November 2008 Archives

I went to DucKing at Jaya One for our monthsary dinner on Friday night. DucKing ("The Different One") seems to be wordplay on the story The Ugly Duckling (which turned out to be a swan if you forgot your Hans Christian Andersen).



DucKing is packed pretty much all the time - we waited 15 minutes for our turn to be seated, but the waitress was gracious enough to let us in when she couldn't contact the previous two ahead of us on the queue list. There seem to be some problems with communication though - I got four calls during dinner saying that my seat is ready and I told them each time that I was already inside.



Price for this menu: RM 1,500 ++. I have been trying to spot this when I saw it on Cheesie's blog and true enough; it's in there. Haha!



I ordered INTIS (RM 78) an Argentinean Merlot meaning Sun God. It's the cheapest wine on the menu - I haven't started working yet, tomorrow is my first day at work so we figured we needed to conserve our funds. My girlfriend went for the Chinese tea, although she had a small amount (slightly more than thimble sized) of red wine as well.



You can't go to an establishment named DucKing and not order duck so for the appetizer, we had the Marinated Duck Tongue with X.O Sauce (RM 16.80). It tasted surprisingly good, I can't remember ever having duck tongue before. This one is served with the tendon (bone?) under the tongue intact, and the slight crunchiness adds to the appeal.



Next on the menu was the Beijing Duck Two Varieties. I ordered 1/2 a duck. It's RM 38.80 for 1/2 a duck and RM 62.80 for a whole duck. I love Peking Duck, especially the process that goes with it. Unfortunately, DucKing does not have the chef carve the skin off the duck in front of you.



Peking Duck comes in four (4) dishes - the crispy roasted duck skin, the paper-thin flour wrap, spring onions and other vegetables for garnish and flavor, and the sauce itself.



Basically, you take one flour wrap and place a piece (or two) of crispy roasted duck skin on top before adding some spring onions and dousing it with sauce. It is then wrapped like a tortilla. There is some debate about whether the sauce goes on first, but I prefer it just before I wrap up the entire thing.



The Peking Duck at DucKing is great! I love the soft, fragile flour wrap. I'm amazed at how tissue paper-thin it is. Excellent.



Beijing Duck is usually served in two or three courses - the skin in wrap, the meat cooked with vegetables and the bones in soup. Most establishments nowadays do away with the third installment though. DucKing gives you the choice of a wide range of preparations for the second course - we opted for the Deep Fried Bun with Roasted Duck Meat & Black Pepper Sauce (RM Included in the price of Beijing Duck).



The vegetable component of the food pyramid is completed with Braised Baby Kailan with Crab Meat (RM 28.80). DucKing cooks this dish with egg and starch and they're very generous with the crab meat - it's definitely proportionate with the price. There are huge chunks of whole crab meat inside the dish. Very nice indeed.



For the last dish, we indulged in the Braised Abalone with Shimeji Mushroom and Broccoli (RM 72.80). The abalone is indeed cooked to perfection and matches the sauce well. The mushroom is paired perfectly with the abalone and came out juicy and tender. I used the broccoli to mop up the sauce, that's how good it was.

DucKing does a very brisk business and the food is good, although it comes out very fast, suggesting mass production (or a chef with really deft fingers). The bill came up to a total of RM 280.85 but the bulk of that is from the wine and the abalone.



Happy monthsary, dear! Love always.

Yes, that is our couple t-shirt and also the distinctive look of a bulge in my abdomen from eating excessively these few weeks. ;)

I caught a haunting acoustic version of Leaving on a Jet Plane sung by an unknown female singer at Jaya One over the weekend. She has great vocals and a melodic voice that instantly grabs at your auditory senses.



Any idea who she is?

I'm going to start work on Monday, and I finally got Streamyx in my condo. It doesn't give me much time to do much (some really bad syntax going on here) but the recap of the previous week:



Met up with Yee Hou and Nicholas from Nuffnang. Also hooked up with Doreen (post on TGIF soon) and boyfriend, KY, Eiling, Rachel, Horng for dinner at SS 2. It took me a whole hour to get from Aman Suria to SS 2, which I'm sure is a record of sorts.



It also took me more than an hour to get from Sunway Pyramid to Aman Suria, but in my defense, I'm still unfamiliar with KL roads. I managed 1+ hour from KL (BB area) to Aman Suria today while playing host to my girlfriend's ex-colleagues who came over from Sibu. It's pretty good time, considering the fact that I nearly drove to Kuantan.



I inherited a map of Klang Valley from KY, who also gave me a pack of Chung Hwa cigarettes, which in turn came from Cheesie.



Eiling was kind enough to bring back a bottle of Absolut 100 all the way from Dubai for me and won't even accept payment. Thanks Eiling!



I also celebrated our monthsary last night. We went to DucKing and racked up a bill of RM 280. I had trouble finding a florist and got Bloomings to deliver it to her office instead...all done online.

Thank God for the Internet.

Shrimpz is a small little eating establishment located at Aman Suria that we discovered one night. We have been eating a lot of nasi kandar lately and wanted to eat some Chinese food (or Thai food, which is about the same in my books) so I stumbled upon this little gem quite by accident.



Shrimpz is apparently the sister restaurant of the flagship Shrimpz restaurant in Langkawi, according to the table liner. I can't remember the last time I was in Langkawi, but the leaflet claims that Shrimpz Langkawi was and still is the only dining venue in Asia located within a shrimp farm, which is where I imagine they got their name.



Shrimpz Kuala Lumpur is not located inside a shrimp farm, but they managed to re-create some of that ambiance with a water feature I like to call the "Sobriety Test" that is currently in vogue. The water feature is made up of stepping stones, and while it's not as challenging as the bla bla bla Sobriety Test in Kuching, it's still requires a certain level of dexterity to navigate.



Shrimpz is decorated Thai style, with a lot of Buddha statues (sans the body and head) and the al fresco dining area is interspaced with a lot of water features and bodies of water to simulate the Shrimpz Langkawi dining experience in a residential area. It looks clean (probably coz it's new) and elegant, but the place does not serve alcohol, which is unusual for a restaurant like this.



It is almost heretical to not order shrimp in an establishment called Shrimpz, and beheaded (Convert or die!) we might be have we not, so we requisitioned for their renowned Shrimps / Organic Tiger Prawns from Langkawi menu and had the Stir Fried Tiger Prawn with Petai and Belacan (RM 34.90). It had the exotic sounding name of Kun Pat Khapit Sator.



