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Review: F & N Magnolia Sherbet - Passion Fruit

>> Thursday, February 21, 2013

Overall comment: Smooth, fruity, zesty, light, refreshing - perfect dessert to calm you down after a long, hectic day *yums!*
Halal: Yes

The package finally arrived today! I was quite delighted to receive a box of sherbet for sampling & review :) It came in a pretty package too!


Tadaaaa! Magnolia's Passion Fruit Sherbet!

Magnolia's Passion Fruit Sherbet is one of the latest in the market. The Passion Fruit baby has 3 other siblings before it i.e. Lucious Lychee, Marvelous Mangosteen, & Magnificent Melon. I've yet to try the other 3, but this cute little cup of Passion Fruit Sherbet is definitely something you won't want to miss!


Passion fruit originated from Brazil & it is not only known for its great taste, but also it's aromatic fragrance.
  

Don't be fooled by the size of the sherbet cup! It may be small, but Magnolia's Sherbet Passion Fruit is packed with some very smooth texture sherbet, slightly milky/creamy (not totally creamy like ice-cream), & is bursting in flavor in every spoonful!


The best part of this sherbet is the bits of real passion fruit that you'll find tickling your tongue/taste-buds as you indulge spoonful after spoonful! Oh, SO NICE!!! :D


All 4 Flavours Available
Photo below courtesy of Magnolia/F & N Creameries 

Grab a cup (85ml single serve) at RM2.50/cup or a variety pack of four 85ml cups at RM9.50 from leading hypermarkets, supermarkets, minimarket, petrol marts & grocery outlets nearest to you! *slurp slurp*

Find out more information from their FB page!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagnoliaSherbetMY


Screaming for more sherbet!!

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Restoran Chef Low - CNY Gathering

>> Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Overall comment: Food tastes good & price is quite reasonable (except for the veggie that we ordered) considering that the restaurant is based in Bangsar, a "quite-high-class" area.
Halal: No

After all the ding-donging, a group of us colleagues finally managed to set a time for CNY dinner together. Quite a number of our friends couldn't make it for this gathering, which was slightly disappointing (yes, especially Genie boy!), but we sure look forward to meet up with those busy-bees someday soon!

We decided on Chef Low as it was quite near our office. Right after work, we headed over to Lucky Garden, Bangsar, the nightmare of places after office hours, for our CNY gathering. Parking is madness, but if you don't mind paying & if you're fortunate enough as well, you can park at the paid-parking lot in front of TMC, the well-known mini-market (not so mini anymore) in Bangsar, & pay RM1.00/hour.


What we ordered were pretty much Chinese New Year dishes. I'm actually quite satisfied with the taste & overall price of the food here.

Large Yee Sang with added fish + jellyfish + pear (RM58.00/serving)
We found it slightly too sourish. Certainly not the best yee sang that I've had for this CNY. The one that my aunt packed from Damansara Perdana (not sure which restaurant), is much nicer. Nevertheless, thank goodness the ingredients are fresh :)

Lou sang!!

Toss it higher!

Close-up shot of what's part of the yee sang

Deep-Fried Pumpkin with Salted Eggs (RM25.00/large serving)
This was quite good, but I personally prefer the slices of pumpkin to be thicker so that there's more "chew" - just like the ones from Restoran Hai Tian at Seri Kembangan. This one at Chef Low is thinly sliced, but the flavour is still sufficiently intense. Not bad :) Salted eggs rock!

"Xiong Thong Lala" (RM40.00/large serving)
ABUNDANCE of lala!! As my family rarely order such a dish, I was quite surprised to find SO many clams in this bowl of soup! I expected this to be clear, sweet clams soup, but the one here turned out to be a pepper soup! How interesting. It felt like having a "lala lat thong"! I felt so nostalgic & started dreaming of the Kajang lat thong (mixed pork in pepper soup).

Beancurd with Seafood & Gingko (RM30.00/large serving)
This was quite an interesting dish. It felt very "fung foo" (lavish). All the "good stuff" are in this dish :) The beancurd is also very smooth & yummy :) Nice!

Braised Pig's Trotter (RM55.00/serving)
Rich in flavours & very aromatic. Apart from the tender braised pig's trotter, you'll find pieces of yam, mushrooms, scallops (I think), dried oysters, & "fatt choy" (the hair-like vegetable/root).

