Quinn Seremban Beef Noodles

Traffic Lights- Ice Lemon Tea; Sour Plum; Watermelon

2 weekends ago, I was invited to a colleague's wedding (luckily it's not exactly considered a 'bomb' since it's a Malay kenduri style) in Seremban. My foodie colleague & her boyfriend and I took a drive down to the siew pao famous town, but before that we already did our homework on where to have Seremban Beef Noodles!!!


Beef Noodles Soup

The shop is actually a branch from the famous beef noodles stall at Seremban Central Market. I read that the owner opened 2 branches- one a King, the next one naturally a 'Quinn'. Sometimes can't help to wonder what 'inspire' people to put a certain name to their biz or even name themselves with some really funny names, i.e. Fruit Chan??! Kinky??! Fish Leong??! My hairstylist name is one of the funnier ones I've come across- Wormie. Nice guy but seriously??!!

The shop was packed. On the facade and interior, nothing fancy. What's really amusing though is a few DSLRs spotted on a few tables (including mine teehee)- I told my friends that the owners probably thinks, "Meh... sammore few bloggers today take picha of my noodles. Bleh sien oredi." The wait for food was really long and we even had to wait like 20-30mins for our drinks to arrive! The beef noodles soup was just so-so in my opinion, nothing great to shout about.


Beef Noodles (Dry)

The dry version is a more popular choice. Similar to the one I had in Section 17, the famous Uncle Cheng beef noodles, it has nuts, tripes, tendon, preserved vege, and beef slices. There is also a gooey sauce that seems to give the noodles and its beefy accompaniments some texture. The dry version fares slightly better than the soup counterpart.


Yummy Beefballs

I found the beefballs to be the best. Springy and meaty they were pretty good- I would appreciate if they're bigger size and has those juices coming out as I bite into them as seen in Stephen Chow's really old movie 'God of Crockery'. In total, we paid about RM40+ for 3 bowls of dry and 1 bowl of soup, 1 bowl of beefballs and a few drinks.

As I'm writing this, I'm already craving for beef noodles. Anyone knows if Uncle Cheng is still in same old coffee shop at Section 17?


Quinn Seremban Beef Noodles
108, Jalan Toman 6,
Kemayan Square,
70200 Seremban.

[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.]

Pantai Seafood @ Kg Sg Kayu Ara

Cheese Baked Japanese Snails- RM1.50/pc; Yin Yang Kailan- RM12

Just like most of you out there, meal times are my favourite time of the day. And I especially love it when someone suggests for a pig out session or food adventures. Recently I found that a friend/colleague who shares the same passion for food as I do (although she doesn't blog like I do but is very supportive of my blog heehee) and lunch was our favouritest time at work!

My friend suggested to try out Pantai Seafood @ Kg Sg Kayu Ara. For those who do not know Kayu Ara area... don't be intimidated by the name, it's actually somewhere tucked in between SS2/Uptown - Bandar Utama area (before BU toll).

My friend ordered a few dishes she read over the net- Cheese baked Japanese snails at RM1.50/pc. I always enjoy having escargots and shellfishes so I like this one as well, but having 1 pc is not enough and not really cheap too, so we rationed at 2 pcs each. The Yin Yang kailan has gained popularity in the recent years that you can find this almost everywhere at every Chinese restaurants. I love both the deep fried leaves part and the crunchy stir fried stems.


Scotland Clams with Garlic- RM138/kg

Well this one, guys, is really a very expensive clam. At RM138/kg these clams were probably rare with crystals and diamonds. It was so expensive that each person was only limited to 1 pc. To be honest, I don't think it's worth that price- would rather spend the same amount of money for a big bowl of lala instead. Oh well, there's always a first time anyway.


Sweet and spicy crabs; Claypot butter cream crabs; Fried mantou- RM3/bun

We ordered 2 styles of crabbies- in sweet and spicy gravy and butter cream. Both styles were nice, the gravy excellent with the mantou/ white rice. The crabs though not very excellent were good nonetheless to complete our seafood meal.

