Saturday 31 December 2011

Haagen-Dazs @ KLCC

Haagen-Dazs fondue is just normal.. I would eat it again but not craving for it.

Ice-cream Fondue, MYR64

There ice-cream, apple, banana, strawberry, chips more, butter cake and love letters. Chocolate is thick and sweetness level is just right. I will definitely eat it again but not all the time though. Good but not great...

Ambiance = 6/10
Food        = 7/10
Service     = 6/10

Thursday 29 December 2011

Garrett Popcorn @ KLCC

Best popcorn I've ever had....Need I say more?

Garrett Popcorn, MYR19

Garrett Popcorn, Suria KLCC
Lot C151, Concourse Floor,
Kuala Lumpur City Centre,
50088 Kuala Lumpur

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Johor Premium Outlet

Johor Premium Outlets is a collection of 80 designer and name brand outlet stores featuring saving of 25% to 65% every day. The center is held by "Genting Simon Sdn Bhd" (GSSB), a wholly owned subsidiary of Simon Genting Ltd ("SGL"). SGL in turn is a 50:50 joint venture between Azzon Ltd ("Azzon"), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genting Plantations Bhd, and Premium Outlets®, the outlet division of Simon Property Group.

Johor Premium Outlet



Tuesday 27 December 2011

High tea @ Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore, and one of the world's most famous hotels. The hotel was established by the famous Armenian Sarkies Brothers. Opened in 1887, it was named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. Managed by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, it is known for its luxurious accommodation and superb restaurants. The hotel houses a tropical garden courtyard, museum and Victorian-style theatre. This is where I had my high tea after shopping around City Hall.

Raffles Hotel

Raffles Hotel

Monday 26 December 2011

Sweets Garibaldi @ Orchard

Speaking of affordable classy high-tea, here's what I discovered; a well hidden treasure in Mandarin Gallery, the Sweets Garibaldi. Haha..well it's not really a treasure but I do find the place really pleasant and cosy. It is a one-stop destination for decadent and unparallelled cakes and pastries, helmed by Chef Tammy Mah. Sweets by Garibaldi combines traditional pastry-making methods with new molecular techniques to create sensational sweet treats that are innovative, seductive and addictive.

Sweets Garibaldi

Menu

X'mas Shopping @ Orchard, Singapore

Went to Singapore for x'mas shopping this year, and man it was tiring... There were so many people everywhere we go, but I manage to accomplish my ultimate goal, SHOPPING!!!! Here are some pics to share with you guys.... =)

Huge X'mas tree @ Takashimaya

Paragon @ Orchard Road

Saturday 24 December 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

What is the true meaning of Christmas? Well, I don't really know. But to me, it's always about presents, gathering and TURKEY!!! May you all have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones...=)

Roast Turkey from Victoria Station

Wednesday 21 December 2011

Elcerdo @ Changkat Bukit Bintang

Elcerdo at Werner's Place is a restaurant specialises in pork. It offers Spanish cooking and pasta as well but their specialities are pork ribs and suckling pig; that's why they say nose to tail eating. They have quite a few varieties for all the categories mentioned above. I was so "lucky" last night that they had power failure. We had to dine outdoor with candles, truly a candle light dinner..LOL...but it only lasted for 15 minutes before they got everything fixed.

Elcerdo @ Werner's Place

Monday 19 December 2011

Eastern & Oriental Hotel @ Penang

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel (popularly known as the E. & O.) is a colonial-style hotel in Penang that was established in 1885 by the Armenian Sarkies Brothers. The sea-fronting hotel is known for its luxurious accommodation and restaurants. The address is at 10 Lebuh Farquhar.

The Eastern Hotel was founded by the brothers in 1884. Within one year, the hotel had prospered and gained so much popularity that the brothers established another hotel, the Oriental Hotel in 1885, leading to the merging of both hotels to form the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in 1885. The success of the hotel led the brothers to establish a sister hotel, the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, 2 years later.

After World War II, the hotel went through a period of decline and in 1996, it was closed down. After major restoration works to restore the hotel back to its former grandeur under its new owner, The E & O Group, the hotel was reopened to the public in 2001.

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel

Friday 16 December 2011

Levain @ Jalan Delima

In the quiet streets off Jalan Imbi, where colonial-style bungalows dot the landscape, you will find Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie, a warm and lovely French-style bakery and café where you can savour soft, warm and superbly fresh breads and pastries while enjoying a cup of coffee.

