Bang!

Why do some people choose to shoot the messenger?
*sigh*
Mr Manager sez: "Respect mah authoratay, you little minion!"....
Now, I am waiting to see whether I get a warning letter for sending out meeting minutes.....
(Yes, that's right: meeting minutes... and this manager made a special phone call to scold me about it)
(I've been told that it was insubordination on my part)

It's a long story....
In fact: It's been a long day/ week/ month/ year so far.
I love my company so much but some days are just really tiring.
:(


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

Guilty By Association?

Malaysia Boleh!...... Go, Timmy!

Ok...
I've definately been a bit slow to sign up to Nuffnang...
As much as I wanted to support Mr Timothy Tiah (Malaysian enterpreneur and pirate wannabe extraodinaire), there was a side of me that kept screaming: "NO - don't you dare sign up! You have always said that you will never sell out and start putting ads on your blog!"...

Anyway, after much deliberation, I went over to the Nuffnang website and signed up in 4 easy steps.
:)

*ta-dah!*... C'est moi!
Unfortunately, I chose a bad time to sign up because out of the other 4 blogs highlighted on the list of latest bloggers to join are these 2:
1) Asian Beauty Girls
Description: This blog provided to show our asian beautiful girls. The girls selected by blog owner. For the girls, you are the most beautiful girl in asian country.

2) The S3x Parlor
Description: Prince-X Your Hot Blog! A must visit!

Oh man!
:(
Oh well, luckily the list refreshed itself fairly quickly (because there are so many people signing up now)...

Haha...
Anyway, there are better things to do than to worry about such things, right?


Hugs,
J

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

Pho Goodness

A nice place to have a big bowl of beefy pho goodness...

[ BEGIN EDIT ]
(June 2009)

Oops. Sorry! Forgot to update that Du Viet has moved locations to Damansara Uptown(It's been a while actually *blush*)...

Here are the details of the new outlet:
Du Viet (Damansara Uptown)
41A & 43A Uptown 37
Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7726 8101
(Upstairs, neat the 99 Speedmart/ the row with the HSBC Bank)

Also, you can check this link out for some more updated reviews.

Hugs,
J

[ END EDIT ]


The Lunch
One weekend afternoon, me and P felt like having a nice light lunch and he suggested going to Du Viet... This local restaurant chain has slowly expanded over the years from its original outlet in Damansara Jaya with 2 new outlets in Sunway Pyramid and Bangsar Village.

That afternoon, me and P went to the original outlet in DJ, which is located on the same row as Domino's Pizza in the old Atria shopping center area:
The exterior of Du Viet, Damansara Jaya....
Overall, the decorations at Du Viet are definately not lavish but it feels very down to earth and comfortable (.. a nice place for a casual meal):
The interior of Du Viet....
There seems to be a good variety of dishes on the menu, with many choices of starters, noodle and rice dishes. We chose to start our meal with the mixed rolls:
The Mixed Rolls....
There are basically 3 types of rolls in there: 2 "summer rolls" (one chicken and one beef) and 1 deep fried spring roll, served with a savoury peanut dip and a sweet/sour chili dip.

The rolls were a nice, simple way to start the meal.....
If I had to choose a favourite though it would definately be the Chicken Summer Roll - the "skin" of the roll was light and the chicken was well marinated, with a delicious lemongrass taste.
(All 3 rolls went very well with both the peanut and chili dip)

There are also some interesting drinks there. We tried the Minty Soda and the Fresh Lime Juice:
The Minty Soda and the Fresh Lime Juice....
Ok, so the Fresh Lime Juice really wasn't that special...
(In fact it was too sweet for my taste buds)
... but if you like the taste of fresh mint with a little fizz to it, the Minty Soda is absolutely delicious.

As for the mains, we tried the Vietnamese Pancake and the classic Vietnamese Beef Noodles:
The
Vietnamese Beef Noodles and the Vietnamese Pancake....
They were both yummy!
:)
The pancake was light and fluffy (although an eencey-weencey bit too oily) and went well with the tasty topping of minced chicken, prawns, egg and taugeh.
(There are also a variety of optional toppings like mint leaves and other vegetables on the side that you can add on if you like).

And the beef noodles - MMMMmmmmm.
Although it's stated that it comes with beef balls, beef slices and tripe - I opted not to have the tripe.
(I just don't like animal innards in general - they're too squiggly for me)

The beef soup was wholesome and savoury without being overpowering, and the kuey teow served with it had a nice smooth texture. There were also a generous serving of beef balls and beef slices with it...
(The only downside for me was that the beef slices were just a bit overcooked/ tough but this is still something I wouldn't mind ordering again)

Du Viet is also pretty authentic in the way that they serve the optional additions of taugeh, basil, mint and a slice of lemon on the side - you can add as much as you like of each to the beef noodles.

After all that, we were pretty full so we didn't try any of the desserts.
(Sorry....)

