Grumps @ Plaza Kelana Jaya, PJ

Non Halal Italian/German restaurant in Plaza Kelana Jaya...

When Soo Jin told me about Grumps, a fairly new non-Halal Italian/ German restaurant in the nearby (to us PJ ppl, anyway) Plaza Kelana Jaya, I thought:
"Grumps? - What a cute name..."....
:)

... followed quickly by:
"Oh no! I hope it's not because the owner/ chef/ staff there are proud of being grumpy!"...
(*lol* Anyway, I shouldn't even have worried, because that was not the case at all...)

We chose to sit in the front area of the restaurant (not much choice anyway, there was a function inside that evening). I immediately liked the comfortable, unpretentious ambience there - lots of warm, earthy colours that made it feel cosy:
Tables at the front of Grumps....
(BTW, there is also a back entrance through the indoor car park area, just so you know....)
The back door....
It is actually located right next to the increasingly popular Secret of Louisiana and similarly, has a nice view of the man made lake:
Looking at the lakeside....
The Cheesey Garlic Bread (RM 7.90++) was highly recommended (by SooJ) so we started with that:
Crispy basket of bread....
Overall - yum.
Carby, crunchy, cheesey and garlicky. :D

To be completely fair, the garlic bread was a little bit dry on its own.... but it went so well with the Cream of Mushroom Soup (RM 8.90++):
Creamy Mushroom Soup....
While there wasn't really anything special about the soup*, having it as a dip for the bread was great.....
(*It's not that the soup is bad, just that it didn't exactly rock my world....)

For mains, SooJ had the Spaghetti Carbonara (RM 16.90++):
Calorieeeessssss ....
I stole the requisite bites* from his pasta and mulled over the taste....
(*Muahaha. It's lovely being able to use the excuse that I am a food blogger! :P)

While it wasn't bad (creamy, tasty, al dente pasta), it also wasn't exceptional (one dimensional flavour, not enough meat). Still, for RM 16.90 - no complaints! Now I know where I can come for a very decently priced and pretty tasty pasta carbonara near my house.

As for me, I felt like something meaty so I ordered the Cheesy Crumbed Pork Loin (RM 22.90++):
Meaty ....
Wah.
It doesn't look big, but the dense fillets of deep fried pork were really filling.

Texture-wise it was pretty tender, and tasted nice with the mildly flavoured mushroom sauce... My only (small) gripe is that the sauce was a bit too generously doused all over it, causing the batter to get soggy.

I was too full after that so I didn't try any of the desserts but I think I'll be heading back soon to try that and some of the other stuff on the menu...
(Have heard that the crispy pork knuckles and pizzas are nice)

So, it's: Unpretentious, cosy ambience at the side of a (man made) lake, fairly wide range of non-Halal Italian and German food at reasonable prices, quite easy to find parking BUT nothing really bad to comment actually :)....

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Grumps @ Plaza Kelana Jaya, PJ
D-02-01, Jalan SS7/ 13A, Plaza Kelana Jaya, Kelana Jaya

Taste: 6
Ambience : 7
Service : 7
Price** : RM 40++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7873 6898
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 11am till 3pm, 5pm till 11pm

Website: Click here

NOT HALAL

MAP:

View Grumps Restaurant in a larger map

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Food 4 Thot
- Janice's Snippets
- Milo Ais, Satu!


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Grumps, Italian, German, KJ, Plaza Kelana Jaya

Super Luxe

Bling of all shapes and sizes....

I really like Tiffany & Co.:

While I don't agree with the pricing*, I do think (some of) the designs are really nice - classic, clean and ageless without being "old".
(*It's just made of silver leh, so it's completely overpriced! Or maybe I'm just complaining because I can't afford it. *SULK*)

Anyway, I guess other than the design and workmanship of each product, what T&Co is selling is the prestige, quality and service... which have all been incorporated into the price tag.

