So What's Up?

My blog's a stereo

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:44:00 +0000

I'm sitting here pondering what to blog about and I finally chosen one of my "must get out of my chest" topic to blog.What am I talking about? Simply, Food bloggers.

Before one speculates, nope, I'm NOT sour towards anyone. Honest. The harsh fact is about how one perceive food bloggers these days. A lot of things happened lately and I started thinking, what do people assume we, bloggers do? Yes, even friends who are dear to us.

"Ah, one of those blogger justifying why this and why that".

Seriously, take a good look around. People are stereotyping everything; bloggers, photographers, models and the list goes on. Granted, there are many who have explained that we, bloggers don't just eat for free but those articles might not even be read by many because they're probably thinking "I-don't-care-as-I-am-not-a-blogger-anyway".

Blogging is fun for me. I blog whenever I am free or whenever I have the mood for it. It doesn't require a dedicated time or day. That's how amazing and beautiful it is. An online diary perhaps but it's here to stay unless the world ends and blogspot removes everything I've posted.

I started blogging back in 2003. Back then, the handphone I was using the almighty super white LED keypad Nokia 3610 and I was camera-less as my sister was holding on to the digital camera during her university time. Then came year 2007 when I started my second blog. Finally, came year 2010 and I decided to have a clean start; my new blog which you're currently reading.

To make the long story short, I got to meet many new friends through blogging and attending events. Not long after, I was invited to several food review which lead to where I am today; not that I'm so "atas", but you get the picture.

I would LOVE to explain that we, food bloggers don't just do food review for free but I have some other topics instead.

Are your reviews real and honest?

Yes and yes. All my reviews are honest and I don't sugar coat. Of course, everyone's taste buds are different and extremely subjective. Food review isn't to please you with superb food pictures and flowery language to make you fantasize about the food but it is to share our dining experience. It's like an online food guide. Also, it doesn't have to be from invited food reviews only; WE DO PAY for my own meals you know?

What happens if you've posted a good review but others say OTHERWISE after trying out the place?

I believe its beyond our control. There are so many factors which may come into play. Did the restaurant change chef(s)? No quality control? Was the ingredients fresh? What happened? What happened to the glorious food that we, food bloggers talked about for a particular place?

My answer: How would we know?

Whatever we experienced during our food review(even personal ones that we paid for), we would gladly share them. We would try our level best to explain how the food tasted, share a little about the ambiance of the place and also information about the restaurant/cafe; all these so that you would roughly know what you'll be enjoying for your visit. If things don't go as expected, are we food bloggers to be blamed or worse, accused of being FAKE?

Don't tell me you've never had a bad review thus far?

Nope. Not really. Apart from one food review that went wrong due to poor management by the restaurant, I have never been to any food review which was bad. I'm a simple guy. If the food is nice, it is nice. I don't have to explain till the heavens for a food review.

Let's say I DO come across a bad food review. What would I do? Simple. It's either I don't blog it or blog it honestly. I don't like going behind my principal about blogging fake food review. If this would lead to lesser or no more food review invites, so be it. I would rather be honest in my review than to be this low for "free food" as some might say.

So what's up?

p/s: I want more food reviews invites please. kthxbye

Petronas - Reimagining Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:27:00 +0000

Happy Chinese New Year

Simple but yet its meaning is abundant. Every Chinese New Year, we get to see beautiful commercials by Petronas. How can one forget all the videos directed by the late Yasmid Ahmad. This year is no exception; Petronas has once again produced a CNY commercial entitled "Coming Home". From the title itself, you will know the storyline of the commercial.

To summarize the video, its basically telling us that no matter where you are and what you do, one will stay true to his or her roots and tradition. Meaningful commercial like this helps to inspire as well as rekindle family's relationship; an unseen 'energy' as some might say.

Datuk Mohammad Medan Abdullah

“Energy is everywhere, in everything we do, and especially at this time. It could be the excitement and the bonding during the reunion dinner, or it could be the hustle and bustle of shopping for and decorating the home. It could even be a portrait of the wise grandfather of the family, or a picture of the lanterns that light up our cities,” explained Dato Mohammad Medan.

In the spirit of Chinese New Year, Petronas is collaborating with Leica Camera AG to have a photography contest. With the theme "Reimagining Energy", anyone can submit their photo via PETRONAS' facebook and they stand a chance to win great prizes.

Photos of selected winners will also be displayed at Galeri PETRONAS which is truly an honor. As the contest is about photography, fear not as PETRONAS will be conducting photography workshops at selected schools and colleges.

For more videos, check out PETRONAS' YOUTUBE page.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

ABSOLUT Vodka Tower Launch at Ecobar

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:52:00 +0000

Absolutely ABSOLUT VODKA

Absolut Vodka Tower was launched at Ecobar. What is it about? You can now get your own vodka cocktail mix in your own personal Vodka Tower. Wait, what's a Vodka Tower?

There were mini games to let some of us make our very own Vodka cocktail mixtures. In 4 simple steps.

Our lovely emcee for the night, Linora Low

Look how happy she is :)

Choose your concoction

First batch to prepare their personal Absolut Vodka Towers

Our personal mixtures for our Vodka Towers

My camera must have drank some of the delicious Vodka mix, it got tipsy and was just reluctant to focus on me.

Y U NO FOCUS?

Party Rock

Finally, it sobered up. Behold, my twin tower!

After the first few batches of Absolut Vodka for the towers were done, it was time for some games.

Naomi couldn't believe she won the puzzle contest

Limited Edition Absolut Vodka

Next was Evelyn against Ah Bok!

Ah Bok challenging me?

Ya wor....

She got the lucky ang pao which is the Limited Edition Absolut Vodka

Ah Bok couldn't believe that he won something despite not completing the puzzle first :P

Winners! Evelyn, Ah Bok and Mike

Evelyn, Mike and Naomi

As most of us were sobering up, it was time for more Absolut Vodka Tower mixing! This time, Malaysia's Hottest Bloggers are doing the mix. Check out the lovely ladies :D

Valerie Chua

Louise with her Absolut Vodka Tower

Naomi preparing her own version of her Vodka cocktail

Brigette Liberty Yu

HOLD UP! Where am I? I got a chance to win something too. I got to try my luck in the puzzle contest. To be honest, I was quite tipsy at the time. I'll leave the pictures do the talking

I got this, I got this

Completed it like a boss

I lost but it was all fun. I did win something. It was a luggage tag I think

The night was followed by more games and Vodka mixing by the lovely ladies from Malaysia's Hottest Bloggers.

Samantha

Two is better than one. Zana Chin with Samantha

Gambateh Yukiko!

Melissa completed her puzzle fast!

Alicia going for the puzzle challenge

Lost but doesn't matter, WON PRIZE

Melissa, Jo and Evelyn

*Insert caption here*

Louise and Yukiko

Marcky in da house

Chris! Be in Control!

Lovely ladies

Even more lovely ladies from Malaysia's Hottest Bloggers

Once again, I would like to thank Absolut Vodka and Ecobar for having us that night. Truely an ABSOLUTLY AWESOME NIGHT.