In total, we paid about RM50/head for the 6 of us- the bulk of the bill contributed by the very expensive clams from Scotland.


Pantai Seafood
Jalan Cempaka,
Kg Sg Kayu Ara,
47400 PJ.
Tel: 03-7725 5099

[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.]

Damansara Village @ Imbi

I was pre-booked by my sister a week ago on a food review and without knowing heads and tails, I just agreed- afterall, who could ever resist an invitation to pig out? On the way to the venue only did I found out it was an invitation by Patrick Teoh (the one and only- who can possibly not know The Voice over the radio) with a bunch of other invited bloggers (KY, Suanie, Fireangel, Kimberlycun, ShaolinTiger, Bangsar Babe, Cumi&Ciki, A Whiff of Lemongrass & few others that I don't really know...) to Damansara Village @ Imbi. The first outlet is in Kayu Ara, the second outlet just opened at Jalan Imbi, KL about 2 months back.

What is different between the Kayu Ara and Imbi outlet is that the former has only al fresco dining but Imbi offers both al fresco and air-conditioned.


Bamboo Clams; Village 'Cho Kai' Organic Chicken- RM49 for half, RM98 for whole

The chicken was the first dish to arrive. It was done in a very traditional and simple style- steamed. Simplicity they say is always best as you can really savour the freshness and smoothness of the meat. According to Patrick, the chicken and duck are rare from their own poultry farm and therefore quality is guaranteed even before they are cooked! The bamboo clams were a nice appetizer dish while waiting for another meat dish- ze duck!


Village Steamed Duck- RM60/kg; Village Special Steamed Clams- RM20

Steamed duck is hard to come by as they are usually roasted (i.e. Peking duck, roasted duck or braised duck, salted lap ngap). Similar to the chicken, steaming allows us to savour the juices and taste the tenderness of the meat. I think my dad would love this very much. Another shellfish after the bamboo clams is the steamed clams which has a generous taste of shaoxing wine, ginger and wolfberries (kei zhi).


Pig's Trotter with Vinegar; Pig Stomach Pepper Soup

Next came the Pig's Trotter with Vinegar. Normally I am not a big fan of this pig dish but this one really blew me away- the gravy was awesome! Darn I wish we had some white rice to go with it. The soup is one of my favourite as well, I love pig stomach and intestines (don't take liver and pork blood though). The soup is normally peppery based to emit the innards smell. Can I have a 2nd bowl of this please?


Salt Baked Crabs- RM48

The crabs were one of my favourite dish as well for the night. Again, simplicity rules the night- salt baked to retain the freshness and taste of the meat. The crustacean were appropriately sized to make sure you have just enough to remember to order this again in your next visit!


Crabbies for flavouring of the soup; Mysterious 'Sashimi'; Snakehead Fish 'Sang Yu'

The fish was our last dish.... for appetizers. The Snakehead fish (sounds scary and gangsta at the same time) was steamed and drenched with soy sauce (my favourite style of cooking fish). The meat is flaky and sweet, best eaten warm but you know what happens with food when bloggers come together for a meal....... ;-)

The Mysterious 'Sashimi' is given this nickname due to the mysterious taste and texture. Patrick gave us a challenge to guess what it is, after a bite, everyone guessed 'geoduck', 'abalone' and 'clam' but we were all wrong. These are actually tofu slices which taste like abalone! I don't know how it they are made to taste like that but this just gives me an idea for my future wedding dinner ha hahaha!


Essential ingredients for the soup

At Damansara Village, a steamboat set cost RM18.80/pax with additional RM12 if you want to change the clear soup to herbal base. Our soup was a herbal based one with loadsa herbs like dong guai, ginger, wolfberries and black fungus.


Steamboat's accompaniments; Mussels & Sliced 'Abalone-taste alike' Tofu


Patrick and Tiger Woods Prawns- RM23 for 300g

There's no steamboat without prawns. Fresh and big prawns makes a good steamboat. This is a good steamboat :)

Steam, steam, steam your boat... gently down the stream... merrily, merrily, merrily life is better than a dream!