- There is the classic jewellery range - not cheap, but doesn't cost an arm and 2 legs.
(Price range: USD $100 - $390)

- Of course, there is also a higher end range of jewellery for those who can afford it:
(Price range: USD $350 - $6500 to custom order only*)
(* aka. If you have to ask how much it costs, you probably can't afford it)

- Other than jewellery, they have branched out to many other things, such as Key Chains:
(Price range: USD $95 - $195)

What I found kinda strange though, was a Airplane shaped savings/ piggy bank that costs USD $1,975 (sterling silver, 7.25" long, they describe):

Yes, people.
A (roughly) RM 6,500 piggy bank - evidently, it's purpose is as a fantastic tool for you to teach your children the VALUE OF MONEY.
=_=

*face palm*

Well, still.... it is very pretty, and if you really want to buy this, then just CLICK HERE.
(I'm not sure whether it is available in Malaysia, but I'm sure they can be some way for the Tiffany & Co. USA branch to deliver it straight to your doorstep, for a price)

There are also some other designs too, so feel free to buy one for all your kids/ nieces/ nephews. Send one over to me too**, if you can afford it!:
(** Can be anything else from T&Co actually. I don't mind. *grin*)
(What? Nothing wrong with some hoping & dreaming, is there? :P)


Happy Friday everyone! *hugs*


Amazed,
J


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

Taming Of The Shrew - A Bollywood Caberet @ PJ Live Arts, Jaya 1

A Shakespearean classic, Bollywood style! :)....

Went to watch Taming of The Shrew last night with PG, Derek and Zen...

I have heard nothing but good things so far from those who have watched it, so I guess my expectations were kinda high.... but yeah, I walked away feeling conflicted.

- One of the colourful posters:
Vince Chong in a 'fro...

I REALLY WANTED TO LIKE THIS, BECAUSE:

1) I am a huge fan of Gavin Yap's work so far, and this is the first time I am watching him venture into something fairly lighthearted (vs productions like Frankestein In Love and Fastest Clock In The Universe.

2) Anrie and Wai Hoong are both friends of friends, and they are (as far as I know) really nice people.

3) Vince Chong was amazing! The man is a chameleon! - transitioning almost seamlessly from role to role.

4) Generally speaking: Adaptions of classics are good, because it may spark interest and get people reading (in this case) Shakespeare... and the local arts scene needs support to improve/ develop.

- The hotness of Anrie and Wai Hoong:
Photo is a bit fuzzy unfortch but PWOAR. They were hot, hot, HOT...

BUT HERE ARE MY GRIPES:

1) Great costumes & dancing + OK acting overall. However, the storyline was lacking, with viewers given no exibits/ reasons for why the Shrew can fall so madly in love with the Prince who does nothing but abuse her and make a fool of himself (which may in a way, may be staying true to the famous but controversial Shakespearean tale -still, it's hard to understand/ relate to in this day and age).

2) The sound system muffled the singing! - I have heard Zalina Lee sing before and yesterday, she just sounded good, not great as she usually is. :(

3) (This is just me being whiney) The hard, plastic-y PJLA chairs are so uncomfortable.

- Wedding scene:
In the church...
Am I saying that you shouldn't watch it? Of course not!
It's really not bad at all.

In fact, the singing & dancing are fun and infectious - you'll be tapping your feet and clapping along for sure (I know I did)... Also, there are a few really laugh out loud, rib tickling moments. :)

Just please, please don't expect too much as I did or you will be disappointed.

Oh, but with that being said: If you are a hardcore feminist, please avoid this like the plague... or you may start throwing chairs and go on a rampage by the end of the show.
(You have been warned)

- Fantastic feathery finale:
Spectacular, colourful ending...

In short (IMHO):
Worth a watch but don't go in with super high expectations*.
(* Like how I did...)

Overall it was a good effort but could have been better - nice costumes, entertaining dancing, good singing (hampered by bad sound system quality). The storyline just needs a bit of tweaking, to help people understand better on why a slightly maladjusted, hot tempered girl can suddenly change and submit to a guy who does nothing but abuse her.


Here are the details of the play:
TAMING OF THE SHREW:
(Recommended for mature audience aged 18 and above only)

Director: Reza Zainal Abidin
Writer: Gavin Yap
Music: Daniel Veerapan
Dance Choreographer: Pat Ibrahim
Costume: Steven Sunny

Synopsis:
For the first time ever in Malaysia, Shakespeare is given a Bollywood twist in the localized adaptation of the Taming of the Shrew, a Bollywood-inspired cabaret which depicts the courtship of Petruchio, an Indian Prince who needs money and likes challenges, and Katherine, a tough and headstrong “shrew” who runs her successful, Chinese family’s money-lending business.

Cast:
(In alphabetical order! To be fair....)
- Actors: Aanantha, Sham Sunder Binwani, Vince Chong, Junji Delfino, Joey Ghazlan (aka. Joey G.), Joanne Kam, Anrie Too, Ash Nair and Wong Wai Hoong.
- Chorus Singers: Maya Tan Abdullah, Maria Gomez and Zalina Lee.
- Dancers: Kellyn Cheah, Pamela Chong, Casslyn Kek, Loh Wei Jun, Fawzi Sukoman and Vito Yap.


