.jpg" alt="P1030392" width="333" height="500" /><br />Fatty Crab Restaurant in Taman Megah<br /></span></div><br />When we left the restaurant, not surprisingly, there was already a long queue in front. We counted our blessings for reaching there early and avoiding the crowd. So everyone, do go there early if you don't want to wait in line.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fatty Crab Restaurant</span><br />No 2, Jln SS 24/13 ,<br />Taman Megah,<br />47301 Petaling Jaya,<br />Selangor.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tel. no.</span>: 603-78045758 <br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-140861832420800762009-07-22T08:33:00.001+08:002009-07-22T09:00:14.182+08:00Convocation at Nikko Hotel<div style="text-align: justify;">This post is dedicated to my very good friend and fellow sickawan <a href="http://chiaoju.jundru.com/">Chiaoju</a>. She is now a proud graduate of an MBA. *applause* Stan, Yen and I went to her convocation in Nikko Hotel, since her university doesn't really have a campus in Malaysia (I think). Before that, why is it that my stupid university is taking so very long to approve my thesis! She started before me and finished earlier than me. *sigh* Anyway, we bought her a bouquet of white roses, coincidentally my favourites too! :) The hotel lobby was filled with parents and friends bearing flowers on that day, waiting for the graduation ceremony to be over.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2451/3742154238_335953b6ae.jpg" alt="P1030343" width="333" height="500" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nikko Hotel lobby</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3530/3741360517_635942ae58.jpg" alt="P1030345" width="500" height="333" /><br />Such high ceiling<br /></span></div><br />On and off, I was texting Chiaoju to make sure we're at the right place at the right time. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/3742154722_ea18aee485.jpg" alt="P1030346" width="500" height="333" /><br />Dimly lit chandelier<br /></span></div><br />While waiting, of course I didn't miss out the chance to camwhore, this time with the University of South Australia poster! There was plenty of food lined up outside the ballroom, but they were reserved until the ceremony was over, of course. So we could only wait and smell. *LOL*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3742154926_4403469380.jpg" alt="P1030350" width="333" height="500" /><br />My shirt matched with the poster!<br /></span></div><br />Finally, the doors of the grand ballroom opened and people starting streaming out in a line. I quickly ran over to the side with my camera ready. Tadaa! Managed to capture a shot of her while walking. :) Congrats dear!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2501/3741361205_9e28ea7980.jpg" alt="P1030353" width="500" height="333" /><br />Chiaoju emerging from the ballroom<br /></span></div><br />After another while of waiting, she joined us again for more camwhoring. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3507/3741363847_41833383eb.jpg" alt="IMG_3507" width="333" height="500" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Chiaoju and witch<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2424/3741362497_92101729d5.jpg" alt="P1030376" width="500" height="333" /><br />with the sickawans<br /></span></div><br />The area outside the ballroom was starting to get really hot and stuffy with people crowding around and walking to and fro the buffet spread. We noticed that the ballroom was now empty and it was so very cooling! Off we went inside to enjoy the comfort of silence and aircon. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2615/3741362839_aefd114c2b.jpg" alt="P1030373" width="333" height="500" /><br />A happy Chiaoju<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2489/3742157198_60b3c950cf.jpg" alt="P1030375" width="500" height="333" /><br />The grand ballroom<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3741363431_a4649f7b42.jpg" alt="IMG_3508" width="333" height="500" /><br />Chiaoju and Stan<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/3742158124_b399701b77.jpg" alt="IMG_3510" width="333" height="500" /><br />Chiaoju and yen<br /></span></div><br />Oh I love this picture! It's like Do-Re-Me-Fa! In terms of height, I mean. I think I'm actually taller than Stan, but somehow, I wasn't really standing straight so I looked short in the picture. *LOL*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/3741364439_9776378cff.jpg" alt="IMG_3537" width="500" height="333" /><br />The sickawans<br /></span></div><br />Before we left, Chiaoju's sis asked us to pose with our legs up, and be comfortable in it. However, we were so rigid and serious that we looked funny with the pose! Gosh we probably have turned too old for candid poses like this.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2552/3741364617_886a4d91f9.jpg" alt="IMG_3603" width="500" height="333" /><br />Playing the fool<br /></span></div><br />We proceeded to have super yummy crabs after that, which I will blog about later on. And once again, congratulations to you, dear Chiaoju! We're very proud of you. *hugs*<br /><br /><br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-48643008980968047332009-07-18T21:21:00.000+08:002009-07-18T21:47:00.922+08:00Noodles with a twist<div style="text-align: justify;">A few weeks ago, my parents came down to KL to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. It was an extremely tiring event since it involved a group of almost 30 persons! Managing 30 persons including kids in one house was indeed a challenging task. Fortunately, the party was not held in MY place. It would have cramped the hell out of them! *LOL* After the long night, we woke up late the next day and decided to have brunch at the nearby Kota Damansara. We settled for fish head noodles as something lighter and appetizing.<br /><br />The place was not hard to find at all, especially with its prominent bright green signboard. At about 11am on a Sunday morning, it was almost full house. Coupled with our very big gang, one can be sure that we occupied almost a third of the restaurant. *LOL*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2660/3731956240_21c82d6aab.jpg" alt="P1030315" width="500" height="333" /><br />Full house on Sunday morning<br /></span></div><br />For starters, I ordered the chicken floss toast that looked tempting on the menu. And I love chicken floss! Can't say the same about mayonnaise though. Probably I should have asked them to reduce/remove the mayonnaise. Anyway, the bread was crispy and warm from the toast, and the amount of chicken floss was generous! The bread was cut into 9 equal pieces, but I only managed to eat 3 before feeling it was too rich for me. I think this is a dish definitely for sharing!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/3731956800_a5f4643249.jpg" alt="P1030319" width="500" height="333" /><br />Chicken floss toast (RM4.50)<br /></span></div><br />Then came the star of the day, the fish head noodles! I actually ordered the fried fish meat noodles, but then I got a bowl with fish head. No matter, I guess they mixed up or WE mixed up, judging from our very big group. Without further ado, I tasted the soup first and it was indeed very flavourful with a hint of milk. Truth be told, this was the first time I tasted fish head noodles with milk in the soup! Back in Penang, the fish head noodles soup was the clear and sour type, but this was an eye-opening experience for me. Surprisingly, I could really adapt to the taste of the soup. Even my brother said that it was the first ever time he actually finished drinking the soup from a bowl of noodles! You know what they said about the soup being laden with MSG/ajinomoto, but my brother slurped away. And so did I. :) Of course, for those who are milk intolerant, the waiters would be glad to comply with your wish and exclude milk from the soup.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/3731957280_c11827b746.jpg" alt="P1030320" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fish head noodles (RM8.50)<br /></span></div><br />The soup had a distinctive tomato taste without being overpowering or too sour, and a milky base to boot. The fried fish meat was still slightly crispy on the outside but soft inside. No worries on eating 'nightmare' fish, which is the type of fish I define as not fresh and with meat texture like mashed potatoes! *Eww* The fish here still had a distinctive fish texture and went well with the soup.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3488/3731160821_b6e04a8190.jpg" alt="P1030322" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fish meat<br /></span></div><br />I guess from my previous posts, you would have known that I'm a big fan of Milo. :) And thankfully, this place also serves Milo Dinosaur! *grin* As expected, the milo drink was further topped up with loads of Milo powder on top, giving it a strong and aromatic chocolatey taste. However, I prefer the Milo Dinosaur from Village Park though because the Milo was of ice-blended type while the Milo here was just normal iced Milo.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2426/3731959094_c039e1c69f.jpg" alt="P1030326" width="333" height="500" /><br />Milo dinosaur<br /></span></div><br />My brother who's a fan of anything ice-blended ordered the Mango shaved ice dessert. There were pieces of watermelon and mango surrounding the ice mountain in the middle which was drenched with mango syrup. In my opinion, this dessert was still lacking in terms of mango taste, because the syrup was more like sugar water with yellow colouring, instead of real mango puree. When the ice melted, it became pretty plain in terms of taste. Probably not something I would order again.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2573/3731162663_83ee0f2fe3.jpg" alt="P1030328" width="333" height="500" /><br />Mango dessert<br /></span></div><br />For those who are budget-constrained, Home Made Fish Head Noodles also serves economically priced set meals. These meals are priced from RM7.80 onwards with a complimentary drink and dessert included.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3464/3731955016_0c818e7fb2.jpg" alt="P1030311" width="333" height="500" /><br />Set meals<br /></span></div><br />One more thing I like about Home Made Fish Head Noodle is the cleanliness and the environment of the restaurant. Most of the fish head noodle places that I went to were usually hawker stalls or coffee shops, and you'd most likely end up drenched in sweat at the end of the spicy and sour meal! Over here, you get to eat comfortably in an air-conditioned environment, albeit with a premium price! I guess you get what you pay for. No harm trying it out, I'd say. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2492/3731954134_07608a09b3.jpg" alt="P1030330" width="500" height="333" /><br />Home Made Fish Head Noodles in Kota Damansara<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Address:</span><br />No 8-1 & 10-1, Jln PJU 5/5,<br />Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara,<br />47810 PJ, Selangor.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tel. no.</span>: 03-61417978<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-14067117536170267782009-07-14T17:54:00.000+08:002009-07-14T17:54:00.314+08:00Teh Tarik Place in IOI Mall<div style="text-align: justify;">Here's a food post from somewhere really nearby my new humble abode. Located just about 10 minutes away in IOI Mall, Teh Tarik Place recently opened its doors to the public. Thank goodness for the posters they put up around the mall and outside the parking lot, or else I wouldn't have known of its existence. Couple that with the fact that it's located on the isolated 3rd floor in the new wing, where there are not many shops in operation.<br /><br />I was there on a Saturday morning around 11am looking for a place to have breakfast before my facial appointment. I was already going to stick with the common choice of Old Town Kopitiam before Saucer insisted that we should try something new. I was reluctant since I was out of time and we didn't know where Teh Tarik Place was! Sure enough, it took us a good 10 minutes to locate the shop.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2436/3719164262_ce9741753b.jpg" alt="P1030281" width="500" height="333" /><br />Teh Tarik Place<br /></span></div><br />Not surprisingly, it was still empty, but I liked that it was spacious and clean. We placed our orders with the friendly waiter and our drinks came shortly. I ordered iced Nescafe (I know I should have ordered teh tarik in Teh Tarik Place :P) because I was really sleepy! Nothing special with the drinks though, not especially 'kau' and not too bad.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/3719164610_b5f6650310.jpg" alt="P1030285" width="333" height="500" /><br />Nescafe and Coffee<br /></span></div><br />As for food, I couldn't resist ordering the nasi lemak when I saw it on the menu. :P I wanted to compare it with the <a href="http://iamthewitch2.blogspot.com/2009/05/fancy-best-nasi-lemak-in-town.html">Village Park nasi lemak</a> that I tried previously. For starters, the fried chicken in Teh Tarik Place is not as aromatic as Village Park. Thankfully, the skin was still crispy and the meat tender. Not too bad, probably lack. The sambal used here is also slightly on the hot side. The kind waiter also gave me one whole BOWL of sambal when I requested for more. *LOL*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2458/3719164948_56b20e76df.jpg" alt="P1030283" width="500" height="333" /><br />Nasi lemak with fried chicken<br /></span></div><br />They even give you one whole boiled egg for the nasi lemak! The one in Village Park only gave half an egg. Well, it might not be a big deal, but worth mentioning. :P<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/3719165290_d80f0f7ccc.jpg" alt="P1030284" width="500" height="333" /><br />with a whole egg<br /></span></div><br />Saucer ordered 'mee goreng' or fried mee, Malay style. It was very fragrant albeit slightly oily. Nothing too extraordinary about it I suppose.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2548/3719165662_e9ba413ed9.jpg" alt="P1030290" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fried mee/ Mee goreng<br /></span></div><br />Kopitiam places such as Teh Tarik Place and Old Town are mushrooming all over KL in an alarming rate! Only last week, I realized that it was easier to locate an Old Town Kopitiam than a McDonald's! *gasp* Is it really such a good business? All I know is, with so many branches and so many different franchises, these kopitiams better buck up their quality to avoid losing out.