It was alright, quite nice actually, but paying RM 34.90 for six (6) tiger prawns seems a little bit steep. It amounts to RM 5.81 per shrimp - not exactly cheap, but worth the price for the occasional indulgence. It tasted great with the petai and belacan gravy and I ate the entire crustacean whole, much to the horror of my girlfriend. It takes a man to eat the shell of a prawn. ;)



I had the Shrimpz Special (RM 8,90 - comma done either to emulate the French, or coz I had to much to drink is up to you to decide), which is a mixture of lime, lemongrass and mint leaves. I will not delve into the drink my girlfriend ordered, which would usually be OJ or watermelon juice or some other citrus based drink.



This is the appetizer that we had - Shredded Crispy Duck Salad (RM 26.90). I know the dishes are coming out ass backwards, but I did it in chronological order - the exact same succession that night. The shredded crispy duck salad is excellent! My girlfriend loved it to bits (no pun intended). The fried shredded duck skin is sinfully delicious, with a satisfying crunch to it. Lovely.



My girlfriend had the Thai Fried Glass Noodles (RM 13.90). It looks rather sad and much can be done about the presentation, but tastes fabulous. It was seriously mouth-watering despite the sorry looking presentation. It's definitely one of their best mains.



I had the Fried Rice with Anchovy Sauce (Budu) and Petai (RM 9.90). I like the petai, I read an article not long ago about Malay families nowadays excluding this traditional dish from their diet. It's raw vegetables, dipped into sauce. The fried rice was plain though, nothing special, but tastes great with the prawns.



The food at Shrimpz is mostly good, especially the prawns...



We literally licked our plates clean.

I am going to start work on Monday so I guess the days of drinking cheap wine while enjoying a good book at night is over. :)

I've just finished Stephen King's latest (Duma Key) and it really is one of his best in many, many years. It's technically not his latest, but the last one I read was Lisey's Story. I saw another hardcover out at MPH - a short story compilation.

This is obviously a filler post. Wait, I'm getting a proper one up. :p

I was blindsided by a traffic police roadblock at the U-turn from Kelana Jaya LRT station leading to Jalan Bahagia and Giant LDP while heading towards the Kelana Parkview TMpoint to get my Streamyx sorted out. The thing about KL U-turns is that it's completely blocked by a mass of concrete so you don't know what's on the other side, especially if you're going too fast.

Anyway, I did such a U-turn the other day and immediately ran into a roadblock. It was so near the exit of the U-turn that it's a good thing I didn't run literally into the roadblock. I had hoped for a break since the traffic police was stopping the car in front of me, so I quickly pulled the seatbelt on - but no such luck. The eagle-eyed police saw me and gestured at me to pull over.

I had wanted to take a photo - my first traffic ticket in KL, just after 5 days of driving over here, but that would ruin my chances of getting off without a ticket since a photo would mean they would have to do it the Proper Way (TM). Anyway, the traffic police did the usual license and registration thing (except over here it's MyKad/IC and driving license), while I did my best pitch:

HB: Eh, sorry tuan, I'm new to KL, just got here from Sarawak and I don't know the way so I was just reaching towards the back to get my map. I had the seatbelt on all along.
Police: Map? What map? There's no map in your car. *peers into the back seat of my car*
HB: Er...I meant I was looking at the road signs. I have problems with my eyesight so I had to squint a little. I just loosened the seatbelt, I had it on all the time.
Police: No, you didn't. You put it on when you saw me.
HB: Yes, I did, I had it on all the time. Honest. Anyway, since I'm new here, I was hoping you could help me out.
*I pull out my wallet and discreetly thumbed a RM 50 note out, just a little, to see his reaction*
Police: Hmm...well...
HB: Okay with you officer? Help me out here.
Police: Okay, like this also good. You senang, I senang. (Less hassle for the both of us)



I passed him the RM 50 note and he passed me back my MyKad and driver's license. The good Gabenor talks, and bullshit walks.

The long arm of the law, eh? ;)

Police: What's your name?
HB: Poh.
Police: Okay, thank you Poh. It's better this way. You senang, I senang. Drive safely.

Now, this police gives me a big ass grin and smiled at me in an uncharacteristically friendly manner as I was pulling off. He even waved at me, I shit you not.

This got me wondering...have I given too much? I don't want to spoil the market, what are the rates over here in KL?

I don't use a seatbelt coz I see it as a victim less crime. I don't like being restrained and I don't see how it affects other people. It does no harm to anyone except myself.

Nevertheless, how much do you pay for getting off without a ticket in KL? Can someone enlighten me on the rates for:
Driving without a seatbelt
Driving over the speed limit
Tinted windows
DUI/DWI

Rates for JPJ and our fine traffic police would be much appreciated.

I don't want to spoil the market for my fellow KL-lites.

You know la, you senang, I senang. ;)

I have been taking pains to furnish our new condo recently and the DIY bug has bitten my girlfriend big time, no thanks to her colleague. Her colleague is doing direct sales part-time and I'm told she does every -way there is out there. Amway, Cosway, Tupperware etc.

She brought home this rickety and capricious clothes hanger last night and practically forced me to fix it at 11 pm at night after dinner. It took me about 30 minutes to get it done - I'm more Tim than Al in the home improvement department, but in the end I managed to assemble the contraption and anchor it to one of the ceiling beams in our master bedroom.



It took a long time before we realized that the RM 30 device wouldn't reach the actual ceiling of the condo, so I settled for the beam while my girlfriend muttered something about it looking out of place. Hmph...

I would have preferred to save the hassle and get ready fixed furniture delivered straight in.

Nevertheless, the truism of beggars can't be choosers applies and it had already cost us a significant chunk of our savings to get the condo up to reasonable living standards - air conditioning, fridge, washing machine, wardrobes, broadband, breakfast bar, and a king sized bed with Aussino fittings and pillows (as well as other creature comforts).

I felt a semblance of satisfaction in assembling the rickety clothes hanger - it was meant for my work shirts and my coats and ties and I'm grateful to my girlfriend for purchasing it.

It's not a Kodak Moment, but definitely an arrghh arrggghh arrrggghh moment. ;)

More power!

You know, back where I come from, very few people could claim they had nasi lemak for breakfast. Sibu is a cultural abnormality - it looks predominantly Chinese (although the population census will tell you it's predominantly Iban) so the usual breakfast is noodles or something to that effect.



Well, over here in KL, I've been eating a lot of nasi lemak. I've actually grown quite fond of this stuff, craving it even. I look anxiously out my condo window at 7 am sharp every morning to spot the nasi lemak vendor pulling up in his trusty old van and rush down to buy some while it's still warm.

