Change of Direction!

So, this will be one of the most impromptu yet spontaneous post ever in the history of my blog. There has been so much running through my mind and based on that, I've also decided to change the direction of my blog from a complete food blog to focus more on beauty, fashion and of course food as well!

It is definitely a weird decision to make but I think it's for the better in 2014. Just so you guys know, I actually have an Instagram account, @kahwaih and you guys should totally follow me (how do i promote this without feeling awkward haha.)

So, here's a catch up on my past few days on what I've been up to! I've been sick the whole day by the way and it sucks because CNY is around the corner, where there's going to be ENDLESS FOOD but I'm feeling awful now sigh.

Fried 'Nga Koo' a.k.a Arrow Head

I actually spent one whole day doing this which I suspect got me sick as well. From peeling to shredding and then frying, making this is simply TOO MUCH WORK! It's yummy but it made me sick today :(

Snowflakes

Believe it or not, this is actually my first time trying this desserts out. I know they have been in town for the longest time now but I just never really wanted to try it. Call it, personal preference. Mine was with a Tau Fu Fa base along with Baby Pearls, Grass Jelly and Barley! However, i think i might be ordering the Coconut Jelly the next time around, it had a slight hint of coconut and was as smooth as coconut flesh itself.

And, ta-da! Before I sign off, here's a really pretty picture (haha, kidding) of myself at Too Cool For School Malaysia last weekend.

Food Review: Plus One Shabu Shabu @ Bandar Puteri, Puchong

I’ve been caught up with so many going on lately that I missed out on many food reviews session. So, yesterday, I headed over to the first ever ‘shabu-shabu’ restaurant in Malaysia to try out their unique sets and broth. Plus One Shabu Shabu Restaurant is strategically located in the food heaven of Puchong, the famous Bandar Puteri area. It was just a mere 20 minute drive from my place and it wasn’t as jammed as I imagined it to be.

Anyway, we reached on time and we were seated in their luxurious VIP room. I liked the concept of the restaurant which was not too classy, but rather more chic and comfortable. Everyone had their individual pots so we could all try out different broths respectively. The recommended ones are definitely the ‘Pepper Pork Broth’ which was what I’ve chosen while the ‘Thai Tomyum’ would be a splendid choice as well. The ‘Pepper Pork Broth’ was actually pretty mild and it was just the way I liked it because I’ve heard that if it was too strong, it can be extremely heaty. Flavorful with a little peppery taste, it’s definitely a perfect broth for steamboat. For those who want a more stronger concoction, go for the ‘Thai Tomyum’ one because even the broth itself is sure to tingle your tastebuds.

Pepper Pork Broth

There were a variety of sets to choose from and mine was the New Zealand Rib Eye Set. The set came with a generous serving of sliced beef and a separate plate of the usual steamboat items (fishball, yee mee, vegetables etc.) Without a doubt, this is definitely the freshest beef I’ve ever eaten for steamboats. They were so thinly sliced that you could taste the juiciness or rather, sweetness of the beef itself. Well, just bear in mind not to overcook it such that its taste is lost in the soup itself.

Apart from the steamboat items, there were special dishes which was served ala-carte. 

Black Pearl (HK Century Egg) 

The eggs are imported and even its ginger is said to be imported as well. The runny yolky part was smooth and definitely different from our usual local ones. I liked the pungent smell and taste of this dish, especially when eaten together with the preserved ginger. 

Deep Fried HK Fish Skin

It was crispy but too oily for me. The health freak part of me felt like using paper towels to absorb all the oil before popping it into my mouth. Despite tasting better than your usual ‘keropok’, I don’t see why I would ever pay for this dish. 

Three Seasons Meat Ball

The meatballs which was to be eaten in the steamboat was obviously better than your usual meatballs. They were generously filled with meat and I liked the texture which was not too bouncy but savoury.

Well, that’s all about it. I personally liked the restaurant style of having so many different broths to choose from and even their sets are of such great variety. It was unique and different, I’d probably return for a meal someday.

Season To Give Thanks with Digi!

Bear with me, this is going to be wordy. Haha. :)

Contentment and gratefulness don’t come often for most people because no one will ever be satisfied with what they have. It’s simply human to keep wanting more and to have a list of endless requests. But for me, every minute and every second I’m still alive, I’ll be forever grateful to those around me.

However, if I were to pinpoint on the one and only person I’ve truly been thankful for, it would be none other than my sister. Alright, as cliché as this may sound, people always have this thought that sisterly love merely exists due to blood ties. Well, you guys are sure to be jealous because our sisterly bond goes way more than the deepest oceans or highest mountains.

I can never imagine one day going by without having her around. I’m not grateful for her just because we are almost the same age, or the fact that we could take endless selfies on our smartphone together. Oh, and not because we could stay up for hours just to have our very own mini karaoke sessions using our tablet. 