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2624/3719166596_0129c9d27d.jpg" alt="P1030291" width="500" height="333" /><br />Teh Tarik Place entrance<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Teh Tarik Place</span><br />IOI Mall, Jalan Puchong,<br />Bandar Puchong Jaya,<br />47100 Puchong, Selangor<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tel. no:</span> 03-7726 6380<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-83671793725937556432009-07-10T17:42:00.003+08:002009-07-18T22:00:54.639+08:00Kuala Lumpur Bird Park<div style="text-align: justify;">One of the first places that I visited after moving down to KL was the <a href="http://www.klbirdpark.com/index.htm">KL Bird Park</a>, thanks to my good friend Nick. :) Seeing that I'm such a newbie and all, he kindly offered to bring me around on the first weekend I was in KL to the famed Bird Park. We reached there around noon, under the extremely hot sun. *gasp*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2142/3702889463_a3dd9abb08.jpg" alt="P1030120" width="500" height="333" /><br />Bird park, Kuala Lumpur<br /></span></div><br />First things first, tickets! There is a booth at the entrance for ticket purchase, and it costs RM15 for adults with MyKad and RM42 otherwise. So make sure you bring your MyKad along!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3702889925_8528dfa076.jpg" alt="P1030121" width="500" height="333" /><br />Ticket booth<br /></span></div><br />At the entrance of the park, there was this mini man-made waterfall with the banner Taman Burung Kuala Lumpur which literally translates to Bird Park of Kuala Lumpur.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3632/3702889645_dbaffe668d.jpg" alt="P1030123" width="500" height="333" /><br />Entrance pond<br /></span></div><br />The funny thing to note is that the first animal I saw once I entered was not a bird! It was 2 monkeys! *LOL*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3462/3702890079_540110a56e.jpg" alt="P1030125" width="500" height="333" /><br />Monkeys greeting us?<br /></span></div><br />The bird park is nicely maintained with plenty of water falls and ponds surrounding the area. I saw ponds here and there that I sometimes wondered whether I was walking in circles. *LOL*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2668/3702890439_3009fe9aa1.jpg" alt="P1030126" width="500" height="333" /><br />Mini waterfall<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3702890775_7c8668db69.jpg" alt="P1030127" width="500" height="333" /><br />Pond<br /></span></div><br />Shortly, I spotted the first bird! It was a blue peacock! However, it didn't seem to have any feathers left on its tail. :( Poor thing!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2471/3703698006_ab2267c638.jpg" alt="P1030142" width="500" height="333" /><br />Peacock with no tail feathers<br /></span></div><br />The good thing about the bird park here is that they employ an open concept. Most of the birds are left freely flying about around the visitors, except some of the more dangerous/uncontrollable ones in cages. That is why I had the chance to walk up close to the peacock to take a picture with it!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2533/3702891301_19058695b4.jpg" alt="P1030147" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch with peacock<br /></span></div><br />The wise owl looked like it's sleeping. Or does it always look like this? :P<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2575/3703698674_3d3c5a6727.jpg" alt="P1030141" width="333" height="500" /><br />The wise owl<br /></span></div><br />One of the more popular birds on display in the park was the hornbill. I saw one almost in every 10 minutes. Some were inside a cage, some were flying about freely.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3703698940_552bb52c1f.jpg" alt="P1030132" width="333" height="500" /><br />Hornbill<br /></span></div><br />I really feel like touching its very big and hard beak.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3702894255_2aab80257b.jpg" alt="P1030184" width="333" height="500" /><br />Another hornbill<br /></span></div><br />I wonder what bird this was. It looked like hornbill but the beak shape was a little different. And it's got blue colour around its eyes!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Updated: The bird below is a Toucan. Thanks for the info ;)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3038/3702896785_d5ee64ce4d.jpg" alt="P1030222" width="500" height="333" /><br />Toucan<br /></span></div><br />There were plenty of feeding areas set up for the birds. By feeding area, I meant a dead tree with papayas stuck on its branches. The picture that I took still looked fine, but wait til after the birds attacked the papayas. It's a gross scene you do not want to see.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2500/3702892025_912c9f17f3.jpg" alt="P1030149" width="500" height="333" /><br />Feeding on papayas<br /></span></div><br />Sound of water was always distinct surrounding the park, giving it a peace and calm ambience. Very soon I was greeted with another waterfall.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/3702892253_8bb7b0083c.jpg" alt="P1030151" width="500" height="333" /><br />Mini waterfall<br /></span></div><br />While admiring the waterfall, Nick ran up to me and gave me a signal to follow him. He looked really anxious so I ran up to his direction, only to be met with the most prized view! It was a beautiful peacock with its feathers spreaded open! And it was walking about on its own freely, not afraid of people at all. Look at how nice the feathers looked (while they're still around). :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2538/3703699626_59d9e2731e.jpg" alt="P1030160" width="500" height="333" /><br />Beautiful peacock with open feathers<br /></span></div><br />It sort of knew that we were taking pictures of it and started to parade around, even showing us its butt! *LOL* The feathers were so long, I think once spreaded out, they're almost as tall as me. Almost. :P<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/3702892887_849ce8893e.jpg" alt="P1030161" width="500" height="333" /><br />Back view<br /></span></div><br />Moving on to more other weird birds that I never saw before. Such as this one behind the fence. It looked like an ostrich to me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2652/3702893027_460fcd8748.jpg" alt="P1030168" width="500" height="333" /><br />Curious bird<br /></span></div><br />Then, there was a whole pond dedicated to the flamingo! Lots and lots of flamingo either swimming or eating by the pond. It was a serene view indeed, just watching them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2504/3703700440_9bbf9798a8.jpg" alt="P1030169" width="500" height="333" /><br />Flamingo pond<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2516/3702898653_3341c30a2c.jpg" alt="P1030255" width="500" height="333" /><br />Flamingos standing<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3442/3702898807_f499fbf077.jpg" alt="P1030257" width="500" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Swimming flamingo</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2602/3703701010_9ec49fa171.jpg" alt="P1030177" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch at Flamingo pond<br /></span></div><br />I also spotted a pelican, I think! It should be a pelican, cause I googled it! *LOL* It looked like it's constantly shrugging.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/3703700864_6ca0a0277b.jpg" alt="P1030174" width="500" height="333" /><br />Pelican?<br /></span></div><br />Oh, then there was this bright blue bird that I couldn't miss from afar. I have no idea what bird this is, with red eyes to boot.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3621/3702893961_56702fb9ea.jpg" alt="P1030182" width="500" height="333" /><br />Bright blue bird (BBB!) *LOL*<br /></span></div><br />When you're tired walking, there is also a gift shop and cafe in the park for you to rest your feet or quench your thirst. The cafe is situated uphill, so you actually get a good view of the park from above. Not to mention the plentiful chirps and sounds of birds accompanying you too. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3646/3702894463_06e530a795.jpg" alt="P1030185" width="500" height="333" /><br />Gift shop and cafe<br /></span></div><br />See what I told you? Another pond! This was filled with plenty of fishes! And the water was surprisingly clear.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/3702894653_e5ed29d056.jpg" alt="P1030187" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fish pond<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2533/3702899053_d6278b7d94.jpg" alt="P1030262" width="500" height="333" /><br />Lots of fish<br /></span></div><br />For those who like souvenirs, there is actually an area in the bird park for visitors to take pictures with the birds, trained by the trainers, of course. You pay a fee of RM10 or something, and the trainers will place birds all around you and take a portrait of you! Just like what the family below was doing. :) It's the perfect souvenir to take home.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3702894911_6b4487b01f.jpg" alt="P1030190" width="500" height="333" /><br />Picture with birds<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2567/3702895357_9434076bf3.jpg" alt="P1030197" width="500" height="333" /><br />Backdrop for picture<br /></span></div><br />Spotted some white parrots in the picture-taking area. They're all so tame and quiet!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2477/3703702330_e095280b6b.jpg" alt="P1030194" width="500" height="333" /><br />White parrots<br /></span></div><br />Just next to the picture-taking area, was this cage with a white macaw. There was even a board outside the cage that stated "My name is Coco"! Haha, so cute! Too bad it didn't speak at all. But I loved its feathers! They're so smooth and dense and shiny. And white! I love white!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/3703702690_cc7f13160a.jpg" alt="P1030199" width="333" height="500" /><br />My favourite bird - Coco!<br /></span></div><br />Nearby, there was another bird in the cage too. And this bird was more cheeky. Nick tried to tease the bird by placing his finger on the cage and the bird actually tried to claw him! Gosh! And I managed to capture it (accidentally). So fierce, this bird.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3703702840_668d88ee53.jpg" alt="P1030201" width="333" height="500" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Naughty bird trying to claw my friend's finger</span><br /></div><br />Soon, I saw this banner saying World of Parrots, but strangely, they put statues of hornbills on the banner, instead of parrots! That's weird...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2654/3702895961_54ab1bda60.jpg" alt="P1030203" width="500" height="333" /><br />World of parrots<br /></span></div><br />I saw another white parrot inside the World of Parrots, but this time it's not caged.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2466/3702896225_de04bacfd1.jpg" alt="P1030205" width="333" height="500" /><br />Deep in thought<br /></span></div><br />Another one in red and green.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2576/3702896349_8b0f742b03.jpg" alt="P1030207" width="500" height="333" /><br />Red and green parrot<br /></span></div><br />One could also opt to purchase bird feed to feed the parrots, which proved to be quite a popular idea among the visitors.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/3703703822_3a317ef9a0.jpg" alt="P1030208" width="500" height="333" /><br />Parrot-feeding<br /></span></div><br />What is this bird called? It has such a long beak. <span style="font-style: italic;">*Updated: It's a stork! Thanks to <a href="http://2point8.blogspot.com/">khengsiong</a>. :)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2458/3703704200_5d24e38b38.jpg" alt="P1030227" width="500" height="333" /><br />Long beak bird - Stork<br /></span></div><br />Since our visit was around noon time, we were lucky to be able to catch the bird show! There's one at 12.30pm and another at 3.30pm daily.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2599/3703704440_0bf3c1c977.jpg" alt="P1030232" width="500" height="333" /><br />Bird show!<br /></span></div><br />This was the amphitheatre where the bird show was held. Since seats were first come first served basis, one needs to be early to save a seat. It was fully packed on the session that I went.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3703704562_f38ce70b07.jpg" alt="P1030234" width="500" height="333" /><br />Amphitheatre<br /></span></div><br />I managed to capture some of the more interesting performances from the show. This was the parrot/macaw (I could never differentiate) cycling.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2655/3703704776_a2b894768b.jpg" alt="P1030236" width="500" height="333" /><br />Cycling parrot<br /></span></div><br />Then this was another parrot saying "Hello" to us.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2546/3703704986_d42a0e794b.jpg" alt="P1030238" width="500" height="333" /><br />Speaking macaw<br /></span></div><br />And here is another parrot performing somersaults! So smart. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3508/3703705180_d6081bb9c9.jpg" alt="P1030240" width="500" height="333" /><br />Doing somersaults<br /></span></div><br />Just outside the amphitheatre, I spotted another waterfall yet again. This time, there was even a rainbow underneath! Thankfully, my camera was able to capture that.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2642/3703705444_426d74c944.jpg" alt="P1030249" width="333" height="500" /><br />Waterfall with rainbow<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3702898483_74757ff9c3.jpg" alt="P1030254" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch at the falls<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2571/3703706380_a11b12dc4b.jpg" alt="P1030263" width="500" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The waterfalls front view</span></span><br /></div><br />The visit to the bird park was really something new to me. Who'd know that in the midst of the hustle and bustle of KL city, there would be a place that exudes calm and tranquility, just a stone's throw away? Definitely a nice place for family outings during weekends. Or for photographers to take pictures. :) And surely for tourists!<br /><br />Opening hours: Daily from 9am to 6pm<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-10685043914837242152009-07-07T17:50:00.001+08:002009-07-07T17:50:00.930+08:00First visit to Tony Roma's<div style="text-align: justify;">I have heard of Tony Roma's for ages now but didn't get a chance to try it out when I was in Penang. Therefore, after I moved to KL, one of the first places that I told Saucer I wanted to go was Tony Roma's. And sure enough, we paid this restaurant a visit within my first month here. :) Lucky for us, the restaurant is located pretty nearby in Sunway Pyramid, just about 10 minutes drive away. We were served by this friendly waiter called Raja, who's overly enthusiastic and funny!<br /><br />I didn't order the drinks from the menu, but asked for warm water as usual. You'd be happy to know that the warm water was free of charge. