SyingK

Valentine's look

2012-02-13T15:57:00.000+08:00

Here is my version of Valentine's look :)

A mixture of soft pastel colors, baby pink and violet together with a hint of champagne peach at the tear ducts. Also, wearing Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in 025 Peach Parfait!

Yay or nay?

What's with Valentine's Day?

2012-02-11T11:44:00.001+08:00

As many already can tell from business promotions/sales and mall deco, Valentine's Day is just around the corner! Make way for Cupid, Choy San Yeh! :P

source

Now that we're old enough to understand that Valentine's Day is much more than just exchange of gifts, or the search for a date to a special evening, do you know how Valentine's Day came about?

Valentine History 101:

As we know it, St. Valentine's Day, celebrated in February also known as the month of romance, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. One legend has it that when Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men as he assumed that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. Valentine, a priest who served during the third century in Rome realized the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to wed young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Another legend continued the story: The imprisoned Valentine found himself falling in love with a young girl, possibly his jailor's daughter - who visited him during his confinement, and actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine" which until today, still is an expression commonly used by lovers. Although the truth behind the Valentine legend is murky, the stories emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and romantic figure. Hence, as a tribute to such sacrificial love, many lovers from all over the world celebrate what we know now as 'Valentine's Day' and by the middle of the 18th century, it was getting more and more common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection such as handwritten notes, cards.

Did you know?

Approximately 150 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas!

(Source)

However, personally I find Valentine's Day these days too highly overrated/commercialized at some point! I mean, it is great to show extra affection to loved ones, but there is a saying 'Why wait for Valentine's Day to actually show it? That should be done from time to time everyday.' In fact, some businesses took the opportunity to oversell their products through V-day specials by either marking up the prices or promotions, which when you analyze in detail… causes you to spend more than you would.

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Beautiful, but just not worth it. :(

Best example: Bouquet of roses or whichever flower for that matter! As long as it is Valentine's Day, those arranged stalks with attached petals (for now) shall cost as much or even more than a decent dinner. Therefore, I would never succumb to feeling pressured to ask for one as I find it rather ridiculous when the price tag is flipped over. In fact, I've never received flowers as a form of gift but its okay, just take me out for dinner! I like food better than flowers anyway! :D (Omg, what a pig =.= )

But I like gifts (who doesn't?! hehe)… just not the ones that will wilt and die within a week. In my humble thoughts, V-day should be made of small tokens of thoughts rather than gifts with to-die-for price tags. They just seem much more thoughtful and a tad bit more sweeter when it is self-made or has sentimental meanings attached that only you both know of. After all, it is just another common holiday.

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Even small humorous notes will do :3

Yes, we are very loving...

As for me, I wouldn't know if I should call it a blessing in disguise or otherwise for Mr.V's birthday falls on… yup, you guessed it, February the 14th and it always, without a doubt gives me pre-Valentine's Day stress every year! As some would call it a blessing because I get to sum up the birthday budget together with V-day all in one, I would always try to separate both occasions. I would get him a birthday gift, but make him something for Valentine's Day, be it dinner or something handmade. Sometimes the other way around. Unless, I got him something so huge and over-budget that it covers for both! :P

Considering how much a birthday-hippie I am (because I love celebrating birthdays, especially making someone else's special day even more special!), it pains me to say this but celebrating the 5th Valentine's Day with my high school sweetheart has gotten my brain's thinking juice dry. :( Not because I have stop being enthusiastic towards it but due to the fact that I've gotten almost whatever he needed for the time being. *cracks brain* And, I don't find the point of getting a gift that won't be put into good use but just for the sake of giving. < This, is my pre-Valentine's Day dilemma. =\

But I have an idea, hopefully it is good enough. :)

Wish me luck, Sir Valentine!

All in all,

don't forget to be extra sweet to your loved ones for this coming special Tuesday! #Reminder

Then again, every day should be a Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone :)

Welcoming Paradise Inn @ Sunway Pyramid

2012-02-09T20:40:00.000+08:00

Stewed Pork Belly served with Lotus Bun

In other more amateur words, this is known as the ultimate 'Chinese Burger' (hehe!). I know it is so evil of me to land a tempt-bomb picture at the top of the post, but it deserves to be on top because it was absolutely delicious to indulge in! Juicy, tender pork belly sandwiched in fluffy, soft buns dipped in mouth watering gravy, YUMMZ…

And now, for some proper introduction to where you can track down the yummy dish above...

Poised as a diner's paradise for Oriental cuisine, the Paradise offers gourmet menus of exceptional value in a wide variety of restaurant concepts together with a catering arm. Stepping into Malaysia for the first time, Paradise Inn is the first concept restaurant introduced by Paradise Group that has over 20 restaurants situated all over Singapore alone. Making its way to Malaysia's dining scene is two other culinary concepts; Paradise Dynasty, a more sophisticated Chinese cuisine dining experience and Kung Fu Paradise (Halal), that is said to be more young and chic!

As you can tell by its name, Paradise Inn, goes for a more homey feel in its interior design as it takes on the role of a restaurant, teahouse and dessert house all in one. From the walls, dining tables, to the choices of plates, you can definitely feel the comfort of dining at an inn. Set against a concept that transcends you back to ancient China while wavering between old charm and contemporary Oriental ambience is the all-new Paradise Inn restaurant at Sunway Pyramid.

Private dining rooms

Fitting at least 180 guests at any one time, Paradise Inn also comes equipped with two mid-casual VIP rooms that can comfortably accommodate 10 persons each.

Lavender, Rosemary, Dried Longan & Chrysanthemum
Floral & Herb-Infused Hot Tea

I can be said to be a tea person when it comes to Chinese Cuisine and so, I was very much taken aback at the wide variety of choices Paradise Inn provided just for their teas alone. Tea lovers, such as myself, can indulge in the ample tea combinations made up of flowers, herbs or even fruits! (Yes, fruits!) My choice of Lavender, Rosemary, Dried Longan and Chrysanthemum is said to be beneficial to remove 'heat', restores 'qi', nourishes blood and moistens throat and I knew this suited me most as it felt as though I had a rock in my throat in the last few days. Besides the therapeutic aroma, the taste of every sip had a calming effect. Needless to say, even before the dishes came out, I really enjoyed the experience of the tea alone.

Such a cute tea cup!

I think I figured out why the tea cup was designed to be as so, I really do! I believe that by creating a hollow space in between the tea and the cup, the heat won't be transferred that quickly, and so, our little fingers cupping on the tiny tea cup won't get burnt! What a brilliant innovation, right?! Don't you just hate it when that happens? Like teacup, let my fingers live would ya! :(

Greenie Apple-Cucumber Iced Tea

From the name, I shall assume it tasted refreshing!

Traditional Double-Boiled Soup

After being boiled for long hours with authentic ingredients and superior soup stock for the best benefits, you will never have second thoughts about how tasty and delicious this pot of soup is once you've tasted it! This traditional method of double-boiling allows the goodness of the ingredients to be slowly released into the soup and 'sealed' in for consumption.

Followed by light snacks/appetizers to get our tastebuds ready for more flavors.

Sliced Tea-smoked Duck

Every slice of the tea-smoked duck is tender, juicy and flavorful. It is like chewing on a slice of well-seasoned bacon, but not much straining on the jaws from the excessive chewing. Absolutely delicious! If not for the name of the dish, I wouldn't have know that it is smoked with tea.

Coffee Pork Ribs

Coffee pork ribs, something I am very sure you have not tasted before! Very much like the usual soy sauce pork ribs, but with an extra of the coffee scent and a tad bit of coffee flavor.

Crisp-fried Fish with Preserved Bean Paste

At first glance, due to the super orangey color from the bean paste, I actually thought it was sweet potato! Not until I bite through a piece that my tongue familiarizes itself with the texture of the fish. The fish was still moisturized with flavors despite it being fried, which is a good thing as over-fried meats tend to feel like rocks. =\

Braised Tofu with Crystal Prawns

Paradise Inn makes their tofus fresh daily, and because of their handwork, we diners get to experience a wonderful soft, eggy tofu that just melts in your mouth. Bathed in a small pool of gravy and topped with vege and fresh prawns, this is tofu heaven!

Crisp-fried Shrimp Paste Chicken

Crisp-fried Crystal Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk

Who won't love anything with salted egg yolk?! :D

Crisp-fried Crystal Prawns in Wasabi Mayo Sauce

Another interesting dish from Paradise Inn that caught the attention of many. Unfortunately, I chickened out from tasting this dish because I am not much of a spicy eater, but I was told that diners should save this dish for last as the taste of the Wasabi can overwhelm the taste of other dishes.

Poached Chinese Spinach with Egg Trio and Minced Pork in Superior Stock

Stewed Eggplant with Minced Pork and Salted Fish in Claypot

Supreme Seafood Fried Rice

Added twist to the fragrant fried rice is the fish roe! I would have never thought that the fish roe would be a good combination with mixed with rice as so but somehow, it works! The little 'pops' among the grains of rice really gave that small crunch in the dish. In my whole life, the only way I have my fish roes in is on sushi rolls and that was it… until now. :)

I would definitely have this ordered again when I head back to Paradise Inn with my family.

Braised Vermicelli with Pork Trotters

Moving on to the best chapter of the dining experience…. DESSERTS! :D

Every diner's best friend!

As a dessert house, Paradise Inn prides itself in making their desserts the true, traditional and authentic way. With that, their desserts are made fresh, and it has the traditional taste and texture as how classes desserts of yesteryears should be.

Mango Sago (Chilled)

I had chosen to indulge in something fruity and cold since my tea was floral and hot, so Mango Sago it is! This is one of Paradise Inn's signature desserts and after having a bowl, I can see why. The Mango cream (Well, its not very creamy but its not pudding either?) tasted fresh unlike some dessert house where they used cordial syrup for flavor and color. The dessert was maintained a well balance of sweetness, sourness and also a hint of bitterness from the pomelo pulps.

Here are the other few desserts my fellow foodies had,

Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Lemonade

More suitable for diners who are seeking for something slightly more sour.

Ah Balling (2 pcs) with Red Bean Sago (Warm)

Double-boiled Hashima with Red Dates and Dried Longan (Warm/Chilled)

Paradise Inn, it is truly an old charm with a contemporary twist.

Paradise Inn

Located at LG1 (Blue Zone, New Wing) at Sunway Pyramid.

It is right opposite the new branch of Starbucks Coffee House.

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter

2012-02-08T17:34:00.006+08:00

I remember saying that I was itching so bad for these babies in the recent post… and holy kabookapaloozas!

Them babies are here!!

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter! Peach Parfait (L) / Strawberry Shortcake (R)

I was blog hopping around and I saw a post by fellow blogger, Laura stating that she recently bought hers over at Watson's not too long ago. I was at first in shocked/in denial that Malaysia has finally brought it to the shelves. Every weekend over the past month, I have been eyeing every Revlon counter for the Colorburst Lip Butter lipsticks and there was never a sight of it. Not until I read her post that I found out it is now finally being sold in Malaysia, and so, off I go to grab them at the nearest drugstore!

The feeling of finally having it was as though a kid is finally being rewarded a tube of Choki-Choki after finishing up her broccoli, so rewarding! (Please tell me you remember what in the world is a 'Choki-Choki'… or I should chokey-chokey you! >.< ) Anyway, I remember those times I almost gave up waiting on the Lip Butters to arrive to just purchase the ColorBurst range instead but I guess, good things do come to those who wait a tad bit longer. ;) Also, the Lip Butters are cheaper compared to the Colorburst range (RM32+).

So I've gotten two different colors which I find best suited for my skin tone from Watson's, Sunway Pyramid. One is the 025 Peach Parfait, which is a more nude orange/peach with mild sparkles, suitable for daily wear. And the other is the 080 Strawberry Shortcake, a super adorable baby pink shade that will light up anyone's lips. My only choice, at first was the Peach Parfait because I find it as the easiest shade to wear but after testing out the Strawberry Shortcake, immediate love for the beautiful color and now, it is my favorite instead! :P

What is it & What is it for?
As described in the pamphlet: A softening, smoothing and hydrating balm for baby soft, healthy glowing lips. As it gives color to your lips, it also acts as a moisturizing agent for it contains a combination of Mango, Shea and Coconut butter to naturally soothe your lips. I wouldn't say it acted as a moisturizing agent but it sure is more moisturizing compared to other lipsticks. Love it for the color, not because it is said to moisturize because there are lip balms for that purpose.

Texture?
Creamy and smooth application on the lips. I would go for two/three swipes across to truly project the color because my single swipe didn't seem as pigmented as it looked on other reviews. Maybe after a couple more usage, then it would show its magic?

Smell?
Usually, lipsticks tend to smell horrible/rubber-ish, especially the more pigmented colored ones as it contains more chemicals. However, to my surprise, the Lip Butters come with a hint of Vanilla scent, and with that added plus point, I can say my love towards this range of lipsticks is doubled up! Each and every tube is naturally fragrant with Vanilla Absolute. Look pretty, smell yummy :3

Taste?
Tasteless, just the way it should actually be if you want it safe.