At Levain, breads and pastries are baked all day using natural yeast, in a traditional stone oven which imparts a unique flavour and texture to the breads and pastries. I've tried the pastries here before and will be trying their mains today.

Levain Bulangerie & Pastisserie

Thursday 15 December 2011

Celestial Court @ Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur

Inspired by the majesty of the classic Chinese heritage, Celestial Court is a restaurant adorned with artifacts and exclusive works of modern art that echo elegant traditions and royal dynasties, an ideal setting for celebratory banquets, corporate functions, fine appreciation of masterful cuisine or simply casual dining.

Executive Chef Ho Boon is a lifelong scholar of the extensive Chinese culinary arts, and has selected the most popular and enticing dishes from this beloved fare for his innovative menu. By combining new ideas and classic interpretations, he offers creative courses for all to savor without forgetting the food's honored traditions.

Celestial Court

Tuesday 13 December 2011

pH Pastryhouse @ Jalan Utara

pH Pastryhouse, a colonial-style bungalow turned restaurant that serves breakfast, pasta, pizza and pastries ofcos. In pH Pastryhouse, you will be able to enjoy French and Italian bakery during breakfast or tea with home-like ambiance. The deco of this premise is simple, modern and contemporary. It's always nice to have a nice cup of coffee while enjoying the sunlight from the tall glass panel around the this Pastryhouse. I've been here twice and didn't blog bout it the first time. The prices here are reasonable and definitely affordable.  

French Toast with Mascarpone cream, Macadamia nuts & Caramelised Banana, MYR 13.90

The Big Club Sandwich, MYR13.90

Monday 12 December 2011

Courtyard @ Heeren, Melacca

Courtyard @ Heeren is a boutique hotel in the heart of Malacca. Situated in the older part of Malacca town which is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage City of Malacca. Courtyard @ Heeren provides a glimpse into the Straits Chinese Culture. Situated along Heeren Street also known as Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, wealthy Peranakan and Chinese merchants used to live in this street.

With only 14 rooms and suites, each of our rooms and suites are individually design blending old with modern design to bring a new level of experience for our guests. The rooms and suites will definitely offer a nostalgic experience.

Courtyard @ Heeren


Sunday 11 December 2011

Favola @ Le Meridien

Favola means fable in Italian and the experience begins as the diner walks through the open galleries into a rustic Italian setting reminiscent of the renaissance era.  Over 60 dishes of hearty Italian specialties in addition to an extensive variety of antipasti are featured in this exciting and unorthodox menu. Guests can take their pick of antipasti (Italian appetizers) from the Crudo Bar, a relaxed area where one can enjoy espresso or Limoncello and delicious nibbles.

Favola

Wednesday 7 December 2011

London @ England

Everyone knows that travelling in London is expensive. Hence, here's a guide on travelling in a budgeted way and yet enjoy your holiday. First of all, the hotel. I stayed in 1 Lexham Gardens Hotel (near Earl's court) which is in zon 1.  It's about GBP50 per person per night. It's a clean and comfortable hotel with breakfast; corn flakes, fruits, croissant etc. I would call it a boutique hotel. It's 10 minutes walk away from the station and 2 minutes walk from Sainsbury which makes it very convenient.
1 Lexham Gardens Hotel

Next thing is the underground rides. Get yourself a "Day anytime" (Zon 1) travel card which is going to cost you about GBP8 per day. Forget about the Oyster Card, it's not as cheap because we will be travelling during peak and non-peak hours. If you don't mind walking, the British Museums are 20 minutes walk from the hotel. If you were to take the tube, then go to "South Kensington" station. All the museums are there eg. Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Science Museum. It's all free of charge and worth a visit.
 
Natural History Museum

Monday 5 December 2011

How to make French Macaron

Many thinks that making macaron is a difficult task but if one follows the steps correctly, it will be much easier than you thought. Macarons cost about MYR 4 to MYR 5 per piece. Now you can make your own macaron and enjoy eating with a much lower cost. It doesn't matter if you do not succeed at your first attempt, go ahead and try again as ingredients are cheap.

