Heineken is running an online contest on the UEFA Champions League. However, this is not your standard run-off-the-mill contest where you fill in your particulars and tick a few easy to answer questions. Heineken Be Prepared is actually a fully interactive online Flash game!
The Heineken Be Prepared game has three stages/games - I've just completed the first game (Beer Delivery) and found out that I need two other players to complete the remaining stages. I must applaud Heineken for this campaign - it's very interactive and social, the next wave of online content. The game even has a nice ending video clip to reward you!
The Be Prepared games are not about football (soccer) so you don't need to be a football fan to enjoy it. There are three games - Beer Delivery, Mexican Wave and Beer Slide, which are all arcade style games. I played Beer Delivery, which required me to memorize a map and then guide a Heineken beer truck to the supermarket.
I'm not good with memorizing stuff so I need someone who can do that as a team partner. Heineken Be Prepared requires three (3) people to play so I need two more players.
The second game is described as Mexican Wave, where someone who is good in DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) type games would come in handy here.
I will be playing the third stage/game - Beer Slide, since it requires a steady hand and fast reflexes, both qualities that I possess (though not at the same time ;)).
I need two others players to complete the games. The fastest combined time wins and the prize is three (3 - so all of us gets to go) tickets to Heineken Star Final, an exclusive UEFA Champions League final viewing experience on an exotic tropical island (!).
All right, in order to do this, the first two comments (please leave a valid email address in the comment itself) will get a chance to play the game with me for the prize. Please leave your email address in the comment and an indication that you want to (seriously!) join the sixthseal.com team for this endeavor.
I'm very keen on winning the grand prize. I mean, just look at it - three (3 - so all of us get to go) tickets to the UEFA Champions League Final viewing party on an exotic tropical island!
Please, refrain from drinking while playing the game, since we do need the fastest time to win.
Palacio Restaurant & Lounge is located at the prestigious Asian Heritage Row district in Jalan Doraisamy. Palacio means Palace in Latin and the establishment serves a fusion of Southern French and Spanish cuisine. I went there with my girlfriend to celebrate her (very substantial) salary increase. I promised to buy her dinner with just the two of us, which was a bit tricky to arrange since I had meet-ups with a lot of people during the short trip there.
Asian Heritage Row is a quaint lane that somehow organized itself into a place renowned for its fine dining, nightlife and entertainment. The history behind the establishment of the dilapidated shop houses along Jalan Doraisamy into a one of the trendiest strips in KL is very interesting transformation that I was fortunately privy to, having worked in KL when it was first proposed and built.
Palacio is divided into three (3) distinct dining experiences - there is an al fresco area in the Palacio front garden, a laid-back cozy arrangement on the ground floor and a fine dining area on the first floor. I wanted to go up to the first floor, but the air-conditioning has not brought the temperature down to a comfortable level yet so we settled with the ground floor ambiance.
The seating arrangements at the ground floor is warm and inviting, with lots of wood fittings. There is a lounge at the side for a more relaxed social gathering. The place serves beer at very reasonable prices - it's RM 35 per jug for local draft beef during Happy Hour. The service is impeccable too - the waiters are very attentive and attuned to your every whim and fancy.
There is a wall motif running along the length of the Palacio that is almost holographic, due to the ingenious placement of lighting fixtures. The length of the ground floor is bordered by a long couch with regular chairs on the opposite side of the tables. The effective use of mirrors increase the spatial perception of the size of the restaurant - it's a common interior design technique to make a place "look" bigger.
Foie Gras (RM 48) This is served with tempura asparagus, caramelized onions and mango chutney on a toasted baguette slice. Palacio is a French and Spanish cuisine establishment and this is one of the specialties of the house. It has multi-cultural influences, and this dish turned out to be a great fusion of unique flavors.
The foie gras (duck/goose liver) is tender and comes in a single, intact portion. This French delicacy literally bursts with juicy goodness with every bite. Highly recommended, despite the price and small serving size. I could eat the entire thing in a single mouthful!
Cinnamon Black Cod (RM 40) The Cinnamon Black Cod is served with sides of sweet mashed potato, mango mojo, citrus cabbage and red capsicum sauce. The "mango mojo" is the sauce and goes surprisingly well with the cinnamon marinated cod. The black cod was excellent, maintaining the natural moisture of the aquatic creature inside. It certainly hasn't lost its mojo. ;)
The portion is a little on the small side though, but I guess "fine dining" is synonymous with tiny portions for the more refined diners amongst us. Doris thought it was just right, but she doesn't eat much and cannot be used as an accurate gauge for the appetites of regular diners.
Braised Lamb Shank (RM 40) I had the more reasonably portioned braised lamb shank for the main dish. It's served with tomato and grape chutney, mashed potatoes and rosemary sauce. The serving is indeed quite large (even for my standards) - a full lamb shank smack dab in the middle of your plate with rosemary sauce and tiny mushrooms.
The braised lamb shank is delicious and the meat turned out so tender, it practically falls apart from the bone with the slightest gesture of the fork. ;)
Palacio Restaurant and Lounge also serves beer-based drinks I dubbed "beertails". Beertails instead of cocktails. I was elated at the fit of inspiration where I thought I had coined the term, but a quick Google search revealed that the word has been around for quite a while. :(
Palacio Beer (RM 20) is the green beer which is a cocktail (beertail) of Midori, Malibu and beer. The Bloody Beer (RM 15) is a beertail made with watermelon liquor and a shot of Absolut Raspberri. It tastes good, but it's definitely not a drink for beer aficionados and purists from the Holy Trinity of Hop, Malt and Barley Church.
We finished off with a dessert of Palacio's Mississippi Mud Pie (RM 15) - a sinful concoction of chocolate cake, cream and ice cream. The Mississippi Mud Pie came piping hot and the contrast with the cold ice cream is a match made in heaven!
Palacio is a great place for a casual dinner at the Asian Heritage Row. The foie gras was memorable, the beertails interesting, and the service impeccable. The bill came up to a total of RM 244.95 which is not very expensive for the occasional indulgence. The Palace is located at:
Palacio Restaurant & Lounge Asian Heritage Row Jalan Doraisamy, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The FBI (Farm Bureau of Investigation) is using sixthseal.com to send out an APB to all readers - there are two fugitives wanted for crimes against duck-kind. You can help bring these criminals to justice. There will be rewards for finding the two outlaw ducks. Calling all duck hunters!
The two mug shots above show what the ducks look like. This APB (All Points Bulletin) is meant for all vigilante readers. Keep an eye out for the Super SMS and Super FnF Ducks. The Super FnF Duck
Height: 9 cm Weight: 0.2 kg Skin Color: Yellow Identifying marks: Tattoo on rear right flank - "FnF" in a brown circle. Behavioral traits: Incessant quacking. Known accomplices: The Super SMS Duck Crime: Talking cock. Last known address: The Super FnF Duck has recently been sighted together with the Super SMS Duck in various blogs on the net.
