We’ve been eating a lot of panettone this year so I got a large pandoro this time. I love eating panettone and pandoro but I’m usually the only one who ends up finishing it. I can snack on it all night long – that’s how much I love the stuff.
However, I opened a 1 kg pandoro last night and the kids loved it!
There’s a lot of confusion about the difference between a pandoro and a panettone – even Jamie Oliver got it wrong. He referred to a pandoro as a panettone in his program “Jamie’s Cracking Christmas” and no one in the production crew thought to correct it. Panettone is from Milan and it’s a brioche like bread filled with pieces of fruit while pandoro is from Verona (popular in Venice too) and very distinctively shaped. There are six different types of Christmas cakes in Italy!
A pandoro is very different from a panettone – it’s a frustum shaped soft sponge like cake, very light, with a heaping of powdered icing sugar on top. There’s a packet of icing sugar included in the box for you to dust the top. You can either dump it right on top or roll the pandoro around it and I chose the former. The 8 pointed star of pandoro makes it look like a snow covered mountain!
The kids loved pulling pieces of the pandoro and eating it with the powdered vanilla icing sugar! 🙂
It was a lot of fun and it’s delicious too! Some people don’t like the bits of fruit in panettone and I’ve seen pandoro grow in popularity this year – it’s plain, but that doesn’t mean it tastes simple. The texture of pandoro is softer than panettone and it’s great when you eat it with ice cream or gelato! It has a different texture altogether and it’s perfect for a Christmas centrepiece.
I think we ate 1/3 of the 1 kg pandoro within 30 minutes! It’s supposed to look like the Italian Alps during Christmas and it sure is a wonderful sight to behold! We’ll be getting another one next year, in addition to a pandolce (a Genova classic) or a panforte from Sienna.
21. It’s the oft-quoted number where you magically experience a whole new life as an adult. It’s a coming of age celebration of freedom and independence.
I was at the exclusive Party 21 event at Genting International Convention Center – it’s an invite-only party open to WorldCard members, and it comes complete with accommodations and drinks coupons.
You only need to bring yourself up. 🙂
I used the Genting bus and cable car combo. It’s actually a very convenient way to head up, just park your car at Dataran Car Park and you don’t even need to drive up. Pity that they’ve abolished the RM 1 per entry system in lieu of a RM 2 per day parking fee, but it’s still one of the best ways to go to Genting.
I was actually up there just a couple of weeks ago with Fiona, using the same transportation method. I’m a Silver WorldCard holder so I can skip the formidable queue for the cable car using a priority lane. Heh.
This time, everything was sorted out so I just headed up slightly earlier and got my room key from Evon. I had enough time to freshen up before heading to dinner.
Coffee Terrace has a great buffet going on at night. There’s various different cuisines to cater to every palate, from fresh sashimi to roast lamb.
You can even get your food custom cooked right before your eyes after choosing what you want.
It’s perfect to line your stomach before a great night out. Heh.
Party 21 is hosted by DJ Nabila who was spinning the deck the entire night.
There were a lot of fun and games outside too – from arcade games to lucky draws.
OMG this has gotta be the only photo where I look my age. HAHA! This was taken at the photo wall right before the entrance.
You can also get a chance at the lucky draw by liking the WorldCard Malaysia Facebook page.
I met Ivy there, who recognized me from my blog. She asked her friend to take a photo of us with her iPhone and I asked her friend if she could take another one with mine. Thanks for saying hello Ivy! 🙂
Anyway, it was a lucky day for me coz I rummaged around the lucky draw box and got…
…the best prize!
It’s a free night’s stay at First World Hotel. w00t! Thanks Genting!
I wanted to get one of the t-shirts instead, which you could redeem for 2 GP (Genting Points) but unfortunately they were all sold out. Genting Points are credits that is stored in your WorldCard. There’s also an awesome deal where you can get 10 drink vouchers for 3 GP too.
The party was in full swing when I got in. There are performances by pole dancers and stage appearances, including a memorable one which got everyone doing it Gangnam Style. 😉
This is the bunch of us who went up that night. Jane is partially obscured in that photo…
…so here’s another one with her.
This is Steve, one of the friendly Genting staff I met that night in addition to Chee Wai, Evon and the rest. Thanks for all the assistance in checking in and drink vouchers!
I’ll let the videos speak for themselves, I had a blast that night!
You know what the best thing is? Party 21 comes with a complimentary room at First World Hotel so you don’t need to drive down after partying.
That’s the awesomeness of being a WorldCard member. There’s a lot of benefits in being one, and not just for skipping queues either. 😉
I’ve been one since 2007 and I get occasional text messages with free room offers and invites to exclusive events like this. Membership and application is free and you can see the latest promotions and contests at the WorldCard Malaysia Facebook page or the Genting website.
