Month: October 2011

Xingang Bak Kut Teh, Cheras

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june tee

I headed down to Cheras over the weekend to check out June’s family’s bak kut teh place. It’s at Taman Segar, just a stone’s throw away from Cheras Leisure Mall (if you’re an Olympic grade shot-putter that is). I was particularly interested in the dry bak kut teh noodles – bit of a novelty there. 🙂

xingang cheras

Xingang serves bak kut teh as its main fare, but being a neighborhood shop, it also has chicken rice, fish and other miscellaneous dishes. What is interesting about the bak kut teh is that they don’t use a lot of herbs to cover up the lack of pork flavors – this BKT broth really has been boiling for a long time.

xingang

Go early if you want to have the bak kut teh noodles – it is one of the highlight of the lunch. Xingang is built so it feels like you’re seating al fresco but there’s air conditioning coming from the vents on top. I noticed this provides the best balance for eating BKT (not so cold as to make your dishes cool down the minute it gets set down and not so hot to leave you reaching for multiple glasses of iced water).

big bone bak kut teh

Big Bone Claypot Bak Kut Teh
This is a huge shank of pork. I love how the meat falls of the bones. The broth is really good – full of BKT flavors and garlicky to boot.

bkt big bone

The huge bone allows you to pick the meat choices that you like – lean, fatty and even tendons. Mmm…

bkt intestines

Bak Kut Teh Intestines & Stomach
Intestines. Notice anything different? The intestines are stuffed with intestines, like what I imagine a Matryoshka doll’s innards would look like. smirk You know, one of those Russian nesting dolls that goes into another bigger doll etc etc.

intestines

You can order a plethora of cuts from trotters (pig’s feet) to braised egg and it comes in a small side dish filled with the item and some BKT soup, KK style.

dried bak kut teh

Xingang Special Mix Bak Kut Teh
This is where you can choose three types of meat to go into your BKT. We opted for the dry version which is absolutely fabulous. It comes cooked in a spicy claypot with the dried chillis and okra.

okra bkt

I found the addition of okra to be particularly delicious. The okra starts out raw and gets cooked by the claypot heat. It goes very well with the dry salty BKT pork and the hint of spiciness in this dry BKT makes it one of the best I’ve ever had.

dried bkt noodles

Bak Kut Teh Noodles
This is what I came for! You can choose between the dry (RM 6) or wet (RM 5.50) version. I went with the former, which comes with a bowl of BKT soup so you won’t be left wanting. The noodles are hand tossed and served with dry BKT pieces and garnished with a healthy sprinkling of mouth watering scallions.

tong shui

I had this for my main dish (although I had rice as well, which comes sprinkled with deep fried onions) and liked it a lot. I also had a bowl of tong shui but it’s something one of June’s aunts made so don’t expect to see it on the menu. smirk

xingang bkt

Xingang is located at Jalan Manis 7 and has one of the best BKT outside of Klang. I really liked how hearty the soup is – it’s been boiled with a lot of pork and you can taste the care that went into it. The BKT noodles is awesome too – there’s a side of cabbage to offset the spiciness of the dried BKT pork slices.

Thanks for the lunch June! I will definitely be going again. I hear there are some other attractions in the Cheras area that I should be aware of. Heh.

Racks Bar and Baby Backs, Changkat Bukit Bintang

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racks bar baby backs

I recently went to the newly launched Racks Bar and Baby Backs in Changkat Bukit Bintang for dinner. This place specializes in pork ribs and also has a menu with a plethora of all things porcine.

Racks

I’ve written about this place for Lifestyle Asia – the Nice Racks in Changkat Bukit Bintang article is a piece I did for them as a freelance writer.

