A Night of Christmas Carols

Instrumental performances by a full orchestra, Christmas carols by choir and talented individuals, a adrenaline pumped dance performance, appearance and performance by Juwita Suwito and a Christmas message by Pastor Kenneth Chin. It will be a musical journey on a Friday night, 16 Dec 2011 in PGS Hall, Jalan Kampar. Get your tickets at RM10, RM30 and RM50. 

Come experience Christmas with your friends and families with us. The whole team has put in great effort to ensure you will be entertained while getting the meaning behind Christmas. No, there wont be Santa Claus, but Pastor Kenneth Chin will be delivering a Christmas message. Rest assured he is not a boring speaker but  a anointed speaker whom can connect to the crowd. Come and be blessed and reach out to your friends so they too can be touched by the true meaning of Christmas. 

(P/S: Yours truly has decided to take up the challenge by being in the dance team instead on vocals. So, is this reason worth you spending 2 hours and RM10?) 

a small blessing...

Finally, after almost a few months of participating in the contest. I actually won something. Well, I was kinda confident of NOT being empty handed as the contest promised every 100th entry win. I actually submitted more than 100 entries. I was actually hoping to try my luck on winning something bigger =S

After all the hard work and money spent on envelops and  stamps, I would have boycotted Teapot Milk if I did not get something from the contest. =p Well, all of the labels are actually obtained from my previous factory as it was a major ingredients. Imagine almost 30 cans everyday. If I got to know about this contest earlier, I would have spammed their mailbox every week. What you see in the photo is not even 10% of the total labels which I manage to collect from my factory. 

Well, I should have gotten a few more labels and submitted a few entries on behalf of my dad. Yup, besides me, mom also won RM100. So there is RM200 extra for grocery shopping this month. Would've been sweeter if I have won a 4 digit cash prize (If only decimal points does not exist in the cheque, RM10 000), then it will be a big shopping spree in KL this Christmas. Anyway, Thanks F&N Teapot Milk! This post is a small thank you note (besides taking pride of winning something)

Hokkaido Revisited

Just a simple post to share with you the ongoing promotion in Hokkaido Japanese Cuisine currently. There are a few items on promo price. Salmon /White Tuna Sashimi is priced at RM10.90 (5 slices, original ala carte price could be RM25). Salmon and Ebiko (Roe) Sushi are priced at RM1 per piece. (Minimum order 5 pieces) Buta (Pork) Tepanyaki @ RM16. 

Some of the items in real form. Edamame was also a good munching options. Portion quite substantial for RM3.80. For around RM20, the sashimi did not really skimp in portion nor quality. Must order this!

Beef Sukiyaki (RM28) = generous portion but beef was a bit overdone. Prefer the medium cooked with pinkish layers in the center.

And the star of the day would be the charcoal grilled items. We ordered the Seafood (RM30) and the Pork (RM20)

The charcoal grill. I find this more interesting than the stainless steel hot plate on my first visit. You really get to hear the sizzles of the meat being cooked. Personally I prefer the charcoal stove over the aluminium hot plate. But, the other patrons might not like it cause you will not be the only one having smoke smell on your clothes.

Grilled seafood - scallops. salmon, squid....

and of course, prawns!!! =D They might take some time preparing the charcoal stove, so enjoy your appetizers of mains first as the wait might be up to 1/2 an hour. So there, a short write up on Hokkaido. Don't miss out on the on going promotion, especially salmon sashimi lovers. =)

Tantalizing Thursday @ St Mike

Put your hands up if the two sneak previews photos of the desserts have made you click onto my FB and read this post! Hehe.... Credits to Christine and her DSLR shooting skills, which is improving outing by outing. Some photos were from my camera and some are from hers, pretty obvious which is from whose camera rite? =)

As I promised, a write up on St Mike will be up for this weekend. Let's start with a brief intro. Location wise, St Mike is actually a shoplot opposite the former FMS Bar situated along the row of shops just behind the RHB bank opposte Padang Ipoh. Or to keep it simple, it occupies the former Brewster!

