GAH

If I get any busier I just may forget my own name.
*sigh*


Huh? Who am I? What am I doing here??,
J

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

Pasta Zanmai @ One Utama

One of the new Japanese restaurants in One Utama Shopping Centre's old wing....

The Dinner:

Looking at Pasta Zanmai from the outside, you may almost mistake it for just a specialty (Japanese) grocery store:
The Exterior of Pasta Zanmai...
However, if you just venture in, you'll find a modern, simple but comfortable little restaurant awaiting in the back:
The Interior of Pasta Zanmai...
We started the night with a serving of the Creamy Corn Croquette (RM 12++):
The Croquettes...
I was a bit hesitant to try this at first (as I don't really like the taste of sweet corn) but I found the crispy texture and creamy filling quite nice....
(And thankfully, there wasn't any overpowering taste of corn)
(If I only have one complaint is that it seems a bit too expensive to charge 12 bucks for this)

As for the mains, I tried the Black Sesame Beef Pasta (RM25++) that night:
The Black Sesame Beef Pasta...
Overall, I found the pasta interesting - good texture of the spaghetti, tender beef slices and light cream sauce enhanced by sprinklings of freshly grounded black sesame.

Next up, the Creamy Chicken Pasta (RM 18++) with added egg (RM 3++):
The Creamy Chicken Pasta...
As with the Beef Pasta, I found this dish ok overall (good pasta texture, tender chicken, light sauce)... but in this case there wasn't something extra (eg. the ground sesame in the beef spaghetti) so it tasted just a litte bit too "light"/ bland for my tastebuds.....

Lastly, the Rice with Meat Sauce (RM 18++):
The Rice dish...
Looking at this dish, it reminded me of Nasi Pattaya (because the rice was wrapped in a layer of egg) topped with Bolognaise Sauce... *lol* ... Still, overall it was a nice uncomplicated dish to have when you feel like having some carb laden comfort food.

Mmmmmm, it's strange: All 3 dishes were actually pretty unique and tasted quite nice but somehow they didn't knock my socks off. I mean, it was ok but not great....
(I suppose it was beause my expectations were super high because Lyn, Ken and Nick said they really like this restaurant/ dish...)

Still, I think this restaurant is definately worth a try if you're looking for something different from your normal pasta or Japanese place....
:)

So it's: Interesting Japanese food with a modern twist BUT nothing much to complain about except that people who like salty food like me might find some of the food here a little bit too "ching" (light).

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Pasta Zanmai @ Ground Floor, One Utama Shopping Centre (Old Wing, near Burger King)

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM 42/++ per person
Parking: Difficult on weekends

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7728 1210
Opening Hours: 10am till late

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Jason Mumbles
- Kampung Boy City Gal
- Masak-Masak
- KY Speaks
- Malaysia Food Blog, Malaysia Travel Blog
- Omoshiroi

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, One Utama Shopping Center, 1 Utama, Pasta Zanmai, Japanese Pasta,Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, KL, Kuala Lumpur

A Little Confused

Wow.
If I wasn't sure of it before, I'm sure of it now: You really can have too much of a good thing.

In one hand: An offer letter....
In the other: A promotion letter....
(How come it all happens at once??)
(It almost smells like a conspiracy!)

And now, it's decision time! Is it better to take a risk and push forward to promising but challenging unchartered territory? Or better the devil you know?
Hmmmmmmm.............
Decisions, decisions.
=_=


Thinking hard and looking deep into her heart,
J


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

Status Update

Name : J the Chocoholic
Location: Back in KL :)
Status : Tired and sweaty :(

Hola senors and senoritas!
I'm back from my trip to Spain and *phew* it was so tiring!
(Not that I didn't have fun... it's just that the long flights, transits and hectic tour schedule really took its toll)

Anyways, will update (properly) soon on the trip and some slightly delayed food reviews...
(I promise!*)
:)


Hugs,
J

* To be specific: As soon as humanly possible after unpacking my luggage, catching up at work and hibernating to recover from the jet lag.

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

Notice Of Hiatus

Woo hoo.
After 2 months of anticipation and 2 very late nights** it's finally that time of year again: My annual long Chinese New Year break is just around the bend! So, I will not be updating from Thursday, 7th of Feb till Tuesday, 19th of Feb.
(Sorry dears... I promise I'll try my best to take lots of pretty photos and post it up when I get back!)

Meanwhile, to everyone in Malaysia (and to anyone else who celebrates Chinese New Year):
GONG XI FATT CHAI!

I hope you will all have a great CNY celebration surrounded by family, friends and lots of yummy festive food! Also, may you be blessed with happiness, good health and prosperity in the coming year.............
:)


Hugs,
J

** BAH! Why is it that no matter how I try to prepare, I find that I always have to "pay back" for my leave by working extra crazy long hours just before and definately right after my planned holidays? Grrr.... And why don't people understand that they SHOULD NOT/ MUST NOT/ CAN NOT just send out emails labelled "URGENT, URGENT. YOU MUST REPLY BY LATEST TOMORROW FOR XXX REASONS OR ELSE!" and expect someone to drop everything to comply with their request????
*grumble*
*siiiiigh*
And while we're on that: Why don't I learn quickly that (in most cases) I should just ignore those people without feeling guilty for their plight? Anyway, holiday now. Worry later.
:)

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

First KLPac Open Day!

