Year: 2008

TuneHotels.com KL review

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tune hotel display

I first heard of Tune Hotels when I saw their functional display at the LCCT terminal at KLIA. It sounded like a great concept – a clean budget hotel with the basics and prices starting from just RM 9.99. It’s operated by the AirAsia conglomerate and I decided to book a room to experience the concept hotel.

tune hotel

The hotel is located near the Medan Tuanku Monorail Station and the interesting thing about the hotel is that it’s not called Tune Hotel. It’s called TuneHotels.com. It’s like 1997 all over again, with the dot com craze. The other thing that impressed itself upon me was the vast amount of advertising that’s plastered around the facade. It’s like the hotel is one gigantic billboard!

tune reception

The price of the hotel rooms fluctuates according to demand, much like AirAsia tickets. I got our double room for RM 48.99. The price is for the room only, and everything extra is charged. Towels and soap goes for RM 15, air conditioning is charged at RM 6.83 for 5 hours and RM 13.49 for 12 hours, and WiFi is available for RM 12 for 24 hours.

tune anchor

TuneHotels.com also implements the interesting concept of “anchor franchise tenants” – there is a 7Eleven, a Subway and another franchise eating establishment at the lobby. TuneHotels.com has a very stringent check-in policy. The check-in time is at 2 pm and no one gets to check in before the designated time. Thus, there’s a huge queue of people waiting at the lobby, which usually ends up patronizing the franchise tenants. Amazing marketing…

tune hotels exterior

The check-out time is at 10 am – 2 hours before the regular 12 pm check-out time for hotels, which is something to watch out for. I didn’t remember and was awakened from my blissful ethanol induced slumber at 11 am by housekeeping to politely remind me that the check-out time is at 10 pm. They don’t charge you for overstaying though, so it’s still alright.

tune rooms

The rooms at TuneHotels.com are as small as everyone says. There’s hardly enough space for two people to pass through the corridor! It looks a little like a love hotel too, as my girlfriend commented – there are pink neon lighting surrounding huge mirrors (probably for increase spatial perception) and the luminosity from a lot of the fixings are neon in nature. The bathroom is a little small and cramped, but I can’t complain for the price – and it’s very clean to boot.

tune room ads

One thing you may have noticed from the photos is that there are a lot of advertisements even in the room. I could count a McDonald’s ad, a CIMB Bank ad, a Visa card ad, and a Maggi instant noodles ad vying for eyeballs in the bedroom itself! It’s staggering!

tune floor ads

An advertiser sponsors each and every floor at TuneHotels.com too, much like the KL Monorail…

tune fav

…this is my personal favorite. 😉

tune danger

The architect of TuneHotels.com is a proponent of the minimum space, maximum occupancy philosophy and this leads to the height of the rooms being extra low. I nearly hit my face on the ceiling fan (when it was on full blast!) while standing up on the bed. Granted, there are signs warning you against the perils of the low hung ceiling fan causing unfortunate incidents, but still…

tune anna

You get to meet a lot of people at TuneHotels.com too, the backpacker types – this is Anna from Gold Coast, Australia who kindly pulled up a chair for me when I went down for a smoke at 2 am in the morning (which was why I look half asleep). She’s here on a modeling assignment.

tune end

I’m impressed with Datuk Tony Fernandez’s business acumen. Sponsored floors! Advertising in the elevators! Franchise tenants! The commercialization of the TuneHotels.com operation is staggering. Personally, I don’t mind as long as the savings are passed down to the guests. 🙂

Shanghai 10 @ Sungai Wang Plaza

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shanghai10

Shanghai 10 is a Hong Kong style eating establishment located at Sungai Wang Plaza. There was a promoter passing out 10% discount vouchers at the escalators so we decided to check the place out. The full color brochure is printed with tantalizing photos of the dishes, some of which were quite unique.

shanghai10 interior

Shanghai10 is a direct English translation of the Chinese name, which actually means “Shanghai Sky”. 10 and “tien” (sky) is phonetically similar. The interior of the place is plastered with ancient Chinese scrolls and paintings – all in a contiguous length covering the perimeter of the enclosure, which is pretty impressive.