So here's a tutorial on how to make your very own macaron
90g egg white (bout 2 medium eggs) aged in an airtight container in your refrigerator for one night
30g granulated sugar
200g confectionery sugar
110g almond powder
1 teaspoon food colouring


 Here's the step by step guidance for the meringue (cookie)
- beat the egg white till its foamy
- add 30g of granulated sugar and continue whipping the egg white
- when the foam is smooth and glossy, stop whipping and make sure the foam doesn't fall off the
  bowl when you turn it upside down.
- add in the 110g almond powder and 200g confectionery sugar
- mix it gentle by folding those ingredients into the foam.
- add in the food colouring as you wish (for my case I wanted pink and neutral)
- scoop the macaron batter into the pastry bag and squeeze it into the size you desire


- preheat your oven to 138 Celsius while letting your macaron rest on the counter top for about an
  hour
- make sure the surface of the macaron is dry & hard before putting into the oven for 15-20 minutes

Filling
- just because I wanna save time, I used peanut butter & white chocolate spread instead of making it


So here's the home made macaron with white chocolate and peanut butter filling. Good luck !!

Sunday 4 December 2011

Manchester @ England

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is situated in the south-central part of North West England, fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south and the Pennines to the north and east. It is one of the top five biggest cities in England. Paying a visit is nothing but delightful. people here are friendly and helpful. If you want to live in a place with the advancement like London, slower pace of living like Hull and peaceful like Bath then Manchester will be the perfect place for you.
City Centre

China Town

Old Trafford


Manchester University & Museum

Places to visit in Manchester
- The Manchester Museum (FOC)
- City Art Gallery(FOC)
- Canal Street
- China Town
- The Opera House
- Old Trafford
  
Places to dine
- Tai Wu (Chinese restaurant, cheap but not excellent)
- Pearl City (Dim sum for 3 is bout GBP12)
- Pizza Co. (Best chicken wing in town for only GBP2.50)
- Red Chili (Best Sze Chuan cuisine but slightly more expensive)
- British Butty (Fish & Chips for only GBP2.50)

Shopping
- Selfridges & Co (Luxury brand)
- Harvey Nichols (Luxury brand)
- Kingstreet (Armani, Hugo Boss, DKNY, Karen Millen etc)
- Manchester Arndale (Next, Peacock, Topshop etc)
- Primark (Cheap yet fashionable clothes)
- TK Maxx (Luxury goods for less)

These are the places recommended based on my personal interest. There are many other places such as Rusholme (Middle Eastern town), Blackpool etc.

Upper Deck, Tanzini @ G Tower

Inspired by the fresh food movement, Tanzini advocates a quality approach in presenting its cuisine to diners. The Upper Deck, Tanzini has breathtaking views of the KL skyline. Upper Deck features degustation innovative fine dining and is ideal for private functions.


If one prefers ala carte, Tanzini will be the choice as menu is furnished with fusion and Italian cuisine. On the other hand, Upperdeck serves only set dinner; MYR 155++ for 4 course dinner, MYR 185++ for 5 course dinner and MYR 215++ for 6 course dinner. All set dinner comes with Amuse-Bounche (complimentary appetizer)

Amuse-Bounche, Unagi salad

Appetizer, Ireland Pacific Oyster Crudo

Soup, Sea Urchin Custard Broth

Intermezzo, Kiwi Sorbet, Tanzini Mimosa (MYR 65) & Tanzini Sling (MYR 35)

Main, Meat Platter & Japanese Fish


Dessert

Unagi salad
Well prepared, the fresh vege compliments the taste of the unagi which I would call a refreshing appetizer.

Ireland Pacific Oyster Crudo
The oyster, it was spot on. Never had such sweet and juicy oyster and this is by far the best oyster I've ever had.

Sea Urchin Custard Broth
The soup was really good. The ingredients include fresh sea urchin, Hokkaido scallop and lobster broth and it definitely warms up your stomach before your main.

Kiwi Sorbet
Kiwi sorbet is just as good as how I expect it to be. Smooth and filled with taste of fresh Kiwi.

Meat Platter
Was good as one can't really go wrong with wagyu beef; tender and juicy

Japanese Fish
On the other hand, the fish is a slight disappointment. It was a little overcooked and nothing to shout about.

Dessert
Was as good as it can be. Cherry ice-cream with that delightful cake.

Ambiance =  10/10
Service     =    9/10
Food        =    9/10

Please note that Upper Deck is closed on Sundays and serves only dinner from Monday to Saturday. The menu for Upper Deck changes every month from appetizer to dessert.