The Super SMS Duck
Height: 9 cm Weight: 0.8 kg (with cell phone) Skin Color: Yellow Identifying marks: None Behavioral traits: Constantly texting on a cell phone. Frequently seen with a glass receptacle with the label "SMS" on right wing flap. Known accomplices: The Super FnF Duck Crime: Excessive texting. Last known address: The Super SMS Duck has recently been sighted together with the Super FnF Duck in various blogs on the net.
The FBI first noticed the Super FnF Duck dialed *112*1# and further investigations revealed that the Super FnF Duck has been talking a lot of cock at only 15 sen / minute to 15 friends on ALL networks.
This led to the discovery of the Super SMS Duck odd dialing pattern to *112*2# at the same time. Additional surveillance discovered that the Super SMS Duck has been texting so excessively due to free unlimited SMS with just RM 0.50 usage!
You can register as an official Duck Hunter at the DiGi Wanted Ducks website and start by getting a hint to decipher the first clue to track down the renegade ducks. The ducks are suspected to be hiding in various blogs on the net and you can bring them to justice by clicking on the ducks you see in the blog and pasting the code into the contest form.
There was a mass prison break at the farm so you'll have to do a headcount of the ducks left on the farm after bringing the ducks in. The Top 10 Duck Hunters will be rewarded by the FBI (Farm Bureau of Investigation) each week for your efforts:
Week 1 - 10 x Sony Ericsson W880i Week 2 - 10 x iPod Nano Week 3 - 10 x Sony PSP Week 4 - 10 x iPod Touch Week 5 - 10 x Sony Ericsson W850i Bonus Week - 5 x Sony PS3
Come back to http://www.wantedducks.com.my to check out the winners list. The winners will also receive an e-mail and a phone call.
Please play your role in bringing the fugitive ducks to justice! The FBI is counting on YOU!
Absolut Akimbo! I managed to get two (2) 1 liter bottles of duty-free vodka goodness from my sister and her husband traveling back from NZ. I wanted Absolut New Orleans and Absolut Los Angeles (the two new city themed Absolut vodka flavors) but my sister couldn't find it...or couldn't be bothered to look for it, I'll never be sure. ;)
She couldn't find Absolut Pears (to complete my Absolut-ly Fabulous liquor collection) either, so I settled with Absolut Ruby Red, which I already have and thus have earned the right (in my twisted rhetoric) to drink...
...and Absolut Mango, launched earlier this year for my collection.
I've been trying to find the elusive Absolut 100 (2007) in the black bottles that weighs in at a respectable 50% alcohol but it's apparently not available at our fine KLIA duty free retail experience. Oh well...
I first heard of Tune Hotels when I saw their functional display at the LCCT terminal at KLIA. It sounded like a great concept - a clean budget hotel with the basics and prices starting from just RM 9.99. It's operated by the AirAsia conglomerate and I decided to book a room to experience the concept hotel.
The hotel is located near the Medan Tuanku Monorail Station and the interesting thing about the hotel is that it's not called Tune Hotel. It's called TuneHotels.com. It's like 1997 all over again, with the dot com craze. The other thing that impressed itself upon me was the vast amount of advertising that's plastered around the facade. It's like the hotel is one gigantic billboard!
The price of the hotel rooms fluctuates according to demand, much like AirAsia tickets. I got our double room for RM 48.99. The price is for the room only, and everything extra is charged. Towels and soap goes for RM 15, air conditioning is charged at RM 6.83 for 5 hours and RM 13.49 for 12 hours, and WiFi is available for RM 12 for 24 hours.
TuneHotels.com also implements the interesting concept of "anchor franchise tenants" - there is a 7Eleven, a Subway and another franchise eating establishment at the lobby. TuneHotels.com has a very stringent check-in policy. The check-in time is at 2 pm and no one gets to check in before the designated time. Thus, there's a huge queue of people waiting at the lobby, which usually ends up patronizing the franchise tenants. Amazing marketing...
The check-out time is at 10 am - 2 hours before the regular 12 pm check-out time for hotels, which is something to watch out for. I didn't remember and was awakened from my blissful ethanol induced slumber at 11 am by housekeeping to politely remind me that the check-out time is at 10 pm. They don't charge you for overstaying though, so it's still alright.
The rooms at TuneHotels.com are as small as everyone says. There's hardly enough space for two people to pass through the corridor! It looks a little like a love hotel too, as my girlfriend commented - there are pink neon lighting surrounding huge mirrors (probably for increase spatial perception) and the luminosity from a lot of the fixings are neon in nature. The bathroom is a little small and cramped, but I can't complain for the price - and it's very clean to boot.
One thing you may have noticed from the photos is that there are a lot of advertisements even in the room. I could count a McDonald's ad, a CIMB Bank ad, a Visa card ad, and a Maggi instant noodles ad vying for eyeballs in the bedroom itself! It's staggering!
An advertiser sponsors each and every floor at TuneHotels.com too, much like the KL Monorail...
...this is my personal favorite. ;)
The architect of TuneHotels.com is a proponent of the minimum space, maximum occupancy philosophy and this leads to the height of the rooms being extra low. I nearly hit my face on the ceiling fan (when it was on full blast!) while standing up on the bed. Granted, there are signs warning you against the perils of the low hung ceiling fan causing unfortunate incidents, but still...
You get to meet a lot of people at TuneHotels.com too, the backpacker types - this is Anna from Gold Coast, Australia who kindly pulled up a chair for me when I went down for a smoke at 2 am in the morning (which was why I look half asleep). She's here on a modeling assignment.
I'm impressed with Datuk Tony Fernandez's business acumen. Sponsored floors! Advertising in the elevators! Franchise tenants! The commercialization of the TuneHotels.com operation is staggering. Personally, I don't mind as long as the savings are passed down to the guests. :)
Shanghai 10 is a Hong Kong style eating establishment located at Sungai Wang Plaza. There was a promoter passing out 10% discount vouchers at the escalators so we decided to check the place out. The full color brochure is printed with tantalizing photos of the dishes, some of which were quite unique.
Shanghai10 is a direct English translation of the Chinese name, which actually means "Shanghai Sky". 10 and "tien" (sky) is phonetically similar. The interior of the place is plastered with ancient Chinese scrolls and paintings - all in a contiguous length covering the perimeter of the enclosure, which is pretty impressive.
The place is packed with patrons having brunch and we got ourselves a seat and decided to binge a little since we were famished from not having breakfast. My girlfriend went for the Iced Honey Lemon Jasmine Tea (RM 3.20) and I ordered Guinness Stout (RM 10.80) that still came in the old skool cans containing the proper 8% alcohol. ;)
Double Boiled Seafood Soup Dumplings with Shark Fin (RM 12) This is one of the signature soups of the place. It's served with a rather generous portion of shark fin on top of the soup, which contains fish maw, crab sticks and several huge peeled prawns. The broth is hearty and delicious, especially with a dash of pepper after the shark fin has been consumed.