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3464/3696536955_170bce7957.jpg" alt="P1030088" width="333" height="500" /><br />Warm water<br /></span></div><br />We took some time browsing through their menu, paying attention to the ribs section as those are apparently their specialty. Too bad they don't have pork ribs here though, because I'm a big fan of those! Look at Saucer taking his own sweet time to browse the menu.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/3696537477_3636e5dbc6.jpg" alt="P1030086" width="333" height="500" /><br />Saucer browsing menu<br /></span></div><br />Shortly after placing our orders, we were surprised by a complimentary serving of piping hot bread and butter to our table! I thought that was a really sweet touch because I was already starving at that time. The butter was not very salty and it had traces of herbs and garlic in it. So when you place a big chunk of it inside the hot bread, it will melt nicely. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/3697346256_e8d8f9ae7d.jpg" alt="P1030096" width="333" height="500" /><br />Complimentary bread and butter<br /></span></div><br />Some more camwhoring while waiting for food. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2661/3696537253_881c777b08.jpg" alt="P1030092" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch and Saucer<br /></span></div><br />Saucer ordered the Rib combo dinners, where you could choose some other dishes to go with 2 ribs (instead of the original 4 ribs). That way, you get to try out more dishes in one order. We chose the Sirloin steak to go with the pair of ribs. The ribs were pretty flavourful and delicious, but rather small in size. Besides, the bones were so huge and meat was limited that eating one rib didn't seem to have any impact to the stomach. *LOL* As for the sirloin steak, it was pretty disappointing for us because it was a little hard. Even though it was medium rare, the cooked part was still pretty tough, and the middle part was bloody. *shivers* Definitely not what I would order again.<br /><br />One thing I should mention though, is that whenever you order ribs, you're given 4 different bottles of sauces, specifically for ribs only. Our waiter Raja, described all the different sauces in a very funny way and even drew a smiley on our plate using the sauces. He was so jovial that one couldn't help but smile when he's talking. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2583/3696538229_1407a58dc6.jpg" alt="P1030099" width="500" height="333" /><br />Ribs and sirloin steak<br /></span></div><br />I didn't know what to order and settled for one of their signature dishes, the Roma burger! It was a burger with cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, red onions and pickles. Of course, I opted to remove the onions and pickles. Smelly stuffs those things. :P<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2616/3697347196_d74a8551fc.jpg" alt="P1030104" width="333" height="500" /><br />Roma burger<br /></span></div><br />The beef patty was reasonably thick and there were TWO slices of cheese on the patty, literally melting off each other. Yum! The portion of this burger was definitely pretty huge and would be enough for 2 persons as a light meal.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/3696538767_8843304c00.jpg" alt="P1030107" width="500" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Roma burger cross section</span></span><br /></div><br />Finally, it was time to end our meal on a sweet note! :) I am always open for desserts, so much so that many new-found friends have already discovered that I have a sweet tooth. *LOL* We ordered the Chocolate Brownie Sundae: warm tender chewy fudge brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and crushed Oreo® cookies. Are you salivating yet? The combination of warm brownie and cold ice-cream never fail to tantalize me. The brownie was soft and didn't crumble easily, which was perfect. The vanilla ice-cream was not overly sweet, hence combining it with the chocolate brownie was the perfect balance.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/3697346940_cc7983f5a5.jpg" alt="P1030110" width="333" height="500" /><br />Ice-cream + brownie dessert<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3451/3696539665_3e5eeb3de7.jpg" alt="P1030112" width="500" height="333" /><br />Can't have enough...!<br /></span></div><br />My vist to Tony Roma's was overall pleasant, probably with the good service of the waiter too. The food was above average, except for the sirloin steak. However, it would have been better if the ribs were or meatier or larger cuts.<br /><br />At the end of the meal, we were given this receipt that would give us RM10 off our next visit if we went to their website to do a simple survey. Once you complete the survey, you're given a unique code, which you're supposed to write on the receipt. So this receipt will work as a RM10 voucher for your next visit! Isn't that great? The best part is, this RM10 voucher can be used in conjunction with other discounts as well, such as the 10% discount offered by Direct Access Credit Card. That means 10% discount + RM10 off! What a good deal, I'll say. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tony Roma's </span><br />LL 1.43, Lower Level One,<br />Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall,<br />No 3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway,<br />46150 Petaling Jaya,<br />Selangor Darul Eshan<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Phone</span>: 603-74921188<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fax</span>: 603-74929188<br /><br /><br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-58692185149698439932009-07-02T17:55:00.000+08:002009-07-02T18:10:45.724+08:00Tourguiding in Penang - Day 2<div style="text-align: justify;">After the somewhat tiring first day in Penang, we started the next day a little later. Waking up next to the sea was liberating, especially when the sound of waves seemed so near. All of us took a walk at the beach which was just within walking distance from the hotel. Of course, being me, my walk lasted barely 15 minutes under the hot sun. *LOL*<br /><br />Our first destination for the day was to hunt for durians in Balik Pulau. Along the way, we had breakfast at some coffee shop in Teluk Bahang, since we were too hungry. Fate had it though, that when we almost finished our breakfast, a man on a motorbike stopped by the same coffee shop, bearing lots and lots of durians in his basket! All of us were staring at his basket when he parked his bike to have his breakfast. In the end, Joanne who couldn't withhold her cravings went to the man who was eating his hokkien mee and asked him whether he would sell us some of his durians. He was shocked! But who would say no to business right? :) So instead of hunting for durian stalls in Balik Pulau, we ended up eating durians at the coffee shop instead.<br /><br />Our next agenda was to visit the popular <a href="http://www.tropicalfruitfarm.com.my/index.php">Penang Tropical Fruit Farm</a>, also located in Balik Pulau. I had never been there too, but thanks to Stan's directions, I managed to find the fruit farm easily. We even saw some durian trees along the winding road in Balik Pulau. The visitors from Beijing who had never seen durian trees before asked me to stop by for them to take pictures. They were really excited to see durians hanging on trees, and kept asking what would happen if someone was standing below when the durian dropped!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3632/3679479261_c9222e41a1.jpg" alt="P1020809" width="500" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Durian trees at Balik Pulau</span></span><br /></div><br />We reached the Fruit Farm soon and the view above was really green. This part of Penang is still not developed, probably the only part, and is a favourite of people who are looking for nature.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3679480311_4dbe8195f0.jpg" alt="P1020814" width="500" height="333" /><br />View from Fruit Farm<br /></span></div><br />When we reached the fruit farm, we were greeted by the owner there and he mentioned to us about this fruit buffet and tour available. It was priced at RM25/person, and it included a tour to the fruit farm further up the hill, unlimited fruits in the buffet and a glass of fruit juice. All of us agreed to take the package and a van came to pick us up in no time.<br /><br />The ride was just a short one uphill, probably a 2 minutes drive. We saw this pond filled with lotus leaves upon disembarking from the van.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/3680294294_7596136a21.jpg" alt="P1020819" width="500" height="333" /><br />Lotus leaves on pond<br /></span></div><br />The fruit farm was filled with all kinds of tropical fruit trees local to the country including banana, coconut, pineapple, papaya, ciku, etc. It was the first time I saw a ciku tree. *LOL* There was also a kind guide who was around to show us different types of trees and gave us a brief description.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2472/3680299624_efc769130e.jpg" alt="P1020843" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fruit farm<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3679489063_c344881e2e.jpg" alt="P1020821" width="500" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Another part of fruit farm</span></span><br /></div><br />After the tour, it was time to feast! Nearby the farm was this cafeteria for the fruit buffet. We were greeted by the display of fruits at the entrance.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3662/3680291644_611b638004.jpg" alt="P1020853" width="500" height="333" /><br />Tropical fruits of Malaysia<br /></span></div><br />We were among the first group to reach there, hence the place looked empty. Perhaps it's always empty since it's quite out of the way from the city centre.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2559/3679485365_ccd8c07412.jpg" alt="P1020832" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fruit cafe<br /></span></div><br />There was a counter where you could order your complimentary glass of juice, and you could choose a combination of more than 1 type of fruit. Bear in mind that the juice here was purely from the fruit itself, no addition of water at all. So you can have all the goodness of fruits in a glass, very concentrated. Also, if you would like to have an additional glass, it was sold at RM4/glass.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/3679485803_f1c2412299.jpg" alt="P1020835" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fruit juice counter<br /></span></div><br />For those who want to be closer to the environment, there were also a couple of tables set outdoors.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3569/3680299374_b40973c881.jpg" alt="P1020840" width="500" height="333" /><br />Outdoor seats<br /></span></div><br />The fruits for the buffet were all nicely washed and cut for convenience. All we needed to do was to pick up a plate and fork and munch away! :) I ate so much fruits that day than what I ate in a week! *LOL* Eating fruits could really make you full, so much so that I had a hard time finishing my juice.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2486/3679481815_a5bbdf1628.jpg" alt="P1020823" width="333" height="500" /><br />Fruit buffet<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/3679482689_6aab3d6894.jpg" alt="P1020824" width="500" height="333" /><br />More fruits<br /></span></div><br />Most of the fruits here were of the sweet type, such as water melon, honeydew, jackfruit and papaya. Being a person with a sweet tooth, I gladly took many portions of those. :) Eating can be an enjoyable and guilt-free activity. *LOL*<br /><br /></div><table style="text-align: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; font-style: italic;"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2458/3679483051_9faa5f5737_m.jpg" alt="P1020825" width="240" height="160" /></span></td><td><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3679483355_0517877b84_m.jpg" alt="P1020826" width="240" height="160" /></span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/3679483807_72e8ba1d06_m.jpg" alt="P1020827" width="240" height="160" /></span></td><td><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2642/3679492393_27d57d13e7_m.jpg" alt="P1020828" width="240" height="160" /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Fruit variety<br /></span></div><br />Halfway eating our fruits, one of the workers/owners (not sure) came over and brought a jug of blended green papaya juice. "Green" means young papayas that still have green skin. Apparently, this type of papaya is not sold in the market because they're too young. But the juice, however, has plenty of vitamins and it's surprisingly sweet! All of us were given a sample of the drink free of charge. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3549/3680297616_43cf3604a1.jpg" alt="P1020829" width="333" height="500" /><br />Complimentary green papaya juice<br /></span></div><br />Finally, before we left, I went to claim my free juice, where I chose the combination of green papaya and pineapple. The juice was so concentrated but absolutely delicious! There was no addition of water or sugar, just purely fruit juice. If I weren't so full after the fruits, I would have ordered an extra glass. ;)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3626/3679494069_a961ab75d4.jpg" alt="P1020831" width="333" height="500" /><br />Green Papaya + Pineapple juice<br /></span></div><br />Some pictures were taken before we left:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3633/3680300306_089254f3be.jpg" alt="P1020850" width="500" height="333" /><br />The Zhao couple<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2519/3679480651_f3f14a6035.jpg" alt="P1020817" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch and Zhao Jie<br /></span></div><br />Overall, I really enjoyed the trip to the fruit farm. I didn't know the existence of the fruit farm buffet until that time. I would highly recommend this place to be included in the must-visit list for any tourist to Penang.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Farm Address:</span><br />Batu 18, Jalan Teluk Bahang, Penang<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tel:</span> 604-8665168<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fax:</span> 604-8665170<br /><br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-18523784056025838752009-06-24T13:54:00.001+08:002009-06-24T14:20:44.916+08:00Tourguiding in Penang - Day 1<div style="text-align: justify;">A couple of weeks before I moved to KL, my good friends from Beijing Joanne, Zhao Jie and Zhao Lei came to Penang for a short trip. They were actually in KL for a business visit, but extended their trip to have a few days of leisure. Since they were interested in visiting Penang, I offered to be their tourguide for the weekend, with pleasure. :)<br /><br />The group of them with my mom arrived Penang at about 11am, and our first destination was none other than the famous Kek Lok Si temple, which is well-known even to the foreigners. Luckily for us, the temple was not that crowded that day, and we found a nice parking place easily too. The first view that greeted us at the bottom of the hill was this pond full of tortoises. I believe tortoises are considered as spiritual animals symbolizing longevity in the Chinese community, and I see them almost in all Chinese temples around. There were also peddlers around selling vegetables to the visitors to feed the tortoises.