Packaging?
I love how the metal-lookalike body of the Lip Butters look so sleek and chic! The cover however is made out of plastic, which explains the lightness of each tube. Nonetheless, it looks pretty and more individualistic as different shades of the Lip Butters are assigned to different colored covers. This will benefit those who wish to purchase a wider range of colors as you won't need to open up the cap to check which color is which or turn it around to check the name/code. Besides that, Laura pointed out a really good detail on this lipstick packaging, it's 'window'. Like she mentioned, from the small clear plastic 'window' at the top of the cover, you will be able to identify the color as well. However do note that you might want to take extra precaution to not drop your tube of Lip Butter as it seemed pretty fragile due to its plastic cover.

The little top 'windows' for peekaboos ;)

Price?
Selling at RM25 over at Watson's, (Guardian: RM24+), I think it is a pretty awesome buy! Among other good range of lipsticks, the starting prices are usually RM30 and above each tube. Although Guardian sells it slightly cheaper by a few cents, I bought mine at Watson's instead as I could collect points to the member card!

Final thoughts?
Good: Smooth & creamy application, Vanilla scent, Affordable pricing, Light-weighted, easy removal, lips still remained moisturized even after long hours of wearing.

Bad: Fragile body, Limited range of colors in Malaysia (Only 8 made available! >.<), chapped lips probably needs pre-application of lip balm or the cracks will show, needs reapplication after 2/3 hrs.

All in all, still lovin' them! I believe I have never had this much of excitement over lip products, except for these lovely range. :)

You, be excited!

2012-02-06T22:15:00.000+08:00

Holaa!!

Have been rambling enough on the shoe issue! Causing me so much wrinkles on my forehead and fingers due to the overly raged typing in the last post. Thank you all for your concerns, I truly appreciate the comments and personal emails received regarding the matter, much love much love! I'm glad to say that the matter is now finally resolved as she finally refunded me back the other half of the amount after much complaints sent through my emails. Although I didn't believe the jibber-jabbers excuses she gave that the parcel got lost at the post HQ, I couldn't be bothered. Like I've said, just wanted back my money and just needed to warn other fellow online shoppers about this incident. All in all, I am at peace now and shall move on from being bitter about it. :)

Sailing away…

Moving on to the greener side of the grass, I've got exciting news! Recently went for a minor shopping therapy for small priced items to add a few colors into my life and who would have known that though small, little inexpensive things can really pump up your mood if it clicks with your shopping interest! Gonna unwrap them purchases now and get them reviews done ASAP as I need to send poor laptop for repair soon. Mama has been really irresponsible and delaying its visit to the laptop hospital for months now. :(

So, if you're keen for new discoveries for makeup products,

make sure you check in again really soon! ;)

Rage over shoes!

2012-01-31T14:52:00.005+08:00

I am pissed out of my freaking boots!

I was introduced by a friend to an online boutique sometime ago that sells fashion accessories for a reasonable price. Being super tempted and excited every time I see new shoes, I held back thinking it wasn't a good idea to purchase shoes online because I've gotten quite bad outcomes from my other online purchases before this - Those were free size clothes and yet, they managed to screw up by either being in really bad shape, badly colored (faded), holes, etc. But since CNY was coming around in two weeks time, I'd figured that I would try to purchase something from this online store as my friends' orders seemed successful. There were delays but it still managed to arrive. So, two weeks before CNY (5th), I ordered and banked in the money to the boutique's account, and I was set to receive the parcel by 17th January/18th latest.

On the 17th/18th in the following two weeks, nothing arrived. I figured that since they are stationed in another state, the delay might be caused by the post department and the fault wasn't theirs. So I patiently waited until the end of the week. As Friday (20th) went by, then Saturday (21st)… getting closer towards CNY (I was eager to wear them during CNY as I purposely did not shop for shoes at malls just so I'd get these babies instead), still nothing. By then, I've sent out two emails and a Facebook notification to enquire about the delay. Honestly, I don't quite bother about the delay, I understand about the hassle when it comes to postages but just make sure the delay don't pass over 3 days! Plus, its entering CNY! There definitely will be a delay over a week if you missed the last sent out date!

Then came CNY, and after CNY… this was making me super irritated at the fact that I didn't know what the bullocks was going on! No reply, no shoes, no nothing! All I know was I banked in the money into the account and I'm waiting around for the shoes to fall from the sky. FINALLY after CNY (26th), I received an email from the person in charge stating that her laptop had crashed and that she had to go back to her hometown during CNY. Okay, I understand and I accept that reason. As I continue reading the email, I got even more upset with the situation - one pair of my shoe order will not be ready as there is a shortage of raw material so the factory can't produce it. If I could wait, I can only receive it around mid February.

Right away, I couldn't be bothered about the shoes anymore and just wanted a full refund for my purchases. This is mad, I am not going to patiently wait for another month, IF it is a month! So, I replied the email right away, only 3 hrs after. And tadah! Here I am, on the 31st again, nothing in my account increased and no reply email. But wait, that's not it - Here is the pissing off part of the story, I can see their Facebook page filling up with new shoes ready for order and they are replying those who enquire about it!

TELL ME THIS IS TOO MUCH! I have been patiently waiting around and worst, I arranged for the order address to be sent to Mr.V's home instead because I'm usually out and because so, Mr.V's family had to stay home to keep an eye out the entire week so that they will not miss the postman!

For the shoes to come, wait. For a reply email about the delay, wait. For the refund, wait. For the email regarding the refund, ALSO WAIT. Seriously, I think I understood enough about the whole situation (laptop crashing, CNY hometown yada yada) but come on, it is a working week already and it is just a refund! You don't need 5 days to cash in money to other people's account!!

I will not mention the name of the boutique to keep its integrity while they still have it. I am just expressing my utterly pissed off self towards this entire shopping experience. However, I am pretty sure if this incompetent management were to continue, they would finally meet with one fine customer who won't be that patient and kind to their image. I just want my refund and be done with this boutique. No more will I order from here regardless of the season.

UPDATE (1st FEBRUARY 2012) - BOILING BLOOD ATM.

Hello again, I am back with an update on this matter and I can honestly say, I am pushed beyond my limit!! So after 5 days of no reply from the boutique about my refund, today on the 1st of FEBRUARY, I finally get a reply and it made me reach my boiling point!

The owner told me that she DID NOT receive my email regarding the refund or my bank account number AND her partner already sent out the other pair of shoes which I have clearly stated in the email that I do not want anymore but the full refund! Not only that, she had quickly banked in HALF the amount of my full refund for the other pair of shoes today without settling this issue with me first! THIS IS TOO UNPROFESSIONAL!!

I believe I was kind enough to have not trash your name but to say you did not receive my refund email and to quickly transfer half the money back into my account and send out the shoes without properly consulting me, THIS IS TOO MUCH! You have my email, I ALWAYS reply within a few hours, latest at night but I will reply on that day itself. You have my number, CALL IT if you need an answer urgently! There is no reason for such irresponsible behavior! So, screw it, I believe I gave out enough kindness so heck it! See for yourselves how unprofessional this boutique is!

Here are the collection of emails transferred between myself and the boutique! I don't even send that many emails to my own customers from my blogshop, and this is just ONE customer and half of my emails!!

This is the email about my enquiry on the delay. Her apology email on the delay and her informing me about the factory's shortage on materials, only being able to receive the shoes during mid-Feb.

And this is my reply to her email on the delay, requesting for a full refund for BOTH shoes on the 26th itself! Only THREE HOURS AFTER receiving her email.

Again, no reply so I had to email her again on the 31st to enquire about the refund which I clearly state that I wish to have for BOTH shoes in my order (See the email above, I said BOTH shoes!).

And on the first day of FEBRUARY, I got this!

She said she will refund the remaining RM51, but hey, look! She already did without consulting me!

She stated she did not receive my email, her partner sent out the other pair of shoes (which, btw did not arrive either! Don't you think if they really sent it out on the previous week when she tried to settle the delay issue, it would have been already here?!) and vastly banked in half of the amount for the other pair of shoe, FIVE FREAKING DAYS LATER!

First off, Agape Boutique, you should have emailed/call me again if you 'did not receive' my refund email. Secondly, if the issue is not settled, don't freaking send out the order just so you could forcefully undergo the order. Third, it is seriously too much that you vastly bank in the money anyway without consulting if I am alright that you have sent out the other pair and that you could only refund me half the amount!

Dear readers,

I had kept to my word by not revealing the name of the boutique before this but I can't stand the outcome of this matter considering how much patience I have been circulating in my temper. I have personally emailed those who wish to know of the name as it would prevent them the risk of having any similar issues if they were to encounter the same boutique as well. And also, I do not want to trash the boutique's name before giving them the chance to clear the air on this matter. I own an online blogshop myself, it is all about the ethics of the owner. There was never any nonsense of this kind when I run my business! Clearly, I couldn't be bothered about Agape Boutique's name no more as I ran out of patience and how ugly they tried to settle this matter.

If you had a successful purchase from Agape Boutique before, kudos for you. Maybe you are much more luckier than I am. But I will never purchase from them ever again and definitely, will never recommend them to anyone else I know of. I hate being in this situation and I will try my best to prevent any similar situation upon anyone if I have the power to do so (Hence, this post!). So dear online shoppers, I did not have a pleasant experience with this boutique, I think you could be your own judge to whether purchase from them in the future or not.

Tell me what should I do next? Was my patience too kind in amount and is it time for me to bomb the hell out of this shit issue?? You be the judge.

P/S: Here is one of the comments on Agape Boutique I saw online. It is under the section of 'Pre-Orders'. I didn't search further but yeah, my point is proven enough just by my personal experience so there is no need for more search.

Agape Boutique website

Agape Boutique Facebook page

Oh Susanna!

2012-01-28T22:44:00.000+08:00

Hello!

Been away far too long due to the CNY celebration (one week lack of updates! No good no good). I sure hope you readers had a wonderful week of holiday with family and friends. I was having a splendid time driving around town as there were so few cars on the road. Felt as though I was time traveling for a moment as one minute I remember leaving Puchong and within the next 10 minutes, I manage to set foot in PJ; Will definitely miss that next week onwards as work/school resumes for the rest. :(

Over the weekend, I have been trying to incorporate the bright colors of pink/red eyeshadows to create a new color palette for the eyes to wear the CNY spirit. Unfortunately, I failed to find the right colors to match up with pink/red that wouldn't make me look similarly like a Chinese Opera singer. However, there is one set of colors I did like which incorporated the colors of the sunset (Red, Orange, and Gold with a hint of Purple) but after multiple tries, I figured it was too kua-cheong to be worn out just because. Boy, It's hard when inspirations don't reach your brain when you need em'! In the end, I just continue practicing the smokey eyes effect using neutral colors. :(

Anyhoo, this post isn't about me! It's about my friend, Susanna, whom I tried to help by taking portrait shots of her after doing her makeup. :)

Model: Susanna
Theme: Vintage/Casual
Venue: Lakeview park, Subang Jaya

Tadah! Results!

Beautiful girl, ain't she? :)

2012's CNY Haul

2012-01-20T18:40:00.001+08:00

Hello lovelies!

It is crazy jam pack all over town, don't you agree? On the road, in the malls… this is madness! And with the humidity from the blazing hot sun, you just know CNY is around the corner!

The one thing that excites me most about CNY is not just the red packets and the yummy (fattening boo!) cookies but the shopping as well! Usually I would go nuts in the mall as the word 'SALE' tempt me till there's no tomorrow and without fail, I would end up spending more than my budget. *Guilty*

But this year, I'm proud to say that I've spent wayyy lesser than what I have marked for as my budget. If I were to count the days of my shopping adventure, it would be a walkathon in malls for 10 whole days (maybe more) but when thought throughly, the times when I actually bought items stands as many as only 2 days. Had the sudden urge of gung-ho-ness to find exactly what I seek for, and only seek for things that I need.

I'm not much of a themed person, I just buy based on my instincts and the 'if I could still wear them after the CNY celebration' factor. Previous mistakes I've learn from after countless of CNY is to never buy too 'kua-cheong' clothes that you probably will not wear after the festive season. Safe to say that I have been on that 'Been there and done that' boat for so long Momsie gave up trying to fix me, only to let me be, waste more money and learn from my own mistakes the hard way. Got too many sparkly, bombastic colored dresses hanging in my closet that only got to be shown off one or twice, maybe not even once. :(

Anyway, here is my puny and simple CNY haul on the few items I bought to gear me up for the New Year!

This top screams Chinese New Year 'ong'! BWAHAHAHA!

Definitely wearing this on the first day for visiting! I will look like a firework, aunties and uncles will not be able to miss me when they set out to give those red blessings hehe! >:D

Always in love with tribal/dimensional patterned loose tank tops. So comfortable and breezy!

My happiest purchase: Ballet pumps!

I loved these simple, comfortable pumps that I bought two identical pairs but in different colors.

One nude beige and the other is actually a dark red, but the polaroid effect disrupted the image a lil'. I've also ordered another two pairs of shoes online, that is said to be delivered by the 17th/18th… today is already the 20th and it is nowhere to be seen! *emo max* VHERE IZ MEH SHOEZ! :(

Top these items with a pair of Cotton On shorts and two pairs of leggings and that's it! My 2012 CNY shopping haul! Probably the least I've bought over the years but I'm satisfied with it, would have better use of the saved money for a vacation later in the year. :)

As Nicholas Burroughs quoted,

'Minimalism is not the lack of something, it's simply the perfect amount of something'.

