Wednesday Musings

*lol*
It's hilarious! - My "No carbs" diet lasted (more or less) 1 and a half days.
:D
Haha. I guess now I know exactly how weak my willpower really is!

Oh well, in any case it's been a hectic but fun couple of days.
The weekend was super packed: Somehow managed to fit in meeting high school friends, shopping, friend's birthday dinner, spring cleaning and a fun day out at the first KLPAC Open Day.
(Will post up some photos soon....)

And on the weekdays, as usual, I've been psycho busy at work with the added stress of it being "Appraisal Season".... *yuck*.... Am really not looking forward to it - I've already scheduled my slot with my manager but have a funny feeling it won't go very well.
:(

Anyway, I refuse to be disappointed again.
If I present a good enough case and it's still not good enough for my manager to take any action then it may be better for both of us to just say "bye-bye"... because either he can't be bothered or I'm not worth the trouble - both those situations are exactly where I don't want to be!
(Have promised myself that I will not start : a) crying in frustration, or b) lose my patience, scream at him and end up burning my bridges to crispy little cinders)

So, wish me (good) luck! I think I will need it.....
:)


Trying to hold on to her life motto: "Hope for the best but prepare for the worst!",
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

The Tempting Dark Side of Hokkien Mee

The calorific but delicious sin called Hokkien Mee.....

Here's a quick food post on a sinful but delightfully delicious dinner with my parents.....

That night, my mum suggested we go for one of her favourite Hokkien Mee stalls at a coffeeshop called Restoren Tong Fong in the Sea Park area (This stall had previously been operating at night in the Restoren O&S in nearby Taman Paramount before they relocated):
Restoren Tong Fong's exterior..........
Of course, there is a variety of local noodle and rice dishes available but we decided to ask the nice "chef" to fry up a small serving of mixed (mee and meehoon) Hokkien Mee for us (RM 5):

The Hokkien Mee..........
MMMMMMMmmmmm.
It was yummy - al dente noodles generously coated with the slightly sticky, savoury sauce with crunchy bits of deep fried pig fat, vegetables and meat.
(Well, there wasn't very much meat in it but it's only 5 bucks...)

It tasted especially good with a dab of the sambal chili with lime...
(Had to tear myself away and use all my willpower to avoid eating more than 3 bites of the noodles)

Other than the Hokkien Mee stall, they also have a stall called Peter Chin Western Food serving a small selection of coffeeshop budget Western Food like Chicken Chops (Mushroom Sauce/ Black Pepper Sauce), Grilled Salmon and Steak.
(Note: No pork served at this stall)

That night, I chose the Mixed Sauce Chicken Chop (RM 7.50):

The Mixed Sauce Chicken Chop..........
The Chicken Chop, served with both the Mushroom and Black Pepper Sauce was ok overall... Nothing fantastic - medium tenderness of the chicken with tasty sauces which were just a bit too thick and not quite peppery enough for my taste. Still, the price is decent (and it's a coffeeshop lah) so I shan't complain too much.
:)

So, it's: Simple coffeeshop setting, small variety of hawker food at decent prices BUT nothing much to complain about except that it can be difficult to find parking in the area.... Please make sure you don't miss out on the Hokkien Mee! :)

Summary Information:
Kedai Kopi Tong Fong @ Sea Park, PJ

Opening Hours: 5pm till late**
Phone: -
Address: Tong Fong, Corner Shop lot, Sea Park (Behind KFC/ Opposite Maybank)

Hokkien Mee stall** - NOT HALAL
Peter Chin Western Food stall** - NO PORK SERVED
(** There are other stalls open for lunch in the daytime)

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Lessthanten.net


TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Local Food, Hawker Food, Hokkien Mee, Coffeeshop, Kedai Kopi Tong Fong, SEa Park, Petaling Jaya, PJ, Specialty, Local Food, Food, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Horror Continues

J has a happy but sad day shopping at the Curve.....

I was at the Brands Outlet Store at the Curve today when I tried on a pair of plus size jeans. Basically, it was out of curiousity/ desperation after trying on multitudes of "modern" super low cut, crotch skimming jeans that were all too tight...

And, to my joy/ horror, the plus size jeans fit so well!
:) / :(

So, bright side: Yay! I found nice jeans! Not only do they fit well on my wider than normal hips and bigger than usual butt but the length was also just nice so I don't feel like freaky midget (a la jeans at MNG/ Zara/ etc).

But, down side: Me? PLUS size? Really??? (Oh man - my weight gain has reached new heights!)


Kinda depressed,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Horror

J is turning into a whale.....