You can also get priority parking and best of all, a toll and petrol rebate from RM 50 to RM 300 by accumulating points. 1 GP = RM 1 if you do this and it’s a little known secret that you can get cold, hard cash by exchanging points for driving up. I love mine for the perks it gives me – you can also sign up for your very own WorldCard here! 😀
I had a lot of fun and after a night of partying, you don’t know how tempting a bed looks instead of the prospect of having to drive down. I slept till the next day before going back to KL, a lot better than drinking and driving.
Ergonomics is important, particularly if you’re doing something for a long time. You know, like how they have ergonomic keyboards for cubicle warriors. Now, beer lovers in Malaysia will have the same consideration – this is of particular import for those who loves their beer. 😉
Finally beer drinkers everywhere would have a more comfortable bottle to hold on to! I reckon that’s quite thoughtful of Heineken – designing a new bottle that’s not only looks cool, but feels good. The new bottle has an embossed curve on the neck and back with an embossed Heineken logo and the iconic star. It’s also slimmer but don’t worry, it contains the same amount of liquid.
The new bottle of Heineken is going to replace the current ones for a more modern and easy to hold long necked design. I like it coz I can hold the bottle by the neck and not unintentionally warm the beer with my hand. There’s also a thumb groove that gives a bit of traction and grip! Nifty eh?
…and with Heineken being a premium beer, they’re not pinching pennies with the launch. It’s going to be an exclusive party where YOU can get a chance to attend as well. 😀
Let me tell you about the party, my friends. There will be plenty of Heineken flowing to fuel the energy, which is turn in provided by DJ Ferry Corsten (a.k.a. System F) who will be spinning that night with VJ UTT as the host. It’s another money-can’t-buy experience that is a signature of Heineken events – it’s invite only and there’s an extremely limited amount of open spots.
The only way you can score an invite is by participating in the Heineken to.a.star app on Facebook.
I’ve already received a couple on my Facebook Wall. All you need to do is to send your friends on Facebook a virtual new bottle of Heineken. Quick, send one now! Here’s how it works:
Go to the Heineken to.a.star app and virtually scan your palm to pull out your Facebook details.
Toast Your Friends by sending them a Heineken bottle. Choose them carefully coz you only have a limited amount (20 bottles) to send and you want them to return the toast. 😉
Be a nice person and send one back coz it’ll give them points in the form of “bottles”. I currently have 3 bottles.
Collect as many bottles/points as you can, you need to receive at least 10 bottles to qualify and you just might win 2 exclusive invites to the Heineken bottle launch party! DJ Ferry Corsten is coming in all the way from the Netherlands, which is the birthplace of Heineken! 🙂
It’s going to be big. It’s going to be epic. It’s going to be…wait for it…legendary! 🙂
I hear it’s being touted as the Friendliest Day of the Year.
It’s one of the few holidays that break out from the country of origin (Ireland, in this case) to metamorphosis from obscurity to become something more…something global, something trulyepic!
It’s St. Patrick’s Day!
I go every single year. Guinness has held the biggest St Patrick’s Day parties for two years running in Malaysia. I was at the 2010 celebrations in 1Utama.
I also went to the 2011 street party at Changkat Bukit Bintang where they have all the awesome street performers and even awesomer (spell check just warned me about this word with the red squiggly line) launch with the jugglers and huge motorcycle parade.
I couldn’t get a good shot at the actual event with everyone jostling around but here’s what it looks like – that’s from the preview event and is almost exactly the same. 😀
It is always a day full of fun, friendship and laughter.
Fun Fact:
A popular Irish toast on St Patrick’s Day is “May the roof above never fall in, and may we as friends beneath it never fall out”.
This year sees a return of the celebrations to Changkat Bukit Bintang! There will be a month full of celebrations starting right about now. Remember when I said March 17th is going to be known as the Friendliest Day of the Year?
Well, there’s this obscure, little book that you might have heard of. It’s called the Guinness Book of World Records. 😉
This is the real thing, the authoritative tome that people refer to when a feat or record is in doubt. It’s no local wannabe, if you’re in it, you know you’ve done something worth writing down for posterity in the entire known world.
Guinness is attempting to set a new Guinness World Record for the Friendliest Day of the Year by getting 1 million people to pledge online at www.facebook.com/guinnessmalaysia and www.stpatricks.com.my to get into the book. Just click on COUNT ME IN to make it happen! 🙂
I’m telling you, it’ll be the best fun you ever had. The crowd is always nice and there’s fun and laughter. Get ready for the pure awesomeness that is the main St Patrick’s Day street party:
Date: Saturday (17th March)
Venue: Changkat Bukit Bintang
Time: 6 pm onwards
There’s even going to be a busker dressed like a court jester. What more can you ask for? 😀
Well, this is one holiday which almost everyone celebrates. A start of a brand, spanking new year. The time to make resolutions you’ll break the very next day and all that jazz.