The friendly owner of the restaurant kindly informed us that they would be relocating from Damansara Jaya to Damansara Uptown in about 2 to 3 months time... but had no other confirmed details for now.
(I'll update when I find out more)

So, it's: Pretty good food for the price, good variety, friendly service and down to earth dining ambience BUT hmmm, not many downsides except that sometimes it can be hard to find parking (all 3 outlets).

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Du Viet Cafe and Restaurant @ SS22, Damansara Jaya, PJ

Taste: 7
Ambience : 7
Service : 7
Price** : RM35++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks

Damansara Jaya outlet
Telephone No.: 03-7728 9262
Opening Hours: 11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

Bangsar Village outlet
Telephone No.: 03-2283 5794
Opening Hours: 11.30am till late

Sunway Pyramid outlet
Telephone No.: 03-7492 0018
Opening Hours: 11.30am till late

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- After Giovanni
- Precopis Pea
- Pillow Talk with Bangsar-bAbE


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Du Viet, Vietnamese, Beef Pho, Damansara Jaya, SS 22, DJ, Petaling Jaya

I Need A Break

If only I could go away right now and have a holiday (and time & budget were not constraints):
1) Exotic Beach Holiday in Mauritius
I am so pale from all the hours spent in the office.
(I'm usually in office just after the sun rises and I leave for home well after the sun sets so how not to be totally pallid?)
:(
I miss having a nice healthy tan - and what better way to get one then by (putting on a little sunscreen) and lying on a towel on top of a beautiful white sandy beach, surrounded by clear blue waters (and a margarita in hand).

2) Holiday of Gluttony in Hong Kong:
Yummy yummy dim sum.
Delicious rice and noodle dishes.
Mmmmmm.... *drool*
I had a lot of fun eating (and shopping) the last time I went to HK and I'd really like to go back again some time soon. It's an unfortunate side effect that I gained about 5 pounds the last time I was there, but it was worth it!

3) Cultural Extravaganza in France:
I have been to Paris once before when I much younger.... but it was with my parents in a typical tour group sort of experience so I didn't get to really see very much at all.
Anyway, I've promised myself that before I die, I've got to see with my own eyes what's so great about the Mona Lisa and all those other things at the Louvre.


If all else fails, a day of slothful relaxation in my own comfy bed will do.
:)

Anyway, sorry for lack of updates on restaurants and food.... I've been super busy at work.

Till then.......


Hugs,
J

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

It's All About Balance

HOORAY..!:
1) It's Wednesday!
2) I had an important presentation at work today and I didn't mess up!
(Ok - except for one tiny typo)

BOO....!:
1) P suddenly cancelled dinner date.
2) I am so broke after impact of Mother's birthday (Nov), Christmas (Dec), Father's birthday (Jan), Italy holiday & Valentine's Day (Feb), Mother's Day & P's birthday (May).
(And Father's Day is coming up soon!)

Well, one has to cherish the small joys in life and just try to look at everything in a positive manner, right?
Like for example:
1) Since P cancelled dinner then I have more time to rest tonight.
2) Since I am so broke:
a) I have to cut down on expenses like food so I will lose weight.
b) I cannot afford to buy a house this year and rent it out as extra income/investment like I planned to, so no extra taxes for me this year.

So, it's all good then.
:)
Haha...


Hugs,
J

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

Weekend Recap

Good morning!
:)
I had a very gluttonous weekend, with the usual Saturday night dinner (we went to Alexis this week) and a special once a year pig out session on Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day.

This year, my mum wanted to go for Japanese buffet so we chose to go to Kampachi at the Equitorial Hotel, KL. Overall, I didn't really enjoy myself too much.... Don't get me wrong - the food was pretty good for a buffet (both variety and taste-wise) but it was a total warzone!

There were HORDES of people.
And not just normal people, but hordes of typical thick skinned kiasu Chinese ah bengs and ah lians who had no qualms in emptying out the entire content of the buffet tray onto their plates.
(Some of those stacks were amazing! Totally gravity defying!)

The ones who weren't as skillful in stacking even had the audacity to fill up their plates, hand it to their equally thick skinned family member/ friend who happened to be passing by and help themselves to more food.

*sigh*
Oh well....
At least my mum enjoyed herself.
(We made sure she didn't have to go out to battle for food - me, P and my dad went to get the food and served her the whole time there)
She also really liked the present I gave her...
(Unfortunately it cost about 1/5 of my monthly wages but hey, it's worth it for my mummy dearest.... )
:)

BTW, here's a useful tip when dining at Alexis Ampang: Never arrive late for dinner.
Why?
Well, they have a few very strict rules:
1) Only people who are going to have dinner can book tables.
2) They will release your table if you don't come within 15 minutes of your booking
3) Any members of your table who arrive at 9.01 pm onwards will be charged RM25 cover charge, even if they only came there to eat and have no interest whatsoever in watching the live band/ international singer that starts at 10.30pm.

So, there - keep all that in mind if you don't want to end up paying cover charge just to eat dinner at Alexis.