Twin/Yin Yong "Kai Lan" with Dried Scallops (RM50.00/large serving)
This was quite a shocker as we didn't know those crispy bits were dried scallop 'til we were about to leave the restaurant! Argh. What a shame & a waste since we didn't finish it up! The vegetables were fresh & well cooked to perfection. The deep-fried dried scallops were also quite tasty & added flavour & fragrance to the plain vegetable dish. However, as we didn't know those were scallops, at leat 3-4 spoonfuls of it were wasted/untouched :( Bummer. What an expensive vegetable dish....thank goodness it was nice.

Steamed 3-Types Egg/"Sam Wong Tan" (RM20.00/large serving)
Pretty good since the steamed egg were not over-done. The flavour was also just nice - not too salty, not bland.

A peek into the steamed egg dish...

If not for the parking problems, I think I won't mind frequenting this place. The food is actually quite good for the price paid.


Restoran Chef Low
4, Lorong Ara Kiri 3
Lucky Garden, Bangsar
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (+603) 2095 2766/ (+603) 2201 2766
Business Hours: Daily; 11:45a.m. - 2:30p.m., 5:45p.m. - 11:30p.m. (last order 11:00p.m.)
GPS: N3 07.705 E101 40.139


Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * * 1/2


Overall:






CNY is coming to an end :(

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Well-Liked, Famous Cendol in Kuantan

Halal: Yes

One of the most popular cendol places in Kuantan is this small shop at Air Putih. It's located opposite Nirvana wholesale/hypermarket, right after the traffic lights on Jalan Beserah/Jalan Air Putih. I reckon most locals will know this place since it's been here for a while. This little shop used to be a small road-side stall, but as the business grew, the family decided to move to a small shoplot. I doubt you'll miss it since the shop is painted bright yellow!

Normal cendol (RM1.50/bowl)


What's so good about the cendol here, you may wonder. As I'm not a cendol connoisseur, I can just say that (my personal opinion):
1. The shaved ice is quite fine (thus it actually melts faster) compared to many other places where the shaved ice is rough, 
2. The 'thickness" of coconut milk + gula Melaka (brown sugar) are just nice. Some places do not use much coconut milk (diluted) nor gula Melaka, so it's not so fragrant.
3. The texture of the cendol strips are not overly soft, yet not under-cooked & floury. In addition, it doesn't have too strong taste of alkaline water (Cantonese call it "kan sui").

It's certainly a good dessert on a hot day :)


They also serve ice kacang & other "tea-time snacks" & their business is very brisk during tea time i.e. 3-4p.m!


Each time I'm back in Kuantan, if it's very hot, I will crave for either the simple cendol or the humble cincau ice from the market! Hahaha...if I'm in PJ, I think I will crave for my "more pocket-friendly" brown sugar ice kacang from PJ Old Town's Medan Selera or the high class Snowflake! :D

What do you crave for on a hot day? :)


Keeping cool with icy-cool desserts,

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Review: Ploy - A New Modern Asian Cuisine

>> Monday, February 18, 2013

Halal: Pork free (alcohol is served)

It's not my 1st time at Ploy, so I didn't feel so foreign when I stepped into the restaurant again. My 1st visit here wasn't very pleasant as my expectation was not met. This time around, knowing that this place is a fusion-food semi-fine dining restaurant, where flavor & taste over-rules portion & price, I didn't get that disappointed. You can read more about Ploy in my previous blog post: Ploy.

Look & feel of Ploy

Only during CNY - 1 more week to go!

I was invited to try out some of Ploy's dishes recently. As I work just next door, I thought "why not give it another try?". I didn't put high hopes on the food served since my previous experience was slightly disappointing, but I was still very positive to have an enjoyable time at the review. I remember 4 things about Ploy: food tasted good the last time, customer service was admirable, portion of food was small, prices of food were quite expensive. I guess these 4 things that I remembered will not change after this review...haha.

