LOVE LIFE, CHERISH MOMENTS

   Hey earthlings, I can't believe it has been such a long time since i last posted. I'm sure some of you must be wondering where am i and what i'm up to. Reason is simple, working life has really took a toll on me, draining me physically and mentally. With schedule as busy and tiring as this, i make sure i get a good rest and break away from duties whenever i have a short break. So today, i'm going to share with you my recent trip to the fart east of Malaysia--Kota Kinabalu. I would usually search for the best deal for flight tickets and accommodation before getting there. You can now check out some of the exciting and valuable flight tickets deals from Malaysia Airlines Promo in Traveloka Malaysia site. For now just sit back and enjoy my 5 Reasons why I Love KK.

1. The Island Hopping and Breathtakingly Beautiful Sunset

   KK is really popular among the international travelers from its beautiful clusters of neighbouring islands, perfect for a dip, water sports and certainly, diving. Getting there is simple. We uber-ed our way to Jesselton Port and purchased tickets to Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. There are various tourism company here to choose from, offering different packages and promotion, and usually one ticket will cover to-and-fro boat ride and entrance fee to the marine park, and the surrounding major islands (Manukan, Sapi, Gaya, Mamutik and Sulung Islands). The boat ride takes 30-45 minutes. You can either spend a day there or opt to spend a night on the island in chalets or resorts. Not to forget to feast yourself with stunning sunset when you are back to mainland KK, either from Tanjung Aru or the transient Karambunai further up from KK town.

Manukan Island

Sunset view from Borneo Beach Villa--Karambunai

 2. Majestic Mount Kinabalu

   Mount Kinabalu gained its fame from international from being the highest peak of south east Asia. With my current stamina, there is no way i can climb up the 4095m peak, but Mount Kinabalu's beauty is not to be missed. We spent a night in Kundasang, the nearest settlement right at the base of Mount Kinabalu and managed to catch a glimpse on the majestic mountain. For a brief moment, i thought we were in The Switz Alps, such wonderful experience.

3.  Farming experience in Kundasang Dairy Farm

    Believe it or not, our country actually has a legit dairy farm. Situated in Kundasang's peak, this humble farm is by far my favourite desitination in KK. Similar to the farms in Taiwan that i've been to, Kundasang Dairy Farm houses a subtantial amount of dairy cows, producing their own lines of dairy products ranging from flavoured milk, frozen yogurt and more. Visitors can even feed the cattles and just have a realxing stroll around this tranquil farm, enjoying the best that nature has to offer.

Moo moo cow~

Farm made frozen yogurt

4. Instagrammable Cafe

   Being a hopeless coffee addict that i am, i always search for great coffee and pretty cafes whenever i travel. Surprisingly, in this little town of KK, the cafe scene is growing rapidly, in par with the ones in West Malaysia. We managed to squeeze out some time to visit some and here are 2 of my favourite in KK. Woo! Cafe offers a clean and Kinfolk vibes to cafe goers, as well as great pies and coffee, creating an ultimate cafe experience. While October Coffee House along the same street, offers a completely different vibes with its warm wooden tone and Korean based coffee beverages. Ultimately, both are unforgettably good and definitely worth returning to.

Beautiful Latte art by Woo!

Rustic feel from October Coffee House

5. Cheap Seafood

   I save the best for the last. Seafood here is insanely cheap, compared to West Malaysia, not to mention the variety and freshness, totally unbeatable. Welcome Seafood Restaurant is a huge Chinese seafood restaurant empire in KK, hosting locals and tourists every hour every day here with generous choices of fresh live seafood with affordable price. From mud crabs to prawns, squid to scallops, you name it they have it. With only around RM30-40 per pax, we get to enjoy a table of seafood galore. It was so good that we had to return for 3 times throughout the trip. So seafood lovers, KK is definitely your next destination to visit!

Black pepper mud crab

Salted egg yolk mud crab

Fresh prawns

Chilli Scallops

    Overall, we really enjoyed our short trip in KK. This unique and historical city has something for everyone. I would definitely return for more of that Vitamin Sea and seafood goodness. Great news is, Malaysia Airlines is currently running a promotion via Traveloka, a leading online travel e-commerce site in South East Asia. You can search for more exciting offers and promotion from air tickets to accommodation in KK and more, just a click away. Travelling made easy and fuss free with Traveloka.  For more information, you can visit the site below. I hope you guys enjoy this simple travel update! I'll be back with more interesting updates and travelogues soon. Stay tuned! xoxo

Malaysia Airlines Promo (https://www.traveloka.com/en-my/malaysia-airlines)
Flight Booking (https://www.traveloka.com/en-my/flight)

Tiger Prawn Spaghetti--RM 26.50 Aglio Olio with tiger prawns, baby spinach, garlic, lemon crumbs and chili.

