Ichiban Boshi @ Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur

We made a trip to Pavilion KL one weekend, as hubby's younger brother was in town and wanted to do some shopping. What better way to take the tourist to one of the hottest shopping locations in town, right? From Pavilion one can walk to Fahrenheit, Lot 10, Sungai Wang, and Times Square (if you really must cover all the hot spots as much as possible). 

While at Pavilion, the brother's new girlfriend said she wanted to have some sushi, so we headed to Ichiban Boshi, simply because it was the first Japanese outlet we came across when we walked into the mall. While ordering our food, the staff were actually preparing a monthly show in front of the outlet, a tuna cutting demonstration. I was rather in awe about the whole thing and had to snap some pictures. All four of us stood around to watch the entire process, which was led by their Japanese chef.

Guess my weight!

50 kilos waiting to be sliced up.

Chef slicing off the cheeks. 

While the demo was taking place, the Personal Assistant to the MD, who was holding the mike, was asking questions about the tuna. Whoever could give the correct answer gets a plate of freshly sliced tuna sashimi on the house! The first question he asked was the weight of the fish, and no one really answered it cos everyone's eyes were just fixated to the cutting process LOL!

Each cheek is priced at RM 35, which is not expensive at all.

And now to slice the body and fillet it.

One tough cookie...

The best part of the fish, tuna belly.

The second question the PA asked was what kind of tuna is this, and hubby raised his hands to answer "Yellow fin tuna". Bingo! And out table received a plate of tuna sashimi (3 slices) courtesy of the restaurant :D Actually the answer was a dead giveaway, because the tuna had yellow fins.

It was also through this process, I learnt that yellow fin tuna has no toro, or fatty belly. Toro is only found in the blue fin toro, and is highly prized because of its marbling.

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Black505

I'm sure most of you would've seen or heard of the term "Black505". It was actually a marking for the recent general elections, and the many questions evolving from the exercise. Three days after that historic day with over 80% voter turnout, a huge rally (or rather, assembly) was organized to reject the results, as there were several reports of alleged fraud and raised many eye brows about its authenticity and integrity.

Traffic was chaotic, cars were stuck on the highway, throngs of people in black tops marched towards the Kelana Stadium, where a huge crowd was already there, to dispute the election results, to be with fellow Malaysians, to stand united, and to show the ruling coalition what it really means to stand united, irrespective of race, religion and colour. I heard that a lot of shops in the nearby shopping mall had brisk business, especially with black coloured tops! Tesco would've been wise to stock up extra on that fateful day.

Front page of Utusan Malaysia, an UMNO-backed newspaper.

A long line of red lights, many heading towards the direction of the stadium, to attend the Himpunan Rakyat.

This photo was taken an hour+ after the one above. Car lights are all off, traffic was at a complete standstill, and backed up onto the NKVE/PLUS highway.

Some Samaritans helping to direct traffic.

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Malaysia

5th May went down as history for many Malaysians, as they all came out in droves to designated polling stations, to cast their ballots, which will determine the fate of the country in the coming years. The results have been announced, but has left a very sour taste in the mouth and broken spirits, as it has left more questions than there are answers.

Too much has been going on, yet no one has been held accountable nor responsible. It's like some folks are untouchable... or are they? And it doesn't help when your country's  leader, is now fanning the flames of racism. What's even sadder is, that some folks are actually buying the stories and are fueling the flames. Is this what Malaysia has become? Do we really want this for our country? Are some of us too blind to see that the real culprits behind all these mess, are a group of people practicing elitism and only looking after their own agenda? They are probably sipping tea, lounging back in their patio and clutching their Birkins, laughing at all their minions who are doing their dirty jobs for them.

This is our Malaysia, our country. We all belong here. We are already home. The country belongs to the rakyat, not any political party. We are voting for a better Malaysia. And I hope you guys who are fanning all that bullshit and malice, will one day answer to a greater power, and be rightfully punished.

4th May - Stadium Kelana Jaya.

4th May - Stadium Kelana Jaya.

5th May - At the polling centre.

5th May - Inked.

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Beef Stew with Guinness and Red Wine

Had a bottle a red wine from a CNY gift box, what to do with it? Beef stew came to mind, and the dish was awesome! I remembered Suanie posting something about making beef stew, so I started Googling for her blog post and started reading it. After much anticipation, we went grocery shopping for the ingredients and the outcome was divine~ This recipe is based on Suanie's serving, but I made a slight tweak to it (less Guinness, and added red wine).

We got all the ingredients from Aeon BIG, Tropicana City Mall (formerly known as Carrefour), except for the beef. Seeing that the supermarket didn't have good cuts, I told hubby to swing by Las Vacas Kelana Jaya to see their selection. I had initially thought of using beef brisket, but unfortunately Las Vacas only had frozen briskets and I wasn't keen on using frozen meat for stew. I took a look around and inquired if I could use rump to make stew, and the folks at Las Vacas said yes, rump would make a good stew. So we ended with about 1kg of rump (RM 50/kg). Next time, I'm going to try to hunt for brisket.

