LOVE LIFE, CHERISH MOMENTS

   I'm that kind of person, no matter what kind of shit happens, i'll still find peace through great food, classy ambience and fine arts. Hence, today i'm gonna share with you one of my many ways to cure emo-ness, stress, broken hearts and all kinds of bad mood--ICE-CREAM.

ICE-CREAM @ Haagen-Dazs, looks like an eye-shadow palate right?

   Normally, i'll just dig from a tub of ice-cream in my fridge, but sometimes, i do find that ice-cream tastes better if you serve it elegantly, plus some soothing music and relaxing ambience. This is why i don't mind spending some extra money to dine in places like Haagen-Dazs.

Haagen-Dazs is a world renowned ice-cream brand, originated from New York in 1920, by a gentleman named Reuben Mattus. Haagen-Dazs started off with only 3 basic flavors--Vanilla, chocolate and coffee. However, thanks to Mr. Mattus' passion for ice-cream, he went to all corners of the globe, searching for the finest and purest ingredients, creating more and more unique flavors. Haagen-Dazs soon gained its name across the US coast and finally open its first shop in 1976, by the founder's daughter--Doris. Since then, Haagen-Dazs has successfully spreaded its passion for premium ice-cream across the world. Now, it is not just an ice-cream outlet, but more of a renowned dessert chain, offering super premium frozen dessert experiences, releasing various new flavors every year.




   So last week, i went to one of the Haagen-Dazs outlet near my old house for a luxurious dessert experience together with cousin Caryn. We ordered a classic Banana Split to share since we were to stuffed after dining at Stone Age Cafe. Our banana split consisted of 3 scoops of ice-cream: Chocolate, Green Tea and Rum & Raisin, served with banana, whipped cream, waffle and strawberry. You can customise your own ice-cream flavor of course. Caryn highly recommended the Green Tea as it is her personal favourite while i wanted to try something different and hence, the Rum & Raisin. Personally, i super love all 3 of them. The chocolate one was rich but not too overwhelming, the sweetness level was just nice for me. On the other hand, the green tea has a substantial amount of matcha and enough cream to counteract each other. Lastly, the Rum & Raisin one was superb as well! The alcohol complements the sweetness of the raisin perfectly. I just love how Haagen-Dazs' flavors are so moderately made, nothing too extreme, like a subtle beauty.

our customised banana split

   Another thing about Haagen-Dazs, Auto City is the environment. Though the building of this outlet is so simple, a rectangle glass box, overlooking the busy road, but i find the interior was well planned and perfectly designed for customers' optimum relaxation, especially at night! The dim lights, soft music and comfy couches  blended together, providing a romantic ambience for diners. The waiters were quite polite and friendly, service time is short. The price is around RM15 and more per person, considered above average, but it's totally worth it if you are a dessert lover like me.

simple design

awesome lightning

   Happy Chinese New Year!!! I know, most of you started working/studying already, but for us Chinese, New Year lasts for 15 days, so yay, we can still celebrate!! Well, a quick update on my trip back to my home town--Penang. This time around, i wasn't able to meet up with many friends, mostly because my buddies are still in overseas, and i was very busy with my own errands (banking, clinic visit, shopping). Sigh, next time have to plan before going back. Nevertheless, i still managed to have many reunion meals with family (that'll explains my chubby cheeks :/) and also dated my twin cousin--Miss Caryn Lim!! LOL. People used to say that we looked alike, plus our 2 years age gap, we became super duper close when we were young.

Ms Caryn on the left!!

   Anyway, we visited The Stone Age Cafe few days ago for dinner because i've been dying to try them out. The Stone Age Cafe is located off the Jalan Song Bang Kheng, near Taman Sri Rambai and Taman Limau Manis, just beside 30Thrist. It is a uniquely-themed restaurant, famous for its stone-grilled delicacies.

Stone-grilled cuisine basically means that meals are served and cooked at the table on super-heated volcanic lava stone, which can go up to 400 degree Celcius. The mains are served with a protective ceramic tray with some side dishes. From my research, i found out that this method of cooking actually originated from The Vikings and Ancient Egyptians. Through this cooking method, the outer layer of the meat will be cooked quickly, sealing all the natural juice and sweetness of the meat within.