Mama MINi Cooper

If all the good food is not enough, Mama Min surprised us with her dream car sculptured from a cake for us all to share the same dream teehee! It was just too cute to be cut and eaten.


The blogger babes & Patrick himself

Thanks for hosting the dinner and entertaining stories, Patrick & Mama Min!

Niamah! (ha haha)

Also read (for now):
Eiling

Damansara Village @ Kayu Ara
No. 1067, Jalan Jenjarum,
Kg Sg Kayu Ara,
Off Jalan SS23/10,
47500 PJ.
Tel: 03-7803 1832
Biz hours: 5.30pm-12.00am (daily)

Damansara Village @ Imbi
32 & 34, Jalan Utara,
Off Jalan Imbi,
55100 KL.
Tel: 03-2141 1678
Biz hours: 5.30pm-3.00am (daily)
www.damansaravillage.blogspot.com

Mama Min Cakes
"Happiness is Homemade"
info@mamamin.com
www.mamamin.com

[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.]

Moussandra Mediteranean & Tapas

Moussandra... a quaint little Mediteranean restaurant, a hidden gem

Once in a while we crave for different food- and it was one of those days when tapas came to mind. In the hunt for tapas, we found Moussandra on someone else's blog. Moussandra claims to be the oldest Mediteranean and tapas restaurant in KL and is such a tuckaway gem that I would have never found it on my own. The setting is abit of old and rustic with melted candles, canvas paintings and wooden furnitures adorning the space.

The lights are dimmed and candles lit...


Starters & Tapas
Sopa De Calabaza (Pumpkin Soup- RM15), Salchicas Con Mostaza (Grilled Beef Sausage with Mustard Sauce- RM10), Aceitunas Marinadas (Marinated Mixed Olives- RM8), Mejillones Con Almendra (Baked Mussels with Almond and Parmesan- RM20)

There're an array of tapas to choose from- vegetarian, meat, seafood, and assorted mezze. The selections we had were good nonetheless. I didn't take the olives as I am not really an olive-eater unless it's those preserved ones from China (heehee) but my makan partner claimed they were good. Well none for me, more for him then!


Paella Valenciana- RM38
Saffron flavoured rice with seafood, chicken, chicken sausage and vegetables

When it comes to Spanish dining, Paella would normally make it to our table- having had Paella at La Bodega and El Cerdo previously. For those who have not tried paella, cut the fancy schmanzy things out, it's actually Spanish Fried Rice and it's not your typical 'dai chow' RM5 per serving fried rice. If anyone asks what you had for lunch next time, instead of answering 'chau fan' or fried rice, I suggest you say 'Paella'. Damn, doesn't that give you a bit of confidence??? Hehehe :p


Eat and play
Torta De Chocolate (Freshly baked chocolate cake with homemade vanilla ice cream- RM20), a used bottle of Magnum and classic wood game

For desserts, we opted for chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. If you think that was a chocolate waffle, you're so getting yourself into abit of trouble finishing that by yourself! That harmless dessert is capable of filling you to the brim.


Candlelight affair

A good place for dining out where food and service is commendable. Also it's suitable if you're looking for somewhere quiet so that you and your dining friends can make all the noise. The only downside perhaps is if you're not very familiar with KL Plaza, then it may be abit difficult to locate the restaurant.


Moussandra Mediteranean & Tapas
Sub Lot B-8, Ground Floor, KL Plaza,
179, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 KL.
Tel: 03-2144 0775
Biz hours: Mondays - Saturdays, 12-3pm and 6-10pm
www.moussandra.com

[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.]

Phuket Seafood, The Big Buddha and Sunset

Sunset at Kamala Beach

On the 3rd day of our beachy trip, we decided to do some exploration and rented 2 motorbikes to go about the island. Motorbike rental was about RM30 for whole day usage. It was quite amusing that my travel buddies have no experience in riding motorbikes but they managed to manouvere the machine well (U-turns were the hardest) for one whole day on a foreign land- and we didn't even use the map!