shanghai10 drinks

The place is packed with patrons having brunch and we got ourselves a seat and decided to binge a little since we were famished from not having breakfast. My girlfriend went for the Iced Honey Lemon Jasmine Tea (RM 3.20) and I ordered Guinness Stout (RM 10.80) that still came in the old skool cans containing the proper 8% alcohol. 😉

shanghai10 shark fin

Double Boiled Seafood Soup Dumplings with Shark Fin (RM 12)
This is one of the signature soups of the place. It’s served with a rather generous portion of shark fin on top of the soup, which contains fish maw, crab sticks and several huge peeled prawns. The broth is hearty and delicious, especially with a dash of pepper after the shark fin has been consumed.

shanghai10 montage

Shanghai Special Fried Bean Sheet (RM 7.80)
This tasted really good, with generous portions of seafood. I love the fried bean sheet and was enthusing about it to my girlfriend. We don’t get that over here in Sarawak. The texture and size of the bean sheet is really nice.
Kei Chi Fried Rice (RM 5.80)
Kei Chi is the red bead thing that always goes into double boiled chicken soup. I don’t know what it’s called in English but its supposed help you with your eyesight. *shrugs* I didn’t find this dish particularly interesting.
Shanghai Double Boiled Soup Dumplings (RM 6.90)
This is the famous “xiao long pau” (small dragon buns) which is made with the chicken broth still inside the paper-thin wrap. Shanghai 10 does a good version of this. It’s topped with fish roe – a very nice touch.
Shanghai 10 Jade Shrimp Dumplings (RM 4.20)
This is the Shanghai 10 signature version of the popular dim sum. The har kaw comes with a huge, succulent prawn inside and it’s juicy and tender. Nice!

shanghai10 dragon

The Shanghai Double Boiled Soup Dumplings is supposed to be pierced first to let the chicken broth drain out before consuming. The ritual has a pragmatic rationale – the soup is scalding hot, as Doris found out when she accidentally scalded her tongue on it. Probably ruined her taste buds for the day, that. 😉

shanghai10 avocado

This is the house specialty dessert – Avocado with Kataifi (RM 5.20). It’s a Greek dessert originating from the Middle East, where it is known as Kanafeh. The crispy exterior of the Kataifi in Shanghai 10 goes well with the avocado paste inside. It’s a bit too oily for our tastes though.

shanghai10 durian

The other dessert we ordered is the Durian Pancake (RM 4.80). This dessert is served cold and comes in a durian skin wrap and a filling made of fresh durians. It’s absolutely fabulous! The sinfully delicious dessert is creamy and rich, and it comes highly recommended from me. 🙂

shanghai10 end

Shanghai 10 is an agreeable dining experience for shopping mall standards. The bill came up to RM 62.80 for the two of us, after the 10% discount voucher that was passed to us at the elevator. I highly recommend it for the durian pancake. It’s heavenly!

(pun not intended)

Frontera Bar & Grill @ Jaya One

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frontera

Frontera Bar & Grill is located at Jaya One and serves authentic Tex-Mex fare. I was invited by Larry to sample his repertoire of culinary delights and went there for lunch with my girlfriend in tow. Frontera Bar & Grill is open from 12 pm till late and serves premium tequila with Patron being the flagship brand of the place.

interior

The interior of Frontera Bar & Grill has a distinct Mexican theme with agave plants, pictures of person(s) of Latin American descent, and sarapes hanging from the ceiling. The colorful pieces of fabric adds a lot of ambiance to the place, as does the Mexican gangsta rap music emanating from the speakers as we walked into the eating establishment. 😉

chips salsa

The friendly waiter informed us that Larry was on his way and served us some Chips & Salsa while we were waiting. The salsa is homemade with fresh Jalapenos and serves as a great dip for the chips. I love scooping up the salsa with the nachos, it makes for a fun snack and we were famished from not eating the entire day (due to waking up a scant hour before, nursing a hangover).

horny margarita

It is said that the best cure for a hangover is more alcohol and thus, we had the Horny Margarita. It’s made with Sauza tequila (100% agave tequila) and derives its name from the Hornitos label. Larry arrived soon after that and settled down once the introductions have been made. It was great to meet up with him again. I’ve known him for ages and I’m glad that he’s finally made it to the big leagues.