Shanghai Special Fried Bean Sheet (RM 7.80) This tasted really good, with generous portions of seafood. I love the fried bean sheet and was enthusing about it to my girlfriend. We don't get that over here in Sarawak. The texture and size of the bean sheet is really nice. Kei Chi Fried Rice (RM 5.80) Kei Chi is the red bead thing that always goes into double boiled chicken soup. I don't know what it's called in English but its supposed help you with your eyesight. *shrugs* I didn't find this dish particularly interesting. Shanghai Double Boiled Soup Dumplings (RM 6.90) This is the famous "xiao long pau" (small dragon buns) which is made with the chicken broth still inside the paper-thin wrap. Shanghai 10 does a good version of this. It's topped with fish roe - a very nice touch. Shanghai 10 Jade Shrimp Dumplings (RM 4.20) This is the Shanghai 10 signature version of the popular dim sum. The har kaw comes with a huge, succulent prawn inside and it's juicy and tender. Nice!
The Shanghai Double Boiled Soup Dumplings is supposed to be pierced first to let the chicken broth drain out before consuming. The ritual has a pragmatic rationale - the soup is scalding hot, as Doris found out when she accidentally scalded her tongue on it. Probably ruined her taste buds for the day, that. ;)
This is the house specialty dessert - Avocado with Kataifi (RM 5.20). It's a Greek dessert originating from the Middle East, where it is known as Kanafeh. The crispy exterior of the Kataifi in Shanghai 10 goes well with the avocado paste inside. It's a bit too oily for our tastes though.
The other dessert we ordered is the Durian Pancake (RM 4.80). This dessert is served cold and comes in a durian skin wrap and a filling made of fresh durians. It's absolutely fabulous! The sinfully delicious dessert is creamy and rich, and it comes highly recommended from me. :)
Shanghai 10 is an agreeable dining experience for shopping mall standards. The bill came up to RM 62.80 for the two of us, after the 10% discount voucher that was passed to us at the elevator. I highly recommend it for the durian pancake. It's heavenly!
Frontera Bar & Grill is located at Jaya One and serves authentic Tex-Mex fare. I was invited by Larry to sample his repertoire of culinary delights and went there for lunch with my girlfriend in tow. Frontera Bar & Grill is open from 12 pm till late and serves premium tequila with Patron being the flagship brand of the place.
The interior of Frontera Bar & Grill has a distinct Mexican theme with agave plants, pictures of person(s) of Latin American descent, and sarapes hanging from the ceiling. The colorful pieces of fabric adds a lot of ambiance to the place, as does the Mexican gangsta rap music emanating from the speakers as we walked into the eating establishment. ;)
The friendly waiter informed us that Larry was on his way and served us some Chips & Salsa while we were waiting. The salsa is homemade with fresh Jalapenos and serves as a great dip for the chips. I love scooping up the salsa with the nachos, it makes for a fun snack and we were famished from not eating the entire day (due to waking up a scant hour before, nursing a hangover).
It is said that the best cure for a hangover is more alcohol and thus, we had the Horny Margarita. It's made with Sauza tequila (100% agave tequila) and derives its name from the Hornitos label. Larry arrived soon after that and settled down once the introductions have been made. It was great to meet up with him again. I've known him for ages and I'm glad that he's finally made it to the big leagues.
This is the Taquitos de Pollo. It's an appetizer made with Frontera chicken wrapped in corn tortillas and served with salsa verde (green sauce) and sour cream. The Frontera chicken is submersed in their special chili marinade before baking and it came out juicy and creamy. The contrast between the tender chicken and the crispy tortilla skin creates an interesting texture in the mouth. The salsa verde and sour cream sauce also serves as a good antidote for the Habanero chili challenge I took on. ;)
I had the Beef Enchiladas, which Larry recommended. It's made with New Mexico Red chili sauce and topped with cheese. The beef is specially ordered with just the right amount of lean meat vs fat ratio and it's so tender it almost melts in the mouth. The chili used in the dish had to be imported in as well. I love this dish. I rate this the best of the Frontera menu.
Doris had the Chicken Chimichanga which is a huge wrap of chicken served with a side of frijoles refritos (Refried beans) and Mexican rice. The Chicken Chimichanga is topped with melted cheese and the refried beans and Mexican rice on the side makes it a very filling dish. Frontera doesn't skimp on the chicken too, the wrap is chock full of chicken pieces.
We also got a chance to sample the new menu, affectionately dubbed "Gringo Fare" by Larry. This is the Frontera Cheese Burger which is served with fries sprinkled with Frontera's chili peppers. The cheese burger is huge and comes with a lot of cheese - a perfect cheeseburger. It still maintains the Tex-Mex influence from the flavored fries and the beef patty is juicy and delicious.
The next item in the yet-to-be-released new "Gringo Fare" menu is the Frontera Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeno Coleslaw. I reckon it shouldn't be called a chicken sandwich - the lean chicken cut inside the bun is so enormous, it should be a main dish in its own right! My girlfriend really liked this one, the chicken is tender and juicy and the Jalapeno coleslaw stays true to Frontera's Tex-Mex roots.
The huge meal was washed down with Frontera's Agave Margarita, which is made with agave syrup instead of sugar syrup. The difference between a pure agave margarita made with agave syrup is surprisingly distinctive from one made with sugar syrup. It doesn't really hit you until after a while too, and Frontera serves their margaritas with a full US shot (as in 45 ml) instead of the UK definition of a "shot" (25 ml) which most pubs use.
Behind the Scenes
Dried Chili Ancho New Mexico Red Guajillo Chili de Arbol Pasilla Chipotle Morita
Fresh Chili Habanero Jalapeno
Interesting fact: Frontera means border or frontier in Spanish.
Frontera Bar & Grill No. 18-8-2 Block L, Palm Square, Jaya One Jalan University, Petaling Jaya. T +603 7958 8515 F +603 7958 8125
The Matriarch of the Poh clan celebrated her 78th birthday last night at Swansea Restaurant. The dishes on the table are the obligatory deep fried boiled egg (each person eats one) surrounding fried longevity noodles and of course, ginseng chicken soup.
I also like this candid photo of my sister peering at the fish (also another essential dish in Chinese dinners).
My grandmother is an inspiration to me - she got married at the tender age of 16 (!) and fathered my dad when she was a scant 19 years old. It was an arranged marriage (as was the custom in those days) and she has more than fulfilled her duties as a loyal wife to my deceased grandfather, sticking by him through thick and thin, until he died of lung cancer 15 years ago.
It's truly amazing to see the sheer perseverance and unquestioning diligence that she exudes, taking the cards life has dealt her without so much as a grumble, and still maintaining a cheerful disposition everyday.
I take my hat off to her, she's much stronger than me.