The starters

special pigs special blankets

Special pigs in special blankets (RM 24)
The suggestive presentation is intentional. Heh. These are spiced oxfords wrapped in parma ham. Parma ham is a slow dry cured ham from Italy – it takes 12 months to complete and is served uncooked. The result is a sweet slice of heaven with a heavy pork fat aftertaste.

asparagus

Asparagus under prosciutto (RM 22)
The steamed and buttered asparagus gives a little balance to the food pyramid. It’s quite refreshing after all the pork dishes and asparagus is one of the few vegetables I actually like.

angels in parma

Angels in parma (RM 32)
I love oysters and I love Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham). What could go wrong with a combination of the both? It’s delicious and the spicy sambal on top provides a fusion twist! I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to oysters – I still prefer it au naturale but this is horizon expanding stuff.

peaches n parma

Peaches ‘n’ parma (RM 22)
This is a brilliant implementation that wraps parma ham around fresh peaches before grilling it. The sweet peach juices provides a nice contrast to the savory parma ham. It’s my personal favorite from the appetizers menu.

Racks of Ruin

These shooters comes in a rack of 12 for RM 200 and is also the part of the namesake of the restaurant (in addition to racks of pork).

the molotov

The Molotov
This Shock and Awe shooter is made with vodka, tequila, Jack Daniels and…Tabasco sauce. The last ingredient will leave mere mortals gasping for breath. It’s one of the stronger shooters and it makes sense to put in Tabasco sauce as it masks the copious amounts of alcohol well.

test tube babies

Test Tube Babies
Vodka, peach schnapps and a dash of cranberry. This is to extinguish the fire caused by The Molotov. It’s sweet and a more traditional shooter.

Racks of Ruin

Illusion
The mix of Midori melon, pineapple juice, vodka and run is positively delicious. I think of it as a holiday drink, something to sip while lounging by the beaches.

Mains

cold cut platter

Cut, pickles, jams, mustard and bread (RM 54)
This is a selection of cold cuts with jams and breads (all made in-house). I like the freshly baked bread – it goes very well with their apple-chilli jam and the slivers of cheese and cold cuts provides the savory twist to the sweet jam slathered bread.

Pork Burger

Racks pork burger (RM 28)
Nestled among the buns is a 7 oz juicy home-made patty. The pork patty is juicy and tender, one of the best pork burgers I’ve ever had. Don’t be fooled by the deceptively simple presentation – this is great stuff. The burger has the works, the only beef (smirk) I have with it is crispy bacon. I’m a soggy bacon kinda guy but I’m sure they’ll switch it if you ask.

big bad sandwich

Racks big BAD sandwich (RM 26)
The BAD stands for bacon, avocado and dried tomatoes. The fascinating thing about Racks is that they use their own oven to dry the tomatoes – it’s not something you get off-the-shelf and it shows in the taste. I found the bread a bit too much though but that may be coz I’ve been eating a lot of it in the previous dishes.

Hot And Spicy Pork Ribs

Hot & Spicy Pork Ribs (RM 52 full rack, RM 32 half rack)
The piece de resistance. It reminds me of this pizza place near my campus when I was studying in Melbourne. They make the best hot and spicy pork ribs ever and I’ve struggled to find an equally good one since. This fits the bill. It’s really something you can get your hands into – a sticky, messy but delicious eating experience.

Sweet And Sticky Pork Ribs

Sweet & Sticky Pork Ribs (RM 52 full rack, RM 32 half rack)
This is my favorite dish of the night. It’s the marmalade glaze and scallions that sold it for me. The pork ribs at Racks are slow braised and glazed on the spit for six hours and it shows – the meat literally falls of the bone and melts in your mouth. This comes highly recommended from me – the sweet marmalade sauce complements the pork ribs nicely.

full rack size

Racks Bar and Baby Backs will be coming up with more varieties of pork ribs in the future. I can’t wait to try it – the Sweet & Sticky pork ribs had me craving for more. Thanks for the invite Winnie, Shu Min and Paul! They also have an an all-you-can-drink apple martini breakfast on weekends – just add on RM 48 for free flow drinks. I like how Racks makes their dishes to order and most of the ingredients are made in-house too.

full pork ribs rack

Racks is located beside Finnegan’s on Changkat Bukit Bintang.

