Rou on Sunday Service

Rou simply adores Sunday church cos there are plenty of toys for her in the kids' room. There is a big kitchen set for her to play masak-masak and there is this wonderful 'car' for her to zip around in. Overall, Yurou is a well-behaved girl, and she doesn't mind sharing with others, really polite too, by saying Thank You and Sorry :) She's more and more like her mother.

She enjoys making faces and will imitate whatever you do. Thank goodness Andrea is a role model. She's one of my rare friends who is genuine, mild-mannered and just so full of goodness you can't get enough of her. She has groomed Yurou to be a mini her!

Some songs and rhymes on the wall for these little toddlers to appreciate their time in church.

Restoran Kee V and Kajang Satay

On my first night after checking into the Bangi Equatorial Hotel, we were not familiar with the surrounding areas, but thank goodness for Cui Cui's buddy Yunting who is a regular in that area, she brought us to this wonderful place, Restoran Kee V.

Although not serving any 'beautiful' looking dishes, it certainly made up for it in the taste department. We ordered a claypot of their signature Spicy Pork Soup. This peppery, tasty broth is ready to make you sweat, especially when the shop is also hot as an oven. No complains from me though!

Slowly, but surely, i'm beginning to enjoy having salted egg yolk in my diet. The creative dish of Salted Egg Yolk Bitter Gourd is absolutely heaven. The egg yolk just melts on your tongue as you put it into your mouth and is well-balanced by the bitterness of the vegetable.

Next is also a quality dish of Kungbao Chicken. Although not as famous as the previous two dishes, this also packs a punch on its own. It's spicy and the chicken is tender. It also helps that it is served in a claypot, keeping it warm for our slow enjoyment.

Must go for Kajang Satay, since we're just a stone's throw away. After such a long wait, i finally found my beloved Rabbit Satay! Wahahahaha..... Nice lor...

And Malaysian ABC is a must. This one comes with a generous scoop of ice cream also. Gembiranya...~

Never Eat Pork Chop Again!

Working Trip to Bangi/Putrajaya

 

This is a photo of the serene Equatorial Hotel in Bangi, where Crispy and I put up for 5 nights during my course in Bangi. The hotel was comfortable and spacious but sadly without WiFi! Apa lah.... I believe they should seriously consider giving complimentary WiFi, since the hotel also happens to be in the middle of nowhere.

One of the evenings, we dropped by at Putrajaya to admire all the new government buildings and marvel at their glorious architecture. I must admit i was impressed at the beauty and cleanliness of it all. So much so that we decided to jump for joy in front of Najib's office :)

This view of the road to Putrajaya was taken from the hill where PICC (Putrajaya International Convention Centre) is situated. From here, you can see the man-made lakes that flank Putrajaya. I wonder how much money has gone into the landscape.

I believe that this is the Putra Mosque, the principal mosque in Putrajaya, right beside Najib's office. It has a tall minaret and is absolutely photogenic. I wish that the sun was a little brighter, a pity it was already dusk.

Zen Japanese Restaurant, Sunway Pyramid

One of my first lunches in KL was this Japanese restaurant - Zen in Sunway Pyramid which Kiyaw and Crispy brought me to. If you're not familiar with the shopping center, this would be a challenging place to find. It is tucked in a corner which is only accessible via a hidden escalator on the outside :S :S

The restaurant faces the sun, and so the management thoughtfully shuts the curtains and we dined in absolute comfort :) They also give us thick wet towels once we sit down.

Start off with some fresh salmon sashimi. I shuddered at the thought of eating raw fish just 2 years ago, but now i can absolutely swallow the whole plate without getting the slightest tummy upset. Looks like i've trained myself well!

My sis always orders Edamame , a dish a Japanese peas boiled in water and lightly salted.

Some Japanese fried chicken? This was taken so long ago i couldn't remember what it was. Anyway, i hardly take fried food except KFC.... ! I suppose Ki yaw must've wiped this plate off :)

Ahhh...sushi! MmmmMmmm....although they don't look so nice in this photo, they are pretty tasty. Their vinegared rice for the sushi was very fragrant too, as i recall. Not too bad, can pass!

