Sinful Teatime @ Delicious, Bangsar Village 2, KL

Giving in to small indulgences at Bangsar Village 2...

We had our darling friend Arlene and Diana visiting from Singapore (*HUGS* Hi, my dear Merlion..) so us girls went for a relaxing day out - a massage at Thai Odyssey then a tea time makan and chit chat session at Delicious, BV2...

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Delicious had further expanded their menu, now having a lot more variety for their mains as well as an extensive snack/ side dish selection.

One such dish that stood out to us was the Chilli con carne cheese fries (RM 15.90++):
"Come on baybeh... *purr* You know you want me....."
Oh man, now that's what you call comfort food.... :) :)
- Chunky fries, slightly starchy but not bad,
(Actually, I think the fries they usually use are shoe string fries, but since they ran out that day, we swapped for chunky fries...)
- a layer of chunky tomato based meat sauce, and
- topped with a yummy, gooey cheese...
(NO! DON'T ASK ME HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN IT! I don't know and I don't want to know... *lol*)

Oh and another interesting find, just a few few metres away, we spotted the new Delicious Gelato booth:
New Delicious gelato booth, with my friend Jo modelling next to it.....
They have a variety of tempting gelato flavours ranging from RM8 to RM10, from the playful Bubblegum to the Asian Black Sesame, the unusual Horlicks to the classic Mango sorbet:
LOL.....
I wanted to try something very different, so I chose the Mojito flavour that day:
Alcoholic ice cream?.....
My ice cold Mojito! (RM10):
All mine.....
OK.
It may be a bit of an acquired taste (fairly strong taste of mint leaves and basil?) but I liked it... and the texture was nice - creamy but light. :)
(Am very curious about the rest of the flavours and I'm hoping to drop by again soon to try them...)
(Oh, warning: The nice lady at the ice cream counter said that they are closing down for a while starting from (around) 1 March onwards for renovations? Not sure how long they'll be closed but I'll keep an eye out....)

Summary Information:
Delicious @ Bangsar Village 2, KL

Opening Hours: 11am till late
Phone: 03-2287 1553/4
Address: GF-1, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village II, 2 Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru, 59100, Kuala Lumpur

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
-


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, KL, Bangsar Village 2, BV2, Delicious Cafe by Ms Read, Cakes, Gelato, Tea Time

Yummy Brekkie @ Pasar Imbi, KL

Treasure trove of good food in the bustling KL area...

Pasar Baru Bukit Bintang?
Imbi Market?
Pasar Imbi?

Whatever you want to call it, this wet market+dry market+food court on Jalan Melati (just off the bustling Jalan Imbi/ Bukit Bintang area) is a great location to fill your bellies with an array of affordable, delicious food.

It's just a simple set up, tar road flooring and zinc sheet roofing - outlined by a run down brick wall, and slightly sheltered by towering, majestic trees lining the road:
Outside the market.....
Inside, it's a snaking mish mash of stalls selling everything from clothes to meat/fish to vegetables to cookies (in roughly segregated sections):
Market fashion?.....
The highlight for me (of course) is the array of food stalls:
Choices, choices.....
There are many "famous" foods here, one being the Curry Noodles.... but arriving at 11.30am on a Sunday (which is considered very late) was a mistake as they were completely sold out of that already. :(

So - First warning: A lot of stalls tend to run out of food and close if you come after 11am.
(It was however, considerably easier to find a table at that time, which I hear can be a bit of a nightmare during "peak hours"...)

Anyway, I settled for Pork Noodles (RM4?) from another stall instead:
Babi-licious.....
Verdict?: I likeeeee.... :)
- the soup was savoury and sweet,
- the kuey teow was soft and silky, and
- the accompanying slices of chinese sausage and pork meatballs were delicious too.
(Admittedly, it was difficult to fully enjoy this as the sun was scorching that day,... and the heat trapped by the zinc roofing above made me feel like I was being slowly roasted in an oven...)
(So, here's the Second warning!: It can get uncomfortably hot there if you venture anywhere close to mid-day)

Another famous food option there is the Hainanese Cham (mixed tea and coffee), as well as the Roti Kahwin....
- The Hainanese Cham (RM 2?):
A mix of coffee & tea.....
Whether you choose it to be served hot or cold, this drink tastes good - the flavours of tea and coffee are both evident but complementary, and the texture is sort of frothy...
(We think they probably "tarik" it....)