I still remember a snippet of conversation that occurred the first time I went:
Nasi lemak man: Ada apa lagi?
HB: Ketam. (Crabs)
Nasi lemak man's wife: Ketam tak ada, tapi kerang ada. Si ham. (We don't have crabs but we have clams)
HB: Oh ya, kerang. Brain not functioning today.

I love the couple, they're very friendly people with a great sense of humor. I've seen a lot of people from the neighborhood offices purchasing his warez too. Nasi lemak for breakfast is pretty common over here in KL. I've grown to love the stuff - I like it with clams (kerang, not ketam), lots of sambal, a fried egg and a piece of chicken drumstick.



It's pure artery clogging goodness! ;)

(which I'm sure I'll regret when I'm 50 and my cholesterol level starts to soar)

Ah Cheng Laksa is one of those "hawker fare inside a mall with WiFi and air conditioned comfort" franchises, which shows no sign of slowing down. I think a lot of it has to do with their pricing and convenience. Personally, I went just coz I love the tagline, a parody of Phua Chu Kang with their version being "Best in Subang Jaya & Sunway & some even said in PJ!!"

I think the grammatically incorrect tagline adds to the good ol' hawker stall appeal. :)



I went to the one at the Curve since they had a promotional deal worked out with Cineleisure where you get a 10% discount off your food with a movie ticket. It's only valid for a la carte items though, and not the Combo Set Promotions, which we went for. I like the seating arrangements at the outlet over here - the seats are absurdly low but a pit of sorts where you can put your feet in compensates for the height problem. Nifty.



Ah Cheng Laksa also serves the increasingly popular Cham (RM 2.50). Cham is a Hokkien word meaning "mix". It's a half and half mixture of coffee and tea and I'm starting to like the medley of tastes and the reduced caffeine content - very useful for combating stress in KL traffic. ;)



Combo Set 1, which is recommended for 2-3 people, is priced at RM 13.90 and comes with JR Asam Laksa, JR Curry Laksa and your choice of a regular (JR stands for junior, I presume) Asam Laksa, Curry Laksa, Kueh Tiaw Soup, or Nasi Lemak Ayam/Daging Rendang. I went for the Nasi Lemak Daging Rendang option. You can also choose the type of noodles you want in your laksa - it's customizable.



Verdict:
Asam Laksa: Delicious! It's very appetizing.
Curry Laksa: I didn't think much of it. I prefer asam laksa to curry based laksa.
Nasi Lemak Daging Rendang: It's okay, but not great. The pakcik that parks his van outside my condo weekday mornings sells much better nasi lemak from the back of his mobile stall.

My car has just survived the RM 3,500 journey from Sibu to KL inside a container through the South China Sea. It seems pretty much intact, although I nearly backed into another car yesterday. Much has been said about KL drivers being reckless and aggressive...which is pretty much the same way I drive. I think I'll do okay here. ;)

I'm going to drive down to KL tomorrow to see if I still remember how to...and meanwhile, on the home front, the fridge has just arrived:



...albeit with a dent, but that's okay coz I got the Best Denki guys to hook up the washing machine completely for me to compensate for that:



The TM Homeline people are coming to install my line on Monday, and Streamyx should be up 24-72 hours later. I noticed that math is not my true calling (understatement of the year). I went for the fixed line + Streamyx option coz I thought the Streamyx Combo package actually works out to be more expensive.

sixthseal.com math:
TM Homeline: RM 26
Streamyx: RM 88

is cheaper than the RM 110 per month for the Streamyx Combo, which comes with the TM Homeline RM 26 fees waived, coz I didn't need the free wireless modem (since I already have one). I actually told the sales representative that I don't want to be paying RM 22 dollars per month extra for a modem and will be going for the separate TM Homeline + Streamyx package coz it's cheaper.

She actually gave me a blank stare, and opened her mouth before shutting it again, realizing the futility of reasoning with an illogical person.

I was only thinking of RM 88 vs RM 110 and it just hit me that I would be paying RM 4 LESS with the Streamyx Combo AND getting a FREE wireless modem to boot since the TM Homeline fee is waived in this package.

Flawed logic, that's me down to a T.

Waffle World is a colorful dessert house specializing in (you guessed it) waffles. The bright, happy shades used in this franchise coupled with their merry "Cheer Up! Waffle World is here!" tagline attracted us to this establishment (as well as their new WW Tower - the tallest dessert ever built).



The place is located just off a busy shopping mall through way, so if you have reservations about eating at a place like this, well, you're too pretentious to be reading sixthseal.com anyway. ;)



I'm not going to write about my girlfriend's drink since she always orders the usual orange or pineapple juice. Mine is the more adventurous Strawberry Goes Bananas (RM 8) which is a fruit smoothie blended with fresh strawberries and bananas. The two tastes surprisingly well together, with the more subdued banana covering up the acidic aspects of the strawberry.



This is the Banana Walnut Waffle (RM 7.90). The presentation is great, with bananas lined in an oblique fashion (I've been told to use more common words, but 15 years of reading SK has influenced my writing somewhat, so perhaps angular would be a better word here?). It's sprinkled with crushed walnuts, a heap of ice cream, and generous squeezes from a Hershey's syrup bottle. The taste? Spectacular.



I opted for a savory waffle, since I kinda knew I was gonna have to eat half of the Banana Walnut Waffle (it's the reason I've been getting so fat lately, my other half can't finish her portions). I had the Tropical Pizza (RM 8.90), which is a pizza served on top of waffles (as the name of the establishment suggests) and it tasted pretty good. It's sliced sausages and pineapples topped with melted cheese but at about the size of a modern cell phone, it's not going to fill anyone up.



The obligatory couple shot.



This is the WW Tower (RM 7.50) - a new creation from the labs of Waffle World Inc. It is hyped with the hyperbolic statement "AT LAST. The TOWER is BUILT" and is supposed to be the tallest dessert ever created at 280 mm. The WW Tower is a concoction of three scoops of ice cream, chocolate, caramel, blueberry sauces, almond slices, strawberry bits, and sponge cake, topped with two "towering" wafers.



It is every bit as tall as they say (I measured)...though I seriously doubt it's the tallest desert in the world. It is definitely going to give you a sugar rush though.

I'm told the shade of purple in the dessert matches my G2000 cardigan too.

I have just moved over to KL to work and noticed a disturbing correlation in the shrinkage of my circle of friends. I left my kakiis in Sarawak and I need more kakiis in KL. Fate works in mysterious ways though, and somehow, I managed to hook up with a great bunch of guys...and a terrapin.

It's like meeting up with kindred souls, which I didn't think was possible in the short amount of time I have spent here. Do you have a Kakiis Experience (TM) like this?