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3314/3634539569_5cb1824d29.jpg" alt="P1020741" width="333" height="500" /><br />Tortoises in the pond<br /></span></div><br />The hike up to the temple was filled with stalls on the left and right, selling goods from Penang and clothings. Surprisingly, the clothes and dresses found here were pretty cheap! You'd think that they would charge a higher price since it's a tourist destination, but I actually managed to get a dress here for RM12! Can you believe that? I'll show you the dress later on. ;) After about 15 minutes and lots of perspiration, we reached the main temple of Kek Lok Si and started praying. As usual, places like this are always filled with smoke, due to the burning of joss sticks.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2423/3635351148_2c47212359.jpg" alt="P1020743" width="500" height="333" /><br />Main temple at Kek Lok Si<br /></span></div><br />Joanne who's a very spiritual person, told us that she wanted to spend more time praying in the temple. In the mean time, I brought Zhao Jie and Zhao Lei (they're married, by the way) to look around.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/3635351546_748f114a60.jpg" alt="P1020749" width="500" height="333" /><br />Zhao Jie and witch at Kek Lok Si<br /></span></div><br />I asked them whether they're interested in climbing up the pagoda and they were enthusiastic about it. So the three of us ventured to the pagoda entrance and paid RM2/person for the entrance free.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3659/3635351308_dd700c6ace.jpg" alt="P1020744" width="333" height="500" /><br />Our targeted destination<br /></span></div><br />The pagoda is synonymous to the Kek Lok Si fame and also a signature place of Penang. One look at this pagoda and everyone would know that you've been to Penang before. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3306/3635352140_d7e13d979c.jpg" alt="P1020760" width="333" height="500" /><br />Pagoda at Kek Lok Si<br /></span></div><br />At the bottom of the pagoda, we took some pictures of the view surrounding the temple.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3413/3634540553_da7d13a897.jpg" alt="P1020748" width="500" height="333" /><br />View of Kek Lok Si<br /></span></div><br />Then we started climbing up the pseudo-spiral staircase up the pagoda. There were 9 storeys in all, and we reached the top greeted by breath-taking view of the Penang island. One side of the view was facing the mountains, while another side of it was facing the city.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3348/3634541129_5f68cb6d00.jpg" alt="P1020753" width="500" height="333" /><br />View from top of pagoda - mountain view<br /></span></div><br />I prefer the city view in this case, since you're able to have a clear view all the way to Georgetown.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3635352422_aec8421bdd.jpg" alt="P1020756" width="500" height="333" /><br />View from top of pagoda - city view<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3591/3635352308_7fc1256b5f.jpg" alt="P1020758" width="500" height="333" /><br />Zhao Jie and witch<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3388/3634541277_a8f95d87b7.jpg" alt="P1020762" width="500" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Outside pagoda</span></span><br /></div><br />After we descended from the pagoda, I showed them what the LX3 wide angle could do. *LOL* They tried to take a full-length picture of the pagoda using their digital camera but failed. Hence, my LX3 came to the rescue and we managed to take several shots of the pagoda at the entrance.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3336/3634541375_d5d7c79538.jpg" alt="P1020763" width="333" height="500" /><br />Zhao Jie and witch at Kek Lok Si pagoda<br /></span></div><br />After the visit to the temple, we had a short late lunch at the laksa stalls in Air Itam. I didn't take any pictures there as I was already too hungry from all the climbing and walking! Plus I didn't have breakfast before that! *gasp* Anyway, we left to the hotel to check in later on, which was Copthorne Orchid in Tanjung Bungah. I chose that hotel because it was reasonably priced (~RM170/night) and it was next to the sea! This is the view from our room, complete with the sound of waves. :) The beach was just within walking distance from our hotel.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2469/3634539429_78d5b1c8fc.jpg" alt="P1020769" width="500" height="333" /><br />View from hotel room<br /></span></div><br />When night fell, we had a quick dinner at one of the nearby food court in Gurney. A quick dinner because we had to send one friend to the airport to catch a flight. Guess where we went after sending her to the airport? QEII or Queen Elizabeth II! It's this waterfront club/pub/restaurant just by the seaside next to the pier. Very romantic and very nice view. If you're lucky, it would be windy and cooling too. It was my first time there and I'd always wanted to visit this place since I heard a lot of good comments from my friends. Since none of my close friends were 'clubbing kakis', I never had a chance to go there, until now. We found the perfect parking spot just in front of the entrance! Parking fee was RM5 flat.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3311/3634539093_36c395b2ec.jpg" alt="P1020800" width="500" height="333" /><br />Church Street Pier<br /></span></div><br />The signature QEII logo, brightly lit and distinct at night.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/3634539215_5f91ed5243.jpg" alt="P1020797" width="500" height="333" /><br />QEII by the sea<br /></span></div><br />You're about to see the RM12 dress that I bought from the stalls at Kek Lok Si! I bought it because it had unique batik design that was local to Malaysian culture. Also, my friend Zhao Jie was attracted to the design and bought an exact one in a different colour.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3317/3634538837_a6da6866ff.jpg" alt="P1020799" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch at QEII entrance<br /></span></div><br />Look at our identical dresses. :) Which colour is nicer?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2441/3634538367_4b19f5625f.jpg" alt="P1020801" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch and Zhao Jie<br /></span></div><br />We also took a picture with her husband Zhao Lei, who was a really shy but friendly guy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3630/3635352976_f9aacc2284.jpg" alt="P1020772" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch, Zhao Lei and Zhao Jie at QEII entrance<br /></span></div><br />We found a table just by the sea, and the breeze was extremely strong that night so it was pretty comforting. We chose to sit outside in the open air just for this reason. Plus, the smell of smoke was also minimal with the cooling wind. I was happily enjoying the ambience and chatting with Zhao Jie when suddenly, rain started to fall. :( No wonder the wind was so strong prior to that. A storm was brewing indeed. We had to move indoors, which was much louder and hence deterred us from chatting. However, I would say the overall environment of QEII was much better than most other clubs in Penang that I visited before. I would recommend this place (outdoors) if you hate the smell of cigarette smoke and stuffy air in most other indoor clubs. :)<br /><br />That concludes my first day of tourguiding in Penang. We reached the hotel after midnight and slept like pigs to the next morning! *LOL*<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-90318072530519932242009-06-22T08:40:00.003+08:002009-06-22T08:50:45.389+08:00I was awarded!<div style="text-align: justify;">Thanks to <a href="http://foongpc.blogspot.com/">foongpc</a>, I was given my first ever blog award! :) I was reading his blog as usual, until I stumbled upon this <a href="http://foongpc.blogspot.com/2009/06/awards-galore-2.html">post</a>, and I saw my name there! What a very pleasant surprise. Thank you foong. :) He gave out 6 awards and I was one of the proud recipients of <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Uber Amazing Blog Award</span>. According to him:<br /><br />Uber (synonym to Super) Amazing Blog Award is a blog award given to sites who:<br />inspires you<br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>makes you smile and laugh</li><li>or maybe gives amazing information</li><li>a great read</li><li>has an amazing design</li><li>and any other reasons you can think of that makes them uber amazing!</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm so extremely touched! :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3392/3628312328_8bc023e1c5_o.jpg" alt="Uber amazing award" width="200" height="182" /><br />The Uber Amazing Blog Award<br /></span></div><br />The rules of this award are:<br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Put the logo on your blog or post.</li><li>Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing!</li><li>Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.</li><li>Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.</li></ul>It is now my turn to pass this award to the 5 blogs that are uber amazing! :) *Drum rolls*<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.kimong.com">Kimong</a></li><li><a href="http://eneritan.blogspot.com">MisSmall</a></li><li><a href="http://chiaoju.jundru.com">Chiaoju</a></li><li><a href="http://zewt.blogspot.com">Zewt</a></li><li><a href="http://underthebambootrees.blogspot.com">Bamboo</a></li></ul><br />I really enjoy reading your blog! Keep up the good work! :)iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-33404901675606512912009-06-18T17:31:00.000+08:002009-06-18T17:39:07.853+08:00Pretty cup cakes<div style="text-align: justify;">It was my second week at work, and we were all at this training, trying to learn how to operate a freakingly expensive machine. Halfway through the training, during tea break, one of my colleagues brought in a box of cakes. At first, I thought it was the breakfast provided for the training, but then I found out that she made those cupcakes herself! And guess what? They were all customized with names and faces! So adorably cute!!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3639/3637267643_57ea384f34.jpg" alt="DSC00941a" width="500" height="375" /><br />Cupcakes galore<br /></span></div><br />To my surprise, even my name was inside, though I didn't even know the birthday girl. *shy* In my defense, I was still a newbie.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3354/3637267533_5121815df4.jpg" alt="DSC00942" width="375" height="500" /><br />Cute cupcake<br /></span></div><br />And mine was pink! Wonderful! We ended up picking our own cupcakes and eating ourselves (literally). *LOL* The cupcake was made from butter so it was rather oily, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it? Happy Birthday girl!<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-11888947184922635462009-06-15T13:24:00.002+08:002009-06-15T14:13:23.493+08:00My Farewell Pictures<div style="text-align: justify;">Again I've been pretty slow in updating. The truth of the fact is that I'm going through some tough emotional stage currently but I'm slowly recovering from it. I'll be absolutely fine, in case you're worried. :) Anyway, I've made up my mind to kick start my blogger mode after resting for a while, but I need to clear some of the backlogs that I meant to write sooner.<br /><br />Let me start with my farewell pictures just before I left Penang. I'm so thankful and blessed to have so many friends and colleagues who care about me deeply during my tenure in Penang. I really can't imagine how my life would be without having them around. And for this, I would like to dedicate this post to all of them, who have made a difference in my life. :)<br /><br />Starting with doryfish, my dear friend, colleague and buddy in office! You know you have left a deep deep print in my heart and I always counted my blessings that at the end of the day, I still had you to turn to. We have gone through so many things together, right from the day we met when I was still an intern. We joined the gym together, the yoga classes, swimming classes as well as our part-time Masters. Having you around gave me the motivation and drive to go through the tough periods just because you understood. :) Thank you. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3304/3628134768_138e23cbff.jpg" alt="P1030044" width="500" height="333" /><br />Doryfish and witch<br /></span></div><br />Then there's Suzie, a girl who worked in the same company and who also happened to stay in the same block as mine! Just a lift ride away, to be exact. I had such a great time with you, especially when your other half was away in the US. ;) Remember when we used to go for dinners so often and watched HK TVB series marathon after that? It was really fun! Oh, and I must thank you again for fetching me to the airport so many freaking times that I felt bad for even asking. :( If you need anything from me, I'll be there. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3544/3627319685_69c520cb4a.jpg" alt="P1020894" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch and Suzie<br /></span></div><br />A group picture with the girls during one of the farewell lunches.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3417/3627320113_a408593195.jpg" alt="P1020880" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch, doryfish and Suzie<br /></span></div><br />How could I forget the 2 self-proclaimed 'legends' in my company, Farn Hin and Kum Soon? (FYI, they're the first and fourth guys from the left in the picture below) Both of them indeed provided endless entertainment and jokes during the time I was there, especially when they both thought they're the more good-looking guys in the whole company. *cough*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3628132056_b38727bf72.jpg" alt="DSC_2242" width="500" height="274" /><br />Colleagues from ex-department<br /></span></div><br />Thank you for the amazing farewell lunch, and by amazing I meant the company not the food. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3658/3627319247_05e83f0336.jpg" alt="DSC_2243" width="500" height="335" /><br />Another shot<br /></span></div><br />And dear Doryfish also organized a farewell dinner for me, at my favourite Italian restaurant, Bella Italia! *grins* Thank you so much my dear! I enjoyed BOTH the food and company that night ;) Allan I hope your back is getting better now. It touched me that you would come all the way from Kulim for me, even with your back condition. ;) But I ended up doing something to make you proud of me! ;)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2447/3628132924_ac91aa514d.jpg" alt="P1020929" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch with Bamboo, doryfish and Allan<br /></span></div><br />Ah, the 4 sickawans! *hugs* Too bad Stan wasn't around that time. I have known these people right from my university time onwards, and our bond is still stronger than ever. It's true what they say, the friends that you made during your study years will never be the same with those that you made during your working years. And I'm truly glad I met them. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3403/3627320685_6e1c47b28f.jpg" alt="P1020949" width="500" height="333" /><br />Witch with Chiaoju and Yen :)<br /></span></div><br />Another group of friends from school, way back more than 10 years ago! Bamboo and Hamdan. Let's toast to another 10 years eh? :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/3628133492_a250933829.jpg" alt="P1020958" width="500" height="333" /><br />My secondary schoolmates<br /></span></div><br />Not to forget my lunch gang at the company, the people that I met EVERY day for lunch. It's funny how you never get bored of certain people even though you meet them every day, and that's because you found the right clique. I miss you guys very much. :(<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3620/3627321105_ff4f1f430e.jpg" alt="P1020988" width="500" height="333" /><br />My lunch gang<br /></span></div><br />Finally, some pictures from company. :) The girls...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3628133914_77aa851305.jpg" alt="P1030026" width="500" height="333" /><br />The girls<br /></span></div><br />Members of my team :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3627321551_d97dedce44.jpg" alt="P1030055" width="500" height="333" /><br />IC design colleagues and witch<br /></span></div><br />And Max! Wah, Max if you're reading this, don't you feel so honoured that I dedicated a whole picture for you? *LOL* The truth is I couldn't find any group pictures with you in it. :P Anyway, I know you won't miss me since every time I called you, it was to log a call and give you a problem to solve. *LOL* But I really wanted to thank you for the great support and help you provided to me all these years. I now know how valuable you are, if you know what I mean. :P<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3627321847_7fd2d6d708.jpg" alt="P1030050" width="500" height="333" /><br />Max and witch<br /></span></div><br />Thank you a million to all of you! You all know where I am now, so never feel shy to call or find me if you happen to be around ok?<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-40136280488824540692009-06-09T22:52:00.000+08:002009-06-09T22:52:00.736+08:00Skin deep beauty<div style="text-align: justify;">I guess it's not a surprise to learn that men are visual beings, and here, I'm referring to both males and females. Most people will judge someone based on first impression, and first impressions are always visual when you meet someone. Even before you start to speak, an opinion has already formed in your opponent's mind. I know it might seem shallow, but you've got to agree with me that people with good looks usually get better first impressions compared to those who are not as lucky. People who get the extra cup of coffee, or the extra piece of doughnut for free are usually those who are comparably more attractive than most people.<br /><br />But does this happen when you talk about your life partner? Is skin deep beauty going to get you the extra edge? Many people say that beauty is not only skin deep, that when you love someone, you will see beyond the flaws at the surface because love is supposed to be unconditional. But again, men are visual beings. Can they help it if the girl or guy that they see everyday is someone who's full of warts or fat or with uneven teeth? Those are just examples I can think of at the top of my head, but surely there will be many more cases which will affect how a person looks. Do you think it matters in a relationship if you don't look <span style="font-style: italic;">perfect</span>?<br /><br />A guy once told me that when you really love someone, you will look past his/her flaws. In fact, he/she might even think of your flaws as cute and adorable, something that is uniquely you. Surprisingly, he could really do what he said. I guess guys like him who are romantic do not appear often these days. Do you think most people are still in a relationship because they still feel the hots for each other even after years of being together? Or is it because they're each other's comfort zones?<br /><br />Men being visual beings, will definitely get bored of looking at someone after a period of years. What happens then? Will the excitement be gone forever? Or do they go around looking for new beings? Or is it even possible to maintain the sparks forever? Tell me.<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-39958342873804608842009-06-05T12:30:00.000+08:002009-06-05T13:09:53.514+08:00My first bowl of Chilly Pan Mee<div style="text-align: justify;">It's been exactly one week in my new company. I have just managed to get my new notebook 2 days ago, yippee! I'm finally CONNECTED again! Before I continue, let me just vent! I borrowed Saucer's GPS for a few days, 3 to be exact, to get the directions from my place to work. That stupid map directed me to use THREE different routes for all THREE days! How annoying is that! My intention was to learn only one route and I thought 3 days would be sufficient, who would have known it would give me all different routes. *sigh* The worst thing was, in one of the routes, I was shown to use this highway when I didn't need to pass through highway to work, and I ended up having to pay like RM6.60 for that route! *argh* Anyway, after the third time, it was enough. I used the Google maps and jotted down the directions instead. It turned out to be a very straightforward and easy route to work! *yay*<br /><br />That aside, I just wanted to write about this 'explosive' experience I went through in Super Kitchen Chilly Pan Mee in Kota Damansara. This happened about a couple of weeks ago, even before I moved to KL. I read about this place in some blogs and decided to give it a try since I didn't know what chilly pan mee was about. The restaurant is located at the very new row of shophouses in the inner Kota Damansara area, with many other restaurants as well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2181/3544807608_06fa101f90.jpg" alt="P1020249" width="500" height="333" /><br />Super Kitchen Chilly Pan Mee at Kota Damansara<br /></span></div><br />Obviously, on every table there was the unmistakable bowl of chilly flakes in oil. Be very afraid.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3610/3543998273_1d95f109a9.jpg" alt="P1020241" width="333" height="500" /><br />Chilly<br /></span></div><br />Look at how RED the chilli flakes were. With the seeds as well! You could just imagine how hot and spicy they could be.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/3544807080_a29be07a3f.jpg" alt="P1020237" width="500" height="333" /><br />*gasp*<br /></span></div><br />We ordered a glass of Umbra juice (RM2) and two bowls of chilly pan mee. Before the noodles were served, we were given two bowls of complimentary soup with some meatballs inside. Let me tell you this soup was my saviour at the end of my meal. I'll let you know why. ;)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2096/3544807290_120a335576.jpg" alt="P1020243" width="500" height="333" /><br />Complimentary bowl of soup with meatballs<br /></span></div><br />After a short wait, we were served our bowls of appetizing chilly pan mee, without the chilly. There was an egg, minced meat, anchovies and some fried shallots with the noodles. I was hungry so I was attracted to the presentation straight away.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2416/3544807438_56994142a7.jpg" alt="P1020245" width="500" height="333" /><br />Pan mee pre-mixed<br /></span></div><br />The excited me started to pile up the chilli flakes on to the bowl of noodles before even tasting them. I think I ended up putting in 3 or 4 full spoons of chilli, thinking that if it were any less, it wouldn't be able to cover the whole bowl. My, how wrong was I!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3610/3544806972_7cea137d44.jpg" alt="RM5p50" width="333" height="500" /><br /></div><br />Look at how red the bowl of noodles became! At one point, I could even SMELL the spicyness of the chilli. And that's when I knew I made a mistake. The first few bites were acceptable though still fiery hot. But after the third or fourth bite, I started to feel the heat. The spicyness was much more than I could imagine and I started perspiring in no time. Before I even finished half of the bowl, I couldn't stand it anymore. *sigh*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2349/3544807742_9b8138b6e8.jpg" alt="P1020246" width="500" height="333" /><br />Super hot chilly pan mee<br /></span></div><br />That's when my bowl of soup became my saviour. Well, it saved my noodles at least. To finish up the rest, I dipped the noodles into the soup before eating them. Sure, this wouldn't eliminate the spicyness completely but it reduced the level to something acceptable. At the end of my meal, I could feel the heat in my stomach even. Gosh! Lesson learnt. Never be too ambitious. *LOL*<br /><br />The price for the noodles was RM5.50 per bowl. Very reasonable, I would say. Anyway, I would definitely go back to try it out again, this time with smaller amount of chilli of course. The noodles had a nice texture without being too thick or hard. I can't comment on the rest of the ingredients because they're all overpowered by the spicyness!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Super Kitchen Chilly Pan Mee</span><br />Jalan PJU5/4, Dataran Sunway,<br />Kota Damansara,<br />47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tel no.</span>: 03-6141 7398 , 03-2697 0998<br /><br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-62868909456419963742009-06-01T08:01:00.001+08:002009-06-01T08:01:00.851+08:00Irenelim is giving away free shirts!<div align="justify">About a month ago, I started noticing a new commenter on my blog, who went by the nick of Irenelim. She was very consistent in commenting until I couldn't help but visit her <a href="http://www.irenelim.com/fashion/">webpage</a> one fine day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; "><img alt="irene1" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3580588130_e2c3053252.jpg" width="500" height="312" /></span></div><em><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; ">Irenelim Fashion</span></div></em><br />My, was I glad I did it! She has one of the most diverse collection of dresses that I've ever seen! And they're not gaudy or loud, which suit me really well. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; "><img alt="irene2" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3403/3579777075_a827012c8b.jpg" width="500" height="304" /></span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">New collection of dresses</span></div></span><br />Her vast collection prompted me to continue browsing and browsing, until I chanced upon this magical link... <a href="http://www.irenelim.com/fashion/free-dresses-and-free-delivery/">Free shirts and free delivery</a>!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; "><img alt="irene5" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3585/3580590162_f8f1947f94.jpg" width="500" height="311" /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; ">Free shirts and free delivery</span></div><br />How crazy is that? It's definitely one of a kind and I got attracted instantly. If anyone of you is interested, the offer is still valid and it's very easy! You just need to write a blog post about Irenelim Fashion with 2 links to the website and you're done! :) Since I just moved to KL and discarded a lot of my clothes, I could do with a new shirt myself. ;)<br /><br />I also browsed some of her collections of dresses and found a couple of my personal favourites. ;) I simply love this halter neck sleeveless chiffon dress!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; "><img alt="irene3" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/3580589220_ef60d80de6.jpg" width="360" height="500" /></span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Halter sleeveless chiffon dress</span></div></span><br />Even though the model in the picture wore it with a pair of jeans, I think it would even be sexier without the jeans but with a pair of black leggings/stockings. But too bad, the red colour is already sold out! Not my luck I guess.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="irene4" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2460/3579777723_3407655b17.jpg" width="351" height="500" /></div><em><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; ">Black empire-waisted dress</span></div></em><br />There is another dress that I thought looked pretty elegant and classy. And it's empire-waisted! I love empire-waisted dresses! Makes you look younger and cuter without looking like you're trying too hard to do so. :) This dress is simple and yet sexy, perfect for the night out or for the hot date. ;) Black and pink are still available! :))<br /><br />One thing I noticed and like about Irenelim Fashion is their <a href="http://www.irenelim.com/fashion/return-policy/">Return Policy</a>. Very seldom do you have online stores willing to return/refund/exchange your purchases if you find that you do not fancy them after receiving. Most stores only accept exchanges when there was a mistake or the goods are faulty. However, at Irenelim Fashion, their return policy states that:<br /><br />"At Irenelim Fashion, we want you to be pleased with your purchase. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, you may exchange, replace, or credit your purchase when it is returned/presented in original and sale-able condition. The returned item must be in its original packaging together with its original tags and accessories."</div><br /><div align="justify">Isn't that great? It means that after you purchase a certain item and you find that it's not that nice/incorrect size when you try it out, you could return it for an exchange or credit. Don't you think this gives you peace of mind when purchasing online? :)</div><br /><div align="justify"></div>If you are attracted to the free shirts offer as I was, do check out Irenelim's Fashion and start writing away. Otherwise, if you're not a blogger, her collection of dresses is enough to make you drool! *LOL*iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-55697585941331945622009-05-30T10:24:00.003+08:002009-05-30T11:00:15.053+08:00I have moved!