The Roti Kahwin (RM 1.50? each):
Carbs+Sugar+BUTTER!.....
Oh man. I feel (almost) guilty for having eaten this, but how could I resist?
- Fluffy bread, grilled till slightly crisp on the outside,
- slathered with a generous layer of fragrant home made kaya, and
- cushioning a small slab of slightly cold and salty butter.

Most of all, the mix of sensations (warm bread against the cold but melting butter), and flavours (sweet kaya against the salty butter) really did it for me....
*drool*
(Ok. But to be fair, the bread was just a tad starchy. Other than that, no complaints)

(Finally - Third warning!: The "uncle" selling these is a bit eccentric and quite gruff so stay calm and don't aggravate him... I'm pretty sure he doesn't mean it in a bad way...)

We also shared a plate of Chee Cheong Fun (RM 3?):
CCF - another classic Malaysian dish.....
We opted to have it plain, with some curry sauce (although there are a variety of Yong Tau Foo type things that you can choose to top it with).

Overall, it was nice - noodles were slightly sticky but smooth, and the mix of sweet black sauce, some fragrant curry sauce and topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds was simple but good.

What a day! - I am so happy that Diana and Arlene brought me here..
:)
(THANKS, BABES! *hugs* - this poor PJ girl had no idea this place existed! Haha....)
(Can't wait to revisit to try out the curry noodles & more....)


So, it's: Delicious array of yummy local food at really affordable prices, just off the main KL city center area BUT can be quite uncomfortable - hot, noisy, packed (you have to keep your expectations in check please), service is erratic (some stall owners are gruff, whilst others are really nice) and surrounding area can get quite jammed during week day peak hours.....

Summary Information:
Various stalls @ Pasar Besar Imbi/ Imbi Market

Opening Hours: (approx.) 6am till 12noon
Phone: -
Address: Jalan Melati, off Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur

(MOSTLY) NOT HALAL

And because I am hopeless at directions (in this part of KL especially), here's a Google Map on how to get there:

View Larger Map

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Life of a Lil Notti Monkey
- Joan the Food Lover
- Masak-Masak
- Ahmok.com
- Nine 3 Nine 3
- It's Mie!
- all aboard the Gravy Train


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, KL, Bukit Bintang, Jalan Melati, Pasar Baru Bukit Bintang, Imbi Market, Curry Mee, Local Malaysian Food, Chinese, Cheap & Afforable

Sunrise

There's beauty around you, just slow down and open your eyes....

It was just another normal work day, and as usual I was getting ready to go to the office.... when a sliver of a vivid mix of orange, red and purple hues caught my eye through the curtains....

Curious, I slowly opened the curtains, and let out a soft, happy sigh as I saw the gorgeous colours of the sun etched across the sky:
Took my breath away.....
Sure, it wasn't an exotic landscape - just a highway and some apartments,... but I couldn't help but to just stand there, transfixed by the sight of the world being slowly woken up by gentle yet completely stunning sunbeams....

... and then I rushed off because I realised I was going to be late for work.

Hope you liked the photo. Happy Friday!
:)


Hugs,
J

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

Siem Reap (Part 3)

Desktop holiday for you: Asian Edition - happy days travelling with friends in beautiful Siem Reap (Part 3)....

Going through my Siem Reap photos, I realised that I missed posting on a few more interesting places, so here I go with my 3rd (very delayed) round of Siem Reap holiday photos.... :)

The famous Tomb Raider temple - Angkor Thom

It actually doesn't look very impressive from the outside:
Walking up to Angkor Thom.....
It gets better inside, with the rustic temple dappled by sunlight/ shadows...
(I bet this place is super eerie at night though!):
Just inside.....
The highlight is the amazing foliage - trees huge like Titans... with their roots spread far and wide, enveloping parts of the temple walls like a beautiful but haphazard tapestry:
Look at the size of that tree.....
There's still lots of rubble stacked around, as temple restoration works are not complete:
Not yet complete.....
If you look closely, there are really intricate (but slightly deteriorated) carvings all over the temple:
Faces in the stone.....
Here's a really interesting carving! - the hidden dinosaur:
RAWR.....
One last look - one of the trees, set against the gorgeous blue sky:
Beautiful day.....
So, no Angelina Jolie (in skintight outfit and guns) spotted anywhere around the temple *lol*.... but it was one of the more interesting temples that we saw in Siem Reap - really stood out to me!
(There are thousands of temples in Siem Reap but this has to be on the "must visit" list...)
:)