Yes.
My worst nightmare has come true: The holiday season feasting has caught up with my waistline.
(-_-)

It's bloody irritating how quickly I pile on the pounds!
*sigh*
I took the time to spring clean and pack in anticipation of an upcoming holiday wih my parents. Halfway through, I decided (for fun) to just try on some of the long sleeve shirts and sweaters that I hadn't worn for such a long time and... *drum roll* ... they don't fit anymore!
(Boo... I actually had to make a quick trip out to One Utama to buy new shirts so I don't freeze to death on our trip)
:(

Ok.
So either my mum shrank ALL of them when she washed them... or I am much fatter than I was 2 years ago (ie. the last time I wore all those clothes).

Anyway, just to be safe - I'm swearing off carbs until I drop a couple of pounds and will jump back to my gym routine (as soon as I get better from this irritating on and off and on again flu).


Does not want to be an "XL" girl no matter how much she loves her curves,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

The Daily Grind @ Bangsar Village

Another new restaurant in Bangsar Village area that's taken over Du Viet's old spot....

[ BEGIN EDIT ]
(Nov 2009)

I've been back recently and the burgers are still good... :) ... but there are no more free flow of french fries.
(Apparently that was just a promotion they were having when they just opened)

Oh well. Less carbs is not necessarily a bad thing, right?

Cheers,
J

[ END EDIT ]

Had read about this new gourmet burger joint in Bangsar Village and was dying to check it out (despite the mixed reviews from bloggers)... but as I walked up the Daily Grind, I was very upset to see that it had taken over Du Viet's spot in Bangsar Village Shopping Centre.
:(
(I like Du Viet!)
(I guess that's just how the F&B business is though - super dynamic and very dog eat dog... survival of the fittest!)

Anyway, onwards to the review.....

The Dinner:

The Daily Grind is located on the LG floor of the Bangsar Village shopping centre (pretty much opposite FOS). From the outside, it looks fairly unassuming with its earthy brick facade and simple glass panelling:
The Exterior of the Daily Grind ...
The seating area inside was nice and cosy - your choice between more conventional tables or cute little booth seats, all set in the dimly lit and comfortable environment:
The Interior of The Daily Grind...
(There are also a few tables outside in the "patio" area but that's the smoking section and you'll also be subjected to the sound of passing traffic on the (often) busy road)

One highlight of this eatery is the home made tomato ketchup and chili sauce:
The Home-Made Tomato Ketchup and Chili Sauce...
I guess I was expecting too much (so I was a little let down) but the chunky sauces are quite nice - tangy, fragrant with spices, not too spicy (the chili sauce) and tastes very fresh.

That night, we started our meal with the Smoked Salmon Cakes (RM 18++):
The Smoked Salmon Cakes...
The deep fried patties of smoked salmon and potatoes was mildly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (tasted ok) - I found the serving a little small for the price though....

Ahhhh... and now for the highlight of the Daily Grind - their freshly made patties and buns (with a variety of different topping/ sauces). That night, we tried the Italian Beef Buffalo Burger (RM 34++) and the Chicken Norway Burger (RM 32++):
The Italian Buffalo Beef Burger and the Norway Chicken Burger...
The toppings for the burgers were interesting... although there were a few hits and misses (in my book):
- the Beef Burger was topped with pesto and cheese (but couldn't really taste the pesto), and
- the Chicken Burger was smothered with a pungeant cheese sauce (suspect there's blue cheese in there) and a hearty serving of smoked salmon (but I wasn't too wild about it... not sure that blue cheese+chicken+smoked salmon go so well together)

I have to admit though - the patties are wonderfully juicy! And tastes very fresh indeed.
(Both the chicken and the beef)

I'm not sure if the serving size of the burger justifies the price though...
(I mean I felt full after eating the burger but it's pretty expensive to pay about 35 bucks for it)

If you are one of those people with a voracious appetite, don't fret if you don't feel full after eating the burger - they serve a "free flow" of french fries with your order of a main
Endless bowls of yummy french fries...
Mmmmm...
And those fries were really yummy - chunkily cut, crisp on the outside and moist on the inside...
(Just the way I like 'em!)
(Me and Pat must have emptied out 2 and a half servings of it before we came to our senses)

Do try your best not to fill up on fries when you are there, as the desserts are worth a try. We sampled the Dark Chocolate Mousse (RM 12++) and the Peanut Butter Banana Pie (RM 16++):
The Peanut Butter Banana Pie and the Dark Chocolate Mousse...
I liked both the desserts:
- the chocolate mousse was silky, dense (without being too thick) and indulgent (without being too sweet or decadent),
- the peanut butter banana pie was thick, heavy and indulgent with its thick layer of sticky peanut butter balanced by the slightly lighter cream layer and sliced bananas (made me feel like a kid again).

Note: Pat and Jolyn did not like the pie very much.... They say the texture is too thick for them. I found it ok although I admit I prefer the chocolate mousse much more.