What we had that evening :D

Truffled Hamachi (RM55.00/serving)
Fresh Hamachi sashimi drizzled in yuzu truffle sauce.
This was quite nice - the truffle sauce + yuzu (a citrus fruit that looks like an orange, but tastes like a lemon) makes the simple sashimi dish very fruitty-fragrant & fresh. Nice :)

Spicy Miso Soup (RM30.00/serving)
Fresh lobster meat in Japanese inaka miso soup with white radish, mirin, & bonita flakes.
I found it a little too salty for my liking, but it was quite flavourful, "thick" (in Mandarin, it's called "noong"/Cantonese = "yoong") & "sweet" as well due to the load of ingredients. To summarize: ABC miso soup + 1 piece of lobster..haha :P

Crispy Fish Basket (RM35.00/serving)
Fillets of deep-fried sole served in an equally crispy fish basket seasoned in Thai spices.
One of the best dishes that evening *thumbs up* We ate up every single fillet + the fish basket as well! It was really crispy, aromatic, & appetizing! The kaffir lime leaves + chilli flakes made the fish fillets taste very Thai & it felt like a very enjoyable snack to munch on.

Look...the spices...yum yum! Can even crunch on the leaves!

Ice Lemon Tea
This is one of Ploy's many pride & joy. The concentrated-version of lemon tea is frozen as ice cubes, before serving it with liquid lemon tea! I found it slightly too sweet for my liking, but if you've a sweet tooth, you'll love it.

Torched Sunrise Tuna (RM35.00/serving)
Ploy style popiah with seared akami tuna, sushi rice, flying fish roe, & our signature sauces.
I've always loved seared salmon & here at Ploy, when I saw that they were serving seared tuna, I was equally delighted. Wrapping up your own "popiah"/"California roll"/"onigiri" & popping it into your mouth feels quite fun, especially when there were "crispies" hidden within the sushi rice! Here at Ploy, everyone is encouraged to "ploy" with their food....yay! :D

Spaghetti Corn Beef (RM21.00/serving)
Brazillian corn beef flavored with olive oil & chilli olio style.
If you've never experienced corn beef in such a form & dish, you have to try this. One of the bloggers nearly worshiped this dish! Hahahaha...yes, it's THAT good. A brilliant idea indeed. Corn beef + spaghetti -> spicy olio style. Yummy!

Mussel Mania (RM35.00/serving)
Fresh Australian mussels infused with Thai herbs, basil & mint leaves, cooked in coconut juice.
Interesting. It's quite a "light" dish since the only item that you'll eat from the pot are the mussels. I was quite intrigued by the various herbs/spices used in this simple yet very aromatic dish: lengkuas/galanga, lemongrass, red chillies, lemon, basil, & mint leaves + coconut water/juice. The ingredients blended in harmony with each other as well.

Abalone Somen (RM55.00/serving)
Cold somen served with abalone & truffle sauce.
"Light & easy" on the palatte :) As I'm a fan of cold soba, I won't let this cold somen (mixed breed of soba + ramen) leave without me enjoying every bit of it!

The actual size...
Photos can make a dish look larger than the original, so I shall kid you not...the portion is petite ;) 

Emperor Burger (RM25.00/serving)
Australian minced sirloin patty sandwiched between crisp Chinese-style "man tao" buns with Shiso leaves & Japanese tiugan sauce.
It's really too cute to sink my teeth into the burger. The patty was juicy & I sincerely felt that the Shiso leaves bring the simple beef burger to the next level of enjoyment! The humble "Emperor Burger" was bursting in freshness thanks to the Shiso leaves! The soft, fluffy man tao buns make good burger buns! It's kinda too costly for such a small burger though...PerutBesi's palm-size i.e. approximately 2.5 inches in diameter.

Sneak preview into the "Emperor Burger"...

Chef Daniel Yong
Ploy's well-loved chef

After an enjoyable dining experience, we were ushered to the top floor of WORK@Clearwater for a sneak preview of Be Urban Wellness, a wellness centre, managed by the same business group as Ploy's. The place is LOVELY! Indeed very soothing, relaxing, & calming - great place for massage, spa, & gym. I'm not sure about the price nor the existence of membership packages, but you can give them a call to find out more information for yourself (details below).

Massage rooms, Jacuzzi, wellness center...

Floatation tank
This is one of the highlights of this wellness center. The tank is filled with water + absom salt where it is so salty, you can float (like at the Dead Sea)! If you don't panic & really relax, floating in the tank & sleeping through without fear, all your 5 senses will be relaxed. The temperature of the water is almost body temperature, which allows the body to get used to the surroundings of the tank. According to Balraj who manages the wellness center, 1 hour of sleep in the floatation tank = ~ 4 hours of normal sleep!! Talk about work efficiency after such treatment! *fuh* I would love to try it out someday!!