Those who have patronized Brewster before they shifted would've find the interior decor more or the less similar. There is a bar counter for those who wanna chill with a mug of beer. Happy hours are before 8pm, with the buy 5 free 1 promotion. You don't get much choices of beer except for the common few at RM10 per bottle.

Soups were at RM9.90 per bowl. It comes in a big soup bowl but the portion was also decent enough to be shared. The cream of broccoli is thick and creamy from blended broccoli pulp. I prefer the cream of mushroom a bit more. It has generous portion of mushrooms bits to ensure every spoonful is bursting with flavor. A small flaw would be the soup could be a bit hotter because it was not appetizing sipping lukewarm soup halfway.

We ordered different type of juices, averaging from RM5.90 to RM7.90 for drinks. There are smoothies/ice blended juices of coffees besides the mentioned beer. For the main course, it was a coincident that night was a  white meat fiesta. The only poultry was the Italian Chicken whereas the rest were fish!

Italian Chicken is a modified chicken chop, with an addition of a slice of ham and a slice of cheese melted on top. Served with garden vegetables and wedges, the portion is subtantial for an average eater. Tastewise, the brown sauce is hearty and flavourful whereas the chicken maintained its juiciness and tenderness as it was grilled just right. No complaints but not much compliments on this dish either.

The Parmesan Baked Fish with Aglio Olio. In the picture, we paid an extra RM3 to upgrade it into a Cabonrara version. Sinfully creamy. The fish itself also gave a aromatic smell of cheese from the Parmesan powder generously sprinkled at the exterior of the fish. I would best advice this dish to be shared but surprisingly, my friend finished the whole plate on her own! =O

Another dish which will leave you in guilt! Salmon maybe rich in Omega 3 but the creamy white sauce would've scare the daylight of all those who are in a diet. Two plates of Grilled Salmon Steak (RM30+) were ordered, one being well done and the other medium. I do not really fancy salmon being neither cooked nor raw. If its grilled or baked, I prefer mine to be cooked well done. Well, different individual have different preference though.

I settled for something more average in presentation and also pricing. My Herb Crusted Grilled Fish came in 2 big fillets with sides of vegetables and potato wedges. I made sure no Dory Fillets are used since I'm paying nearly RM30 for this! Tastewise, the fish is perfectly grilled and maintained its juiciness. The herbs on the exterior does a mild flavour enhancing but with the drizzle of lemon butter sauce, the fish fillets managed to flaunt its freshness and original taste!

After that, we decided to go for some desserts since the night is still young. You can see the desserts of the day being displayed at the bar counter

I had a cup of Chocolate Marshmallow (RM6.90), which is actually hot chocolate with marshmallows. The drink is abit too mild for me as I prefer a richer chocolatey aftertaste.

The Brownies (RM6.50) - Tastewise, I have tasted better brownies before. But this comes down to personal preference. I like my brownies to be warm and slightly moist. Drizzles of chocolate syrup is something I really do look for in my serving of brownies. However the presentation here is kinda interesting too using cocoa powder instead of chocolate syrup,

The Oreo Cheesecake (RM6.50) fared better than the Brownies. Oreo powder were used to coat the exterior surface and the base of the cake. I did not really taste Oreo chunks on the cream cheese layer though. Portion is suitable for one individual whom is fond of desserts. Considering the small portion, I do not encourage sharing (since I'm a dessert lover), at the most 2 person per dessert. Besides these, Creme Brulee is also available at the same price.... and a much similar small portion too. =)

The total bill was around RM250 for the 5 of us (price of the items were an estimation as the receipt is not with me now) Well, for places like this, we kinda expected to feel a slight pinch on our pocket. In conclusion, the food here is not bad. Interior wise, its quite a cozy place with good music to unwind after work. But on a Thursdays, things were slow as there were only 2 more tables besides us. Perhaps you might wanna land your support by dropping a visit to St Mike and feel the dining experience  =)

Bee Gaik............. aiyerrrr

It's gonna be a simple but short post to describe a disappointing meal in Bee Gaik Restaurant.