Curry Fish Head at Sin Kim San Cafe

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meng curry fish head

I was in Penang a couple of days ago and met up with Cheryl and Kah Wheng for dinner. They brought me to Sin Kim San at Macalister Road for a really good curry fish head meal.

sin kim san

Sin Kim San Cafe is this sprawling coffee shop with a wide range of stalls offering everything from monitor lizard soup to peh pah duck. There’s another coffee shop beside it which you can order from too.

curry fish head penang

The curry fish head stall is rather well known among the locals. You can opt for fish slices instead of a fish head and there several other seafood items like squid, prawns and catfish on offer. It’s cooked Chinese style with a really spicy kick ass gravy.

bbq chicken wings sin kim san

We also had an order of the BBQ chicken wings. Cheryl mentioned that this stall used to be manned by a dude with Goku hair but that night, an elderly man took his place. No idea whether it’s the same owner – I put forth the theory that it could be the dad but then again I’m not from Penang so I wouldn’t know for sure. Heh.

bbq chicken wings

The BBQ chicken wings is pretty good too – it’s glazed with honey and the BBQ process doesn’t toughen the meat. In fact, it’s quite tender and juicy.

curry fish head

However, the curry fish head is the highlight of the meal. The prawns we added on came partially de-shelled and there’s also tomatoes and pieces of okra inside. It’s topped with mint leaves and what I really like about it is the fact that it doesn’t have tofu products or other nonsense like that. smirk

sin kim san curry fish head

It’s served in a plastic bowl and our combination costs RM 33 for two. I would prefer using a claypot so it retains the heat but other than that I have no complains. The gravy is superb – thick, sweet and flavorful to the point that you can eat an entire plate of rice with just that.

sin kim san dinner

Penang is wonderful – it’s really a place where good food can be found in every corner. I’ve been there a lot of times and I still haven’t eaten all it has to offer. Hell, I’m half tempted to move there. 🙂

What is wrong with this photo?

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temple street

I got this t-shirt at Temple Street in Hong Kong. It’s a tourist trap of epic proportions but hey, I reckon you’ve gotta go there at least once. There are fortune tellers and stalls selling all sorts of merchandise, including a Hong Kong statement tee.

…but that’s not what I wanted talk about.

t1 typhoon hong kong

Look at this photo. Scrutinize it. Think of it as one of those Where’s Waldo images. What is wrong with the picture?

…..

………

………….

I’m still standing.

Okay, okay, I know, I’m totally hearing the groans all the way over here. That’s really cheesy even by my standards. smirk

There was a typhoon (same thing as a hurricane) warning that went from a T1 tropical cyclone advisory to T3 in a couple of hours. I was concerned my flight wouldn’t even take off.

t3 typhoon

Anyway, it did, and I managed to came back from Hong Kong in one piece. I was there for a vacation and it is interesting to note that this particular typhoon went up to T8 (which is very strong – all schools and offices are closed) just after I flew back to KL.

However, I was quite surprised that the warnings are made over the radio and using paper signs at all MTR stops. Granted, a lot of people use public transport in Hong Kong but I would have thought that digital would be the way to go.

I’ve recently heard about an email service called myemail. It dubs itself as an email service for every Malaysian, but that’s not all it does. I mean, there are heaps of email providers out there like Gmail so what makes this so special?

ebilling

Well, the major feature I think would be the killer app for this email service is eBilling. This is made possible by the fact that your myemail address is tied to you, as a citizen of Malaysia. It would have information about you to simplify your life – push email billing for one.

I have to admit, I am notoriously tardy when it comes to paying bills. Myemail would help remedy this by pushing the bill to me as a secure email attachment and allowing me to pay it there and then. It doesn’t just work on PCs, but on all your smartphones and tablets so you can literally do this while you’re out and about.

myemail security

Myemail will also have user authentication, encryption and tracking features to make sure that security is covered. You can opt to be billed from every single service that you use by customizing it on myemail – stuff ranging from your broadband subscription to your PDRM summons.