Overall, I enjoyed the food/ experience there.... It may have been a bit pricey but I suppose it's a good place to pop by for a fresh juicy gourmet burger once in a while (or more often if you can afford it - it's your bank account!).

So it's: Interesting selection of juicy gourmet burgers with interesting toppings, friendly service, cosy setting BUT nothing much bad except the food only tastes ok for the price (although the unlimited french fries helps make up for it some what).

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

The Daily Grind @ LG Floor, Bangsar Village

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 7
Price** : RM 60/++ per person
Parking: Difficult on weekends

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-2287 6708
Opening Hours: 12pm till late

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- A Whiff Of Lemongrass:
- She, the epicuriousgirl
- Chong's Loft
- Lots Of Cravings
- Pillow Talk With Bangsar Babe
- Christopher Sam.com


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Reviews, The Daily Grind, Gourmet Burgers, Shopping Centre, Bangsar Village II, Bangsar Village 2, KL, Kuala Lumpur

FYI: Marmalade @ Mont Kiara

Don't panic! It's only moved, not closed down.....

If you passed by the main Mont Kiara area and noticed that Marmalade is missing from it's spot near the Baskin Robbins/ Coffee Bean- Do not fret!

It has not closed down... but has relocated to inside Plaza Mont Kiara (ie. that tall office building which is just across the road from its original location). Have not tested out the food there yet but so far, have not heard any complaints.
(So, let's conclude that the food continues to be decent - not great, but fairly reasonable for the taste and price charged)

Anyway, if you want to read my original review of Marmalade (old outlet though), please click on THIS LINK.


At your service,
J

PS/ I don't think I will be able to update till at least next week so, sorry!
(I'll be away for work for a couple of days)

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

My Sin For The Week

J being naughty at Bestari's mamak in Hartamas.....

I hadn't gone for a good mamak session for the longest time so guess what I did when faced with the easy availability of a plate of delicious steaming hot Maggi Goreng?

Yup.
You're right: My willpower totally caved in and I ordered it:
The Maggi Goreng...
Mmmmm....
After banning it off my food list (and succeeding) for almost a year, I'd forgotten how good it tastes - The firm texture of the noodles, coated with a generous layer of oil and fragrant spices with smatterings of egg and veggies....
(Oooh, and the optional dash of lime on top adds that extra zing)

That night, I quickly cleaned off the entire plate (all by myself some more *sigh*).... and washed it down with a glass of kopi ais kurang kurang manis.

I don't even want to think how many calories were that meal! I will just have to be more careful in future when faced with such temptation.....
*lol*
:D


I have been naughty and I know it!,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Ichiban Boshi @ Pavillion

Japanese restaurant in the new Pavilion Shopping Centre, KL....

The Lunch:

My mum loves Jap food so while we were (window) shopping at Pavilion, we decided to pop into Ichiban Boshi to try it out as the chef making soba at the front of the restaurant caught our eye:
Ichiban Boshi from the outside...
Overall, the restaurant was comfortable - bright cheerful design, with many booth seats around the well stocked kaiten belt:
The Interior of Ichiban Boshi...
We didn't feel like picking off the revolving belt that day so we went for the ala carte menu instead. After some deliberation, we started off with a serving of Deep Fried Salmon Skin (RM 4++):
The Deep Fried Salmon Skin...
If I could describe this in a word, it would be: Chewy.
Haha.
Mmmm,.. but seriously it wasn't very good. No fishy taste (which is a plus) but it wasn't very crispy, with some of the thick slices of skin being downright chewy.

Moving on to the mains, my mum had the Unagi Yanagawa (RM 15.90++) and I had the Hiyashi Chuka Soba (RM 14.90++):
The Unagi and the Soba...
The Unagi, cooked with Egg had a great texture and taste - smooth and savoury - but I found the accompanying sauce a little too salty for me.
(Probably it would have tasted much nicer with rice)

The main selling point of this Japanese restaurant is their freshly made buckwheat soba noodles so I had to try it out.... They have several variation: dry/ soup/ hot/ cold but I had decided to test out the cold version that day.

I really liked this dish - cold soba noodles, served with slices of duck, crabstick, egg and vegetables topped with a savoury sauce. It's not like it was fantastic.... just a simple dish that is nice to have when you feel like having something uncomplicated.
(I think they said it was supposed to be a bit spicy but I didn't feel anything)

Lastly, we had the Tempura Ice Cream (RM 6.90++):
The Deep Fried Tempura Ice Cream...
I found that the vanilla ice cream and the tangy berry sauce balanced the crispiness and slight starchiness of the tempura batter very well. Still, it just tasted ok.
(Very decent price though!)