I bet she's stronger than much of the current "Where's my slice? I want more than equal rights" generation too.
I used to mountain bike, and would always challenge myself to do something cool. It's been some years but then, I came across a very interesting challenge called Me Against The World energized by 100PLUS. Now I can prove myself to the world how good I used to be!
Thus, I packed my trusty old mountain bike and went to a local park renowned for its steep and unforgiving concrete steps in order to film myself riding down the incline. I went for the hardest trail coz great swords are always forged by fire, and he who dares wins.
I'm not a very good mountain biker but I did it with sheer determination and perseverance.
Life has no limits, and there are bound to be spills (and thrills) but if you push on and never give up, and just keep on going, then you're in a position to challenge yourself, and challenge the world.
The online challenge is going on from the 15th of October 2008 to the 15th of February 2009. Upload a video of yourself doing something challenging within these four categories:
Sports (e.g. football freestyle, cool basketball tricks etc.) Dance / Music (e.g. breakdance, drum solo etc.) Extreme Sports (e.g. skateboarding, surfing etc.) Lifestyle (e.g. skipping rope tricks, cheerleading, handstands etc.)
...and get people to vote for you to win fantastic monthly prizes. The top 12 ranked videos (3 per category) will win:
Month 1 - Nike vouchers worth RM 300 each Month 2 - Sony products worth RM 299 each Month 3 - Topshop vouchers worth RM 300 each Month 4 - Nike vouchers worth RM 300 each
The Top 12 ranked videos at the end of the campaign period will be selected to perform LIVE at the Challenge Finale where the top three prize winners will take in a combined RM 12,000 in prizes from Sony, Nike, Topshop and 100PLUS.
Alternatively, choose to just register as a voter, and win monthly lucky draw prizes. The 5 lucky winners every month will win Nike vouchers worth RM 50 each.
I'm a novice mountain biker and I can do this challenge in one morning. Do you have what it takes to challenge me? Take a video of yourself doing something challenging in one of the four categories and post it on the site and prove to the world you've got what it takes.
Frontera Bar & Grill serves a wide range of premium and super premium 100% blue agave tequila. This here is the official Frontera Margarita Man, who has served thousands of margaritas during his tenure at the bar.
The Speedy Gonzalez is a cocktail with Red Bull, watermelon liquor and Sauza 100% pure blue agave tequila. It's under the Hornitos label and packs a real punch. The Red Bull (caffeine and Taurine) gives a slightly stimulating aspect to offset the CNS depressant qualities of the Sauza Hornitos tequila.
I have been playing Tiger Fantasy League this season as a previous post indicated. Since then, the team is progressing really well, despite very little micromanagement during the week I was volunteering for charity work. I attribute that to a solid lineup selection in the starting stages. :)
The Nuffnang mini-league (nuffleague) currently has 19 active players, 15 of which I am thrashing. I'm ranked at #4 with 118 points (a very auspicious number) with a global ranking position of 431.
Tiger Fantasy League also allows transfers during the football season:
I'm replacing Slyvain Distin, who's the worst player in my team. He conceded 8 goals for crying out loud!
I'm taking in Lucas Neill from West Ham United instead. I've watched him play and he's a bit of a dark horse that I'm betting on for Hull City v West Ham United on the 19th of October.
The transfer system is a very nifty feature as you don't want to be stuck with your initial lineup if a player has injuries, red cards or other handicaps that would slow down your team's progress. Likewise, if you have been eying a particular player who has been performing well during the season, this would be a good time to snap him up into your team.
I have been thwarted by KY, Geno FC and ShaolinTiger.com Team but the English Premier League is still far from over and I vow to exact my vengeance with the fury of Manchester City thrashing Portsmouth 6-0 last month.
My sister just had her second wedding reception last night at the Grand Jasmine Ballroom in RH Hotel, Sibu. The KL wedding reception was held exactly one week ago and last night's festivities were for the bride's family and friends.
The Grand Jasmine Ballroom was used since we had 40 tables seating 10 people each. Both Jasmine 1 and Jasmine 2 were used to accommodate for the wedding. I just found out that each table costs over RM 450 so that's about RM 18,000 for the wedding reception alone.
Gifts were respectfully declined and my parents did not accept any ang pows at all. My parents wanted this to be a casual get-together for friends and family without the traditional trappings of Chinese wedding banquets. It's giving back magnanimously to the Sibu community to commemorate the wedding of their daughter.
The sales personnel of the local newspapers were politely kept away from the ballroom area to prevent their hard sell advertisements from bothering the guests and we roped in relatives to do the seating arrangements and ushering duties.
It was a huge task since there were 400 guests from various groups (church, organizations, corporations, family, schools and friends) to be seated at their designated tables.
I was slated to be the MC of the night and there were two main events that I had to coordinate - the entrance of the bride and groom from the flower arch down the red carpet lined with flowers and all the way through the second wedding arch before being seated.
The night's festivities began with the bride and groom walking in before being seated at the main table.
There are ten seats on the main table: 1. Alvin Ng (groom) 2. Poh Yih Jia (bride - my sister) 3, 4: Mr & Mrs Poh (parents of the bride) 5, 6: Mr & Mrs Ng (parents of the groom) 7: Paternal grandmother (of bride) 8: Maternal grandmother (of bride) 9, 10: Poh Huai Bin & Doris (brother of the bride and girlfriend)
I started off with a short welcome speech before showing a presentation of my sister's progress throughout the years. The bride and groom came on stage to acknowledge the efforts that went into the events management aspects. My sister did a great speech thanking my parents for her upbringing, waxing nostalgic and generally trying to be a tearjerker. It's a good thing some sand got into my eyes. ;)
The good Reverent said grace before dinner and the first dish was served.
The interesting bit and the flagship feature of weddings at The Grand Jasmine Ballroom is the presentation of the first dish. The lights went dark and music started playing as a parade of waiters and waitresses choreographed a candlelit performance while carrying the first dish before serving the dishes. It's quite unique and novel.
There was the time-honored cake cutting ceremony by the bride and the groom after that, followed by the champagne pouring ceremony, some kissing action from the newly weds and a toast led by me where everyone raised their glasses to bless the holy matrimony of the bride and groom.
This is a group photo of the immediate family at the main table. You'll notice that there are only eight of us - my paternal grandmother went to the washroom and there was an empty seat meant for my maternal grandmother. Unfortunately, she had a bad Alzheimer's attack before the wedding and couldn't join us. Both my grandfathers are deceased, both coincidentally from lung cancer.
The food on the main table is served individually for some reason, instead of being a communal dish.
I have yet to figure out the reasoning behind this.
I went up and sang The Wedding a.k.a the "Ave Maria" song with my mom before the end of the night.