Kakiis is running a contest where you can send in a home video of you and your best pals hanging out. The site already has videos of friends singing karaoke, goofing around and generally chilling out together.

The prize of a MacBook Air and 4 x iPod Touch is up for grabs in the video contest, so send in your entries. It doesn't matter if it's filmed with a cell phone or a professional video camera, it just needs to be below 10 MB and show you and your friends hanging out.



There is also a photo contest running where you can snap photos of your buddies and blog about it to stand a chance to win the sleek Sony Skinny T digicam. There are 3 of them up for grabs. I have been eyeing this one for a while - I own most of the Sony T-series digicams, all procured this year. The T-2 was...er, misplaced during a clubbing session, the T-70 fell into a waterfall and I'm using the T-300 right now.

You also get a chance to go to an exclusive invite-only party - the Kakiis Night Out on the 13th of December 2008 if your photo or video is voted in the Top 50. The contest starts from the 10th of November 2008 to the 5th of December 2008. Start participating now by logging on to the Kakiis Contest site.

I have registered as a member of the site and instead of calling up random people to get my social circle back to a healthy magnitude (circumference?), I would have been much better off hitting the local social networking sites like kakiis. :)

Madagascar Return 2 Africa fever is running high and McDonald's upped the thermostat with a great road show at the Curve last Sunday when I was at Cineleisure to catch the movie.



The promotional booths had games with themes like "one minute to hit it", "one minute to throw it" and others along that line but it was the Move It Dance Competition that drew the crowd in droves.



This is the crème de la crème - it's a group of small children doing a dance routine. It's choreographed, but the age of the performers makes the choreography all the more remarkable. It received high accolades from both the judges and the crowd, and it was one of the first performances - certainly setting the bar high for the other teams, this one.



The Madagascar Return 2 Africa promotion by McDonald's has three components (at least for the edible aspects, and I urge pedophiles to refrain from commenting on the dance competition with the word "edibility" in the same sentence) - the Move It Breakfast Meal (RM 11.90), the Move It Milo McFlurry (RM 5.90) and the Move It Meal (RM 14.90).



I had the Move It Breakfast Meal at the LCC-T.



I had the Move It Milo McFlurry in the McDonald's in Kelana Jaya.



However, for the Madagascar Move It meal, I wanted them to Move It (TM) over to my condo so I called 1300-13-1300. ;)



McDonald's McDelivery certainly Move(d) It...and charged me RM 3 for it. Hmph.



The Madagascar Escape 2 Africa Move It meal comprises of a Double McChicken, Move It McShaker Fries, and a Green McFizz. The best part is the Move It McShaker Fries, which are flavored fries and tastes great!



If you haven't watched the movie, you should. It's better than the original in many ways. I particularly liked the giraffe dying hole. Oh, that had me laughing out loud. It nearly gave me a laughing fit. Morbid humor. Heh!

I want maternity leave!

I have lost my ball(s). It is official, and perhaps a sign of things to come. The first flesh stapling, which is fastened on one side with a ball, came undone and I couldn't find the ball anywhere. It seems that I have lost my mojo. :(

Oh well, at least the flesh stapling is subdermal (it goes under the flesh) so I don't have to worry about the entire thing dropping off. I haven't posted about my recent body modifications so expect the photos and videos to be up soon. :)

I had two done this year - a double nipple piercing and three flesh staples on my wrist. I will do a full writeup on both this week.

...but before that I shall need to head back to BB Plaza to get a new ball.

Seriously, it sucks having no balls.

I flew in to KL on the last flight out of Sibu and arrived exhausted, hoping to stay at the executive lounge for the night. Unfortunately, the LCC-T premium lounge experience charges a not-so-low-cost of RM 80 for 3 hours (!). Thus, I took the SkyBus down to KL Central and looked for a budget inn to stay.



There is one right opposite the station, called De Sentral Hotel. The front glass façade is grilled and padlocked from the inside to prevent untoward incidents. I've never thought of KL Central as a crime prone area but the person of Indian nationality clutching a can of Guinness Stout and drinking out of it from a straw (?) while occasionally throwing up foam into the gutter seem to intimidate quite a few passerby's. ;)



De Sentral Hotel isn't anything to write home about - the "hotel" is actually a converted shoplot, as can be seen by the maze-like interconnections between the rooms. It is relatively clean, with shared bathrooms and a room that has a sink and a single bed. It costs RM 60 nett per night and even comes with a small TV to boot.



Much to my dismay though, the rooms are freshly painted. The entire area insults the olfactory senses with the miasma of fresh paint, which never fails to give me migraines. It's a good thing I'm still down with the flu so my desensitized sinuses were a blessing in disguise.



There is a small window inside every room, which unfortunately has the side effect of causing the hallway light to shine right into your eyes - not exactly ideal sleeping conditions. Oh well. I was just there for the night before picking up the keys to the condo the next morning.

Anyway, I've moved into the new condo and am in the process of getting a TM Homeline and Streamyx. I don't have net access at home so I have been relegated to updating at either Starbucks or McDonald's. I have been busy moving house during the weekend, but I promise there will be daily updates from now on.

Cheers!

Today is my last day at work and I must say that I have mixed feelings about moving to KL. I am excited at the prospect of working at the new company but I will miss all my colleagues and the familiarity (comfort zone?) of working in this company for 11 months.

E, you have been a great mentor and I couldn't have asked for more from a superior. Always willing to give more than receive, generous with advice from your experience and above all, going beyond the call of duty and being a friend to me instead of a boss. You have a great sense of humor and you accepted me despite all my piercings and tattoos and am able to look below the surface to see what I don't even see myself - as a talented and gifted person. You have made me more confident about myself and my abilities and for that, I am forever indebted to you. I love you as a bro, heterosexually speaking, of course. You will be missed. Thanks for all the good memories.

J, thank you for your kind offer. It takes a great leader to be able to talk to his employees as a friend and to genuinely care. You will be in my thoughts always.

A, I was surprised that you are such a humble person despite your wealth of knowledge. Always unassuming and quick to smile, your imposing stature which made me think of you as unfriendly in the beginning has quickly changed to one of respect. I will miss your comments about politics and general life. I will miss the good conversation and your easy going nature.

J, thanks for being the first one to approach and befriend me. In spite of all that has happened, I still appreciate that you included me in your social circle when I just started work.

A, thank you for the ride home...and dreams come true. ;)

To my two teammates S and S, thanks for everything, we work as a team and nothing can break that. Esprit de corps!

...off to a brave new world!