<div align="justify">Hello everybody! Apologize for the rather long period of silence from me. As most of you already know, I was busy moving from Penang to KL. It was an entirely exhausting process and something I would not ever wanna do again. Ever. Or maybe in the next 5 years. *LOL* I took 3 days to pack all the things in my old room and apartment into uncountable number of boxes and bags. My parents and Saucer came to help me load them into TWO cars! It's amazing how one girl can accumulate so many items in the span of 4 years. *phew* I can't imagine how it would be if I didn't sell of my washing machine, TV and TV cabinet. I wouldn't have been able to fit them in at all.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />Anyway, we drove from Penang to Kampar first to stay overnight before continuing to KL on the next day. Thankfully, the whole journey was pretty smooth, except for a few idiots crossing my lane without warning and causing me to brake forcefully when I reached KL. The unpacking part was another headache! But I love the new place that I'm staying in. I'll show you the picture in my next post after I upload them ok? :)</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />Yesterday when Saucer was out working, I had the whole apartment to myself. Since I was bored, I tried to be brave and ventured to the nearest Tesco to do some grocery shopping for dinner. Truth be told, I was pretty nervous driving alone in a foreign area. Armed with the hand-drawn map by Saucer, I started driving and realised that it wasn't that difficult at all. The fact that I went out during working hours was probably helpful as well to avoid traffic congestion. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />I bought a lot of stuff from Tesco, but the most significant item was the wok. I wanted to get a good quality stainless steel wok like Dory's but Tesco had very limited choices available. There was only one type of stainless steel wok available and I grabbed the size that I thought would be suitable. It was only RM26! When I got home after that, I started preparing ingredients before cooking.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />The wok was washed first and then heated up over the gas stove. When the wok was hot enough, I poured in some olive oil and guess what? *Pop* It was the loudest noise I ever heard! I was so shocked! Then I thought maybe my hand was a bit wet and the water and oil mixed over the hot fire. Fine, I dried my hands and continued cooking. Everything went well for my first dish of stir-fried mushroom chicken. After completing the first task, I carried the wok to the sink to clean it before moving on to my second dish.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />After cleaning, I placed the wok over fire again. After a while, I noticed something weird on the base of the wok. I suppose the stainless steel was too thin that under heat, part of the base bent inside! Can you imagine how it looked like? Imagine squeezing an aluminum can. The base was internally bent under the heat hence, it was not flat. That wasn't the worst. After the wok was dry enough, I poured oil into it again. And this time... *POOOOP* It was MUCH louder than the first time I heard. And I actually screamed because I thought the base of the wok exploded. The whole kitchen was filled with smoke. I almost wanted to give up then and there, and then I noticed the wok was still in one piece. It was the heat that caused the bent base to expand OUT this time and back to its original position. It was really scary. And I hated that the smoke filled up the kitchen with droplets of oil and smell everywhere. *sigh*</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />When Saucer came back, I related the whole incident to him and we agreed that it must have been the thin steel wok. Dory's wok was multi-layered and hence didn't face this situation before. We are going to return the wok later on to Tesco, hopefully they'll allow us to exchange for other items. Really, never trust cheap stuff if it's too cheap to be true. *LOL* The experience gave me a phobia towards stir-frying with wok now. I think for the next few weeks, I'll stick to boiling and steaming. Maybe I should get non-stick pans to avoid the explosion sound. What do you think?</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />It's my 3rd day here and I welcome everyday with an open heart. New challenges in the form of driving without a GPS (Saucer needs it) proves to be more stressful than it seems. In another 2 days, I'll report to my new company. I'm excited! :)</div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-61951934125735504672009-05-25T14:02:00.001+08:002009-05-25T15:12:50.191+08:00Things I will miss the most<div style="text-align: justify;">Thank you everybody for your warm wishes and good luck comments on my previous post. Most of you have successfully guessed where I'm going, and probably why too. ;) It's a big move on my side, and it's a move I hope I will never regret. This move marks a first on a lot of experience that followed, such as<br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>the first time I had to type a resignation letter, </li><li>the first time I had to keep a secret for so long (almost 2 months) before announcing it to my friends, </li><li>the first time I had to deal with many sad faces of my colleagues and friends (even though I put up a strong front, deep inside, I am just as sad but why make the situation worse right?), </li><li>the first time I had to let strangers into my apartment to view my room, and more strangers to view my furniture before they purchased them, </li><li>the first time I had to pack my things into boxes and bags that could fit into 2 cars (that is the part I hate the most - one will be surprised the amount of things that could be kept in 1 small room),</li><li>the first time I had so many farewell lunches and dinners in one week, </li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">and many more.<br /><br />The experience is new and exciting, yet it's scary. It's no surprise that the current economic conditions could be better, and yet I'm taking a risk by not only moving to a new company, but also to a new environment. I still remember the first ever time I stepped foot to work in Penang, I felt so foreign (I still do), mainly because of the language barrier. I knew not one sentence of Mandarin and don't even mention Hokkien. Until now, I still can't converse in Hokkien after almost 4 years here. I could probably survive with my limited Mandarin but still, I don't feel as much as home compared to my hometown where I could speak Cantonese and people would not look at me blankly.<br /><br />Oh and don't forget the roads and the driving experience in Penang. It's one-of-a-kind! I still remember seeing motorists practically snaking their way through in the narrow roads, and seeing with my own eyes, cars that entered a no-entry junction! What an eye-opening experience it was. But they have all helped to build me into a stronger and braver person. I no longer fear driving in Penang (probably because I've become one of those crazy Penang drivers! LOL). One of the roads that I detest driving the most was this one-lane road just in front of a primary school near Bayan Bay food court. When it is the end of a school day, the road would be side-parked on both sides, making the one-lane road narrower than it already is. When it's also raining, you could see inconsiderate cars stopping in the <span style="font-style: italic;">middle </span>of the road while the parents went down to look for their kids! I don't see why these motorists have to impose on others discomfort just for their own convenience.<br /><br />That aside, there are also plenty of things that I will miss from this little island and my company...<br /><ul><li>my lunch gang at the company, especially Doryfish and Bamboo. I don't think I will ever find friends and buddies like you guys in my new job, people that I can be around with and still be myself. You guys have truly played a big big role in my working life. Sometimes, the thought of having you guys for me to vent in the middle of a hectic working day would really brighten up my mood. Thank you so much for always being there (literally - for lunch!), for not being afraid to point out my mistakes and for just being who you are. I will miss you guys very very much!</li></ul><ul><li>my quaint and nice apartment with a sea view, goodbye to you. I will never have the privilege to look at the sea whenever I view out my window or my balcony. Not to mention my very reasonable (cheap) rental, which I will have to more than double in my new place.</li></ul><ul><li>the cafeteria just downstairs of my apartment. I have been such a frequent and loyal customer that the owner knows me by name. I can just call her in advance directly to order and pick up my food without having to wait.</li></ul><ul><li>cheap hawker food in Penang. I have taken you for granted. There will not be delicious char kuey teow or coconut water easily available anymore. Especially coconut water. :(</li></ul><ul><li>subsidized lunch at company cafeteria. Where else can you have a plate of rice with 3 dishes at a mere RM1.30?</li></ul><ul><li>my journey to the company in less than 10 minutes. If I can achieve the same in my new place, it would be a miracle.</li></ul><ul><li>my mechanic, the boss who's on a crutch. You are so very kind. I will always remember how you never said no whenever I asked for a discount. :) </li></ul><ul><li>my sickawans - Chiaoju, Yen and Stan. Having you guys around made my weekends in Penang more exciting, and made me a less boring person. :) Hopefully we could still have our gatherings down south. ;)</li></ul>There are many more things that I will certainly miss from Penang. But I'm looking forward to my new life excitedly. I am scared but I am strong. I will embrace the changes with open arms. And if all else fails, I still have my good friends to fall back on, you know who you are. ;)<br /><br />Tomorrow will be my last day here. Goodbye dear old Penang. I will miss you.<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-67230238893108016122009-05-21T08:03:00.000+08:002009-05-21T08:03:01.252+08:00Just when I..... start to understand more conversations spoken in Hokkien,<br />.. get used to the Friday after-work traffic jams,<br />.. am comfortable with conversing in Mandarin,<br />.. fell in love with the fresh coconut drinks that are vastly available everywhere,<br />.. become more familiar with the roads around Georgetown,<br />.. signed up a new facial package with the beauty parlour here,<br />.. booked a couple of cheap tickets from Penang-Macau,<br />.. discovered the awesomeness of Penang's fruit farm and buffet,<br />.. visited the gorgeous seafront pub at QEII,<br />.. became the regular customer of the cafeteria below my apartment,<br />.. begin to love the beaches and the Penang sea breeze,<br />.. rediscover the greatness of Penang laksa and char kuey teow,<br />.. learnt to eat outside alone,<br />.. embrace the warmth that is Penang air,<br /><br /><br /><br />I am saying goodbye to it.iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-33144055151591277402009-05-19T08:45:00.000+08:002009-05-19T09:05:20.275+08:00Sushi Tomo at SS2<div style="text-align: justify;">Sushi Tomo is this Japanese restaurant located in the heart of SS2, just nearby Wong Kok Char Chan Teng. We passed by this place pretty often due to its strategic location, until one day Saucer decided to give it a try.<br /><br />The interior of the restaurant was a little on the dim side, hence the poorer quality pictures for this post. One thing we noticed was that the economy really did have effect on some of the mid-range restaurants' patronage. Even though it was a Saturday evening, the place was only probably 30% occupied. Oh well, that just meant more people to serve us!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2122/3544493074_95bd8c514c.jpg" alt="P1020226" width="500" height="333" /><br />Interior of Sushi Tomo<br /></span></div><br />I didn't like that they used wooden disposable chopsticks here. With the price that they're charging, I believe the customers deserve something better than chopsticks that are jagged and chapped when they're split into two.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2450/3544492860_72e91d9f83.jpg" alt="P1020224" width="500" height="333" /><br />Wasabi and chopsticks<br /></span></div><br />As usual, before ordering we're served hot ocha in this cute little cup.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3584/3543683639_729dee1c83.jpg" alt="P1020225" width="333" height="500" /><br />Hot ocha<br /></span></div><br />Saucer's order was the Unagi rice (probably Unagi Jyu?), that came with a complimentary bowl of miso soup.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2140/3544493474_a5522036c2.jpg" alt="P1020232" width="500" height="333" /><br />Unagi rice with miso soup<br /></span></div><br />The presentation of the rice looked pretty appetizing and attractive, don't you think? But Saucer found the unagi to be below expectations. We just had unagi rice about 1-2 weeks before this and the unagi was a big piece of eel cut into pieces. But the unagi here looked like the toppings of unagi sushi, just placed together on a box of rice. The pieces of unagi were rather thin and not that fresh? At least the sauce was not too bad. I guess you could never go wrong with sweet things. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2409/3543683941_9a67515267.jpg" alt="P1020230" width="500" height="333" /><br />Unagi rice</span><br /></div><br />Anyway, at RM24, the verdict was just so-so. Not something that we would order again.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3624/3543684051_d332d5c99b.jpg" alt="P1020231" width="333" height="500" /><br />Unagi rice<br /></span></div><br />As for me, I ordered the Gekikara Ramen ( I hope I remembered correctly), which was ramen in spicy soup with a piece of tempura shrimp on top. Apart from the shrimp, there was almost nothing else inside. Sure, there were some small pieces of pork and some vegetables but that's about it. It was so different from the ramen I had in Nippon Yataimura.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3622/3544493578_5697c6b05d.jpg" alt="P1020233" width="500" height="333" /><br />Gekikara ramen<br /></span></div><br />The ramen was also served on a wooden box, pretty traditional. The serving was definitely much smaller than the ramen in most of other Japanese restaurants, as you could see from the size of the bowl. The soup and ramen tasted not bad. It was spicy but forgettable. The shrimp was nothing special too, not especially big nor succulent.