Overall, I wasn't really impressed with most of the dishes we tried there.... but the prices were reasonable for a Jap place and I did like the freshly made soba so I'll probably venture back some time to try out more variations of it.
:)

So it's: Good variety Japanese sushi/ rolls (on Kaiten belt) and freshly made soba at reasonable prices, friendly service BUT only tasted ok.

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Ichiban Boshi @ Pavilion Shopping Centre, KL
(near food court area)

Taste: 5.5
Ambience : 6
Service : 7
Price** : RM 35/++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-2141 6621
Opening Hours: 11.30am till 10pm

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Places and Foods
- Cari Makan In PJ
- Squeak. Speak. Roar!
- She, the epicuriousgirl
- Yumi's Place
- Life Of The Food Lovers


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Pavilion Shopping Center, Ichiban Boshi, Japanese, Shopping Centre, Fresh Buckwheat Soba, KL, Kuala Lumpur

FYI : Vintry @ Jaya 33, PJ

I still don't get it but anyway.....

Guess what?
Vintry's new and much bigger outlet in the Jaya 33 shopping centre is now open!

Guess what (again)?
IT'S HALAL.

Don't ask me why. There was already a hint of exasperation in my voice when I asked the waiter what sort of angle they're going for: "A Halal Restaurant which specialises in Wine"?

Please don't get me wrong though: It's not that there's anything wrong with it being Halal, but I just find it very confusing that the 2 outlets have the exact same name and such vastly different concepts!
(The nice waiter confirmed that the old outlet of Vintry's in Damansara Heights is still maintaining its non-Halal menu)
(Oh, and I guess I was just being grumpy because I had been really really looking forward to having the sinfully delicious deep fried pork strips....)

Anyway, now you know:
- New Vintry outlet @ Jaya 33 = Halal, and
- Old Vintry outlet @ Bukit Damansara = Still Non-Halal.

(If you want to read my review on the Vintry in Damansara Heights, please click on THIS LINK)


Cheerio then,
J

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Vintry, PJ, Section 14, Petaling Jaya, Jaya 33 Shopping Centre,Tapas, Bukit Damansara

Mini Hibernation

Yawn.....

Me = Totally wimping out on promise to self to "Go to gym more" and "Eat less"
*guilty grin*

I fear I may be losing some of my hard earned muscles already (whatever little I gained) but it's terrible how lazy/ tired I have been feeling lately. For example, not only did I not go to the gym for the whole of last week but there turned out to be a vast difference between the very productive weekend I had planned for myself and what I actually ended up doing:
PLAN:
- Gym in morning - Sun & Sat,
- Birthday gift shopping,
- Saturday night dinner,
- Help mum spring clean,
- Catch up with friends over coffee, and
- Attend friend's wedding dinner....

ACTUAL:
- Sleep,
- Saturday night dinner,
- Sleep,
- Help mum spring clean,
- Sleep,
- Attend friend's wedding dinner, and
- Sleep....

I swear, it's like I'm a bear and it's time for my annual hibernation!
(It's horrible but I really felt sleepy for almost the whole weekend)
Well, at least I am fully rested for work this week.
(So much to do in so little time!)
=_=


Lazy bear,
J

PS/ Food updates will come later this week (hopefully). Sorry dears - am very busy at work this week.

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

A Funny Thing Happened....

... on the way to Putrajaya while looking for a friend's house:

"WHICH way to Presinct 8??"
*lol*
I am thankful that I was hitching a ride (with friends who roughly knew the area) and not driving around on my own or I would have probably been driving around in circles for hours on end....

Malaysian road signs are wonderful though, aren't they?
Such a wonderful mix of misleading signs, signs with unreadable fonts or sign that are just plain non-existent (or damaged to the point of illegibility).

I suppose we're not the worst in the world when it comes to infrastructure (Eg. roads and the accompanying signages, etc) but I'm thinking there's a lot of room for improvement.....
:)


Constantly amazed,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Banquet @ Bangsar Village 2

New restaurant in Bangsar Village 2 by the people behind Cafe Cafe....

There are several interesting restaurants in the new Bangsar Village 2 Shopping Centre but we decided to pop into Banquet that day as I had been curious about it.
(I heard that this was opened up by the people behind Cafe Cafe)

The Lunch:

There are basically 2 choices - you can either dine inside the main restaurant area or in the "outdoor" section in the shopping centre's open area:
Top: The Indoor section, Bottom: The Outdoor section ...
Both areas have a modern and arty theme with white being the key colour, embellished with a few opulent features like crystal chandeliers.

