Dinner at Paradise Dynasty Restaurant BV@

Noodles

We headed to Bangsar Village two for dinner. It was raining plus we had an eventful evening jump-starting the Golf which had been left alone for two weeks. I was too busy to start the car. We borrowed the wires from our neighbour. He was lovely. Not only did he lend us the wires, he also helped stick it on and waited for the car to be awaken before leaving us. Nice and friendly. I'm sorry I wasn't friendlier earlier in the year. ( I'll be nicer from now)

All this took some time, after which we were all hungry and decided we won't brave the Kepong drive for Dim sum. The safer option would be to eat indoors. I chose BV2 because it is rarely crowded. And I was right. The carpark was a bit of a squeeze to get in, but we got a spot and proceeded for dinner.


This was what the mum ordered and she was pleased with it. Nice and springy.Different consistency from the wanton noodles you get outside. La mian fried with pork presumably and some vegetables. The overall taste was gorgeous with just a hint of saltiness. Enough to leave you wanting more.

Dumplings

 I chose this because it was similar to Esquire Kitchen's Wor Teik. Upon arrival and after the first bite I'm proud to say I chose what I wanted. Because it tasted almost similar to Esquire's version.

Soup noodles

 This was the daddy's choice. Soup noodles with Pork chop served on the side. ( I forgot to take a picture of the pork shop so you will have to believe me)It's nicer served dipped in soup because it adds  flavour.

Long beans and tofu

Delicious long beans fried with minced pork which went well with the soupy noodles shown above. This was everyone's favourite. And in the back ground fried tofu  was absolutely delicious. Better eaten slightly cold. Otherwise you run the risk of scalding your tongue and being miserable the remaining meal. I recommend you try this tofu. It's crispy on the outside and butter soft once you bite into it. We couldn't get enough of it. We were all so happy to finally find this. A good substitute to the I-canton version. Apparently they don't serve this any more at I-canton. But hey ho...we have found a replacement.

Paradise Dynasty Bangsar
Lot 2F-17, Level 2,
Bangsar Village II,
2, Jalan Telawi Satu,
Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 603 2201 7022
Fax: 603 2201 7021

Laptop sleeve finally!

Pokka Dotted sleeve with loads of cushioning

Yay, I finally got the  matte cover for my MacBook Pro ( which fits beautifully and is worth the money ) as well as a sleeve to protect it when I bring it about. It's taken 4 months to get it. Finally the new baby is protected and has a nice baju.

Switch @ Sunway Putra Mall
Lot No. G-24A, Ground Floor, Sunway Putra Mall,
Jalan Putra, 50350,
Kuala Lumpur

Wondermilk

The door leading to Wondermilk in Publika.

My second time here. This time to buy a single cupcake after biting a deadly chillie during dinner. ( See earlier post )  Wondermilk is famous for its cupcakes. Apparently. I didn't know this until I did a spot of googling. I can't believe I've been walking pass this en route to Chawan, Thai Tuk Tuk, Rakuzen, Go Noodles etc and have never gravitated here for cupcakes.  I guess because it looks rather posh. And the menu isn't readily seen from outside. And with a name like wondermilk you'd think they well different milk shakes or something.

Cupcake selection. 

 I have tasted some awful red velvet cupcakes. So even though they were right there, I decided to err on the side of caution and try something different.

I spotted something I fancied. Salted Caramel cupcake.

 And I did.I chose salted caramel as my single cupcake to go.

The tiles leading to a bigger seating area to the left of the shop

 While waiting for the cupcake to be put in a single packaging I took this picture of the black and white tiles which I like a lot.

My cupcake overturned at home and ended up looking rather sorry for itself.

I also had vanilla milk to go. And when I got home, the cupcake overturned and I got this shot to show.

Wondermilk
Lot G2-7/G2-8
Publika Solaris Dutamas
Tel: +603 6211 1092

LOKL , KL

The front of the shop. 

My first visit to LOKL along Jalan Tun HS Lee, which is a stone's throw away from St John's Cathedral. I tried parking inside the church compound and walking here but the guard refused to allow me to get free parking so I ended up parking at a public carpark and spending RM23 on parking for the day.  Here is the shop front, I like the simple white wash front. From the outside, you wouldn't think there is a courtyard inside. I like buildings like this. I believe houses should have the same concept.

The hostel 

 I entered through the hostel by mistake. It was only after I was seated that I realise there is a direct entrance to the cafe from the front. (Duh)

The side entrance to the cafe from the hostel via the court yard

This is the sunny courtyard. Like this very much.

Another view of the courtyard

 The other end of the courtyard.If you look up, you can see the balcony and the hostel rooms. All airy and well thought of.