Hilltop view- spectacular!

We managed to travel to a few places such as Karon, Kata, Rawai, Surin and Kamala. Since Patong is the most popular and overcrowded beach, other beaches have a more quiet and serene surrounding with definitely much less beach chairs and umbrellas and also shorter beachside. However, it is not near to get from one beach to the other.


The Big Buddha of Phuket

Our exploration brought us to The Big Buddha which was situated on a hill top, hence it's spottable from far away and with big signs in the vicinity. The Big Buddha is still under construction and yes, it is BIG!


Sunsets and silhouettes

The 1 day motorbike excursion really burnt us- we were too smart not to put any sun block ha haha! The air was humid and the sun was scorching hot coupled with the burning wind... on the last day, we became charcoals but it was a bold and brave experience nonetheless- it was a great experience to see things on a two-wheel instead of four.


Of Tom Yum and cooling Coconut juice


Left to Right: Butter fried prawns, Fried Fish and Stir fried curry pork


Last meal before we bid our beach holiday a farewell....

Food in Phuket is not awesome and not cheap too, with the exception of McD Samurai Pork Burger. I would suggest those who have never been to Phuket not to have high expectations when it comes to food (and 6 packs hot bodies).

Will I return to Phuket? Hmmmm, maybe not.

I'm now excitingly waiting for my next holiday trips- Bandung in August and Bali in September! Meanwhile, I'm still looking out for affordable holidays before August arrives- any recommendation, guys?

Phuket's Red Light District

Do you wan a piccha Sirrrrrr? 300 baht onleee!

Thailand is probably one of the rare Asian countries where SHims are as common as the beer bellied guys you'll find along Patong Beach. Similar to Bangkok, where there is a whole road dedicated to these guys and/or girls, Phuket has one too and it's at the infamous Soi Bangla. Erm, contrary to the street name, you don't find much 'aBangs' here. There are a row of A-Go-Go bars (aka Tiger show) which I learnt from a friend to be wary of such shows as they're all out to con you by promoting very cheap show package, ie. buy 2 bottles of beer and watch show for XXX baht but you'll be charged XXXX baht later on.

Scantily clad 'girls' are everywhere in every club/pub doing their publicity thigamajig with the poles, as celebrity impersonators, cosplay etc and a picture with them will set you back 300 baht (RM30). Erm, thanks but no thanks!


Phuket in its eccentricity
Clockwise from Top Left: Massage, no SEX!, Kangaroo bar- kangaroo show??, Oooh they sell 'boys' too??, Creative publicity stunt to promote kickboxing match


JungCeylon- The New Shopping Mall in Phuket

JungCeylon is the new shopping place in Phuket, also my fav place to hideaway from the scorching heat outside! It's known to have a very cool water feature which we checked it out and confirmed. I think it's quite cool to have a sail ship in the middle of a shopping mall and water fountains surrounding it.


Patong Pearl Resortel Restaurant
Clockwise from Top Left: From the Thai Set Menu- Stir Fried Assorted Vege and Coconut Chicken Soup (300 baht- RM30), Menu, Fried Thai Curry with Pork on Rice (80 baht- RM8)

The food scene is not very happening (for me) in Phuket. Desperate for food, we settled at Patong Pearl Resortel's restaurant.


Clockwise from Top: Chinese Spring Rolls (80 baht- RM8), Baked Rice in Pineapple (120 baht- RM12), Assorted Tempura from Thai Set Menu, Spicy Soup with Seafood (120 baht- RM12)

While they actually look good in pictures, reality is it was only to line our stomach for the cheap cheers.

Patong Pearl Resortel
13, Sawasdeeruk Rd.,
Patong Beach.
www.patongpearl.com

Phuket- Sun, Swim, Sea and Beer Bellies

Where are the 6 packs..........????