taquitos

This is the Taquitos de Pollo. It’s an appetizer made with Frontera chicken wrapped in corn tortillas and served with salsa verde (green sauce) and sour cream. The Frontera chicken is submersed in their special chili marinade before baking and it came out juicy and creamy. The contrast between the tender chicken and the crispy tortilla skin creates an interesting texture in the mouth. The salsa verde and sour cream sauce also serves as a good antidote for the Habanero chili challenge I took on. 😉

enchiladas

I had the Beef Enchiladas, which Larry recommended. It’s made with New Mexico Red chili sauce and topped with cheese. The beef is specially ordered with just the right amount of lean meat vs fat ratio and it’s so tender it almost melts in the mouth. The chili used in the dish had to be imported in as well. I love this dish. I rate this the best of the Frontera menu.

chimichanga

Doris had the Chicken Chimichanga which is a huge wrap of chicken served with a side of frijoles refritos (Refried beans) and Mexican rice. The Chicken Chimichanga is topped with melted cheese and the refried beans and Mexican rice on the side makes it a very filling dish. Frontera doesn’t skimp on the chicken too, the wrap is chock full of chicken pieces.

cheeseburger

We also got a chance to sample the new menu, affectionately dubbed “Gringo Fare” by Larry. This is the Frontera Cheese Burger which is served with fries sprinkled with Frontera’s chili peppers. The cheese burger is huge and comes with a lot of cheese – a perfect cheeseburger. It still maintains the Tex-Mex influence from the flavored fries and the beef patty is juicy and delicious.

chicken sandwich

The next item in the yet-to-be-released new “Gringo Fare” menu is the Frontera Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeno Coleslaw. I reckon it shouldn’t be called a chicken sandwich – the lean chicken cut inside the bun is so enormous, it should be a main dish in its own right! My girlfriend really liked this one, the chicken is tender and juicy and the Jalapeno coleslaw stays true to Frontera’s Tex-Mex roots.

agave margarita

The huge meal was washed down with Frontera’s Agave Margarita, which is made with agave syrup instead of sugar syrup. The difference between a pure agave margarita made with agave syrup is surprisingly distinctive from one made with sugar syrup. It doesn’t really hit you until after a while too, and Frontera serves their margaritas with a full US shot (as in 45 ml) instead of the UK definition of a “shot” (25 ml) which most pubs use.

Behind the Scenes

dried chilis

Dried Chili
Ancho
New Mexico Red
Guajillo
Chili de Arbol
Pasilla
Chipotle Morita

fresh chilis

Fresh Chili
Habanero
Jalapeno

Interesting fact: Frontera means border or frontier in Spanish.

jaya one

Frontera Bar & Grill
No. 18-8-2 Block L,
Palm Square, Jaya One
Jalan University, Petaling Jaya.
T +603 7958 8515
F +603 7958 8125

The Matriarch

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grandma photo

The Matriarch of the Poh clan celebrated her 78th birthday last night at Swansea Restaurant. The dishes on the table are the obligatory deep fried boiled egg (each person eats one) surrounding fried longevity noodles and of course, ginseng chicken soup.

grandma fish

I also like this candid photo of my sister peering at the fish (also another essential dish in Chinese dinners).

grandma group

My grandmother is an inspiration to me – she got married at the tender age of 16 (!) and fathered my dad when she was a scant 19 years old. It was an arranged marriage (as was the custom in those days) and she has more than fulfilled her duties as a loyal wife to my deceased grandfather, sticking by him through thick and thin, until he died of lung cancer 15 years ago.

It’s truly amazing to see the sheer perseverance and unquestioning diligence that she exudes, taking the cards life has dealt her without so much as a grumble, and still maintaining a cheerful disposition everyday.

I take my hat off to her, she’s much stronger than me.

I bet she’s stronger than much of the current “Where’s my slice? I want more than equal rights” generation too.

Happy Birthday, popo!

Me Against The World Challenge energized by 100PLUS

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100PLUS start

I used to mountain bike, and would always challenge myself to do something cool. It’s been some years but then, I came across a very interesting challenge called Me Against The World energized by 100PLUS. Now I can prove myself to the world how good I used to be!