I actually sang it twice, the first one was dedicated to my girlfriend and I did a solo on that. My apologies for subjecting everyone to the auditory assault - I don't sing well, but I sing with my heart. :p
The wedding reception ended at 9:30 pm and our relatives stayed back and helped clean up the place. Doris is seen here feeding me fake champagne - it's a actually a prop that expels confetti when pulled.
There was just one major blunder at the wedding - the three-tiered wedding cake was not sliced and distributed by the RH Hotel staff after the cake cutting ceremony, which they were supposed to do. We all forgot about that since we were busy with other stuff and only realized it when it was still on stage when I thanked the guests for coming. Oh well, at least it was all packed up and given to relatives so it's not that bad.
Congratulations to Alvin Ng and Yih Jia on their wedding. I guess I'll have to start to call my sister Mrs. Ng now.
Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa is a relatively new concept spa and reflexology center offering the unique doctor fish treatment for your feet. Doctor fish spas have sprung into popularity last year and a lot of people have been to Kenko Fish Spa, which has outlets throughout the Klang Valley.
I went to the Kenko Fish Spa in Pavilion, KL to experience the doctor fish spa. It costs RM 38 per person for a 30 minute session inside the doctor fish spa pool. I've been keen to check out the doctor fish ever since I've read about it on several blogs - it sounds interesting.
You are given a tag to clock in the Kenko Fish Spa area, and an attendant will direct you to the pre-treatment area. The tag initiates the start of your timing block, and allows you access to the general doctor fish spa pool. There are also private rooms if you're more inclined to enjoy the fish treatment in seclusion.
Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa starts the doctor fish spa session by requesting users to wash their feet first. This is not just for hygiene purposes - chemicals from body lotion and creams can contaminate the pool water and probably cause the doctor fish to float belly up. Body lotion is not exactly sauce to complement the dead flesh the fish eats from your feet. ;)
The fish spa at Kenko in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur features a central pool with larger species of the doctor fish and a trench bordering the perimeter with smaller versions of the Garra rufa and Cyprinion macrostomus.
I went into the central pool first and the doctor fish swarmed around my feet and started nibbling away at the dead flesh. It felt a little ticklish at first, but after a while, the sensation is actually quite pleasant.
My girlfriend however, nearly screamed when she put her feet inside and quickly jumped out. The attendant kindly told her that the trench surrounding the area has smaller versions of the doctor fish and would probably be suited for the more squeamish ones amongst us.
I joined her at the trench area after feeding the bigger doctor fish in the central pool. I figured it would work better to let the larger doctor fish feast on the larger and hardened chunks of dead flesh on my feet before letting the smaller ones take care of the rest.
The interesting thing about the doctor fish is that it not only feasts on the dead skin and flesh on your feet, but also on your legs. There are signs that warn against putting your hand inside the water, but I did just that and the doctor fish swarmed around it too and started nibbling away at the dead skin. :)
Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa @ Pavilion, KL offers a nice view of the city from the glass panel windows while the doctor fish takes care of the dead skin and flesh from your feet. It's very relaxing and my feet was noticeably smoother after the treatment.
Due to the popularity of the doctor fish spas, even Sibu has started its very own treatment center...in an inflatable pool right in the middle of a shopping mall. Instead of luxurious wood paneling, you get plastic chairs to sit on.
It's called "Love Bite Fish Spa Happy Feet" and some enterprising soul charges RM 15 for a 30-minute session inside the stagnant inflatable pool containing a handful of doctor fish. I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly falling over myself to sit down on a plastic chair and put my feet in an inflatable pool in the middle of the mall.
Laksa Shack is a franchise operating along the trend of establishing hawker food fare in the air conditioned comfort of malls. It has outlets throughout Malaysia and specializes in laksa, as the name implies.
Laksa is a noodle soup dish originating from Malaysia and has two major variants - curry laksa and asam laksa. The first one is santan (coconut milk) based while the latter is a medley of sour and tangy notes from tamarind. Sarawak laksa is an offshoot of curry laksa but I tend to prefer the asam laksa more.
Asam laksa has no coconut milk and is based on a fish paste broth with tamarind, which gives it the distinctive sour taste. I find that very appetizing, and it's served with translucent thick rice vermicelli instead of the thinner version.
Laska Shack is a quick service operation and offers Asam Laksa, Johor Laksa, Curry Laksa, Laksam Kelantan, Tom Yam Laksa, Laksa Nyonya Melaka, Sarawak Laksa and Laksa Lemak Singapore. The soup base is all pre-cooked and kept in heated receptacles at the counter so they just need to pour the right gravy on the right kind of noodles.
I went with my girlfriend to the outlet at MidValley Megamall and we shared a Laksa Set (RM 14.90) which comes with the laksa of your choice, 2 pieces of otak-otak and Sirap Bandung Cincau. The drink (left) is a rose syrup drink with milk and cincau (black jelly). I ordered another drink (right) for RM 5.50 - Ipoh White Coffee Cincau.
This is what the Laksa Set looks like. The laksa ordered separately costs RM 9.90 each and the drinks will set you back RM 5-6 so it's usually more cost effective to order the popular laksa set. The two pieces of otak-otak came really fast - the operation at Laksa Shack is all very streamlined.
Otak-otak (literally brains-brains) is a fish paste snack wrapped in banana leaves. Laksa Shack offers the steamed version and the otak-otak is (very) highly processed, leaving very little taste, as is oft the case in mass produced bulk food.
The Asam Laksa at Laksa Shack is surprisingly good for a quick service restaurant. The soup base is tantalizingly sour and comes with pieces of fish. I find tamarind based broth to be very appetizing and drank all the soup in the dish.
I didn't quite like the fish pieces though - it seems to be sardine to my untrained palate and sardine is one of the few aquatic lifeforms I do not like to eat (due to taste rather than any sentimental PETA/Greenpeace ideology).
You can probably get better laksa for a lower price at regular hawker stalls but Laksa Shack offers the experience (and convenience) of eating hawker food in air conditioned comfort inside a mall. I have seen this trend take off and I suspect the end is nigh for the novelty value of hawker-food-given-premium-treatment concept eating establishments.
It's going to jump the sardine soon, mark my words. ;)
I've always been a hopeless romantic at heart and I love stuff like couple T-shirts. Levi's produces designs every Valentine's Day and although it may seem a little cheesy to some, I, for one, think highly of couple T-shirts. :)
I'm not adverse to PDAs as well, and I love to show my affection to my girlfriend. I was on the plane back last night, hugging and kissing her and one person who was sitting at the same aisle probably noticed us doing that but kept his peace.
Anyway, as we were waiting at the airport, imbued with heng tai (brother) courage (someone was driving him), he rolled down his window and said "Eh, never kissed before izzit?" (in Mandarin) before driving off. This is the local equivalent of "Get a room!" which I've never really understood. It doesn't offend me, I think of them as jealous souls who need to get a girlfriend. ;)
I've always thought of affectionate couples as adorable, and I love seeing them as it reinforces the "hopeless romantic" Aries personality trait of mine.