You know, I haven’t had much luck with New Year’s Eve lately. I was on a plane during NYE 2011. Seriously. I was 35,000 feet in the air en route to London. This was the second New Year’s Eve I’ve spent on a plane with dozing fellow passengers as company.
I don’t know about you but that’s not my exactly my idea of an awesome New Year’s Eve.
Anyway, I was at ENCORP Strand a couple of weeks ago for the launch of Tapis Rouge – the new home of the Kit Kat Klub. I was rather impressed with the area – the Red Carpet Avenue seems set to be the latest place to party with the array of prestigious bars, restaurants and entertainment in the area.
Trivia: The Red Carpet is based upon the Golden Ratio divine proportion (look it up, it’s very interesting stuff and can be found all around us in nature) and the inspiration comes from Champ Elysees in Paris.
*cue my favorite band NOFX
Anyway, I’ve been back to Red Carpet Avenue a couple of times since then. I once brought a friend to watch the theater show at Tapis Rouge.
It was pretty good, comes highly recommended to me. I was in love with the production when I first saw it at the launch with Tiara Jacquelina and the old Kit Kat Klub crew.
ENCORP Strand is going to hold an awesome New Year’s Eve countdown at Red Carpet Avenue this year. Instead of getting your car sprayed with foam at Bukit Bintang or getting squashed in Padang Merdeka, I reckon this one would be one of the great NYE parties around.
You remember that episode in the first season of How I Met Your Mother where they had a limo and was rushing to 5 parties to see which one is the best and head there for the countdown?
Well, this one is going to be hard to beat. MYSTICAL EVE 2012 presents:
ENCORP Strand building moving, transforming and coming to live in 3D to the beats of music, lighting effects and fireworks – for the first time in Malaysia
Laser lights hand-manipulated – bent, stretched and spun before your very eyes by Laser Man
Aerialists twirling through space to synchronized music
A contortionist pushing the limits of human flexibility
Mizz Nina, Pop Shuvit, Joe Flizzow and other local celebrities performing
Aurology, Davern & Jee Hoe, DJ Xu spinning the decks and pumping up the music
MYSTICAL EVE 2012 has the theme “Tonight, Extraordinary Works Overtime” and with the lineup of entertainment that they have, I have no doubt that they can deliver. It starts from 6 pm – 2 pm on 31st December 2011 at Red Carpet Avenue, ENCORP Strand. Find out more at the Red Carpet Avenue Facebook page.
Be there and don’t forget Barney’s “Get Psyched” mix during your ride! 🙂
I believe this is the *only* photo I am ever going to post from last night. It was fucking awesome, and there’s a fantastic story behind it. This was taken in the infamous Poppies Lane II in Kuta.
There were three cameras taking this very same group shot. My travel companion, who prefers to remain anonymous – thus the mosaic – should be so lucky that the other two cameras belong to the girl in blue (Australia) and the guy beside her (United States) so chances are if it turns out on Facebook, it’ll never lead back. Haha.
Let me tell you something about Christmas in Bali. You can say what you want about the Poppies Lane party scene but I will tell you:
Have you heard of Express Christmas? No? Well, it’s when you can’t celebrate it on the day itself, so you wing it, gather a bunch of friends and celebrate it in advance.
…and that’s just what I did at Sid’s, TTDI.
You can’t have a proper Christmas party without some beer…
Buckets of Heineken to spread the festive cheer. I figured Heineken would do the trick nicely – it’s a cool and refreshing beer perfect for our climate. It doesn’t exactly snow here so mulled wine and warm eggnog doesn’t provide the same satisfaction.
There’s this trick where you try to blow a distorted cap into the bottle. It can be done, just like that balance-the-coin-on-the-lemon-suspended-in-liquid tipping jar. It’s just close to impossible.
Samantha tried it.
Kim tried it. Both to no avail.
Oh, speaking of which, say hello to the newly-weds. 🙂
Lainey had this reindeer thing on her head. That’s me with the Santa hat…drinking on the job. Rudolph go! 😀
Heineken Jenga. I built this slightly (actually very) unwieldy contraption with a bit of help from everyone.
Rules: Everyone pulls one bottle and the person who makes it fall drinks. Kids, do not try this at home or at all. 😉
You wanna come sit on Santa’s lap? 😉 I can’t grant you a wish but I do have…er, lollipops to give out.
Kim also pulled this trick on me. It’s really funny, ask her to show you.