Venue: PJ Live Arts (PJLA)
(First Floor, Block K, Jaya ONE, Section 13,
72A Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya)

Ticket Price:
- RM 85/ 105 (adults)

Dates: 25 June – 11 July 2010
Time: 8.30pm daily and also 3pm on Sundays (No show on Mondays)

Ticket info:
- go to PJ Live Arts at Jaya ONE,
- call +603 7960 0439, or
- email boxoffice@pjla.com.my.

If you want more details, here is the PJLA official website.

Hope you like it! :)
J


OTHER REVIEWS:
- As Suanie Sees It
- Oh My WTF!
- The Daily Chili
- NST


TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Musical, PJLA, Taming Of The Shrew Bollywood Caberet, Shakespeare, PJ Live Arts Center, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Oh Malaya Cafe @ Central Market Annexe KL

(Oops. Slightly delayed review) A modern cafe just behind Central Market....

That night, we were going to watch Torch Song Massacre at the Annexe Gallery, KL, so we decided to head over to that general area a little earlier to have dinner.

SooJ suggested a cafe he tried before in the Central Market Annexe (the small building just behind the Central Market) where the Annexe Gallery is also located:
OM Cafe in the upstairs corner lot of Central Market Annexe ...
Overall, the interior of Oh Malaya Cafe (aka. OM Cafe) is modern and comfortable with quirky decorations placed on the walls (eg. signs of old brands/ products):
Inside OM Cafe ...
SooJ did warn me not to expect anything extraordinary tastewise, but that they do have a decent range of reasonably priced Western and local food there.

Needing some comfort food, we started off with the Oxtail Soup (RM 9++):
The Soup ...
Annoyingly, the soup arrived when we were halfway through our mains*... but other than that MINOR detail, it tasted ok - the soup was robust (good) but a bit too starchy (bad).
(*I suspect they forgot to put in the order - we had to remind them twice and finally they checked properly and said it was "on the way"... *sigh*)

I chose the Fillet of Beef with Mushroom Sauce (RM 33++) as my main:
My Beef ...
This also just tasted ok - the beef wasn't tough but it wasn't exactly tender either.. and the sauce was kinda gloopy.

SooJ's Sizzling Lamb Chop in Black Pepper Sauce (RM 30++) was pretty good though:
The Lamb ...
Yum. The meat was surprisingly tender and tasty...
:)
(Personally, I still dislike sizzling anything - hate walking around smelling like food later....)

Lastly, I tried the Lychee Martini (RM 23++):
Lychee+alcohol= :) ...
Not bad - Not too sweet, and had a good enough alcoholic kick to it.

We had to go off for the show, so we didn't manage to sample any desserts...

Oh well, there's always next time I guess - I think I spotted a few interesting items on the menu (Bombe Alaska?), so I am kinda curious.
:)


So, it's: Nice modern ambience, convenient location if you are going for a show in the Annexe Gallery, good selection of Asian and Western food at reasonable prices BUT surrounding area can be quite jammed and food only tastes ok.....

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Oh Malaya Cafe @ Central Market Annexe, KL

Lot 2.07, Central Market Annexe, Jalan Hang Kasturi, 50050 KL

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 5
Price** : RM 40++ per person
Parking: OK***

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
***Or you can take an LRT to Pasar Seni and cross the road - no jam!...

Telephone No.: 03-2072 7700
Opening Hours: 11am - 10pm

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Seeking Restaurants


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Jalan Hang Kasturi, Pasar Seni, Central Market Annexe, Oh Malaya Cafe, Western, KL, Kuala Lumpur

Spain 2008

Desktop holiday for you... European Edition - Spain....

The first highlight when we arrived in Spain was visiting the famed Alhambra Palace.

Alhambra (Arabic: الْحَمْرَاء‎, literally "the red one") is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus...
Outside the Carlos V/ Charles V palace side of Alhambra...
This palace/ fortress has gone through quite a few hands, both Christian and Muslim, so its architecture is a wonderfully eclectic mish-mash of several influences:
High on a hill...
It had been elected as a UNESCO World Heritage site in the 1980s, and it's really not hard to see why - it's beautiful!:
One of the beautiful features inside...
Other than that, check out the mindbogglingly AMAZING intricate carvings,.....
One of the domes inside the Palace of Lions ...
.... pillared pathways,....
So majestic...
.... and sculpted gardens,....
Small green maze ...
I wonder where that leads to?...
We even came across a friendly, manja (and slightly chubby) cat enjoying the premises... :)
Meow ...
It was nice walking through the palace grounds and imagining what life would have been like as part of the royalty... :)
(Also, it wasn't super expensive, about Euro 12 - ok lah, not exactly cheap either considering the stupid exchange rate...)

