It's funny how I live in Kota Kemuning, yet not knowing this hidden gem in the neighborhood until I read about it at somewhere else!
OK, so maybe I don't really venture WITHIN the neighborhood itself (except for a few regular shops for convenience) but knowing from past experiences, the eatery shops that opened up in Kota Kemuning either lacked in the taste department or they just disappear from the scene a couple months later (ie. gulung tikar, zhap lup, bankrupt).
Iced barley- RM1.30
'Cham' (Mixed)- RM1.20
It's abit surprising that recently there have been a couple of 'famous' eateries opening up in Kota Kemuning itself- perhaps the crowd is getting better? Secret Recipe is here for a while now, Dominoes Pizza just opened a couple months back, Pizza Vs Satay has landed, and joining these few more famous ones is Delifrance- saw the buntings hanging around the township. But I supposed the most McFamous and McProfitable eatery joint within the neighbourhood is still McDonald's!
Pun Chun is a familiar name and especially needs no further introduction for those who frequents Bidor. Even still, many KL-ites know of Pun Chun as well- such a shame for me! It's still puzzles me why of all places in KL that PC decided to open a branch in Kota Kemuning? Perhaps rental is cheap... but that did not translate to cheap food.
Duck drumstick mee soup- RM6.80
Duck drumstick mee dry- RM6.80
We had the famous duck drumstick noodles, one dry and one soup- just to have a taste of both worlds. It took awhile for food to arrive as the corner shop was packed to the brim- a testimonial for good food or famous-ness :D The dry version came with a metal bowl of herbal soup and a duck drumstick- flavourful and just comforting. I suppose what makes this bowl of noodles special is the tenderness of the duck drumstick, the herb infused soup and did I tell you I LOVE herbal flavoured food (ie. herbal chicken, herbal soup, bak kut teh... erm ok that's bout it).
Prawn Wan Ton (7 pcs)- RM5.30
We also had a side order of prawn wan ton which came in 7 pcs. It came in reasonable sizes and was definitely a great addition to the whole meal.
Pun Chun chicken biscuits- RM3
While I was at the counter for payment, I noticed chicken biscuits and immediately grabbed a pack! I love the crunchy crispy chicken biscuit! It came in 12 pieces and I polished it off (don't know why my sisters don't like it??? it's so yummy!!)- more for me then :D
I heard that Pun Chun is also famous for it's wu kok (yam puff) but unfortunately it's not available at the Kota Kemuning branch.
I see some hope in the Kota Kemuning eating scene now :)
Pun Chun Noodle House 10, Jalan Anggerik Vanilla AC 31/AC, Kota Kemuning, 40460 Shah Alam, Selangor.
[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]
Like many of you taking the highways and low-ways to work everyday, when it is raining, you and I both know it's a no-way. Without fail, I will turn on my radio (I listen to Mix.fm) and Priscilla Patrick will be on air reporting on the traffic flow in the Klang Valley in the mornings and in the evenings. Everysingleday, the traffic is so bad but yesterday's evening topped it all.
I remember there was once where a morning heavy downpour happened and everywhere was flooded and jammed, I left at 7am and reached office 9am sharp- the moment I clocked in- phew!
And this was what I encountered yesterday evening:
Cars
CARS
AND MORE CARSSSSS!!!@#$%
I was stuck for a whole 2 and 1/2 hours for a journey that normally takes 1 hour max. Believe me, I was NOT MOVING a single inch and for a good 30 mins, I only made progress of moving about 100m. It was so frustrating.
Having nothing to do, here's what I did to entertain myself: - eat potato chips (I always have a few packs on standby for traffic jams hehe) - take pictures (like the visuals you see above) - stare, flip through and study the pricing of fast food pamphlets (as shown below)- always end up hungry though.......