The menu there is pretty eclectic though, with a mix of :
- simple Asian dishes (eg. Prawn Noodles and Fried Rice),
- healthy and exotic salads (eg. Nicoise Salad and Tiger Prawns & Avocado Salad)
- European dishes (eg. Duck Confit and Burgundy Cheek of Wagyu)
... as well as some interesting starters, pastas and desserts.
(Prices for mains vary wildly according to the "sophistication" of the dish - anywhere between RM15++ to RM 69++)

That day we started off with the Wild Rocket Salad (RM 25++) and Tom Yam Soup (RM 13++):
The Tom Yam Soup and The Wild Rocket Salad...
P (FYI: This review is quite delayed - don't be confused: I am not going out with him again) enjoyed the salad with the fragrant wild rocket leaves served with slices of pear, pine nuts, cheese and foie gras sauce... but I found the sweet flavour of the pear and the sauce a bit too much for me.
(I am more of a "salty" person)

The Tom Yam Soup had a generous amount of chicken and seafood and was quite nice - good flavour of the herbs in the smooth broth but it wasn't quite as spicy or sour as I would have liked.

For our mains, we tried the Risotto Porcini (RM 25++) and Pan Fried Salmon Fillet (RM 33++):
The Risotto Porcini and the Pan Fried Salmon Fillet...
The Risotto was ok... A bit too wet and salty for my tastebuds although the texture of the rice was nice (firm without being too hard - al dente).

As for the fish, it also had a nice texture (crisp skin and moist flakey "meat") but this was on the other end of the taste spectrum from the risotto, as I found it a little too bland.
(The accompanying sundried tomato sauce was nice though... but there was so little of it)

Didn't try any desserts that day but with Cafe Cafe as a reference, probably they're pretty damned good. They have quite a good range there at Banquet: from a simple Crepe (RM 9++) to a much more complex (and expensive) Hot Chocolate Cake with White Truffles Flavour (RM 30++).

So it's: Good variety of Asian and European dishes, nice casual yet sophisticated ambience and friendly service BUT nothing much bad except the food only tastes ok for the price.

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Banquet @ 1st Floor, Bangsar Village 2

Taste: 6
Ambience : 7
Service : 7
Price** : RM 60/++ per person
Parking: Difficult on weekends

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-2282 3228
Opening Hours: 11am till late

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- KL People KL Food
- Sooyindotcom
- Masak-Masak
- A Whiff Of Lemongrass
- Da Wheel Of Life and Happiness
- Sweets For My Sweet Tooth


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Reviews, Cafe Cafe, Banquet, Shopping Centre, Bangsar Village II, Bangsar Village 2, KL, Kuala Lumpur

Duplicity

Bloody Martians.....

How is it that one night, a guy can tell a girl that he still loves her, highlight what a difference she made in his life and (sort of) pledge his undying love to her....
... and then a couple nights later he wishes her :" Happy New Year, bro "??


Very disappointed and surprisingly pissed off,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Year End Review

From 1 to 365 days in a blink of an eye.....

How did I score with my 2007 resolutions?:
1) Just lose the extra 5 pounds as a start,
Only 1 pound lost... but that's better than nothing, right?

2) Read at least one (non-fiction) book every 3 months,
Haven't been reading many books...
But reading up on work stuff counts! (Well, I think so anyway)

3) Negotiate much harder for a better increment (at least 6%),
I give up on this one. I've already tried my best but if my boss doesn't think I'm worth keeping then it's just too bad. Oh well, in 2008 this resolution is amended to: FIND A NEW JOB, ASAP.

4) Be nicer to parents and darling bf.
Ha!
FINALLY - Success!I have been relatively nicer to parents and no longer have a bf so that resolution doesn't count anymore!

5) Drink less alcohol! Drink more water!
This resolution on the other hand, I have failed miserably at.

I guess I'll just have to try harder to achieve my resolutions in 2008....
:)
I know some of them have been continually recycled since God knows when but I think it's good to keep it in the list and just keep working on it till I succeed.

In the meanwhile, I want to wish a big, hearty Happy (Gwailo) New Year 2008.....!


Hugs,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks in One Utama!

Finally! An update: More yummy food in One Utama Shopping Centre old wing....

[ BEGIN EDIT ]
(March 08)

Yay!
They have expanded very quickly - now there are Shihlin outlets at most major shopping centres in the KL/ PJ area (eg. Pavilion, Gardens, Sunway Pyramid) and even Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall - Melaka.
(And after eating the Oyster Mee Sua/ XXL Chicken so many times, I'm still not sick of it! Still love it, in fact... although I wish they would have more choices for drinks - somehow I feel the soya bean clashes with the yummy food)

Anyway, just wanted to let you know.
:)

Ciao,
J

[ END EDIT ]

I had always wondered why this little shop in 1 Utama Shopping Centre was so popular and now, thanks to my friend Ken, I know why!

The Dinner:

Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks, which is located near the TGV cinema in the old wing (top floor) is the epitome of "cheap and good food but darn uncomfortable setting".

