Kaya & Toast – House of Coffee and Toast

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kaya toast review

Kaya & Toast is a relatively new concept eating establishment that specializes in kaya toast – the breakfast staple served in Malaysian coffee shops since time immemorial. Kaya & Toast – House of Coffee and Toast brings this simple but satisfying old skool menu item back with a vengeance. I went there for tea just now. Kaya & Toast is open from 7 am to 7 pm.

kaya toast indoors

Kaya & Toast did an advertising blitz around my office area with glossy full color flyers depicting nostalgic images of kaya toast with soft boiled eggs and coffee. It is reproduced in the eating establishment in a larger than life wall printing. The text goes “Old time favorite. Remember those were the days… The scent of a freshly brewed cup of coffee and a heavenly slice of toast with kaya.“

kaya toast outdoors

The place has an outdoor seating area with square tables and square chairs (love the symmetry) as well as a well ventilated indoor seating area with ceiling fans. It reproduces the charm of an old coffee shop and relates it to the newer generation of people. Kaya & Toast is a self-service establishment and serves a small, but intriguing menu of toast related products ranging from the established kaya toast (also known as roti kahwin) to the unorthodox curry toast.

kaya toast full monty

I went for the full monty and ordered one set of kaya toast (RM 1.70), one set of soft boiled eggs (RM 1.50) and kopi-o (RM 0.80). The soft boiled eggs comes in twos and is pre-cracked for your convenience. The coffee they make is good, and they also serve Italian brews. The highlight of the meal would be the two slices of home made bread toasted to crispy perfection and slathered with rich creamy home made kaya (a coconut based paste).

kaya toast buttering

The kaya toast was buttered with an unusual method – the butter is sliced into thin mini-slabs and embedded at appropriate intervals in the kaya toast and left to melt. The kaya toast here is great! It came out nicely crispy and the kaya is sweet and creamy, with the butter providing that delicious aftertaste that just begs you to take one more bite. This is a serious fucking piece of kaya toast, no shit.

milo dinosaur

I also couldn’t resist going for the Milo Dinosaur (RM 1.90) which is a recent concoction involving an iced Milo drink topped with generous heaps of Milo powder. It’s alright, but go for the kaya toast too. It’s a must-try item…this place has truly earned their right to the name with that product.

The proper method to eat kaya toast is to dip it into the soft boiled egg, just like egg soldiers. 🙂

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KFC Colonel Rice Combo

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kfc colonel rice promo

KFC recently launched their latest product, the Colonel Rice Combo. I saw the advertisements in the papers and went to check it out at the KFC outlet in Sibu before I came back.

kfc colonel rice banner

KFC Colonel Rice banners were interspaced with their other new product, the Fish Burger. I like the design on the Colonel Rice banners – it’s simple and neat.

kfc colonel rice booth

The KFC outlet had a booth dedicated to promoting the new Colonel Rice. The booth is decorated according to the Padi (Paddy) Harvest theme, complete with costumes from the KFC staff.

kfc colonel rice sorter

There are rice harvest paraphernalia and contest forms at the Colonel Rice booth inside KFC. KFC is having a contest to commemorate the launching of the Colonel Rice with the staff going around to people ordering the dish and asking them to fill in the forms.

kfc colonel rice hat

This is a traditional rice farmer’s hat (inverted). The Colonel Rice Combo contest is open for everyone who orders the meal and the main prize is a trip for two to Hong Kong Disneyland.

kfc colonel rice stalks

KFC went all out to decorate the booth with rice related products. These are actually real paddy (rice plant) stalks. I like the ambience but I think it should be spaced further from the Fish Burger promotion so more space can be dedicated to this.

kfc colonel rice combo meal

This is the Colonel Rice Combo (RM 6.99) which contains the Colonel Rice, a side of KFC coleslaw, and two pieces of chicken. I had a drumstick and a piece of thigh. There is an option for Original Recipe chicken or Hot & Spicy and the Colonel Rice can also be ordered separately for RM 1.80 or RM 1.30 with any chicken product purchase.

kfc colonel rice combo

The Colonel Rice is “a blend of high quality fragrant rice mixed with KFC special aromatic spices and selected sweet raisins” topped with KFC’s original gravy. It never looks as good as the printed media would lead you to believe…

kfc colonel rice

KFC’s Colonel Rice is the perfect complement to their flagship chicken product in a predominantly rice consuming country. It’s a great idea, with one problem…

…SugarBun has successfully implemented it years before KFC with their Savory Rice. There goes “original”. 😉

Note: sixthseal.com owns shares in SugarBun Corporation Berhad.

