HB

A long, personal journey worth having.

Freedom 360!

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party people

What are you doing this weekend? I’m heading up to Penang early Saturday morning for Freedom! We’re planning a nice, leisurely drive up at 6 am in the morning, stopping at Ipoh for breakfast before arriving in Penang in time for lunch!

zon jb

The last Freedom event I went to was in JB with Lainey bff. We stayed at Zon Regency by the beach and XeX was already pumping out music when we checked in at 12 pm.

xex

I love the ambiance – there’s a lot of interactive displays and light fixtures and I hear the Penang one this weekend is going to be even more awesome!

dj ray ray

Freedom in JB had DJ Ray Ray from Taiwan as the international DJ. She spins really hot tunes, can’t wait to see what Kid Fresh has in store for us in Freedom Penang.

freedom jb

Wanna party up north? Freedom Penang is happening this Saturday (30th July) at FAME from 9 pm onwards. Surf over to the Freedom 360 site for more information!

hb lains

See you in Penang Cheryl! 😀

freedom jb party

Oh, and btw, did I mention that the RM 35 cover charge for Freedom Penang comes with FREE FLOW BEER? smirk

Lontong kering @ Warong Saga

by

hb hanis

How does breaking your fast with royalty sound? Warong Saga has been operating for decades near the old cemetery in JB. The proprietors running it are the second generation and contrary to popular belief, it’s named after pokok saga instead of Proton Saga. 😉

lontong kering

Anyway, Warong Saga’s main claim to fame is their lontong kering. JB makes the best lontong kering in the country, or so they’ll have you believe. Lotong kering is a breakfast meal of nasi impit (compressed rice), a potpourri of vegetables (long beans, leeks, potatoes) and a piece of chicken rendang.

pokok saga

The entire dish is then doused with a generous amount of peanut sauce. It’s a pleasure to use the nasi impit to wipe the gravy from the plate before devouring it. The multitude of textures and flavors in lontong kering makes it an ideal breakfast.

nasi impit

The walls of Warong Saga is adorned with sultans, prime ministers (both ours and Singapore’s) and other people of historical importance and it attracts a healthy local crowd for breakfast.

warong saga

This place is a bit hard to find for non-locals but if you follow the old royal cemetery and watch out for a small shop by the road you’ll see it. The lontong kering and the chill, relaxed atmosphere in Warong Saga makes it well worth the trip! 🙂

Fire your boss

by

me

My first job was as a programmer in an agency. I just graduated from Australia and started working in KL barely a month after that. Anyway, not six months after, I was introduced to some people in Kuching who wanted to start up a company. I went, listened to what they were about to do, chipped in with a couple of my own ideas and believed so much I was one of the five shareholders in the company.

It was the best job ever.

Well, since I was one of the shareholders in the start up as well, it wasn’t merely a job but rather a joined entrepreneur endeavor.

mayor

I was a System Engineer (at least that was my original title) but we were doing a lot of R&D. It was just me and the CTO coming up with all sorts of weird stuff (some groundbreaking and some totally useless). Heh. ¼ of my time was spent doing presentations to clients, ¼ out on the field and the rest in the office tinkering with stuff and doing decks.

alex

It was a lot of fun and I worked in that company for close to four years before I cashed out all my shares.

station

The best part is believing in what you’re doing and being a part of a start up. I haven’t worked in the technology line since but I fondly remember those days. It was the mixture of entrepreneur spirit and coming up with innovative ideas that made those days so heady.

I’ve always wanted to be involved in another start up and if you’re a budding entrepreneur too there’s a perfect chance coming up!

Make The Pitch is a reality TV show where you pitch (thus the name) your idea to a panel of investors. If they like your idea and think it’s sound, they’ll personally invest in it and help you achieve your dreams!

blowing cake with weather monitoring

You’ll need to be 18 years and above and it’s open to anyone (even if you don’t have a company – just a solid idea will do). The best thing of all is that there’s no age cap so old farts like me can still enter. 😉 There’s no limit to the number of winners and if you find that you’re strapped for time and don’t have a detailed proposal, you can attend the auditions with a brief outline of your idea and you’ll still get a chance.

The confirmed panel of judges hail from RHB, MDeC, MyEG and Cradle (yes, the investment fund for technology).

Want to make it big? Fire your boss, start coming out with a winning idea and impress the judges at the auditions. Get more information about the show and find out where the auditions will be held at the MyEG Make The Pitch site.

