Roaring Weekends

Breakfast at TWG Tea Salon & Boutique @ Ion Orchard, Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Chow Chow) — Tue, 10 May 2011 15:55:00 +0000

OVERALL: 2 /5

Food: **

Price: **

Service: **

Ambience: ***

Cuisine: Western

Located somewhere in front of orchard's 2nd floor entrance, it is hard to miss TWG Salon & Boutique as there is always a long queue of people waiting eagerly for tables. One morning, when I passed by the place, the queue had not started, hence, filled with curiosity, I quickly grabbed hold of the chance to solve the mystery behind the usual long queues.

We were greated by towering shelves with large yellow bottles of tea leaves. The salon has a classic and exquisite design which sets you in the mood to relax and enjoy your tea and scones.

They have a separate menu from lunch for breakfast, which is sadly more limited in term of choices. We ordered Singapore & New York Breakfast Set, which each came with a selection of tea, fruit juice, scones or muffin and eggs.

Pu Erh & Mediterranean Breakfast Tea

I have always liked the aroma of breakfast tea, makes you want to start your day feeling refreshed, but I find the Pu Erh lacks fragrance.

Singapore Breakfast

New York Breakfast

I particularly like the jelly like marmalade for the scones. I was too busy eating, I forgot to snap photos of it oops... Not much of a fan of Singapore breakfast's eggs though, I think it was poached eggs with olive oil, simple... but I just didn't quite like the taste. The New York set's egg sandwich seemed more appetising.

Price is on the high side and service is slow even when there was only a handful of customers around. Not quite sure why it always attract such a big crowd, perhaps I am not a tea connoisseur, therefore I have not been able to fully appreciate the tea? Haha... But it is certainly a fancy and comfortable place to have hi-tea and chat with friends.

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique

#02-20/21

Ion Orchard

2 Orchard Turn

Singapore

Tel: (+65) 6735 1837

Opening hours: 10am - 10pm daily

Website: http://www.twgtea.com/

The Bee @ Jaya One

noreply@blogger.com (Chow Chow) — Tue, 10 May 2011 08:05:00 +0000

OVERALL: 3 /5

Ice-Cream: ***
Price: ***

Service: ***

Ambience: **

"What's your favourite ice-cream?"

"Chocolate!"

"Strawberry!"

"Guinness!"

"Vanilla!"

Wait a minute... (fast rewind)...

"Guinness!"

What? Guiness? Yes, you heard it right. My friend was very amused by a Guinness beer ice-cream she had at The Bee, Jaya One, and one evening she brought me to taste this discovery. Jaya One was very lively at night, in contrast with the day when it's more calm & quiet. My only complaint is that the air was filled with cigarette smoke, I supposed it is unavoidable with so many bars around unless there's a sudden increase in health consciousness among people, and these people have the determination to give up smoking. I wish there are more smoke free restaurants and bars. Sigh... my hair and clothes really stunk later that night.

It certainly tasted like beer. Was it good or bad? I really don't know how to judge hehe.... I think... like durian, it depends very much on personal preference, perhaps beer lovers would be very delighted to have this as dessert. Try it out yourself!

The Bee
2A-G, Block K, Jaya One
No. 72 Jalan Universiti, Section 13
46200 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 603 7960 2160
Website: http://www.thebee.com.my/

Opening hours

Mon - Thurs: 10am - 12am

Fri - Sat: 10am - 1am

Sun: 10am - 4pm

Shee Yaan Restaurant (Assam Fish) 喜燕楼 @ Muar, Johor

noreply@blogger.com (Chow Chow) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:45:00 +0000

NIJI @ KLGCC

noreply@blogger.com (Chow Chow) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:56:00 +0000

OVERALL: 3 /5

Food: ***

Price: ***

Service: ***

Ambience: ***

Cuisine: Japanese

Before heading to Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club's bowling alley, which we heard had a makeover, we went to NIJI japanese restaurant in the club to satisfy our hunger.

The ambience seemed nice, but the main entrance in the picture above could be improved in my opinion.

A fan of fortune cat? I wonder if they actually work...

Owh... you could see the fresh ingredients in the display case at the sushi bar.

Chawanmushi

Ebiko Sushi

California Temaki

Ikura Sushi

Nabeyaki Udon

Kitsune Udon

Nori Zosui

Fried Ice-cream

Crsipy tempura skin wrapped around vanilla ice-cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup. I think there's a softer batter in between the crispy skin and ice cream, which I liked very much as it added a different texture, I only wish it's thicker.

Overall, good food at affordable price, nice decorations and good service. Manager was quite friendly, came out to greet us and took us to our seats when we entered. I will consider coming back if I visit KLGCC to bowl again.

NIJI, KLGCC
No 10, Jalan 1/70D,
Off Jalan Bukit Kiara,
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603 2093 9791

Opening hurs:

Mon - Sun: 12pm - 2.30pm / 6pm - 10.30pm

Hainan Tea @ SS2

noreply@blogger.com (Chow Chow) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:13:00 +0000

OVERALL: 3 /5

Food: **

Price: ***

Service: ***

Ambience: ***

Cuisine: Local

Walk into SS2 commercial area during chinese new year and you will be wondering whether you have walked into the scene of Resident Evil. Where is everybody? The usually overcrowded shop lots were unusually deserted with only a handful of shops opened. Only good news was there were plentiful of parking lots.