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"Look at your 11 O'clock"

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k joanne airport

I took a flight back to Sibu on 2:20 pm on Saturday afternoon and just got into the departure lounge when I received a phone call from Joanna [sixthseal.com]. I picked up my cell and she asked me to look at my 11 o’ clock. She was sitting right opposite me at the other side of the lounge and her flight was boarding to KL.

k after k

We haven’t seen each other for quite a while so we decided a trip to the toilet (to powder our noses, I’m vain too, ya know ;)) was in order. We had to rush to the toilet before her flight departs and after…er, catching up on things, rushed back just in time to board her flight. It was such a rush, in every sense of the word. 😉

k light tripping

I was sitting there (my flight departs 20 minutes later) watching the on-going construction and seeing the light radiate heat waves and I remember thinking something along the lines of light being the foundation of civilization.

k snorting clouds

It was a Fokker 50 flight and I remember looking out the plane and thinking about snorting clouds (sure beats snorting kittens).

k snorting rivers

…and even snorting rivers.

It totally gave new meaning to the term flying high. 😉

k portable k

It was great meeting you again Joanne, as always. It’s always a pleasure to meet you. Heh!

P/S – I’ll be flying back to Kuching 7:25 am tomorrow morning. sixthseal.com was down for the most of last night and today, my apologies about that. It was a hard disk issue – the commenting system was down as well, but everything is sorted now. Cheers!

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Homemade spaghetti at the office

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penny spaghetti

I got breakfast free today thanks to Penny, our admin assistant. She brought (still warm!) spaghetti that she made at home to work today.

penny spaghetti topping

She even had the hindsight to bring along a disposable fork. 😉 The spaghetti filled the entire container and is topped off with a sauce containing a mixture of beef, carrots, onions and mushrooms all diced up finely.

penny spaghetti macro

It tastes great – the pasta was cooked al dente and best of all it was still warm. The portion is a bit huge though…nearly sent me into a post-breakfast coma. 😉

System ready for shutdown…

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Balance the coin on the lemon!

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luconia lemon balance

Luconia has this jar on the bar with a floating lemon inside a color tinted liquid. The liquid is changed daily so there’s a different color every time.

luconia lemon

The game is to balance a coin on the lemon for at least 3 seconds without touching the lemon or using prohibited methods like superglue (someone tried – it didn’t work coz the lemon was wet).

luconia lemon coins

It’s practically impossible to achieve due to the curvature of the lemon though apparently it is scientifically possible. You win a bottle of liquor of your choice or a jug of beer (depending on your preference) if you can manage to balance a coin on the lemon for more than 3 seconds.

luconia lemon tipping

It’s basically a glorified tipping jar, but it looks great on the bar. 😉

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The Macallan – Single Malt Highland Scotch Whisky

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the macallan scotch whisky

The Macallan is a single malt Highland Scotch whisky. It’s usually available in the 12 year old single malt version matured in Sherry Oak casks. The Macallan is distilled in their own distillery (which is what differentiates premium single malt from blended whiskeys) in Speyside, Scotland.

the macallan single malt

The Macallan is one of the best single malt Scotch whisky that I’ve ever tasted. I opened a bottle at Luconia and drank half the bottle in the first session (with some other people). The Macallan has a cork instead of a metal cap, which is a plus point for me. It’s considered a Highland single malt Scotch which puzzles me since The Macallan is obviously a Speyside single malt from their distillery location.

macallan sixthseal

The Macallan tastes great, subjectively better than Glenfiddich, the other premium single malt Scotch that Luconia carries. The Macallan 12 year single malt Scotch comes in a rich gold color and goes down really smoothly with hints of sherry and spice, with a sweet smoky finish. The Macallan is usually priced around the RM 300 region (pub prices, not retail) in drinking establishments, though YMMV depending on your location.

There is also a bottle of Johnny Walker Swing in the background – it’s a neat bottle of blended whisky that actually swings back and forth when you put it down on the table. It’s a great presentation bottle but The Macallan tastes better. It comes highly recommended from me!