Otak-Otak... Passable but Lukewarm. Jelak. I wonder if they try their own food before opening for business. Such simple principles taken for granted.

Braised Pork with Yam (RM16 - ala carte order, not part of the set) Tender meat and yam which absorbed the gravy. Yes, I gave the due credit it deserve.... But again. Lukewarm. 

Kapitan Chicken. LUKEWARM again?! What the heck, does it take much effort to even reheating it? If you are THAT lazy, use the Microwave damnit! Don't make me pay RM50 for a meal of CHAP FAN dishes which have been pathetically sitting around for the last few hours!

The Sweet and Sour Fish is just above average. At least the fish fillets were made on the spot and still have the crispy exterior... but there is a limit how far Dory can go =p

RM50.90 for a set for 3-4 person inclusive of rice, tidbits and Chinese tea. Besides the mentioned dishes, the stir fried vege was lackluster. I was very disappointed that they could not even make a simple vegetable dish palatable and of restaurant standard. I would NOT step into this place again, unless you are a fan of lukewarm food, And if you enjoy seeing waitesr/waitresses and even cooks sitting around lazily while you sip your neither hot, neither cold Chinese Tea in frustration.

Cha Time, Chatime, Chat Time, Chat ime.... wateva

I put a pause to ChaTime despite their opening promotion of Buy 1, Free 1. I heard the crowd was unbelievable during the first week of opening. Well, I think its the QUEUE rather than crowd. There is only about 6-8 tables which only seat a small crowd. ChaTime is situated in a small corner lot in Greentown, same with Berlin Bier House.

ChaTime has been mushrooming in the Klang Valley area since its first outlet in Pavillion KL. With a young CEO and aggressive marketing and promo using models/artists, the Taiwanese drink franchise has been blooming and the craze has finally spread to Ipoh (during the DEHP scare of tainted beverages from Taiwan). Not serving any food, you will be kinda dumbfounded, gazing at the menu of a variety of drinks. Yes, it happened to me. I couldn't make up my mind on what to other from the Iced Tea, hot beverages, Milk Tea, Pearl Tea, Ice Blended/Smoothies to mention a few. Price of the drinks here is somehow standard, RM5.90 for regular, RM6.90 for large. Apart from the wide flavours in the menu, you can customize your drink in degrees of sweetness and amount of ice! I was a bit amused when you can opt for No Sugar, 50% 70%, 100%, and another degree exceeding 100%. =.=

Else, you can add on extra toppings like grass jelly, coffee jelly, pearls, etc for an additional RM1. Yup, despite having red bean as topping for my Matcha Blended, I topped up RM1 for pearls. After all, its somebody's treat after all. The pearls were like usual, gummy and bouncy. The drink itself is not TOO sweet for me, though at 100% sugar (original sweetness tasted just right for a sweet toothed me!). Green tea was erm.... as expected, flavoured from powder? Some people argued that ChaTime goes as natural as possible, brewing beverages from tea leaves. I'm a bit skeptical after seeing containers after containers containing flavoured beveragers powder. That's why I was never a fan of the Taiwanese Milk Tea, though I really love the pearls.

Hence I couldn't really be in a position to evaluate distinctively whether ChaTime really stands out from the beverages from pasar malam. Skeptics/Non-fans like me would think its just the environment, more of the "in" factor. To support this hypothesis, you can see for yourself, 90% of patrons and youngsters, 100% are Chinese to be exact. Fans (or rather fanatics) would argue that the drinks here are different! Well, if I get a  Taiwanese Milk Tea drink from the pasar malam for them to drink it in the compound of ChaTime, I wonder if they could distinguish that its a RM2.50 beverage.