Hugs,
J

THE REST OF THE SET - J'S SIEM REAP 2009 PHOTOS:
- Siem Reap 2009, Part 1
- Siem Reap 2009, Part 2
- Siem Reap 2009, Part 4
- OR go to J's Main Travel Page for more options. :)


TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Travel,Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal- OR gp to J's Main Travel Page for more options.

Secret of Louisiana @ Plaza Kelana Jaya, PJ

Cajun restaurant in a new-ish commercial area in Kelana Jaya...

Wow. This place is so near to where I live and I had never checked it out....
(*blush* What kind of food blogger am I, right? Haha...)

Anyway, Louisiana is a new-ish restaurant in the Plaza Kelana Jaya commercial area (built around where Kelana Jaya Seafood used to be). It's still quite quiet, with not all the shop lots occupied, so the great side effect is that parking is relatively easy to find:
A few steps away from the restaurant....
There is a nice al fresco dining area at the restaurant, next to lake...
(Good for a romantic dinner date? V Day is just past but it's never too late...):
Covered, but open air dining area outside....
The menu had a good variety but was strangely, weighted towards Italian food. Anyway, we decided that since we were at a Cajun restaurant, we should choose well, Cajun food lah.

So, we started with the Seafood Gumbo (RM 19.90++):
Our gumbo....
Recommended by SooJ, this dish did not disappoint - a rich, cheese-y, savoury start to our dinner. :)
(Went well with the crunchy garlic bread on the side, but be careful - I suspect this dish can induce jelak-ness due to how heavy it is)

For our main, we shared the Special Mixed Grill (RM 38.90++):
A platter of protein....
Overall, not bad:
- grilled fish: The simple slice of dory(?) really stood out to me... Sprinkled with spices and grilled till crisp on the outside but still tender inside. Yummy! :)
- grilled prawns, chicken and lamb cutlets: Not bad. Medium tenderness and fairly tasty.

We also had the Seafood Jambalaya (RM 29.90++):
Carb overdose?....
Um, this tasted like seafood paella cooked with a tomato based sauce - maybe my tastebuds are not clever enough to pinpoint whatever special Cajun spices they used in this?

Don't get me wrong though - it tasted pretty good if you're looking for a hearty, carb-y meal. Just watch out for the killer sour slices of lemon hidden inside the rice.
(Accidentally bit into one and was like ">_<")
(Pat sort of laughed at me then he accidentally ate one too... Haha... )

For dessert, we chose the Mango and banana crumble (RM 13.90++):
Our dessert....
Overall, it wasn't great but it wasn't really bad either - sweet and sour chunks of fruits under a slightly starchy layer of pastry, and topped with vanilla ice cream.

Worth a mention is the Golden Margarita (RM 24++) that I boozed on that night:
Yay for alcoholic beverages!....
Not bad! :)
Had some kick to it (although would have preferred more *lol*)....

So, it's: Simple but nice ambience at the side of a (man made) lake, fairly wide range of Italian and Cajun food for reasonable prices, friendly waiters BUT desserts are only just ok, and not sure exactly how authentically Cajun it is (can't comment much, never been to that part of the US)....

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

The Secret Of Louisiana @ Plaza Kelana Jaya, PJ
Block D-01-01, Jalan SS7/13A, Plaza Kelana Jaya, 47301 PJ

Taste: 6
Ambience : 7
Service : 7
Price** : RM50++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7875 5230
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat - 11.30am till late, Sun - 5.30pm till late

Website: Click here

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Yummy Yummy - Malaysia Food
- D Daily Dose
- www.adriantai.com

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Secret Of Louisiana, Cajun, KJ, Plaza Kelana Jaya

Siem Reap (Part 2)

Desktop holiday for you: Asian Edition - happy days travelling with friends in beautiful Siem Reap (Part 2)....