- play with the windscreen wipers and try to synchronize with the car behind -_____- - see what the next car's driver is doing - checkout if got hidden wi-fi somewhere on the highway - text someone else who is also stuck in the jam - and of course sing my heart out to whatever that is playing on the radio (if I know the lyrics lah)
I left office at 6pm, and I got home at 8.33pm.
Living and working in the Klang Valley cannot be more uninteresting and frustrating than this.
Oh wheee~ it's a weekend already :D
p/s: What do you do when you're stuck in a jam?
pp/s: If you saw a lone woman in a silver Myvi with the wipers synchronized with the car behind, phone camera flashing away, singing out loud (though you can only see, not hear), having potato chips in the mouth...... that was probably me ;-)
No, "Nojito" isn't a typo error. It is the name for a "Non-alcoholic Mojito".
Bowl of Nojito
Continuing my previous posts on the cookout, I still have a few dishes' recipes to post. Today's "Cheap Thrills, No Frills..." will be on make-it-yourself Non-alcoholic Mojito- or also known as 'Nojito'. I was first introduced to Mojito by Param at last year's La Bodega. Subsequently, I have tried the Mojito at Skybar which was pretty pricey.
Do-re-mi
Ingredients Lemons Ginger Mint leaves Crushed ice Water
Instructions 1. Squeeze lemon juice out from lemon. 2. Slice ginger. 3. Bring together lemon juice, ginger, mint leaves and water together in a big bowl. 4. Sweetened abit with sugar and add crushed ice/ice cubes. 5. Serve chilled in a fancy glass!
Mi-re-do
The outcome was a delicious bowl of Nojito which received the thumbs up from everyone in the cookout group. It was so good that we had glass after glass even though there was wine available. This non-alcoholic cocktail is made by a guy in the group!
At first I was abit skeptical at the sight of ginger in the cocktail but it turned out that the ginger only added to the flavouring yet not overpowering- a delightful extra taste for the lemon & mint flavour drink.
Always thought Mojito sounds like Mosquito hehe
A Nojito is great for parties and gatherings where alcohol is an option and especially great if you want to down glass after glass without getting drunk! Also, a good choice for drinks if there is no budget for alcohol :D
Petaling Street is known for the imitation goods, foreign workers, and crime rate. Erasing all these negative views of this in/famous street, it is also well known for its street food with the famous Hon Kee porridge, chee cheong fun, air mata kucing, Sei Ngan Chye roast duck, etcetera.
I was there one of the many Fridays ago with my sister and her assistant and we tried this pan mee and fried lobak stall located just infront of a bookstore and right at the junction of Petaling Street.
Soup pan mee
Dry pan mee
My sister and I had the soup pan mee while Wei Mei had the dry version. Truth to be told, it was nothing spectacular, in fact it's as ordinary and plain as any fishball kuey teow soup. So the lmelight is not on the pan mee but rather...
Sinful fried lobak
... the FRIED LOBAK! We had a few types- oyster roll, prawn roll, pork roll and fried beancurd skin (fu pei). They were all fried to crisp and golden brown perfection- mamma mia! It was very sinful but who says delicious food are healthy? The plate of lobak was such a comfort amidst the scorching heat of the Friday afternoon, I know it is a bit ironical- the hot weather and fried oily food. But believe me, it was good!
The heat? Just walk down the fake goods street and get a cuppa ice cold air mata kucing to cool down :D
"I have duly sampled [a bottle of Highland Park 20 year old] and am in the process of conversion to the idea that Highland Park is the only whisky worth drinking and that Johnnie Wlker is only fit for selling to deluded Sassenachs." Alexander Walker, 1914, grandson of the original Johnnie Walker and, at the time of the quote, the largest blender of Scotch whisky in the world.
Last week after a hard day's work back in the hotel in KK, my boss received an email on an invitation to Highland Park event at 7atenine, The Ascott KL. She asked me if I would wanna come along (actually she just said, "We RSVP first lah yea.") but who is silly enough to say "No" to a booze event!
