Month: September 2011

Sibu Famous Jelly Pisang

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sibu famous jelly pisang

I was having pre-dinner drinks at Peppers Cafe earlier today before finally capitulating and ordered the Sibu Famous Jelly Pisang (RM 7). It is described as “Fresh banana slices with strawberry jelly in sugar syrup topped with shaved ice, finished with Ideal milk and laced with strawberry syrup”.

I’m from Sibu and I’ve never heard of such a concoction before, much less with a “famous” tag preceding it. *squints suspiciously

tanahmas

However, it seems that there really is such a dessert despite my initial skepticism and dark thoughts about fleecing unsuspecting tourists. Eddy told me that Jelly Pisang was a very big thing back when he was a teenager – all his Malay friends would eagerly go for a bowl on a particularly hot day.

I’m not sure if it’s a Sibu thing or more of a Sarawak thing but anecdotes seem to suggest the former. This is further confirmed by Arthur’s blog post about it and a mention of it being a specialty of Ban Chuan Coffee Shop way back in the days.

jelly pisang

Jelly Pisang (banana jelly) is delicious – there is no sweetener in the iced concoction, the shaved ice only has cordial (for color) and evaporated milk.

However, when you bite into the huge mass of jelly, you get an intense sugar rush. The jelly forms 1/3 of the entire dessert and sets at the bottom. You scoop up large chunks of it like ruby red sugar icebergs when you dip your spoon down. There’s no fine dicing (a sure indicator of mass production) here, which is a good thing.

peppers cafe

The Jelly Pisang is really quite nice, as the unsweetened shaved ice contrasts nicely with the saccharine sweet in-house made jelly. The banana slices are lovely too. However, it seems that time has not been kind to this particular dessert.

It has largely fallen out of favor and is now mostly available in cafes and restaurants under “Local Desserts” as a historical ode to days gone by, instead of stalls.

Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011

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vw das auto

I just came back from the Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011 and I am suitably impressed. Volkswagen sure knows how to come up with amazing events. I got to experience driving on the actual Sepang International Circuit last week and this time they have an incredible launch gimmick that you have to see for yourself. It’s epic!

vw girl

Anyway, I went there quite early and strolled around the reception area at Stadium Bukit Jalil before the dome experience started.

driving sim

They have driving simulators scattered around so you’ll have no shortage of entertainment.

snacks

You would not want for food or drink either as there are people going around with trays of intriguing hors d’oeuvres.

food

I had more than a couple since I haven’t had breakfast. Heh.

ipad

There are also Volkswagen Ambassadors walking around with iPads to take your photo – this will be uploaded to dasautoshow.com.my so you can download, tag or share the pictures.

driving2

The dome experience is hands down the HIGHLIGHT (no pun intended) of the Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011. You are ushered into a complete spherical dome to see the new offerings of VW and what the future has to offer.

dome

It’s a 30 minute experience that blew me away.

electric scooter

Petra Schreiber, the Marketing Director of Volkswagen Group Malaysia came on stage riding a futuristic electric scooter. This. Is. The. Future.

ramp

The show then started with the latest yet-to-be-released Volkswagen cars been driven right INTO the dome and around it. It rates way up there as one of the coolest launch gimmicks I’ve ever seen. Check out the video – it’s mind-blowing! 🙂

The dome is a complete 360 projection screen so it’s pretty amazing to be bombarded (in a good way) by interactive images everywhere you look. It’s like 3D, wait, 4D, or maybe 5D coz you can smell the exhaust of the cars. It’s the future, yo. 😉

cars

The dome is structurally made with a loop around it so a convoy of cars can drive around it. There are ramps leading up and down too so the cars can get on the stage for a closer look before being driven away again…

ella

…and just when you thought things have ended, a bunch of kids came on stage singing Reach by Gloria Estefan.