SS2 is popular for the variety of eateries available, however it was difficult to find one that was open in the evening of chinese new year's eve. We spotted a cafe that look somewhat similar to Old Town Coffee at the corner of the row of shops where Prince Cafe is located. Not having much choice, we gladly gave it a try.

Iced Hainan Tea (behind) RM 4.80
Hot Hainan Tea (front) RM 3.30

Hainan Premium Coffee RM4.50

Deep Blue Yogurt RM 5.80

Deep Blue Yogurt... sounds interesting, still not sure what it was made of, tasted sour, quite a refreshing drink but RM 5.80? Hm... not so sure if I am willing to pay that price.

Fried Sausages RM 4.20

Fried sausages can't go wrong.

Peanut Butter Thick Toast (left) RM 3.90
Hainan Brown Toast 3 Layer (right) RM 3.80

Not good for my cholestrol level with that amount of butter or margarine in Hainan Brown Toast. There were quite a few types of toast in the menu, but I am afraid the one I tried was not as good as Old Town's.

Overall, a cozy and relaxing place to hang out with friends for afternoon tea. Other outlets in Puchong and Low Yat.

Hainan Tea
No 61-9, Ground Floor,
Jalan SS2/75,
47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Canon EOS 550D vs. Nikon D3100

noreply@blogger.com (Chow Chow) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:34:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered how others take beautiful, awe-inspiring photos, be it a beautiful landscape or lifelike portraits? Surely, a slr camera is a must-have to express your hidden creativity. As the price of dslr cameras has gone down over the years, more and more people are able to afford these cameras to capture the precious moments of their life, they are no longer just the bread and butter of professional photographers. Investing in a good basic dslr camera will allow me to take better pictures especially when I am travelling, and will probably assist me in my blog venture too!

Canon EOS 550D and Nikon D3100 are entry level cameras for their respective brands. After reading through all the information and comparisons between the two on the internet, till my head started to spin, I went to Canon Concept Store and Harvey Norman in Sunway Pyramid to see, touch and feel the real thing.

Canon is priced at around RM3000, whereas Nikon is much cheaper at RM2000+. That’s about RM1000 of difference! According to web sources, these 2 cameras are neck and neck in terms of performance. The salespersons highlighted that the colour of the photos taken by these cameras are different, you will have to see for yourself to decide which one is to your liking.

So why is Nikon so much cheaper? The answer is Canon is made in Japan, whereas Nikon is made in Thailand. The material used for Canon might be of better quality, so perhaps more durable than Nikon. Another obvious difference is the LCD display for Canon is clearer. Canon is also slightly lighter in weight. After considering the price and quality of each camera, I have found myself a winner.

Ta-da! The Canon EOS 550D.

I chose Canon for its better LCD display and also lighter weight, very important when travelling. In my opinion, if you are looking for something more economical or to test the waters, Nikon will be a better choice, it has a nicer shutter button too. I purchased mine from Canon Concept Store and got a bag, a 4Gb memory card and a tripod for free.

When I got home, I immediately charged the battery for 5 hours and was later playing with the camera like a kid with a new toy, except this is so much more complicated and delicate and expensive.

Canon EOS Academy organizes photography workshop to guide Canon dslr camera owners, check out their website for workshop details.

Canon Concept Store
LG 2.30, Lower Ground 2, Sunway Pyramid,
No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15,
46150 Bandar Sunway.

Tel: 603-5633 1818
Fax: 603-5633 1313
Business Hours: 10am to 10pm

Harvey Norman Sunway Pyramid
LG2.140 Lower Ground 2, Sunway Pyramid.

Luk Yu Tea House @ Starhill Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Chow Chow) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:18:00 +0000

OVERALL: 3 /5

Food: **

Price: **

Service: ***

Ambience: ****

Cuisine: Chinese

"爺爺泡的茶有一種味道叫做家
陸羽泡的茶聽說名和利都不拿 ..."

As I passed by Luk Yu Tea House（陆羽茶馆）next to Shook Restuarant, I couldn't help singing Jay Chou's "Grandpa's Tea", " 爺爺泡的茶有一種味道叫做家, ohh...." Yeah, it's addictive. Mesmerized by the beautiful lattice walls of the chinese restaurant, we found ourselves flipping though the dim sum menu minutes later.

Initially we wanted to dine at Shook, but they were having the " Watch of the Year" award ceremony which was attended by popular figures like Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh, Datuk Jimmy Choo and Dr Ng Yen Yen, and Australian singer, Delta Goodrem was there to perform.

We could watch the chefs working wonders in the open kitchen, while waiting eagerly for our dim sums.

Appetiser

Appetiser was on the house, not sure what it was, too salty and oily for my taste, nevertheless good in stimulating our appetite.