View of KL city & the gym
What a lovely view...*drifts off dreaming*

I wish, wish, wish, to experience such pampering sessions at Be Urban Wellness. That would be lovely!!


Ploy
G-02 Ground Floor
WORK@Clearwater
Changkat Semantan
Off Jalan Semantan
Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (+603) 2095 0999
Fax: (+603) 2095 9181
URL: http://ploywithyourfood.com/#home


Be Urban Wellness
11th Floor WORK@Clearwater
Changkat Semantan
Off Jalan Semantan
Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (+603) 2095 1999
Fax: (+603) 2095 8718
Email: info@beurbanwellness.com
URL: http://beurbanwellness.com/



Ploy with your food,

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Chinese New Year 2013 - Day 4 - 6

>> Saturday, February 16, 2013

Being in Kuantan for Chinese New Year is such a different atmosphere compared to being in PJ. For one, the festive mood is definitely more evident in this smaller town compared to a large city like Petaling Jaya. Especially so at the area where I live, where it is Malay-populated, CNY is VERY quiet 'til I can hear the sound of crickets each night!

Here, in Kuantan, the sound of firecrackers, fireworks, & lion dance is certainly part of the town! :) I miss such atmosphere....PJ used to have such festive-mood during my childhood days, but it seems like the concrete jungle has overtaken the "live" of the city. The only thing that is different this CNY in Kuantan is the weather; it has been raining since CNY Day 1!! *brrrrrr* SO COLD!!

My CNY in Kuantan has been about family, friends, food & fun. So surreal...will such atmosphere last forever? I sure hope so! It feels "too good to be true" ;)

Day 4: One of the rare days where I could see sunlight in Kuantan!
It has been raining since the beginning of CNY :( I haven't experienced such a wet CNY 'til I'm in Kuantan this year. The evenings of Day 4 & Day 5 were the only days where I saw some sunlight! Bah...I miss pretty skies! It's all grey & gloomy...

Day 4: The 1st Lion Dance that I saw for CNY 2013!
We were at Aaron's uncle's house for dinner & he invited the lion dancers over as of every year.

Day 4: How interesting....
I didn't know they will peel mandarin oranges & form them into words & numbers! Hmm...

Day 4: My 1st sight of firecrackers for year 2013...
Hahaha...I sound like a really sad kid, eh? :P

Day 4: Uncle's Birthday + CNY Dinner
Fuh! We had loads of food + a HUGE roast pig! I thought it's a wedding-only dish, but hey, this birthday party is surely lavish! Yum yum *crunch crunch*

Day 4: My 1st sight of fireworks for year 2013 - up-close!
I've never seen how fireworks look like before they go up into the sky...rupa-rupanya, it comes in a large box! I thought it comes in sticks! *sigh* I feel like a real noob....total city kid! Bah. What a lovely sight...*loves*

Day 5: Dinner at family friend's house
Yes, more food...more laughter, cheer, & catching-up :) *joy*

Day 5: Tried some Sheridan's...
Too sweet for my liking...haha...but crappers...although the alcohol content isn't much, my whole body went into flames & my whole face was as red as my t-shirt =.=" Ish...quite an embarrassment...

Day 6: More food...at home!
Dinner Day 5 was at Aaron's house, where all his dad's siblings were invited for a feast & catch-up. It was much fun & the whole house was SO filled with laughter, noise, & people!! *loves* Very 'yit lau' :)

Day 7: My love, my Kuantan-family...
I am proud to say that I am really blessed to have found several families in Kuantan to call my own. I've known this family since my uni days & I am VERY thankful to God for these few women/girls in my life. They play a big part of my life in Kuantan!

I'll be heading back to PJ tomorrow & the daily grind will begin officially on Monday (although I've started work on CNY Day 2 =.="). Time really flies. I thank God for opportunities to bless & be blessed during this CNY. It has been quite a good start of the year 2013 :) I look forward to being back in PJ somehow....I want to hear holiday-stories from my parents who are finally back safely from their CNY holiday to Thailand! :D


Still in holiday mood,

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