This is quite new for most of you right? It was indeed my first time trying eating from a sizzling hot piece of stone. I would say that it was a fun experience.

   Each of us ordered a set of stone-grilled set. Mine was the chicken set, which came with sweet corn, mashed potato and 2 scoops of coleslaw. Caryn picked the chicken and duck set and she chose fries, mashed potato and coleslaw to go with. By the way, all of the stone-grilled set comes with choices of side dishes like garden salad, fried rice and all the above. You can choose 4 out of them. The serving time was rather quick, took only 10 minutes. The waiter will help you flip over the nicely prepared, half cooked chicken thigh. All you need to do is just sit back and wait for few minutes for the hot stone to settle down and start digging in.

Chicken thigh with 4 sides--RM 16.80

Chicken+duck--RM 16.80

le pretty girl--Caryn

le satisfied blogger~

   Apart from the amazement and carefulness of not touching the hot stone, i am very satisfied with the food as well. My chicken thigh was juicy, tender, well seasoned and well cooked. The 2 sauces they offered (black pepper and barbecue sauce) helped to elevate the natural sweetness of the chicken thigh. I also tried out some duck fillet from Caryn's plate and it was great as well.

   Aside from the food, everything else was ok. I am thrilled by its interior design. They divided the space into a few section, such as outdoor, stone-age era, the galaxy, bar and more. The pricing is considered average, around RM 10-RM 30 per person, quite value for money! The service needs more improvement though. All in all, it is still a great place to hang out and dine with friends and family!

the galaxy section--horoscope plate on the ceiling, creative right?

clean and sleek

'stone-age era' section

entrance

outdoor

Contact info~

   Warmest greetings to my fellow readers!! As you can see from the post title, i'm packing up for CNY as we are going home in less than 24 hours! Words could never describe the emotion i'm having now. Excited? Happy? Joyful? Anticipation? LOL. It has been 1 month plus since i went back to my home town Penang. I can't wait to be back, there's lots and lots of gatherings awaiting!!! Friends, family and food!!!

   OKAY, i'm gonna stop writing now, and continue packing the huge pile of stuff and gathered just now. TEEHEE. Lastly, to all the Chinese friends out there, Happy Chinese New Year! Have a cheerful and prosperous one, remember to always stay positive and watch out your weight too! :). Of course, to the rest of you, just eat as much as you can, CNY mahh, how can you resist FOOD?!! (#just an excuse to indulge). :). Alright, i promise to present more food posts when i'm back kay? Till then, GONG XI FA CAI!!!

only managed to get 1 red top..ohh well..

Tadaa!!! Hope i didn't scare you~Bling*

   I've been to one of the branches of Plan B few months ago but i didn't blog about it cause i thought the food wasn't impressive enough. That time, i ordered an Egg Benedict and it was such a let down. However, my friends and i decided to give it another shot today and we went to Plan B, Mid Valley for lunch before SHOPPING!!! (girlsbeinggirls). The other branches are located at Bangsar Village I and Paradigm Mall.

yup, that was it, egg benedict.

Laine's Home-Made Salt Beef Sandwich--RM 21

Sarina's Chicken Burger--RM 24

My Loaded Club Sandwich--RM 21

   I have to praise Plan B for the excellent execution of the dishes!! It totally changed my mind after dining here today! Unlike the Egg Benedict i had previously, the food served today were all well done. My Loaded Club Sandwich tasted very balanced. The grilled chicken and turkey bacon were well seasoned, roasted capsicum produced sufficient acidity to the dish. The smoothness of the avocado-feta mash and egg mayo blended all the flavors together, making this a memorable one. The only downside is the bread i had wasn't very crispy on the last 2 layers. I love the idea of adapting some local ingredients such as yam and sweet potato into the menu. The green salad dressed with spices and nuts (pistachio, pumpkin seeds and more) was refreshing enough.

Tadaa, sinful little things..RM 5

   The ambience and food is pleasant, the price is affordable. It'll costs Rm 15-RM 30 per person, and the portion is BIG! However, the service i experienced is average, i guess the waiters were too occupied when we dined there during lunch hour. It is a busy yet cosy restaurant, excellent for business meetings and talk over coffee and cakes.