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

Beef, cut into bite size

Ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 onions, roughly chopped

3 carrots, cut to chunky pieces

1 garlic bulb, chopped

2 medium sized potatoes (we used Holland potatoes, russet tends to break down after too long)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

4 bay leaves

1 tbps dried thyme

1200 ml beef stock (we used Knorr, 2 cubes diluted in warm water)

2 cup red wine 

1 bottle of Guinness, 325ml each

Pat dry the beef and cut them into bite sizes (not too small though, as the meat will shrink during cooking). Heat up a deep pot with the olive oil, until the oil is smoking. Brown the beef cubes on both sides for a couple of minutes, but don't over cook them! Take the beef out and set aside. 

In the same pot, add the onions, garlic, carrots and potatoes. Cook them for about 10 mins. Add the tomato paste, coating the other ingredients evenly. Next, add the browned beef, beef stock, Worchestershire sauce, Guinness, red wine and bay leaves, and stir it a little to blend all that liquid. As you bring to boil, stir the dish occasionally, you will start to see some bubbly reddish stuff appear, scoop those out... you don't wanna eat that.

Ta-daa...!

This is what you will get initially, a deliciously aromatic pot loaded with beefy goodness. At this point, the sauce is pretty diluted and the flavours are all still very watered down. Boil the pot over high heat for about 10 mins, then using medium-high heat, simmer for about 1.5 hours to 2 hours, uncovered. Depending on how much gravy you want, adjust your simmering time accordingly. We simmered ours for 1.5 hours.

Yums!

Be sure to get a French baguette to go with your stew, makes a perfect dish on rainy days especially. This dish taste even better the next day, that's the good thing about stews... Taste better overnight! Next time if my friends organize a pot luck, I know what to make then :)

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A Wreck

Some days my mood is up and down. One hour I'm all normal, the next hour I feel like I'm in the dumpster struggling. These days I don't fight that feeling anymore, I just let them roll until they pass. It's hard though, cos that would mean I would have to put on a face in front of everyone else, while I'm writhing inside trying to fend off the attacks which is making me want to cry.

It's been many months now, yet I still feel very hurt deep down inside. Some days I feel so lonely, because I have no one to talk to. All I can do is try to find that ounce of strength within me to push forward, how ever little that strength may be, it's still a fuel for me to carry on. It's the only thing I can do on days when I feel down, to stay strong and march forward. A big part of me wants to quit everything, but it's this small part of me that's telling me to challenge things, the same small part of me that's keeping me afloat.

Sometimes I try to talk to hubby, but often times I end up staying silent, and just wrap my arms around him. He would usually console me by saying the very same words ("don't think so much"), but to be honest, these days, those words have little effect on me already. I guess men just deal with things on a different level.

I've been needing reassurance from him, that I'm doing alright, and that I'm doing OK. On days like this, I have doubts about everything I'm doing, to the point, I no longer know what to do anymore. I question everything. I'm afraid to have expectations already.

Why should I do this, do that, drink this, drink that? What's the point anymore? What's the point of even trying, when I'm just going to fail again like I did before? Why do I even try? Why do I even bother? What's the worth in doing all those things anymore?

This experience has left me so broken, I feel like I can't be mended anymore. It feels like my scars are visible to everyone who sees me. And I will have to carry this feeling for the rest of my life. I'm such a wreck.

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Kompassion by myElephant @ Damansara Kim

Hubby was hinting over the weekend that he wanted to bring me to some new food outlet, and judging from his cheeky demeanour which sometimes makes me smile (cos he's as much a foodie a I am, maybe more, heh!), he was just as excited about the place as I was anticipating it. The only hint I got from him was that the location was in Damansara Kim

Now I'm pretty familiar with that area, having worked from one of the terrace houses where Integricity was based, and I don't recall seeing a new restaurant there the last time I passed by. So imagine my surprise when we drove past and I spotted this new Thai fusion place, right next to the mini mart.

Kompassion by myElephant, is a new player in town, serving up fusion Thai dishes, and they serves pork. Hubby got the know about this place through a friend who had recommended the place to him. Flipping through the menu, their servings do sound pretty fusion, a mix of Japanese, Korean, even Italian influence. I then discovered online that the chef is a Thai national, chef Nikom "Kom" Uatthong.

Pork satay, yums! RM 17.90++

For starters, I wanted to try their pork satay (couldn't resist, it's pork!). Five delicious marinated sticks, the sweet tangy flavour is sweet temptation to the palette, and even the dipping sauce is enticing.

Smoked salmon salad with eggplant and capsicum, RM 18.90++

This is one salad with a twist. It has slices of smoked salmon, eggplant and capsicum, sprinkled with kuaci and pumpkin seeds. The overall flavour of the salad was pretty heavy and spicy, and if you're just eating this alone, the taste can get pretty heavy on the palette.

Green curry with roasted pork belly, RM 35++

The star of the afternoon had to be this dish, green curry with roasted pork belly. I enjoyed the creamy texture of the curry, and if I were to compare it with the one from myElephant, I would pick this one because it's less oily, yet still full of flavour. Generous portions of pork was also a welcoming sight, be sure to order rice (fragrant rice per pax RM 3.50++) if you're planning to order this dish.