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3339/3543683411_e671f2ae8e.jpg" alt="P1020235" width="333" height="500" /><br />Ramen on a wooden box<br /></span></div><br />Judging from my write-up, I guess you could very well tell that the food here did not meet my expectations. It is just that with the price they're charging, I could very well find better ramen or unagi rice somewhere else. Or probably, their specialty was only sushi, coming from the name of their shop. *LOL*<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Restoran Jepun Sushi Tomo</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Address</span> : 8, Jln SS2/67, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor<span class="text"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tel. No</span> : 03-7877 6485</span><span class="text"></span><br />Business Hours : <span class="text"><br /></span> Mon - Fri: 12.00pm to 3pm, 6.00pm to 11pm<br />Sat and Sun: 12.00pm to 4pm, 6.00pm to 11pm<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-15614165826336221042009-05-14T12:08:00.000+08:002009-05-14T12:08:00.126+08:00Fancy the best Nasi Lemak in town?<div style="text-align: justify;">Deemed 'The Best Nasi lemak in Uptown' by themselves, Village Park opens its doors to full house almost every morning and lunch. It is especially busy on weekend mornings, with plenty of families and young adults alike looking for a plate of glorious nasi lemak and a glass of teh tarik.<br /><br />I first found out about this place last year through a friend. Fast forward a few months later, I was telling Saucer about it and we decided to pay the restaurant a visit. It's located at Damansara Uptown, same row with the HSBC bank found there. As expected, we had to wait for a while before we found an empty table. For those who have not been there before, there is actually an air-conditioned area next door, which can only be reached when you walk into the main entrance and head towards the back. The air-conditioned area is more comfortable, and possibly less crowded because it seems that not many people knew about this area.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2042/3529444441_bd1aa1e8a8.jpg" alt="P1020139" width="500" height="333" /><br />Village Park Restaurant<br /></span></div><br />Anyway, we placed our orders with the waiter and waited patiently. The first to arrive was the toasted bread of kaya and butter (RM1.80). Whenever a toast is ordered, it is vital to ensure that it is consumed first. Otherwise when it is cold, it will not taste as good, with the hardened crust and cold bread.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3661/3530258248_a80b750f20.jpg" alt="P1020128" width="500" height="333" /><br />Toasted bread set<br /></span></div><br />The toasted bread set came with 4 slices of bread with butter and kaya on each pair. They were not stingy with the butter and kaya spread, and the toasts were served warm. Therefore, I have no complaints with this dish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2246/3530258438_21dc632936.jpg" alt="P1020132" width="333" height="500" /><br />Milo Dinosaur<br /></span></div><br />One of the highlights of my visit was my drink! I ordered the Milo dinosaur which I had raved about to Saucer every so often. This drink costed RM4 but it was so worth it! The milo was ice-blended and very thick. On top of that, more milo powder was added to the top of the drink, rendering a complete Milo Attack experience! Definitely recommended to order. Oh, please note that the portion is quite huge, so I'd recommend sharing a glass with another friend. :)<br /><br />Finally, the star of the day - Nasi Lemak! Was it as good as they claimed? Judge for yourself. :) We ordered the Nasi Lemak biasa + ayam goreng (fried chicken) at RM6.90. The fried chicken was different from the KFC type, where lots of flour is used. This fried chicken had very minimal flour and the skin was crispy and well marinated! Plus, all the fried chickens were of the drumstick + thigh part, so no worries on getting the chicken breast or chicken wings that some people might not like. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3530258624_78202bb954.jpg" alt="P1020133" width="500" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nasi lemak and fried chicken</span></span><br /></div><br />As you can see from the picture, a plate of nasi lemak comes with half an egg, cucumber slices, anchovies and the important sambal. The rice was fragrant with the smell of coconut milk, and the sambal was spicy without being overpowering. Saucer preferred those spicier sambal with bright red colour, but I found this sambal to be not bad. It matched the rice very well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2212/3530258800_243e1eb544.jpg" alt="P1020134" width="333" height="500" /><br />Sambal<br /></span></div><br />This was the fried chicken that I mentioned earlier. It was crispy on the outside and yummy on the inside. I know, it's not healthy eating chicken skin but I simply couldn't help myself! The portion of this nasi lemak was quite huge for me. Maybe it's because of the Milo drink too, I ended up not being able to finish the rice.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2268/3529444783_22226333f8.jpg" alt="P1020135" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fried chicken<br /></span></div><br />My verdict? I'd definitely return to this place again for the nasi lemak and Milo dinosaur! But make sure to come early or come really late to avoid having to wait for a seat.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Village Park Restaurant</span><br />5, Jalan SS21/37,<br />Damansara Utama,<br />47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tel:</span> 03-77107860<br />Open from 7 am to 8pm daily, 7 am to 6 pm on Sunday/Public Holiday<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-6434656830060106602009-05-12T12:56:00.000+08:002009-05-12T12:56:00.506+08:00Bharat Coffee House and fresh flowers<div style="text-align: justify;">Soon, it was my final day in Cameron Highlands and that day turned out to be scorching hot! We went to Tringkap Restaurant again for lunch, since it was reasonably priced and delicious. :) On our way back, we passed by another tea shop by the name of <a href="http://bharattea.com.my/bharat/">Bharat Tea</a> plantations. Cameron Highlands is so famous for plantations that almost everywhere you look, it's either tea, vegetables or flowers!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3387/3524275514_b977aa143b.jpg" alt="P1020098" width="333" height="500" /><br />Bharat Coffee house<br /></span></div><br />As expected, the coffee shop was deserted when we reached there. Who would want to have tea when the sun was shining as hot as the oven in the middle of the afternoon eh?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3618/3524274776_1d3de13ed4.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr09" width="500" height="375" /><br />Surroundings of coffee house<br /></span></div><br />The famous Cameron Valley tea that you can find from supermarkets, coming all the way from this plantation.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3524275410_3fa0cd164d.jpg" alt="P1020093" width="333" height="500" /><br />Bharat plantations<br /></span></div><br />There was a tea/souvenir shop just near the coffee house too. A host of different tea leaves were found in this shop. The creative people from the shop also made different hampers using the tea boxes, just to make the appearance more attractive. We didn't stay that long in this plantation because we were already sweating before long! *phew*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3390/3524274856_51e6910873.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr091" width="500" height="375" /><br />Tea shop<br /></span></div><br />Further down the road, my mother suddenly decided that she wanted to pay her relative a visit. I just found out that my mother does have quite a few relatives in Cameron Highlands! All of which I had not met before. *LOL* Anyway, it's never too late eh? After getting directions from the aunty, we finally reached her shop by the roadside. This aunty plants and sells flowers! Oh so gorgeous they were! She offered to take us to the plantations (another jeep adventure) but since it was too hot, we politely declined. Her main crop was gerberas, all kinds of different colours. I fell in love with the bright orange type immediately. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3317/3524275586_da6b42e92c.jpg" alt="P1020100" width="500" height="333" /><br />Fresh gerberas<br /></span></div><br />Apart from gerberas, there were plenty other types of flowers lying around her shop, most of which I didn't know the names of. There was one interesting flower which was green colour and looked like a ball (see picture below). The 'ball-like' flower was quite cute but it tends to make you to want to pop it open! The interior of the ball was hollow, so if you hold it too tight, it will go out of shape too. Weird type of flower indeed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3306/3524275066_ba4af43b91.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr092" width="500" height="375" /><br />Of all colours<br /></span></div><br />Apart from flowers, we also saw those smaller version of flowers that florists use to decorate a bouquet.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3524275148_09b92f8b4e.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr093" width="500" height="375" /><br />More flowers<br /></span></div><br />While admiring the flowers there, I took the chance to do some camwhoring of my own. *shameless* Look I was holding the orange gerberas that I liked! There was also a picture of me with a garland of leaves on my head. *LOL*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3609/3524275218_1c3c18a6ec.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr094" width="500" height="375" /><br />Posing with flowers<br /></span></div><br />As usual with all my kind relatives, she asked us to pick any flowers that we liked to bring back home. I think we chose more than 13 small bouquets of gerberas and a host of other different flowers. When we reached home, I gave a try at flower arrangement myself. I think I didn't do that good a job, because I was in a rush. The picture below shows the bouquet that I brought back to Penang. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3597/3524275282_2ec889904f.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr095" width="500" height="375" /><br />My own bouquet<br /></span></div><br />And that ends my Cameron Highlands trip! Since I missed the chance to go to the flower plantation, I now have a reason to return! :)<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-31274867424322212512009-05-09T19:22:00.003+08:002009-05-09T20:45:14.625+08:00There is still honesty<div style="text-align: justify;">It was 1.30pm, and my bus ticket showed 4.45pm for my ride back. I sighed, thinking how to fill up the next 3 hours or so, being alone and bored. Then, I recalled I had the name card of the bus company that I bought the ticket from, and called up to enquire whether there were any earlier buses available. Thankfully for me, there were still seats available for the 2.15pm bus, so I jubilantly planned my trip to go back earlier.<br /><br />Firstly, of course, I needed to find someone to fetch me to the nearby bus station. It was barely 2km away so I thought of asking for my neighbour's help. After calling 2 different persons, I was in despair. Both of them were out of town for the long holiday! Time was ticking. I had to act fast. I realized I had exhausted all my options, except for one.<br /><br />Sighing, I called the taxi company, giving in to my last resort. Obviously, most people try to avoid taking the taxi due to several reasons, mainly cost and safety, especially for a girl travelling alone. However, I really had no other options, plus the journey was so short and in the day time, I told myself that it should be fine. I arranged for the cab to arrive by 1.45pm.<br /><br />True to its promise, the company sent someone at 1.45pm, with the auspicious number plate of 1333. Without further ado, I cautiously stepped in the cab and stayed alert of my surroundings. The Indian taxi driver greeted me with a cheerful "Hello Miss!". I replied with a Hi and kept quiet for the rest of the journey.<br /><br />As expected, the journey took probably 5 minutes. It would have been shorter if not for the traffic lights just in front of the bus station. When I reached, I searched for a 10 ringgit note in my purse, but all I had were 2 pieces of RM50. My fare was RM10 so I handed the driver a RM50 note. The driver asked me for smaller notes but I couldn't find any. He then searched in his pockets and wallet for change, but he could only find RM30. Worst, the car just behind us was getting impatient and started to honk continuously. Leaving with no choice, the taxi driver asked me to go and change for smaller notes from the ticket counters. So I got down, while he drove away from the one-lane road.<br /><br />Luckily, it was only 1.55pm, so I had plenty of time before the bus departed. The ticket counters were situated one floor up, and as I climbed up the stairs, I was thinking to myself "What if I never go back down to pay the driver?". During these bad economic times, I have heard of many cases of people doing things they are not proud of for money. I just thought that if my situation landed on people such as those, I'm sure they would have been happy to get away without paying the driver. After all, it was in a busy area, and I was already on the way to take a bus outstation. What could the taxi driver do?<br /><br />Of course, being the righteous person that I am, *cough*, I didn't flee. I tried to change at the counters but I knew they would not entertain a non-customer like me. In the end, just to get small notes, I went to the nearby stall and grabbed a packet of nasi lemak with a glass of <span style="font-style: italic;">teh tarik</span>. I couldn't think of anything better to order in a rush. Before the owner even started to prepare the tea, I told him I only had RM50 note. Fortunately, he said "No problem!". He told me to eat first before paying, and he was surprised why I was still standing there holding my note. I asked him whether I could pay him first since I needed the change to pay the taxi driver! He laughed and said, "OK OK". Such a kind fellow, he was.<br /><br />I hurriedly went down the stairs again, with my luggage and all, looking for the taxi. This time, I did not spot the taxi, but only the driver himself. I swear I could see the relieved look on his face when he saw me holding the red note. I could tell he was really reluctant to trust me at first, but he had no choice. Well, Mr Taxi Driver, may I say there are still kind and honest people in this country, just like yours truly. *ahem*<br /><br />I felt good to have made the driver's day. When I went back to the stall, my nasi lemak was nicely placed on a table with a plastic spoon and a steaming hot cup of <span style="font-style: italic;">teh tarik</span>. The stall owner, in turn, made MY day. :)<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-21859121191398906682009-05-06T12:28:00.000+08:002009-05-06T12:28:00.907+08:00Boh Tea Plantation and Strawberries!