I don't know about other people though, how do you feel about it?
My sister had her wedding reception in Restaurant Oversea at Jaya One in PJ last Saturday. I was in KL for the weekend to attend the wedding - there will be another one this Saturday in Sibu, where I would be the MC for the night. I have been instructed to tone down on my jokes coz I commented about her cleavage in the KL wedding and she nearly went into hysterics and rushed into the toilet to fix her dress. Heh!
My sister is the polar opposite of me, personality wise. ;)
I'm going to cover the Sibu wedding ceremony (which I haven't figured out how to do while being the MC at the same time) so I didn't do much at the KL wedding, which was more on the groom's side, so here's a montage of the events:
This is my new extended family:
I had a pretty embarrassing pre-dinner moment when the person manning the reception counter was on the phone and couldn't seat us. I gave an off-hand sarcastic comment to my date and my aunt in KL which I'm sure she heard. I found out later that the receptionist was my sister-in-law. Major faux pax. Not a good way to start a relationship, I'm sure.
This is me. Eating an apple at the Boulevard Hotel studio suite this morning. It sounds like a mundane (understatement of the year) post, which it is, but I'm trying to make it sound interesting. There really is a discrepancy in the picture above...
The Habanero chili pepper is rated as one of the hottest chili peppers in the world. I took the Habanero chili challenge at Frontera Bar & Grill at Jaya One. I ate the entire chili pepper raw in two bites and didn't think much of it. Larry, the proprietor, told me that it only hits after five minutes...
Jesus Christ, I must admit, the chili started stinging at the 2 minute point and peaked at the 3 minute point. My eyes were watering and my nose was running.
I felt a little queasy after that and my taste buds were desensitized for about 15 minutes, but it was fun, and I would do it again. Take the Habanero chili challenge @ Frontera!
This question was posed to me during my sister's wedding dinner just now when I talk about my blog.
It startled me coz I've never thought about that or seen it that way before. Sure, the free or fee mindset is very rampant nowadays in the commercialization of blogs. Why do I do this for hotels, places, events etc etc without a fee?
...coz I don't see it as promoting it for free. The world would be a sad place if everything is done for profit instead of passion, if the exchange of currency is involved in every single venture that we do.
Also, I see sixthseal.com as a springboard for me to bigger and better things - I've always wanted to be a personality on Discovery Travel & Adventure, going to different places and trying new things, experience new cultures.
I took the 9:15 am flight out of Sibu to head over to KL for the weekend. My sister is getting married later tonight in PJ so that's why I took three (3) days unpaid leave to extend my support over here. Anyway, I bumped into a friend on the flight (actually bumped into quite a few people) and sat beside her and decided to sample the new AirAsia menu.
AirAsia has come up with some nifty marketing that ties in their menu with brands like 1901 hotdogs and other franchises. The Snack Attack hot meals packs have also been given a facelift, with standardized features. The hot meal packs now come with full color transparent heat seals with photos and the name of the dish.
This is 1902 Gourmet Food Asian Fried Rice with Chicken Satay (RM 9). AirAsia has a history of partnering up with established catering establishments for their meals - Sri Melur Jaya is a renowned restaurant in Selangor that provides a large portion of their hot on-board meals.
I had the 1902 Gourmet Food Asian Fried Rice with Chicken Satay (it's actually mini satay sticks) while my musically inclined friend opted for the Sri Melur Jaya Nasi Briyani with Curry Chicken (RM 8). We both shared the Sri Melur Jaya Roti Jala (RM 6).
The Sri Melur Jaya Roti Jala turned out to be the best dish of all - taste and presentation wise. It's quite spicy, which is always a plus point for me.
The total came up to RM 27 with a bottle of mineral water. I could have eaten better for less, but eh, it was fun to binge on food on an airplane and I've wanted to check out the new menu for quite a while. P/S - sixthseal.com is still a bit messed up from the backups. Some images are missing but I promise I'll get that fixed once I go back to Sibu. I'm currently in KL. Cheers!
sixthseal.com was down for nearly two days coz my previous host suspended my account without notifying me of the reason(s) or replying to any of my emails. I think it's due to the content from the archives, but somehow, from browsing through web hosting forums, it seems that the hosting company in question has a less-than-stellar reputation, to say the least.
I know I have been overloading their server (it seems that they only have one) from the CGI pulls and I have noticed my blog getting slower and slower especially when commenting. That would probably have been the prime reason my account was suspended without any feedback from their end and thus, I have lost all the posts and comments.
However, thanks to Google cache, I can start rebuilding the blog, and I will be doing that over the days. I have paid for two years with my previous host but it was relatively cheap (about USD 120) so I guess you get what you pay for. I have switched to a VPS now, which was what sixthseal.com was running on before I went for my enforced vacation. ;) It's one of the best and though it's not cheap, at least I can rely on it for good uptime and performance.
My apologies to all readers of sixthseal.com for the downtime. I will need some time to start rebuilding the blog since I don't have a backup (in the grand tradition of sixthseal.com =_=!!!) so please bear with me while the process is slogging along. I will be concentrating on bringing the 2008 posts up first before resuming the Hari ini Dalam Sejarah project.
Thanks for reading, and my apologies for ranting a bit, I feel like I owe everyone an explanation. Cheers! :)
I've always wondered about the concept of retail therapy for our female friends. There is an increasing trend of terms like "metropolitan" and "SNAG" being thrown around for men who likes to dress well and look good. I have never doubted my manhood and have no qualms about applying lip balm or hand lotion in full view of the entire office.
I have purchased (via proxy) a G2000 shirt (black - 60 % cotton, 40 % polyester) that just came out for RM 159. I did not get the positive stimulus from physically being in the store - trying out different shirts, preening in the fitting rooms and actually making the purchase. However, the wonders of modern technology (3G video calls) enables me to pick and choose three new arrivals from G2000 from more than 1,000 km away.
I just got the shirts yesterday and I wore the black one to work this morning. I was surprised to register feelings of contentment, general well being (almost bordering on euphoria), and renewed self-confidence while driving to work. I walked straighter, smiled more and was in a more positive mood the entire working day.
I can understand the concept of retail therapy - purchasing a new garment that makes yourself look (and feel) good, but have never been a strong proponent of it due to my less-than-healthy fiscal status. It never ends there either. I have also found myself dabbling in the mystical arcana of manscaping.
Manscaping is a concatenation of the words "man" and "landscaping" and you can probably figure out what the term means from the two root words. I have newfound fascination with landscaping the follicles on my legs to make the filum look more streamlined. I am also venturing into the nether regions to try out my ideas of color, form, line, scale and texture on the foliage growing there. ;)
Retail therapy and manscaping might come across as a little bit on the gay side to our excessively heterosexual men out there, but I can understand the appeal of wanting to look good. :)
sixthseal.com aesthetic tip of the day:
Deodorant works for 24 hours. You don't actually need to apply it first thing in the morning after showering. Instead, try applying it at night, just before you go to sleep. It still retains the hyperhidrosis management properties of your underarm regions and the scent (of the deodorant, not your armpits) is not as strong/overpowering the next day after your morning shower.