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Jong's Crocodile Farm report

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jong crocodile farm sign

Jong’s Crocodile Farm is located about 30 km from Kuching and it’s the only crocodile breeding farm in Malaysia. There are plenty of road signs to direct you to the crocodile farm which is located along the Kuching – Serian road. It is home to the legendary man eating killer croc Bujang Senang. I went there with a couple of friends to check out the crocodiles during the weekend.

jong crocodile farm

The entrance of Jong’s Crocodile Farm features a huge crocodile sculpture in front of the diminutive entrance. It’s a replica of Bujang Senang. The zoo is actually quite huge, with various breeding farms for crocodiles. Jong’s Crocodile Farm also features other animals native to Borneo, but the main attraction is the crocodiles, specifically the crocodile feeding session (video below).

counter

Jong’s Crocodile Farm charges RM 8 for adults and RM 4 for children below the age of 12. It’s best to go during the crocodile feeding times which happens twice daily – once at 11 pm and once at 3 pm. The afternoon croc feeding demonstration is a good one to catch as there are plenty of other interesting things to occupy your time. I would recommend at least 2 hours for checking out the other sights at the farm.

bujang senang display

There is a huge glass display that confronts you right as you step inside Jong’s Crocodile Farm. It contains the substantial skull and jaw of the notorious Bujang Senang killer crocodile that reigned in blood until the fateful day on the 12th of May 1992 when it was brought down by a shotgun in Sri Aman (also on display).

bujang senang victim

Jong’s Crocodile Farm has pictures of Bujang Senang’s reign of terror on the walls of the entrance. I remember the crocodile from my childhood – it was something of a household name during a killing spree during the early 90’s. Bujang Senang translates to “Happy Bachelor”. Don’t look at me, I wasn’t the one who named it.

bujang senang shrine

There is a slot beside the shrine where people can put in cash (though to what purpose, defeats me) and 4D numbers. Bujang Senang is a huge crocodile that grew to 19 feet and 4 inches. It was struck down by a shotgun shell in Sg. Pelaban in Lingga Batang Lupar at Sri Aman and judging from the well formed and worn canines on its huge jaw, it must have been justified. 😉

iguanas

Jong’s Crocodile Farm and Zoo also has other animals on display, like these two iguanas having a staring contest. I don’t know which one blinked first.

crocodile lifecycle

There is also a museum like display of the lifecycle of a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus) in the form of live exhibits ranging from eggs to the hatching stage at 92 days and right up to a six month old crocodile. The exhibits are real crocodiles and eggs preserved in embalming fluid.

jong signage

The entrance to the outdoor Jong’s Crocodile Farm is accessible from a small gate which has a sign with the crocodile feeding time and directions to the various other animals in the large Jong’s Crocodile Farm natural zoo.

crocodile concrete pits

Jong’s Crocodile Farm features concrete enclosures (more like pits actually) with lots and lots of crocodiles in various stages of their lifecycle. The crocodiles are separated according to their age (and thus, size) and does not seem to display aggression towards their own kind.

crocodile orgy

There was even some reptile lovin’ going on in one of the pits…some sort of crocodile orgy.

crocodile small

The crocodile pits have wet and dry areas to simulate the natural habitat of a saltwater crocodile. It goes sequentially from small (young) to large (older) crocodiles and after a certain age, the crocodiles are released into another area inside the crocodile farm.

crocodile staring

The larger crocodiles look kinda cute with their intricate scaly exterior. I like the two crocodiles sizing each other up in the middle. Crocodiles have existed since the age of the dinosaurs and they predate man and probably would outlast us in the evolutionary cycle.

crocodile submerged

This crocodile looks sinister (in a nice way) when it’s partially submerged in the water with only the snout showing. It looks rather like a log when it does this. I think this is the stage where it learns how to hunt.

croc aggressive

I think this crocodile doesn’t like me very much…

tailless crocodile sign

There were two unusual live crocodiles on display.

tailless crocodile

This is a Tailless Crocodile. I don’t know if it’s a genetic defect or whether another crocodile ate its tail. It’s still alive and staring. It looks grumpy.

eyeless crocodile sign

Jong’s Crocodile Farm also has an “Eyeless Crocodile“. I feel compelled to share the signage coz it’s like Ripley’s “Believe it or not”.

eyeless crocodile

This is the “Eyeless Crocodile”. Again, no mention is made on whether the crocodile was born without eyes or whether another crocodile took out its eye. I think it’s the former though coz there’s only scales where its eyes are supposed to go.

friendly bird

There are also other animals in cages or roaming around freely. This is a very curious bird that doesn’t fly and isn’t afraid of people. It came up to me and cocked its head to look at me.

ostrich

This is a colorful ostrich. I didn’t know ostriches look like this.

borneo sunbear

There is also a Borneo Sun Bear which was isolated in the middle of a concrete unit. It was pacing around restlessly.

poor monkey

I had to console this monkey after she was brutally raped and left bleeding and crying. We chatted for a while, and after I established that she was OK, we moved on to the other exhibits.