Myemail is partnering up with PDRM, DBKL, JPJ and EPF and it’s free for all Malaysian citizens so sign up now at myemail.my.

jpn

All this can only be done after authenticating yourself using your fingerprint matched to your MyKad at any of the Tricubes authorized centers so it’s a secure communication channel for government services.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an organization wanting integration with Microsoft Office Web Application or an individual looking to get things done fast, there’s something for everyone and you’ll get to save some trees while you’re at it!

myemail

Myemail uses your name as your email address so you can use it on your resumes and such. You know why you haven’t been getting callbacks? It’s coz of that prettygal4ever@yahoo.com and devil666@gmail.com crap that you’ve been putting on it. Human Resource Managers throw resumes like that away. Seriously.

Get with the program and register a proper email address at myemail. It’s based on variations of your real name. 🙂

pdrm

Hey, when this takes off, I bet you’ll be the first one to know via push email on your smartphone in the unlikely event there’s a typhoon in our country. 😉

Guide to marrying the right person

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You’ll all heard of my disastrous relationships. This makes me somewhat of an expert in these things if you follow the logic of what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. smirk

guide pea

I have devised a rather ingenious method based on countless personal encounters to qualitatively research and determine if the girl you’re with is:

  • Just a tiny annotation in the tome called Your Great Journey Through Life

or

  • The princess you’ve been looking for all your life. You want to marry her and live happily ever after till-death-do-you-part-amen.

It involves a pea.

baby peas

Step 1

Buy some frozen peas from your local supermarket

Step 2

Insert pea under the bed

Step 3

Wait and see if the girl comments on it

Specifically, the fairy tale calls for your princess to be able to feel the pea under a mound of mattresses but since that would be logistically difficult to pull off (who sleeps on a stack of mattresses anyway?) – just chuck the pea under your bed.

princess and pea

The height required would be well fulfilled by the empty space below your bed.

Trust me. I have tried this numerous times before. The conversation in bed the first time usually goes like this:

Her: Hmm…that’s a very small pe…
Me: OMG! YOU FELT IT?
Her: Baby, I don’t want to offend you but I can barely feel it.
Me: IT DOESN’T MATTER! DON’T YOU SEE WHAT THIS MEANS? WE’RE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER! 😀
Her: Is it in yet?
Me: My princess! <3 Works like a charm. Of course, I'm still single but... Oh, wait. Damn.

Kechara Oasis New Age Vegetarian Cuisine

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curry

Well, most of you know that I love my meat. I don’t really like vegetarian food…or so I thought. I went to Kechara Oasis New Age Vegetarian Cuisine in Jaya One recently to meet up with Jamie (more on that later) and check out their vegetarian offerings.

kechara oasis

Kechara Oasis is one of the high end vegetarian eating establishments in town – they take great pride in serving fresh and different styles of the usual vegetarian fare.

kechara oasis jaya one

It was pretty packed when I arrived there for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised to see their menu – they offer vegetarian fare from all around the world.

tibeten butter tea

I started with Tibetan Butter Tea. This comes in a flask and is slightly salty. However, I really loved the creamy mouth-feel and strong brewed tea that this concoction presents – the salty accent just highlights and complements the buttery goodness.

tingmo

Tingmo is the Tibetan version of the Chinese man tau (steamed bun). It comes with a side of curry that goes very well with the neutral taste of the man tau. The Tingmos are also good for mopping up the gravies of the main dishes.

momos

The deep fried Momos is a must-order item when you go to Kechara Oasis – it’s a unique Tibetan twist of the Japanese Gyoza dumplings and comes filled with potatoes, vegetables, herbs and cheese. It tastes lovely when dipped into chilli oil. I didn’t even realize there wasn’t any meat inside.

vegetarian

We also had two different types of curries. I particularly enjoyed the Vietnamese Curry Chicken – it has Seitan drumsticks with a cornucopia of vegetables and potatoes. The Seitan drumsticks tastes remarkably similar to meat – the texture is spot on.