Before I end, here is a video of what went down that night during the Absolut Vodka Tower launch. Enjoy peeps!

Taipei Day 2 - Pre-Wedding Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:54:00 +0000

Taipei Day 2 - The day for the actual pre-wedding shoot

We didn't bring our cameras(DSLR/PnS) along with us as we were really rushing from one location to another(5 different locations and some studio shoot). The weather was really cold with slight drizzle at certain places so that made us even more worried while shooting. Nevertheless, I'm gonna share 2 more pictures from my pre-wedding photoshoot at Taipei.

The shoot was indeed quite tiring but we had lots fun. Rushing from one place to another and changing gowns and suits in some mobile changing tent. All in all, it was quite an experience. We didn't have any full meal by the way. All we had was some packet drinks, cakes and breads given by the bridal studio(which they ordered from somewhere).

As soon as we were done with the shoot, we still had to walk to get food while carrying our own clothes used in the shoot. What we ate? Nothing special and we were not picky after such a tiring day.

Note: KFC Malaysia is much better than the one at Taipei.

Day 3 next!

Italian Tomato at Bangsar

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:26:00 +0000

No, this place doesn't sell tomatoes from Italy

When I first entered Italian Tomato, I was like "OMG, a pizza furnace"! Coincidentally, the chef was preparing an order so I thought I'd captured a few shots of the process.

Lay them down gloriously

Pick me up before you go go...oh wait...

Now, be patient

I was browsing through the menu and the description for its food and ingredients are quite mouth watering. But of course, everyone holds their judgement until one has tasted the food. Nevertheless, a gathering of friends with delicious food; it's all good.

Antipasti Misti, RM42

First up was the Antipasti Misti which is a platter type of dish. You have grilled mushrooms, calamari, garlic crostini and carrozza. Don't feel alienated by all the names. Carroza is the one at the top right in the picture which looks like french toast(but not literally). Crostini is the one which looks like french loaf. The platter is also served with condiments such as sour cream, tomato salsa sauce and chicken liver; as shown in the picture.

I did a mistake here. The tomato salsa sauce was supposed to be taken with the carrozza but I ate it with a piece of grilled mushroom on a fragrant and crispy crostini. Wrong but tasted heavenly. I'm not a fan of chicken liver but being a foodie blogger, I just had to try it even if its just a tiny bit. To my surprise, it was DELICIOUS. Whatever the chef did, it came out very tasty and aromatic. I was probably one of the few at the table to try it.

Crema Di Zucca Al Forno, RM14

Before you go I dunno, this is basically roasted pumpkin soup cooked in a wood fired oven! All was well balanced; the thickness, sweetness and saltiness was just right. I would normally go for mushroom soup but sometimes, you have better options out there. The pumpkin soup is definitely not to be missed.

Zuppa Di Cozze E Vongole Picanti

Pretty straight forward dish; Mussels and clams in tomato base soup. When I first tasted the soup, I was taken aback. I thought the soup tasted funny. The seafood soup wasn't looking good. Gave it a quick stir and tasted it again and it was alright. Mussels and clams was as fresh as it can get. Among the sweet and sourness, there was some spiciness coming from the soup too. A seafoody(cheesy name huh?) soup which goes for RM25.

Pizza Romano, RM28

Just to be clear, RM28 will get you a full pizza and not just a slice LOL. Jokes aside, this pizza is delicious. This pizza has toppings of anchovies, fresh basil, tomato, Mozzarella and Parmesan shavings. Though the anchovies are not visible, you will definitely taste its presence in every bite. Really fragrant and delicious.

Pizza Quattro Formagi, RM35

This was my favourite pizza for that night. A blend of cheeses into one pizza; Fontina, Mozzarella, Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheese. A slice of heaven? All I can say is, indeed!

Pizza Chorizo, RM28

This pizza isn't all just for show with vibrant colors. Toppings are some of the finest ingredients. It has lamb chorizo sausages, grilled peppers, olive, chili flakes, tomato and Mozzarella cheese. The lamb chorizo was absolutely delicious. Fragrant and chewy lamb chorizo coupled with aromatic Mozzarella cheese; one can only imagine the taste. I hope they would give more lamb chorizo as toppings though. Yes, I'm greedy.

Spaghetti Alla Pescator, RM35

A house specialty dish from Italian Tomato; mixed seafood in a rich tomato base sauce or should I say broth? Those on a "see-food" diet can forget about dieting and enjoy this hearty meal. Lots of flavors coming from the prawns, clams and mussels.

Oh Sangria...

How I missed you...

My bad, I haven't introduced one my favourite drinks of all time, Sangria. I highly recommend this to anyone who dines there. Scrap that; YOU MUST TRY. The flavors was just right. Fruity sweet, lemony sourish, and a little alcohol to give it a good mix.

Fettucine Mare E Monti, RM35

Fettucine cooked with scallops, wild porcini and shitake mushrooms in cream sauce. Generous amount of fresh scallops, aromatic wild porcini and shitake mushrooms. Unlike the usual carbonara white sauce pasta, this dish doesn't really overwhelm the stomach.

Caipirinha, a cocktail

I should have taken notes about this cocktail but I remember it being quite strong and it has rum. Sweet but the alcohol may be too strong for some. For me, I enjoyed it...sip by sip.

Petto Di Manzo Con Vino Rosso, RM40

This dish was so beautiful, I just had to post 3 shots of it. Wood fired oven roasted beef ribs in a reduction of red wine on a bed of mashed potato. The meat was so tender that it would just fall off from the bone with just a fork. The mash potato was seasoned perfectly and it still had a certain degree of chunkiness instead of a plain-mash-paste like texture.

Panna Cotta, RM12

Simple creamy Italian pudding but the pudding's texture was a tad bit hard. Other than that, the pudding okay.

We Three Kings of crème brûlée are

This desserts are called Crema Catalana Napoletana. 3 delicious flavors and caramelized top layer, these were prepared perfectly. Becareful though because the crème brûlée are really hot when served; noticed the bubbling edges at the side(top layer)? My favourite is still the Vanilla and Strawberry flavor. Chocolate flavor was nice but I think it overshadowed the other flavors of a crème brûlée. This sweet delight is only RM16!

Me and the man behind all the awesome food

This place is definitely a must try for pizzas and pasta. Delicious food at such reasonable price range, family dinners are perfect! Just remember to go easy on their crème brûlée desserts.

Last but not least, thanks Evelyn for the invite and Italian Tomato for having us that night.

Address:
61 Jalan Maarof,Bnagsar,
59000 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

You may also check out their Facebook page over here.

Taipei Day 1 - Gown and Suit Choosing

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:48:00 +0000

Where am I going?

Okay so it was where I WENT.

It has been 3 months since my marriage in October 2011. I get the same old questions from friends and relatives. Not that I mind(honest). It's just a way to get a conversation going you know.

Top Asked Questions

So how is married life?
When is little Andrew/Amanda coming?