Anyway, I had totally forgotten about it and confused with the dates until my boss came into office yesterday afternoon and casually said,
"So tonight you come to my house and we go together ok? Don't wanna stay long... you ok with it?"
"Okay, sure." (*grins silently at the thought of Highland Park whisky)
7atenine
After work, I followed my boss to her house and her driver drove us to The Ascott KL. It was so freaking jam, it took us more than an hour to get there. My boss even joked about having a bowl of noodles first and still can catch up with the car later! It was our first time to 7atenine and my first to such work-related night events, so you can tell I'm wee bit excited :D
Upon registration, we were given a welcome pack of $1000 gambling chips each and of course we grabbed a drink first before doing anything else! (p/s: My boss and I are known in the office as zhau gwai- alcoholics). We walked around abit desperately looking for food but later found our supplier and was ushered to their little corner... only after that we found food. There were fried meehoon served in chinese takeaway little boxes (makes fried meehoon suddenly taste so good), roast beef in little spoons, shrimp siew mai, pastries, and of course free flow of Highland Park 12 Years! :DDDDDD
Highland Park 12 YO- RM140@KLIA
It was my first Highland Park as well. We had it on the rocks as opposed to some others who mixed it with orange juice. According to my boss, a whisky enthusiast said good whisky must be enjoyed neat, mixers are for cheap whiskies. So there you go.
Though it was just 12 Years which is the lowest price, it was very good and smooth. I suppose it's because Highland Park is Single Malt whisky and not like Hennessy/Chivas/Johnnie Walker which are blended whiskies. No wonder my boss and Eiling always rave about Single Malt whisky as it really taste very different- definitely for those with an acquired taste.
The bar
We chatted abit at the lounge area and after a few glasses, my supplier ajaked us to go upstairs. Now if you were wondering what the gambling chips given at the registration counter were for, it was for gambling of course! With $1000 capital, everyone can try their luck at getting a bottle home- $12,000 wins a bottle of 12 Years, $18,000 and $30,000 each wins a bottle of 18 Years and the exclusive 30 Years. My boss handed me her $1000 capital and hinted that she would be very happy with a bottle of 18 Years.
Highland Park 18 YO- RM 258 @KLIA Awarded "Best Spirit in the World!" 2005
So with $2000 capital, it was like a make or break for my year-end bonus. Just kidding of course, my boss is very nice one ;-)
There were 4 game tables- Bacarate, Black Jack, Big/Small, Roulette. I tried my hands on the Black Jack table and managed to win about $1000 until I lost it all on the Big/Small table. Clearly I have no luck on the gaming table :-( and there goes my year-end bonus too.......
Highland Park 30 YO- RM900+ @ KLIA
Hehe anyway, another guy on the table won the 30 Years and my boss was beaming with happiness. He was generous enough to open the bottle and share with the whole table, and we finished the whole bottle in about 20 mins. The taste is absolutely heavenly- smooth and easy to drink, with a smoky note, much much better than GlenOrd! My boss even got to keep the wood case and bottle. Believe me, she was beaming, grinning, smiling, laughing the whole night after getting a taste of 30 YO. Even I can't help to silently grin!
Chillout @ 7atenine
After a couple more drinks, my boss decided that we should make a move as she has a flight to catch the next day (today) at 5am! We were given a goodie bag each (love goodie bags!) which has a Highland Park namecard case (very pretty, ask me to show to you if you meet me) and an information booklet. We were both still sober but she drank till got hiccups! My head was feeling alittle heavy but I still managed to get myself home. Well today, I didn't wanna go to work....... and I woke up craving for watermelon juice!
My company's dutyfree liquor shop in Langkawi
But from now on, Highland Park and Single Malt whisky it is for me! I know what I should buy on my next trip to Langkawi!