There is almost no place to sit down and eat in the cramped eatery as the kitchen seems to take up about 80% of the space, with a couple of stools and tiny tables at the side if you insist on dining in:
Long line at the restaurant...
Another downside to this little restaurant is that there is an extremely limited menu - they only serve 4 food items - the XXL Crispy Chicken (RM 5.50++), Seafood Tempura (RM 5.50++), Crispy Floss Egg Crepe (RM 5.50++) and Handmade Oyster Mee Sua (RM 5.50++) and 2 drinks - Soya bean and water:
A look at Shihlin...
The good thing though - since their menu is SO focused, everything tastes good!

Ok. Well, I thought everything was nice except the Tempura Seafood:
The Seafood Tempura...
The texture of the Seafood Tempura is kinda spongey (a bit like fish cake) and a bit starchy but with very little flavour of any seafood....

Still, 3 out of 4 isn't bad, right?
We tried the other 3 dishes - the Crispy Floss Egg Crepe, XXL Fried Chicken and the Oyster Mee Sua - and they were all delicious:
The Crispy Floss Egg Crepe...
This simple dish, fluffy chicken floss rolled in a firm "skin" of egg crepe and drizzled with some slightly sweet but savoury sauce was a nice light appetizer.

The XXL Deep Fried Chicken...
As for the chicken - WOW.
(I am never eating KFC again)
The tender meat, encased in super crispy and tasty batter was just perfect. You can choose to have it without the optional chili powder but I think that gives it that extra kick.
(WARNING: Practise caution when eating it. Be patient! It's molten hot when they first serve it.........)

The Oyster Mee Sua...
Lastly, the Oyster Mee Sua...
*eyes glaze over*
What a wondrous combination! - Thick savoury soup, tender silky strands of mee sua, fragrant coriander and shredded chicken, topped with a big, fat (and surprisingly fresh) oyster. Again, they let you choose whether you want the chili sambal thingy or not but I really think that it gives it that extra zing without making it too spicy.

Ok.
So the service is a little gruff, they refuse to do anything "special" like actually cut the lava hot deep fried chicken into smaller pieces, almost everything is served in a paper bag and it's very uncomfortable to dine there (seats are so limited and uncomfortable!)... but still, I plan to go back soon.
(What can I say? I suppose I'm a glutton for punishment)
:)

So it's: Extremely reasonable prices for delicious food BUT gruff service, uncomfortable to eat in and extremely limited menu.

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks @ One Utama Shopping Centre (Old Wing)

Taste: 8
Ambience : 3
Service : 4
Price** : RM 11/++ per person
Parking: Difficult on weekends

** Approximation - 2 course meal (they don't have desserts here), excluding drinks
Telephone No.: -
Opening Hours: 11am till late

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Masak-Masak
- Kampung Boy City Gal
- Wantan Productions
- The Poop Shoot
- Mark's Makan


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, One Utama Shopping Center, 1 Utama, Shilin Taiwan Street Snacks, Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, KL, Kuala Lumpur

Holiday Mood

Fa la la la la la la la laaa.....

OK.
No food updates because I have been busy being on leave.
:)

Busy with what?:
- Sleeping in (Bliss!),
- Watching DVDs (Nice to vegetate in front of the idiot box once in a while),
- Catching up with friends over lunch/ dinner (Yay!),
- Al's shopping spree makeover (A rare and fun occasion so Double Yay!),
- Spending too much money on trying to save money during the Great Malaysian Year End Sale (Booooo..... Purse in pain and credit card worn out!),
Oh, and most importantly:
- GYM! (I am in so much pain now it's not funny)

Anyway, I will update as soon as I can on food.
(Probably late next week though...)
(Sorry, I have been infected by the "Holiday Mood" virus so I'm taking a short break)

In the meanwhile, I want to wish you all a big and joyous:
Happy (Belated) Hari Raya Adiladha.....!
And also:
Merry Christmas.....!
I hope that you will all have a blessed celebration, surrounded by your loved ones.
:)

(And for those who don't actually celebrate the above holidays.... Well, have a good time resting and relaxing during your days off!)


Hugs,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

A Prayer For Selective Amnesia

Oh no! EMO alert: J's feeling poetic again.....

~~ * ~~

Why hold on to the pain,
Of the scars that run so deep?
Why hold on to memories of happiness,
That was never yours to keep?

I don't want it,
Not even a bit.
I don't need it,
To haunt me in my sleep.

I am tired of this sorrow,
I am tired of the tears.
So tomorrow, and all the days after,
Please. Don't come near.

I don't believe in miracles.
This is reality.
This is life.

Leave my heart alone.

I need to forget.

