LOVE LIFE, CHERISH MOMENTS

   Good day readers! So today it's gonna be my first ever hotel review, hope you guys would like it and do comment below and let me know where can i improve on. Arigato!

   Well, i went to Bangkok a month ago, together with mommy for some serious shopping and gallivanting. When i say shopping in Bangkok, i mean 'real shopping' in the famous Platinum Mall. I will save this for another post, but now i'm gonna introduce you to the hotel i stayed during my three days two nights trip here--The Imperial Queens Park Hotel, Sukhumvit.

The grand entrance

   Generally speaking, The IQP is a 4 stars corporate hotel, strategically located at a 24-hours-busy area--Sukhumvit. According to cousin Yap, (cousin of mine who settled in Bangkok for years already), this area has more than 25 streets with plenty of hotels, motels and massage center, that's why it is busy all day and night. IQP to me is a very corporate-oriented hotel because of the conducive meeting rooms and effective service they have here. 

executive reception

Welcoming drinks and hand towel

The executive lounge of IQP from my table

Fresh pastries is always my favourite in breakfast!

My 'detox' choice of food after 2 days of tomyam.

    After my brief stay here at IQP, i am more that satisfied and would definitely re-visit them when i come to Bangkok again. Ohh, another plus point for tourist, there is a nearby sky train station--Phrom Phong. It only takes about 10 minutes walk from the hotel to reach this station and from here, you can easily access to malls like Platinum, Siam Paragon and more. Okay, hope you enjoyed it, have a great day ahead. xoxo.

Yours truly with eyes half-opened-just-woke-up-to-have-breakfast-look. Pardon me. :)

Cappuccino

    As some of you might know, i'm a morning person and i love finding awesome cafe that serves great breakfast and coffee. When talking about breakfast/brunch here in Klang Valley, Antipodean Cafe is a MUST go. The word 'Antipodean' actually means the people living in Australia and New Zealand. Indirectly, Antipodean Cafe is based on a cafe culture originating from these 2 islands. We can see its obvious influence over the menu here, focusing mainly on brunch and tonnes of eggs, LITERALLY.

   Well, this is a long held post from last month, where by i went to Antipodean Cafe located at Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar before collecting my result slip. It is very accessible, just next to La Bodega, diagonally opposite to Milk & Butter. This was my second time dining with the warm environment of Antipodean, had my pilot experience in Menara Tan & Tan. I have to say the interior and space of the one from Menara Tan & Tan is way better than the one here in Bangsar. Perhaps Bangsar's one is a little bit confined and packed with people all day long? Anyway, have a quick look around~

Antipodean's signature menu-on-the-wall

Coffee bar~

   As i said, Antipodean made its name through their well-prepared all-day-breakfast, hence, it's a must for first-comers to try them out. I had tasted the humongous All-day-Breakfast set from Menara Tan & Tan, so this time i went for something in smaller portion--Scrambled Egg Salmon on Toast. However, in the end, it was huge as well. LOL. I couldn't finish my plate, sigh. The egg part was too much for me, it was like my whole week supply of egg and i'm not kidding. Aside from that, the dish was quite alright, love the crunchy toast and the salmon. I also had a cup of cappuccino (duh~) to accompany the brunch session. I LOVE it! Coffee beans tasted quite nutty, absolutely love the kick from caffeine! Thumbs up*

My Scrambled Egg Salmon on Toast--RM 20

The legendary Antipodean's Big Breakfast--RM 20 Scrambled egg, mushrooms, bacon, toast, hashbrown, sausage of any kind of poultry

   Overall, Antipodean is indeed a pleasant place for a catch up session over brunch with friends. Their food was pleasant, coffee was AMAZING, environment is busy. Pricing was average, approximately RM 28 per person. Next time, i'll go over to the one at Menara Tan & Tan if i happen to crave for their smooth and nutty cappuccino. Till next time, xoxo.

   'Wait, what did i do wrong? I want a lawyer at this instance!'