"Quality in whisky is more than age. Even the poorest spirit can become old, though never palatable. Whiskies put down for ageing must have quality from the very start." Wine & Spirit Trade Record 1924
Continuing from where we last stop on last month's cookout session, here's a CTNF post on a pasta dish, aptly named Hot Diva Pasta... only for Divas :D
We got the recipe off the Malaysian Women's Weekly magazine and by looking at the ingredients and instructions, it didn't look too difficult- perfect for amateur cooks like me!
We use Borges Pitted Spanish Black Olives
Ingredients
Here is the recipe just in case the picture is too small:
Serves 4-5 Prep time 20 mins Cooking time 2+ hours
Ingredients 300g spaghetti 75ml olive oil 3 cloves garlic, sliced 30g black olives, coarsely chopped 10g (1tsp) capers 50g sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced 250g tomato puree 50g italian parsley, coarsely chopped 20g fresh basil 25g bird chillies 10g (1pc) anchovy fillet salt and pepper to taste
Hot diva sauce!
Instructions 1. Heat olive oil in a medium sized pan. Saute garlic till fragrant. 2. Add anchovies, capers, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato puree and bird chillies. Simmer till sauce thickens. Add parsley and basil and take pan off the heat. 3. Bring 3 litres of water to boil in another pan. Add a splash of olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Cook spaghetti for about 7-8 minutes till al dente. 4. Drain, top with sauce and serve immediately.
Hot Diva Pasta
It was a very successful pasta dish as everyone said it was nice. The pasta didn't taste too spicy while still maintain a strong tomato flavour. The vibrant color of the pasta really teases your appetite. We used linguine instead of spaghetti but I supposed it doesn't really matter, just go along with your favourite type of pasta.
P/s: Will be away tomorrow till next Tuesday to KK again. The airports seem like my 3rd home now, well not that I mind, as a matter of fact I love the airports :D I wish I could make a visit to all the international airports in the world!
Yesterday was a night out to celebrate Sandesh's overdue birthday (a month ago). He was feeling so generous that he treated Param and I (because only both of us could make it) dinner and drinks. We had our dinner at TGIF @The Curve and later proceeded to Sanctuary as three of us have not been to the famous Ice Bar.
Rules @ The Ice Bar
The Ice Bar is actually a very small room, not bigger than my dining room in fact. To enter the Ice Bar, you have to either purchase a shot of Smirnoff (choose from any of its flavours- Citrus, Orange, Apple, Raspberry, Strawberry, Vanilla, Cranberry etc). A testtube shot costs about RM15 while 4+1 shots at about RM70+. Purchase of a shot entitles you 10 minutes in the ice bar but if you buy a bottle of Smirnoff, it'll entitle you 40 minutes alongside with 4 other friends.
Frozen Smirnoffs
Ice Sofa
The fixtures are made of ice and the sofa is really cool (literally and figuratively). True to it's tagline, "We Bring Russia To You", the Ice Bar really feels like a 'simulator' of a Russian or really cold climate place. It is almost the same as being up in Genting on a super windy and cold night except it is much more colder in here. Well, if you can't go to Russia, Russia will come to you!
Frozen liquor?
They also serve other liquor in here but I am not too sure of the charges. However, the main liquor served in here is none other than Smirnoff vodka (made famous by James Bond, "shaken not stirred") as the bar is sponsorred by the Russian founded vodka.
It is not that cold after all....
BUT it was freezing at -15 degrees celcius!!! My legs were so cold I almost felt numb! Thank goodness it was only 10 minutes, another minute in there I think we would have to drink the whole bottle to keep warm, hehe.
Johnnie Walker Black Label Limited Edition
We proceeded to Sanctuary where it's much more warmer and had a bottle of JW Black Label Limited Edition. I like Sanctuary because it plays radio pop music rather than techno/trance/house etc. The three of us had a great night out, special thanks to Sandesh for the treats!
Btw, there is another ice bar just launched in town- Club Quattro @ Avenue K. I think we need more of these bars cause the weather is just so hot these days!