Inside the cafe

 The cafe is actually small but the tall ceilings help give the illusion of space.  And they have a long bench with tables at one side, so that saves space. And the lightning makes it cosy.

Fritata and earl grey tea

 I had this. Fritata with some gorgeous green sauce. I've yet to decipher what went in the sauce but it was the perfect accompaniment to my frittata.

Salted Caramel crepe cake

 This cake was fresh and the fork cut through like a hot knife through butter. I could have eaten two of this. Really

Hash brown something

 Filling and it smelt divine when it arrived

Nutella cake

 I would also have this cake again. So light and fluffy with Nutella.

A selection of the available menu

 Some other things to consider when I next come. A note, their breakfast is served all day. Despite their website saying otherwise.

I wonder why their symbol is a rooster

Worthy of a post card surely

Some greenery is always welcome

 Greens always makes a picture look good.

Taken near closing time

 We were here for hours chatting away.

Chairs all arranged neatly signifying the end of a working day

Finally, it was time to leave, but we will be returning. Soon.

30, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Food 4/5
Ambience 5/5
Parking: 1/5 ( be prepared to pay through your nose if you drive here)

Thai Tuk Tuk

Chicken Basil and egg

Too much cili padi.  I bit into one and it spoilt the meal. Had to drink so much water and I couldn't get rid of the fiery taste fast enough. I had tears in my eyes and I ate more rice than needed in a sorry attempt to neutralise the fire in my mouth. Apart from this, I will say this place does a mighty good version of chicken basil. Their egg is spot on. At least it was yesterday when I had my dinner. The waiters are pleasant and allowed me to sit at a big table unlike Go noodles ( separate blog entry for what happened there another day)

I'm not sure whether it was a reflex action or greediness which led me to Wondermilk and a butterscotch cupcake for after dinner. That was nice too. And I had vanilla milk to go with the cupcake. And today my waistband dug into my tummy the whole day and never was I happier at the end of the day when it was time to change and have a shower and wear my comfy Jim jams.

1, Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Service: 4/5
Comfort of the seat  2/5
Food: 3.8/5

Violin practice

My handmade German violin

My teacher tells me my violin can sing. Which means the bad music is solely my responsibility. Here is my violin taking a break from making bad music. Rest time in between chromatic scales at a metronome speed of 100. Nothing faster cos my old fingers get into a tangle if its pushed to its limit. Just as well I haven't given up my day job. I'll be a pauper if I had to rely on music to earn my keep.

Things I've learnt since I took up the violin.
1. Its much harder than the piano.
2. Practice needs to be regular and under-practice ( is there such a word?)is unmask more easily in this instrument.
3. You mustn't press your fingers too hard because you will get some cramps. And also you can't lift and move as fast as you should.
4. Invest in a mute. The rubber ones don't last long. Mine has broken into two last week. Not from overuse.
5.The blasted metronome is a useful took to get better.

Restaurant Ban Lee

The chicken rice seller. ( Was early today)

After church this morning, we decided to head to Ban Lee, which is on the way back home. A slight detour and we arrived within 5 minutes from church. Sometimes the chicken rice seller is late to hang his chickens up, he would be in the kitchen sorting out his chickens. Lucky for us today,he was early so we didn't have to wait for him. The business is good, just count the number of chickens he has hanging at his stall. And he also has just as many in the kitchen at the back of the restaurant. If you come slightly later, there is usually a queue at his stall.

Chicken with some pork and cucumbers

I'm biased. I'm going to rate this chicken rice a 6/10. The chicken could have a bit more taste. It's soft enough but quite a bit of bones and the sauce lacks taste. Also, a thicker sauce would be good.

The rice ( carbs I know)

The rice looks good in this picture. It isn't as fragrant as I would like it. So I'm assuming there's less fat involved in the cooking process. Which is good for my diet, but less satisfying to eat as a meal. They don't serve ginger sauce with this. Neither do we have the thick dark black soya sauce.

The best chicken rice is from Raub, Pahang. The mother buys it for us when we're home and it tastes so nice you would want to eat every last bit of the rice up. That's a 10/10.

University Challenge

I absolutely absolutely adore watching University Challenge. Been hooked for slightly over a year now and I watch the older episodes on youtube. ( Thank you for uploading them ) Just yesterday I came across this Christmas episode starring Mary Archer. I thought she looked familiar. Turns out she's Dame Mary Archer, wife of Jeffrey Archer the famous book write.

Am embarrassed to say I never knew much about Lady Archer. She's famous in her own right. Here she is seen representing her alma mater Oxford where she studied chemistry. She is seen here with her team which she captains.  She has brains and a CV which will make most if not all envious.