On the same note, still looking for a restaurant to dine with your family for CNY?

Read on the three Chinese restaurants I've dined in to widen your choices:

* Si Chuan Dou Hua, PARKROYAL Hotel

* Ee Chinese Cuisine, Eastin Hotel

* West Lake Garden, Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa

In advance, Happy New Year everyone!

May the forces of health, wealth and prosperity be with you… Yoda-style! >:D

Gifted

2012-01-17T16:32:00.003+08:00

Another lovely surprise from Mr.V :)

Sorry bout the lack of updates as I have been busy going out and about for CNY shopping (weekdays; to escape the crowd), family time (weekends; to get those CNY chores done), mornings for bootcamps, afternoons for after bootcamp naps and nights for muscles recovery from bootcamp.

Will be back sooner than you know it!

P/S: I've signed up for a couple of gadgets that allow you of easy updates! Feel free to follow any app available on the sidebar and get reading on the latest posts! ;)

LipSMACKER Classic Watermelon Balm

2012-01-13T21:46:00.006+08:00

Hi, my body is in a coma as 90% of the muscles in my body is aching like there's no tomorrow. There are mornings I wish I didn't have to wake up to because it felt so nice staying in just one spot. Bootcamp session yesterday was bearable, in fact, I am starting to like the whole waking up at 4.30am (The time I usually hit the sack) and exercise my guts out till the sun rise only to chill afterwards during breakfast in the morning. Why did I emphasize 'breakfast in the morning' despite the word carrying the weight of its understood norm by itself? Because my breakfast hours would usually be at 12pm, the time I wake up during holidays without bootcamp. I know, such a slump! >.<

By the time a session ends, you will get a beautiful sight of the sky painted with the colors of a fluffy glittered cotton candy with a hint of the sun's golden glow. The best sight and feel ever! (Mainly because that marks the end of a tiring session :P )

Okay, before I drift even further away from the main purpose of this post… As you can see from the post title, I was given another LipSmackers lip balm for a second review. Much like the Paul Frank LipSmacker lip balm review I did previously, I will be sharing you my love & hate on this product, at the same time, making a comparison with the Paul Frank LipSmacker lip balm :)

What is it & what is it for?
A watermelon flavored lip balm made from natural oils to moisturize your lips on the go. As simple as that!

The balm is made of a beautiful shade of watermelon pink color

Texture?
Unlike the thick and creamy Paul Frank lip balm, this classic LipSmacker balm is light which I find as a plus point to my liking. Also, the application onto the lips is much smoother and I didn't mind have it on my lips because it felt natural! I totally adore the light shade of this particular lip balm and especially the cheerful color! It truly possess the watermelon feel to it, don't you think?

Smell?
Makes you want to eat it up! Really yummy scent to it, as though it is made out of real watermelon. I could just smell it all day long… (^_^)v

Taste?
The lip balm surprisingly has a sweet taste as you lick it off your lips! Not many lip balms have flavors to it and would usually be tasteless or worst, taste like glue. I think I would still have the unconscious -licking issue with this lip balm, not from feeling uncomfortable but rather due to its sweetness! :D

Slightly shorter and fatter compared to the PF lip balm

Packaging?
Me love LipSmacker's packaging - hands down! Don't you just find the packaging so cheerful and cute despite it being simple? This Classic Watermelon lip balm is a tiny bit shorter and fatter as compared to the Paul Frank lip balm, which I think is the ideal size for a lip balm. Due to its thicker body, it feels more solid as compared to the Paul Frank lip balm.

Unfortunately, the twisting mechanism at the bottom remains the same size but there's an upside to this disappointment which is the availability of the 'click' cap head for more security! To me, this upside overshadows the twist issue because I find the top half important than the bottom half. You can't lose the bottom of the lip balm but you can have a hard time finding a replacement for a lost cap head. While the Paul Frank lip balm fell a bit short in its quality, I find this Classic Watermelon did LipSmacker good in that area. :)

Price?

Being sold at common drugstores like Watson's and Guardian, also beauty store, Sasa at the price of RM19+, this Classic Watermelon LipSmacker (4g each tube) is slightly more expensive than the Paul Frank lip balm. I guess with better quality comes with better pricing (for LipSmacker) hehe!

UPDATE (15/1/12): OKAY! So I got the price rechecked at Sasa (Pavilion KL) just now and my mistake, the LipSmacker Classic Watermelon is only RM9.90 and not RM19+. Looks like online prices can't be trusted no more! =\

Final thoughts?

I think this would be a great addition to anyone's makeup bag who seeks for a fun-flavoured lip balm! It looks cute, tastes sweet and has a really nice scent to it! Also, perfect as a gift for those who enjoy fruity lip balms. As the quality of the packaging is slightly better than the Paul Frank lip balm, I think paying a little bit more for this Classic Watermelon wouldn't be a regret although it is quite pricey for just one stick of lip balm. In fact, I wouldn't mind repurchasing another flavor from the LipSmacker Classic collection once this finishes! :)

How to: Clean your makeup brushes!

2012-01-11T23:12:00.005+08:00

Hello lovelies,

I've been wanting a basic set of makeup brushes for months…

… and I was contemplating on which brand to get as my first set; A brand that had to be inexpensive and good enough for beginners. Previously, I have been relying on my fingers and a small set traveling sized makeup brushes. Thinking of whether to splurge on an expensive brand for good quality brushes, then came running into my mind was Ecotools makeup brushes as I've heard/read good reviews on the price and quality for quite sometime already. Slowly saving my the kachings for it, the ignorant Mr.V who often shrugs/ignore my blah blahs on the makeup topic decided to surprise me with the 6 brushes set from Ecotools as an anniversary gift!

So here I am, with my very first set of makeup brushes :)

I have been using these babies for almost 2 months now and I am loving it! What I love most is the super soft brushes and how it only costs 1/4 of an expensive set! Of course, you won't exactly have the best of quality considering the wonderful price of only RM49 for 6 brushes. The wooden handles of the brushes, made out of bamboo, didn't seem solid enough as it is really light. Nonetheless, I'm not complaining as it didn't disappoint me so far :)

And so, to keep my lovely gift as new as they can be… I have been giving them good baths from time to time. Also, because it is used on the face, it is best to get rid of all bad bacteria that can cause breakouts! The price of a good brush cleaner can be costly if you clean your brushes often, and so I was on the search for an alternative option which led me to a stumble upon Michelle Phan's DIY method to clean the makeup brushes without paying a single cent! Tried it out and it works like a charm, so here I am sharing it with you!

So here's what you'll need:

* Dishwashing detergent (Any brand)

* Olive Oil (Any brand)

* A plate

* A jar (tall enough to hold your brushes)

* Plastic wrapper (I took some of my brother's book wrapper)

* Scissors & Tape

* Your dirty brushes!

Here are them dirty brushes!

And let's get cleaning!

I think I poured a little too much of Olive Oil =\

Step 1

Pour out a small amount of detergent on a clean plate and double up the amount of the Olive Oil over the detergent. By using the dishwashing detergent, stubborn makeup products will be cleaned off (even oil base products) and the Olive Oil will act as a moisturizing agent to soften your brushes at the same time. Make sure you have enough mixture of soap and olive oil for all your brushes and don't worry, if you had poured a little bit too much of either one (Like I did on the olive oil), just make sure you wash them off properly later on.

Step 2

Take your dirty brush and swirl them around the plate (mixing both detergent and olive oil together), cleaning them gently in a circular motion.

Step 3

Once you get enough mixture of soap and olive oil on your brush, further cleanse it by moving it back and forth on your palm. This is to allow the cleansing to reach in deeper into your brushes towards the end.

Step 4

Once you've clean enough, rinse the mixture off with luke warm water. Make sure you clean your brushes properly until the water runs clear!

Step 5

Next is to measure the plastic wrapper and cut it to a suitable size, long enough to wrap it around your brush leaving a gap at the tip of your brush. Once you cut accordingly, wrap it around your brush and secure it with a tape.

After step 5, your brush will end up looking like this! This is to firmly hold the hairs on the brushes together as they dry so, your brushes' shapes will still remain nicely after they dry instead of having them looking like what my mom would put it as a 'chicken's backside' :D

Repeat all 5 steps with your other brushes.

Step 6

Once you're done, place the brushes upright in the jar and leave it under a fan to dry. The reason to leaving a gap between the tip of the brush and the bottom of the jar is to allow any excess water collected at the brush handle to flow out and not get the brushes wet again.

AND YOU'RE DONE!!

See how easy peasy it is?? Only 6 simple steps!

And it won't cost you much or even none if you have a younger sibling to steal one piece of plastic book wrapper from! :P

# Just remember to apply hand lotion after washing as your hands can get a bit dry from the detergent. :)

To do: 2012

2012-01-09T21:50:00.006+08:00

I've noticed that many have written down their New Year resolution a week or two back.
Looks like I'm the lost duckling again, but hey, better late than never. :P

Just simple resolutions for myself this 2012; to keep it more realistic.

1. To learn to have more patience.
I am known to be kan cheong, sometimes, too kan cheong - this is something I have been trying very hard to grow out of it.

2. To learn to love whole-heartedly, no doubts unless proven that it is required.
Aside from my bad past with relationships, I have been building up shields within my friendship grounds (new & old) disallowing further bonds to be build unless I say so. Hopefully, I learn to forgive and forget and start taking down those bricks for those worthy.

3. Another travel experience abroad with Mr.V
We've covered Bali and Melbourne in the last two years. Where can we go to next? Of course, budget is again a huge issue, but I am working on saving every little penny I can get ahold of.

4. To keep fit & healthy
The keyword here is 'keep' which also means, 'to continue'. I've made the first move in joining a bootcamp, now let's keep going for it.

5. To graduate in November 2012
That has been the goal since 2008, and I shall make sure I don't do something stupid to ruin my last year of Degree.

6. To learn and embrace change
As Mr.V and myself grow up even more, change is inevitable and I fear of change. I've always been afraid of change as I enjoy consistency being a part of my daily routine but I guess a good change is no harm.

7. To have more inspirations in keeping my readers alive with interesting posts!
My brain can only work up so much interesting thing, sometimes I often get stuck on what to present next. Let me in on what you would want to read more of; makeup, beauty, food, lifestyle?

8. To be an iPhone owner, like finally!
Seriously, relying on a Nokia these days is very draining. With everything else on my wish list, its pretty safe to say that I so need a donation box :(

9. Cut down on the insomnia and sleep earlier
Don't we all have the same resolution every year?

10. To think less than to clog my mind with unnecessary stress
I am a thinker, I think a lot. Like A HELL LOT and it often keeps me up till the next morning, even for days. If there is a shot that I can take to calm my nerves whenever I start thinking, I think Mr.V wouldn't think twice giving me the shot. (See, even this description sentence is clouded with the word 'think') Tsk tsk tsk, this is gonna be a hard one.

11. Be more discipline with my facial care routines!
My discipline level (when it comes to facial care) is very seasonal. One season, I can be really consistent in applying the 3 basic facial care steps before sleep; Cleanse, tone and moisturize. Sometimes, even willing to apply facial mask and acne care. Other odd seasons, I just hit the sack straight after bath. =.=

12. Live my 21st like I've never lived before.
Come on, one of those coincidental moments... 21st on year 2012. Can't have too many one and two(s), now, can we?

There you go, 12 simple resolutions for year 2012.

Now let's put a smile on that face and get facin' with 2012! RAWR!

P/S: See that lavender colored wall in the picture? My dad & I painted it together <3

Springtime Poetry Dining Experience @ West Lake Garden, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa

2012-01-09T17:47:00.001+08:00

Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa embraces the year of the Dragon with the poetic rhythm of spring blossoming throughout its walls in celebration of the New Year with hopes of happiness, longevity and prosperity.

The Hotel lobby was furnished with Spring Garden themed decorations ready to embrace the Chinese New Year. With the arrangement of bamboo piths and delicate cherry blossom, guests entering the lobby will definitely have their mood set in to embrace the prosperous celebration ahead.

Walking towards West Lake Garden, the Hotel's Chinese restaurant, I was invited in with the melodious CNY tunes for a springtime setting and satisfying authentic Chinese cuisines. We were treated to the 'Golden Dragon' set menu at the wonderful restaurant with prompt service and lovely ambience.

Our dining table

The restaurant was decorated with colorful lanterns hanging by the windows

The beautiful view of Sunway Lagoon from the restaurant

King Pu with Hokkaido Scallop Yee Sang

Just like any other dining experience, we started off our lovely lunch with a toss of wealth, health and prosperity in our Yee Sang dish. The addition of the Hokkaido scallops to the Yee Sang not only enhanced the flavors of the dish but added a distinctive texture as well. Much like a fish ball, the texture is chewy and tender, but of course, not as bouncy. :P

Double-boiled Shark's Fin Soup
with Japanese Scallop and Fish Maw

Again, I passed on the fins to Xiang because of the '~~Fish~~ Shark Fins are friends, not food' issue. However, I tasted the soup, had the scallops and fish maw and the soup is delicious! A hot bowl of soup filled with flavors to clear the taste palate for the next appetizing meal.