…and when you thought that was it, someone stood up on the third row and joined in – it’s Ella! She’s a Malaysian artist, I didn’t see her at the show until she joined in the song. I managed to capture that on video. Sweet.

elaine daly

I also got a photo with Elaine Daly – she was the MC during the event.

vw beetle

This is perhaps the most photographed car during the Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011 – The 21st Century Beetle.

beetle interior

It’s a classic and it comes in red. It’ll come to Malaysian shores soon, and I bet the demand would be huge for this.

convertible

We literally had to be chased out of the dome coz we were taking so many photos with the VW Beetle. 🙂

golf

The dome experience does not end there – the entire portfolio of existing Volkswagen cars is on display outside.

golf gti

Golf GTI

eos

I love the Eos convertible. Imagine driving this baby around town.

prassat

However, one of the more interesting things revealed in the Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011 is that there will be 3 models that will be manufactured in Malaysia! This includes the Passat – and I think localization is a great idea, it’ll drive costs down and make the cars more affordable to the general public.

driving

I went in the morning so the domes are not lit – I heard that the lighting makes the dome much more surreal at night so drop by this weekend if you can. The Volkswagen Das Auto Show 2011 is at Stadium Bukit Jalil and will be going on from 10-11th September. Head on over for a peek at Volkswagen’s new offerings!

Y2K on 9/9

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y2k dinner

I just had dinner with the extended clan at Y2K. It’s a family favorite – my dad is a huge fan of their low MSG and salt style of cooking. The chef comes out with dishes really fast too, probably due to the relative lack of customers.

y2k empty

The restaurant next door is more popular since Y2K is priced slightly higher. A meal would probably cost a bit more for the exact same dishes but I doubt the proprietors care much. They have their loyal regulars…and Y2K is entirely family run.

y2k owners

The cook and his wife maintains the nitty gritty stuff while the new generation – the son and his wife, pictured above, runs the front end customer service.

y2k food

I’m pretty bushed now coz I haven’t slept (except for a quick cat nap during the flight) since I woke up at 7 am on Thursday. I’m turning in now, I’m super exhausted. I’ll update again soon…had a great lunch with Arthur just now which I haven’t written about. 😀

Win a trip to the 2011 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix!

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f1 night race

You know the one right? It’s the only F1 GP in the entire world with a night race. I reckon it was an ingenious twist to the F1 format when it first came out – it stands out from all the others and makes Singapore one of the places to be if you’re an F1 fan!

f1 singapore

The actual race will start on the 25th of September with a total of 61 laps, making it a 309.316 km drive. Well, the F1 Grand Prix is of course the highlight of the event but I wonder if you know how they live in Singapore? 😉

sharika

The 2011 Grand Prix Season Singapore lasts from 16-25th of September and is set with parties, fashion shows and performances throughout the season. It comes at a reputed entertainment lineup bill of SGD 5,000,000. That’s slightly over RM 12 million!

shaggy

This mostly goes toward their Live Louder than Life theme this year with a focus on music performances and dance parties. If you remember last year’s theme, it was “It’s Gonna Get Loud” and this year’s will expand on that by giving F1 racing enthusiasts the experience of a lifetime by introducing them to the exciting and glamorous Singapore nightlife!

singapura

That’s right, no one goes to just the race itself. From experience in the F1 races in Melbourne and Sepang, there’s loads of events going on at the time to cater to the fans during the lulls in the action on track.

linkin park

Singapore is one of the most glamorous places to party in Asia – I believe they’re at the #1 spot or close to it according to this clubbing report I read. They’ve got an outstanding lineup of international artists this year – Chemical Brothers, Linkin Park and Shakira is just the tip of the triple A list entertainers coming in.

Here are highlights of the few parties that I think is going to be a blast:

Amber Lounge & Amber Lounge Fashion Singapore
Date: 24 to 25 September 2011
Venue: Temasek Reflection (Water wall behind Millenia Walk)

This is an annual VIP party with F1 drivers and stunning models gracing the club with a fashion show set to beats of international Djs from London to St Tropez.

chem bros

Avalon
Date: 16 to 25 September 2011
Venue: Marina Bay Sands, South Crystal Pavilion

The Chemical Brothers are going to spin here! It’s headlined by The Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 and also features Benny Banassi (!!!), Massive Attack and Boy George. The entire list is too long to well, list here, but it’s hard to argue with the Chem Bros playing Dig Your Own Hole while you soak in the panoramic views of Marina Bay…it’s Avalon, the hottest club in Singapore!