Our lunch was actually a set which came with side dishes like fruits and chawanmushi.

It also came with dipping sauces and mashed sweet potato ( or was it pumpkin)? Anyway, it was great having all these variety but we later discovered this meal is just not enough for the three of us.

And so, we ordered another extra sashimi salad for poor Ki Yaw to enjoy. Their sashimi salad is fresh and full of flavours, but still way behind if you compare to the one served by Sushi Tei.

Tim Howard's Crazy Full Field Goal

Last week's spectacular goal in Everton's match versus Bolton. Goalie Tim Howard scores a full-field goal. However, there is a unwritten ethic code between goalkeepers that they don't celebrate goals like this, hence the composure that he maintained.

Juju Hokkaido Hotpot

Ever since having buffet lunch at Tao Restaurant next door, i've been waiting for a chance to dine in at the sister restaurant Juju Hokkaido Hotpot next door. Finally, after work there was a chance! The hotpot came with a starter of Semi-Boiled Golden Egg with House Starters. Hmmm....not bad not bad... for a cold egg. The salmon roll was tasty too.

My pick was the Premium beef hotpot. This is the platter, came complete with my favourite thinly-sliced beef, broccoli and golden mushrooms! Yippeee....

My friend ordered a seafood set...wahh...the serving looks generous and with a wide variety. Although it came in generous heaps, the ingredients were so-so only, nothing to rave about. The soup was a little salty for me.

Each set also comes with five flavours of frozen dumplings they call Assorted Rainbow Dumplings. I must say this really exceeded my limit. I had trouble finishing the first platter, let alone 5 dumplings! And they were not that nice anyway, somehow they split open when i throw them into the hotpot...bah...

Just after you wipe away you dinner, the wait staff whisks out two cups of Ice Plum Vinegar to let you ease your stomach after the very heavy meal.

My friend's dessert - Fresh Fruit Sago.... Hmm...the fruit fresh meh?

My Chocolate Parfait fared better. At least it had better taste and i could finish it with no trouble :)

 

The best part was going up to Mount Emily just behind where we had the hotpot to have Taiwanese Lychee Beer at Wild Rocket. I love the taste of this girly beer! The hardcore beer-drinkers hate this beer but me like! It's like mixing lychee syrup with beer! It's so nice, i bought a bottle home too. This place is really rustic and nostalgic. It is an old colonial house with lazy rattan chairs at the patio. While i'm enjoying my lychee beer, free-roaming cats were sitting by my side....

What's On My Dressing Table? (Part 15)

 

I had the opportunity to try out a brand i've never used before thanks to a free sample. Lancaster's Cellular Elixir 365 Intense is the first serum designed to support DNA protection. The serum feels silky on the skin, almost egg-white consistency....haha.... A good protection to have in these days where the environment is extremely harsh on the skin.

 

During my week in KL, Crispy generously shared her Hada Labo set with me. My favourite item in her collection is this UV Moist Emulsion. Exceptionally light, and with a powdery quick finish, this is the kind of sunscreen feel that i'm looking for. No trace of greasiness at all, pretty impressive given that it boasts an SPF50+ and PA+++.

 

I recently purchased a small bottle of Origins' Youthopia. I must admit that it has such a cool name! It is an age-correcting serum containing the patented Rhodiola and strives to prolong the skin's 'youthspan'. Hmmm...it is pretty expensive for a small bottle i probably could finish in about 3 months, plus i hate its odour. One of the least cost-effective products on my dressing table.

 

I also tried Lancaster's Retinology Eye cream in a sample sachet. It works well, but for the eye area, i still prefer gel-cream kind of texture. This one is pretty hard to push around on the skin and after quick application around the eye, i could still see white spots. Perhaps i applied too generously because it was free?