Deep-fried Crispy 'Ying Yang' Chicken

Chicken cooked in a sweet/sour like sauce served in a deep-fried noodles basket (which I love to peel off and nibble on) brings a spark to your mouth as the combination of sweet and sour elements in the sauce awakens you. I especially love the fish & prawn paste topped with tofu skin and placed on thin Almond flakes. Super duper yummy! :3

To enlighten the mood, we had Victor, the youngest certified magician in Msia
to bring some magic to the table :)

Ethan all impressed with the magic

Braised Eight Headed Abalone with Black Moss,
Dried Oyster and Cabbage

The youngest foodie/photographer! Woohoo! :D

Steamed Estuary Garoupa with Shredded Ginger &
Dried Fruit Peel

I love how the fish is the chewy kind with the solid texture and not the 'soggy' one where it just drops into pieces the moment you pick it up with the chopsticks. Despite the gingers of top, I had the patience of pushing bits and pieces of the sliced gingers on every piece of fish I had because it was so yummy! Also, with the help of the dried fruit peels, there were a hint of lemon taste at the end of every bite which was a zesty refreshing alternative as compared to the usual salty sauce ending.

Steamed Fresh Water Prawn with Garlic &
Glass Noodles

This dish with prawns lying on top, has a hidden treasure at the bottom! Glass noodles soaked in the tasty sauce and juices from the prawns. The prawns were well seasoned and flavored, even though it was just steamed and the garlic on top, adds the perfect crunch to the dish!

Claypot Rice with Waxed Duck and Mushroom

Dessert time! XD

Sweetened Lotus Paste with Lily Bulb &
Glutinous Rice Dumpling

Chinese New Year Sweet Fancy Duet

Love the gui-lin-kou (the brown dessert) covered in coconut shavings but didn't quite enjoy the cute lil' orange dessert as it was too soft for me. The lin kou is really delicious and the best part is, its chewy but it will not stick to your teeth! According to Master Chef Lee, for the lin kou to be at the perfect state of chewiness but non-sticky, the kuih needs to be set to rest under the right amount of time. Too long and it hardens, but too short and it won't be solidified.

Master Chef Lee

Merryn & Ethan

The prosperous Yee Sang toss can also be enjoyed from the comfort of your home as Master Chef Lee's Prosperity Yee Sang is available for takeaway at the Hotel's Gourmet Counters located at West Lake Garden, Fuzion and Atrium Cafe as well. Also made available for takeaway is the Roasted Beijing Duck, Glutinous Rice with Waxed Meat and also, a 6-bottle Assortment of Nuts, perfect for gifting or to be served to visiting guests.

Practicing the customary gift-giving ritual, diners will be given a door gift upon their arrival to make the arrival of the New Year. But that's not all, making a special appearance at the Hotel is the God of Prosperity, Choy Sun Yeh, who will be blessing diners with Mandarin Oranges in celebration of this auspicious occasion.

The set menu will be available twice a day, for lunch and dinner, from 8 January until 6 February at West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant. Lunch is served from 12 noon to 2.30pm from Mondays to Saturdays and from 10.00am to 2.30pm on Sundays and Public Holidays. Opening hours for dinner are from 6pm to 10.30pm on Mondays to Sundays. For those who do not fancy set meals, the restaurant will also be serving up Master Chef Lee's Specialities in the ala carte menu to satisfy the needs of their diners. :)

To make reservations, please call +603 7495 1888.

Or, for further information, please email dinesrhs@sunwayhotels.com or visit www.facebook.com/sunwayresorthotelandspa

Opps, My Hand Is Itching!

2012-01-06T16:15:00.006+08:00

Hey folks!

#Confession : I am a beauty product junkie. Regardless if it is to beautify the face, hair or skin, I'm madly interested in knowing more about it!

Thank goodness, I do not have the guts to splurge on everything new and reviewed so I often feed my addiction by watching videos of makeup gurus on YouTube. Recently, I have found my new holy grail site for beauty products which is a YouTube channel by Jenn from 'from head to toe'. Still one of my favorites, I would say Michelle Phan is more innovative in terms of creating DIY beauty products as well as makeup tutorials but I love Jenn's reviews on the products! She just gives one of the best, detailed reviews ever and it somehow made me ever more eager to get my hands on the products she had mentioned.

Also, because Jenn is half Asian, her eye make ups are more suitable for my similar type of eyes (small socket eye balls :( ). Total bummer when you try to follow makeup tutorials with gurus who have big gorgeous eyes, and when look in the mirror after its done, you go like 'Erm, didn't I just apply a block of eyeshadow there?' *closes one eye* 'OH!! THERE IT IS!!'. (=.=)'

Anyhoo, like I've said, I have been feeding the addiction with videos and damn, it gave me more serious itching on my hands! Here are a couple of awesome beauty products from Jenn's reviews that I would like to share with you: (I'll also include her videos in for a more detailed descriptions of the products)

1. Skin care: Clearasil Perfectawash

THIS I WOULD LOVEEE TO GET MY HANDS ON!!

Even until today, I still have my fair share of war with acne and breakouts along with my sensitive skin issue. Although with my current facial care routine, I can have more control of my skin condition as compared to last time. I have been switching from facial cleansers to toners to moisturizers and acne creams/sebums that does the magic for a short while until my skin gets immune to the treatment. Currently, I'm using Neutrogena's Deep Clean foaming cleanser together with Eucerin's DermoPurifyer Toner along with Garnier's Aqua Defense moisturizer; all adopted from different families and somehow, it works for me. However, my foaming cleanser can sometimes cause dryness to my skin, so I am looking for an alternative and then this video came along! Sadly, it is being sold almost everywhere in the States but you can hardly hear of it in Malaysia, so I'm crossing my fingers on this one!

2. Beauty: Revlon Lip Butters

ME WANT THESE BABIES TOOO! >.<

I was never a person who fancies lip products because I have really itchy mouth as I tend to unconsciously lick lip products off. From time to time, I have been hearing the craze on Nyx's super affordable RM10/RM12 per stick lipstick with a wide range of colors and since then, the itch for lip products had begun. I managed to forgo the itch for a moment because the only mean of getting Nyx lipsticks is through online purchases and I'm not much of a fan when it comes to buying things online considering the risk and payment/post hassle.

Again, until this video came along… and I was hooked once more!

Lucky me, Revlon products are being sold at common drugstores here as well however, the Revlon in Malaysia only catered the Colorburst lipsticks instead of the Lip Butters! :( I suppose they would be quite similar as they are from the same line of lipsticks but according to the reviews I've read, the Colorburst lipsticks aren't as smooth and creamy as the Lip Butters. So I shall wait for the Lip Butters rather than just settling for the Colorburst.

Revlon Colorburst

Again, crossing my fingers upon its buttery arrival in Malaysia!

3. Makeup tutorials: An everyday look with inexpensive products!

Okay, this isn't something you can purchase but more like an inspiration!

I find it really thoughtful of Jenn to switch from well-known expensive brands to common drugstore products from time to time as you know, makeup products can be real expensive. So its great to know of some alternative brands (less pricey ones) to experiment with. :)

So here it is!

What I have been doing till 3 in the mornings throughout my holiday period. #Guilty

Nonetheless, do check out Jenn's blog and YouTube channel for more awesome reviews and makeup tutorials!

Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for any incoming itching on your shopping hands or late night insomnia! :P

Yee Sang & Reunion Dinner @ Ee Chinese Cuisine, Eastin Hotel

2012-01-05T23:08:00.002+08:00

Dinners with the right group of clicks can bring the dining experience to a whole new level.

And that is what I've experienced during my dinner with the blogger kaki(s) and friendly managers of Eastin Hotel management.

We were treated to an amazing night lined up with scrumptious Chinese cuisine dishes throughout the night at Ee Chinese Cuisine located at the lobby of Eastin hotel. Not only was the food served at its best, but the comfortable yet elegant dining area and wonderful diners enlightened the night even more.

The hallway to the dining area

Our dining room - The largest room in Ee Chinese Cuisine

The dining area

Light table snacks

Deep Fried Salmon Skin

This appetizer dish is simply fabulous! Following the idea of the common Malay delicacy, 'Fish Keropok', deep fried Salmon skin is one of the best ideas ever created! The skin is crispy but yet, not too hard till it stabs you in the gums, and surprisingly light with very little fishy smell to it. Sprinkled with a little salt, pepper and some chili and you get a wonderful starter to your tastebuds!

Yee Sang

Fresh slices of Salmon

Together, they make an awesome plate of Yee Sang referred to as the 'Prosperous Salmon Yee Sang' in the menu. As we tossed the yummy goodness in air, the flying beautifully sliced Salmon fish brought smiles to my face. (Look at the picture of the salmon slices… are you smiling yet??)

But don't smile just yet… be in for a surprise as Master Chef Yong offers six delicious combination of Yee Sang for you to choose from:

Sliced Abalone Yee Sang, Japanese Scallops & Rice Crackers Yee Sang, White Tuna & Rice Crackers Yee Sang, Salmon & Rice Crackers Yee Sang, Fresh Seaweed & Pear Yee Sang (Vegetarian). Starting at RM68++ for half portion of the vegetarian Yee Sang to RM268++ for a whole portion of sliced Abalone Yee Sang.

Double-boiled Shark's Bone with
Deluxe Shark's Fin with Fish Maw

I can't comment much on this soup dish because I decided to pass on the dish as they were serving the soup with real fins. But from the thoughts of other diners, I heard that the soup is well flavored, a bit heavier on the pepper loading but according to the restaurant manager, pepper is used to subsidize the 'hanyir' fishy smell.

My alternate soup of the night

Due to personal reasons, Choi Yen and myself passed on the Shark's Fin soup, which undoubtedly made me feeling a tad bit guilty despite being told that it wasn't an issue that I stuck to my principles. Little did I know, the kitchen whipped up another type of herbal soup for us to enjoy and it was really really tasty. So thoughtful of them :)

Stir Fried Prawns with Seasonal Greens and Scallop Rolls

The scallop rolls are something I've never tried before, so this was a first for me. A really interesting concept of having a chewy flavorful scallop paste inside wrapped around with a blanket of deep fried thin noodles topped with a small squeeze of mayonnaise and fish roe. The crunchy vegetables are accompanied by Macadamia nuts and juicy prawns.

Steamed 'Qing Yuan' Village Chicken

Moving on the more serious proteins of the night, the steamed village chicken bathed in a super delicious sauce. The chicken was tender and soft while the gravy carried most of the wonderful flavors to the dish. Together with the essence of the chicken, the chef knows what he's doing with this dish for sure!

Braised Dried Seafood Bag with Brocolli

One of the common dishes served at most Chinese restaurants but usually, you will find this dish served with just a slice of tofu topped with mushrooms and etc. with thick gravy. However, the tofu in this dish was designed as a bag which promoted conveniency; As you can just carry everything in it, including the gravy and just pop it into your mouth! A mouthful of these babies and you'll be 'bagging' for more! ;)

Steamed Century Garoupa Traditional Style

Once again, a simple plain protein of the Garoupa fish steamed and then drenched with sauce. What more can I say, simplicity at its best! :)

Waxed Meat - to be combined with the clay pot rice

Claypot rice

The aroma of the rice is so mouth watering, I kid you not! Seriously, why does all the rice dishes served at restaurants more fragrant and chewy? I always prefer to have the clay pot rice's rice are dry and chewy rather than wet and soggy, if you catch my drift. The waxed meats are thrown into the clay pot and stirred so you can enjoy the combination of distinctive flavors between the sweet/salty glazed meats and the rice as you chew them altogether.

Sweetened Red Bean soup

I am a fan of Red Bean soup, and I am a loyal fan of Grandmama's and Momsie's version of home cook Red Bean soup. As much as I was looking forward to enjoying this dessert, the extra addition of the orange skins in the soup kind of turned me off. Nonetheless, the balance of the sweetness in the soup is well played and there were generous amount of beans in it too! But, I gotta say, I'd still go back to Grandmama's & Momsie's on this dessert :)

Sesame balls

If you're expecting Lotus paste or Red Bean paste in the balls, then you will be surprised for the filling in these dessert balls are peanut paste! Pretty similar to the peanut butter taste, the paste is also added with grinded peanuts to add the extra crunch!

Master Chef Yong

For reunion dinners, Master Chef Yong has created 3 set menus for Ee Chinese Cuisine diners to choose from, guaranteeing a gastronomic experience! The Reunion set menu starts from RM 1388++ and RM1788++ for a table of 10 persons. As for the price of RM 2288++ for a table of 10, guests will be in for a treat as Ee Chinese Cuisine will present diners of this set menu with a special gift, to make a night to be remembered. We also have set menu options for smaller group; Rm 518++ per table of 4 persons and RM 818++ per table of 6 persons.

For more enquiries, please call 603 - 7628 7338 :)

Thank you Eastin, for such memorable CNY dinner filled with warmth and friendliness!