kung po

The Kung Po Hedgehog Mushroom comes with a smattering of cashew nuts on top and comes highly recommended from me. It’s a very spicy dish of mushrooms, green peppers and carrots stir fried in Kung Po sauce. I’m a big fan of spicy dishes and this one did not disappoint – it finished my bowl of brown rice with the sauce alone.

mushrooms

If you prefer something less spicy, the Thai Butter Hedgehog Mushroom is one of Kechara Oasis’s more popular offerings. The way they cook the hedgehog mushrooms makes it taste like battered pieces of meat. The sprinkling of sesame seeds adds to the flavor and I loved the buttery taste of the dish.

pasta

However, the most remarkable dish is a fusion vegetarian pasta dish that tastes like nothing I’ve ever had. It’s made with spaghetti with thick green curry gravy and it’s the subtle touches like the sunflower seeds on top that adds a lot of texture and dimension to the pasta. I’ll definitely come back to this again. Delicious and creamy, it’s one of the best fusion dishes I’ve ever had – and it’s vegetarian to boot!

jamie

Anyway, I was at Kechara Oasis to meet Jamie, who is rather active in Kechara. She has published a book about her life as a rather spoiled kid and I’ve always been curious about how someone like her would end up as one of Rinpoche’s liaisons in Malaysia.

david

I met her though David (who has also written an autobiography) and what drew me to these people is that they’re people like me who somehow managed to give up their previous life of hedonism and become who they are today. It all comes down to Rinpoche’s teachings and although I haven’t had a chance to meet him, he’s this cool dude from the US who’s spreading the word of Buddhism through good deeds.

Rimpoche

I’m sure you’ve heard of Kechara, especially their efforts in Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK). I’m going to volunteer and help out – it’s a good cause to spend a few Saturdays on. However, it’s David and Jamie that got me reading Rinpoche’s blog – especially the bits about Animals & Vegetarianism.

kechara jamie

I’m sure a lot of you know how badly animals are treated, but since you get your chicken from the supermarket, it’s not a very visceral reminder of the industry. It’s not easy being a vegetarian – I’ve heard personal anecdotes from David and Jamie on how they each achieved it.

call me paris

I think Jamie puts it best when she said that it’s a struggle at the beginning but after a while you just get used to it when you think about the mistreatment of animals that happens in the industry. I’m not sure I can do it but it does give you food for thought (pun intended).

rice

Rinpoche’s blog explains it very well in Animals & Vegetarianism. He’s the only blogger I know who’s been ordained by the Dalai Lama and writes about a lot of different things that you wouldn’t expect – everything from Food & Recipes to Current Affairs & News.

You can never be too rich, to thin, or too cheesy

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pizza hut ultimate cheesy pizza 7

Haha! Well, at least that’s what I believe. 😉 I was invited to the Pizza Hut Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza launch a couple of days back. I’m a huge fan of cheese and I didn’t want to pass up the chance of checking out the Ultimate Cheesy 7 before everyone else so I arrived super early.

pepperoni

The Ultimate Cheesy Pizza 7 is made with seven (obviously) different cheeses. I tried the Extreme Cheesy 6 last year, which contains:

  • Romano
  • Monterey Jack
  • Parmesan
  • Provolone
  • Mozzarella
  • Cheddar

…and the 7th cheese debuting this year is:

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Philadelphia Cream Cheese!

Yes, this is the stuff you make cheesecakes from! I love this stuff – I remember making cheesecakes using Philadelphia Cream Cheese as a kid with my mom. I can eat this stuff straight from the tub.

Ultimate Cheesy Pizza 7

Well, I thought Pizza Hut was just going to add in the Philadelphia Cream Cheese as another topping, but they surprised me by rolling it into balls and putting one on each slice! OMG it’s cheese heaven! smirk

cheese balls

I was ecstatic when they brought out the wonderful Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza. I couldn’t wait to taste the balls! Wait, that sounded a bit salah. I mean, I couldn’t wait to eat the cheese balls!

me

The pizza is superb – all the cheeses comes together nicely and you get a mouthful of creamy Philadelphia Cream Cheese when you bite into the ball. I loved it!