On the contrary, this post isn't about that. I plan to blog about my wedding. It has been a long journey and Thank God, we are finally done with the hectic wedding ceremony! Just kidding guys. I had lots of fun and we(wifey and I) are really thankful for all the help and support from friends, family and relatives. I didn't blog stages of my wedding preparations last year because planning and coordinating it was stressful enough and I didn't want to start a new blog or any site regarding my wedding, unlike my sister who had a site about her marriage. I shall start it off with my pre-wedding photoshoot cum holiday at Taipei.

To cut some long story short:

Went to a Wedding fair at Mid Valley around June or July of 2010
Ended up signing up with VIVI Bride

Fast forward to March of 2011, our pre-wedding shoot awaits us at Taipei!

International Flight

Air Asia, now everyone can fly

This was my FIRST airplane ticket purchasing in my life. There was some hiccups thanks to Air Asia's shitty web booking engine. My RETURN information didn't include SEATS selected as well as baggage limit. After a few weeks of emailing and calling, my bookings were sorted out. I selected my seats so that me and wifey would be seated together, comfortably.

Some took comfortable to another level

Since I didn't pre-book any meal, we bought it on board. Expensive but to hell with it. I need food.

Kung Pao power!

The ever delicious nasi lemak

Cold weather = Hot Drink = Syiok

After about 4 hours in the air, we finally arrived at Taoyuan International Airport. It was cold! brrrrr

Dog sniffer! As my wifey has been to Taipei before for her company trip, she said that this was the same dog sniffer during her previous trip. Probably 2 years back?

Oh look, a welcome signboard!

Another one! okay I was just kidding around

As soon as we got outside to get a taxi, we were like "OMG it's so COLD". We could see our own breath. I tried taking pictures of our own breaths but sadly, I failed.

#fail

Ended up taking solo shots :P

The taxi system there is quite efficient and organized! There will be a man asking where you are going and he will get his drivers ready for you. Of course there will be waiting time and all but comparing with the taxi system(if we have any) in Malaysia with the one at Taipei, there's quite a huge difference.

Oh look, taxi!

Left side driving

Weather report: cold and misty

Car plate number that says FU indirectly, priceless

I don't think that place serves Udon

After about 30-40minutes of car ride, we finally arrived at our hotel. The bridal studio booked the hotel for us to get a cheaper price; RM120 instead of RM180 a night. I didn't take pictures of the hotel from the outside as it was cold and all so I only took some pictures of our room. To be honest, not too shabby.

Mother of God, the refrigerator is absolutely DRY

We manage to get some rest and I wanted to watch some stuff on TV before heading out for dinner. I took the remote and...

Y U NO ENGLISH?

ANYWAY, I have a habit of opening up drawers at hotels or resorts with an enthusiastic hope of finding something. True enough, I found something.

I swear to God, that is not mine.

We had a simple dinner before heading to VIVI bridal shop for gown and suit testing. I didn't take any photos at this point as we were rushing for time. Quite a busy day for day 1 but it was fun. I shall leave you with a "potong stim" video of that night.

That's all for Day 1 at Taipei. It was basically gown and suit testing/choosing for our pre-wedding shoot on the NEXT day. Crazy right? As soon as we arrived at Taipei, we had to go through the rigorous process of gown and suit choosing.

Day 2 will be up next so stay tuned!

Mindef - Clothes That Poke Eye

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:10:00 +0000

Here is a screenshot from The Star in case they were to edit their statement.
Article can be found here.

So I tested google translate when the famous "clothes that poke eye" first came to light. Google translate wasn't mentioned at that time in papers but the results from it was ACCURATE. When I read the news today, AGAIN, I went ahead to test and I think google translate is smarter than whoever translated it in the first place.

The translation?

So where is the clothes that POKE EYE? Time for some reverse engineering.

And the translation is...

I'm a fan of 9gag so I thought I will do a tribute.

Goreng Kuey Teow Tong Shin At Bandar Puteri

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:26:00 +0000

I got to know Tong Shin char kuey teow from Marcky. As I was craving for some delicious char kuey teow he gave me a link to a food review by another fellow blogger about this Tong Shin Cha Kuey Teow. Most reviews I found said that it's nice but to me, the best part was when I got to know that it's a non-halal; PORKIE!

I located the shop at Bandar Puteri like a few months back and yes, A FEW MONTHS back Finally, I've set the date to try the food. The place was spacious, simple decor and unpretentious. One could hardly miss all the large prints on their wall depicting reviews from many sources. As I was having char kuey teow cravings for quite awhile, I'm expecting it to be really good but I'm keeping myself in a neutral state of mind for now.

As breakfast was going to be char kuey teow, we opted for a hot cup of barley lime to help ease up on the fried and oily meal. The barley lime was spot on; feels like homemade. Barley was thick and the lime was giving it a good mix of sourness to perk you up.

There is quite a selection of char kuey teow to choose from; CKT with fried egg, prawns, cockles, lap cheong (chinese sausage) and a special version. I ordered a char kuey teow(large) with lap cheong while wifey ordered the char kuey teow special(small). When I asked the waiter what is the char kuey teow special all about, I couldn't really understand what he said but I think he meant "it has everything". As there were a few different char kuey teow on the menu, I assume everything would mean char keuy teow with eggs(does this make any sense?), prawns, cockles and lap cheong. I should have asked the boss huh? My bad but anyway, minor issue except for the price difference.

Fried Kuey Teow Special

Fried Kuey Teow with lap cheong

All I could say was WOW. Lots of lap cheong, 3 medium sized prawns and one of the most important ingredient of all.......

DELICIOUS FRIED PORK LARD

*caps/bold/bigger font size to highlight excitement*

Looking at the pictures above, you might not spot the difference between my order with my wifey's one right? I guess the only difference is the cockles UNLESS they mistakenly gave me prawns? But anyway, they tasted heavenly. I didn't check out the kitchen but it is said that Tong Shin char kuey teow style of cooking is by using a big wok heated by charcoal (take note of the large print out picture...you will see the boss in action). Wok Hei as some might call it.

Here is a snippet taken from wikipedia:

Wok Hei

Wok hei (simplified Chinese: 镬气; traditional Chinese: 鑊氣; Jyutping: wok6 hei3; romanization based on Cantonese; and when literally translated into English, can be read as "Wok's air". The second character is qi in Mandarin, and thus wok hei is sometimes rendered as wok chi in Western cookbooks) is the flavour, tastes, and "essence" imparted by a hot wok on food during stir frying. It is particularly important for Chinese dishes requiring high heat for fragrance such as char kuay teow and beef chow fun.

To impart wok hei, the food must be cooked in a wok over a high flame while being stirred and tossed quickly. For this reason it requires cooking over an open flame rather than an electric stove. In practical terms, the flavour imparted by chemical compounds results from caramelization, Maillard reactions, and the partial combustion of oil that come from charring and searing of the food at very high heat in excess of 200 °C (392 °F). Aside from flavour, there is also the texture of the cooked items and smell involved that describes wok qi.

Basically, a cooking technique which will also help enhance the flavors of the food. Let's put the 'technical' part aside. Time to try the char kuey teow!