 

This is one fun product by Skinfood - Omija Whitening Teabag Toner. Just after opening, you need to cold brew your teabag before using. Just dunk the teabag into the toner liquid, let it cold-simmer for several minutes. Then discard the teabag, and the toner is good enough to last you a good three months. This toner also comes with paper masks in which you can pour your toner onto and leave it on the face. Kudos to the Skinfood creative people :)

Totally hated the Hada Labo Moisturising Lotion. It has a disgustingly sticky after feel. By patting on your face after application, you could feel the fingertips having difficulty leaving the skin. It also doesn't impart much emollience on the skin, just a weird tightening feeling. I personally will not want to buy this.

Shocking Reaction to SMRT Train Breakdown

This is hilarious, although abit inappropriate by making fun of a death. But i still LOL LOL LOL!

Kage, JB (Part 2)

 

 Dragon roll - one of my favourite kinds of sushi. It is rolled with mango and contains fried prawn within the sushi rice. Nowadays, many Japanese restaurants serve this, the other kind of dragon roll would be the one rolled with avocado, but i prefer the mango version. Recently, my friends and I tried one that contains chocolate ice cream inside! It sounds weird, but one of the better experiences we've had with creative sushi!

  

To be honest, the shishamo here were pathetic. The fishes were tiny, has an odour and is soggy, not crispy. Skip!

  

Ahhh, sotong! Haha... looks very appetising and it still retains the Q-ness too!

 

Some mixed tempura for us to share. The batter was not too bad, overall the cooked food at Kage passes the grade :)

  

We ordered yet another plate of mixed Yakitori. Their grilled food was also exceptionally tasty, especially the pork. We ordered several servings, of it, in fact.

  

Boon Choon was especially disappointed with this buffet. The rest of us thought that for the money we paid, it was decent but obviously this place is for quantity, not quality.

Kage, JB ( Part 1)

 

 The gang visited JB some time ago, and Lisa brought us to have ala carte buffet at Kage, a Japanese restaurant. Started with some tempura. I never liked fried food much, hence did not try this. My friends lapped it up though.

  

For us girls, Chawanmushi is a must starter for a Japanese meal. At least the chawanmushi is silky and smooth. Pass!

  

Having Japanese food in JB is definitely cheaper than in Singapore. However, we do feel the pinch due to the lower price. The raw fish is probably from frozen sources. Here you can see the various sushi (Suzuki, Sime, Sake, Maguro, Tataki etc.) were slightly off-colour. 

 

 Fried mushroom - tasted quite crispy and non-greasy. I think the fried stuff fared better at this place, but i am no longer a Japanese-cooked dish fan, I'm more of a sashimi fan these day...ahhh...how things have changed since my first Japanese meal.

  

Tako Balls, or octopus balls. I also left this dish for my hungry friends to wipe off. Their verdict was that it's so-so only :(

 

Everybody ordered a Sashimi platter for themselves. The assorted sashimis were served in an ice big bowl. The fish were fresh, but detected a frozen after-taste and it did not have the 'bounce' of normal sashimi.

 

Hotate (scallop) and Buta Hotate (Pork) grills. The pork was great!! Alas, a good dish we were all singing praises for.... We had too many dishes that lunch, so stay tuned for Part 2. I'm getting lazier and lazier at updating my blog....haha

Mushrooms & Snoopy

 

Just before Andrea quit her job, we had a play date with Yurou out for another day of fun for the tiny tot. This pic was taken secretly by yours truly. Andrea was busy chatting up with Cui Cui and Tze Ching while Yurou was stealing a braised peanut using her spoon and putting it into her mouth quickly. Naughty act caught my Puffyrazzi's camera.

 

 

Finally mummy came over and asked me to wave at the camera!

 '

After our mushroom lunch, we hopped over to 313 at Somerset to have a photo with Charlie Brown, Snoopy and friends!Ooohh....Charlie Brown has such a nice, round button nose :)

 

 

Is this the queue to get into Snoopy cafe?

 

Just opposite at Heeren's Sjora was having a roadshow.They have on display a land-rover kinda vehicle, plus some Hawaiian decorations for you to pose with. We took Yurou for a photo-taking session there, but she was kinda scared of the loud music they were playing...