A photo heavy post on a fun day out at the first KLPac Open Day.... =)

On the 27th of January 2008, the KLPac had its first Open Day!
:)

The schedule that day was pretty crazily packed with independant movies, exhibitions, interactive activities, dances, music acts and many others happening concurrently all over (and even outside) the big 3 storey complex.

As much as I would have liked to, I didn't manage to catch everything in the couple of hours I was there but here are photos of some of the ones I saw:

1) The Back Stage Tour (Boo - no photos! The guide said "cannot") and Props Exhibition:

(Wow. It was amazing walking around the normally "no access" areas and hearing about how much hard work goes into the preparation of all performances and the general maintenance of the KLPac)
(Never knew that it was run by a non-profit organisation..... )

2) The Gamelan jam session!:

(I thought this was really interesting because after the musicians performed a couple of soothing traditional Gamelan songs, they allowed us all to try out the instruments)

3) Art Exhibition and Local Movies/ Documentary Screening:

(No photos of it but the local documentary on the Broga/ Semenyih Incinerator was very sad and thought provoking... although a bit left wing)

4) The Belly Dancing Performance and Workshop:


5) Human "statues" (they were acting out scenes from a hat) and cute stone statues outside:

6) Guy Doing Dramatic Kungfu-y Dance on the lawn:

(Am not sure if he did it on purpose but at one point his wooden sword thingy flew out of his hand and hit someone on the head!)

7) Checking out the lovely Koi fish at the nearby Sentul Park Koi Centre:

(Oooh.... look at all the pretty fishies! I only have the baby Kois pictured here but if you are in the area, go check out how big the Koi can get... They were gigantic - almost one metre long!)

8) Traditional Japanese Music performance at the Koi Centre:

9) Fish Catching Game for the Kiddies:

(Mmmm, actually I really wanted to try to catch the cute little fishies too but I figured that there's no way I can pass off as a kid. Haha....)

Ahhh... such a beautiful, sunny day out (although it got a bit too hot!):

It was great to see the overwhelming response to the (free!) full day at the KLPac. I do hope that everyone who went there walked away feeling like they had fun and see that "art" is not such an unapproachable thing... I do admit, there were a few of the acts that day that had me scratching my head thinking: "What on earth is it suppose to mean???", but it was still interesting to watch!
(Hopefully everyone will come back and support the local arts scene as paying customers soon - we can't have our "starving artists" all starve to death now, can we?)
:)

Anyway, if anyone from the KLPac is reading this: THANKS A LOT! I had great fun (especially on the back stage tour) and hope that this Open Day will be the first of many....


"Support your local arts scene!",
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KLPAC Open Day 2008, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Flying Chillies @ The Gardens

Thai food at the Gardens Shopping Center, Midvalley....

The Lunch:

While scouting around Gardens for a new place to try, the bright modern look of this quirkily named Thai restaurant caught my eye:
The exterior of Flying Chillies....
Although I was tempted to sit in the bright airy area outside, I decided to check out the seating inside the main restaurant area. I liked the setting inside too - sleek, simple and modern with a few Thai decorations:
Inside Flying Chillies....
I started my meal with a serving of the Thai Fish Cakes (RM 9.50++):
The Thai Fish Cakes....
I found it ok but not fantastic - Bouncey texture, fragrant taste with herbs (lemongrass and misc herbs that I couldn't identify) but was a bit too salty. A dab of the accompanying sweet chili sauce does balance the saltiness somewhat though.

I then moved on to the Tom Yam Mee Hoon Soup (RM 16.50++):
The Tom Yum Mee Hoon Soup....
At first (upon examining the menu) I had thought that the food was overpriced but was pleasantly surprised at the serving size. In fact, I couldn't finish the hefty bowl of mee hoon! As for the taste, the thick tom yam soup was fragrant and quite spicy but was not as sour as I would have liked.
(There was a fairly generous serving of stuff inside - seafood and some fish balls)

My only big complaint about this restaurant was the teeny weeny size of the drinks. Exhibit No. 1, the Thai Iced Tea I had that day (RM 10++):
The Thai Iced Tea....
It's hard to judge from the photo but trust me, it was small.
Not that it tasted bad or anything - in fact, it was quite nice... a smooth, fragrant milky tea that was not too sweet but was just such an absurdly small serving.
:(
(This is the first time I actually felt like HAD TO "complain" to the manager. He was pretty nice about though - he said he'd see what he can do.... So, hopefully the drinks will grow in size or at least reduce in price very soon)

So, overall I wouldn't mind going back again to try out some of the interesting rice/ noodle dishes that caught my eye as I scanned the menu that day..... but not too soon lah - this place is definately a little on the high end (especially if you take the drinks into account) and I'm a little broke.

So it's: Sleek, airy modern setting with friendly staff, fair range of decent tasting Thai food BUT although the food serving size is ok, the drinks are really expensive (such small glasses/ cups!).

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Flying Chillies @ 3rd Floor, Gardens Shopping Centre, Mid Valley

Taste: 6
Ambience : 7
Service : 7
Price** : RM 45/++ per person
Parking: Difficult on weekends

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-2287 7708
Opening Hours: 12noon till late

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Cely
- Pink Elle Reviews
- Squeak. Speak. Roar!
- Daily Rantings
- Random Delights
- Eat Drink KL


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Midvalley Megamall, MidValley, The Gardens, Thai Food, Flying Chillies, Shopping Centre, KL, Kuala Lumpur

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