So happen that a cockle got wrapped around by a prawn

Both char kuey teow were similar except that mine wasn't cooked with any cockles. Flavors might be affected without the presence of cockles during the cooking process but hey, I'm sure it'll be minimal right? Prawns were excellent; succulent and springy texture is always good sign for freshness. De-shelling the prawns was also a plus point :D I hate handling prawns with chopsticks!

Generous amount of lap cheong! And mind you, these are not thin cuts! It's always nice to have some sweet flavor among the fried and charred parts of the kuey teow. They're pretty good and fresh if I may say so. Also, not forgetting the FRIED PORK LARD! Pardon my cantonese but I think these are called chu yau cha? De-Li-Cious! The pork lard added so much porkie flavor into the kuey teow and the amount given was just nice. Too much of a good thing is also a bad thing but some would prefer to have their char kuey teow flooded with fried pork lard LOL!

Another shot of the good stuff

The verdict? Very satisfied and I gotta agree with most people, it is delicious. Now before you guys take my word and imagining this char kuey teow to be out of this world, please remember, these are my personal opinions and everyone has their favourite/personal preference for their char kuey teow.

Price:
Char Kuey Teow Special (small) - RM9.80
Char Kuey Teow with lap cheong (large) - RM8.30
Barley Lime - RM2.20

Yikes! A char kuey teow meal for 2 costing RM20.30? Quite pricey compared to normal street hawker. However, for the ingredients and taste, I don't mind paying more for this. After all, I don't have char kuey teow that often anyway.

Here you go, Goreng Kuey Teow Tong Shin

Might be difficult to spot this place for people who are not from Bandar Puteri Puchong so I snapped 2 more pictures.

On the left

On the right

Address:
27-g, JALAN PUTERI 2/6,
Bandar Puteri,
Puchong, Selangor

Koon Kee Wan Tan Mee At Petaling Street

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:24:00 +0000

So I've heard about this place...via foursquare

Doing this post sure brings back alot of memories of my wedding preparation. To be exact, it was preparation for the betrothal of gifts to the bride and family. Our objective was to place order for some traditional wedding biscuits at this place called Fung Wong Biscuits at Petaling Street. We got to know of this place from googling "traditional Chinese wedding biscuits" or something along those lines. We booked 38 boxes and stayed a tad bit longer at the place to check out their assortment of biscuits. While being there, there was a little "incident" with an aunty and the shop's teenage sales lady(looks 20-ish anyway).

The aunty was just asking the girl how much one of the product cost. Instead of informing the aunty about the price, rudely, she said "There are price labels sticked on it". Furious, the aunty replied condescendingly "Why can't you just tell me? Don't you know I can't read?" Still, the aunty grabbed whatever she wanted and paid for it. The lady at the cashier was embarrassed but yet, didn't apologize.

ANYWAY, we got what we wanted and we had extra time to kill before heading back home. As soon as I checked in Petaling Street via foursquare, a friend's foursquare tip popped up. He recommended a wan tan mee place called Koon Kee with simple landmarks to find it. It's opposite Hong Leong Bank

Sit back and relax

The place might bring back memories for some but I could tell that this place has been around for a long time.

Simple and classic, char siew wan tan mee

No offense to those that love the wan tan mee here but I didn't find anything spectacular about the wan tan mee nor the char siew. Don't get me wrong, the wan tan mee tasted fine but I think I have gotten used to tastier and thicker caramelized char siew slices, thicker and more fragrant black sauce and noodles that are springier. With that said, the presentation and taste does give a sense of nostalgia.

The wan tan was decent

A sumptuous bowl of Sui Gow

We also ordered a bowl of sui gow. Pretty similar to the wan tan but sui gow are normally 2 times bigger with more fillings. The sui gow was delicious and I really like them. Fresh pork, prawn, mushroom fillings and they even use parleys to make it even more fragrant.

Can't remember the price for the sui gows but I think the price for the wan tan mee was RM5 for a large order.

Address? It's at Petaling Street and the only landmark I can give is Hong Leong Bank(Koon Kee is opposite of Hong Leong Bank). Might take awhile for you to find it but it shouldn't be too difficult.

Cooking 101: Black Sesame And Ginger Sauce Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:12:00 +0000

Fusion of chinese and italian style

So What's Up on new year's eve 2011? I was at home, relaxing with the usual; gaming, watching tv and more gaming. However, lunch was pretty much planned out with some home cooked dishes. It's been awhile since I last did a Cooking 101 too. This time, it's some simple dishes; black sesame and ginger sauce chicken, Bak Choy for veg and spaghetti.

Bought 3 pieces of thigh and drumsticks, deboned. Oh yeah, we opted for kampung chicken; healthier option :)

Some cloves of garlic and some ginger

Light soy sauce, thick soy sauce and sesame oil

Wash and then soak the bak choy

Removing fats from the chicken

Wash them clean

Set the chicken aside to dry off a little

Now we move on to the garlic

The ginger was a little sandy so wash them first of course.

Peel off the skin

Slice them to whatever size you want

Garlic and ginger all prepped up!

Time to drain water from the bak choy

Fry the garlic till they are golden brown. We took out some of them out to be used for the bak choy later

Add the sliced ginger

Add in the chicken. There is a mistake over here. Notice it?

Add some sesame oil

Some thick soy sauce and a pinch of salt. You don't need a photo to show much is a PINCH of salt right? :P

Some spaghetti...a handful is good no?

If that is not enough, break them into halves!

Still not sure what the mistake is?

Try comparing this picture with the one before.

While black sesame and ginger sauce chicken is being stewed, spaghetti was up next.

Patience is a virtue. We left the chicken to be stewed for about 30 minutes.

We chose to boil the bak choy lightly for 30 seconds to a minute instead of pan frying them. Less oil!

Greeny flavors still intake!

It is done!

Black sesame and ginger sauce chicken

Bak Choy with some sesame oil and fried garlic

Lunch is served

Zee Chicken

Zee vegie

Black Sesame And Ginger Sauce Chicken with bak choy and spaghetti

For those who still don't get what the mistake was, it was the chicken bones. Since we weren't really covering the entire chicken with gravy, we could have done without the chicken bones.

The chicken tasted delicious for our first attempt however, we felt that it could be better. Instead of just stewing the chicken for 30-40 minutes, I think it will be better if we stewed it for an hour.We could have also used bigger chunks of garlic instead of dicing them up as well as more ginger slices to bring up the heat.

All in all, wifey and I had a good time trying these dishes. More Cooking 101 to come; with a special Masterchef Malaysia Edisi Rumah next so do stay tuned :)

Last but not least, Happy New Year everyone!

Chicago Rib House at 1 Utama

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:29:00 +0000

A new place for pork ribs is always welcomed. Better yet, it's at one of the popular shopping malls in Klang Valley, 1 Utama. I was invited to check out Chicago Rib House not too long ago and the place looks pretty cosy despite all the hustle and bustle in a shopping mall.