<div style="text-align: justify;">Previously, I mentioned that our next activity was having high-tea at a high place, literally. What I meant was having high-tea at the picturesque Boh Tea Centre situated at the mountaintop in Cameron Highlands. The entrance to Boh Tea Centre is just opposite the Kea Farm, with a large signboard on the roadside so you won't miss it. However, the drive towards the tea centre is pretty dangerous because the roads are narrow and winding. You have to be careful and remember to use the horn when you round the corners, so that the oncoming cars can be vary. :) Even though the ride in caused me to be slightly quesy, it was all worth it when I was welcomed with scenery such as this!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3416/3505548905_179b9d7b3a.jpg" alt="P1020047" width="500" height="333" /><br />Boh tea plantation<br /></span></div><br />Look at how the mountains were covered with green tea leaves all over. Walking across the plantation made me feel so much fresher, not to mention the air was filled with the fragrant smell of fresh tea.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3659/3506360828_53cbef2ebd.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr09" width="500" height="375" /><br />Tea leaves everywhere<br /></span></div><br />Once we parked our cars, we took a short hike up the hill, to go to the cafe which was situated on the mountain top. The hike up took probably 10-15 minutes, but you get to be up close and personal with tea leaves. Try to smell it if you have the chance!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3346/3506360720_ceb92ea0d6.jpg" alt="P1000994" width="500" height="333" /><br />Smelling the tea leaves<br /></span></div><br />Further walking up hill would greet you with more scenic landscapes, especially on a good and cool weather.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3505549181_b1fd524c50.jpg" alt="P1000998" width="500" height="333" /><br /></div><br />Notice the cafe that was situated at the hill top? That was our destination. I liked that the structure jutted out amidst the air. Looks dangerous eh? :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3400/3506359268_aac74fefa6.jpg" alt="P1000999" width="500" height="333" /><br />Cafe on top<br /></span></div><br />On my hike up, I never failed to be impressed with the awe-inspiring views, snapping pictures whenever possible. There were only tea leaves as far as the eye could see.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3400/3506360212_590c4e80ac.jpg" alt="P1020002" width="500" height="333" /><br />Beautiful scenery<br /></span></div><br />Before long, we reached our destination! Since it was a weekend, the cafe looked full from the outside.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3551/3505550909_438a42407f.jpg" alt="P1020008" width="500" height="333" /><br />Boh Tea cafe<br /></span></div><br />Indeed, plenty of tourists stopped by this place to visit the tea plantation and to enjoy a cuppa in the midst of the high mountain. Nothing beats a cup of hot tea in the cold weather with amazing scenery.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/3505553113_93ee048c53.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr091" width="500" height="375" /><br />Brisk business<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3380/3506360576_15684598fb.jpg" alt="P1020018" width="500" height="333" /><br />witch was here<br /></span></div><br />Upon entering the cafe, I saw many different types of cakes, scones and sandwiches available. Of course, not to forget the many types of tea too, coming fresh from the tea centre itself!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/3505552905_1bfba8d173.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr092" width="500" height="375" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Choices of cakes, sandwiches and scones</span></span><br /></div><br />We ordered a few types of delicacies to be shared among us, coupled with a pot of aromatic tea. The picture below shoes an apple pie, banana carrot cake, chocolate melt and strawberry tart. I simply loved the chocolate melt! It wasn't too sweet and it was very moist and soft. Not surprisingly, it was the best-selling item that day because by the time we left, the chocolate cake was already sold out! Coming a close second would be the strawberry tart, which was crispy on the outside and yummy inside with delicious fresh strawberry jam.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3390/3505552439_926f19b78b.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr093" width="500" height="375" /><br />High tea at the peak<br /></span></div><br />As for the tea, I am sorry to say that I didn't know how to appreciate Boh tea. I'm more of a green tea type of person. :P But one thing to note though. The cafe sells the tea by tea pots for 1, 2 or 3 persons. However, the size of the tea pot for 1, 2 or 3 persons is the same! What is more ridiculous is that once you finish the tea, refill of hot water costs RM1.50 each! We ordered the 3 persons portion and the tea pot was almost empty after pouring into 3 cups. So not worth it eh? My advice would be to order individual 1-person pot instead for each person, because the price is the same (RM3.30 for 1 person, RM9.90 for 3 persons). At least that way, you get to have more tea per person.<br /><br />Before retiring to our hotel to rest, we stopped by a strawberry farm just outside of Equatorial hotel. It's called Life Light strawberry farm. As with many other strawberry farms in Cameron Highlands, this one allows the customers to pick their own strawberries before purchasing them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/3505552261_97b8b9fa3c.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr094" width="500" height="375" /><br />Lifelight strawberry farm<br /></span></div><br />Inside the shop there were several stalls selling fruits and sweets.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3574/3506361038_e6f5f4e67a.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr095" width="500" height="375" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Stalls at strawberry farm</span></span><br /></div><br />We paid a visit to the strawberry picking area just to see the strawberries. In my opinion, the strawberries were not that attractive and they were pretty small. Of course, I saw a big one here and there, but the majority was minute! That's why we ended up not going in to pick. I believe the section for picking has lower quality strawberries compared to those they pack for sale. Most people want to pick strawberries just for the fun of it and don't really care about the quality. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3306/3505552003_7d280dbbe7.jpg" alt="Cameron_Apr096" width="500" height="375" /><br />Strawberry picking section<br /></span></div><br />And that ended my first day in Cameron Highlands. Needless to say, we were all exhausted at the end of the day, after so much walking and climbing. Thankfully, the weather was kind to us and there was no rain at all. I simply love the high-tea experience at the Boh Tea Centre and I highly recommend it to everyone who intends to visit Cameron Highlands. :)<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363084781211731782.post-71706646914019177582009-05-04T08:35:00.004+08:002009-05-04T09:49:37.021+08:00Tringkap Restaurant and Equatorial Hotel<div style="text-align: justify;">Continuing my trip in Cameron Highlands, after the adventurous ride to the tomato orchard, our stomachs started growling. *LOL* Coincidentally, it was already 12pm, just right for lunch time! We left the orchard and went back to my relative's place in Tringkap. Just a few doors away, there was a restaurant called "Restoran Tringkap", how creative. Anyway, my relative highly recommended it and said that he always eats there too. So without further ado, we all walked to the restaurant and found a nice table with cool air.<br /><br />There were plenty of flowers blooming everywhere in Cameron Highlands. Even outside of the restaurant, we saw some pretty colourful and huge blooms. Very beautiful sight.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3551/3485331514_603da321a6.jpg" alt="resize4" width="375" height="500" /><br />Pretty blooms<br /></span></div><br />The restaurant is in Tringkap town itself, and you won't miss it if you're using the new road from Simpang Pulai, heading towards Brinchang. Using the new road, it will lead you straight to Bukit Raja, followed by Tringkap, Kea Farm and Brinchang. It is situated just by right road side for easy recognition.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/3484519155_e9cdeec52a.jpg" alt="P1000965" width="500" height="333" /><br />Restaurant Tringkap<br /></span></div><br />Moving on to the food! As our relatives joined us for lunch, they knew the signature dishes to order. We started with this deep fried fish fillet, which was very delicious! The way they fried the fish here was different because the fish meat was cut into pieces before frying. As a result, you need not worry about picking out bones while eating fish! Perfect for lazy people like me. :P<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3552/3484518257_7c45413ef5.jpg" alt="P1000954" width="500" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Deep fried fish</span></span><br /></div><br />Another of their specialty is the steamed 'kampung' chicken. 'Kampung' or Village chicken is usually more expensive in the market. This is because they are bred and raised with traditional chicken feed, in villages with a compound to run about. In other words, they are not subjected to injections or hormone growth pills etc, like those of farm chickens. Therefore, they are more healthy and 'organic' in a way. The drawback is that with all the running around, the kampung chicken meat may be slightly tougher compared to the farm chicken. Nevertheless, this restaurant managed to steam it perfectly! Very smooth and just very slightly tough. I think I wouldn't even notice it if I didn't know it was a kampung chicken in the first place. Maybe it was just psychological. *LOL* I am the type of person who doesn't like steamed chicken. I prefer the roasted variety, but this steamed chicken was really above average. We actually went back to the same restaurant 2 days later and ordered the very same dish! How good is that? :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3484518357_ee4ae7e431.jpg" alt="P1000955" width="500" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Steamed Village (Kampung) chicken</span></span><br /></div><br />Next up, there was a plate of fried mushrooms served to us. This was something new because we never had mushrooms fried this way. Fortunately, the mushrooms agreed with our taste buds and the plate was clean before long. The exterior was crispy while the interior was juicy and succulent with mushroom fragrance. Pretty interesting dish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3363/3485331918_78bd9f5822.jpg" alt="P1000957" width="500" height="333" /><br />Deep fried mushrooms<br /></span></div><br />Of course, one could not miss eating vegetables in Cameron Highlands. Vegetables are aplenty here that they are dirt cheap! We had the spinach here, which was very young and soft. You know how old spinach is so very tough especially the stems, but the spinach here was really good.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3485332018_d2b9b5c964.jpg" alt="P1000958" width="500" height="333" /><br />Spinach<br /></span></div><br />Our last dish was the stir friend long beans with dried shrimps. Needless to say, the vegetables were top-notch, and coupled with the fragrant dried shrimps, one simply could not resist this dish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3300/3484518843_ee53d94993.jpg" alt="P1000959" width="500" height="333" /><br />Stir fried long beans<br /></span></div><br />After being satiated with our hearty lunch, it was time to check in our hotel. For our trip, we booked 2 units of 2-room apartment for the 10 of us. Lucky for us, my aunt is a member of the Berjaya Holidays and she managed to get the rooms for free! The Equatorial Hotel is a landmark of Cameron Highlands, simply because it stands tall among the rest and it is located near the famous Kea Farm/Market.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/3485332762_c3ef52203a.jpg" alt="P1000966" width="500" height="333" /><br />Equatorial Hotel, Cameron Highlands<br /></span></div><br />The hotel is situated at 5,300 feet above sea level, as stated on this plaque. The temperature that day was 20.5C, pretty cooling and comfortable. I like not having to sweat while walking outdoors. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3565/3485333128_56bca2f35d.jpg" alt="P1000974" width="500" height="333" /><br />5,300 ft above sea level<br /></span></div><br />This was the mini fountain pool just outside the hotel lobby.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3327/3484519521_926c2ea108.jpg" alt="P1000971" width="500" height="333" /><br />Mini fountain pool<br /></span></div><br />Besides hotel rooms, Equatorial also has apartments. I personally think that the maintenance at Equatorial Hotel was pretty bad. The paint of quite a number of buildings here was already old and had fungus growing on them. Also, the doors and furniture in our room were of poor quality. Some of the chairs were ripped, exposing the cushion beneath. The beds also had some kind of smell. Worst of all, the hot water was very limited! We were told to wait for 20 minutes after each shower for the hot water to refill. However, during evenings when the hot water was widely used, I didn't manage to get hot water even after waiting for half an hour. The water was freezing cold! Surprisingly, with this type of quality, the price was not cheap at all. The rate for the 2-room apartment that we stayed was above RM500 a night! I definitely would not pay this amount for this type of quality.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3485333014_909003326a.jpg" alt="P1000970" width="500" height="333" /><br />Equatorial Apartments<br /></span></div><br />The lobby of the hotel was impressive though, probably the only area that was maintained well. It was spacious and airy, with plenty of leather couches to rest on.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3360/3484518103_1fa66f3e44.jpg" alt="resize5" width="500" height="375" /><br />Equatorial Hotel lobby<br /></span></div><br />Some pictures of myself and Angie, my brother's girlfriend. We had nothing to do, hence the camwhore. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img style="font-style: italic;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/3484518165_f33de288dc.jpg" alt="resize6" width="500" height="375" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Angie and witch</span></span><br /></div><br />Stay tuned for more adventures after this! We took a rest at the hotel before going for high tea at a high place, literally. :)<br /></div>iamthewitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077726770151351682noreply@blogger.com14