For RM5.90 and above for a beverage normally priced below RM3, I wonder ChaTime will get to survive in Ipoh or not. I do understand a lot has been spent on the packaging (sealed cover to prevent spillage for takeaway convenience) but seeing Burger King swatting flies, you and I know best how far Ipoh people can spend. (I was told by my colleague that my boss and many other colleagues from the HQ are readers of my blog, hence I need to reduce the frequency of rantings concerning incompetitive salary for Ipoh employees versus the rising cost of living). Personally, first try is enough for me, mainly for the price factor and drinking artificial chemicals and flavouring is definitely NOT MY CUP OF TEA! =)

Yishen (Yat Sum) Vegetarian Restaurant

Yishen (Yat Sum) Vegetarian Restaurant has been in business for more than a decade. Putting Meng Kee aside, I would dare say that this is the pioneer of vegetarian food which made it to the restaurant level in Ipoh city. The luncheon last week with my colleagues made me come back for another visit.... and the fact that I was abit intimidated to be on snapping mode in front of 12 other pairs of eyes, in which some are really dumb founded against people with passion to share good food. Well, if its not people like us blogging bout food, you think you can easily know which shop serves the best food and which you need to refrain yourselves from stepping in?

Well, if you have been constantly checking out my page, I appreciate your loyalty and I will strive to continue my passion, though my frequency of writing may have decreased recently. Okay, back to Yat Sum. This is the Crispy Vegetarian Goose (RM10 for small portion). Yup, it may be a bit small. Ideally for a  group of 3-4. Well, the portion ain't too much, especially those who love fried food. I would never fail to pick this when I have vegetarian chap fan. Priced at a level far from the normal rice shops, you are assured with freshly fried sheets of beanskin which literally melts in your mouth (thanks to the layer of oil). This dish may scare the living daylight of the health freak but........... well, you really gotta try this. =)

This is one of their signature dishes. I remember having this a decade ago. Yup, the last time I dined here was like N years ago. Yet, the Pan Fried Fish with Black Beans. They claimed its Sek Ban. I wonder how they can differentiate various type of "vegetarian fish". RM13 for a small portion. Again the "flesh" is something similar to a cross between beancurd and fu juk (bean skin). Something savoury which will get you finishing your bowl of rice with ease!

The "House Taufu with Shmeiji" (RM12). That's what was written in my bill. I remember pointing on something else in the menu with the word mushroom. Hmmm.... Well, I do get some mushroom (a species which is rarely seen and ate), wolfberries, snow peas and of course beancurd in a starch based gravy. Nothing spectacular, just thought of something with gravy as the other dishes were kinda dry.

The Satay Cuttlefish (RM13 for a small portion) is one of their forte! I loved this dish since I was a kid. Brought up with the passion for good sotong kangkung, the nutty and mildy spicy peanut sauce with water convolvulus (kangkung) is a evergreen winning combination. The mock meat was processed in a way which matches similarly with real cuttlefish, well, the mock version is even more bouncier. Boric acid perhaps? This is one dish you do not want to miss as you wont find this among the generic vegetarian dishes in vegetarian rice shops. 

Stirfried Sambal Long Beans (RM9) to get the real vegetables in a vegetarian meal. Nicely done, I wonder if there were mock dried shrimps among the sambal paste. But you do find mock prawns. =p

Well, vegetarian meal might cost you more than the a meal with real meat. (A bowl of vegetarian sharks fin costs RM80!) This is mainly because it is not cheap to produce the mock meat. Alot of processing is involved. And alot of calories from these processed meat. Furthermore, most of the dishes here are fried or stir fried with quite a substantial amount of oil. If you think those who takes vegetarian meal are healthier? Think again. Health conscious aside, its quite appetizing to see how "real" this meats are. For me, it cost RM67 for 4 pax with 5 dishes. =)

Souvenirs from Guang Zhou, China

o.O

=)

Charlie Brown's Cafe, Straits Quay, Penang

Finally, after seeing so many friends posting up about Charlie Brown Cafe in Hong Kong and Singapore, it's considered a real delay for me to visit their outlet in our very own shore. Yes, I do not have the money for overseas travelling, but forking out RM30+ for a day trip to Penang, that I still can afford.