~~*~~

PS/
I am ok.
Really.
:)
And no, it's not especially dedicated to you know who.
Just felt like throwing some corny lines together that sort of rhyme.

Oh, and on another note:
It's so scary! I think that there really is something very very wrong with my brain/ long term memory functions....

Why?
Well, just tonight I met up with a couple of friends from primary school (how quickly 15 years have passed!). It was so fun - chatting and catching up..... and then I got pretty freaked out when I realised how little I remember of our good ol' school days....

It's unnerving when everyone's reminiscing over people and events, laughing, exclaiming, guffawing.... and I don't remember a thing.
Not a THING.
O_o

And then what freaked me out even more was that when I stopped to really think about it: There's very little of my childhood and primary school days that I can remember.
*wail*

See lah.
The side effects of excessive alcohol.
:(

*gasp*
Or maybe I had something so terrible happen to me that I blocked out my childhood completely???

Haha....
No lah.
(So drama!)
I think it's just age catching up with me too quickly...
(Or could be that time in high school that I fell backwards and hit my head on an iron bar?)

Oh well.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to have a bad memory anyway, is it?
For example, you can't be sad over something you can't remember, right?
:)


Signing off,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Yummy Zuup

Yummy soups and other food in One Utama Shopping Centre....

[ BEGIN EDIT ]
(Apr 2010)

HELP.
I thought Zuup was just closed for renovations but now it looks like another restaurant has taken over their spot in One Utama. :(

Does anyone know what happened to them? Have they relocated? *VERY HOPEFUL*


Wants her yummy soup back,
J

[ END EDIT ]


This small and cosy restaurant on the Lower Ground Floor of One Utama (Old Wing), has been open for as long as I can remember but I had never ventured in.... So, last week (as I was doing my Christmas shopping), I decided that it was high time I tried it out.

The Lunch:

As they specialise in soup here, there is a good range of soups on the menu. What I especially liked is that they have 3 serving sizes for you to choose from (small cup for RM 6.90++, medium bowl for RM 9.90++ and large bread bowl for RM 12.90++).... so you can actually have the soup as a light meal by itself, or just to complement your main meal.
In the Interior of Zuup, looking out...
They have also recently extended their variety of mains (according to the friendly waiter) so there are quite a few starters/ salads/ sandwiches/ pastas/ other mains and desserts to choose from.

After some deliberation, I decided to try the Baked Potato Skins (RM 6.90++) as a starter:
The Baked Potato Skins...
Overall, I wasn't impressed with it - although the potato itself was just nice (fluffy and moist texture, without any starchiness), the overall taste was rather bland as the cheese and ham were pretty much tasteless.
(A liberal dose of salt and this was quickly fixed though)

Moving on, I chose a Medium Bowl of the Lamb Goulash (RM 9.90++) as my main:
The Lamb Goulash (medium size)...
Mmmmm.
Delicious!
Loved the thick texture of the soup, rich with spices and chunky vegetables (carrots, celery, etc.... all wonderfully tender). The pieces of lamb were also pretty good (medium tenderness) and made this a great light meal.

Sadly, I didn't have any space for dessert after that (although there were some that sounded pretty interesting) so that's it for now.
(FYI: I'm sorry but you're going to have to put up with my restaurant reviews having slightly less menu items featured (as compared to before).... I am now single, and will therefore dine alone more often (as compared to before) and I definately cannot afford to order lots of food and just waste it)
(Just bear with me, ok?)

Anyway, I enjoyed my meal there and have made a note to go back soon to try out the other yummy sounding soups.
(I LOVE SOUP!)
:)

So it's: Good variety of soups (available in 3 serving sizes) and various pastas/ other mains, casual setting, reasonable prices and friendly service BUT nothing much to complain except that service (although friendly) could have been a bit faster.

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Zuup Soup Bar @ LG, One Utama Shopping Centre

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 7
Price** : RM 26/++ per person
Parking: Difficult on weekends

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7728 3698
Opening Hours: 11am till late

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Babe In The City
- Brought Up 2 Shar3
- Living In Food Heaven
- Da Wheel Of Life & Happiness


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, One Utama Shopping Center, 1 Utama, Zuup Soup Bar, Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, KL, Kuala Lumpur

The End Is Nigh

Wish me luck.....

Where the Hell did the year go??
Dammit - I can't believe that 2007 just went by so quickly!
:(

Overall, I'd say it's been a pretty bad year in most all areas...
I have been and still am (despite my best efforts) feeling unbelievably angsty over numerous things:
1) Work:
Honestly, I know I've been told (verbally) that actions are being taken already but this is really getting out of hand! If I don't see even an outline/ shadow of what has been hinted to me soon (in writing, mind you) then I really don't see any future in my job...
(It's especially dangerous since I have heard that my bosses will probably move on to other roles next year.... Baseless rumours? Or truths? Dunno....)