Thus, I packed my trusty old mountain bike and went to a local park renowned for its steep and unforgiving concrete steps in order to film myself riding down the incline. I went for the hardest trail coz great swords are always forged by fire, and he who dares wins.

I’m not a very good mountain biker but I did it with sheer determination and perseverance.

Life has no limits, and there are bound to be spills (and thrills) but if you push on and never give up, and just keep on going, then you’re in a position to challenge yourself, and challenge the world.

The online challenge is going on from the 15th of October 2008 to the 15th of February 2009. Upload a video of yourself doing something challenging within these four categories:

Sports (e.g. football freestyle, cool basketball tricks etc.)
Dance / Music (e.g. breakdance, drum solo etc.)
Extreme Sports (e.g. skateboarding, surfing etc.)
Lifestyle (e.g. skipping rope tricks, cheerleading, handstands etc.)

…and get people to vote for you to win fantastic monthly prizes. The top 12 ranked videos (3 per category) will win:

Month 1 – Nike vouchers worth RM 300 each
Month 2 – Sony products worth RM 299 each
Month 3 – Topshop vouchers worth RM 300 each
Month 4 – Nike vouchers worth RM 300 each

The Top 12 ranked videos at the end of the campaign period will be selected to perform LIVE at the Challenge Finale where the top three prize winners will take in a combined RM 12,000 in prizes from Sony, Nike, Topshop and 100PLUS.

Alternatively, choose to just register as a voter, and win monthly lucky draw prizes. The 5 lucky winners every month will win Nike vouchers worth RM 50 each.

100PLUS end

I’m a novice mountain biker and I can do this challenge in one morning. Do you have what it takes to challenge me? Take a video of yourself doing something challenging in one of the four categories and post it on the site and prove to the world you’ve got what it takes.

Life has no limits!

Your moment of truth awaits you. Strut your stuff and discover your capabilities at the Me Against The World Challenge energized by 100PLUS!

The Frontera Margarita Man

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martini man

Frontera Bar & Grill serves a wide range of premium and super premium 100% blue agave tequila. This here is the official Frontera Margarita Man, who has served thousands of margaritas during his tenure at the bar.

speedy gonzalez

The Speedy Gonzalez is a cocktail with Red Bull, watermelon liquor and Sauza 100% pure blue agave tequila. It’s under the Hornitos label and packs a real punch. The Red Bull (caffeine and Taurine) gives a slightly stimulating aspect to offset the CNS depressant qualities of the Sauza Hornitos tequila.

Watch the Speedy Gonzolez being made live! You can’t taste the alcohol inside, and the stimulants make you feel like you’re not feeling the alcohol too, but you are – a drink to watch out for. 🙂

patron xo cafe

The Patron Spirits Company also makes coffee liqueur, which I didn’t know until I went to Frontera. Dubbed the Patron XO Cafe, it’s like Kahlua, except this coffee liqueur weighs in at a whopping 40% alcohol! It can be sipped neat and taste a hell of a lot better than Kahlua.

stealth bomber

Frontera Bar & Grill also makes a mean B-52 with Patron XO Cafe instead of Kahlua. This doubles the alcohol content so I think it should be dubbed the B2 Spirit “Stealth Bomber” instead. It’s a shooter with B-52 “Stratofortress” ingredients with the Kahlua substituted with the premium Patron XO Cafe.

gran patron

The tequila based drinks at Frontera is sweetened with agave syrup instead of sugar syrup so the taste of agave is preserved. It’s really a good concept, and a great place for tequila based cocktails. The unopened Gran Patron Platinum at the front costs RM 1,400 per bottle. Larry didn’t let me taste it though. 😉 It’s understandable – he hasn’t had the chance to sample it himself.

generations tequila

Tequila is underrated in Malaysia due to the non-premium brands flooding the market but tasting the premium and super premium brands has given me much respect for this drink from Mexico.

frontera me doris

Check it out at Frontera Bar & Grill @ Jaya One.

Tiger FC Fantasy Football League 2009 Updates!