Eastin Hotel Petaling Jaya

13, Jalan 16/11, Pusat Dagang Seksyen 16,

46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel: +603 7665 1111; Fax: +603 7665 9999

Email: info.pj@eastin.com

HOOYAH! Before The Sun Rose

2012-01-03T10:14:00.003+08:00

Good morning sunshines! :)

Earlier this morning, at 5.45am to be exact, I was at a field running my guts with a group of motivating people together with Tracy. (I managed to drag her along, yes! I am a miracle worker wakakaka!) :D

It has been my annual New Year resolution ever since high school to have a weekly activity to keep fit and healthy but as usual, the idea of exercising always get shrugged off with the most ridiculous excuses a person can create; 'Oh, it looks like its about to rain', 'Hmm, I just washed my hair', 'Its okay, tomorrow and then the day after and then the day after that…'. Seeing that jogging around the nearby park in my neighborhood has often failed, I've considered applying for gym membership but knowing myself well enough, I can predict that gym-ing alone with no personal trainer wouldn't make much difference with my lack of discipline; In fact, it would be just like the neighborhood park all over again but this time, will be paying so much for an unused service. On top of that, the price of a gym membership these days are so pricey and I never intended of having my parents pay for my own leisure activities.

So again, another excuse to shrug off the fitness resolution in year 2011. Until…

God blessed me with a deal I found on Groupon.com for a fitness bootcamp course at a much affordable price! The 12-session course is actually priced at RM329 but I managed to buy the good deal at only RM49! Right on, I knew this is the calling to finally realizing my fitness resolution. I've heard on how terrifying bootcamp courses are (like how people puked on the first day and some even decided to pull out halfway through the course) but I was up for it, this was how serious I was on the matter.

So in the dark hour this morning, I've experienced my first ever fitness bootcamp session and though it was just an hour per session, I've ran a good whole of 14 laps around the field and did sets of body work out techniques with only one break session which lasted for only 5 minutes! Because I have not consistently ran so much since high school, I was at the verge of puking my guts out after the crazy reps halfway through. Thank goodness for the existence of super motivating and friendly participants as well as trainers who gave so much encouragement throughout the entire session! It really helps, encouragement around you. And after a few more laps around the field, I managed to adapt to the environment and things got a bit easier. Right, Tracy? :)

The feeling you get after completing what the trainers set for you, especially sets that make you go 'Oh My God, you serious bro??' at the start of the set, is just so fulfilling. As though, you've accomplished an obstacle testing your patience, endurance and strength. Its just a really great feeling!

Aside from realizing my resolution, keeping fit is also about losing some fatty weight. I'm not gonna lie to you, I do wish to shade pounds off me! I've been gaining excessive weight from all the super good food at dining reviews and Christmas… not to forget, CNY is just three weeks away! How can you say no to delicious cookies?! >:D

Of course this picture is taken after we managed to catch a breath during breakfast...
and we still look like crap! =.=

Catch us halfway the session, we will scare you off with our zombie faces!

Bring it on, bootcamp!

I will endure whatever you throw in the next coming three weeks, no matter how tough the going gets!

A Toast To An Auspicious Dragon New Year @ Si Chuan Dou Hua, PARKROYAL

2012-01-02T16:54:00.003+08:00

Now that all December celebrations are done with; Christmas, NYE, it can only mean to make way for the upcoming big festive celebration of Chinese New Year! (Red packets & new clothes lai lai!) :D

Yee Sang - A wonderful tradition

The tradition that my family and I have been practicing since forever is the common gathering of family and friends at Chinese cuisine restaurants wishing everyone good wealth, posterity and happiness with a range of dishes and of course Yee Sang. Every year, we would meet up over lunch/dinner with relatives (near or far) and catch up with the happenings around them. I'm pretty sure most families practice this tradition and since it is such a wonderful harmonious tradition, why change it?

However,

there is one tiny, little thing I wish to change in this tradition…

THE SAME RESTAURANT EVERY CNY!!

I understand how the elder folks love to visit good ol' restaurants to rekindle their tastebuds for the particular food they've fallen in love with so many years back and surprisingly, still taste exactly the same today.It brings back fond memories for them. Don't get me wrong, those reasons I fully respect because I do understand the reason behind it. But for those family (like mine! hehe) who visits the same restaurant year after year simply because 'everywhere else is packed' or 'it was good, no need for a new search'… a change of dining location would be great for once don't you think? ;)

This Lunar New Year, for a change, celebrate the gathering of family and friends at Si Chuan Dou Hua at PARKROYAL hotel in KL, with a line up of specially prepared set menus and prosperity Yee Sang for lunch and dinner to welcome in the Year of the Dragon! From January (5th) till February (6th), Chinese Chef Chew Chee Kuong brings blessings and prosperity to the table with lavish feasts of auspicious set menus with significant dishes.

Elegant dining area

Comfortable seating arrangements

Just a week before the 2011 ended, the pre-blessings of the Year of the Dragon managed to make its way to my tummy as I was allowed to enjoy a taste of one of the set menus at the restaurant. Feeling all prosperous from the meal, I told myself I am ready to take on 2012's New Year resolutions! Hoo-hah!!

Tropical Fruit Yee Sang

To kickstart the beginning of the New Year, we tossed in with the restaurant's specialty Prosperity Yee Sang creation. What makes this particular Yee Sang different is the addition of refreshing, sweet fruits together with the traditional ingredients of a common Yee Sang dish. Simple fruits like strawberries, dragon fruit, pineapple, rock melon (i think?) and etc. brought the dish to a whole new level as the sweet juices from the fruits burst in your mouth complimenting the sour, salty and bitter elements in the dish.

If you're not much of a fruity person, you can opt for seafood favorites instead such as Abalone, Superior Shark's Fin, Pacific Clams, Soft Shell Crab, Salmon, Jellyfish or even Yellow Fin Tuna! All these delicately prepared Yee Sang are served with your choice of specially concocted sauce which includes selections of Sour Plum Sauce enhanced with Fruit Flavour, Spicy Plum Sauce with Mango or the traditional Sour Plum Sauce.

Talk about a change in the traditional ;)

Braised Mini Shark's Fin with Sea Treasure in
Butter Cream Superior Stock

I am a fan of Shark's Fin soup but of course with the world crisis of Shark's being tortured (Ruthless people catches the sharks, cut their fins off and throw them back in the sea leaving them to die because they can't swim to protect/feed themselves), I always opt for the soup to be incorporated with the 'fake' shark's fin. 'Fake' in a sense that they used either gelatin or other parts of different fishes/vege to create the same texture. Like celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay said a documentary of his determined strong fight for the sharks, the taste is in the soup, not the fins. There is always a replacement for the texture; its just a matter of wanting to find one or not.

Aside from the shark's fin issue, this dish is one of the tastiest soup I've tasted! Love the texture of the soup being not too diluted and not too thick, the balance of flavors is just right as you know, Shark's Fin soup is known to be very flavorful despite the quantity in a small bowl and some fail to control the flavors.

Butter Prawn with Fragile Oatmeal

Also, another favorite of the night! The creaminess of the butter sauce was just right as it coated the prawns and not drown it. The amount of oatmeal sprinkled above the prawns added a perfect finishing crunch to the tender prawns. After a piece of two, your mouth itches for more of these buttery goodness and it definitely not because of prawn allergies! :P

Steamed Fried Spring Chicken with
Chinese Herbs and Sea Moss

First thought was, the gravy is so delicious! And the chicken was cooked to perfection as it was tender, juicy! Though the dish was cooked with Chinese Herbs to incorporate more flavors, and as you know Chinese Herbs can be too overwhelming due to its strong scent and taste… again, a well-balanced flavorful dish from the chef!

This is suitable for children's tastebuds as well - I have relatives who get disappointed when their young ones are turned off by the strong taste of herbs in the similar dish. As you know young eaters tend to have limited food choices when it comes to set menus and usually the 'chicken dish' would be the most appropriate one among all. So no worries here!

Wok Baked Sea Grouper Fish with "Lao Gan Ma"
and Sichuan Chili Bean Paste

As the fish greets you well with its wide opened mouth (hehe!), you will be introduced to a burst of sweet and sour sparks along with a hint of spicy twitch at the end of every mouthful. As friends and family know, I am not a good friend to spicy dishes for my chili tolerance level is pretty low considering how Malaysian train everyday with super spicy sweat inducing dishes! But this dish, I can handle the spiciness and if I can, I'm pretty sure 5 year olds can too. :P

Fried Rice with Seafood and Pumpkin

Ever noticed that the common Fried Rice tastes so much better and more aromatic when served in Chinese restaurants? I've been enlightened before that it depends on the hot hot wok and the method of frying each ingredient and then incorporating it all together, wonder if that is true? I used to gobble up a bowl of rice together with other protein/vege dishes only to be too full when the Fried rice come; but I've learnt my lesson over the years. Eat everything else on its own and wait for the Fried rice!

The following dishes are not a part of the set menus but can be ordered through their daily menu! :)

Deep Fried Wan Tan

Deep Fried Spring Rolls

Red Bean Paste Wall Band

Tau Fu Fa with Red Dates Sugar Syrup

This is a must try when you visit Si Chuan Dou Hua restaurant! The Tau Fu Fa is so smooth if felt as though it melted right in your mouth!

Chilled Honeydew with Sago

8 Treasures Tea

And clearing our taste palettes dish after dish is the fragrant signature 8 Treasures Tea. The 8 treasures in this tea cup filled with calming aroma are Red Dates, Wolfberries, dried Longans, Chrysanthemum, rock sugar, dried Lily buds and Jasmine tea leaves and 'Mai Dong' (Lilyturf root).

Spot the tiny differences in each dishes which makes a whole new enjoyable dining experience? To enjoy a bountiful feast with Si Chuan Dou Hua specially prepared set meals, there is the 'Chinese New Year' set priced at RM688++ for 4 people and RM888++ for 6 people. For a group of 10 people, the restaurant offers the 'Prosperity', 'Fortune' and 'Wealth' sets priced from RM998++ onwards. Not forgetting health conscious diners, there is also a Vegetarian set menu at RM898++ per table of 10 people.

Yee Sang dishes are available for take-away or dine-in, priced from RM58++ (half portion) and RM88++ (full portion) onwards.

Yee Sang and set menus are available at Si Chuan Dou Hua daily for lunch (12 noon - 2.30pm) and dinner (6.30pm - 10.30pm). High Tea of scrumptious dishes during CNY at Chatz Brasserie from 12 noon till 4pm priced at RM59++ per person.

For more enquiries or reservation, please call +603 2782 8303 or email

douhua.prkul@parkroyalhotels.com

PARKROYAL HOTEL,

Jln Sultan Ismail,

50250 Kuala Lumpur.

On The Last Day Of 2011

2011-12-31T18:21:00.005+08:00

Good day folks!

It's NEW YEAR'S EVE!!

Unlike 2010, where I celebrated my NYE at Curve together with my friends counting down the secs and watching the fireworks, to welcome 2012 I have decided to…… stay in.

Shocking…. but true!

In fact, to embrace the new beginning, I've done some cleaning around the room to have more good fengshui hocus pocus majiggy enter. (That's what my mom is trying to convince me) but overall, a clean room gives a more positive energy for the new year, don't you think? :)

So there goes the maid duties of vacuuming, moping, re-arranging my tables, scrubbing tiled floors, toilet and everything else that has been left to collect dust over the year. I've decided to proceed with the intense cleaning upon myself as well with some facial mask, body scrubs, hair mask and etc. Now everything around me including myself squeaks from the excessive cleanliness. :D

After a tiring day of being a maid, I'm off to have a wonderful dinner with my family. What a simple way to end the year.

Again,

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year before the morning comes! Spend the last few minutes of 2011 with joy and laughter with family & friends to welcome a better year ahead! As usual, drive safely, party safe and enjoy the night :)

Much love! <3

Go 'Copacabana' For This New Year's Eve @ SOULed OUT, Sri Hartamas

2011-12-30T03:08:00.005+08:00

No plans for the New Year's eve yet?

Want to head out to celebrate with friends & family but already am discouraged thinking about the large crowd/ jam at malls just to anticipate the fireworks bursting at midnight??

Now, here are a couple of good news for you as I've got a party suggestions for you! ;)

SOULed OUT, Sri Hartamas will be counting down to 2012 with a splash as they are bringing back the wetter, wilder and more vibrant than ever beach themed party, 'Copacabana' to welcome the New Year!

With an entry free of RM150, you are entitled to a complimentary first drink of Tiger / Wine / House pour, Brazilian beach bites, Vivacious beach dancers & drummers and to keep the party pumping, DJ Augie will be spinning at the party as well! And of course there will be fireworks! ;)

What better way to spend the New Year's eve away from the hassle jams (to/from the malls), mad crowd playing/throwing snow cans that could end in a very chaotic event but yet, still manage to catch your own sight of fireworks than to chill for the special moment at SOULed OUT, Sri Hartamas?

# Tip for 'Copacabana' party goers: Wear something comfortable (better yet, a beach attire) with flip flops / sandals as SOULed OUT is so dedicated to their beach theme, the floor wouldn't be seen as the usual floor! *hint hint*

I managed to catch a glimpse of the Copacabana's buffet dishes and here's an inside info, it was scrumptious! Every dish of it was mouth watering! :P

It was my first time at SOULed OUT, Sri Hartamas though I have been wanting to try that place out ages ago! I was actually waiting for the right occasion to dine there, but after experiencing a wonderful dining experience at SOULed OUT, Ampang, I stand corrected: Any occasion is worth having when it comes to SOULed OUT, even the tiniest gatherings for the ambience is so lively! I was dining at a corner just 3 hours max and I heard a total of 2/3 birthday songs sung that night itself. Tells you something when a restaurant can still be so alive even after 15 years of establishment, doesn't it? ;)

Top (L): Classic Mojito / Top (R): Peach Mojito

Bottom: Red Dragon Mojito

Malibu Sunrise

As we arrived, we were greeted warmly by the staff of SOULed OUT and served with glasses after glasses of refreshing Mojitos. Malibu Sunrise is the combination of fruit juices with Vanilla vodka, coconut rum and triple sec which made it so yummy but a silent killer! Like the long island tea, Sip sip sip and next thing you know, this goes straight to your head! Thankfully, I was warned earlier or I would probably have trouble getting back home!