I know it's very delayed, but hope you don't mind.... Here's the continuation of the photos from my Siem Reap holiday in 2009. :)

Sunset on one of the temples - Phnom Bakheng

After a 20 minute walk uphill (uneven dirt track, sheltered by trees), we arrived at the temple base proper... Then, (as commonly found in Siem Reap), we had to tackle climbing up a few flights of really steep stairs:
Steep. Really steep.....
When we asked our guide why all the stairs were so narrow and steep, he explained that (you'll have to take his word for it): "It symbolises the ascension to holiness/ heaven, and of course, that is never an easy journey!"....

Haha... That's interesting! :)

Anyway, we got there pretty early, so we sat down and rested our weary feet while waiting for the sun to set:
Sun slowly going down.....
(And what weary, dusty feet they were too! Haha...)
Eek.....
Soon, the hordes arrived and settled down as well:
Hundreds of people atop the temple.....
One really brave guy climbed up one of the temple columns to try to get the best possible view.....
(Siao!)
(He was pestered to come back down by one of the temple attendants soon after):
Perched precariously.....
Oi. Please get your head out of the way! >_<
(Inconsiderate and very tall gwailo blocking a lot of people's view)
Halo effect?.....
Finally, what everyone was waiting for:
The sunset.....
We sat enjoying the beautiful changing colours of the sky until the sun disappeared over the horizon, and then walked briskly down the hill with flash lights in hand...
(It started getting dark very quickly and there is little to no lighting installed anywhere....)

Hmmmmmm... looking back, it was nice but I guess it's really just another of those tourist-y things...
(Oh well, am still glad I made the journey anyway)


Hugs,
J

THE REST OF THE SET - J'S SIEM REAP 2009 PHOTOS:
- Siem Reap 2009, Part 1
- Siem Reap 2009, Part 3
- Siem Reap 2009, Part 4
- OR go to J's Main Travel Page for more options. :)


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

The Chaos Of Yee Sang

Can be messy but definitely fun....

What a fun night out with everyone (you know who you are *HUGS*) at Green View....
(Thanks to Jek for organizing!)
(And thanks to Mr B.E. for being the the life of the party that night! Haha...)

The calm before the storm:
Pretty Yee Sang, ready to be "loh"-ed.....
Attack!:
Who can "loh" highest??.....
The aftermath:
Um... quite messy, hor?.....
The cause of the chaos?:
Lol. Hi Jack, nice to see you again......
The merry band of gourmands, gluttons and drunkards:
YUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMM SENG! X200.....

Anyway, just want to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Chinese New Year - Hope the year of the Tiger brings happiness, good health and good fortune to you and your loved ones. :)

GONG XI FA CAI!


Hugs,
J

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

Dave's Pizza, Pasta & Grill @ One Utama

One of the few non-Halal restaurants in One Utama Shopping Centre's old wing....

[ BEGIN EDIT ]
(May 2010)

1) Major Renovations at Dave's Now
They are investing a (reportedly) freaky amount of money to make the restaurant ambience nicer+more comfortable... So, keep your eyes peeled for when they reopen on Thursday, 10 June 2010. :)

2) Great Weekdays Promotions
(Look out for this when it's back open in June!)
50% off all pastas (except specialty pastas).
Available: 12noon - 5pm, Mon till Fri.

If you would need any inquiries regarding reservations please don't hesistate to write to them at davespizza@yahoo.com.


Signing off.
J

PS/ Thanks to Mr Darren Chin for the update. :)

[ END EDIT ]


My goodness - this non-Halal restaurant has actually been in One Utama for years, but this is the first time I've tried it...
(Erm, better late than never?):
Neon lights...
Inside, it's comfortable but very dimly lit... Romantic lighting? I guess so:
Kinda dim inside...
Overall, the ambience is normal, I guess - not many distinctive features. Check out the interesting B&W photos on the wall though:
Pervy magic trick?...
It's a man making spaghetti magically appear from a lady's cleavage??? *LOL*

Anyway, they have a decent range of Italian food (pizzas, pastas, etc) and a few fusion options (eg. Green curry spaghetti). We didn't feel very experimental that night, so we started off with the Oxtail soup with Red Wine (RM 28++), which is supposed to be one of their specialties:
The oxtail soup...
Overall, the soup was good:
- robust flavour: meaty and spicy (as in spices, not chilli),
- thick but not gloop-y texture, and
- the meat was tender (pretty much falling off the bone).
(Still, it's pretty expensive! - Almost 30 bucks)

Next up, the Stuffed Mushrooms (RM 20++):
Our plate of stuffed mushrooms...
Fresh mushrooms + Bits of Bacon + Cheese. *J is happy*
(It was pretty simple, but done well - would definitely order these again...)