We argue, we fuss and we fight no lesser than couples but yet, nothing is shaken at the end of the day. Why, you may ask? It’s simple, because my sissy is the very first person I always turn to whenever I’m faced with any problems. She has been there, at every turning point or stepping stone of my life. Even before speaking, we know exactly what each other’s reply will be and somehow, conversations aren’t that exciting but becomes extremely comfortable instead. It was as if I was looking at a mirror image of myself and I’m grateful to say that I must have been lucky to have someone like my sister in my life.

I’ve always looked up to her for her sense of independence and how she stands firm on her ground despite any hardships which comes by. She is more than a role model for me. 

Truly, she is my voice of conscience.

And, ta-da, here's the pretty diva herself!

I was thinking if i should bombard you guys with a few pictures of us, and after hours of contemplation I decided to put some up anyway :)

The famous saying these days, "Have you gotten diabetes yet looking at those pictures?". Yeah, sweetness overload. Haha.

Since this season is perfect for giving and receiving, so being girls, we love items on sale obviously! With DiGizens Thank You Sale on right now, it feels like it’s time for a year end sale and more shopping with my sister! Well, here are the deals that are out right now:

Nowadays, it’s so simple to own a Sony Xperia C for free, exclusively brought to you by Digi!

Or, perhaps a Sony Xperia Z for free?

Well, whatever it is, go sneak up on this for more details because you know you want it!

Click here : http://bit.ly/1aNyx6y

Happy New Year, guys!

Food Review: Bonbori Japanese Cuisine @ Setiawalk, Puchong

This is an extremely delayed blog post. Well, I have to blame my end year exams which I was busy preparing therefore, the lack of activeness in food reviews.

Anyway, this post will be on Bonbori Japanese cuisine which undoubtedly remains as one of the best Japanese restaurants I've ever been to so far. From the freshness of their sashimi to the taste of their dishes, I honestly felt that they were all suitable to my palate.

So, here's what I would highly recommend for you guys to try!

Hanami Sashimi Moriawase

The freshness of the sashimi is incomparable to other places I've been before. I personally thought that the chef sliced it too thick though because I'd prefer it bite size. However, according to others, it is a rule of the the Japanese kitchen that the sashimi should be knifed in a certain size and it is a skill that each sashimi chef had to gain.

Shirauo Karaage

Perfect appetiser! Crispy but does not get soggy, this dish of fried mini-sized fish is so addictive. It felt a little like eating fries, but it has a slight bouncy feeling to it.

Ebi Cheese

For those cheese lovers out there, this will be the best choice. I loved this because the cheesiness was just right, not too overwhelming as to ruin the original taste of the dish itself. Fragrant but not overpowering, definitely a yay!

Bacon Asparagus Kushiyaki

Too much vegetables for me, actually. But this had a very authentic kebab feel to it since it was on a stick. The bacon was grilled to perfection though and as much as I disliked vegetables, the asparagus was so crunchy and maybe, it wasn't so bad after all.

Soft Shell Crab Maki

I have my own preferred version of this maki and I guess Bonbori's is really good. Unlike other restaurants, their soft shell crab was not wrapped inside but instead, it was proudly sticking out at the top. I prefer it this way because at least, I could taste the soft shell crab.

Surume Ikashio (Grilled Squid)

Yummy and fragrant! This dish had a very strong smoked smell to it, so it's either you like it or hate it. For me, I loved it because it was very chewy but not too tough. Previously, I had a bad experience with this dish where the squid was so hard that I had to chew it until I got a headache before I could swallow it. However, well done for Bonbori for getting the right texture and taste for this :)

This concludes my gastronomical adventure at Bonbori. Their service is exceptional by the way and the ambience is perfect for a family night out :)

Food Review: Asmara Penchala @ Kampung Sungai Penchala

Looking for a romantic place for a perfect date? I suggest that you look no further and head over to Asmara Penchala which is located at the fringes of our city centre. The 'love den' concept of this restaurant is suitable for couples or even families who wish to spend quality time with one another over mealtime.

Yes, I decided that I needed to check it out for myself and I went there on a Nomster food outing, as usual. So, here are some of the dishes which were good and I have decided to highlight some which fell back on my scale.

Thai Fish Cake

A perfect appetizer comprising of fishcake with bread and some tomatoes. I liked how convenient this was since they were served in bite size and I could just pop one of it in my mouth.

Creamy Butter Prawns

Surprisingly, this tasted quite similar to the Chinese version of butter prawns. The only difference is that the prawns were deep fried before laying some of the creamy sauce on their surface. Therefore, the prawn shells were still crispy and we could just eat them without the hassle of peeling it.