Just ignore my retarded look -.-

   That was a random phrase i said in The Mugshot Cafe when i visited it few weeks ago with my uni peeps when they came down from KL. I figured it's time for a Penang related post after so long right? Well, The Mugshot Cafe is a new and popular hang out place located at Lebuh Chulia, near Little India. It is also one of Penang's heritage cafe, newly renovated from its previously old building, The Mugshot is a promising cafe, famous for its homemade bagels and it is here to stay.


   When i walked into the cafe, i was overwhelmed by the crowd! That was during lunch time on a weekday. We had to share seats with a couple on a huge table. Nevertheless, the foodie within me will not compromise with this minor problem! I quickly made the order for the group. We picked 3 bagels of different flavor, they are Cream Cheese & Smoked Salmon, Bacon & Egg, Turkey Ham & Cranberry Sauce. Jo also wanted an iced latte and their specialty Greek Yogurt topped with Jack Fruit & Gula Melaka to go with.

Cream Cheese & Smoked Salmon Bagel--RM 10

Bacon & Egg--RM 10

Turkey Ham & Cranberry Sauce--RM 10

    I'm so in love with all 3 of the bagels! The Salmon one was well balanced, all the flavors blended well together. The Bacon & Egg was made in a rather unique way. They placed the bacon around a small round ramekin and place an egg in the middle, then send these all together in a traditional oven where they toast they bagels too. I love how the simplest things like bacon and egg can combine perfectly with bagels. The last one, turkey ham with cranberry sauce was by far the most special thing on the menu. The salty ham plus the sweet and fruity cranberry sauce totally blown my mind away! Who knows sweet and savory can go so well together, complementing each other.

The process of making an irresistibly tasty bagel.

    Every bagel here is homemade. As you can see from the photo above, all the bagels is baked and toasted using this traditional chimney oven that utilizes charcoal. So old school right? Anyway, i also love the poppy seeds on the bagels, giving me a chewy texture with a crunchy surprise.


     And last but not least, The MUGSHOT that everyone must take when you come here. Just like a photo taken of a criminal in a police station, you get to take your own mugshot here, with charges that you and your friend can decide on creatively. I think that it is a super special concept where you will not get elsewhere. Overall, it was a pleasant experience dining here. The open concept menu saves lots of trouble for the management. You can just look at the chalk board at the counter and order straight away. The ambiance is bright, busy yet memorable. The staffs are all very helpful and warm. Pricing wise, it is still considered slightly above average, around RM 15 per person. I would definitely come back again, probably bringing my food buddy Ms Zheng. LOL, hope you like it, xoxo.

Okay, a better version of my Mugshot~

Menu~

satisfied blogger~ ;)

Contact info~
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mugshot-Cafe/217836308341636?fref=ts
Working Hours: Opens daily from 8.00am-9.00pm
Phone No.: 012-4056276
Address: 302, Lebuh Chulia, Georgetown, Penang

   It's Friday yo! The haze had cleared and we finally can enjoy bright sun and blue sky! So to everyone, lets grab your sunglasses and off we go to enjoy a hearty brunch on Saturday morning. Today it's all about a new found place near my house which serves great breakfast and coffee. Enjoy~

   2 weeks ago, Chloe brought us to J &D Espresso, located in Oasis Business Center in Bandar Utama 11. Chloe is a friend of mine who happens to love coffee and cakes and cafe, just like me. Too bad she's back in KK now, or else i'll go 'kacau' her everyday to bring me out for cafe hunting. LOL. Well, J & D is rather new in the neighbourhood, started off last year, playing a major role in bringing great coffee to the community. We were greeted by a few warm and friendly staffs, which are also Chloe's friends. The interior of the cafe is modern, sleek and bright. It kinda reminds me of cafes in Melbourne which i miss so much!

monkeys~

   All three of us went for the popular Australian Breakfast which comprised of 2 eggs of any styles, baked beans, bacon, sausage, hash brown, mushrooms, baked cherry tomatoes and a piece of lovely homemade toast. Coffee is a MUST for brunch, hence, we got ourselves 2 cappuccino and 1 latte. The Australian breakfast was quite satisfying, everything was well cooked and looked good too. Our coffee was superb, the coffee beans they used tasted earthy which i seldom find elsewhere. I love how the coffee artist here gave all 3 of us different coffee art, made me feel special. LOL.