Mojito bar

Classic Mojito

Peach Mojito

Lychee Mojito

Ocean Mojito

We got to sample some of unique mix of Mojitos which were okay. I'm not really a Mojito drink type of guy but these were pretty good. While waiting for our food, I noticed that the place was buzzing with patrons! There was a group celebrating a friend's birthday while others was just having dinner after work. Crowded? On a weekday? My expectations for the food rose up a notch.

Trio Sampler

First up was the Trio Sampler. You got hot buffalo wings, potato skins and pork Chili Con Carne. The hot buffalo wings were a little too salty but still, it tasted tangy as well.

Nachos chips tasted heavenly with the pork Chili Con Carne. Sweetness and flavors from the pork went really well with the chili and cheese concoction. It wasn't entirely spicy. It was well balanced in my opinion. Cheese, pork, chili and nachos, what's not to like?

Behold, Full Rack - Flaming Kansas City with two sides of your choice, RM59.90

Whiskey to be fused with....

....this!

Step 1

Light them up

Flame on!

Full rack - Original Flavor, RM53.90

Caution: Porking In Progress

Juicy ribs? Not really...

Original

The original pork ribs was sweet and the sauce tasted similar to BBQ flavor. I do appreciate the generous serving of fries that comes with the pork ribs.

Flaming Kansas City(whiskey infused)

The Flaming Kansas City was delicious although some parts were a little dry and tough but the flavors was spot on with whiskey. Don't worry about the ribs being bitter because alcohol from the whiskey was burned off earlier.

Grilled Bourbon Chicken, RM27.90

Nope, no mistakes here. Basically it's the same but different side dishes. Two grilled boneless chicken breast topped with signature bourbon sauce. By the way, what you see on the grilled chicken is not garlic, its CHEESE!

Shrimp Olio, RM32.90

Shrimp overload! A generous amount of fresh shrimps with buttery pasta. A heavy meal if not shared.

8oz. Pork Tenderloin, RM32.90

Perfectly grilled on the outside, moist on the inside. The pork tenderloin went well with the homemade apple cinnamon sauce. I also enjoyed the thick cut fries which gives it a rustic feeling.

You get to pick 2 side orders of your choice

Hickory BBQ Bacon Burger, RM29.90

If you're been following my blog, you would know I LOVE pork burgers and it's hard to find nice and delicious one.

A slice of heaven? We shall see.

You might be curious on how I "reviewed" the burger? The first thing I did was eating the patty on its own without anything else. No cheese, no bacon. The pork patty was moderately thick. It wasn't as juicy but the flavors was still good! Furthermore, since bacon was used, the burger probably took a step back with some seasoning as we wouldn't want to have a overly salty burger do we? All in all, I would say the burger was just right. Might seem a little pricey but for it's serving size and ingredients used, it's seems alright.

I think this was Beach Fiesta, a citrus mocktail or some sort.

A friend's order, Strawberry Milkshake?

Brownie Royale, RM12.90

For dessert, we got to try Brownie Royale which was really really delicious. Rich chocolatey flavor with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was simply a good way to end a meal.

It's hard to find a place that serves good pork ribs so for Chicago Rib House to be located at 1 Utama is quite a steal. As for pork ribs, I would recommend the Flaming Kansas City although it was wasn't as tender as I thought it would be. However, the taste made up for it. I also enjoyed the Hickory BBQ Bacon Burger. Despite it's price, the size of the burger is huge! Not forgetting the amount of fries that comes with the meal. It's difficulty for me too because I'm pretty attached to my current favourite pork burger from Andes. Nevertheless, the Hickory BBQ Bacon Burger is delicious!

Chicago Rib House is currently having a special promotion till 1st of January 2012. Pardon me for posting this up a tad bit late but I have been busy with work. Click on the image below to view a larger resolution version.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRHMalaysia

Address:

Chicago Ribs House
Lot F346, First Floor,
1 Utama Shopping Centre,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Contact No: 03 - 7727 3210

Joyful Christmas at One World Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:31:00 +0000

A time for joy,

A time to feast!

One World Hotel,

Come and eat!

Okay I'm not really good at being poetic but anyway, One World Hotel invited children from the underprivileged home, the House Of Joy to a "Christmas Light Up" Ceremony with Alvin and The Chipmunks theme earlier this month.

One World Hotel also launched their "Grant A Wish" programme to fulfill Christmas wishes of 30 children from The House Of Joy. The wishlist you see will be hung on the Christmas tree later on.

Once the children are gathered and briefed, the choir sang some beautiful Christmas carols for all of us.

Here's Simon, Alvin and Theodore greeting the children from The House Of Joy.

After all the Christmas songs are sung, it was time for One World Hotel's GM to light up the Christmas tree; time to push the red button.

General Manager of One World Hotel, Mr. Ho Hoy Sum lighting up the Christmas tree

\m/ Merry Christmas

Here you go

Hotel's staff are also in the joyous mood.

Wifey and Me with the Chipmunks!

Now that the Christmas tree has been light up and the children's wishes are hung on the tree, it was time for dinner.

Roast turkey

Roast beef

Look at that juicy roast beef

Assortment of cheeses

Seafood as well

Roast turkey fresh from the oven!

Below are some of the food I've tried at the buffet.

Fresh mushroom soup

Alvin and The Chipmunks came back to greet the children again

Squid ink pasta

Santa is here...

...with simple gifts for the children and all of us.

Teppanyaki Ice Cream

Chocolate fountain!

Christmas Log cake

With this kid's happy expression, I think everyone had a joyous Christmas feast

If you're looking for a good buffet during this Christmas, make a trip to Cinnamon Coffee House at One World Hotel. They are currently having some value for money promotion with the festive season coming up. Here are the details:

Christmas Celebration

Christmas Eve Festive Revelry

24 December

6.30 pm – 10.30 pm

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

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

Christmas Day Gala Buffet

25 December

6.30 pm – 10.30 pm

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

RM55++ per child aged 4 – 12 years (includes one 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

New Year Celebration

New Year’s Eve Dinner

31December

6.30 pm – 10.30 pm

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

RM55++ per child (includes one glass of mocktail)

New Year’s Day Hi-Tea

1 January

12 noon – 4.30 pm

RM65++ per adult

RM33++ per child aged 4 – 12 years

New Year’s Day Supper

1 January

1.00am – 4.00 am

RM35++ per adult

For reservation, please call 03 - 7681 1157

Alcoholic Ice Creams and Desserts at Gecko Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:57:00 +0000

Gecko what? Gecko Gastrobar! I was invited to try some alcoholic ice cream and desserts earlier this month. My apologies for blogging this late but as the say, better late than never right? Anyway, Gecko Gastrobar is located at PJ Trade Centre, Damansara Perdana.

Chicken Merguez Sausage

First up was one of Chef's specialty, Chicken Merguez Sausage. These are freshly made in the kitchen and I just love the springy texture. Taste wise, it wasn't spicy but flavorful.

Classic Single Malt 12 years old Macallan

The flavors from the ice cream and malt was nice but it was lacking the kick it needed from the malt. Probably ice cream to malt mixing ratio was off by a little but nevertheless, our feedback was noted; after all, that is the purpose for reviewing it right?