Charlie Brown's Cafe is located in Straits Quay, Penang Island. Well, Straits Quay is a well landscaped and still undergoing an early stage of development. Having their own quay (of course) and a shopping complex and business centre just right to it, it is surrounded by gated community. I would say that would be at least a million or two for those houses there. Even at the complex itself, the cheapest food you can find are mainly Paparich, Subway and Secret Recipe. These 3 will be your "Chap Fan". Starbucks inside Straits Quay is of a "mamak standard" as the proper cafe there would be Dome. So could you get an illustration of how high the standard of living of the community living around here?

Enough introduction, lets move on to the cafe. Currently there is only ONE Charlie Brown Cafe outlet in the whole of Malaysia, But from their website, it seems that they will be opening another one in KLCC in October 2011.

Let the photos do the talking here. Well, basically the food here is abit expensive, as you are paying for the environment. The quality of food is average. Drinks is passable but the food is very ordinary. I mean, 99% of the people will come here for the hype and ambience rather than the food.

Aint it lovely the presentation? The Tiramisu @ RM11.90 and the Caramel Latte at the same price too. See the chocolate powder dusting on top. You will see familiar faces of PEANUTS cartoon character.

My Caramel Latte... I did not have high expectation on this. Before coming here, I browsed through a few other blog posts and they reminded us that the food is just so-so. But the drink turned out slightly better than expected (since I lowered the benchmark). The tiramisu on the other hand failed terribly. Its just plain sponge cake!

The Mixed Seafood Pasta is a disaster! Fried battered prawns and squid (or was it fish fillets) on a bed of  Macaroni and colourful peppers (green yellow and red capsicum). Well, it might appeal to the kids but the taste of the food really sucked! Furthermore no signs of PEANUTS characters in the presentation, so why do I need to pay RM14.90 for this? >.<

As mentioned, its the ambience.... You get a few LCD TVs showing PEANUTS cartoons. The walls are well painted and decorated with PEANUTS characters.

Its a good place for camwhoring as well....

With a couple of comic strips here and there among the decoration. This is one of the light cubes. The ceiling is also decorated with colourful and fancy light covers. In the first few photos, the green light cover is actually one of the many ones attached on the ceiling, right above your head. You can check out the previous post sneak peek photo at the end.

They have a souvenir shop. Things don't come cheap here though but they have quite a wide selection of decorative items and more useful items. You will surely find one which suits your budget.

Shirt is around RM75 per piece. The plush toys ranges from less than RM100 to RM500+ depending on size. They have bathroom foot mats, handphone covers, stationery, figurines, mugs, thermos flasks, food containers and...... even BRA and UNDIES!!! serIouSSSs!

I wanted to snap a pic of the undergarments to be posted here but my friend my think that I'm a pervert. =p

Snoopy is an extroverted beagle with a Walter Mitty complex. He is virtouso at every endeavor- at least in his daydreams atop his doghouse. He regards his master, Charlie Brown as "that round headed kid" who brings him his supper dish. He is fearless though prudently cautious about "the cat next door". He never speaks - that would be one human trait too many - but he manages to convey everything necessary in facial expressions and though balloons. A one-man show with superior intelligence and vivid imagination, he has created such multiple personalities as Joe Cool, World Ware I Flying Ace, Literary Ace. Flashbeagle, Vulture. Foreign Legionnaire, etc.

Having that said, how can I not take a photo with Snoopy. Chairs to cater for camwhorers like me. =)

The decorated window. This area overlooks the magnificent seaview but sadly.........

.......This area was off limits when we were there.

Another private room also closed. Well, on a Tuesday afternoon, there were only a 2-3 other tables besides mine. And this figure was taken into account from my 2 hour stay there! o.O

And it seems like at night, there is a live band performing. Its really deserted during weekdays. Colourful wall paintings for camwhores.

The famous scenes where you could've came across among the photos of your friends. That's if you refuse to pay RM10+ for a drink to camwhore inside. There are a few spots where you can have your photo taken without needing to enter and buy something.

Else, you can just give it a try and maximise your stay there. Its about PEANUTS and PEANUTS only. Doubt I will return again for a second trip unless other friends decided to come again, I might tag along by ordering a hot beverage. That's all. =) Finally, I stepped into Charlie Brown Cafe without needing to go to Singapore!