Carrot Cake

Xiao Long Pau

Overall, I find the food ok but mediocre, hence not quite worth the "starhill price". Personally, I feel that the restaurant is more for customers who enjoy dining at restaurants with fancy decorations and are not so particular with the food.

Luk Yu Tea House

Starhill Gallery 181,

Jalan Bukit Bintang,

55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 603 2782 3850

Fax: 603 2782 3818

Opening hours :
Mon.- Sat: 12:00pm - 1:00am
Sun & Public Holidays : 10:00am - 1:00am

Year Planner 2011/2012

noreply@blogger.com (Chow Chow) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 02:34:00 +0000

Christmas is coming again, we could all feel the holiday mood and joy in the air. As we celebrate the end of this year, a brand new year is about to begin.

Have you thought about what you want to do next year? Have you ever thought about your goals in life?

Perhaps it's time to do some deep pondering about life, perhaps the time to worry has yet to come, or never for some. But certainly a little planning for the near future can only be beneficial for all of us, even more so for those who like to follow a well organised schedule.

I have created yearly planners for 2011 and 2012 in Excel (with public holidays in Malaysia highlighted in colours), feel free to download them from the links below!

2011 YEAR PLANNER

2012 YEAR PLANNER

I have also uploaded the original templates (without Malaysia holidays) on Microsoft Office.

Canton-i 香港粥面家 @ ION Orchard, Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:32:00 +0000

OVERALL: 3 /5

Food: ***

Price: **

Service: ***

Ambience: ***

Cuisine: Chinese

"Canton-i - Truly Hong Kong"

As highlighted by the restaurant's theme, Canton-i restaurant serves authentic Hong Kong cuisine. Canton-i is in fact under the same management as Dragon-i which has gained popularity since its first opening in Mid Vallery Megamall. Both chain restaurants have been widely expanding throughout Malaysia and I was surprised to find it in the relatively new ION Ochard mall. Having tried Canton-i in Sunway Pyramid, I walked in for dim sum as I was curious to see how it compares.

The decor was very much similar to the one in Malaysia with traditional chinese style furnitures and cute little pinkish and orangy lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Overall, it had a very refreshing bright pink and white theme. The only complain I had was that the table setting was too close to one another, I felt a little suffocated, because like the one in Malaysia, the place was just busy, busy, busy......

Winter Melon, Longan with Sea Coconut, 冬瓜龙眼海底椰 $4.00

Pork Congee with Preserved Egg, 皮蛋瘦肉粥 $7.80

Steamed Egg Yam Custard Bun, 香芋流沙奶皇包 $5.50

Pan Fried Prawn & Vegetable Dumpling, 米网煎锅贴 $5.50

Like the little white net behind, very crispy too.

Fried Carot Cake with XO Sauce XO酱炒萝卜糕 $9.80

Not bad, I have always been a fan of XO sauce, and this is worth trying.

Double-boiled Hasma with Red Date & Lotus Seed 莲子红枣炖雪蛤 $8.00

And $1.00 for wet towel which cost the same as Malaysia's except for different currency haha... Food was good and standard to my taste. Service was decent and quite efficient, considering the place was so full. It would be a good place to have a casual lunch or dinner if not because of the price. The expensive price tag somehow discourage me to look forward to my next visit, and the taste was not distinctive enough to lure me back.

Visit this place if you don't want to feel left out since it has become the talk of the town, but don't put too much hope.

Canton-i
2 Orchard Turn
#03-14 ION Orchard
Singapore.

Tel: (+605) 6509 8368
Opening Hours: 11am - 10pm (Mon - Fri), 10.30am - 10pm (Sat - Sun)
Website: http://www.canton-i.com/

Kampachi @ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 08:55:00 +0000

OVERALL: ****

Food: ****
Price: ***
Ambience: ****
Service: ***

"Exquisite Japanese cuisine from Ginza trained culinary masters presented as an art form. For the first time in Kuala Lumpur, handmade soba noodles are made fresh at the restaurant daily. Savour the best of Japanese food here in Kampachi!" - Pavillion KL website

Kampachi is a fine dining japanese restaurant located on the sixth floor of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, where all the other fine dining restaurants are. I assumed that it must be good since it was a saturday night and the restaurant was crowded with customers.

I ordered a salad with crsipy salmon skin. Although it looked simple, it definitely made into the list of my all time favourite salads. The salmon skin was fried just nice that you can hear the clear crispy sound as you chew, matched with a salad dressing which had a slightly sour taste and just simply divine!

Sushi!

Feeling like including more fruits and vegetables into my diet (struggling to meet the recommended 5 a day portion of fruits and vegetables), I asked if the chef could fry me some mixed vegetables, and Taadaa!

The very famous fresh handmade sobas.

Desserts!