She comes across as quietly intelligent and elegant. No mention of her marriage to Jeffrey Archer in her introduction on University Challenge. Which is nice, she is famous in her own right.

This was her brief introduction "Scientist Dame Mary Archer, 71, who specialises in solar energy has held academic posts at Oxford and Cambridge, was the head of an NHS trust, and is the chair of the science museum."

Proper Porridge

Minced pork porridge and dumpling ( Both Yum)

We had porridge for dinner. And one dumpling. Now this is the type of porridge I like. Can you see the consistency of it in this picture? Slightly more watery compared to the earlier porridge this morning. It has the obligatory minced pork bits. Yes in different sizes. Tick Tick Tick. They ran out of  yu char kueh  when we arrived but I wasn't upset. I like my porridge plain like this without much fuss.

The dumpling was also very nice. The rice itself has a slight saltiness and the entire experience leaves you satisfied. No further sauce needed. Unlike some other dumplings. ( Where you need to add kampung Koh chillie sauce.

The porridge stall

This porridge stall is actually a food truck which can be found at Batu 3, Jalan Ipoh. Near a tyre shop. It was previously along the main road and readily seen when you drive pass but due to major construction around the area, they have moved inwards. Better. Less dusty although the seating arrangement is less I believe. We arrived at the peak period and had a bit of a wait for a seat. Roughly 10 minutes although it felt longer. Worth the wait certainly.

Currently reading this.

Am interested in knowing whether anyone else has read this book.

Ful Lai Dim Sum (富涞饱饺点心茶楼)

A huge selection on a single tray

 Yay we found a dim sum place which serves fried dim sum, We have chosen recently to no longer go to Mee Bon, after served shoddily and gotten unwashed plates being palmed off as washed ones. And when pointed out, no apology just a quick change to more plates without so much as an acknowledgement that something wasn't right.

So here is our first visit to this Dim Sum place at Manjalara, Kepong. we arrived at 9:00pm a bit of a late start but at least I got a 3 km run done before this feast. I like the airy seating arrangement. And when we sat down, this gorgeous tray arrived and we were at lost which to choose.

When we eventually picked a few, yet another tray came along with a totally different array of dum sum and finally a third tray came within a space of 2 minutes. Spoilt for choice.

Chicken porridge

 I wanted porridge and this is it shown above. It was thick with chicken shreds which I don't like. I like my porridge  on the watery side with minced pork bits in different sizes. So Mee Bon wins in the porridge category.

Having our fried dim sum cut by a pair of scissors 

This was one of the fried dim sum we chose and out came the scissors to cut them into smaller potions. Nice:)

Chillie sauce and brown sauce as perfect condiments

And we had bitter gourd dim sum too. A little bit of veg to get the bowels moving. When we got home after this big meal, I had a lie down and was zonked for a good 3 hours before waking up looking for more food.

Sarah, Duchess of York

Linda Cierach seen adjusting the train with the help of the bride's father Ronald Ferguson

The next royalty on the scene was Sarah Ferguson, as she was known before marrying Prince Andrew. Sarah was fun and lively and labelled as a breath of fresh air when she came onto the scene. Prince Andrew and her appeared to get along famously. You can watch a youtube video of them just before their marriage in an interview and they looked like such fun.

Sarah grew up with the royals. She and Andrew were playmates at polo matches. Her father, Ronald Ferguson was Prince Charles polo manager. She apparently got along famously with the Queen. And Diana into some famous antics like dressing like policewomen and gate-crashing a party or the time they poked their brollies onto the bums of some folks at Ascot.

She chose Lindka Cierach to design her wedding gown. This looked more structured than Diana's it had a boned panelling giving a neater figure to Sarah. Sarah also reportedly lost 26 pounds before the wedding. Her train wasn't as long and it had nice beading with the initials A and S intertwined which was a nice touch. She also entered the church with flowers covering her tiara and exited minus the flowers, signifying her entrance as a commoner and exiting as royalty. This tiara unlike Diana's was not a family heirloom. It was new and bought from Garrards from the Queen as a gift.

Princess Diana

Diana, Princess of Wales.

Diana, Princess of Wales was the first royalty I was exposed to as a child. She shot to fame when she got engaged and for her shapely legs shown (in silhouette of course) in a series of pictures taken at the then kindergarten she was working in, Young England.

Married at 19 years old. No wonder we were all mesmerised by Diana, she was at her peak of beauty and it certainly helped that she was very photogenic and came across as shy and innocent. I bought many books on Diana. This was before the time of internet being readily available and no gorgeous titbits of gossips like those in the Royaldish forum. We relied on magazines. New Idea was my go-to for information. Her tour of Australia shortly after she got William was a copy I read and reread many times, even bringing the magazine to school. Her dresses were striking and she had lovely hats some with plumes of feathers and some with striking shapes tilted at the back of her head all in gorgeous matching colours.