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tiger

I have been playing Tiger Fantasy League this season as a previous post indicated. Since then, the team is progressing really well, despite very little micromanagement during the week I was volunteering for charity work. I attribute that to a solid lineup selection in the starting stages. 🙂

The Nuffnang mini-league (nuffleague) currently has 19 active players, 15 of which I am thrashing. I’m ranked at #4 with 118 points (a very auspicious number) with a global ranking position of 431.

nuffleague

Tiger Fantasy League also allows transfers during the football season:

out

I’m replacing Slyvain Distin, who’s the worst player in my team. He conceded 8 goals for crying out loud!

transfer

I’m taking in Lucas Neill from West Ham United instead. I’ve watched him play and he’s a bit of a dark horse that I’m betting on for Hull City v West Ham United on the 19th of October.

The transfer system is a very nifty feature as you don’t want to be stuck with your initial lineup if a player has injuries, red cards or other handicaps that would slow down your team’s progress. Likewise, if you have been eying a particular player who has been performing well during the season, this would be a good time to snap him up into your team.

ranking

I have been thwarted by KY, Geno FC and ShaolinTiger.com Team but the English Premier League is still far from over and I vow to exact my vengeance with the fury of Manchester City thrashing Portsmouth 6-0 last month.

Assimilation! Resistance is futile! 😉

I never knew fantasy league could be this fun!

Team SixthSeal.com, FTW!

My sister’s wedding @ Grand Jasmine Ballroom, RH Hotel

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wedding sibu

My sister just had her second wedding reception last night at the Grand Jasmine Ballroom in RH Hotel, Sibu. The KL wedding reception was held exactly one week ago and last night’s festivities were for the bride’s family and friends.

main table

The Grand Jasmine Ballroom was used since we had 40 tables seating 10 people each. Both Jasmine 1 and Jasmine 2 were used to accommodate for the wedding. I just found out that each table costs over RM 450 so that’s about RM 18,000 for the wedding reception alone.

montage sibu

Gifts were respectfully declined and my parents did not accept any ang pows at all. My parents wanted this to be a casual get-together for friends and family without the traditional trappings of Chinese wedding banquets. It’s giving back magnanimously to the Sibu community to commemorate the wedding of their daughter.

The sales personnel of the local newspapers were politely kept away from the ballroom area to prevent their hard sell advertisements from bothering the guests and we roped in relatives to do the seating arrangements and ushering duties.

montage crowd

It was a huge task since there were 400 guests from various groups (church, organizations, corporations, family, schools and friends) to be seated at their designated tables.

I was slated to be the MC of the night and there were two main events that I had to coordinate – the entrance of the bride and groom from the flower arch down the red carpet lined with flowers and all the way through the second wedding arch before being seated.

entrance

The night’s festivities began with the bride and groom walking in before being seated at the main table.

montage main

There are ten seats on the main table:
1. Alvin Ng (groom)
2. Poh Yih Jia (bride – my sister)
3, 4: Mr & Mrs Poh (parents of the bride)
5, 6: Mr & Mrs Ng (parents of the groom)
7: Paternal grandmother (of bride)
8: Maternal grandmother (of bride)
9, 10: Poh Huai Bin & Doris (brother of the bride and girlfriend)

montage speach

I started off with a short welcome speech before showing a presentation of my sister’s progress throughout the years. The bride and groom came on stage to acknowledge the efforts that went into the events management aspects. My sister did a great speech thanking my parents for her upbringing, waxing nostalgic and generally trying to be a tearjerker. It’s a good thing some sand got into my eyes. 😉

first dish

The good Reverent said grace before dinner and the first dish was served.

The interesting bit and the flagship feature of weddings at The Grand Jasmine Ballroom is the presentation of the first dish. The lights went dark and music started playing as a parade of waiters and waitresses choreographed a candlelit performance while carrying the first dish before serving the dishes. It’s quite unique and novel.

montage festivities 

There was the time-honored cake cutting ceremony by the bride and the groom after that, followed by the champagne pouring ceremony, some kissing action from the newly weds and a toast led by me where everyone raised their glasses to bless the holy matrimony of the bride and groom.

main group

This is a group photo of the immediate family at the main table. You’ll notice that there are only eight of us – my paternal grandmother went to the washroom and there was an empty seat meant for my maternal grandmother. Unfortunately, she had a bad Alzheimer’s attack before the wedding and couldn’t join us. Both my grandfathers are deceased, both coincidentally from lung cancer.

food 1

The food on the main table is served individually for some reason, instead of being a communal dish.

food 2

I have yet to figure out the reasoning behind this.