Wong Kok Char Chang Teng (Mongkok Teahouse) Hong Kong Restaurant is yet another HK food franchise in KL. It seems that ever since Kim Gary took off, HK style quick service restaurants has been sprouting up like mushrooms in KL. This particular establishment comes with the tantalizing tag line "Taste to Feel Hong Kong". Hmm...



Wong Kok Hong Kong Restaurant is nestled in a quiet alcove in 1 Utama and features a warm ambiance with a heavy emphasis on diffused spot lighting. I did not attempt to count the incandescent spot light fixtures both embedded into the walls and in stand alone lantern style versions but I can assure you that there are quite a lot of them.



This restaurant is apparently endorsed by a Mr. Kwok Chun On - a pretty boy chef with a forced smile and a unenthusiastic thumbs up. It comes with a lot of Chinese characters on the side, which I can't read, but I gather he's the establishment's ambassador for a reason.



Doris had the Salted Lemon Sourplum Juice (RM 6.80) while I had the Chocolate ice-cream milk shake (RM 7.50). Salt with sour bases makes it sweet so her drink is quite pleasantly saccharine. The latter is coated with chocolate and crushed peanuts on the side of the glass, much like a frozen margarita is lined with salt.



This is the Shanghai sauce roasted pork with mixed vegetables and rice (RM 9.50) which Doris ordered. It looks a little bit on the plain side, but it tastes good.



I had the interestingly named Hong Kong waxed meat rice wrapped with lotus leaves (RM 9.50). Doris reads Chinese and told me this is a bak chang of sorts. I love the way it came out though - it's like a tall, slim pyramid that's almost phallic in nature.



It unwraps to reveal glutenous rice marinated in soy sauce with little treasures of pork, mushrooms and other ingredients inside the rice. It's served with Taiwan sausages and a complete shiitake mushroom on the side. It tasted pretty good, and it's novel.



We also ordered French Toast (RM 4.20) - it would be heresy to not check out the quality of the French Toast in a HK eating establishment. HK style French Toast has peanut butter inside and is deep fried with batter before a slab of artery clogging butter is put on top. I found Kim Gary's French Toast to be much better than the Mongkok Teahouse version.



Mongkok Teahouse also has a premium menu - this is the Seafood and Vegetable in Paper Pot (RM 21.80) which we ordered from that menu. It seems to be one of their signature dishes from the prominent placement on it's premium menu and comes simmering to your table courtesy of a small boiler beneath the pot.



The Seafood and Vegetable in Paper Pot is filled with prawns, fish, seaweed, rice vermicelli and other Chinese herbs and vegetables. It tasted rather bland and we both felt it wasn't worth the premium price tag.



I am so juvenile sometimes...



Wong Kok Char Chang Teng Hong Kong Restaurant is one of the less popular HK style eatery chains out there but it's worth checking out the phallic Hong Kong waxed meat rice wrapped with lotus leaves.

...if only just to take a photo of it. ;)

I have been neglecting my comments as of late due to the impending move to KL and was delighted to see a comment from a very, very old friend. We've known each other for more than 10 years and he's one of my best friends. I have been searching for him ever since I got out of rehabilitation - he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.

Heck, even my dad loves him, he invited the both of us to his wedding reception and was the only one who came regularly (every single day!) while I was hospitalized in SGH for a week. He comes from the old skool heng tai (brotherhood) school of thought and has always been around when I needed his help.

He heard I was hauled into rehab from a mutual friend and only knew I came out when another friend told him my blog is back online. I haven't seen him since 2006, but old friends are like comfortable clothes, it just feels good when you get back together again, and it's just like old times.



I had dinner with him and his wife last night and he hasn't changed much. I admire him for his jovial attitude towards everything. Despite being embroiled in legislative issues and non-revenue generating operations, he's always one to laugh generously and that's something I can learn from.

Lung, if you're reading this, you the man. Cheers buddy!

Much (heterosexual) love.

I've just gotten a flu shot and will be taking antibiotics and cough preparations for a particularly nasty bout of flu I contracted. I'm very drowsy now from the shot and will be getting some much needed Z's. Now all I need to do is to let the X-Wing take care of the TIE fighter and get rid of the influenza in my system. I hope I feel much better tomorrow. Cheers all!

La Gourmet House is a Mediterranean restaurant located at the Curve. I was actually planning to go elsewhere but there was a heavy shower (not the golden type, the kind that rains on your parade) so we took refuge at the place. I haven't heard of the establishment before but I reckon the "Buy 4 bottles of Tiger and get 1 free" promotion was quite alluring, so we decided to sit down for lunch.



La Gourmet House claims European, Mediterranean and Spanish influences in the cuisine, creating a homely fusion of sorts. The interior seating arrangements are adorned with various Turkish (to my untrained and uncultured eye) fixtures and some of the tables have intricate designs. The al fresco dining area is thankfully protected from Mother Nature by a canopy system and is plumed with throw rugs.



The beer is not the cheapest at the Curve (some places offer RM 32++ jugs) but it's a pretty good deal at RM 48 for 5 bottles of local beer. The other beer they serve sounds German in origin and it's priced at RM 22 per bottle, so I assume it's an import. The ambiance of the place is great, very laid back and casual, with excellent service to boot.



I had their signature dish - Anthony's Sausage and Pasta (RM 25.80). It's a pasta dish with your choice of two (2) sausages, tossed with balsamic and olive oil, mozzarella cheese and walnut pesto. I chose Chorizo (a Spanish sausage) and the German bratwurst. The dish is served with sauce on the side - a mixture of mustard and something else my unrefined palate couldn't identify.



The pasta is done al dente and it absolutely delicious! Unfortunately, it was a little of the cold side when it got to our table. I wouldn't discount the weather (it was raining) as a factor for the rapid cooling of the dish but it just didn't taste as good as it would have, had it came out piping hot. The sausages are flavorful though, and I like the fact that you get to choose the types of sausage you want.



My girlfriend opted for their set lunch, dubbed "Gourmet Value Meals" at La Gourmet House. She had the Baked Seafood (RM 15.80), which comes with either juice or tea. The Baked Seafood dish is served on a bed of steamed rice (!), which I thought was quite unusual. We expected the entire dish to be baked e.g. topped with cheese before being baked in an oven.



There were a few premium ingredients in the dish - mussels, prawns, fish and other miscellaneous marine life, enough to justify the price...but it just didn't taste quite right with steamed rice.



I also ordered an appetizer - the Stuffed Bell Pepper (RM 23.80) that is marked with a little chef's hat indicating a house specialty. The starter further intrigued me by the "Subject to availability" tag line appended to it. It's filled with aromatic chicken mortadella and served with the chef's special sauce. There are two peppers - one red and one green, each sliced in half and stuffed.