Johnnie Walker keeps on walkin'

Home made ice cream infused with whiskey. A delicious mix of sweetness and alcoholic goodness for a mere RM10.

Guinness Ice Cream

Whoa? Guinness ice cream? Yeap, I kid you not. They have it here at Gecko! As guinness might be strong or bitter for some, the ice cream version is definitely not to be missed.

A Scoop of Kahlua in Italy

Admit it, you some of you might be wondering what is "Kahlua"? Kahlua is a chocolatey coffee liqueur. At Gecko, they made an awesome alcoholic ice cream by infusing the finest Italian Tiziano Espresso Coffee with Kahlua coffee liqueur.

Bailey's Mud Pie

A chocolate pie as the base with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to give a cool sweet flavor. Not forgetting the bailey cream, its all good! RM9 for this delicious dessert.

Peanut Butter Snow Pie

The base is kinda thick and dry but thanks to the vanilla ice cream and bailey, the flavors matches perfectly.

At Gecko, they have an extensive menu for catering and they can also host many functions. If you are interested, you can even engage Gecko for garden wedding at Gecko with price starting from RM35 per pax. As for sitting capacity, Gecko can accomodate about 80- 100 pax at a time.

For cocktail events (especially for weddings), they can accomodate up to 200 pax.

Other highlights of Gecko are:

Shisha available daily from 8pm onwards till late
Tiger andGuinness stout on tap
Live band performances on wed, Thu and Fri
Saturday Happy hour all day long
Hosted Masterchef Malaysia in episod 35 and also hosted the finale wrap party
Wine and liqour available
Signatures: Italian Sausages, Duck Sausages, Pasta, Grills and especially the alcoholic range of ice cream and desserts which you read earlier

You may also check them out online:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/geckogastrobar

Twitter: @geckogastrobar

Address:
Lot B-G-01,
Menara Bata, PJ Trade Centre,
No 8, Jalan PJU 8/8A, Damansara Perdana,
47820 Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia.

Contact Number: 03- 749 21035

For weddings and private functions: You may contact Joanne, Director of Gecko Gastrobar directly at 012-2218422.

Aladdin Musical At Sunway Lagoon, Amphitheatre

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

It has been a dreadful week. Work isn't as motivating despite it has "GONE LIVE". But its the weekend and I have some time to do the things I want. My blog has been stagnant once again but nevertheless, I shall update with something happy!

Firstly, thanks to my buddy Feeq for getting the passes for this musical. Also, thanks to Avante.

We were worried about being late as traffic to Sunway was heavy but we arrived 15 minutes before the show started. It was drizzling and the way to Amphitheatre was by some themepark train; sheltered at least.

We managed to grab some VERY good seats. Our tickets were for the blue zone but the attendant ushering us asked whether if we would like to seat at the red zone(front and middle of the stage area). A very pleasant surprise which we gladly said "Yes".

Me and wifey was excited as we haven't been to a musical for quite awhile so this was quite refreshing. Furthermore, it was a Friday. I was supposed to go for the "BEHIND THE SCENE" event afew weeks before this show but I couldn't make it. My apologies for not knowing the casts name. I won't give any spoilers but here are some photos which I took throughout the musical.

Oh no, Jafar noticed me!

Boom! ends the first half of the musical

15 minutes intermission before the second half begins. Cam whoring :P

Resuming the musical in style

They sang "A Whole New World" and when the backdrop of Sunway Lagoon moved in, everyone cheered and clapped; what a moment.

Awwwwwww

Jasmine: Trade an old lamp for a new one?
Crowd(mostly kids...even I answered): NO!!! Please don't!! STOP!!!

You got tricked!

Genie got summoned....

...by a new evil master

Jafar dancing with his crew like a boss

Aladdin comes to save the day!

Awwwww....

Awwwww.....again. In the musical, Jafar turned a new leaf; he became good LOL

Performers came to thank and say goodbye to the crowd

Ended with a white christmas! If you look carefully at the picture, they made some artificial snow :P

We enjoyed it. Definitely.

Now comes my thoughts on the musical. If you google for Aladdin Musical, I'm sure you'll find a number of people who have blogged about it. Good or bad, its still up to the person who experienced the musical. For me and my wife, we enjoyed it and I'm not being bias or sucking up because I got to watch it for free.

The musical ain't exactly like the cartoon movie but still, it was along the original storyline. Some people complain about the sound system but I find it to be okay. It's a live musical play at an open space, what were you expecting?

The stage was decorated beautifully for Aladdin's theme. Furthermore, the costumes were pretty amazing too if you ask me. The performers really gave us a good show that nite.

I still don't understand how people analyze such live musical. They complain about everything from a white guy who plays Aladdin, a missing Abu(the monkey), a chubby Jasmine and wires being visible for the magic carpet. What happened to their fun side of life? Are you some professional critic? Its a live Musical. See, hear and enjoy it LIVE. They danced and sang so well; unless they were lipsyncing but heck, it was their voices nevertheless. The guy who played the role of Genie was very good! You could feel the energy coming from him and I think he might have stolen the limelight away from Aladdin's character.

There is one thing which I do agree; the tickets are quite pricey. I hope the organizers would look into making the price more affordable for such musical play.

Information
Aladdin The Musical will be playing at the Amphitheatre at Sunway Lagoon from November 25th, 2011 until January 2nd 2012.

The musical will show once a day, from Sunday to Friday at 8:00pm (no show on Tuesdays), and twice on Saturdays at 7:15pm and 9:15pm with extra shows on 25th December 2011 (Sunday) and 1st January 2012 (Sunday) at 7:15pm and 9:15pm.

Ticket prices range from RM300, RM250, RM200 and RM100 for adults and RM150, RM120, RM100, and RM50 for children up to 12 years old.

For information on Sunway Lagoon, please call 603 5639 0000 or visit www.sunwaylagoon.com
or connect www.facebook.com/sunwaylagoonMsia / www.twitter.com/sunwaylagoon1

Once again, I would like to thank Feeq and Avante for the complimentary tickets to the show.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Samsung MV800 Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:39:00 +0000

Oh my, Andrew is trying to win a camera? Yeap. Not just me but you too could stand a chance to win the new Samsung MV800. From the image above you'll notice the obvious, flip-out display but nevertheless, I'll show you the rest.

See and take pictures from different angles!

Sleek and sytlish! Sometimes I wish I could just bring something light instead of my D90 DSLR. Of course depending on the type of shoot that I'm going for.

CCD Image Sensor and approx. 16.44Megapixels

Live Panaroma

Just like a smartphone, the MV800 has Smart Touch 3.0! Personalization has never been so easy.

There are 30 sets of MV800 to be won and the cycle ends 31st December 2011.

How to join?

Go to http://on.fb.me/sAUoOH
Fill in your details
Watch the youtube video
Take the Samsung MV800 Quiz to earn points
The 2 people with the highest number of points of each cyclen win a MV800 each!
Each Cycle last 2 days. Your points reset after each cycle

Lastly, kindly help me by clicking here too.