One of it says "#101-Visit a chocolate factory, better yet, the Fidani Chocolate Factory!"
Fidani- Finest Chocolate Creations
When I was younger and didn't know what real chocolates is like, I thought Cadbury, Hersheys and Ferrero Roches are to die for. But that was until I discover the real meaning of real chocolates or gourmet chocolates to be precise- FIDANI.
Well, to be frank, if it's not because of the relationship I have with the person managing Fidani, I would have never ever knew Fidani existed! Why?? Because Fidani chocolates are so exquisite that they are only available in the airports and the First Class Golden Lounge. I count myself very lucky as I am nowhere near traveling in 1st/Business Class or even near enough to gain entry to the prestigious First Class Golden Lounge, but I have so much of Fidani chocolates that I shudder at the sight of it! Not kua cheong one ok...
Does this make you drooling yet?
Beneath the facade of every child and adult, young and old, fat and skinny, tall and short, dark and fair, male and female, there is a desire to be Charlie in Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Ask anyone who has watched the movie or read the book, does he/she not want a magical trip to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory?
40 pieces for 40 kinds of sad happiness
I, alongside 13 lucky bloggers scored an exclusive Golden Ticket each to the Ultimate Fidani Experience™ which money can't buy, but relationships can :D After all, how dare she not give me the invite, bwahahahaha :D The other lucky 13 bloggers are KYspeaks, Rachel, ShaolinTiger, Suanie, Cheesie, FireAngel, Eyeris, David, Jen, Grace, Nicholas, KimberlyCun, and Ziling (okla, to be honest both of us not fehmes langsung but whattodoo, if Eiling don't give us the invite then we will sabotage her bolster or something....).
THE Golden Ticket
So the visit was more than a month ago... but since it's supposed to be an unforgettable trip, I still do remember the once in a lifetime experience very well. I say "once in a lifetime" because according to Fidani Chocolatier's Chocolate Connoisseur- Chef Amer Hamzah, this is the FIRST and LAST time that Fidani Factory is open to the public. Awww... how honoured!
... wait, that means Things To Do Before You Die number #101 can't be achieved by you guys out there. Hehe nvmla, go tour the Hershey's or M&M's factory or something la.
3x40 pcs of chocolates
The unforgettable visit kick started with a lecture on the origins/history/all-you-need-to-know of chocolates- cocoa beans, ingredients, differences between compound and real chocolates, why some chocolates can only be called "choc", the differences between Fidani and mass chocolates like Cadbury/Hershey's etc, how the name "Fidani" came about (the name of the owner's daughter + daddy's hunny), types of chocolates etc.
As Chef Amer was lecturing, this tray of 182 pieces of chocolates were calling us to "EAT ME, EAT ME!!" But of course, it's not nice to menyampuk when someone is talking so after the lecture ended, chocolates started to disappear from the tray :-p It was pure indulgence, yum yum! My personal favourites are the ones with nuts or also known as Crunches!
Fresh from the chiller
Next, we were ushered to the "exciting" part of the visit (actually I think the most exciting is the eating part) where we got to see what goes on behind these exquisite handmade chocolates and most importantly the lifetime opportunity to make our very own Fidani Chocolates! During my 3 weeks stint working for Fidani last Christmas at Bangsar Village, I was asked by many customers what "handmade" really means. The difference between mass/factory machine produced and Fidani chocolates is that at Fidani, everything is done by hand- human hands! Machines are only used to assist the process, such as chilling. From coating, filling, scraping, decorating, piping and packing, every process is done by humans- hence, the premium pricing as well.
For example, here are some pictures to show you guys how truffles are made:
1. Chocolates are moulded using a custom made mould that can withstand heat of up to very high degree. The lubang you see here is for the fillings to be piped in.
2. After the fillings are piped in, the chocolate balls are dipped into dark/milk chocolate. As you can see, the worker here is very pro already cos the balls are balancely coated.