Unfortunately, this appetizer (dessert?) came only after we finished our meal, and it was cold when it came to the table. I didn't quite understand this, as we were the only ones there besides another family that just got seated. I imagine it might have tasted better had it been warm at least, but in its current condition; it just didn't do the dish justice.



La Gourmet House at the Curve has a lot of potential, but it seems to be plagued by kitchen logistical glitches that manifests by cold dishes arriving at your table. The 4+1 beer promotion is also supposed to come with free tapas, which we didn't get, and I didn't realize until I looked at the bill today. I can't attribute that to bad service (it was good, and quite attentive) so I really don't know what's going on there. I will go again for a second review a couple of months down the road and see how it goes. Cheers!

Total damage: RM 124.74 for two @ The House of Meals & Memories.

Until the lembus come home...

I have been withholding this post and I think that now is the right time to reveal my plans for the future. I have decided to move to KL to work and have submitted my resignation letter a while back. I feel the need to strike out on my own and gain experience and skills in a more competitive environment while I am still under 30. ;)

I will be moving there for good this weekend and have been busy arranging for my car to be shipped over (and other miscellaneous stuff). I will be working in Kelana Jaya - which is technically in PJ, but the entire Klang Valley is referred to as "KL" by Sarawakians. :p

Regular sixthseal.com programming will resume tomorrow. Cheers all! :)

I'll see you all in KL! =D

Bocca Della Verita is a novelty device that purportedly reads your love life, health and luck. It's located at various malls throughout the Klang Valley and takes 2 x 20 cent coins for a glimpse into your (questionable) future.



I can haz ur hand for breakfast?



We were early for our Quantum of Solace screening so we succumbed to this tourist trap (couple trap?) machine to read our respective prospects.

The Mouth of Truth spat out the following:



My girlfriend:
Sometimes it seems that fortune deliberately plays with us, do not despair.
You don't like others to rush you.
You don't have much faith in human nature.
Do small things as if they were great.
Beware of carrying passions to excess; this can have disastrous or tragic results.
Life: 9
Love: 5
Luck: 4
Health: 6
Sex: 7

Myself:
You know how to make good use of your intellectual strengths.
Plenty of people see the truth but cannot attain it...keep trying.
Your sedentary habits risk ruining your health.
You must wager. There is no choice, you are already committed.
A more regular life style and a little bit of exercise can save you from the health problems you are prone to.
Tired nerves and anxiety makes you apprehensive. You seem almost incapable of ever achieving tranquility.
Life: 7
Love: 7
Luck: 7
Health: 4
Sex: 8

I don't know how much of this is self-fulfilling prophecy but it seems that I'm getting really accurate results. The statements are all true, and I am a leaning towards the unhealthy side due to renal and liver issues (as well as my ongoing tobacco and ethanol consumption, which I'm sure isn't helping). I consider myself very lucky and I certainly can't complain about the carnal aspects of my existence. *shrugs*



I am gonna put my hand in the device again and see if I get the same results. It's a little like a fortune cookie - I'm a huge advocate of horoscopes and it'll be interesting to see if it, or this, gives out consistent results. :)

I went to watch the latest 007 in GSC Mid Valley yesterday, and it's every bit as good as everyone says. I prefer Casino Royale, Daniel Craig's premiere as a slightly awkward MI6 agent, but Quantum of Solace is the film that really showcases his talents as the troubled, misunderstood James Bond.

I love Daniel Craig (in a strictly heterosexual way) and there is much character development in the latest movie that explores the Bond character much more than the "suave devil-may-care playboy" one-sided portrayal in the previous incarnations. Daniel Craig shows his emotions and sets the background to the persona he (or rather Bond) later becomes.



It's well worth the RM 80 I paid for Gold Class tickets at GSC (RM 40 per person for an exclusive viewing experience). Best enjoyed with caramel popcorn and a pint of Guinness.



P/S - I come from ulu ulu Sarawak so I found the GSC Gold Class lounge to be very the canggih. Even the toilets have this nifty red button you can push to dispense a brand new seat liner for maximum hygiene purposes.



Impressive!

Good Evening Bangkok is a Thai eating establishment located at the Rainforest section of 1 Utama. I couldn't help but feel that the restaurant's name is derived from Good Morning, Vietnam - the Robin Williams movie about being a DJ in the Vietnam War, the only solace for US troops mobilized to probably the only war they lost. ;)



Good Evening Bangkok has a nice ambiance with Siamese artifacts adorning the entire interior. The seating arrangements are covered with an unfortunate shade of pink chair liners, but other than that, the lighting and fixtures were all very warm and inviting. We weren't really hungry so we just shared a starter, a main dish and dessert.



Doris had the fresh watermelon juice (RM 7.50) while I went for the Evan & Tate Salisbury Chardonnay (RM 16). My original choice was for the Singha beer (RM 18) for maximum authenticity but unfortunately Good Evening Bangkok ran out of the Thailand brewed beer.



This is their signature appetizer - the Good Evening Combo (RM 16.90), which is a taster dish of sorts. It contains fish cake, money bag, prawn wonton and mango salad. I love the mango salad, it reminded me of the som tam (papaya salad) I had back in Bangkok a couple of years ago. The other dishes didn't really make an impression on me.



Phad Thai Goong Sod (Stir-fried Thai rice noodle with fresh prawn) was recommended by the waitress for the main dish. It's one of their new menu items, priced at RM 14.90. I absolutely love this dish! Notice the dried chili powder and ground peanuts on the side. It creates an amazing fusion of flavor and texture when mixed into the rice noodles. It's very, very spicy too, which always gets bonus points from me.



Khow Neow Ma Moung (Mango with sticky rice) is probably one of the most recognizable and popular Thai desserts. It's priced at RM 11.90 at Good Evening Bangkok and comes with half a whole mango sliced into nice, easy to handle cubes, sauce on the side and sticky glutinous rice sprinkled with sesame seeds.



It somehow didn't taste too authentic but that's all right coz I just went there for the WiFi. ;)



Good Evening Bangkok is a relaxing place to eat breakfast or lunch. The presentation is good and the service is excellent but most of the dishes have been found wanting. The appetizer and dessert we ordered isn't anything to write home about, but the main dish is absolutely fabulous! It's definitely worth checking out.

OZEKI One Cup Sake is a non-premium sake imported from Japan. It's priced at RM 12.90 which is rather unusual for imported sake so I assume it must be a really cheap label in the Land of the Rising Sun.