Hah! I bet you didn't know that a chao ah beng blogger knows these things.
Excuse me, I'm a Chao Ah Beng (Premium Edition), okay? Got study in Australia one. ;)
I spent a nice weekend lazing around at home with Melody and decided to throw together some burgers for brunch. Well, here at sixthseal.com, all our cooking projects requires a catchy name and an irreverent goal, so this was dubbed Project 3 1/2 Inch - to make a burger that would have a height of at least three and half inches. :)
You will need:
Beef burger patties Unbreaded crab flavored claws (this adds bulk and height, as well as taste) Six (6) eggs Burger buns Arrack Putih (local distilled 50% alcohol)
Melody insists that Arrack Putih (translated as "bai jiu") is meant for cooking. I vehemently disagree, having had more than my fair share of drinking cheap local liquor. It's RM 5 - RM 10 for a 640 ml bottle containing 50% distilled liquor that tastes like vodka.
I have to applaud the local distilleries for marketing a high proof alcohol that doubles as an excuse for cooking purposes so stay-at-home moms can live in denial about their drinking habits. It's the local equivalent of "just a nip of the cooking sherry". ;)
To prove my point, I downed a full glass of the alcohol neat, while Melody had 1/4 an inch of the stuff, also neat. She agreed it tasted like vodka too. This begs the question as to why we're drinking the cheap stuff and the answer to that is simple...times are hard, my friends. :)
Anyway, after being imbued with some Dutch Courage (or Irish Motivation rather), I fired up the gas stove and heated some oil (coz we used up all the butter in the previous cooking expedition) in a frying pan...before remembering that the beef burger patties weren't defrosted yet. Thus, we waited 30 minutes for it to thaw out and started with the crab claws.
There happened to be some debate about how this should be done. I was in favor of steaming it, which she said was ridiculous since the metal instrument was way too tall for the wok to be of any use.
She was all for boiling it in a pot of water with some salt, since that would not only quick defrost the crab claws but we could turn off the gas and control the heat so it'll still be warm when the burgers are done.
I agree in principal, but boiling will result in an unacceptable loss in the taste of the crab claws. Still, I went along since the ethanol was kicking in and I was in a cheerful disposition. =D
Thus, with the disarmament peace talks reaching a positive conclusion, the beef burger patties were fried in vegetable oil. We fried four beef patties - two for each of us, while the crab claws were being boiled tasteless. ;)
I'm not much of a health conscious person, which is pretty obvious by the way I live my life, but Melody insisted on lining the plate with tissue paper before putting the beef patties in to soak up the excess oil.
However, there is on thing I excel at - The Ancient Art of Breaking an Egg with One Hand (!!!). =D
This is the sixthseal.com guide to breaking an egg with one hand. It serves no purpose whatsoever, but makes you look like you know what you're doing in the kitchen. Chicks dig it. ;)
Anyway, I soon realized that six (6) eggs would not make a paper thin wrap around the burger patties Ramly burger style due to the volume so I decided to just fry it all and make an omelet of sorts.
The sheer volume of the unborn chicken fetal material was a bit too much for the wok to handle, but I have a trick I learned while frying eggs in primary school (I love eggs!) which basically involves moving the liquid pooled inside the recessed wok out to the sides so it'll cook faster...
...and then use the spatula to move the cooked egg back in so more liquid egg can be displaced into the treasured hot surface area to the sides. It's called The Swirling Egg Trick (TM). I've been doing it for ages. You'll have an omelet up in no time using this method.
Meanwhile, Melody started draining the crab claws. I didn't have a strainer but she has some tricks up her sleeves as well, and managed to get the crab claws out. She dropped one into the sink though...
Crab claws are actually made of fish meat and flavored with crab flavoring - whatever that is. The flavoring industry has made leaps and bounds in their technology and I'm sure they can make an artificial flavoring that tastes exactly like you. ;)
The problem with the kitchen at my place is that there's really no proper cooking implements to speak of...bread knifes were nowhere to be seen. I tried my hand at cutting through the burger buns with a regular knife...
...which didn't work out so well,
so Melody did the cutting instead.
The burger bun was sliced in half, and the beef patties layered on top of fried eggs before everything is topped with crab claws, peppered with...er, pepper, and doused with chilli sauce.
It's a huge gooey burger, but it tasted delicious!
It's 3 1/2 inches. We measured. :)
I must admit...I had a bit of a hard time eating it though...
The Queen Lounge & Café was officially launched on Friday night with an invite-only guest list comprising mostly of friends and regulars of Café Café (who is owned by the same people).
The interior design of The Queen Lounge & Café can be summed up in a single word - absolutely fabulous. Oh wait, that's two words. You know what I mean though. The ambiance is great, and I can imagine this being the next new hot spot to hang out in town - the place to see and be seen and all that.
The Queen Lounge and Café is co-owned by Peter, who is an old schoolmate of mine. He just has this magic touch for setting up nice cafes with the warm ambiance that draws in the crowds. I remember hanging out as teenagers during weekends at Country Café (the place to be about 10 years ago) and his dreams about opening up a similar place in the future.
Well, he did, and kudos to him for that. The success of Café Café is a testament to his will and resolve, and I respect him for that. Oh, and I'm not just saying that coz I got complimentary martinis the entire night. ;) No, seriously.
The proprietors of Queen's Lounge and Café also own Café Café, a hugely popular café in town - the current place to be. They also have an interior design place called Mari Mari. I'm not sure about the obsession with double affirmatives but at least Queen's is a departure from tradition - I'm just glad they didn't name it Queen's Queen's. ;)
The Queen Lounge & Café was serving complimentary Lychee Martinis to the guests the entire night as well as snacks on the house.
It's made from Kwai Fei lychee, Absolut Raspberry, Cranberry and Pineapple juice with a menu price of RM 22. Queen's has an impressive cocktail menu with a long list of martinis, shooters and wines.
It's quite nice, but I'm a bit of a monster when it comes to drinking so I was asking Peter for a special, customized Rendezvous Lychee Martini - just Absolut Raspberry neat, with a lychee inside. ;)
Snacks were also served to the guests from the Queen's Lounge and Café menu. There were Madurerse Chicken Satay (menu price RM 8)...
I bumped into a lot of people at The Queen's - this is Ita Ting, an old friend of mine from way back in high school.
Peter and Ah Tung, the two co-owners of the place.
Grace Chan. OMG, I look fat in the photo.
The beautiful people I've been bumping into in clubs around Sibu.
Jimbo and some other buddies I hang out with on weekends.