  Ello my lovely readers!!! So, my new semester has officially started. Man, it's HECTIC!!! We are having a community project now and tomorrow we are heading to Port Dickson area to carry out a household survey. So, today we were preparing all the questionnaires and plans for tomorrow. I'll need lots of sunblock, LOL. Anyway, after the heavy discussion, me and my uni peeps went to Milk and Butter for lunch. This restaurant is on my 'Food List' for quite some time already, so i thought of bringing my girls (+derek) for a rich lunch, pampering ourselves before we're 'barbecued' under the scorching sun tomorrow.

   Milk and Butter is a modern Western casual restaurant, located at Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar. It's very easy to spot, situated diagonally opposite The Antipodean Cafe, at one of the corner lot behind Public Bank, beside the Bangsar Village II. However, finding a car park spot is rather difficult here, as Telawi is ALWAYS packed with crowds and cars. My suggestion is for you to park in The Bangsar Village II, and walk there. It'll take approximately 5-10 minutes.


   Well, though it's called 'Milk and Butter', but the cafe is not well-known for its milk and butter. (well, who will sell milk and butter in a restaurant? that'll be weird). However, i've heard some good reviews about the Egg Benedict and dessert, so i've tried them out myself!! I ordered a set of Egg Benedict with Smoked Salmon and Asparagus and a cup of cafe latte to go with. Well, i find the poached egg was well done, but it lacked acidity to counter the heavy Hollandaise sauce. The Hollandaise sauce on the other hand was way too buttery for me. Other than that, the bread was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, smoked salmon was well seasoned. Moreover, the latte was quite milky, has a moderate foam on top and the cookie that came with it tasted so GOOD!! I'll like to praise them for the quality of coffee. I noticed that the coffee grounds they used was very fragrant and they also bought in quality milk (Australian Farm House Milk) to make the coffee. RM 9 per cup is quite worth it. :)

susu dan mentega :)

Butter~Egg' Benedict with Smoked Salmon--RM 16

see the runny yolk?

Milk--Cafe Latte

cafe latte with butter cookie--RM 9

   Besides, i've also tried out some of my friends' mains!! Jo In's dish was Spicy Spaghetti Arrabiata, which simply means spaghetti coooked with tomato concasse, chilli padi and basil leaf. However, it's way too spicy for me. Derek's Linguine Cream Concasse (consists of turkey ham, chicken ham, cream sauce, basil leaf and marina sauce) was awesome because it combined both the red and white sauce perfectly. Sarina's Scramble Egg, Slice Chicken Bratwurst & Potato Platter was ok, a huge platter, i would say. Laine ordered a Spicy Garlic Linguine Vongole, which is a pasta cooked with fresh clams in garlic and buttery white wine gravy. This is my personal favourite as the gravy was absolutely awesome. You can totally taste the sweetness from the clams as well as the alcohol form the white wine. I strongly recommend you to order this dish when you visit Milk and Butter!!

Jo In's Spicy Spaghetti Arrabiata--RM 17

Derek's Linguine Cream Concasse--RM 16

Sarina's Scramble Egg, Slice Chicken Bratwurst and Potato Platter--RM 17

Laine's Spicy Garlic Linguine Vongole--RM 23

   We were so full after all the milk and butter. However, we girls have two tummy right? One for mains and one for dessert. That's why we always have space for dessert no matter how stuffed we are. Hence, we chose 2 cakes from the shop: Tiramisu and Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice-Cream. I love both of them! The tiramisu is rich with coffee mousse and the cake is moist. It'll be better if there was more alcohol within. The Warm Chocolate was made with much thoughts and sweet titbits. It's actually a warm chocolate fondant with chocolate caramel sauce inside, accompanied by some cookie crumble and a scoop of pure vanilla ice cream and banana slices. It is indeed very different from your usual chocolate cake.

Tiramisu--RM 12

Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream---RM 17

   Furthermore, Milk and Butter provides you with a comfortable environment to dine and also perfect for social gatherings or business meetings. The interior is clean, sleek and serene, free from all the noises outside. The workers are so friendly and effective. Compared to the other restaurants around Telawi, the price of Milk and Butter is considered average. Around RM 20-RM 40 per person. Surprisingly, i find it somewhat similar to The Red Beanbag in Publika. You can also check out this awesome brunch cafe here. Woah, this in indeed a LONG post. Well, i enjoyed my time here, hope you will too. xoxo.

the smoking area outside

   Hi my dear readers!! As you have already noticed, i just changed my blog's look and what do you think? Girly? Pretty? Appealing? LOL. Actually, i've always wanted to change my previous boring look of le blog, but couldn't find the time and motivation to do it. Tonight, i wasn't feeling very well and started going all emo, dark and whiny. Hence, i thought of giving my blog a new look, at the same time, giving myself a fresh start in life.