This is the second alcohol vlog...with your favorite (?) fake Japanese accent. ;)

theobroma CHOCOLATE Lounge is a dessert establishment specializing in everything chocolate. It's an international franchise with outlets in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. The first chocolate lounge in Malaysia that I recall was the popular chocz in Suria KLCC.



Theobroma is located right in the middle of 1 Utama shopping mall's passageway, much like it's predecessor chocz. The setting doesn't deter chocolate lovers from the lounge though, mainly due to the ample partitions and leather tub chairs, which is well insulated from the throngs of shoppers.



Theobroma also sells a wide range of chocolate and cakes - it's the place to be for people with a sweet tooth.



I ordered the Fair Lady (RM 12.90) that came in a mug and warmer. It's one of their specialties made with Belgian milk chocolate. The melted chocolate on the rim of the mug is not the result of carelessness, but the signature finish of theobroma. It's rich and creamy, with the warmer keeping the drink hot throughout the experience.



The Fair Lady comes with Belgian milk chocolate shavings down the middle of the frothy drink - a very nice touch. It melts as you consume it, due to the temperature of the beverage. It's sinfully delicious, and comes highly recommended from me.



Doris opted for the Princess of Iceland (RM 10.90) - a cold chocolate concoction with beautiful swirls adorning the sides. This Belgian iced chocolate beverage is made with dark and milk chocolate and comes with a scoop of premium chocolate ice cream on top. It's thirst quenching, but I prefer my Fair Lady for pure, unadulterated chocolate pleasure. :)



We also ordered the signature Chocolate Affair (RM 25.90) - a chocolate fondue with four seasonal fruits for two people. Ours came with bananas, oranges, kiwi fruit...



...and strawberries hidden at the back. A strawberry dipped in chocolate is a sweet and tangy contrast that has to be experienced at least once. The melted chocolate inside the warmer can also be consumed straight for a sugar rush or dipped with the marshmallows that come with the platter.



There is something not quite right about me feeding my girlfriend a banana and her reciprocating with a strawberry but I assure you that any innuendo is unintended. ;)



...even the Splash Damage (TM) that occurred when she accidentally dropped her strawberry down my pants.



theobroma CHOCOLATE Lounge is a great place for people with a sweet tooth. It's a perfect destination for post lunch or dinner desserts and celebrates all things chocolate - which I'm told is better than sex.

Spotted at 1U. DKNY rebranding exercise. Donna Karen is moving her operations to Yemen.

Industry pundits cite the high cost of operations in New York as a factor in the controversial decision.

Jarrod & Rawlins is the self-dubbed "Purveyors of fine food & wine" and I decided to check out the place by virtue of a single sign:



Jarrod & Rawlins serves pork and is a restaurant, deli, café and bar all rolled into one. Contrary to popular belief, it's not an English establishment, but a homegrown operation with the first outlet in Desa Sri Hartamas.



I went to the one in 1U with my girlfriend to sample their renowned Sizzling Mix Platter. I have to admit that the tantalizingly placed RM 50 for 5 bottles of Heineken promotion at the entrance was another factor in our chosen destination for lunch.



Jarrod & Rawlins is physically partitioned into two dining experiences - there is seating at the front with a café/deli environment and another section to the back called simply "The Pub", with a more relaxed ambiance. There is a delicatessen serving a wide range of cold cuts and cheeses as well as a pastry counter with offerings of the flaky and puffy variety.



I ended up drinking most of the Heineken since Doris opted to go for the orange juice instead so I estimate that's about 1.7 kg of appetite ruining liquid down the hatch during lunch. I should have gone for the imported beers instead and have a more reasonable amount instead of bloating myself with all that amber fluid.



Steak Sandwich (RM 28)
This is the steak sandwich that I ordered with everything on. They have optional onions and butter for the more health conscious ones amongst us, a fraternity that I've never been part of. ;)



You can also choose how you like your steak - I had it medium rare, which most establishments mess up, but Jarrod & Rawlins knows what medium rare is. I can't say that I enjoyed the steak sandwich though, it's a little plain and on the bland side, not adjectives you use to describe good food.



Sizzling Mix Platter (RM 38)
Mixed platter of caramelized ribs, dynamite chili, chorizo, pork belly and streaky bacon served with fries, corn on the cob, asparagus, semi sun dried tomatoes and black pepper or onion gravy in a proper sauce dish on the side.



This is the signature dish of Jarrod & Rawlins and it did not disappoint. There is a wide range of pork offerings and it came sizzling hot. It literally sizzles for about a minute or so due to the hot platter it was served on.



The Sizzling Mix Platter came in a generous portion that took an almost gargantuan effort on our part to finish. I love the spicy pork sausage in this dish - it's not just mildly spicy, it's Head for the Hills (to milk the cows) hot. Highly recommended!



Jarrod & Rawlins is a great place for a hearty lunch. I recommend the Sizzling Mix Platter if you're feeling particularly famished and there are other menu items to cater for the more health conscious ones amongst us.



The bill came up to a total of RM 147.20. It's not cheap but you could probably shave the bill to a little under RM 100 if you don't order alcohol.

iichiko mugi shochu is a 100% barley shochu from Japan. Japanese shochu is usually made from either sweet potatoes, rice or barley and though it's difficult to differentiate between the three, I tend to prefer barley fermented drinks.



iichiko mugi shocho weighs in at a respectable 25% alcohol and in the new format of alcohol reviews, this is done vlog style, complete with fake Japanese accent. ;)

I dropped by Cheesie's condo earlier this morning to pick up the carton of Marlboros that she had gotten for me duty free during her recent trip to Shanghai. It's the first time I've been to her place and it's a really nice condominium unit with great security. I'm thinking of getting one myself once my paycheck stabilizes - it's just about what you would pay for rent, except you get to own the property at the end.



A big thank you goes out to Ringo, who has kindly contributed to my chances of getting lung cancer. ;)

Kidding. I less than 3 you.

Remuneration issues tend to be rather sensitive and most people employ the "Speak no evil" approach to surveys on wages. "The wages of sin is death" and all that aside, I'm very curious about the market rate around KL and Klang Valley (including other states in Malaysia). How much are you getting? Please state your chronological age, gender and profession if you feel comfortable divulging that information.

I'm happy with what I'm getting right now, but it's just like the itch you can't scratch. I'm just interested in the market trends for different professions.

Sharing is caring. ;)

(Curiosity also killed the cat, and I'm using way too many idioms in this post)

Skol Super Beer is a new product line from Skol that lays claim to "The only 9% alcohol super strong beer". The statement is not inaccurate - it is the King of Lagers (in a fiefdom of mostly 5% alcohol standard beers). Certain fortified beers like Carlsberg's Special Brew attempt to challenge the sovereignty of Skol Super Beer, weighing in at a respectable 8.8% - close, but no cigar.