Mee rebus tulang gearbox

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mee rebus tulang gearbox

I just had the best mee rebus tulang gearbox at Restoran ZZ Sup Tulang in JB. This is one of those local foodie treasures that you need a local to bring you to.

zz sup tulang jb

The place is a rather chaotic assembly of huts and trees. The huts with the thatched roofs is meant to keep the sun and rain off your head and I found that dining in nature whets the appetite like nothing else.

mee tulang gearbox

What is mee rebus tulang gearbox? Well, it’s basically Malay style noodles with an interesting component – the tulang gearbox part. Tulang gearbox is basically the large bones from a cow, usually from the shank. There is still quite a lot of meat, cartilage and tendon on the bones but when you request for it “gearbox style” it comes with a straw.

bone marrow straw

The straw is for you to suck the marrow out of the huge bones.

hb tulang gearbox

The portion of the noodles in mee rebus tulang gearbox is a bit small for me but the gravy is sinfully rich and delicious. It leaves you hankering for more. It’s about RM 8.50 and comes with 4 good sized bones.

tulang

You’ll find at least one HUGE bone in there and you’re supposed to insert the straw deep inside it and suck in all the marrow and juices. It’s a visceral experience like no other. The bone marrow is sweet, warm and hearty. It’s simply the best mee rebus tulang gearbox I’ve had!

On being photogenic

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hb jayne

You know, I’m not a particularly photogenic person. The concept of angles and poses is like an arcane art which I never quite mastered. People tell me I look better in real life than in photos.

I was browsing through my photos from JB (the most recent one that I just came back from) and saw this photo of me and Jayne drinking in the hotel room at night. We were both in our PJs and Jayne had this priceless expression on her face which I found hilarious.

She’s one of those people who’s really photogenic – the camera just adores her. It’s a great skill to have, but I guess it’ll forever elude me…it’s like how I can never style my hair properly unless it’s done by a hairstylist. 😡

The famous curry fish head in JB at Kam Long Restaurant

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jb famous curry fish head

There is a Chinese style curry fish head place in JB that seems to be VERY popular among the locals. Kam Long Restaurant serves curry fish head and curry fish head only. It’s their flagship, signature dish and…the only item on the menu. 😉 I have heard about the prodigious queues forming just to get a taste of this very dish and I was very keen to check it out.

kam leong restaurant

The funniest thing I heard (which I didn’t get the first time) was from Lainey bff who told me – DON’T WRITE ABOUT IT. Geddit? I didn’t the first (or second time) either. smirk

curry fish head

Anyway, it just so happens that I was reading The Dead Cockroach’s review of the place the day before we were heading down. We drove along Jalan Wong Ah Fook twice and still couldn’t find the place so we stopped and asked for directions several times.

fish head

Okay, the problem with this place is that you can’t exactly see the Kam Leong Restaurant signboard while you’re driving. It’s obscured by some pull down canvas shutters to keep the sun out. It’s actually not hard to find – you just have to drive down from the BEGINNING of Jalan Wong Ah Fook and stop at the first traffic light.

queue

You’ll be able to see the queue of people outside the humble restaurant – just cross the road to join in.

curry fish head prep

It should be noted that the queue is not strictly first-come-first-serve. The small size of the restaurant and the limited seating arrangements allowed us (a group of two) to share a table with other people while if you’re in a larger posse, you might have to wait longer until a table clears.

steaming curry fish head

Well, since there’s only one thing to order, we went for the famous curry fish head for two people. It’s RM 18 inclusive of rice and you best be able to read Chinese coz there are no other languages on the menu. In fact, there is no menu, save for a small signboard beside the industrious kitchen.

kam leong curry fish head

I have to admit, the Chinese style curry fish head is very good. Lainey finished her rice, which is quite uncommon and I loved the curry sauce. They put in a lot of vegetables too – okra, long beans, tofu and so on but the fish head is the centerpiece and it does not disappoint.

hb lainey

The flesh of the fish is tender and juicy and the curry sauce complements the fresh fish head very well. My only complaint is that there isn’t enough fish meat to go around so if you’re feeling particularly hungry, order +1 people more than your group. 🙂

Anyway, I’m heading to JB again in a couple of hours despite just coming back early this week. Heh! We were in JB for Freedom. There’s another one this Saturday right in KL so don’t miss it! I’ll be going to the Freedom in Penang at the end of the month too!

Signature 8 flavor Dynasty Xiao Long Bao with foie gras and black truffle!

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flavored xiao long pao

Okay, this is one of the most interesting and unique things I’ve heard in a long time. There’s an 8 flavor xiao long bao course at Paradise Dynasty which includes premium fillings like black truffle and foie gras.

paradise dynasty

I couldn’t wait to try it when I first heard about the concept. I headed down to ION Orchard in Singapore yesterday with Lainey to meet up with Michelle and Ben just for this.