Tanzini
Level 28, GTower, Jalan Tun Razak,
50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
03-2168 1899


Tenjin @ Grand Millennium

If first impressions are anything to go by, the newly-renovated Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur wins hands-down. As you step foot into the lobby, the sight that greets you is truly one to behold. Delve deeper and you will find that Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur is not just about good looks. Its impressive qualities go far beyond aesthetics, extending to its range of offerings and level of service. An oasis of elegant calm in the midst of a busy metropolis, the hotel does not only look and feel like a world-class, five-star establishment, it also gives each and every guest the five-star treatment that Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur is infamous for, bestowing upon its guests a truly five-star experience.

Tenjin is the japanese restaurant in this hotel located at the ground floor. Not a very big place but they do have private rooms for events and parties.
Sushi & Tempura Zen (MYR52)
Gindara Teriyaki Zen (MYR58)
Makunouchi Bento (MYR48) 
Chirashi Sushi Zen (MYR56)
Greentea Ice-cream
The sashimi is fresh and the tempura is fried to perfection (not greesy). The staff are very attentive and helpful. I would give the food here 7/10, service will be 9/10 and the ambiance is 8/10. This is a decent japanese restaurant you will wanna go with family but not a date cause you might wanna go somewhere more romantic. I would have to say that there are better japanese restaurant in town. Before i forget, this is one of the best greentea ice-cream I've had, creamy and thick. All bento set comes with complimentary greentea and ice-cream. If you have a CIMB credit card, you'll be able to get 15% discount for platinum & gold and 25% for World Card.

Tenjin Japanese Cuisine Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur,
 160 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100, Kuala Lumpur.
Phone: 03-2143 9399

Saturday 3 December 2011

Christmas Tree

The custom of erecting a Christmas tree can be historically traced to 15th century Livonia (present-day Estonia and Latvia) and 16th century Northern Germany. According to the first documented uses of a Christmas tree in Estonia, in 1441, 1442, and 1514, the Brothehood of Blackheads erected a tree for the holidays in their brothrhood house in Reval (now Tallinn). At the last night of the celebrations leading up to the holidays,the tree was taken to the Town Hall Square where the members of the brotherhood danced around it.In 1584, the pastor and chronicler Balthasar Russow wrote of an established tradition of setting up a decorated spruce at the market square where the young men “went with a flock of maidens and women, first sang and danced there and then set the tree aflame”. The Christmas tree became widely adopted by the Estonians themselves only in the 19th century.

Christmas tree will definitely cheer up the house and bring in the spirit of Chritmas.

Mny thinks that having a christmas tree will cost one a fortune but my christmas tree cost me less than MYR100. This is how....

Cold Storage
- 5" Christmas tree from              = MYR49.90
- 10 red Bauble with Gold dust    = MYR10.00
- 2 meter gold ribbon                  = MYR  3.90

Tangs
- 10 silver Bauble                       = MYR 7.00
- 2 meter silver ribbon                = MYR 9.90

Total = MYR 80.70 for yourself a decent Christmas Tree to welcome the festive season.

Cold Storage Jaya 1
No. 2-LG2, Block E No. 72A Jalan Universiti  Seksyen 52, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
03-7960-8688

Tangs @ Empire Shopping Gallery
Jalan SS16/1, 47500 Subang Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Friday 2 December 2011

Luk Yu Tea House @ Starhill Gallery

Luk Yu is a tea and dim sum restaurant located in Stanley Street, in the Central district of Hong Kong established in 1933. As a long time favourite of many famous writers, Luk Yu is Hong Kong's oldest and one of its most famous tea houses and has been frequently featured in movies and literature. It is one of the best tea house in Hong Kong . A lot of tourists and locals visit it.

The tea house gets its name from the Tang Dynasty poet Lu Yu who wrote the legendary "The Classic of Tea" which describes the history and culture of chinese tea.

The one in Starhill Gallery tasted almost the same as the one in Hong Kong but has been altered to suit our taste in Malaysia.


Wasabi prawn, crispy skin roll with prawn and cheese, Deep-fried yam puffs with chicken and mushroom


Deep-fried prawns with salted egg yolk, chicken and prawn dumplings, crystal prawn dumplings, Chilled fresh mango cream with sago and pomelo

The food here are not cheap as one dimsum is about RM10-RM15 and as for the prawn is bout RM40 per plate. Everything was delicious except for the chicken and prawn dumplings. You might want to skip that but for everything else, YUMMY!

Luk Yu Tea House
Feast Village, Starhill Gallery, 181, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100, Kuala Lumpur.
Phone: 03-2782 3850