Red Hot Racing Weekend @ St James Power Station
Date: 23 to 25 September 2011
Venue: St James Power Station

DJ Angie Vu Ha – Asia’s first supermodel DJ will be spinning there on the 23rd of September. You can also race on the F1 simulators and stand a chance to win exclusive Ferrari merchandize. Need I say more? 🙂

Bollywood

Worldwide Festival
Date: 16 to 18 September 2011
Venue: Zouk & Velvet Underground (16 September), Avalon (17 September), Tanjong Beach Club (18 September)

Yes, it’s BACK! The Worldwide Festival returns with artists which includes Kyoto Jazz Massive, Floating Points, Mala, Gilles Peterson, Shuya Oniko and more! It’s 3 days of partying in indoor and outdoor venues. This is going to be awesome, there’s nothing quite like a beach party.

performers

Anyway, if you’re a fan of both F1 and partying (it seems like there is a high correlation between the two) you can gear up to the actual event by participating in the Grand Prix PartyBlaster contest. You can hear sample tracks from the top DJ’s who will be performing at the Grand Prix Season Singapore parties and share them.

The best part is when you share a new track with your Facebook or Twitter friends, you’ll unlock a new one!

check

No, I’m just using a US-based proxy. Excellent job in detecting and allowing me to select the correct country though – it’s the little things that matter.

grand prix partyblaster

The best thing about this application is that you get to win a FREE trip for two to Singapore, inclusive of race tickets, airfare, 4D3N accommodation and access to selected clubs and parties all weekend, if you’re the “loudest” (most number of posts shared) user.

twirling

…and hey, even if you don’t win, you’ll have a blast (pun intended) listening to the A list DJ’s. Turn on, tune in, drop out, at YourSingapore.com!

Can you eat a one-year-old expired mooncake?

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how long does mooncakes last

I have a box of mooncakes from last year in the fridge. I know it has expired but I never took the trouble to throw it away. It came in a nice package and my fridge is icy cold, so it’s not like there was an offensive smell emanating from it. *shrugs

expired mooncake date

Anyway, I was a bit curious about the state of the mooncake so I took it out just now. The use by date is 31/10/2010 – it’s almost a year since the manufacturer has deemed it fit for human consumption. However, it looked normal to me – there’s a distinct lack of fungi, so don’t expect a carpet of mold calling the mooncake home. 😉

expired mooncake lotus

It looked edible. Now, that really piqued my interest so I took one of them (the lotus with egg yolk) and sliced it in half. It still looks fit to eat. Hmm…well, I guess there’s just one way to find out.

expired mooncake eat

I bit into the rock hard (it was frozen) mooncake and chewed on a small chunk. I tentatively rolled it around my tongue and hesitantly swallowed a bit of it. It tasted fine!

Imagine that, a mooncake which has expired for one year…but still (at first taste) palatable!

expired mooncake spit

…until I nibbled at the egg yolk. I have great control over my gag reflex so nothing dramatic happened, but the vile taste of the yolk was quite memorable. I had to spit it out.

Well, at least I tried. Mooncakes can keep for ages, if not for the yolk! Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back! 😀

How much dirty laundry can you stuff into a laundry bag?

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dirty laundry

The two back-to-back public holidays are finally over! I didn’t send my dirty laundry off in time before the long holidays started, so I was knee deep in it by today. I used a standard laundry bag (nicked from a hotel somewhere) and tried to stuff all my worn attire into it.

I think I just set a new record here!

…after a bit of grunting (and tearing of the considerably tough bag) I managed to clobber the unruly clothes into submission and sent it off to the cleaners.

Guess how much it weighed?

dirty laundry weight

6.4 kg. Just a bit more and I would have been over the weight limit for carry-on baggage. 🙂

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