My photos really don't do it any justice, so please do head over to the real thing if you can,... or visit this cool site for a virtual tour.


*hugs* Happy Tuesday!,
J

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

MOF Japanese Sweets & Coffee @ Pavilion, KL

The Ministry of Food brings you desserts!....

So, there's a Ministry of Sound* (MOS) - famous chain of clubs/ record label that originated in London....
(* Now with a branch in Sunway called Euphoria, popular with kids of all ages who like feng tao trance/ house music...)
Trance Music Central for Malaysia...
... and there's also a Ministry of Food** (MOF) - (not yet as) famous chain of restaurants serving Japanese themed desserts that originated in Singapore.
(** Now with a branch in Pavilion, KL...)
Fun for all ages ...
However, while the original MOF in Singapore has a range of bentos and other savoury Jap food, the one in KL only serves desserts.

Anyway, I was curious enough to check go check out this fairly comfortable and brightly lit cafe when I was in the Pavilion area:
Inside MOF ...
Being a big fan of black sesame in general, I ordered the Black Sesame Mini Gelato (RM 9+):
My black sesame gelato ...
Overall, it was ok:
- Fairly creamy (but a bit too sweet for me) black sesame ice cream,
- served with some chewy (in a good way) kinda mochi-ish flour balls, and
- topped with strangely savoury chunky black sesame paste...

We also tried the Mango Kakigori (RM 11+)
Kinda like mango ais kacang ...
As you can see, the size is fairly monstrous....
(OMG. It's almost as big as Jo-lyn's head!)

Tastewise, it was refreshing but overall also just ok:
- MOUNTAIN of shaved ice,
- topped with a thick mango sauce (with more in a small jug on the side), and
- served with slices of fresh mango.

Lastly, we ordered the Ice Matcha Float (RM 8.50+):
Green tea float...
Intially we were a bit taken aback by the slightly unappetising green colour,... but it tasted ok.

Again, this was a little too sweet for me*** but I think I wouldn't mind ordering it again - quite thick texture, creamy and had a good taste of green tea....
(*** Mind you, my tolerance for sweetness in desserts can be surprisingly low even though I admit to having a sweet tooth)

So, it's: Refreshing desserts in a variety of flavours located in Pavilion, comfortable modern ambience BUT nothing really bad about it.. except that it may be a bit too sweet for some .....

Summary Information:
MOF Japanese Sweets and Coffee @ Pavilion, KL

Opening Hours: (approx.) 11am till 10pm
Phone: 03-2144 1489
Address: Lot 1.02.00, Level 1, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

HALAL

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Lots Of Cravings
- Motormouth From Ipoh - A Malaysian Food Blog
- Babe in the City - KL
- Foodie's Kitchen
- JerryOng.com Community Blog


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

Hot Can Malaysia Launch

Cool new product,... well a hot one actually...

Wah.
I got invited for my first product launch ever (by the very sweet Nazeen from Mongoose *waves* Thanks!)...
:)

At first, when I got the message/email from Nazeen, I have to admit I was feeling a little wary (I am generally wary of any kind of invites - sorry Nazeen, no offense)...

... but the product she described did sound really interesting so I figured it wouldn't hurt to go to Little Havana in Changkat Bukit Bintang to check it out.
(Dunno why? - what used to be Little Havana is now just called Havana, as indicated by the nice new sign outside)
Upstairs in Havana....
What is the product?
HOT CAN™ - an environmentally friendly, self heating canned drink!
(Currently with 3 flavours available - Latte, Mocha and Hot Chocolate)
Some like it Hot!....
Special mention: Yummy! - Crab cakes and other finger foods while we waited for the event to start:
A platter of crab cakes....
(ANYWAAAAY, moving on....*grin*)

The night started with a short introductory speech by the CEO and creator, Dato' Kenneth Kolb:
Smart fella....
They passed each of us a naked can of Mocha** to try that night:
(** It was without the normal laminated packaging on top so that we could see the spongey layer underneath)
Naked can next to a "fully clothed" one....

INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Peel & Press
(Pull off the tamper proof layer at the bottom, set down on a stable surface and press the middle of the plastic "cap" till it "cracks"...)
The bottom of the can....
2) Shake!
(Gently shake the can for about 30 seconds? And don't be alarmed if you see steam coming out of the top)
Shake shake shake....
3) Look at the temperature stickers - Green means hot enough to drink!
(If the other sticker turns Red, it means be careful! - may be a bit too hot)
Be careful, check first before drinking....
4) If it's the right temperature, drink!:
(Here's a photo of everyone trying it out)
Steaming up....
Ok, first of all, let me disclaim that I generally do not like hot drinks (in Malaysia) - mostly due to the humid and hot 30+ degrees (averagely) celcius temperature we have here.

Still, overall I found the taste of the mocha pretty good for a canned coffee***, creamy enough and with a balanced coffee/chocolate flavour, although it was a tad too sweet for me.
(*** Hmmm, a 2nd disclaimer: Please do not expect this to beat the taste of a freshly brewed coffee - it's just not the same thing so not fair to compare...)

Here are the other 2 flavours available - Latte and Hot Chocolate:
2 more flavours, so far....
According to the people from Hot Can, this can retail for anywhere between RM6 and RM9 in most major stores in Malaysia. Unfortunately, the range is a little wide (I think I've even seen it sold for RM10 in Mont Kiara) as they cannot control how much margin the store owner wants to make on it, despite their recommended pricing.

Hmmmm, I do hope that soon they will venture in other variants like soup (or sake! *yay* *kampaiiiiii*)... but we'll have to see lah.

For more information, you can check out their website.

SHOUT OUT:
- To Nazeen and everyone from Mongoose and Hot-Can that made this night possible: Thanks! I really enjoyed myself, and I think it's a great concept - best of luck with it.
- To all the bloggers there that night: So nice to catch up with those I know, and to meet some new friends! *hugs*

So, it's: Convenient and enviromentally friendly self-heating halal drink in a can BUT nothing bad to say really, it just depends on whether you like hot drinks and apparently despite their best efforts to recommend an afforable retail price to shops, it is being sold for anything between RM6 and RM 9.....


OTHERS' POSTS ABOUT THIS:
- Have Your Cake And Eat It Too
- Cumi Dan Ciki
- chaokar smokes
- Pillow Talk with Bangsar-bAbE
- PureGlutton
- Babe In The City - KL
- Lots Of Cravings


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Product Launch, Self Heating Drink, Hot Can, KL, Kuala Lumpur

My First 10 KM

Tragedy amidst celebration, but just wanted to commemorate my first try at a quarter marathon....

Like I said before, my friend Ver & I decided to try out the 10km run of the Standard Charted KL Marathon 2010 (which was held last Sunday)...

In a fit of pre-planned kiasu-ism, we woke up early in an attempt to beat the crowd (RE. collecting our Race Packs on the day before the race)... Thankfully, it was a beautiful Saturday morning at Taman Titiwangsa, so it was kinda nice taking the stroll around the lake area, towards the main hall:
Sunny day...
We also had the bonus of a really nice surprise when we arrived at the main hall - YAY! No crowd! :)
(Our plan worked!)
No line to the collection counters...
The lady at the counter laughed as she passed me my race pack.
:)
Why? Well, she saw the name I chose for my race bib:
I am what I am :P...

[[ FAST FORWARD (roughly) 24 HOURS TO RACE DAY ]]


I don't have any photos from that day, but here's what I can tell you:
1) Waking up at roughly 5am so that you can have breakfast, get ready and arrive at the starting line in time is not easy,
2) COMPLETING 10KM IS NOT EASY,
3) After completing the race, I still haven't suddenly discovered a love for running, BUT
4) I am really glad I did it (Thanks for talking me into it, Ver!)**

(** In some ways it was fun - the excitement of the race, being able to run around on the main roads of KL past a lot of the main monuments/ attractions, etc..)

So, how did I do?:
Net Race Time: 1 hour, 21 minutes and 53 seconds!
Finishing Position: Number 761!
(Ok lah. It's 761 out of an estimated 2000 to 3000 participants in the Womens 10km category, so it's quite good for my first try, right?)
Evidence...
My efforts PALE in comparison to the REAL runners though - OMG, the Top 10 Women finished the 10km in less than 55 minutes each:
*RESPECT*
Top 10 Women are human cheetahs!...
Sadly, there was the tragic death of a 25 year old participant during the race... :(
(I only found out later)

I don't personally know the guy that passed away, and only time will tell whether it truly was the race organisers fault/ a pre-existing medical condition/ a mix of both?... but wow - 25 is young loh.
(R.I.P.....)


:(
J


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