Good luck to all of us :)

Merry Guinness Christmas with Masterchef Adam Liaw

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:21:00 +0000

Merry Christmas!

Thanks GAB for a wonderful Merry Guinness

Merry Guinness was officially launched last week and this time, we were privileged to have 2nd season winner of Masterchef Australia; Adam Liaw. Not forgetting the awesome venue at Doubletree Kuala Lumpur. Despite the joyous event, I was a little disappointed because I couldn't make it to the event in time to watch Masterchef Adam Liaw cook his dishes LIVE infront of 150 invited guests including chefs from participating Merry Guinness outlets nationwide. Now that I'm done sulking, I shall carry on this my blog entry.

Running Andrew with Masterchef Adam Liaw!

The Big Band was there too!

Here are the awesome dishes from Adam Liaw's inspired menu for the night. I missed out on some as I was late(there I go again). Anyway, they were DE-LI-CIOUS.

Roasted pumpkin soup with julienne smoked duck

Open Guinness lamb shank and mushroom pie with champ with watercress salad

Oysters with Guinness cream

Guinness BBQ Wings apple slaw

Guinness butter roasted chicken

Crispy squid with chili Guinness salt

Roast turkey roulade with chestnut stuffing, giblet and cranberry sauce

Wash it all down with a nice stout

Next up was another chef who was preparing cocktails, LIVE. My humble apologize for not remembering his name but I do have some shots of him in action.

One of the key "ingredient"

Two lucky guests got to try them out. One nearly threw up I guess.

Sweet Guinness damper with blackberry maple compote

Sneaking in a lovely couple shot in between. Okay you guys may now go "Awwwwww.... XOXO"

One of the cocktails prepared earlier. To be honest, I don't know how to appreciate such drinks. So I shall skip this.

Black forest pudding with cream cheese frosting

Christmas pudding with vanilla sauce

Christmas minced pies

Guinness and fruit Christmas pudding

All for one and one for all!

Mike in da house! I mean hotel!

Verses came on stage with some beautiful Christmas carols

I took quite alot of photos because of the lighting. It's like a ray of light shinning down on them.

Remember to check out Guinness Malaysia's facebook page for more information for this festive season.

Last but not least, MERRY GUINNESS EVERYONE!

Terry Fox Run 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:31:00 +0000

Terry Fox Run 2011

This year's t-shirt color was a little on the dull side but nevertheless, its all for a good cause. The venue this time is at Padang Merbuk which in my opinion, is better than last year's venue at Titiwangsa. My parents-in-law joined me and wifey this year. We were already planning on walking right from the start because of the crowd and I wanted to take more photos!

We arrived pretty early because I was worried about parking. True enough, I parked near the National Monument hill top. The milo truck was early too but it wasn't time for that yet; damn.

Everyone else was roaming around while I was sort of looking out for friends and snapping away with my camera.

Bread for everyone!

Water too. Thanks Manulife!

I kinda like this shot :D

Those who didn't get to buy the t-shirt earlier still get a chance to buy them

The weather was beautiful

Wifey's relatives were there too!

Smile! Me and wifey

Wifey and her cousin, Emilyn

Support by buying the t-shirts!

Is she buying t-shirts with a cheque book? I'm just kidding, I have no idea.

Shop, shop, shop

You finish WHERE you started, oh wait...

It was starting to get really bright and sunny but still, we wanted to take pictures with the Terry Fox Run backdrop.

I don't know what group this is but anyway, SMILE!

Wifey with her cousins :)

With the rising of the sun, we went back towards the tent area to wait and kill time. So...more photos

T for Terry Fox!

A volunteer seeking a short rest.

Hog on to any shaded area you can find

You take the front, I'll take the back

Soon it was time to gather for the warm up session.

The emcee for this year is Yasmin Yusoff

Lovely smile to start off the event!

Warm up session guided by cancer survivors

Jo Tan and another guy spotted me! YM Tunku Tan Sri Dato' Seri Ahmad Yahaya, Chairman of the CARIF Board of Trustees(in a suit).

Thanks Jo for the picture!

Not long after the warm up, it was time to run, walk, or cycle!

One is never too young to join the fun

Walk

Rollerblade

Yeah, its a long way up

Mum and wifey

My father-in-law running alittle :P

Spotted Lionel and Amy with their beautiful baby Rachel

Are we there yet? No.

So more photos!

Kesian.....sampai tidur

Son: Why aren't we running?

Daddy: Too crowded

Son: Okay! :D

Spotted my car on the way back. Parked like a BAWS!

On the way back, we could hear volunteers announcing(or shouting). "THE ROAD IS FOR WHEELS ONLY! PLEASE....ok I forgot the rest.

Are we there yet? No

Finally, the last corner towards Padang Merbuk.

We took a shortcut instead but anyway, the queue for the milo truck was ridiculous as usual so we went to grab some bread and water instead.

They even have "tattoo" for kids!

What do you call this? Sticker glue "painting"?

So that wraps up this year's TFR2011. Till next year, keep on ~~walking~~running!

Repainted and Rewarded

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:19:00 +0000

No, this is not an advert but guess what came in the mail? :D

Yeap, a brand new 32" Panasonic LCD TV. My father-in-law bought some Dulux paint a few months back to repaint my wifey's room. There was a SMS contest by Dulux at that time so we thought, "Why not try our luck?" My wifey entered the SMS contest and she got a call after a few weeks(I think) saying that she won a 32" LCD TV via the contest and it will arrive some time in November.

The TV actually came around 2nd of November. Not to shabby eh? Without further ado, set up time!

They even supplied batteries for the remote

The remote control

I only removed the sticker where the panel was going to fit in :P

Simple instructions

The slot for the LCD panel

Attach it to the base

Screws to secure the LCD Panel to the slot

Almost there!

Remote camwhoring

Sexy Back

It's ALIVE! ALIVE!!!!!

One with protection, one without

Macam - macam ada

But what I REALLY like is the USB and SD card playing capability. I've tested the USB port and it was able to play AVI and MKV files! Not bad, eh?

Although only 32" but hey, its FREE! What's not to like?

Time Out KL Food Awards 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:50:00 +0000

It's been quite a busy week but I finally have some time to do a blog post. Time Out KL Food Awards 2011 this year was at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre(KLPac).

I was there pretty early as I went by public transportation. My journey was basically from Kelana Jaya LRT Station to KL Sentral. From there, I had to switch from LRT to KTM towards Sentul. Once at Sentul, I had to walk quite a distance to get to KLPac. Whatever the case is, it's way better than getting stuck in a traffic jam(if any). While walking to the place, I find certain spots within the KLPac area a good place for photoshoot if I may say so.

I already said I was early :P

Thank you American Express

DJ rock that beat

The hall is beautiful!

Labeled

I'm pretty sure I've seen the drummer before. It was at ICOM Night's Out last year. I was busy snapping photos till I didn't pay attention to the music. I miss playing my guitar.

Not long after, dinner was served; in a unique way. Interesting but I kinda pity the models...I mean...they can't move for so long!