Platters for tasting

Moqueca (Brazilian seafood stew)

With a couple of clams, shrimps and pieces of fillet fish, this dish is really a wonderful appetizer to indulge in as an introduction to your tastebuds before other flavorful meals. The stew may look greasy but the consistency of the stew is actually just right when in your mouth! A little bit spicy, sour and slightly creamy, totally delicious!

Five spice meat kabobs

I have always been a fan of meat kebabs and when I saw these babies, I knew my expectations would unfairly start off above the average scale. And surprisingly, I came to like the chewiness of the meat and the burst of flavors in my mouth! Maybe if I'd dug into it while it was still hot and spent lesser time snapping away, the meat would have been more tender. (hehe!)

Tangy Salsa Stripes Chicken

Naturally, chicken meat tends to be softer and more kinder to your jaws as compared to other meat but not all chicken meat is as tender when they are cold as compared to when they are still hot. (Get it, get it?) Again, I was snapping away to get a good picture of the chicken till my dish got cold but nonetheless, the chicken still remained soft, juicy and tender!

Though the following dishes are not incorporated in the 'Copacabana' menu, we were enlightened with a few of SOULed OUT's signature dishes to further our wonderful SOULed OUT dining experience! The signature dishes are available on a daily basis, but not on New Year's eve.

Fried Beef Noodles

Flat rice noodles in delicious eggy gravy with generous serving of beef slices. Topped with spring onions and ginger

One of it is the Fried Beef Noodles and throughout my life eating 'Yin Yong/ Wah Dan Hor' Noodles, I would always result in a love-hate relationship with it. Mainly because of my weird dilemma of loving flat rice noodles and the eggy gravy but totally utterly can't stand any scent/hint of taste of ginger!! Lucky me, this dish wasn't too generous with the loading of ginger slices but generous with the beef slices ;)

Lamb Shank

Slow cooked to perfection. Surrounded by home made garlic mashed potatoes and chunky vegetables

A well balanced meal of protein, fibre and carbohydrate consisting of all necessary elements in a diet. Also, the lamb is well seasoned with rosemary herbs and drowned with thick creamy gravy.

Yumms… :P

Sizzling Lamb Cutlet

Lamb cutlets marinated in special Indian herbs, served on a sizzling plate
with a plate of Naan bread and a bowl of Indian crackers

Had a taste of this lamb goodness before during a dinner at SOULed Out, Ampang. Loved it then, and still loving it now! ;)

And I saved my favorite for the last...

Sake San

Salmon slivers, roe, cherry tomatoes, Japanese mayo, lollo rosso and a hint of wasabi served on a thin crust pizza base

This. I. LOVE! I would probably order this as a main course the next time I visit SOULed OUT! The dish wasn't too heavy as the base was smartly constructed to be a thin crusted pizza base and the rest of the salmon, roe, tomatoes, mayo, lettuce just go so well together! I can't believe I can't find words to describe how delicious a simple pizza like this can taste but you just have to try it to understand what I'm trying (so hard!) to put into words ;)

Brigadeiro (Chocolate bonbon)

These chocolate wonders are in the 'Copacobana' menu and after a mouthful of these babies, you will be singing to Sugarland's 'Stuck like glue'. The bonbons were so chewy, chocolaty, and sticky but weirdly enough, so addictive! Just be careful with the coco powder at the bottom of the bonbon as it could be powdered all over your body if not aware. Like myself and my white skirt :(

Lava Cake

Warm, moist chocolate cake in praline sauce and cashew nuts, topped with Häagen-Dazs Vanilla ice cream

Another signature dish at the restaurant! Love how the warm chocolate cake compliments the Vanilla ice cream creating magic in your mouth! Truly a splendid way of ending the dinner!

However, if 'Copacabana' beach themed party do not exactly float your boat, the Soul Society has whipped up other exciting themes at different locations for the New Year's eve as well!

WIP's New Year's eve party theme is 'Goa to Ibiza'

with a more glamorous ring to the atmosphere.

7atenine on the other hand, is going for a geisha themed party

with a room full of Japanese lanterns and umbrellas.

And at SOULed OUT, Ampang, step into the exotic Arabian Night

entertained with fire eaters, belly dancers, snake charmer and shisha pipes.

Feeling excited yet?

If you're all set, get your entry tickets right away and get ready to embrace the new beginning of 2012!

My very own SOULed OUT 2012 planner!

And to make the night even more special, I received a lovely planner from the kind Fanny! I've been reminding myself to get a planner before the year ends to make sure everything for 2012 will be organized and yay! Now I have one! So thank you Fanny for the wonderful dinner and the very useful planner! :)

SOULed OUT, Sri Hartamas

No. 20, Jalan 30/70A,
Desa Sri Hartamas,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.

Opening hours:

Mondays to Fridays : Noon till 3pm / 6pm till closing

Saturdays & Sundays: 6pm till closing

Reservations : 03 2300 1955
General : 03 2300 1929
Fax : 03 2300 1989
Email : yum_yum@souledout.com.my
Official website : www.souledout.com.my

Functions :6012-361 6522
Booze Cruiser: 6012-200 1955

Merry GUINNESS® Christmas Party @ Market Hall, Pavilion KL

2011-12-29T00:52:00.000+08:00

Just last Wednesday, a few days before Christmas, together with my blogger kaki(s), we were invited to celebrate our pre-Christmas spirit together with GUINNESS® at the Merry GUINNESS® Christmas party hosted at Market Hall, Pavilion KL.

Dining area

Paint buckets as lamps? How innovative! :D

The restaurant was beautifully decorated with Christmas decorations such as cute little red stockings hanging off the ceiling, lovely candles on the tables, chalk-drawn pictures of snowmen on the walls and of course, a Christmas tree. The ambient just carols the Christmas feel as you walk into the room. :)

The place where all the GUINNESS® goodness pours!

Enjoying my GUINNESS® along with a picture of Masterchef, Adam Liaw (hehe!)

with my GUINNESS®! :)

Together with Jenn

Now, this method of sharing I find smart. By just snapping the code image on the paper, you can download the respective menu of GUINNESS®-infused dishes inspired by Masterchef, Adam Liaw directly to your smartphone! How cool is that?!

Building on its heritage of a long association with good times and great food, GUINNESS® teamed up with Masterchef Adam Liaw to create some very special GUINNESS®-infused dishes. Adam’s mouth-watering dishes were made available to the public at the party. Throughout the party, we were digging in to the special Christmas dishes and pairing them with pints of GUINNESS® that were made available at a fantastic promotional price.

Roast beef and turkey

What's a Christmas party without a turkey? :P

Turkey stuffing, roast beef and roast turkey

Both roast beef and turkey was super tender and well-seasoned! Yummy yummy! :D

Crispy squid with GUINNESS and chili salt

Broccoli soup

Open GUINNESS® Lamb Shank and Mushroom Pie with Champ Fine and Watercress

GUINNESS® and Fruit Christmas Pudding

GUINNESS babes serving us GUINNESS after GUINNESS all night

Merry Guinness to everyone!

Thank you Guinness for a lovely pre-Christmas dinner! I'm pretty sure everyone went home with a jolly full tummy and a Merry GUINNESS smile that night! I know I did! ;)

Singapore: The Singapore Flyer

2011-12-28T16:09:00.001+08:00

On the final day of our Singapore trip, my dad wanted to bring us to one of Singapore's famous tourist attractions; The Singapore Flyer. Though the weather over the weekend was not kind to us, luckily it was just a mild shower when it came to our turn to ride the flyer. Admission fee was $29.50 per ticket.

Grey grey skies :(

A little general knowledge on the Singapore Flyer:

At the height of 165m, Singapore Flyer is the world's largest Giant Observation Wheel and also one of Asia's biggest tourist attractions. Singapore Flyer was conceived and designed by Dr.Kisho Kurokawa and DP Architects, Singapore. It held its groundbreaking ceremony in September 2005 and was launched in 2008. Each rotation on the Singapore Flyer is about 32 minutes and the total capacity per revolution is 784 passengers!

The capsule

Hallway to the Flyer

Along the pathway to the capsules, we were enlightened with information on Singapore's wheel of pride in a futuristic themed hallway. There were a few interactive machines which allowed you to play and at the same time, gain a few extra knowledge on the flyer.

A big ball made of recycled items

Views from the capsule high up in the sky:

The Marina Sands Bay

Stadium on waters

For a good whole 15 minutes on the capsule, while my family were enjoying the panoramic view of Singapore's skyscrapers, I was busy searching ALL over the place for this!

And I didn't manage to locate the mascot anywhere! :(

The closest thing I saw was this ^. And I'm quite sure this isn't what they meant. So anyone who has found the mascot, please do tell me or better yet, show me a picture!! I am dead curious! >.<

Pressed penny I created at the souvenir shop

I created one similar penny during my trip at Australia with my friends last July and when I saw the penny machine at the souvenir shop, I knew I just had to collect another one! It wouldn't be the most 'worth-it' way to spend my $2 but if this machine were to be installed at tourist attractions around the world, I would want to have a collection of these pressed penny from all over the world! Plus, its considered to be one of the cheapest form of souvenirs.

In the mall where Singapore Flyer was build, there were a few restaurants (fast food/chinese cuisine etc.) and one that caught our eyes! A restaurant with a replica of olden days street hawkers! They have tar roads as their floors and old buildings as their backdrop!

Even the drinks are served in vintage looking cups! Or were they really from the olden days?! O.o

The good old choice of breakfast - Kaya/Butter toast

And at a small corner of the restaurant, there were vintage items from the old days being sold! You can find from water containers to radios and even the old brick handphones!

Of course, collector's items don't come cheap and the most ridiculous priced item at that corner is the glass in the picture below selling at $98/ $180!! :O

Because that's what tourists do :P

Over and above, this isn't my first trip to Singapore but I would say it is the most memorable one as we visited so many tourist attraction sites. Though it is nice to chill at such busy and fast-paced country after running away from the buzzing bee (KL), sometimes its worth running around another city to travel around like a tourist and see what others have been promoting despite the price. Experience is important, something my parents always taught me when it comes to traveling.

'Don't be too calculative when it comes to traveling or you'll miss out seeing another side of the world; since you've already made it there'.

Singapore: Universal Studio

2011-12-28T00:53:00.001+08:00

Even though I have reached the second decade of my life, I am very sure many of my travel buddies would agree that I am a big kid stuck in a 20 year old body when it comes to attraction places! And I especially love to visit theme parks, who doesn't?! :D

One of the theme parks I have been bugging everyone to go along with me is to Universal Studio and lucky me, one of the parks are build closer to home as compared to USA. Seeing that I was on a vacation with my family, I thought I took the advantage of heading there together with them as the ticket is really pricey. (hehe!)

Sentosa rider

Universal Studio is in Sentosa Resort and we knew that if we were to drive ourselves there, it would take us a longer time to start our fun adventure. So, we head down to the visitor centre down Orchard Rd to enquire on the tour packages for Universal Studio.

# A little tip for tourists who wish to visit Universal Studio in Spore: The visitor centre sells Universal studio entry tickets at their own counter which includes a free bus ride (return) to/from Sentosa called the 'Sentosa Rider' that is scheduled by the hour to pick up passengers at assigned bus stops. The advantage of buying the tickets at the visitor centre is that you save $5 (one-way) / $8 (return) for the bus fare and you don't have to queue in line to buy tickets at Universal Studio's ticketing counter with everyone else for the tickets are only sold to tourists at the visitor centre. However, if you do not wish to buy at the visitor centre, you could always hop onto the 'Sentosa Rider' and buy the tickets on the way to the theme park at the same price ($74 per adult entry ticket) but of course, no free bus fare.

Also, weekend passes are valid for three days; which means that you could buy it on a Saturday and if you were to change your mind at the last minute on going, your entry is still valid for Sunday. However, one ticket is only for one pass, you could always re-enter the theme park with the stamp on your hand but on the same day!

A must-take-photo scene at the entrance

Entering a whole new world!

So here is a another tip I would like so share with my dear readers:

As you have probably heard, on Dec 3rd, the latest addition of Universal Studio Singapore is the Transformer 3D ride in the Sci-fi city! A kind Universal Studio representative on the Sentosa Rider bus told us a secret; to run straight to the Transformer ride first before any other attractions because the waiting time for the Transformer ride is super longggg (At least 2 hours!)!! So might as well head there first to get in line, while other people enjoy the prior cities. ;)

We waited in line for 1.5 hours and according to some of my friends who have visited the ride last few weeks, we were considered lucky already. Nonetheless, I would say the ride is worth the wait! Oh! And another awesome ride for the crazy wakadoodles who love roller coasters like myself, ride.the.CYLON!!