I was in Phuket for a ho-ho-holiday in January, expecting to look for some jolly good relaxing time ogling at hot 6 packs surfer dudes, sipping on inexpensive alcohol and taking in the cool sea breeze. The inexpensive alcohol was the only thing I got :(

Phuket is packed, OVERCROWDED and congested with too many beer bellies (most old and wrinkly) and the number of decently hot guys (and girls) are countable by the fingers (doesn't even include toes). My travel buddies and I were utterly disappointed that after an hour or so of doing some human scans, we gave up and turned to our alcohol instead.


I like the colourful umbrellas

The sun was scorching hot. So hot that any white chickens to get under the sun for 5 mins would be roasted. We stayed at Patong, the most overcrowded beach in Phuket (oh yessss, we contributed to the overcrowded-ness). The beachside was lined with thousands and millions of beach chairs, which to be honest the colourful umbrellas make a pretty sight :) Each beach chair is up for rent for approximately 100 baht (RM10) a day.


Patong Downtown

Patong Downtown is just like any other beach town... touristy stuff, tour agents, plenty of 7-11 for convenient alcohol purchase, eatery outlets, bike/car rental, massage parlours, dodgy bars etc.


Club Andaman Resort at Patong

We stayed at Club Andaman Resort where we got a pretty decent deal from AirAsia Flight + Hotel package. The resort is pretty nice and comfortable, I love the buffet breakfast especially due to the pork sausages and bacon, and the poolside is a more relaxing spot than the beachside as it's less crowded and shady.


Patong Seafood
Clockwise from Top Left: Lipton Ice Tea in a bottle- classic!, Tom Yum Goong, Stir Fried Pork with Garlic, Seafood Glass Noodles, Shrimp Cakes

On the first night, we headed to Patong Seafood for our dinner which turned out to be a disappointment as the food weren't great. I especially remember that the Tom Yum was too salty! The rest were just edible to fill our stomach :/


I see....... Cheap Alcohol

The alcohol were really cheap. A bottle of Smirnoff pre-mixed cost about 500 baht (RM5) while the Bacardi Breezer was about 420 baht (RM4.20).

Cheap cheers!


Patong Seafood
Beach Road,
200m North of Soi Bangla,
Patong, Phuket.

Il Padrino's Offer That You Can't Refuse

Inarguably one of the most quoted lines in the century

Il Padrino in Italian means The Godfather- yes, the universally popular icon played by Marlon Brando. And here's an Italian restaurant that is named after what some would say the greatest American gangster film and delizioso dishes up that even the Mafia Boss would approve.


Assorted Bread with Balsamic Vinegar and Oil

What I like about Il Padrino's complimentary bread set is the carbs in a variety and assortment of shapes and forms and makes eating bread never a dull moment.


Crema Di Funghi- RM18

Without even having to go into mains, the mushroom soup has already warmed the cockles of our hearts. Rich, creamy and generous portion to share- the picture above is one half of the soup as the attentive waiter helped us to separate our soup into two bowls knowing that we will be sharing.


Pizza Il Padrino- RM32

We actually read about Il Padrino on the food section of the papers and what attracted us to give this place a visit is the Pizza Il Padrino where parma ham is used to give it a different flavour (salty side) complimented by a refreshing combination of tomato slices, buffalo mozzarella cheese, rocket salad (not my fav vege though) and sprinkles of oregano on a handmade oven baked thin crust. The taste is simply magnifico! Parma ham is one of our lookout points when it comes to Italian cuisines.


Costolette Di Agnel- RM42

Costolette Di Agnel means Lamb Chop and this was more than just a lamb being chopped. The Mafia instructed to have his lamb in medium and luckily the instructions were obeyed so no other things were chopped off that night except the poor but tasty roasted lamb rack which proves to be more than just a winner that night. Beautifully grilled outside, the meat was pinkish, juicy and tender.


Sfogliatine Di Mill- RM18

The dessert was a delight with the wonderful orchestrated texture of flakiness from the phillo pastry layered with vanilla custard cream, strawberry slices and fruit sauces. It took as much effort to eat this than to make it as we resisted from destroying such a beautiful piece of edible art.