Christmas is all about good company. I’ll be in Bali for Christmas so I’m glad I got the chance to celebrate my own Express Christmas with my closest friends. 🙂
I had a rather delicious start to the morning by having dim sum at around 7 am this morning. This is quite an unusual hour for me to be up on a Sunday morning. There is a very good reason for that though.
I didn’t sleep.
I have been up since I went to Lainey‘s birthday party since 8:30 pm on Saturday and spent 12 hours talking and nursing various alcoholic drinks (beer, cider, single malt, champagne, vodka) and shooting the breeze on a bewildering array of topics (to the casual listener) with Fresh, Gareth and Kim till dawn broke.
It’s been a long time since I did that. Heh. It was a lot of fun though and before crashing we headed to Jin Xuan in Puchong for dim sum.
Deep fried har kow
I usually don’t like deep fried dim sum but the har kaw (prawn dumplings) here are done quite well. No excessive crackly skin and it’s superb with a dash of mayonnaise. The ones with fu chuk (the soy bean byproduct) wrapped around prawns is good too – a nice variant of har kow.
Spare ribs (pai kuat)
This is really good as well. I like the ones that’s swimming in a pool of delicious marinate too:
It’s a bit hard to get at the meat, but when you do, it’s perfection.
Salted shrimp scallops
This one is pretty good as well. I’m a huge fan of shrimp in general so anything with it can’t really go wrong. It has bits of scallops, salted egg, and other stuff inside too.
Golden flowing bun
I don’t know how this translates in Cantonese. It’s supposed to be the piece de resistance in Jin Xuan and is a custard bun with bits of salted egg (?) that flows like lava when you break it open.
The savory taste of salted egg is surprisingly good in the sweet custard bun. It’s supposed to be really runny and despite multiple exchanges initiated by Gareth to get the perfect golden flowing bun – all of them was just a tad overcooked this morning.
However, if I didn’t know better I would have though it was excellent. I’m definitely going back again for the golden flowing bun. I bet it’ll be orgasmic if they get it right. However, we didn’t get charged for it due to the poor quality control so I guess it’s free dessert. Heh.
I totally crashed and slept for 9 hours when I got home. I had a total blast though. It’s a good thing tomorrow’s a public holiday. Have a great time everyone! 🙂
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! 🙂
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.
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!
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! 🙂
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
It’s all on draft, at happy hour prices, all night long! 😀
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?
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!
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.
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.
Where will you be celebrating Oktoberfest this year? 🙂
Who doesn’t like to let their hair down during the weekends and party the stress of the work week away? I consider myself somewhat of a nightlife connoisseur. I started going to raves in 1996 when I was studying in New Zealand. I went on to be a regular at clubs and doofs (outdoor raves) when I was in university in Melbourne.
I guess you can say that I am a child of the PLUR movement. #hipster
I have clubbed in Korea, Hong Kong and even in Sri Lanka. I just came back from Lan Kwai Fong a few days ago and thought to myself, wouldn’t it be awesome to have been one of the people there when it first started?
Wouldn’t you love to be the one of the first, exclusive few to attend the pre-launch of a club?
You’ll practically have bragging rights for all eternity!
Club Neverland is going to be the biggest thing to hit the KL entertainment scene since…well, since sliced bread. Heh.
The name itself evokes good feelings. The story of Peter Pan sets the scene – he brings some good stuff of stripper from https://www.malestrippers.com.au/sydney/ in the club which brings the more spark in the enjoyment.
Well, I’m glad to report that the place isn’t mythical anymore – at least, not the club. Neverland aims to be the cornerstone of Kuala Lumpur’s nightlife scene and it’ll have interactive live performances set in a hip and stylish environment.
Club Neverland can easily fit 900 people in a sitting capacity and it has an on-site car park with bays for 500 cars. You won’t have to worry about parking in the heart of KL again!
Venue:Club Neverland Event: Exclusive Pre-Launch Address: 1, Jalan Kia Peng Date: 7th October 2011
Remember this video that I did?
How would you like to be the FIRST to experience this new clubbing destination? You’ll get to causally mention:
Yeah, I was at the pre-launch before Neverland even opened to the public.
Won’t you love to see your friends’ faces when Club Neverland becomes the place to be in KL?
Imagine being at this historical event before everyone else gets a chance to party at the latest club in town! I have only have 10 exclusive invites to give away and I hear there will be celebrities and personalities attending the pre-launch.
Tell me in the comments below and I’ll pick 10 lucky winners to attend the pre-launch. You’ll get to bring a friend and your friend can bring another friend so each winner will have passes for three (3) people, including themselves!
This contest ends at 8 pm on the 2nd of October. Please ensure that your email address is correct so I can get in touch with you. Nuffnang will contact you after that so you can collect your tickets – each ticket comes with a free drink!
Come and join us in this star-studded pre-launch party for Club Neverland and be forever young for a night! 🙂