'Fried Ice Cream' caught my eye in the menu. I remember the last time I had it at another restaurant and love it so much that I fell into depression when I found out one day that they no longer serve it ahaha...... But, their version wasn't like what I expected. It had a thick crust wrapped around the ice cream in a ball, but the crust was soft... :( I miss scooping the ice cold ice cream with its hot and crispy crust and put them into my mouth together. It was a very exciting 'hot and cold' sensation that you don't get very often, although Katy Perry have had a few similar experience in her own ways.

As mentioned, this is a fine dining restaurant, the price at the higher side, but you will get what you pay for, Japanese food lovers would love it.

Location: Pavillion KL, Lot No. 6.09.00, Level 6

Tel. : 03-2148 9608
Website : http://www.kampachi.com.my/ or click here for Pavilion's website

O Cafe, Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:50:00 +0000

OVERALL: ***

Food: ***
Price: ***
Ambience: ***
Service: **

The newly opened Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya located behind Subang Parade has already been swarmed with excited shoppers eager to explore the mall. When I passed by O Cafe on the lower ground floor, next to Pasta Zanmai, the place was quite empty with only a table occupied, whereas the restaurants around were all packed with customers. I decided to give the organic vegetarian restaurant a try anyways, thinking that maybe the concept is ‘too healthy’ for most people, we all had our fair share of horror experience in organic restaurants after all.

They claimed that they use fresh vegetables and no msg in their food. We ordered tom yam bee hoon (RM 11.90), crispy sesame mushroom (RM 7.90) and Jasmine Rose Tea in a pot (RM 8.90). To my delighted surprise, the tom yam soup was quite nice, not oily with a generous amount of veggies. If you like something crispy for a snack or side dish, you will certainly enjoy the crispy sesame mushroom. It is not too oily either even though it is deep fried, and served with dipping sauce and fresh salad, and I really mean FRESH.

Tom Yam Bee Hoon (RM 11.90)

Crispy Sesame Mushrom (RM 7.90)

Jamine Rose Tea (RM8.90)

This is definitely the place to go if you are looking for healthy organic food. The only unfavourable aspect is that the waiter was not knowledgeable about the restaurant's menu, he was not even sure if the food they serve is vegetarian, but I am going to give him a chance since the place is still very new. The lady manager came to help us out gave us good recommendations.

Most people will head to the restrooms after their meals. They will be very disappointed and disgusted to find that the toilet is extremely smelly and dirty for shopping mall standards. The management of Empire Shopping Gallery should really improve on the cleanliness.

Buka Puasa at Subak, Bukit Lanjan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:36:00 +0000

OVERALL: **

Food: *

Price: *

Ambience: ****

Service: ***

I was invited to a buka puasa dinner at Subak, Bukit Lanjan. The restaurant is currently having a Ramadhan buffet. The restaurant was not easy to locate as it was quite isolated and the roads there were bumpy and hilly. However, I was delighted upon reaching the place. The restaurant had a tranquil and close to nature ambience as it was surrounded by lush greeneries with a man made pond in the middle. We could enjoy the scenery while dining al-fresco on the wooden deck. The only problem with dining outdoor was when it started drizzling and we had nowhere to go, as we came in a big group and the restaurant was already packed. Luckily, the weather got better after an hour.

Much to my disappointment, of all the buffets I had been to, it had the least variety of food and they did not taste very well either. The price was slightly above average and in my opinion, it was not worth the price. I cannot really judge on customer service as it was a buffet dinner.

If you enjoy nature, this is definitely the place to go. But remember to choose a day with good and cooling weather, because we were sweating profusely throughout that stuffy night. Perhaps the a la carte menu present better options to satisfy your palate.

Restaurant Address:
Subak
Lot 3213, Jalan Penchala Indah,
Bukit Lanjan 6000,
Kuala Lumpur.

Contact Details:
Tel: 603-7729 9030/31
Fax: 603-7729 9036
Email: info@subak.com.my

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun including public holidays: 11 am to 12 midnight +

Click here for their website with map and driving directions.

Baking Supplies Store

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:56:00 +0000

As mentioned in my previous post on April, there are 2 other brances of ICCA in PJ and Desa Sri Hartamas apart from the HQ in Kota Damansara. You can get cake decorating supplies as well as join one of the many classes or workshops available at all 3 centres. Below are the address and contact details from ICCA website, maps are available there.

Desa Sri Hartamas
Address: No. 8-2, 2nd Floor, Jalan 28/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603-2300 1869
Fax: +603-2300 1867
Operating Hours: (Mon to Fri) 10 am - 6 pm
(Sat) 10 am - 5pm
(Sun) Publich Holidays Closed

Section 14, Selangor
Address: 16-B, 1st & 2nd Floor, Jalan 14/20, Section 14, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: +603-7960 0388
Fax: +603-7960 6833
Operating Hours: Same as Desa Sri Hartamas centre

If you live outside Kuala Lumpur and find these places too far away, you can try the following stores that are probably closer and more convenient for you, some are ICCA distributors according to ICCA's website, but they do not provide Wilton Method Courses:

Best Baking Solutions

(ICCA distributor)

Address: 57, Jalan USJ 8/2B, 47610 Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: +603-5637 6637

Fax: +603-5637 6637

Email: info@bestbakingsolutions.com

Website: http://www.bestbakingsolutions.com/

(Provide basic bakeware and ingredients, price is cheaper than ICCA's. Also conduct baking classes, contact them for more information.)