While munching on the canapes style of food, I noticed something was happening outside.

Yoga Flame! Okay, not exactly Dhalsim from Street Fighter but still cool I mean hot I mean...you know what I mean.

Flaming Peri Peri

Emcees for the night, Dominic Lau and Daphne Iking

This year, Time Out KL Food Awards has a new category which is the Blogger's Choice category. As mentioned before, my blog and entry was shortlisted. Sadly, my nomination "Andes BYO at Aman Suria" wasn't the winner. Nevertheless, it was worth a try.

Hush I say! Everyone's a winner :P

Till we meet again, next year.

Shalom's Birthday At 1 Utama Central Park

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:32:00 +0000

Shalom celebrated her birthday over the weekend and once again, I was surrounded by so many furkids. Head over to my photography blog for more photos :)

Samsung Galaxy Note

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:43:00 +0000

W'sup guys! Now that I'm back from my honeymoon, I've been busy editing photos and preparing posts for my blog. There is something which I would like to share prior to my honeymoon update. How can something be more exciting than my own honeymoon? The truth is, I'm still filtering/editing my photos taken during my honeymoon at Maldives. Anyway this post is about the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note!

You guys definitely heard or own the Samsung Galaxy S/Samsung Galaxy S II but the Samsung Galaxy Note is one cool and innovative gadget! Don't worry, I'm not here to review the Galaxy Note but I've been hearing alot of GOOD stuff about it.

Is that a stylus you see? Nope, it's a S Pen. That is because the Samsung Galaxy Note is part Tablet, part Smartphone which fits into your on-the-go lifestyle. How? The screen is 5.3" HD AMOLED (1280 X 800 pixels, mind you) but it's as thin as Samsung Galaxy S II minus the weight of a tablet.

With the large screen combined with the S Pen Stylus, it makes note taking a breeze during meetings and events. The plus side? You'll be more efficient and Eco-friendly (goodbye notepads?) minus the screen tapping and bulky laptop/tablet.

Despite having a large screen (5.3"), the Galaxy Note still fits in your hand pretty easily. It also has all the good stuff built-in which would help reduce the amount of gadgets you have to carry around. Check it out:

1.4Ghz Dual Core Exynos Processor
5.3" HD Super AMOLED / 1280 x 800 pixels / 285 ppi(pixel per inch)
Support for 21Mbps HSPA+ (850, 900, 1900, 2100Mhz), LTE, EDGE and GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz)
8.0 Megapixel with LED Flash / 2.0 Megapixel for the front camera
16GB of Internal memory expandable to 32GB with MicroSD card.
A-GPS and GLONASS for enhanced positioning

Price? There is no word on it yet but I'm guessing it should be along the lines of RM2K.

Another surprise? I think there might be a sale when this baby comes out. There is no confirmation on this but I'm sure the queue and wait will be worth it if there is one.

Check out the videos on Galaxy Note in action.

A lucky dude manage(Okay, I'm a'lil jealous) to get his hands on the Galaxy Note. View the unboxing below:

All pictures used are referenced from Samsung's site, so do check out Samsung's site for more beautiful pictures on the Galaxy Note.

I hope Samsung will let some of us review the Galaxy Note too :P

p/s: My birthday is coming up :P

Honeymoon

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:44:00 +0000

So what's up? As you guys know, my big day was 2 week ago and now, I'll be away for my much awaited honeymoon at Maldives! I need a favor though.

Please help to vote for my nomination for Time Out KL Food Award 2011; Andes BYO at Aman Suria! I just need a few minutes of your time to check out my entry and vote here (No. 19, Select Andes BYO at Aman Suria and hit Next :) ) . Thank you so much!

I have much to blog when I'm back but for now, adios!

Project Love Sneakers By Running Lab

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:17:00 +0000

Got an old pair of running shoe tucked in a corner while you're out blazing on the track with your spanking new pair? Why not donate it for a good cause? Not only that. you'll receive RM100 shoe voucher from Running Lab!

All collected footwear will be donated to the Orang Asli Charity Organization.

Although we're talking about donating your old pair of running shoe, please make sure it is still in a useable condition and in adult size because these donated footwear are going to be used by the less fortunate.

Types of shoes to include in the donation drive? Running shoes, cross trainers, walking shoes, hiking shoes and trail shoes.

Collection Period: 09 Nov - 11 Dec 2011

Terms and Conditions of the RM100.00 shoe voucher are as follows:

1) This voucher is valid until 31 December 2011.
2) This voucher is valid for one time use only.
3) This voucher is valid for purchase(s) of regular priced running footwear, excluding purchase(s) from “ASICS”.
4) This voucher value cannot not be combined.
5) This voucher is not exchangeable or redeemable for cash or credit.
6) This voucher is invalid if any of its part is found tampered with and/or in any way.
7) Running Lab shall not be responsible for any loss, damages or theft of this voucher.
8) This voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions or discounts of Running Lab.
9) Terms & Conditions are correct at the time of printing, and Running Lab reserves the rights to amend the Terms & Conditions at any time.

Do spread the word around! Thanks in advance peeps!

New Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0000

So what's up? Got myself a Tokina Ultra Wide Angle lens; 11-16mm F2.8 AT-X PRO and a HOYA CPL lens filter(72mm diameter) for my Tamron 17-50 lens.

I ain't going into details on the technical aspects but in plain simple explanation.....or simple pictures to be precise.

First off, Tokina 11-16mm f2.8

Sample shot using Tamron at 17mm and Tokina at 11mm :

Sample shot Tamron with CPL lens filter:

Pretty self-explanatory right? Bought these from J-ONE at Amcorp mall. It's not the best deal but I need them anyway.

Running Andrew's Wedding!

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:55:00 +0000

I hope that would explain my lack of updates for both photography and personal blog. Yeap, 15th of October 2011 was my wedding day. From early stages of planning till the actual day itself, lots of things happened in between. Nevertheless, I'm glad to say that everything went smoothly and according to plan, thanks to all the help that me and my wife got.

I have quite a lot of things to blog about but I shall organize these posts without rushing through them. Tips on wedding? Nah...I ain't THAT qualified to advise but I guess I can share my personal experiences and things to look out for.

Once again, thanks to all my groomsmen, bridesmaids and friends from church for making my big day a perfect one! In no particular order; See Kevin, Teik Beng, Chin Han, Heng Soon, Ruixian, Jesse, Char Lene, Lorraine, Patricia, Nicholas(my bestman!), My brother-in-law's baby boy whose name is Nicholas as well, Sharon, KC, Adrian, Ying Girl(my wife's lovely cousin), Gregory, Gidian, Joey!

I would also like to give a big shout out to:

Pax Floral Studio for the beautiful floral arrangements
Creative Clicks for their awesome photography work
Visual Storytelling for recording all the sweet moments in video(High Definition mind you! :) )

But for now, I shall leave you with some teasers :)

Thanks Bernice for this group shot!

My Official Photographers: Creative Clicks

Nigel and Jason from Visual Storytelling!