Asam Pedas Asmara Tenggiri

Definitely had to be the best dish of the night! The gravy had an authentic feel to it, although the spiciness of this was over the top. Oh, and this tasted so much like homecooked food. Bursting with flavours, it is best served with hot steaming white rice J

Rendang Tok

This was a dish which was rare to find as many restaurants do not serve this anymore due to the laborious cooking process. However, I personally thought that it was a bit dry although taste wise, it was not too bad. I would have prefer if they made it in smaller chunks so that it was easier for us to eat.

Lamb Masala

I am a big fan of lamb so this dish scored pretty high on my scale! There were lots of ingredients used in this, no doubt. The meat was tender and juicy at the same time. However, there were too much bony portions and so little meat.

All in all, the food wasn’t the best part of the night but rather, the ambience and atmosphere was far more interesting in my opinion. For those of you who are keen on heading over to Asmara Penchala, lunch time will be from 11.30-3.00 pm and dinner begins from 6.00 pm – 12.00 am.

For bookings and functions, it is RM 35/head for a minimum pax of 1000. 

Looking for greater deals? Head over to MyDeal now!

Food Review: Mayflower Restaurant @ Shah Alam

I'm usually not someone who enjoys Chinese food very much because I eat it on a daily basis. Mum has always been into Chinese cooking so i expected typical Chinese cuisine at Mayflower. 

Little did I know that I was in for a surprise because it ended up becoming more like a full 10 course dinner 

Zhejiang's Three Treasures 

It is a huge plate with vegetables cooked in different style. I personally thought the asparagus was the best out of the three. It was flavorful and crunchy. The aroma was intriguing and it was interesting because of the spicy shrimp from Taiwan used in its cooking.

Shanghainese Poached Chicken 

This was pretty tasty. The 'kampung' chicken used for this dish was smooth and i liked how they served this cold. There was a strong wine essence and it complimented well with the bland taste of the chicken.

Undoubtedly the best Crispy Pork Knuckle I've ever tasted before!

This is definitely similar to the German Pork Knuckle you get at those fancy bars. The skin was crispy and deep fried. I sort of expected it to be oily or greasy but it turned out perfect without the slight aroma of oil. It was marinated beforehand and the meat was tender and extremely juicy in my opinion.

 Buttery Prawn with Corn Kernels. 

It was a great improvisation from your usual butter, milky prawns. However, I didn't really enjoy the prawns because I couldn't use my hands to savour the real goodness of the prawns. But, this was definitely yummy because they were succulent and juicy! Well, they even added some cheese to cook the gravy according to the manager  

Hakka Braised Pork Belly 

Basically, it's pork with lettuce wrapped with home made steamed mantou. The pork meat was tender and the fat layer was smooth. It was a comfort food and I find the steamed mantou pretty unique too. It was slightly sweet and not like your usual tasteless buns. Really good and reminds me of Chinese burgers!

It's time for dessert! We had desserts such as Royal Jellies with Flaky Pastries. I thought that the jellies were weird, they had a funny flowery aroma. It seems that lilly buds, wolfberries, longan were the filling of this Konyanku jelly. It's definitely a dessert fit for a queen. The pastries were rather crispy and i liked the lotus paste which wasn't too sweet for me 

That's all for this time! Look out for more food reviews here :)

Food Review: The Roast House @ Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park

I was never a big fan of roasted meat to be honest because my mum used to serve it every week for dinner. But, i decided to give it a try anyway, I mean no harm done anyway. We left the house pretty early because we were afraid of the jam around the area. Take note, there's night market every Wednesday, so parking would be a tad bit difficult to find.

First dish out was the popular Barbecue Pork Rice! According to the owner, this is the most sellable item on the menu.

Barbecue Pork Rice. 

The fat layer in the meat was halved such that it was soft and slightly chewy when bitten into. Thee egg was still 'jelly', just the way I like it and it coated the buttered rice giving it the ultimate delectable taste. The sauce for the pork was not too sweet, in fact, it was just a little tangy and sticky.

Barbecue Pork with Noodles. 

For this dish, I particularly love the texture of the barbecue pork since the fat layer was halved. It was really smooth to the point it almost melts in your mouth as you chew it. The noodles were pretty oily but I liked it because it was very fine and springy.

Traditional Hakka Noodles.

This was a bit too salty to my liking. The minced pork was alright and the texture of the noodles were smooth. But, if it was less salty, this would be not bad as well.

Wanton (Shrimp & Pork) 

The wanton was packed with pork and shrimp. There was a generous amount of filling and the texture of the wanton skin was so smooth. The soup was briny but tasteful. This would go well with barbecue pork rice.

Roast Meat Platter

This platter consists of roast pork, roast duck, barbecue pork and roasted pork. The chicken meat was quite tough but the roasted pork had that distinct flavour and texture which tantalize my taste buds. The roasted pork skin was crispy and roasted at the right temperature. Just so you know, roasted meat requires high level of precision when it comes to cooking time.

That's all for the night and I might be heading back there pretty soon to get my dose of roasted meat!