Go for the blue track (Cylon)!

My dad found a new friend while I was riding the Cylon :D

The perfect spot for a 'Marilyn Monroe' shot!

Taxi ride, anyone?

Rockafellas performance at Hollywood

We were in luck that day as we managed to catch the hilariously superb performance by Rockafellas!

Momsie

Such a cutie! :D

Hat store at Hollywood

Outside a diner at Hollywood

HUGE slice of pizza!!

Souvenirs for winners?

This one's for you, Mr.V ;)

All set for Xmas!

Far far away kingdom

Moving on to Madagascar!

And then, The Lost City.

Right next to The Ancient Eygpt

You thirsty, bro?

I'm proud to say we managed to conquer ALL cities in a day despite the irregular showers from the sky! All in above, I would say the best rides are set at the Sci-fi city whereas most kiddy rides are at the Madagascar corner. Still, all super awesome to be at to run around and take loads of pictures!

Before heading off from Sentosa, we stepped into the Hershey store located outside the theme park to grab a few chocolate goodness. ;) Who don't love chocolate!?

THIS IS DA BOMB!! ZE CHOCOLATE BOMB! :D

Candy tree!

And that sums up my trip to Universal studio Singapore (like finally!!) which totally made my trip to Singapore a memorable one! Of course, there are tons of pictures taken that day but I shouldn't make you scroll till your fingers get dislocated. :P

All in all, its a great place to visit with family or friends! Just remember to check the weather and start the day early! Universal Studio Singapore opens at 10am and closes at 7pm during the holidays, so make sure you rest well the night before.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-24T14:31:00.000+08:00

Dear readers,

It's the eve of Christmas!

Before the clock strikes 12 today, I just want to wish you lovely readers a very merry happy Christmas! May the night be so jolly, you'd 'ho-ho-ho' in your sleep tonight :P

# Party people; a kind reminder to remember to party safe and watch out for roadblocks! Check twitter updates and most importantly, don't drink & drive!

Cheers :)

Singapore: Out & About

2011-12-23T18:12:00.003+08:00

On a random Saturday, my dad decided that we should just take a spontaneous trip down Singapore instead of driving up north to Penang. Singapore's Orchard Rd has been well recognized for being the main street for shopping but that's not only it for every Christmas, its amazing Christmas deco is also very mesmerizing to one's eyes.

So after a quick booking on Agoda's website, we managed to get two deluxe rooms at the Grand Central Hotel (behind Concorde Hotel) along Orchard Rd, packed our bags and off we go!

Our deluxe room with twin beds

Shower

Bathroom sink

Internet TV

Swimming pool on the 3rd floor

Note to future drivers from Malaysia to Singapore: Immigration department will take about 2 hours of processing and jam if the required documents are not prepared ready. So do remember to allocate time for the hassle and if you are able to get your hands on the forms before reaching counter, do fill it up first! It will save you loads of time. :D

Also, make sure you get directions to your hotel before reaching Singapore. Although Singapore may be just an island (I mean, how lost can you get on an island right?), it took us another 1.5 hours trying to locate Orchard Rd from the main highway. And unlike Malaysia, there isn't randomly located petrol stations/shops along the highway to ask for directions; so its better to have a rough idea on the location.

After checking into the hotel, we freshen ourselves up for dinner and decided to walk along Orchard Rd as it is nearest to our hotel. The decoration was as usual, amazing! But the amount of people walking along Orchard Rd was insane!! It was so hard to get around, especially as a family of five, and it was mad crowded to even stop to get a picture!

Xmas deco at Tangs

Crowd along Orchard Rd. on a Saturday night

If I'm not mistaken, the 2011 Christmas theme in Singapore are patterned elephants. There are many more along Orchard Rd but I decided two/three images would show you enough :)

Angry ~~bird~~ elephant :P

And after such tiring night of just walking to get dinner, being pushed and slammed around on Orchard Rd, we decided to call it a night and rest for an early head-start the next morning.

Bras Basah - something that I thought was funny :P

So we headed to the nearest hawker stalls to grab a quick bite. It is located right opposite our hotel entrance (next to Concorde hotel) so it was very convenient for us. Limited choice I would say, and the opening hours were strangely odd as we were there at 9-ish am but only 2 stalls were open for business.

Hawkers

Meatball noodles

Wan tan mee

Dumplings

Fishball noodles

I particularly dislike the noodle stall seller because he was so rude! Even the night before when we tried to order something at 8pm and he abruptly just said 'NO MORE! NO MORE!' while waving his hands in our faces as we looked at the menu board. And the next morning, as we were the first to order when there weren't any other customers… he rudely said 'Hah!? HAAH!?' countless times as my mom repeated her simple orders. A little too much, don't you think? And his food wasn't even good to begin with. =.=

P/S: Malaysian food FTW! I guess we have more spices incorporated in our food, hence more tasty flavors. But in my humble opinion, I still find our local food more tastier ;) #loyalMsianfoodfan

So after filling up our stomachs, we walked along Orchard Rd once more to have a better, clearer view of the decorations during daylight. Miraculously, the street was quite empty as compared to the previous night! So it was so much more pleasant to walk about and actually stop by to take pictures without anyone hitting into you.

Where did everyone go?! :O

Even the mall windows were decorated according to the Xmas themes

More elephants!

One more! :D

That's about all of our sight seeing along Orchard Rd!

Stay tuned for the next post where I finally visited a place I was dying to visited in Singapore!

I literally bugged everyone to take me there! ;D

Tiger Beer's 'Living It Up!' Year-End Party!

2011-12-21T01:55:00.000+08:00

Just before my random Singapore trip, I've attended Tiger Beer's 'Living It Up' party the night before and indeed, Tiger really knows how to host a rocking year-end party for its guests for it was one of the best party I've attended!

Held at Vertigo Club, The Gardens - I must say, although I have not been to many clubs, Vertigo Club is one of the clubs with the best looking interior designs. It is not too big to have awkward spaces among the party goers but not too small to invade personal spaces. (You know how sometimes clubs get too crowded and people who drank a glass too many just unconsciously slam themselves onto you for numerous times - not cool bro). Vertigo is somewhat comfortable yet still manage to get your hype pumping.

Vertigo's entrance - the party was over at Nano instead

DJ spinning the tables, keeping the scene alive!

Mr.V & I

Free flow of Tiger beers! :D

Awesome projecting lights all over the club

Tiger's latest refreshing addition - Tiger Crystal

And after enjoying ourselves with more Tiger beers…

Red lobsterrrr XD

Sexy hosts: The Chong sisters!

ManhanD

And then, a very special guest decided to rap along with them Chinese hip hoppers… English style!

The very hilarious Douglas Lim

Glowing effect - Must be from the Tigers ;)

And the party continued with the famous, Namewee, singing us a couple more hits.

*Looks at my camera!!*

Cheers to Tiger!

And by the end of the night…

As you can see, we had an enjoyable time

If you've missed out on this awesome party, make sure you keep an eye out for the next Tiger party as Tiger knows the majiggy in hosting a memorable party! ;)

Koji Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner

2011-12-19T23:10:00.002+08:00

Hello there!

I just got back from my (super) short trip at Singapore just a few hours ago and here I am, blogging on a post for you lovely readers because I promised a beauty product review! *Such dedication* :')

So I've been on a hunt for a good liquid eyeliner. 'Good' being affordable priced, long lasting, easy application and definitely anti-smudge because my eye lids tend to get a bit oily after a long day. Prior to my recent purchase, I was not happy with my previous liquid eyeliner from Majolica Majorca's Perfect Automatic Liner because it finished quite fast considering the fact that I hardly use it and it dissolves in my oily lids after a long day. ( I often use pencil eyeliners because I am what people call a 'hit and run', draw it on and run out the door. So I don't have much patience to wait for it to dry on its own >.< )

So, it took me really long (months I would say) until I found THE liquid eyeliner worth splurging for! Taaa-daaaaa!!

Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner from Koji!

I'm pretty sure there isn't much to describe liquid eyeliners because everyone know about it.

So, I'm just gonna split up the info between the good and bad of this eyeliner for you :)

The brush tip is thin, flexible and fine, which makes the application so so easy and lines, defined! Besides that, there is no need to twist any bottom cap for the ink to be released, so by just shaking it before removing the cap head, an even distribution of liquid around the brush tip is done ready for you. What I love most - SUPER ANTI SMUDGE! I've applied in on my hand to test the product out at Sasa outlets, and just a few seconds later as it dried… I rubbed and tried my best to smudge the hell out of it, and nothing. NO SMUDGE AT ALL! (Please do try it for yourselves and be amazed!!)

Using Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black

Slim pen sized

Also, the size is relatively slimmer compared to a lot of liquid eyeliners. And I know how some users are really appreciating the cuteness of this eyeliner's packaging design, so I figured that I should point it out as well. ;)

While some liquid eyeliners really do stay on the lids for the entire day, getting it off may be another story, yes? A good and safe liquid eyeliner should be easy to be applied on and easy to be taken off the skin as well. Dolly Wink's liquid eyeliner fulfills both the criterion in my search for that 'safe' factor. With just a cotton bud dipped in warm water, I could easily removed the ink off my skin gently. But of course, I use a proper makeup remover afterwards to properly cleanse my lids to prevent any impurities build up which can cause acne/whiteheads/blackheads. (Yes! Even on your eye area!)

It is also said on the packaging, to be waterproof and sweat proof, which I believe as I personally tested it out! Throughout my day wearing the eyeliner made of running around and playing under the sun, rain and wet rides at Universal Studio, Singapore, the fine lines are still there, undisturbed, on my eyes when I checked at night. (No touch-ups at all).

And in case you're wondering… yessss, it dries up super quick!! :D

Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner (Deep Black / Brown) is being sold at Sasa Outlets for RM 55.90. However, if you manage to purchase it during the Sasa Christmas sale, you get 10% off! Still not much difference and yes, still costs a lot for just one liquid eyeliner (which is why it took me so long to purchase it). But, I believe in the product looking at the results/reviews of other users so until I do find a better eyeliner, no doubt that I would continue purchasing this brand as my choice for liquid eyeliners. :)

Weekend Getaway - Hiatus alert!

2011-12-17T10:41:00.000+08:00

Hello peeps,

Will be away over the weekend for a small vacation to Singapore! Much more love when I get back with more updates! In the mean time, will be updating whenever I can on Twitter/Facebook to keep in touch <3

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Karmin Love!

2011-12-16T13:53:00.001+08:00

Hello!

Yes, it is that time of the week again where I found something so worth sharing off YouTube.
Hope it crashes your party like how it did for me! ;)

Karmin - Crash your party (Official MV)

You might remember them from the supermadawesomejizzinyourpants rap cover of Chris Brown's 'Look at me now'. Amy, the vocalist of Karmin, is such a talented artist, don't you agree? And I love her retro/vintage fashion sense, so much like Katy Perry's!

# And I've read somewhere that this awesome duo of Karmin is actually married to each other!

How sweet <3

theBalm Two-Timer Mascara

2011-12-15T00:59:00.003+08:00

Remember the makeup post I did a month ago, I've mentioned about a new discovery of a makeup weapon?

Here it is!

theBalm's Two-timer Mascara!!

After trying this mascara out for over a month, I can finally set my verdicts on this product.

Compared to my previous Cliniqúe mascara, the one thing I like most about theBalm's mascara is the options of two different types of brushes but with the same formula, all in one mascara! The different brushes are made to create different looks as the brush creates different intensity of the mascara's formula volume on the lashes.

The two brushes;

Right: Marcus LASHALOT & Left: Johnny FINETUNE

Marcus LASHALOT - 'The Volumizer'

- It has a twisted spiral brush.

- has a tight 'waistline' that collects extra mascara

through the wiper and applies evenly onto the lashes immediately

building fuller lashes without clumping.

Johnny FINETUNE - 'The Definer'

- Plastic injection moulded brush

- Soft, flexible and comfortable to use.

- The unique shape of the bristles

lengthens and separates creating lashes

that fan out appearing to be longer.

Using the side of Johnny FINETUNE

Final verdict on the product:

I love the idea of having two different brushes for different purposes with one same formula in each tubes. For me, I often use 'Johnny Finetune' during the day and 'Marcus Lashalot' at night for a more heavy look. If I were to choose my favorite, I would have to say 'Johnny Finetune' because of its lengthening abilities as it really 'fans out' your lashes creating more distinctive spaces in between them. In fact, I remember jumping out of excitement to Momsie and friends about how it actually works! So, lucky me that the mascara formula in both tubes are the same as I can just switch the tubes over if Johnny Finetune's tube dries out faster than Marcus Lashalot. hehe!

The downside of this mascara is that despite the description being 'flake-free', I sometimes feel mascara clumps and flakes at the tips of my lashes. However, compared to my previous Cliniqúe mascara which gave me a lot of flake problems, this one isn't so bad.

Selling at RM60 at Sasa outlets, I managed to buy these babies during a Buy 1 Free 1promotion during the opening sale at Sasa's One Utama's outlet. Usually I wouldn't splurge so much for just a mascara but seeing it is on sale, one tube only costs me RM30. Still slightly more expensive than common drugstore brands, but at least its not RM60! ;D

Also, I have come to realize that my lashes don't often stay curled. :( Maybe its my ignorant purchase of a cheap eyelash curler from Watson's or maybe its just the choice of mascara again.