3. Another worker proceeds to scrape these chocolate coated balls on a metal netting to create a very nice outlook. She has to do this very quickly as the chocolate will set after a while.
4. And this is the final outcome of the truffles. This batch is called Hazel Truffles (with hazelnut filling).
Almond dates chocolates
The above picture is a limited seasonal range of chocolates which is only produced for Hari Raya. Every piece is made out of a whole almond wrapped with dried kurma, enrobed in milk chocolate and covered with almond nibs. This is a very special chocolate as I have never tasted any kurma + almond combination.
Real durian puree
In the corner of the kitchen is a place where all the ingredients are stored, and you can find all the nuts, fillings, dried fruits and even tongkat ali that is used to flavor the chocolates. Also spotted was a worker preparing the durian puree for the award winning Danson Durian Chocolates. I learnt from my sister and always tell people that it is the only form of durian you can bring on the plane! Trust me, it is very delicious as you can savour the real durian puree instead of those cheapo durian flavoured chocolates out there in the market.
"This is how it should be done!"
Next up, the most interesting part- Make Your Own Fidani Chocolates. Chef Amer showed us how their upcoming new range "Chocolatease- The Naked Bar" is made. Because at Fidani, everything is done by hand, no 2 bars of chocolates are the same in terms of design and that is what makes it special.
Showing off my amateur skillz
It was certainly not an easy task to estimate the precise amount of chocolate to perfectly fill the mould. As you can see, I failed at that, hence the messy mould. KY on the other hand did very well and was very proud of his skillz.
Limited Edition Fidani Chocolate made by Yiling
I like my chocolate to be a mix of dark and milk (I don't like white chocolate- too sweet for my liking). I find it quite a joy to make the artsy designs as there's no right or wrong to it. Every piece is an art itself, just like those artsy designs on your cup of cappucino :D
Ziling's design
p/s: Ask Ziling what grades she got for her Pendidikan Seni last time :p
KYspeaks and makes chocolates too
David's masterpiece
I ROFLOL-ed when I saw David's masterpiece while browsing through the photos. HAHA, David jangan marah ya but I think you have skillz that we don't! ;-D
The following set of pictures shows how chocolate flowers are made:
*Tadah*
That's why they don't call Mr Amer the Chef for nothing. You da Man.
And guess who got a bunch of Fidani Chocolate flowers for her graduation...???
:D
To further illustrate the meaning of "handmade chocolates", even the wrapping is done manually. Like this:
They also produce Farell's, which is another range of moulded chocolates without the fancy designs and are mostly pralines. This is the more affordable range and they happen to come in really nice packagings as well- suitable for Xmas and birthdays.
Also in the picture: Ziling doesn't look too pleased while I think to myself, "Aiyo, when can eat the chocolates.... fasterla..."
Chocolate tasting session
The final part of the visitation is the chocolate tasting session. We were served these plates of chocolates and asked to give feedbacks on what we feel/think/taste. This is to facilitate their upcoming range of Farell's. Eiling said, "You can just take a bite and leave it if you don't like it." Chewah... macam expert tasters saja.
Do you want to buy my chocolate? Not available in the market yet!
Jen and our free swags- goodie bag worth a whopping RM250!!
Last but not least, for those who have yet try Fidani, I urge you to beg someone who travels and frequents the airport to buy a box for you as unfortunately, Fidani Chocolates are not available downtown. The nearest location to grab a box though will be through their factory in Glenmarie.
Other locations include:
Choc Stop @ KLIA Satellite, Arrival L3 and Departure L5
Emporium @ Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Departure L3 and Airside L2
Airport Shop @ LCCT Kota Kinabalu
#First World Hotel, Genting Highlands
#Langkawi Jetty Point & International Airport
#Penang International Airport
#Kuching Airport
#MAS Golden Lounge
#In-flight shopping on board of MAS
#ME :D