I went up and sang The Wedding a.k.a the “Ave Maria” song with my mom before the end of the night.

I actually sang it twice, the first one was dedicated to my girlfriend and I did a solo on that. My apologies for subjecting everyone to the auditory assault – I don’t sing well, but I sing with my heart. :p

doris

The wedding reception ended at 9:30 pm and our relatives stayed back and helped clean up the place. Doris is seen here feeding me fake champagne – it’s a actually a prop that expels confetti when pulled.

cake

There was just one major blunder at the wedding – the three-tiered wedding cake was not sliced and distributed by the RH Hotel staff after the cake cutting ceremony, which they were supposed to do. We all forgot about that since we were busy with other stuff and only realized it when it was still on stage when I thanked the guests for coming. Oh well, at least it was all packed up and given to relatives so it’s not that bad.

wedding end

Congratulations to Alvin Ng and Yih Jia on their wedding. I guess I’ll have to start to call my sister Mrs. Ng now.

Hmm…

Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa

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kenko fish spa

Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa is a relatively new concept spa and reflexology center offering the unique doctor fish treatment for your feet. Doctor fish spas have sprung into popularity last year and a lot of people have been to Kenko Fish Spa, which has outlets throughout the Klang Valley.

kenko reception

I went to the Kenko Fish Spa in Pavilion, KL to experience the doctor fish spa. It costs RM 38 per person for a 30 minute session inside the doctor fish spa pool. I’ve been keen to check out the doctor fish ever since I’ve read about it on several blogs – it sounds interesting.

kenko tag

You are given a tag to clock in the Kenko Fish Spa area, and an attendant will direct you to the pre-treatment area. The tag initiates the start of your timing block, and allows you access to the general doctor fish spa pool. There are also private rooms if you’re more inclined to enjoy the fish treatment in seclusion.

kenko fish wash

Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa starts the doctor fish spa session by requesting users to wash their feet first. This is not just for hygiene purposes – chemicals from body lotion and creams can contaminate the pool water and probably cause the doctor fish to float belly up. Body lotion is not exactly sauce to complement the dead flesh the fish eats from your feet. 😉

kenko fish spa pool

The fish spa at Kenko in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur features a central pool with larger species of the doctor fish and a trench bordering the perimeter with smaller versions of the Garra rufa and Cyprinion macrostomus.

kenko fish spa large

I went into the central pool first and the doctor fish swarmed around my feet and started nibbling away at the dead flesh. It felt a little ticklish at first, but after a while, the sensation is actually quite pleasant.

My girlfriend however, nearly screamed when she put her feet inside and quickly jumped out. The attendant kindly told her that the trench surrounding the area has smaller versions of the doctor fish and would probably be suited for the more squeamish ones amongst us.

kenko fish spa small

I joined her at the trench area after feeding the bigger doctor fish in the central pool. I figured it would work better to let the larger doctor fish feast on the larger and hardened chunks of dead flesh on my feet before letting the smaller ones take care of the rest.

The interesting thing about the doctor fish is that it not only feasts on the dead skin and flesh on your feet, but also on your legs. There are signs that warn against putting your hand inside the water, but I did just that and the doctor fish swarmed around it too and started nibbling away at the dead skin. 🙂

kenko

Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa @ Pavilion, KL offers a nice view of the city from the glass panel windows while the doctor fish takes care of the dead skin and flesh from your feet. It’s very relaxing and my feet was noticeably smoother after the treatment.

kenko sibu

Due to the popularity of the doctor fish spas, even Sibu has started its very own treatment center…in an inflatable pool right in the middle of a shopping mall. Instead of luxurious wood paneling, you get plastic chairs to sit on.

kenko sibu fish spa

It’s called “Love Bite Fish Spa Happy Feet” and some enterprising soul charges RM 15 for a 30-minute session inside the stagnant inflatable pool containing a handful of doctor fish. I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly falling over myself to sit down on a plastic chair and put my feet in an inflatable pool in the middle of the mall.

kenko fish spa me

Give me Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa any day. 😉

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