2) Money:
Pffft....
Don't even get me started.

3) Love life:
All my friends seem to be getting married.
Don't get me wrong. I am genuinely happy for them.... Very happy that they found The One they love dearly and want to spend the rest of their lives with (who coincidentally love them back just as much and have also no intention of sharing their lives with anyone else).
*sigh*
I am beginning to think that my One doesn't exist.
And I'm also beginning to suspect that maybe there's just something wrong with me.

4) Worst of all: Health/ Fitness:
I've only lost one pound...
Despite the whole "work out more/ eat more carefully" routine, I've only managed to lose ONE miserable pound. ONE.
(Ok, so I haven't exactly been going 3 times a week consistently but it's already a damn lot more than before)

Bah.
BAH, I say!

*sigh*
I only hope that 2008 will be a better year...
But then again, how much worse could it possibly get?
(NO GOD, please do not try to inflict a sense of irony onto J following that last question. Thank you very much, O' Omnipotent One!)
:)


Counting down to 2008,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Pho Hoa @ The Curve

Yay! A food update: Vietnamese food hidden in the Asian section of the popular Curve shopping centre....

The Lunch:

Pho Hoa is slightly hidden in the ground floor of the Asian courtyard area in the Curve (sorta behind Baskin Robbins and that Thai Express place):
The Exterior of Pho Hoa.......
You can choose to either dine in the open air area in between the restaurant and the nice water features (can get a bit warm) or in the bright and chirpy interior of this restaurant which I found simple yet comfortable:
The Interior of Pho Hoa.........
We started off our meal that day with a selection of appetizers, the Vietnamese Steamed Chicken, Rice and Egg Cake and 2 Spring Rolls:

Top: The Traditional Steamed Vietnamese Chicken, Rice and Egg Cakes, Bottom: The Spring Rolls......
Overall, all the starters tasted pretty good... Oh, but if you don't like the taste of salted egg then you shouldn't order the rice cake (It's not like a really *Wham!* in your face/ damn strong sorta flavour of salted eggs but you can definately taste it in there)

Moving on to the mains, we started off with the Sour Seafood Noodles:
The Sour Seafood Noodles.....
Wow.
Sour...
(I thought it was ok but I can imagine that some would find it just a bit too sour as my "sour" tolerance level is pretty high)
Still, it was interesting.... and there was a generous amount of sliced fish and various other seafood in there. I was very disappointed with the texture of the noodles though... I generally like noodles with a little "bite" to them and these just tasted limp, overcooked and quite forgettable *.

Anyway, can't go to a Vietnamese restaurant and NOT sample the Beef Pho, right?

So, next we tried the Classic Vietnamese Beef Noodles (chosen here are the beef slices and beef balls - there are other parts of the cow that you can choose from too):
The Classic Beef Noodles.....
I found that the beef noodles only tasted ok.... Not that it was bad, just not as good as I would have liked - the soup was pretty good: smooth and robust but the beef was ever so slightly overcooked/ tough and again, the noodles felt limp and very lifeless*.

Something else worth trying there if you are feeling particularly health concious is the Chicken and Prawn Salad:
The Chicken and Prawn Salad...
It's basically freshly sliced veggies with a light dressing, mixed with strands of noodles and a fairly generous amount of grilled chicken and prawn. Taste-wise, this dish is nice - I liked the well marinated and nicely grilled flavour of the chicken....

All in all, I enjoyed the food at Pho Hoa... I was definately expecting more from this famous international chain of Vietnamese restaurants though, but the prices are pretty decent (around RM 3 to 8 for the starters and RM 10 to 15 for the noodles/ rice dishes) so it's not a bad place to pop in for a relatively healthy and affordable meal.

So, it's: Comfortable but simple casual ambience with friendly service, decent range of rice and noodle dishes on the menu for reasonable prices BUT the noodle texture lacks bite (a little too limp for my taste) and limited selection of desserts.

[ BEGIN EDIT ]
* (April 08)

Good news - the texture of their noodles have improved!
(Specifically: they are no longer limp and forgettable)

At first I thought it may be a fluke but I've been back a few times since it seems more likely that it could be a permanent improvement.
(Cool!)
(Hmmmm, the beef slices are still a little tough though.... *crosses fingers*)


Just thought you should know,
J

[ END EDIT ]

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Pho Hoa Noodle Shop @ The Curve, Damansara

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM21/++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7725 9880
Opening Hours: 11am - late

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- KL People KL Food
- Da Wheel Of Life And Happiness
- CYeat Asian Food & Travel
- YongKaiLoon.com


TAGS:Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Damansara, Shopping Centre, Heatlhy Food, Vietnamese, Pho Hoa, The Curve, Kuala Lumpur, KL