Where the Mafia Boss have his drink and eats with his fork

Service is good, ambience is wonderful, the Boss says, "Fantastico!"


Il Padrino
Unit No. 50-G-1, Ground Floor,
Wisma UOA Damansara.
Tel: 03-2093 8596


[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.]

Nha Trang in Pictures Part II- End of Vietnam

Clockwise from Top Left:
Skewered meat that attracted us, Iberia degambas y chorizo (Shrimp skewered with chorizo and fried with olive oil- 75.000 vnd/ RM15), Entrance of La Mancha, Alex the hungry caveman, Tapas

Ending the series on Vietnam, will be this last post on Nha Trang. We arrived at Nha Trang city somewhat after a 7 hours bus ride with sore backsides and growling stomach. A stroll down the street from our budget hotel takes us to this Spanish restaurant called 'La Mancha'- we were attracted by the flames of skewered meat in the making!


Clockwise Left to Right:
Skewers of grilled pork and chicken fillets (130.000 vnd- RM26), Pupls al grill con hierbas y aceite de oliva (Octopus fried with pepper garlic, herbs and olive oil- 85.000 vnd/ RM17), Complimentary Herb & Garlic and Tomato Bruschetta

We took the liberty to order as much as we could fit into our stomachs to compensate on the lost time during the bus journey. The menu was extensive and it took us quite awhile to make up our minds and in the end, these were our selection of meat, tapas and drinks.


Clockwise from Top Left:
Black beer (25.000vnd- RM5), Octopus tapas, Sangria Red (80.000 vnd- RM16 for 500ml)

The food were good (perhaps partially due to the theory of "everything taste good when you're hungry"). Service was great too and we really enjoyed our 1st meal in Nha Trang.


Clockwise from Top Left:
Fish & Chips (90.000 vnd- RM18), Bloody Mary and Sunshine Vodka (USD2 each), BBQ Pork Ribs (90.000 vnd- RM18), Tropical Rhum and Captain Flame (USD2 each)

On the last day, we had the whole day to kill since we couldn't go to the beach due to the storm. We met some people who told us that there is a brewery further down the road and it's a good place to chill out. We finally found the place and darn- it's really good to wind down and relax. We had some classic pubgrub and cocktails to kill time... There were a selection of cocktails at unbelievable cheap prices on Tuesdays and Thursdays at USD2 each for 2 hours starting at 2pm.


Tasting Tray (75.000 vnd- RM15)
200ml each of Louisiane Pilsener, Dark Lager, Witbier and Crystal Ale

Oh yes with the cheap alco, you bet we drank! Alex is a fan of beer and has been pursuading me to learn how to appreciate and gulp down this western herbal tea. Sorry to say, after having a sip of everything on the tray I still dislike this malt drink. The beer from tasting tray were from their in-house brewery which if anyone is interested can take a 30 mins tour, choosing from the following packages:

Group of 4: 260.000 vnd or RM52 per pax includes 2 pizzas and 2 tasting trays
Single persons: 180.000 vnd or RM36 per pax includes your choice of 2 small beers or 1 tasting tray


This is THE Life @ Louisiane Brewhouse

Most watering hole in Nha Trang has pool tables for their guests to use. Louisiane Brewhouse even has a swimming pool and massage areas. It is really nice and relaxing to do nothing, sip your cocktail, play some pool and inhale the sea breeze.


Cheap Cheers!

Alcohol is really cheap in Vietnam, as my friend Alex kept telling me "It's cheap, it's so cheap!!" and further proceed to grab 2 big bottles of Tiger back to the hotel for his before sleep and wake up consumption. A big bottle of Tiger costs about RM4 in Vietnam when in Malaysia, it's triple the price! It's definitely a haven especially for the Westerners and beer lovers.


Louisiane Brewhouse
Lot 29, Tran Phu St,
Nha Trang City.
Tel: (84.58) 352 1948
www.louisianebrewhouse.com.vn