   Stumbled across this design and it instantly stroked me. By just looking at the color and little kiddy stuff on top brighten up my moody night. Sigh, life goes on even when you don't feel like it. So just pick yourself up and move on!! Alright, signing off now, thanks for reading my frustration, i feel so much better now!! xoxo

Show the world your smile, your bright side and keep the dark ones to yourself :)

   Beautiful morning!! I was having this random craving for dessert, so why not start writing something about it, hopefully this will overcome the craving. (don't think so :/). Anyway, today i'm gonna blog about Nadeje Mile Crepe Cake in Melaka, which has gained its popularity in Malaysia over these few years.

   I believe, you, who has been reading my previous entries would know that i just got back from Melaka recently. I've gained so much until i feel guilty to eat anything. LOL. Melaka has been kind and generous to me. Well, i've heard so much about this place before i went there. Almost everyone who came back from Melaka will say: "hey, you should go to Jonker Street and NADEJE.". After tasting so many of mile crepe cake from other cafe and bakery, i HAVE to try the 'God of Mile Crepe'---NADEJE.

Nadeje @ Plaza Mahkota

    My friend told me that it's not supposed to be called NA.DE.JE, as the DE should be pronounced as silent. Hence, the correct way to pronounce this is: NA.JE. Nadeje is established since 2006. Till now, it already widen its territory across Melaka, having 3 branches, namely Plaza Mahkota, Mahkota Parade and Jaya 99. FYI, Nadeje is invading Petaling Jaya as well (thank God). They are going to open a brand new shop at Dataran 3 Two Square!! I can't wait to pay them a visit!

classy interior of Nadeje @ Mahkota Parade

CAKES!!!

   Nadeje offers not just mile crepe cake, but also a huge variety of special cakes and Nama Donuts. The mile crepe cake alone has more than 20 types, i can say that this is the biggest mile crepe supplier in Malaysia. We went to both their branches in Plaza Mahkota and Mahkota Parade, both were packed with people! You can imagine how good is their business. To my surprise, Nadeje is not just an ordinary cake shop chain, it's more like a bakery cafe, offering coffee, beverages and food as well. We ordered a few kind of mile crepe and they were all fantastic!!

from 12 o clock: strawberry, mango yogurt,  double chocolate, royal milk tea, original, green tea, praline lover, royal milk tea, chocolate stawberry, royal milk tea.

My humble opinion:
1. Strawberry: i like it cause the cream is not too sweet, and they gave us a generous amout of fresh slices of strawberry on top.
2. Mango yogurt: the essence of mango is very rich, along with some cream cheese texture, love it!
3. Double chocolate: erm, nothing special about this, just taste like a normal chocolate.
4. Royal milk tea: surprisingly, this taste a  lot like Chatime's milk tea!! Quite fragrant, not bad.
5. Original: this is my personal favourite! It is rich with light vanilla smell and love the mild sweetness from custard cream!!
6. Green tea: i find it ok, would be better if the matcha flavor is more intense.
7. Praline lover: like the double chocolate, nothing special, couldn't really taste the hazelnut.
8. Chocolate strawberry: this is much better than the double chocolate, at least the bitterness of chocolate is well contrasted by the help of straberry within.

   Pricing wise, it is fair, around RM9-10 per piece. The food and drinks wise, is considered average. The environment is good, service is excellent.

le cappuccino~

   Overall, i still find Nadeje awesome!! Though some of the flavors might need some improvement? Compared to mile crepe from The Twelve Cups, Penang, I would say, it is a tough call. LOL. You'll have to experience yourself to decide!! Ohh, a friendly reminder, if you wish to take away your mile crepe cake, you'll have to buy a nadeje bag from the shop along with ice packs. There is 2 types of bag: small and big. The big one costs around RM9. However, you can always reuse it. Sigh, in the end of this post, my cravings is still not fixed!! OK, gotta find something sweet to munch at. Till then, xoxo.