I think that's all for now...

Hugs,
J

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

To The Max!

One of the latest additions to gastronomic landscape of the Tengkat Tong Shin area....

Hmmmm,.... I seem to be going to the Tengkat Tong Shin/ Bukit Ceylon area quite a lot for dinner these days - I hope that you all are not bored already!
:)

This time, we tried out a fairly new restaurant which has opened up (somewhere opposite Frangipani) called Max! Kitchen and Wine....

The Dinner

This fusion restaurant is split into 2 levels in a cosy shophouse in the main Tengkat Tong Shin area:
Restaurant interior....
I liked the simple and modern finishings there...
Although the restaurant area is actually pretty small inside, they have taken care not to have the tables too close to each other so it doesn't feel cramped at all.
(There are also a few tables outside for open air dining)

Maybe I'm easily amused but I liked the small touches there like the unusual plates that they used. Sneexe liked them very much too - here she is showing her plate off:

So cute....! :)
The menu at Max! is actually fairly limited but everything sounds really delicious. After some deliberation, we chose the Mushroom Salad and the Seared Tuna to start off our dinner:
The Seared Tuna and the Mushroom Salad....
I liked the Salad as the Mushrooms were nice: they were lightly grilled and bursting with flavour - paired well with the fresh greens and simple dressing.
(P complained that it's not really worth the price - approx. 20 bucks - but hey, Porcini mushrooms are expensive lah)

The Seared Tuna was also nice: The thick tuna slices were very fresh and had been seared ever so lightly - leaving it tender and juicy and was served with a nice sauce which had a sour tang to it.
(I usually hate the taste and texture of raw fish/ sashimi but somehow this was ok)

As for the mains, we tried the Braised Wagyu Beef, the Cod with Orange Sauce and the Lamb Cutlets:

Clockwise from top: The Lamb, the Fish and the Beef....
Overall, all the mains were nice.
(The prices are not cheap but the serving sizes are ok)

The Cod was interesting - the creamy sauce had a hint of orange flavour that went well with the succulent fish.

The Lamb Cutlets were tender and tasty - lamb lovers should definately not miss out on trying this! P (who's a lamb addict) really liked this dish and I could only manage to coerce him to let me have 2 bites.
:(

As for the dish I had - the Wagyu beef - it was good but not great.
I think I was expecting too much because all this time I have heard stories on how Wagyu is the most (expensive and) tender beef in the world - so tender that it will just melt in your mouth. Still, it was pretty tender (although it did not "melt in my mouth") and I wouldn't mind ordering it again if I have RM60++ to spare.

We were there to celebrate Al's birthday that night so I didn't try any of the desserts.
(Sorry - had to leave some room in my tummy for the birthday cake)
:)

So, it's: Tasty food, good serving size for the price, attentive and friendly waiters, cosy dining area BUT small selection of food and wine.

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Max! Kitchen and Wines @ Tengkat Tong Shin, KL

Taste: 7
Ambience : 7
Service : 7
Price** : RM70++ per person
Parking: Difficult

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-2141 8115
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays: 11am to 3pm, 6pm till late, Sat to Sun: 6pm till late

NO PORK SERVED

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Max!, Italian, Bukit Ceylon, Tengkat Tong Shin, Max! Kitchens and Wines

Mini Food Update

I accidentally discovered a good deal at the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur....
(It's such a nice surprise when your bill comes back with a discount that you didn't know about at first)

Anyway:
As a pre-renovation special, Villa Danieli is offering a 30% discount off food and drinks when you use your Citibank Visa card!
(Only until the end of May 2007)

So, now you can go and try out the yummy Italian food there for a cheaper price!
:)
*yay*

Ok.
I need to do work now.
(And btw, I am not receiving any payment for posting this up - I just thought it's a pretty good discount... unless you have the Starwood Hotels membership card, that is - you can get up to 50% discount with that so it's even better)

Note: Villa seems to be very popular nowadays so please make a booking or risk disappointment when you try to just walk in and get a table.


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

Will The Real Mothers' Day Please Stand Up

Pening lah!
So many sources with differing information:

My company newsletter tells me that Mother's Day in Malaysia is on the 19th of May...

However, this website says that it's on the 13th of May instead....

... and lastly, this website begs to differ, stating that it is on the 10th of May....

So when is it really?
*confused*


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

I'm Shrinking

It's weird.
After I last updated my blog, all the fonts on the main page and side bar have shrunk (except the latest post).
:(

Just can't figure it out...
I've tried adjusting the font size in the Template function but no matter what I do, the fonts on the latest post are a bit bigger than the rest.
*sigh*

Does anyone have any clue what's gone wrong?

Anyway, the 2 days of public holiday (Labour Day and Wesak Day) just flew by.
I actually didn't do too much though, but it was very relaxing to sleep in a little more than usual and just hang out with P.
:)

I do hope that the rest of you had a good break too.


Hugs,
J

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