BAGUS Baking Solutions HQ
(ICCA distributor)
Address: 52, Jalan Ragbi 13/30, Seksyen 13, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor.
Tel: 03-5511 0688
Fax: 03-5511 0689
Email: enquiry@bagus.com.my
Website: http://www.bagus.com.my
(More branches on their website, provide comprehensive range of cake decorating and baking tools and ingredients, price is also cheaper compared to ICCA's. Check their website for class schedules.)

Bake with Yen
Address: No. 30 & 32, Persiaran Puteri Satu, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.
(Opposite GIANT Hypermarket, Bandar Puteri)
Tel: 03-8060 1828
Fax: 03-8061 0828
Email: bakewith@gmail.com
Website: http://www.bakewithyen.com/
(More branches on their website, their branch in Petaling Jaya was very much recommended by a friend of mine. Personally, I have not been there, hence I can't comment much on it. They too provide baking supplies as well as classes. Class schedules are available on their website)

Just a little advice on getting to ICCA centres. If you are planning to drive to the one in Section 14, please be warned that it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to find parking spaces there whether on weekdays or weekends, even the residential area nearby is congested with illegally parked cars. Thus, it will be easier if you can get someone to drop you off instead.

Some people think that the branch in Desa Sri Hartamas is isolated and hard to find, although I found it easily the first time I got there with a little help from my faithful servant - Google Map. If you are coming from Petaling Jaya through Sprint Highway, you should drive pass Bukit Kiara Equestrian Park and the National Science Centre until you reach a traffic light junction with a signboard showing 'Desa Sri Hartamas' on the left. Turn left and drive straight down the road and take the 3rd turning on your right (The 1st turning is where Balai Bomba & Penyelamat Sri Hartamas is located, the 2nd turning will take to you to the Korean restaurants area). Drive down the slope and take the 2nd turning on your right. You should be able to see ICCA signboard on the 2nd floor of the building in front of you now. If you know Malaysia International Ving Chun Kung Fu Federation HQ founded by Brandon Chan, ICCA centre is just beside it. There are usually plenty of parking spaces in front.

ICCA is circled in red

Staircase to ICCA on 2nd Floor

Singapore Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:58:00 +0000

I was in Singapore for 4 days on April and the highlight of my trip was of course... drums rolling ... Universal Studio! Yes, I heard about the very unfortunate news about Battlestar Galactica, it has been closed temporarily due to technical problems and certain sections like Madagascar was not ready yet. However, I had been looking forward so much to visit the studio that I think would explode if I postponed my trip any longer. The only problem was I forgot to bring my camera... no.... I had to rely solely on my mobile phone.

I stayed at Studio M Hotel on Nanson road. Not to be confused with M Hotel on Anson Road, this is a new hotel which is about 15 minutes walking distance from Robertson Quay and Clarke Quay. My taxi driver was not even aware of the new hotel and almost took us to M Hotel! No doubt the design and decoration is very modern and edgy, but honestly it is not very practical. There is a shower and a toilet. The shower was overflowed with water each time I bathe and the toilet was really small. There was a beam above the bed and I knocked my head a few times while trying to get into my bed. Ouch!

Universal Studio!!!

The price for 1-Day Pass is SGD 66.00 for adult (Age 13-64), SGD 48.00 for child (age 4-12) and SGD 32.00 for senior citizen (Age 65 and above). It is open from monday to sunday, 10am to 7pm.

Some famous characters on the streets...

The ticket prices is reallly expensive, but trust me, you do not want to miss the Revenge of The Mummy ride if you loooovvveeee...... thrill rides. Feel like packing your bags to Singapore already?

Bibimbap (Mixed Rice)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:01:00 +0000

Bibimbap. Mmm.... delicious... one of my favourite Korean dishes ever! This very popular Korean dish is not only mouth-watering but also give you a healthy dose of vegetables. It is a bowl of white rice served with a variety of vegetables and meat, usually beef, with a fried egg in the middle. The ingredients are then stirred together and mixed with gochujang (hot pepper paste).

I recently found a WONDERFUL website about Korean cooking. The creator, a Korean lady who nicknamed herself maangchi has a great collection of recipes and videos there, which I find extremely helpful. Not to worry, everything on her website is in English including her videos. I decided to try out her recipe for Bibimbap. I used whatever ingredients that I could find in my refrigerator and eliminated the egg and beef to make it vegetarian. It was quite easy to make and the result was just YUMMY! However, I really should have cut the carrots thinner, I ended up frying them longer to soften the texture.

The original recipe is on Maangchi's website. Below is the recipe that I have adapted for myself (without beef, egg and kosari, and using mung bean sprout that is more widely available to substitute soybean sprout).