For my main, I tried the Spaghetti Bolognese with Smoked Sausage (RM 28++):
Italian noodles...
Good points: It's decently priced for that size of serving, and I liked the savoury yet slightly tart tomato based sauce.
Bad points: Tasted like slices of supermarket sausages. :(

Thankfully, the Baked Cod with Squid Ink Spaghetti (RM 60++) fared much better:
The baked cod...
It's one of their speciality pastas so as you can see, the price is in a whole different range (double the price!)... but there was a pretty generous piece of tender, tasty cod atop some yummy al dente pasta so it was a good eat.
:)

It's not that I wasn't full by then but can't not have dessert, right? *greedy grin* - we chose the classic Italian Tiramisu (RM 15++):
The dessert...
It turned out ok, but was just a little too sweet for me.
Also, texture-wise I thought it was a tad like panna cotta, which I didn't quite like since this is supposed to be a tiramisu...
(Strange? A bit...)

Belly bulging, I rolled myself over* to GSC to watch Legion a.k.a The Angel & Humans vs Zombies cliched horror movie. All in all, a good night out. :)
(*Again, I completely overate! *sigh* Am too greedy, I know.........)


So it's: Decent range of non-Halal Italian food - some with fusion elements, friendly service BUT ambience is just ok, some hits and misses on the menu and the price is a little on the high side for some dishes....

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Dave's Pizza, Pasta & Grill @ Ground Floor, One Utama Shopping Centre (Old Wing, near Burger King)

Taste: 7
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM 70/++ per person
Parking: Difficult on weekends

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7725 4017
Opening Hours: 10am till late

NOT HALAL

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Alimento Para Todos
- Livin' Life
- Winnie Kepala
- Scrumptious Eats and Travels
- ahmok.com

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, One Utama Shopping Center, 1 Utama, Daves Pizza, Pasta & Grill, Italian,Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, KL, Kuala Lumpur

Double Jeopardy

I don't particularly like this time of year....

It just occurred to me today:
- On Valentine's Day 2010, I will be single....
- And because it'll also be the first day of CNY 2010, I'll be surrounded by a small horde of well meaning relatives, who will ask about and loudly lament the fact that I am still not yet married to a nice man and am completely behind schedule on popping out the requisite 2 (or more) kids.

Oh yay.
=_=
I've actually reached a point where I'm pretty happy being single, and I know they only ask because they care, but aiyoh, sometimes cannot tahan lah.

Especially my parents.
Yes, yes. I know they love me and I love them too.... but my brain almost broke when my mum asked why I don't try out the MCA Cupid Club.

THE MCA CUPID CLUB.*



Trying to prepare herself mentally,
J

* Hmmmmm,.... I wonder what it means when it's come to a point that your mum thinks you should try out a single's club formed by a political party?

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

London Photos (Part 4)

Desktop holiday for you... European Edition - London (Part 4)....

Some time during my trip... I felt like getting away from the maddening crowd (eg. here's the crowd at Oxford Street):
So many people, and on a weekday too!
There are quite a few parks in London, whether in the city or a bit further out... but decided to venture to Hampstead Heath.

- Arriving at Hampstead Heath (about an hour away by bus+train+foot):
One of the many parks in London....
- Snack attack... An interesting chocolate bar purchased along the journey:
... but why not? Such a sexist chocolate *lol*....
- Horses! (A circus was setting up in the vicinity):
Stay out!
- Large forest area to amble through:
So pretty.....
- Chilling out on the grass in one of the fields:
Bliss.......

That's the last of my London photos I think....
*looks and sighs*
Damn. Wish I could go back soon.


Hugs,
J


THE REST OF THE SET - J'S LONDON 2009 POSTS:
- London 2009, Part 1
- London 2009, Part 2
- London 2009, Part 3
- OR go to J's Main Travel Page for more options. :)


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