Australian Breakfast--RM 19

You can choose how to do your eggs: sunny side up, poached, scrambled, well done.

Latte--RM 6

Cappuccino--RM 6

loving the flower on my cappuccino~

   We also ordered some sweet stuff to end our scrumptious brunch. Chloe suggested French Toast and below is another dish that i ordered when i visited them for the second time: Banana Pancake dressed with strawberries and butterscotch sauce. Both were nicely done, not too sweet, just nice for my palate. French toast was a bit soggy, i personally prefer the pancakes as they were very fluffy and fragrant.

J & D's French Toast

Banana Pancake dressed with Strawberries and Butterscotch sauce--RM 15

   I definitely love everything here, from the food to the coffee to the ambiance to the friendly staffs. The pricing is slightly below market's average, around RM 25 per person. This place is very suitable for those who want to enjoy a cuppa or meet up with friends and family in a serene environment. Besides, i notice there was also many working people spending time doing their job on their PC or have a meeting here. Conclusion, this will be a cafe that i would visit again! Hopefully this post is helpful for you who need a new hang out place on Saturday morning! xoxo

   Good day readers, or should i say, gloomy day? Well, i'm sure most of you are aware of Malaysia's current situation--the hazardous haze attack! Thanks to our dear neighbour. I hope everyone is taking proper safety precautions. Please stay indoor if you can, drink lots of water, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to boost up your immune system. If you have to go out, make sure you wear a mask and try to stay away from the road. Anyway, this post is all about Nitrogen ice-cream that i tried out few weeks ago, and hopefully this will chill you guys down a little bit.

   Few weeks ago, i went to N Brew Nitrogen Ice-Cream in Mid Valley. As you can see from the post title: 'N' stands for nitrogen. It was my first time trying out nitrogen ice-cream so i was like super excited! Nitrogen ice-cream is basically ice-cream made from some special ingredients but frozen in mere minutes by mixing with liquid nitrogen. The cooling process is so fast compared to the conventional way where you have to mix the cream forever to get the perfect consistency. This is the new way of eating ice-cream and of course, as a foodie, i have got to try it out myself!


   N Brew first started their business in e@Curve few months ago, this is one of their branches in Klang Valley. When comes to Nitrogen ice-cream, of course i have to try out some unique flavors which we don't get to try everyday. Hence, i picked up Gula Melaka Avocado and Creme Brulee to share among the 3 of us.
 

Creme Brulee

Gula Melaka Avocado

   Each flavor comes in 2 scoops with wafer beneath. Well i love the consistency of nitrogen ice-cream here. It is somehow a little bit firmer and creamier than normal ice-cream. It is also more heat-tolerant, in other words, not so easily melted. I love the creme brulee top with some caramel sauce. It wasn't too sweet and i could taste some vanilla seeds inside, means they used natural ingredients to make their ice-cream. Thumbs up* I wasn't impressed by the Gula Melaka Avocado as i find it a bit too hard, perhaps they poured in too much liquid nitrogen? The gula melaka essence also severely lacked, i could only taste the mild avocado. 

These are actually their pre-mixed ice-cream in conical flasks

Beaker and test tubes, how i miss you!!

Cool huh?

   Two weeks ago, i went to Teeq Brasserie on the roof top of Lot 10 building along with Laine and Sarina before us girls headed to shop in Bukit Bintang area. It was not until after Ms Zheng's recommendation, only i know that there is this amazing hideout place in KL city. It is not hard to locate. Just take a lift up, opposite from H & M store till the highest floor. Turn left and walk along the corridor. You will see a rooftop garden and Teeq Restaurant is just beside the garden.

our orange juice

Complimentary fresh bread with olive oil and vinegar dip to wash our palate.

Our Smoked Barbecue Chicken Chop with mashed potato and vege.

Teeq's Signature Fish & Chips.

   We both love our chicken chop as it was well cooked, the meat was juicy, flavorful and succulent. I especially love their mashed as it was very unique and not heavy at all. Laine's Fish & Chips was surprisingly fresh and crispy. It was not like the ordinary dory fish you have elsewhere. The tartar sauce blended everything in perfectly.

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