arapaima gigas

Jong’s Crocodile Farm also features a huge manmade pond full of Arapaima Gigas. It’s one of the largest freshwater fish in the world and the size of these things easily reaches meters.

largest fish

It’s not exactly a very friendly fish though…there is one partially submerged in this photo. It’s shy but you can find it in the upper right hand corner if you squint a bit.

crocodile camo

There are actually crocodiles wondering around, so watch your step when you go to Jong’s crocodile farm.

crocodile feeding

It was soon nearing the 3 pm feeding time so we made our way to the crocodile feeding pond.

croc feeding pond

The crocodile feeding pond has a watchtower of sorts on the other side (inaccessible to the public) which features a contraption spanning the entire pond (which is crawling with crocodiles).

croc feeding tower

The contraption is operated by a staff of Jong’s Crocodile Farm and features a pulley system to put whole chickens on hooks before rolling it out to the crocodile infested pond.

croc feeding meat

The meat is suspended about a meter off the surface of the water and the hungry crocodiles slowly float towards the chicken. It’s the calm before the feeding frenzy starts…

croc jump

Crocodiles can leap from the water and launch themselves surprisingly high into the air to snap at the meat dangling from the hook.

croc acrobatics

More crocodile acrobatics from Jong’s Crocodile Farm…

croc perfect 10

/me holds up sign for 10.

croc feeding

Download: Jong’s Crocodile Farm crocodile feeding [sixthseal.com]

Jong’s Crocodile Farm is worth visiting for some quality time with our reptilian friends. The crocodile feeding show is worth the RM 8 entrance fee itself!

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Oregano restaurant review

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oregano travillion

Oregano is an interesting eating experience in Travillion Mall, Kuching. It’s located near one end of the open concept mall and the relatively small restaurant interior is boosted by a large al fresco seating area with lots of green shrubbery surrounding the seating arrangements.

oregano interior

The interior of Oregano has a unique contrasting ambience with the warm incandescent lights near the counter with its elevated faux floor décor contrasting with the cold florescent lights from the open kitchen concept near the back. I went there for dinner last night with Val and Monica.

oregano open kitchen

Oregano is one of the few places to offer the open kitchen concept in a restaurant in Kuching. The cooking area is open for patrons to look into and there are chefs carefully tending to sauces, garnishing food and preparing dishes readily visible. This is a very nice arrangement as opposed to the closed kitchen that most eating establishments subscribe to.

oregano al fresco

The limited floor space afforded to Travillion Mall tenants is utilized well by Oregano by extending the seating area outside, which exponentially increases the seating capacity while still retaining a coherent theme with the main building with the well placed see-through glass walls bordering the restaurant.

oregano video

Download: Oregano video tour [sixthseal.com]

oregano banana dates

Banana Dates Crush (RM 7.60)
This is a very thick blended drink that combines bananas with dates. It tastes great! The density of the drink is so great that it takes much effort to suck the thick blend through the straw. This is the only drink we ordered…the other refreshments came in the form of a bucket of beer (Heineken).

oregano onion rings

Oregano Onion Ring (RM 7.80)
Deep-fried crispy onion ring with spiced flour. It’s a little too oily but the spiced flour batter is a nice touch.

oregano confit salmon

Confit of Salmon (RM 29.80)
Pan-fried salmon with green asparagus, candied cherry tomato, and yellow capsicum caulis.

oregano salmon

I had the confit of salmon and it tastes great (though Val finds it too salty) but my only beef (no pun intended) with it is that it’s not a confit of salmon. The use of asparagus and other unusual ingredients gets two thumbs up from me though.

oregano lamb shank

Lamb Shank Navarin Style (RM 28.80)
Braised lamb shank served with young vegetables and potato.

oregano lamb flash

The lamb shank from Oregano is HUGE! Val and Monica both ordered this and it tastes great! Val kept on slicing bits of lamb shank pieces off for me (thanks!) and we still couldn’t finish the dish. Highly recommended! The sauce it came with is perfect…Oregano does sauces well.

oregano photo

This is a photo of us at Oregano – me and Val is going at it in the foreground while that’s Monica in the background. I know, the Tim Tams are making me put on a lot of excess weight…and I still had dessert! 😉

oregano dome

White Chocolate Dome (RM 13.80)
Portion of crispy rice mixed with white chocolate mousse and passion fruit jelly.

oregano roulade

Cheese Roulade (RM 12.80)
Roulade with cheese filling and chocolate ganache, served with wild berry sauce.

oregano end

Oregano does food presentation very well and their desserts are delectable!

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