BIBIMBAP RECIPE - Mixed Rice with Vegetables (For 1 Serving)

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked short grain rice
A handful of mung bean sprouts
A bunch of spinach
1/3 of zucchinis
3 shiitake mushrooms
1/3 of carrot
1 -2 cloves of garlic
Soy sauce, sesame seeds and sesame oil
Gochujang (hot pepper paste) or bibimbap sauce

Preparation:

Cook rice according to package instructions. (1/2 cup uncooked rice usually yields 1 - 1.5 cup of cooked rice)
Bean Sprouts - Rinse bean sprouts and cover with water in a pot. Add a pinch of salt and cook for 1 minute. Drain water and mix with some garlic, salt and sesame oil.
Spinach - Chop off the roots and boil spinach for a minute. Rinse with cold water and squeeze lightly. Mix with garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil.
Zucchinis - Cut 1/3 of zucchinis into thin strips. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let sit for a few minutes before sauteing over high heat until translucent.
Shiitake mushrooms - Thinly slice mushrooms and saute with few drops of vegetable oil. Mix in soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. Add sesame oil just before removing from heat.
Carrot - Cut 1/3 of carrot into thin strips and saute for a minute.
Arrange vegetables nicely on rice in a bowl and serve with bibimbap sauce.

I found this bibimbap sauce at a Korean grocery store in Desa Sri Hartamas. I forgot the name of the store, but it is somewhere beside Daorae Garden Korean BBQ restaurant. There is also another Korean grocery store nearby, within walking distance, called Lotte Mart. The address is:

Lotte Mart

26g, Jalan 25/70A,

50489 Sri Hartamas,

Kuala Lumpur.

I am not sure about the difference between this and gochujang shown on Maanghi's website, but it taste good.

Ready to eat!

Try it out, you will certainly enjoy it!

Happy Mother's Day 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:03:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day!

It's that time of the year again when I have to struggle to come up with a brilliant idea for mother's day gift. But not this year... not this time... because I already had the greatest plan in mind, just a few days before the big day. I decided to put all my cake decorating skills to good use. That's right! I am going to bake a cake and decorate it myself.

So what did you do on Mother's Day? Nothing? Shame on you! Come on, don't be afraid to show some loovvveeee... hehe... Ok, I do agree that most people have commercialised this very special day, and the truth is, we should treat our mother like she's special every single day, but...it doesn't mean that we can't give her extra attention and care for just one day to show our appreciation.

To bake the cake, I used Betty Crocker's SuperMoist Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix and ORGANIC strawberry jam (everything is about organic these days) as filling. Yes, i took the shortcut, don't judge me! Cake decorating is a TOUGH job, and the cake was simply deliciouuussss... just like it's name, super moist indeed. I bought it from Village Grocer at Bangsar Village, but I think you can find it in most major grocery stores such as Cold Storage. You can visit their website at http://www.bettycrocker.com/, but I doubt Malaysia carries the full range of their products.

After spending a whole day slaving in the kitchen, this is my final masterpiece. Ta-da!

Isn't it lovely? Simple and nice I would say, I should at least be given credit for my effort and hard work haha...

Trip to Cherating Beach in Kuantan, Pahang

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:26:00 +0000

Went for a 3D2N trip at Cherating Beach in Kuantan, Pahang, which is about 4 to 5 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. I stayed at Legend Resort and with my new blackberry bold, I snapped some really beautiful scenic photos that I am sure anyone of you will be delighted to see.

Some of the tourist attractions available such as turtle watching, jungle trekking, coconut plucking by monkeys and night market. According to the receptionist, these places are around 20 minutes away from the resort.

Who can resist from jumping into this swimming pool?

Serene skies and bright blue sea.

This is a BBQ place beside the sea, great view!

Dropped by a shop selling salted fish, dried squid, keropok (crackers) and many other yummy but ahem.... unhealthy snacks hehe... on the way home.

If you love the sun and calm beaches, it will be a nice place to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of a hectic city.

2nd Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:27:00 +0000

The 2nd Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010 was held from 18th to 21st March 2010, Thursday to Sunday for 4 consecutive full days. The most exciting part was that we got to ride on the balloon! Without much hesitation, I accepted my friend's invitation when she asked me to join her for the fiesta on Saturday.

Right before we started driving, the sky was filled with foreboding dark clouds. It started drizzling soon but it did not stop us from going as we had already set our hearts on seeing hot air balloons for the first time through this rare opportunity. Armed with our digital cameras, we were ready to do some serious photographing.

Even though the traffic was heavily congested, we were delighted to see many hot air balloons floating across the sky as we approached the venue. It was a beautiful landscape view from the Putrajaya bridge, we began snapping photos incessantly from our car.

The place was packed! The drizzles had not dampened the spirits of enthusiastic participants and everything was up and running as usual. We arrived at around 6.30 pm and according to the itinerary, the programme scheduled was ‘SuriaFM Mini Showcase’. Okay…… whatever that means. The next one was ‘Balloon Fun Fly with Media’, followed by ‘Balloon Area opened to photography’. Great, very clear descriptions…

The queue to ride the balloon was crazily long. I gave up after 20 minutes when the queue did not budge at all.