The extra 0.2% alcohol in Skol Super Beer crowns it as the current king of all beers (measured by ethanol content). It is by far the highest alcohol content lager among all the other brands over here. I picked up a 3-pack at Jusco for just RM 12.80 (the special introductory price), which works out to about RM 4.20 per can. Skol is of Brazilian origin and considered a less premium brand than Carlsberg Special Brew, but it's cheaper by a few dollars and has the potential to capture the middle income, non-discerning ethanol consumer market.

The interesting trend with beer nowadays is the introduction of the 3-pack. The six-pack beer packaging is a very established tradition, and to go against that convention would be considered heretical by beer aficionados. However, I have noticed several advantages to the 3-pack retail mechanism - it's at the right price point for the consumption habits of the majority of casual drinkers.

Skol Super Beer - A very strong lager of the highest quality.

Rallying all sixthseal.com readers!



Remember the post I made about mountain biking down a flight of concrete stairs? It's now available at outdoyourself.com.my under the Extreme Sports category. You can vote for the video here.

My ranking is now a respectable 6.3 points but I suspect that'll change very soon since it's the only video in the Extreme Sports category. The other one is a sample video. Now, I'm sure you can do better than me, so start filming yourself doing the Me Against the World Challenge.

You can do Sports, Dance, Extreme Sports or Lifestyle videos. It's no fun being the King of the Hill if I'm the only one on the hill so get off your respective posteriors and challenge me!



I like how my blurb goes - "Taking the challenge and through cuts and bruises, this tough guy shows us just why fear is not an option when in a challenge". I'm sure you can do better than me so let's bring it on - strut your stuff! The contest is open to everyone!



The Me Against the World Challenge energized by 100PLUS is going on a college roadshow tour with JJ & Rudy of Hitz.fm Morning Crew fame making a special appearance at HELP University recently. Note down the dates of the college roadshows:

(All the below events run from 9 am till 6 pm)

20th of October at - Taylors College
21st of October at - KBU International College
22nd of October at - ICOM College
23rd of October at - TAR College
24th of October at - KDU Smart College
28th of October at - Cineleisure (scarlet)
29th of October at - Taylors ADP
30th of October at - HELP College
31st of October at - Dasien College
3rd of November at - Sunway College
4th of November at - Cineleisure (scarlet)
5th of November at - Segi College
6th of November at - The One Academy
7th of November at - TAR College

Challenge yourself at the college roadshows or upload a video of yourself doing something challenging in one of the four categories to win prizes from Nike, Sony and Topshop.

Not so keen on mountain biking down concrete stairs? Well, you can always register as a voter and vote for your favorite videos. You get a chance to win Nike vouchers worth RM 50 every month. There will be 5 vouchers given out per month so you stand a pretty good chance at snagging one of those by just voting.

Voting for me, of course. ;)

Project Bleeding Heart started off innocently enough - my girlfriend found a heart shaped sugar piece on top of a cookie during Hari Raya and (forcibly) inserted it into my mouth, saying that she has metaphorically given her heart to me. Thus, I was coerced to reciprocate in kind and she insisted on me personally making an edible heart for her during our second monthsary.



I guess she didn't know how far I would go. Be careful what you wish for...you just might get it. ;)

You will need:

Field Song Egg Pudding Powder
Arnott's Tim Tam Love Potions - Chocolate Mud
"It's love at first bite"
Arnott's Tim Tam Crush - Mocha Hazelnut
"It's one Crush that's sure to end in love..."
Nestle Reduced Fat Cream
Nestle Milo Grab N Go can
Win Vokda Ice Purple XS
Heart shaped molds

Optional:
Razor blade
A few drops of blood from your veins



The first challenge was getting the heart shaped mold. It was much more difficult than I thought. Heart shaped molds should be everywhere, right? It's just about the most common design! I thought it would be everywhere. Unfortunately, actually finding a heart shaped mold took us to three (3) different places, to no avail. We found molds in the shape of stars, triangles, circles, and even weird oblique designs...but no hearts.



The closest we got was this HUGE heart shaped non-stick baking pan...a bit of an overkill for this project. Plus, I don't think I would be able to bleed enough to fill the pan. I would probably pass out from blood loss or something before the colossal pan filled up.



We finally managed to get two (admittedly) cheesy Barbie knockoffs molds from a Chinese specialty import outlet (the retail industry prefers the technical term "Cina Mari shop"). It's made of melamine infused plastic and has a Barbie look-alike imprint, but it was heart shaped and for all intents and purposes, it was sufficient for the single-use, disposable nature of the project.



The Arnott's Tim Tams were procured in New Zealand. My sister just came back and brought back a box of the stuff. I went for the two romance-themed special edition Tim Tams for the project. Tim Tam Love Potions and Tim Tam Crush (as in infatuation, not demolish) are limited edition Tim Tams that I decided to use as a garnish for the pudding.



The directions for making the egg pudding were pretty straightforward - the contents of the packet is to be mixed into 500 ml of boiling water and stirred for an unspecified time. I just poured in a little more than a small 500 ml mineral water bottle (to compensate for evaporation) into a saucepan and added in the pudding mixture when it started boiling. The mixture was stirred for about a minute or so before I turned off the heat.



Next, comes the interesting part. I took a razor blade and made a small incision on my left hand at a particularly juicy vein and allowed the blood to drip into the Nestle Reduced Fat Cream - the topping for the pudding. This is of course, rather unorthodox (not to mention unsanitary for consumers who are not already exchanging bodily fluids with you ;)) so it's a highly optional step.



I also took the liberty of scooping up more blood from the gash and managed to harvest about half a tablespoon of the red stuff in total.



The blood is mixed into the cream by folding it with a spoon before adding a bit of Milo Grab N Go (a RTD - Ready To Drink malt concoction) for flavoring. The cream will acquire a tinge of pink before turning a chocolate hue. The cream topping is set aside...



...while the pudding mixture is poured into the heart shaped molds and left at room temperature for 15 minutes. Field Song Egg Pudding Powder sets extremely rapidly. It started solidifying after just a minute in the mold. It still requires refrigeration though, so we transferred it to the fridge and left it in there for 30 minutes.



The egg pudding turned out to be a perfect heart shape! =D It came out easily from the mold due to the high density of the pudding. It just plopped down when the mold was upended. I added several dollops of the patented Bleeding Heart Topping (TM) on top and garnished it with Arnott's Tim Tams.



This is Project Bleeding Heart - made with blood, sweat and (manly) tears. ;)