8 flavor xiao long pao

Paradise Dynasty claims to have the world’s first 8 flavored xiao long bao and you have to eat it in order. The restaurant is famous for it – the open kitchen is filled with cooks preparing it and a lot of patrons order this specialty.

signature dynasty xiao long bao

The 8 different fillings are:
1. Original
2. Garlic
3. Ginseng
4. Foie Gras
5. Black Truffle
6. Cheesy
7. Crab Roe
8. Szechuan

dynasty xiao long pao singapore

…and you have to eat it in order to have the optimal experience. 😀

tea

The set costs SGD 13.90 and it’s well worth the price. I found the Garlic and Ginseng xiao long pao very flavorful, with the juices bursting from the skin as you bite into it. The Foie Gras and Black Truffle ones are suitably decadent and I loved the Crab Roe filling too.

black truffle

However, I felt that the Cheesy xiao long pao should have been #7 as the overpowering taste of cheese can be a bit…well, overwhelming. The Szechuan deserves its final spot as the filling is extremely spicy (even for my desensitized taste buds).

lainey hb michelle ben

It certainly is an epicurean adventure that you MUST try if you’re ever in Singapore. Thanks for brunch Ben and Michelle! 🙂

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Feeling hungry but don’t want to go all the way to Singapore for some awesome food? Check out this MilkADeal offer:

charcoal king

RM15 instead of RM31 for Charcoal King Set Meal at Charcoal King Clay Pot Chicken Rice Restaurant, Kuchai Lama. Non Halal [52% OFF]

It’s a great deal at RM 15 – there’s even soup, drinks and side dishes in addition to the authentic claypot chicken rice and it feeds 2! It’s an unlimited purchase and redemption offer that just debuted today and heaps of people have already gotten their hands on it. Where else can you get prices like this for good food in the Klang Valley? 🙂

The most WTF sign I’ve seen

by

pencuri

HOLD ON TO YOUR PANTS LADIES!!!

(and gentlemen)

Spotted at a JB toilet. It basically says “Beware – Thief. Don’t hang your pants here. Thanks.”.

Surreal. In other news we’re staying at Zon Regency Hotel by the sea and Gods be good it’s a duty free haven.

jb food

I can’t say much about the quality of food (it’s alright but nothing to write home about – wait till my next post for an awesome JB specialty). However, it IS exactly like the photo in the menu so no one can say that it’s false advertising.

jb view

The best thing however is the ambience – it’s al fresco dining beside the sea…and yes, you can see Singapore yonder.

duty free

…and the alcohol? Duty free prices baby. 😀

Of underwear and balconies

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underwear and balconies

I really should stop waltzing out to the balcony in my underwear for a smoke. The security guard has taken to smiling at me every time I do that and as of late the smile has a certain suggestiveness to it that I don’t like.

I hope he doesn’t think I’m doing it for his benefit. 😡

Freedom! Undid the Ipoh fiasco and off on a trip this weekend!

by

jpn

Remember how I lost my wallet during a road trip to Ipoh a while back? That was more than a MONTH ago and I have been running around sans MyKad, driver’s license et al since then. It’s a wonder I haven’t been stopped. I made the police report on the 20th of June (3 weeks ago) but never bothered to replace all my stuff.

Well, I did go to JPJ once but they told me they couldn’t give me a driver’s license without my MyKad (it’s a national identity card, kinda like a social security number, except it stores way more personal information).

Thus, I have procrastinated until today to get it done. You know what they say about that – “Procrastination is like masturbation – it feels good at the time but in the end you’re only fucking yourself”.

Anyway, I woke up bright and early at 6:30 am today and went to Pusat Bandar Damansara to get my temporary MyKad done. It was finished within 5 minutes. I was duly amazed.

The next stop was to the bank to get my ATM and credit cards done. I only managed to go to one bank but it’s the one I use the most nowadays anyway. I got my credit card but for the ATM card, they’ll need authorization from my home branch so I’ll probably wait until I come back.

I’ve been using e-banking to transfer money to my friends accounts and using their ATM to withdraw for more than a month anyway. Heh. It can wait.

police report

Next, I decided to head down to JPJ in PJ (rhymes dunnit) to see how long it takes to replace a driver’s license. It’s behind the court (the place you go to when you’ve done something naughty, not the one you head down when you feel like a game of tennis) and my GPS says that there’s ANOTHER NRD right around the corner so should you feel the need to replace your MyKad and driver’s license in a single trip, just head there.

I paid all my summons (apparently you need to do that before you can renew your driver’s license) and renewed it for another 5 years so it was a good thing I did my credit card before that. I don’t have nearly enough cash on me to pay the ludicrous amount that I have for moving and static traffic violations. 🙁

This only took me 15 minutes, including the RM 10 I paid to get my photo done. It’s very fast. I’ve been putting off doing it coz I thought it would take ages but I finished everything within 2 hours!

Why the sudden call to action after more than a month of procrastination?

I’m heading down to JB this weekend to party at Freedom with Lainey bff. 😀

It’s going to be loads of fun…and that’s not all – after Freedom, we’ll be heading to Singapore (since it’s just across the border). w00t.

temporary mykad

Oh, and I noticed a strange thing while doing my MyKad and at JPJ – they actually show you the photo for your approval before they use it. Huh. Last time I did that, no one bothered, I wonder what has changed?

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