Okay, that’s not much better but you get what I mean.

can you handle it

The Philadelphia Cream Cheese balls really adds another dimension to the previous incarnation. Kudos to Pizza Hut for making the 7th cheese into a ball instead of just incorporating it inside. Delicious stuff!

food

Well, since it was Pizza Hut, we also got a lot of sides and drinks to go with the dinner. 😀

pizzas

However, the highlight of the meal is hands down the Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza. It also comes in Cheesy Chicken, Cheesy Pepperoni and Cheesy Hawaiian Chicken if you want to add a bit of protein to your pizza but I highly recommend you eat the regular, original one first.

crust

The Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza comes in a special thin and crunchy crust that is dusted with pepper, garlic and other goodies. The Italian Garlic Herb sprinkle on the crust makes this pizza perfection!

Take a look at the TVC! The people in there spread the cheese on the pizza slices before eating but that’s not the only way you can enjoy it. There are multiple ways of eating the Philadelphia Cream Cheese balls on top of the pizza – some people:

bite

Bite into it. This gives you a mouthful of cheesy goodness that’s indescribably good. Mmm…

spread

Spread it out. I notice this is what the people in the TVC do and the advantages of this is that you get a nice, even spread of Philadelphia Cream Cheese on top. However, I don’t believe in eating pizzas with knifes and forks. I’m strictly a hands-on person.

leaning tower pizza

Stack it up! Okay, this is very hard to do unless you’re willing to fight your friends for their Philadelphia Cream Cheese balls. However, I was lucky enough to sit at a table where some people didn’t want the cheese balls so I took theirs. I’m telling you, this is a bit of pure heaven.

Can you handle it? Vivy took that video – I was there, stacking it up and watching it topple over each time and mumbled – This is like the leaning tower of…

cheesie

PIZZA! – we both finished. I laughed and looked over coz me and Cheesie said it together. Great minds think alike. 😉 The Leaning Tower of Pizza. Geddit? smirk

group

It was a great dinner – I haven’t had so much food, fun and laughter in a long time. Pizza Hut is more than just a place for eating pizzas. It has that relaxed, casual ambiance that gives you the perfect opportunity to catch up and bond with the people that matters to you while eating great food.

vivy

Good friends, great food. Thanks for the dinner Pizza Hut. 🙂

handle it

I love the Ultimate Cheesy Pizza 7 – check it out from just RM 23.90 for a regular pizza. You can only get this at Pizza Hut – it’s the ultimate dream for every cheese lover! Find out more at Pizza Hut’s website or like the Pizza Hut Facebook page to be the first to know everything…like the Ultimate Cheesy SMS Contest!

SMS Contest Prizes:
– Grand Prize x 1 winner : RM100,000 prize money
– First Prize x 5 winners : One (1) unit Panasonic Viera TH-L42U30K 40” LCD TV each.
– Second Prize x 10 winners : One (1) unit Apple iPad 2 each.
– Consolation Prize x 20 winners : Pizza Hut vouchers worth RM500 each.

Head on over to the nearest Pizza Hut outlet to find out how you can participate! 🙂

stack

…and see if you’re either a devourer or a spreader with the Philadelphia Cream Cheese balls. Just do what feels right to you – it’s delicious either way!

Oktoberfest!

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oktoberfest

Yes, it’s that time of the year again! It’s like Christmas for adults. It’s…Oktoberfest!

Okay, maybe that sounded a bit anti-climactic considering it’s the title, but still, it’s great beer, good food, awesome fun – what else do you need to have a blast? It’s a celebration of the amber fluid that unites! 🙂

oktoberfest girls

Malaysia throws a damned good Oktoberfest bash every year! I make it a point to join in the celebrations each time, soaking up the food, fellowship, and of course, the suds.

oktoberfest group

There are events going on all over Malaysia. Check out the listings here. Here’s just a couple of them.