We were strolling along the path when we spotted this. This looked like fun!

And very pricy too. Then we saw this, which seemed fun too.

Why are all of them kids? Am I too old for this? Haha...
Check out the big blue balloon, can you tell what it is?

It’s a pair of Levi’s jeans haha…

One of the main attractions, Darth Vader! Arrgghhh…….

We were patiently waiting for hours for the hot air balloons to fly, but they did not leave the ground at all. Our hopes were thoroughly shattered when they deflated the balloon at the end of the fiesta after the fireworks. Strange… what good is a hot air balloon if it can’t fly?

This is a must-go event for those who are curious and have not seen a hot air balloon before. I believe it is going to be an annual event. However, there are some drawbacks to the event. If you are lucky, you might be able to catch the short period of time when all the hot air balloons are floating in the sky, like when I first reached there. Forget about the itinerary. Yes, it gives a rough idea of what is going to happen, but you know how vague the description is and things are hardly punctual here anyway. If you want to go on the balloon, you will have to be as hard core as my friends who woke up early in the morning before the sun rose or just patiently wait for hours. Oh, and there is definitely room for improvement for the bazaar and games…

Watch out for the event next year if you missed this one and love hot air balloons or photography, hopefully it will be better. The government may be investing more fund and effort in the future to promote tourism in Malaysia. The official website is at http://www.myballoonfiesta.com/.

The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating Course 1 - 4th Class

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:49:00 +0000

GRADUATION DAY!

24th March 2010. On this auspicious day, we had our last class for cake decorating course 1. Before I blog about my final class, I would like to grab this opportunity to thank my instructor, Azalia Zainal for her patience and guidance, and also my classmates for their support along the way sob sob... Now, let's not overeact and get too sentimental ahaha...

My cake was successfully covered with a smoooothhh layer of icing, but my Wilton roses were err... let's just say that I would be very happy and grateful if anyone could even recognize them.

Many of us had been asking this question in the past few classes, how do we do brush striping? As promised, our instructor taught us how to do it. And thus, we could make even more attractive roses.

Then, we had to make sweet peas, bows, leaves and vines on our practise board before we were given time to decorate our graduation cake.

Our final creations. Don't they look impressive? I say they are definitely head turners. Can you spot mine from the picture?

The answer is....

Did you get it right? I must admit that the 2 white roses with red outlines were actually made by my instructor. Yes, I can't possibly make such perfect roses, but I believe with more practise, I can achieve that in no time hehe...

Certificate of completion of the course.

Hope this piece of information help if you are looking for cake decorating classes. I have yet to enrol for course 2, as I want to take a break to absorb and practise on what I have already learnt. Perhaps I might find something else more interesting while I continue to explore other opportunities out there. So stay tune for more action!

The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating Course 1 - 3rd Class

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:24:00 +0000

21st March 2010, 11:00 am

Wilton Method Cake Decorating Course 1, 3rd Class

Class 2 Mission Status: So-so

"It's just a piece of cake, it can't be that hard."

That was what I thought when I decided to bake my own cupcakes. But no matter how many recipes I tried or how meticulously I followed the instructions, various baking problems still arised. For instance, the cupcakes tasted horrible, the batter overflowed, texture was too dense, cupcakes shrinked away from the cup etc. In the end, I was able to bake delicious and moist chocolate cupcakes with a very pleasant and sweet aroma. The only flaw was that the surface was not smooth and it shrinked away from the souffle cup. I was relief to later find out in class that the other students faced similar problems. My instructor's advice was to keep trying new recipes until we find the perfect one.

For my 3rd class, I learnt to create shells, star flowers, swirl flowers and the highlight of the day - the Wilton rose.

And then amazingly, using the star tip, my instructor easily made clowns in different poses. It's really simple, but the results are fantastic!

I decorated my cupcakes with all the techniques I have learnt and most importanly my own creativity hehe... Unfortunately, I left them in the car too long and the icing melted. I also smashed it in the container when I was driving, so here are the best pictures that I have. Believe me, it looked way better before the tragedy happened haha...

Yes, nobody got to leave the class until homework was given. For our last class, we had to prepare a frosted 8 to 9 inches cake along with 6 to 8 roses. I knew I was going to have a tough time making the roses. This might have meant another sleepless nights but it was our last mission, so I told myself I must rise to the occasion! WuHa!

The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating Course 1 - 2nd Class

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:35:00 +0000

14th March 2010, 11:00 am

Wilton Method Cake Decorating Course 1, 2nd Class

Class 1 Mission Status: ACCOMPLISHED

After slogging away for hours until midnight, I managed to frost an 8 inch chocolate cake, bought from a nearby bakery, with class buttercream icing that was prepared by myself. I followed my instuctor's advice but it really was easier said than done, I just could not get the smooth and flawless icing seen on cakes in professional cake shops. The crumbs kept getting in my way and at the end of the day, I had what seemed more like Oreo icing than vanilla. I was too tired to fix the problem, so I brought the cake to class anyway. Surprisingly, my instructor commented that it was ok, except that I should have let the icing crust first to hold the crumbs before I put another layer on top. This method is called crumb coat, don't know why I haven't thought about it.