If you're planning to check this place out for dinner, I was told it's best to make reservations as it's been quite a hit with foodies. Also, it's best to go with a group of friends to split the cost, as the price factor is a bit on the higher side. For the 3 dishes and rice we had, our bill was close to RM 90. I'm also guessing they might start planning to dish out set lunches to attract the lunch crowd, must like their sister establishment myElephant is offering.

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Kindersoaps

Like most folks out there, I've been using body shower gels for the longest time. And I was a long time user of Dettol shower gels too. I wasn't a fan of soaps because when I was much much younger, I remember my late grandmother bathing me in soaps like Lux and Palmolive, and the scent was so strong, I started disliking it. Plus the soaps were drying my skin, made me detest the idea of soaps even more. And I've always somehow felt that soaps couldn't clean enough (a perception probably).

My husband on the other hand, only uses soap in his showers. He has always use the soap, and will always only use the soap.

When a friend of mine started her new venture into making natural soaps using the cold press method, and I caught wind of it, and naturally I wanted to try her product and at the same time, give her some support. And since she had a soap sampler set at RM 20 for 3 bars of soap (about 30g each), I figured I'll try it out and decide for myself if I like her products or not. Plus I had confident in her products because she went into the business of making soap when her daughter was born and suffered from eczema, and being a concerned mother, she was trying to find an all-natural skincare solution for her precious one. You get where the story is headed :) If you want to know more about Kindersoaps, click here.

After the sampler pack, well, I started purchasing more soaps from Kindersoaps. I not only love the scent, which smells heavenly and makes me relax, the soap doesn't leave my skin dry like other brands of soap. Plus because the ingredients are all natural, I can also use it to wash my face, and not have that tight feeling after. My favourite bar of soap from them right now, is called Dreamtime. Free from all the unnecessary ingredients, kinks, fake scents, preservatives etc... Just good ol'natural ingredients and essential oils. What's good for baby is good for you too, right?

Kindersoap soap bars, some of my personal favourites.

If you're around Jaya 33 area, pop by their store and check out their products. They also have several stockists around the country where you can find their products.

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Bad Boy Cooks @ Oasis Plaza, Ara Damansara

Oasis Plaza was one place that could use a lot of promotion and publicity, being a new area for mixed development. It was a Saturday when we decided to drop by and hang around the place, also to check out what sort of eateries are there in this area.

The piazza was actually a pretty cool place to hang out (except for the afternoon sun), complete with water features, walkways and individual buildings for F&B outlets. I think if more promo were done to push the location, this place can be quite a hit with the surrounding neighourhood. 

Bad Boy's interior.

We decided to walk into Bad Boy Cooks as it was still early and there's no lunch crowd. The interior reminded me of an American diner, doesn't it? Plenty of room to move around, and waiters were attentive, maybe because we were the first and only customer that morning.

Looking at the menu and pricing, prices were reasonable, with burgers starting from RM 9++. And if you add RM 1, you get a drink.

Two peppercorn pasta with beef bacon add-on.

Give their pasta a miss, lacking in presentation and the add-on was rather miserable. The pasta was tasty, a little salty after a few helpings I felt. The portion was pretty small too, so much so hubby ordered another burger just to fill his tummy.

BB Bessie burger.

 Now this burger was pretty tasty. Grilled beef patty topped with cheese and caramelized onions, it was pretty hearty for me. And the fries were piping hot! How does this beef burger fair against say, Ben's General Food Store beef burger? Not a very fair comparison, Ben's burger was actually a lot tastier, and their pricing factor is higher as well. For RM 9++, this BB Bessie burger was pretty alright in my books. At least I don't have to wait a whole hour for my burger.

If you're feeling adventurous, they have a double patty burger too.

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Ben's General Foodstore @ BSC

This is a long overdue post!

We made a trip to Bangsar Shopping Complex many moons ago, and discovered that Ben's had outlet in the mall. Being curious, we decided to step right in to grab some lunch.

If you ran out of topics to have a conversation, have no fear. Here at Ben's, they actually created topics cards which you can pick and select, minimizing the awkward silent moments! Being rather playful, hubby and I scanned through some of the options and found some of the topics quite interesting and engaging. Don't knock it till you try it!

Soft shell crab pasta with curry leaves.

I had their creamy soft shell crab pasta, with an oriental twist to it. Served with one whole soft shell crab, garnished with curry leaves, the sauce was creamy and had a slight spiciness to it, leaving you wanting more. The soft shell crab was delectable, and even though it was deep fried, it's still moist. OK I admit, deep fried stuff are not so good for you :P

Beef burger.

Hubby opted for their beef burger, which turned out pretty nicely. Caramelized onions, cheese, a thick beef patty full of flavour and spices, topped with a sesame bun, and served with a side of salad with home made dressing, it was the perfect burger for a weekend.

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The Day For Malaysians To Decide

A decisive day for all Malaysians. Come out and exercise your vote, every vote counts, every vote matters. This is Malaysia, this is our home. We decide its outcome, we decide its fate. See you then!

Image taken from https://www.facebook.com/BFMradio

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