Camberwell Club (Bukit Damansara)
17 October

Jarrod & Rawlins (Bukit Damansara)
D’ Fortune Club (Dataran Menteri)
18 October

Laundry (Curve)
Lava Restaurant & Bar (Kota Kinabalu)
19 October

QE II (Penang)
Oktoberfest Special (Changkat Bukit Bintang)
20 October

Golden Sands Resort (Penang)
The King’s Arms (Kuching)
21 October

Cold Storage (Gurney Plaza)
Terminal One (Kuching)
Havana Café (Kuching)
22 October

Ming Cafe (Miri)
23 October

Deutches Gasthaus 5 (Bandar Manjalara, Kepong)
Mewah Club (Klang)
24 October

Switch (Kota Damansara)
Neptune Club (Petaling Jaya)
25 October

Odeon Club (Kepong Baru)
27 October

Regalia Ritz (Sibu)
KGK Annex Club (Kota Kinabalu)
28 October

KK Waterfront (Kota Kinabalu)
29 October

There also will be a Bavarian style Oompah band playing. The video above shows the celebrations during Oktoberfest last year, this time Die Dorf Fest Kapelle will be performing for the night!

oktoberfest 1 liter mug

The HUGE 1 Liter Oktoberfest Mug that everyone wants will be making a return as well – this time with special Oktoberfest 2011 embossing. I remember collecting all the limited bar editions and the generic ones last year – I still have it! 🙂

paulaner oktoberfest bier

I am also truly excited about sampling the exclusive Oktoberfest beers like Hopf Ice (and others like Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier and 111 Zwickl). Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier is a special brew for Oktoberfest that weighs in at a slightly higher 6% alcohol and I’ve been hearing lots of good things about it.

Enjoy happy hour all night long for any of these draught beers:

  • Tiger Beer
  • Guinness
  • Heineken
  • Kilkenny
  • Strongbow
  • Paulaner

kilkenny

It’s all on draft, at happy hour prices, all night long! 😀

penang

However, one thing that I’m doing a wee bit out of the norm this year is to head up to Penang to party! w00t!

Why Penang, you ask?

guinness

Why not? I love the place, it’s the food capital of Malaysia! I can head out for a nice plate of char kueh tiaw (with extra blood cockles, and oh, a duck egg on top) to soak up the nights’ drinking before going for another round the next day!

qeii

I’ll be drinking by the beach in our very own Pearl of the Orient in a next week! I’m celebrating Oktoberfest at QEII (20th Oct) and Golden Sands Resort at Batu Feringgi Beach (21st Oct). Come and join the Oktoberfest celebrations at various places around the country! Check the Oktoberfest FB page for the full listing.

paulaner

I can’t wait to try the exclusive Oktoberfest beers! Oktoberfest in Malaysia has come a long, long way and you’ll feel like you’re in Munich with all the beer, German expatriates and the oompah band playing in the background.

oompah

Where will you be celebrating Oktoberfest this year? 🙂

Che Jai Meen in Hong Kong

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che jai meen noodles

Che Jai Meen is one of the great hawker delights of Hong Kong. It’s literally translated as “small cart noodles” but commonly called peddler noodles.

small cart noodles

These wonderful push carts carries a mind boggling array everything from pork, eggs, veggies, beef, offal and of course, the all important fishball.

che jai meen

You choose the ingredients you want and it’s served up in a huge bowl with noodles and hearty beef-flavored broth.

che jai meen hong kong

This is one of the local delights that you just have to try out. I first saw it in a Stephen Chow movie. Heh. The shop that we went to has very limited seating but that’s part of the deal – it adds to the ambiance.

che jai meen hk

This is Jeanie’s bowl – it has a fish slices, meatballs, sausages, stomach and some vegetables. Each ingredient you choose adds to the total price of the dish.

che jai meen bowl

My very own che jai meen is much more opulent. I think I ticked half of the options that were available and would have gone for more if the cook had not stopped me and said it won’t fit into the bowl. You can barely see the noodles as it is. smirk

peddler noodles

It makes for a very hearty breakfast – the piping hot broth is flavored with a stock that tastes as if it’s been boiling for a long time. However, the beef balls is hands down the highlight of the che jai meen. The huge beef balls practically squirts its juices when you bite into it and it’s springy and chewy. Superb!