The 2nd class was more exciting as for the first time we had the opportunity to hold the bags to decorate. We watched our instructor decorated and wrote effortlessly using the star tip and round tip before trying it ourselves on the practise board provided in the studdent kit.

Do not be mistaken, the cute little pink face in the photo below is a work of mine and not the instructor's. :P

After practicing over and over again on a piece of board, the most anticipated moment arrived. We got to to do real decoration on our cakes! Our assigment is to create a Over The Rainbow cake, so we started off by doing piping gel pattern transfer onto the cake.

Now, we would have to fill the rainbow with dainty colourful stars.

Time was ticking really fast especially when you were totally engrossed with something. We had to finish it quickly by 1.30 pm, but ouch! My hand hurt quite a bit after pressing and releasing the bag constantly. According to my instructor, this should not happen, so I was probably not using the right strength.

Ta-da! My 1st precious baby! All the hard work finally paid off... of course I knew that it was only the beginning. For a first-timer rushing frantically for time, I would say that this looks GORGEOUS & DELICIOUS!

Hehe... okok, it is not perfect, but hey, I never thought I would be able to do this, and this was definitely harder than I expected. I will give cake decorators more credit from now onwards haha...

Again, like the previous class, were were given another mission. This time we had to prepare 8 frosted cupcakes and bring 2 clown heads for our next class. Well... a cupcake is much smaller, I supposed this would literally be a piece of cake for me, no problemo... or maybe not?

The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating Course 1 - 1st Class

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 06:09:00 +0000

Whoa... I have been really busy recently. Nevertheless, my Roaring Tiger Weekends 2010 project has succesfully commenced on March! As you can see, it is already mid-April now, I have so much updating to do for my blog. I have been actively participating in some fun-filled classes. Guess what it is... Yes! I have enrolled myself at ICCA (International Centre of Cake Artistry) HQ at Sunway Damansara, which offers the Wilton Method of Cake Decorating Course.

I registered for Cake Decorating Course 1 - Discover Cake Decorating which costs me RM 550 for 4 lessons. I chose to have the classes on 4 consecutive sundays from 11 to 1.30 pm, which is the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th of March, as the other options fall on weekdays afternoon.

On our 1st class, we were all given a Wilton book and a student kit comprising of decorating tips, bags, spatula, brush etc.

There were about 11 students in the class. The 1st class was easy and rather boring as it mainly involved theory, but I can assure you that the following classes were all challenging hands on training. My instructor, Azalia Zainal started the class by introducing us to the fundamentals of cake decorating such as the recipe for class buttercream icing, icing consistency, decorating bag position and pressure control. She then did a little demo on preparing and icing the cake, and made some simple decorations on the cake.

Now here comes the best part, before we left the class, we were told to bring an 8 inches cake, frosted with buttercream icing for our next class. That was when I thought oh dear... I am on my own now...

If you are interested in joining ICCA, their contacts are as follows:

Address:
Wisma ICCA,
1, Jalan PJU 5/15,
Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia

Tel: 03-6140 8835
Fax: 03-6142 1501
E-mail: inquiry@2decoratecakes.com

Operating Hours:
Mon to Saturday : 10am - 8pm
Sunday : 10am - 5pm
P/Holiday : Closed

They have 2 other branches located at Section 14, PJ and Desa Sri Hartamas, KL. You can find more information regarding ICCA centres and classes with location maps on their website. Click here to visit the website.

MY VERY 1ST POST

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:43:00 +0000

Hi world! I hereby proudly present you my very 1st post hehe... Actually not much to say yet, just a little intro as to what this blog is all about.

Where should I start? Hm... okay, it all started one day when I had a thought.... a sudden realization... that I need to make a swift change in my life for the better. I have been so busy with living up to the expections that were influenced by my parents and the society, that I begin to feel like I am slowly losing myself, I am no longer sure of what I want in life. In order to seek the true meaning of life again, owh... this sounds serious hehe... I have decided that I need to be more assertive, start experimenting on things that I have always wanted to do, seek new adventures and explore where it can take me to. And to do many of those things, I need to change right here, right now! Stop making excuses for myself, and make full use of what is left of my youth. Hence, Roaring Tiger Weekends 2010 project was born.

Every weekend, I will make plans to indulge in my passions or widen my horizons by being open to new opportunities, and I will share all my experiences on this blog. This reminds me of a movie called 'Yes Man' starred by Jim Carrey in 2008, but of course I will not take it to the extreme like what he did in the movie, because that is just plain CRAZY and funny haha... I can already forsee that I might become too busy for this sometimes to fulfill my other commitments, however I have promise myself that I will do my very best to be involved in some form of events or activities at least fortnightly or once a month.

So people... do drop by some time to read, I hope there will be something here for everyone. Feel free to leave comments! Just as long as they are not abusive, I would like to keep a friendly environment here haha...