Here is an earlier shot of Diana with her original hairstyle which was copied widely by many.

The iconic wedding dress

Every girl's fairy tale princess. Large puffy sleeves, a big veil, a tiara ( she wore her Spencer tiara) and a very long train which looked amazing from the aerial view inside the cathedral. Designed by David and Elizabeth Emmanuel, husband and wife team ( who have since split-up) relatively unknown at that time, they were given the herculean task of designing the wedding dress of the wife of the future king of England. No pressure of course.I think they did a great job. This shot was taken after the wedding, so at closer range we see the intricate design. This was missed when she exited the carriage, it was a grand scene marred slightly by the creases from the carriage ride. Those bridesmaids ( Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones and Indian Hicks ) had to work hard at getting the train out, arranging it and making sure the creases weren't obvious.

Tsujiri at Solaris

The extensive menu
 

We went to Cold Storage at Solaris and as the car turned to the left towards the parking area, we saw this bustling corner shop with nice decor and quite a number of people looking happy. And so after the buying of the original item which we wanted we walked across to explore.

An example of what you can have. Many more choices

 Tsujiri is tea-based desert shop. A wide selection but as I was in the mood for savoury having not had dinner at 9pm, I opted small. It was lady's night i.e. buy one cone ice cream and get the second for free. A good idea and we chose that.

Green tea ice-cream

This was mine, I licked it into this shape. The green tea is slightly bitter and took getting used to. A bit of a shock to the system when you lick and taste bitterness rather than sweetness. I'm going to try the ice-shavings the next visit.
No. 2, Jalan Solaris 5, Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

dinner 芙蓉蛋

Egg Foo Yong

I love egg done this way. It's an omelette which has onions, chillies vegetables and if you're lucky some ham with it and it goes with a bowl of white rice. Teamed with piping hot soup this is a good meal to make me happy. This was dinner on Monday evening at a local restaurant called Restaurant Teck Wah at Taman Batu, which is off Jalan Kuching. It's a corner shop and parking is usually hard to find nearby but this week something odd happened, there were no cars about and we parked just beside the place.

I guess the people may now choose to eat at home rather than out because its cheaper. We decided to sit in the non-air-con side of the place. The evening was a little bit cooler than expected because it had just finished raining 30 minutes before. We had the ceiling fan so it was quite nice.

Rawa Thosai

The plan was to have rawa thosai for dinner. And nothing else. I ended up eating glutinous rice a good hour after this for supper.  Better luck dieting tomorrow:)

A fleeting view of Kajang

Taken at the traffic lights.

I believe this was my third visit to Kajang. The first was for a Hari Raya open house many years ago. The second was to attend a maternal mortality meeting at the local Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah and the third was this Tuesday. I've seen three different bits of Kajang now. And what strikes me is the amount of activity there. Construction plastic boards in the middle of the main road heralding progress ( hopefully) to come. Heavy traffic even at 9:00am on a Tuesday morning.(Traffic just like KL) And the amount of shops and the diverse things they sell, tells me Kajang is bustling with activity.

Food and Malaysians

Bought this magazine yesterday ( together with Woman's day and Hello)

 Couldn't resist this magazine with a title like this. Yes its a wonderful edition show-casing some of the food outlets worth visiting. Although there is some risks involved. Some places featured with good reviews in this magazine.....I disagree with having been there myself. So I'm prepared for some disappointments.

My next food destination

Chocha place caught my eye. I hope to go there this month or maybe early next month. Weekends are alway busy with things to do so I plan to wait for a weekend where I'm free from thinking about work to head here and enjoy the atmosphere and the great tea. ( according to the write up)

Mary Berry

I love Mary Berry. She has been working since she was very young and hasn't aged much. Keeping the same hair do helps. And keeping her figure nice and trim too. She was lovely in the Great British Bake Off. I am sorry that's ended. I think she made the show nice to watch. And her occasional quaint way of saying things was so cute. Example: This cake is rather informal...which translates to ...this cake is messy neaten it up please.

She speaks well. I watched her speaking at the Oxford Union when she was invited as a guest speaker. And I liked her loyalty to BBC as shown by her not moving to Channel 4 with the great bake off. She cannot be replaced. I've watched other versions of the bake off i.e. the great Irish Bake Off, and minus Mary Berry it lacks the special something which makes you want to watch and root for the bakers and you wait for her comments which is always given in a kind tone.

A splendid lady and a hard act to follow. So I wish Prue Leith the best of luck as she sets to replace Mary Berry in the subsequent episodes of Bake Off on channel 4.