meen

Hong Kong does beef balls really well – it seems to be a cultural thing and a pride of the nation…but don’t quote me on that as I gleaned the information from Stephen Chow’s God of Cookery film. 😉 However, it is one of the most delicious bowls of noodles I’ve ever tasted in my life – it ranks up there with the best!

che jai meen us

Don’t forget to order the beef balls when you’re eating from a humble che jai meen stall in Hong Kong – it’s delicious and probably one of the best you’ll taste in the world.

toothpick

…and if you’re up to it, you can do like the locals do and stick a toothpick in your mouth after the delicious che jai meen meal to clear any pesky debris sticking to your molars. I’ve never seen Jeanie use it before but she seems to have gone native during our trip there. smirk

Live for today, deal with it tomorrow!

by

coin toss

I just got a pair of adidas Originals jeans right before I was about to fly back to Sibu for the Mid Autumn Festival and an epiphany just came to me – I’ll wear the jeans during the entire 5D/4N stay in Sibu.

The fact that I haven’t packed no doubt contributed to this decision. smirk

adidas originals denims

This pair of denims is a low crotch and slim leg selection from the adidas Originals Collection and is very aptly called the Mad Cab Skinny Fit jeans. It looks like a crazed genius designer cut apart two pairs of jeans and stitched them back together in segments, much like a caterpillar.

design

The effect comes off as extremely hip (no pun intended) – it has that edgy, urban look that I don’t have in my entire denim attire.

airport

Well, I’ve been told that I’ve been losing weight…in fact, almost EVERYONE who sees me says I’m skinnier right about now. Allow me to let you in on a little secret. I was just afraid that I won’t fit into the jeans so I started to eat less. I asked for a size 30 and to the best of my memory I haven’t worn a size 30 since college. Heh.

crash

Okay, I’m kidding, I didn’t go on a crash diet or anything, in fact, I don’t know why I’ve lost weight. Like Cindy says, perhaps the most apt word is that I “ter-lose weight”. That’s Manglish (and a newly coined word to boot) for losing weight without realizing it.

mad cab skinny fit

I know I can fit into a size 30 so thus begin my chronicles. I’m sure you don’t want to see me in various camwhore poses so I’ll focus on the jeans instead. 😉

mad cab fit

Mine comes in black and is very distinctive – there are little details all around the jeans that I really like.

plane

It’s very comfortable too. I didn’t sleep before my flight coz I had to finish everything before I came back to my hometown so I took a two hour nap on the plane. The ground staff that attended to me was kind enough to reserve the entire aisle for me. The conversation went a little like this:

Check-in counter: Would you like a window seat or an aisle seat, sir?
Me: Can I have both so I can sleep on the plane?
Check-in counter: Sure.

Trust me, I am just as surprised as you are. She put me in the middle seat and blocked off both seats at the side so I can recline completely on the Boeing. Bliss.

pool

You just can’t go wrong with a pair of jeans. I’ve worn it out to casual lunches and nights out and I’ve gotten interested comments about the unique design of the Mad Cab Fit.

mad cap fit design

Someone actually asked me where I got it when I was out for drinks. Heh.

lunch

Well, another great “feature” of the black pair of denims is that if you accidentally drop some food on it, you’ll just need to brush it off…

oops

…and it’s as good as new.

no stain

You won’t even see a stain. 🙂

me

I went EVERYWHERE wearing this. I also got my hair cut, washed and colored (it was an impromptu decision) and I think my old t-shirt from my university days living on campus in Melbourne sums it up.

live for today

Live for today, deal with it tomorrow – Roberts Hall 2000

adidas originals

That’s the spirit of the adidas Originals line of denims and this Mad Cab Fit is becoming a fast favorite of mine already. It’s comfortable and cool, which are two words you don’t usually see in the same sentence.

trick shot

…and yes, I really sunk this trick shot. 🙂

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