Any kind recommendation for a solution to this problem, please do share! <3

#Pictures above (aside from mine) are taken off Google Images.

I couldn't capture the brushes as clearly as I hoped. :(

Tiger 'Living It Up!' Party - How to win invites!

2011-12-14T18:56:00.003+08:00

Here's to a winning Year-end Party!

Tiger's star-studded collaboration is reaching its finale at the Living It Up Party this December!

Tiger's 'Living It Up' year-end party, the final product of a never-before-seen collaboration among a group of winning local personalities from distinct backgrounds, is set to be the most exclusive year end party!

"Tiger is a known across the world to be an enabler of great winning moments, and we are looking to celebrate this year end with a star-studded 'Tiger Time' for all who are open to winning - individuals who embrace the value of ingenuity in creating win-win situations for everyone around them. This is what Tiger aims to salute through our 'Here's to Tiger Time' campaign. So don't miss our this opportunity to party with the stars and have a great time this 16 December at Vertigo KL" - (Sean Koh, Marketing Manager of Tiger).

The Tiger Time Celebrities

(L-R) Vanessa Chong, MC Toy of ManHanD, standup comedian Douglas Lim, Namewee, DJ Point, MC Beeman and Von of Manhand, and Pamela Chong

Tiger's Living It Up celebrities Namewee, Douglass Lim, ManHanD and the Chong sisters each represent an open to winning mind-set from their different walks of life; a value which Tiger looks to salute.

The 'Living It Up' party will be hosted by hilarious Douglas Lim along with the sexy Chong sisters, Pamela and Vanessa Chong (you may recognize them from Amazing Race Asia!); and it will feature performances by Namewee as well as Malaysia's hottest Chinese hip hop rap group, ManHanD!

Hosts of the night: Douglas Lim, Vanessa Chong & Pamela Chong

A party hosted by the funniest & hottest Malaysians - I'm sure you know what to expect ;)

Namewee

A truly inspiring Malaysian fighter I am eager to meet in person!

ManHanD

Time to live it up with some Chinese hip hop rap, ManHanD style!

Coupled with free flow of Tiger beer, good food, great venue and an International guest DJ to spin the night away, Tiger's 'Living It Up' party is going to be a truly phenomenal year-end event!

WHERE YOU SHOULD BE!

Date: 16 December 2011 (Friday)

Venue: Vertigo Club, (6th floor, rooftop) The Gardens Mid Valley

Time: 7.30pm till late

Dress code: Wear something BLUE

If you feel your Tiger vibes screaming the thirst to party along with these amazing personalities, here is your chance of winning exclusive invites to Tiger's 'Living It Up' party this Friday night!

By simply clicking on the 'Living It Up' tab on Tiger Beer's Facebook page, you will be able to view and share the party-planning videos of the celebrities and be in the running to party with them this Friday night! The more you share on Facebook, the higher the chances for you to win invites to the party. So make sure you share like you have never shared before!

# In the meantime, be sure to log on to Tiger Beer's Facebook page to watch the witty discussions and introductions by Tiger's 'Living It Up' celebrities!

And here is one of the intro by Douglas Lim - It's super funny! XD

Tiësto-ing out @ Heineken Thirst 2011!

2011-12-13T22:59:00.004+08:00

Pictures from last Saturday night at Heineken Thirst 2011 with Tiësto over at Sepang International Circuit!

# Sorry about the lacking of quality in the pictures, no camera was allowed in the event so I had to depend on my ever-so-awesome 2.0 Mp camera phone and blinding yellow flash projecting out from a small square box.
'Yippie! Nothing like keepin' it real and old skool!'

Better quality pictures are kind efforts from Cheryl's huge ass screen Samsung, cool shiz!

I have man arms as horns! >:D

#Having this picture in XL size because it is the best picture of the night! Thank you Heineken!

Thirst buddies - Cheryl and Mr.V!

Signing up for a free door gift - A really unique Heineken beer bottle opener.

Bottles in Star Lounge

Bottoms up, chilling in Star Lounge before partying

And it was all… yellow :(

The night ended with Tiësto spinning at the front stage with awesome synchronized fireworks and mad crowd cheering but I've heard from friends and tweets that the night did not just end there. There were super mad jams and got worst as there were also, crazy number of police roadblocks EVERYWHERE countering most of the Sepang exit, LDP highway, PJ/Dsara areas and KL.

Thank God Mr.V and I left earlier to skip the jam and police roadblocks. While most of the party goers were just leaving the event, Mr.V and I are already happily home in our sleeping clothes, tummy filled with mamak food, ready to sleep, away from the jam and police hassle.

Sometimes it pays to be a little bit more angelic when it comes to leaving a party a bit earlier. ;)

Momsie must have been so proud :')

How was your Thirst night?!

Christmas Tree Lighting & Dinner Preview @ One World Hotel

2011-12-11T14:42:00.002+08:00

In conjunction with Christmas and part of One World Hotel's annual community programme, One World Hotel Petaling Jaya organized a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony with the children from the House of Joy followed by a Christmas dinner preview at Cinnamon Coffee House last Monday.

Tree lighting ceremony

And to further merry the night, we had Alvin and the Chipmunks to join us!

Caroling for the night

This year, the hotel granted the Christmas wishes of 30 children from the House of Joy, a social concern and non-profit organization that provides shelter, care and education for orphans as well as for underprivileged, delinquent and abandoned children and teens. One World Hotel together with its sponsors has pledged to fulfill the children's wishes.

During the ceremony: Children hanging their wishes on the Christmas tree at the hotel lobby. And every wish is sponsored by a blessed angel that night who presented each children their wish respectively. You should have seen how their faces lighted up as they received their gifts - truly priceless. :)

To read how simple the wishes were was just heartbreaking and quickly, it filled me up with guilt. For one child's all-time Christmas wishes were simple clothing of T-shirts, Jeans, Shoes and Jackets (I've walked around reading every wish and ALL wishes were simple wishes like these), who am I to ask for more with all the blessings I've been enjoying throughout - Such an eye opener.

Dylan & Sam; with Alvin the chipmunk

After the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, we were invited to preview the Christmas dinner menu by Cinnamon Coffee House prepared by One World Hotel's team of creative kitchen maestros.

Entrance of Cinnamon Coffee House

Our beautifully set up dining area

Table deco

Fruit punch

TURKEY!

Saute broccoli topped with veloute sauce and pine nuts

Chicken sausages

Lamb in gravy

Grilled vegetables

Pasta bar

Greens for salad

More greens

Salads

Chicken terrine

Beef rolls

CHEESE!

(L) Wok fried vegetables with dried squid and hawaiian nuts /
(R) Braised mushroom and butter fish with garden greens

(L) Fried mussel with percik sauce /
( R) Cuttle fish cooked in spicy peanut sauce

(L) Chinese beef steak with black bean sauce /
( R ) Sweet, sour and spicy fish

(L) Otak otak kembong lemak /
( R ) Chicken stewed in spicy coconut gravy

(L) Stir fried squid with dry chili /
( R ) Fried clam with pineapple and sweet spicy sauce

Fried spicy laksa noodles

Nasi Jagung

Oysters

Crabs

Mussels

Prawns

Sushi bar

Chicken

Lamb

Chicken rice corner

Tom Yam corner

Dim Sum corner

(L) Fried tiger prawn with curry leave brown sauce /
( R ) Tofu in spicy sauce

Tandoori

Crab cooked in spicy coconut cream

Indian cuisine corner

Lamb / Chicken / Beef Satay

Crackers

Curry

Vegetables and dhall gravy

Briyani rice

Rojak corner

Salmon fish

Grilled lamb chop with mustard crust

Mini pizzas!

Butter cake

Muffins

Mini cakes

Fruit tarts

Christmas cookies from Santa

Merry early Chipmunk Christmas to my lovely readers!

Christmas Eve Festive Revelry

24 December

6.30 pm – 10.30 pm

RM108++ per adult (includes a glass of wine)

RM55++ per child aged 4 – 12 years (includes a glass of mocktail)

Christmas Day Gala Buffet

25 December

6.30 pm – 10.30 pm

RM108++ per adult (includes a glass of wine)

RM55++ per child aged 4 – 12 years (includes a glass of mocktail)

Christmas Day Hi-Tea Galore

25 December

12 noon – 4.30 pm

RM65++ per adult

RM33++ per child aged 4 – 12 years

Cinnamon Coffee House @ One World Hotel

First Avenue, Bandar Utama City Centre,

47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Business Hours : 6am to 1am daily

Tel : +603-76811157

Christmas Marathon Buffet Review @ Chatz Brasserie, PARKROYAL KL

2011-12-07T22:38:00.001+08:00

With just 3 more weeks to the long awaited Christmas, I'm pretty sure everyone is buzzing their schedule with gift shopping, wrapping and of course, planning the custom Xmas dinner with family and friends.

The delicious Xmas tradition ;)

The one tradition my family and I have been practicing for years (as long as I can remember being a kid) is to gather all together at one selected relative home on Christmas eve to feast, catch up, exchange presents, tearing wrapping papers apart like monsters (heh! When we were wayyy younger!) and of course, THE countdown to Christmas Day! And judging from the complexity of the dishes, it must have been real tiring for mom(s) to whip up dishes for the party even though it was pot luck style - One/two dish per family. *Thank goodness I have two left arms and two left feet so I am totally excluded from being needed in the kitchen hehe!*

But a Christmas dinner doesn't necessarily have to be celebrated particularly at a home. All that matters is the joyful company and atmosphere, oh! And of course, FOOD. So, if you feel that this year's Christmas would be a tad bit lazy, why not celebrate Christmas buffet style? ;)

This Christmas and New Year, celebrate good cheer with friends and family at Chatz Brasserie, Hot Gossip and Klix Lounge. From a marathon brunch to candlelit dinners, a groovy party night to gastronomic dinners, PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur has lined up an irresistible range of festivities throughout this merry season.

And I am thankful to be invited for such an experience during the Xmas buffet review for the food was truly scrumptious - No kid!! :)

Long tables suited for a large merry crowd

Comfortable interior atmosphere

Buffet corner

Xmas Tree deco

These boots are made for walking ^.^

Part of the Xmas deco at Chatz Bresserie

First off, starters to kick-start the soon to be merry-go-round stomach.

Pledged guilty for putting on weight every year-end during Xmas and also the beginning of the year for Chinese New Year. :(

Turkey Loaf Roll with Mandarin Orange Salad

Hawaiian Chicken Pineapple Salad

Tenderloin Pate Platter

Smoked Duck Beast with Orange Coriander Salad

Potato salad - my guilty comfort food :D

And for the main course, what to be better served other than ROASTED TURKEY for Christmas!

Chef at his best

Tender, juicy and yummy!

Roast Turkey served with Chestnut Stuffing, Buttered Brussels Sprout
with Natural Glaze and Cranberry Sauce

Not forgetting another main course,

Venison Stew with Celeriac

Fluffy buns to go with the stew

And to complete the wonderful night, yummy tooth-sweetening desserts!

Christmas Pudding

Stollen Bread

Christmas Cookies

Christmas Fruit Cake

Ginger Bread

If you feel your taste buds tingling for some of these scrumptious goodness for Christmas, Chatz Brasserie should be considered as a venue to host that awaiting joyful merry night.

On a more serious note, In the spirit of goodwill, PARKROYAL KL is urging well-wishers to take a little step towards making Christmas wishes of the children of Stepping Stones Living Centre come true. Stepping Stones started in November 1998 by Pastor Johnson with a purpose of taking care of children from needy and broken homes. A deserted house was cleaned and repaired in Taman Seputeh which presentedly houses the home where children and single mothers are taken into the Home regardless of background of belief.

As the upcoming year is just around the corner, the children are in need of school bags, shoes, clothes and other essentials. To ease their plight, a purchase of an envelope carrying a 'Wish' from PARKROYAL's Christmas Tree will contribute towards fulfilling a child's Christmas wish. :)

Details for Christmas Happenings @ PARKROYAL KL

'Merry Christmas Eve' @ Chatz Brasserie

Buffet dinner

RM98++ per adult ( with 1 glass of Christmas cocktail/ cocktail)

RM49++ per child

7pm - 1030pm

'10-hour Marathon Buffet' @ Chatz Brasserie

- Fill your tummy from brunch till dinner at one great price!

25 December

RM88++ per adult

RM44++ per child

12noon - 10pm

'Festive Gift Boxes & Goodies' by Hot Gossip & Sleigh Bells @ Hotel Lobby

Assorted gingerbread, Christmas stolen, roast turkey and more!

Available from 1 December to 31 December

@ Hot Gossip (10am - 10pm)

@ Hotel lobby (7am - 11pm)

# UOB cardmembers, PARKROYAL KL and PARKROYAL Serviced Suites KL get to enjoy 20% discount when dining on festive offers at their restaurants, for a minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 10 people.

For booking or enquiries for festive promotions in any PARKROYAL restaurants,

please contact +603 2782 8378

PARKROYAL HOTEL,

Jln Sultan Ismail,

50250 Kuala Lumpur.