Datina Ting! I haven't seen her since Chinese New Year and she's getting married later this year. Congrats! :)
The proprietors spared no expense in the launch of The Queen Lounge & Café - there were two troupes of dancers with two different sets of routines.
The first dance is a very Chinese traditional dance, transporting you back to the glory of Shanghai, post-Japanese occupation.
I liked the way they dominated the floor with grace and elegance, garbed in traditional Chinese costumes and armed with fans.
The second set features svelte female figures draped in white and performing a martial arts inspired dance.
It's a very lively performance, extremely full on and unique.
It was a great premiere for The Queen Lounge & Café and I have exhausted my repertoire of superlatives to describe the opening of the establishment. It's going to be a great place to hang out at - the next big thing.
Congrats to Peter, Michelle and Ah Tung and all the best in the new lounge! :)
I just spent a lazy Saturday afternoon watching movies on DVD. I've not been to the cinema lately and have been trying to catch up on the latest movies from the friendly neighborhood (copyright infringement) DVD peddler. I made burgers with a twist (cooking post up soon) for lunch and we caught Mamma Mia (an enjoyable feel good movie if you like musicals and ABBA) and You Don't Mess with the Zohan (typical cheesy Adam Sandler stuff, but has its laugh out loud moments).
Anyway, I'm taking a break today since my higher cerebral functions have been diminished due to an excess of ethanol consumption last night. sixthseal.com will be back with two verbose and photo/video filled posts tomorrow, so in the meantime, entertain yourself with these selected HDS posts (which is something I haven't been slacking on ;)):
Taiwan Mei Shi is a restaurant that cooks authentic Taiwanese cuisine. It is located beside Mitsu Tea House, which creates massive competition for this eating establishment. It's truly amazing that it has survived thus far with that kind of contention. I've never been here before but Amy suggested going to this outlet for lunch, mainly due to the air conditioning, and she was driving, so we conceded.
The place does not have English signage so I got her to translate - Taiwan Mei Shi literally means "Taiwan Food" and it opens up to an al fresco seating area. The ambiance of the place feels very homely, with wood tones and handcrafts dominating the expanse.
The eating establishment is not as small as it looks - it actually takes up two shop lots, although the second one doesn't carry the sign board. The sliding doors to the right leads to air conditioned comfort - a blessing in the heatwave that Sibu is experiencing right now.
There is a net inside the air conditioned compartment with photos of the clientèle in compromising positions...eating. I asked about the photos and the friendly proprietor told us it is their practice to take photographs of happy diners and clip it onto the net for your viewing pleasure. I like that concept and got her to pose for a photo in front of the netting.
Amy had hot Milo (a malt drink) which came in a squarish cup that I found interesting. The quirkiness of the angular drinking receptacle makes the presentation unique. I had the Super Greeny Jasmine Green Bubble Tea just coz I found the name amusing. ;)
This is the obligatory shot with the waitress. I noticed that she didn't look at the digicam in each of the four shots that my colleague took...and we finally figured out the reason why. She didn't look us straight in the eye while taking orders too! Some people shy, okay? :)
Back to the food, we ordered four dishes: Taiwanese deep fried fish fillet in sweet and sour sauce This is good, and the sweet and sour sauce is not heavily tomato influenced and tastes rather like a BBQ sauce instead. Salted egg with bitter melon Everyone liked this dish - bitter melon (bitter gourd) is supposed to have a slightly bitter tinge to it, but it was offset by the salted eggs. Nice. Sautéed beef with Szechuan preserved vegetable I love tender beef slices and the mixture with the Szechuan vegetables (which includes a healthy dose of dried chillis) and claypot style serving does wonders to the appetite (and palate).
This is their signature dish - Taiwanese Three Flavor Chicken. It came in a small claypot with whole garlic, onion slices and spring onions. I'm not sure what the three flavors are supposed to be - I could taste sweet and salty tones but the third flavor eludes me.
The proprietor was kind enough to serve us dessert for free - this is a special cincau (black jelly) mixture that's supposed to be "cooling". It came in a traditional Taiwanese cup for (sweet) soups - literally dessert. The two jellies are both made by the proprietor and not bought off the shelves, as she stressed (repeatedly).
It has the consistency of jelly, and yet maintains enough slippery fluidity to be slurp-able. Better still, the dessert was chilled, so it countered the heat while the thirst absorbing qualities of the second substance (which for the life of me I can't remember) counters the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome inflicted by the MSG laden food. ;)
Taiwan Mei Shi is not a bad place to eat - the food is good and the service is great. It's a little overshadowed by the other titan eating establishments beside it, but it's worth your time to check out the food. However, the bill came up to RM 44.40 for the three of us, which is a very inauspicious number in Chinese numerology. ;)
I remember having a batch of fireworks from the previous Chinese New Year and decided to give my girlfriend a surprise at 12 midnight last night (technically, today). I carried the firework cake configuration to her house with my car lights dimmed and called her to come out for a while. I had planned to deploy the fireworks just opposite the road outside the house - a hit and run affair, since fireworks are not exactly legal in Malaysia. ;)
This is "Universal Battle" a cake configuration of 13 shots (which is not an inauspicious number for the Chinese, unlike the Caucasians) and I drove over to her place with it on my passenger seat and dimmed my car lights when I got to her place before coming out with the fireworks and a lighter.
She was already standing outside when I lit the fuse and was quite puzzled by my "Shh..." motions and gestures to ask her to stay put and wait:
This is the first day of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations - the new year for our Muslim friends. In Malaysia, "open houses" are practiced and it is common for different races to mingle and socialize during festive occasions.
I visited a couple of houses this morning with a bunch of friends. I neglected to pace myself and ate too much at the first house, which resulted in me not being able to eat much at the latter houses. :)
This is what I had - pulut (glutenous rice), satay, beef rendang, curry chicken and ayam masak merah.
I also had some dessert after that - cakes and this confectionery made out of cornflakes that I really like. :)
Our group adjurned to the second house after that where there is ketupat (a traditional Hari Raya preparation made out of glutenous rice, but different from pulut).
This is what ketupat looks like - it's made with pandan wrappings (a complicated procedure that traditionally lasts throughout the night) while pulut is cooked in bamboo over a slow BBQ fire.
I was presented this home made confectionery by the host and the following conversation proceeded:
Host: What does this remind you of, Huai Bin? HB: Hmm...something that should be covered up. ;) Host: You have a gutter mind la...it's eyes. HB: That's what I meant, it should be covered up with sunglasses. What did you think I mean? Lingerie? ;)
It's fun, with witty banter and general fellowship. I have missed Hari Raya for two years in a row so it's great to be able to go visiting again. I love this water feature that I saw in one of the houses that we visited.
Selamat Hari Raya 2008 to all readers of sixthseal.com! :)
Hello there! I am Huai Bin and I'm a 28 year old working professional living in Petaling Jaya. I can be reached at sixthseal@gmail.com if you feel a burning urge to contact me.