Sally & Chives--RM 25.50 Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, chives and tobiko caviar served with buttery toasted brioche.

Flat White--RM 11.80

Watermelon Lychee Cake Sponge cake layered with watermelon, lychee cream filling, topped with fresh strawberries and assorted fruits,

Rose Lychee Almond Crumbs Rose and almond roll cake filled with cream and blueberry jam, topped with buttery crumbs.

#flatlay #desserts

   Let's begin with our mains. There were some hits and misses. The tiger prawn spaghetti was well cooked, very al dente, but was flavoured too heavily on salt and oil. This aglio olio lacked of spices, depth of flavour and i wasn't impressed with the rubbery prawns as well. On the other hand, our salmon scrambled egg topped with salmon roe was a fresh creation in the brunch scene. However, i didn't enjoy the fishy salmon and soggy toast. Thank goodness for the desserts which saved the day. My favourite was the watermelon lychee cake. The entire item was light and fresh, with the juiciness from the watermelon, light rose flavoured sponge cake and lychee cream filling. This masterpiece is to die for. Mr. J preferred the Rose Lychee Almond Crumb which tasted amazing as well.

   Overall, i kinda appreciate the creativity behind the cake bar of Naj & Belle. They fully utilized their baking strength in creating various mouth watering cakes. However, i hope the same can be reflected from their mains as well, perhaps more fine tuning and improvement of execution is needed. That's all for today! xoxo

More Information~
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/najnbelle/

   Malaysia is ever changing, from its weather to anything beyond. However, i find one thing is certain throughout the seasons, there will always be a scorching hot day that one would hope to stay indoor, grab a cup of iced cold drink and have a cold shower to chase off the immense heat away. In days like this, i would love to have a bowl of cendol and sometimes, a fancier option--a bowl of Korean bingsu. Hence, today i'm going to introduce to you guys, a personal favourite of mine--OW:L Espresso.

   Located right beside Inti College, within Menara Rajawali's first floor, OW:L Espresso is pretty much very accessible and easily recognised. I believe bingsu doesn't need much introduction since it is already a huge hit since few years back when it was first introduced to the nation. Since then, i've tried a lot of these from various outlets but was never satisfied until Mr. J brought me to this cafe. I was recommended to try out their best sellers--Mango Cheese and Chocolate Brownie on my first visit. Subsequently, i returned with friends to try out their Instagram-worthy Panda and Green Tea Bingsu as well.

Mango Cheese--RM 23 Milk based bingsu topped with fresh water lily mango cubes, cheese cake slices,  biscuit crumbs, a scoop of mango ice-cream and drizzled with mango syrup.

Chocolate Brownie--RM 18 Chocolate milk based bingsu topped with pieces of brownies, almond flakes, oreo cookie crumbs, a scoop of chocolate ice-cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Panda Mocha based bingsu, topped with chocolate ice-cream, oreo cookie crumbs, almond flakes, chocolate syrup, crowned with cotton candy with oreo cookies.

Green Tea Milk based bingsu, topped with matcha milk syrup, green tea ice-cream, red bean mochi, red bean paste and almond flakes.

   As you can tell, i am a fervent supporter of OW:L Espresso's bingsu, because i'm simply in love with the incredibly soft and fluffy ice flakes present in all of the bingsu above. The mild but milky flavour of bingsu, paired with several different sets of unique texture and combination of flavour made all of the desserts so irresistible and delicious. My personal favourite goes to Mango Cheese, because i love the fact they use fresh mangoes and real cheese cake pieces. The whole item screams summer with its vibrant colour and refreshing flavours. If you are up to something fun, you could also try out their dry ice cookies and macarons, which will definitely earns you much likes on social media.

   I hope you enjoy my belated post today. My apology for being late for this entry as i was feeling under the weather and was recovering from my illness. Nevertheless, i promise to bring forth more interesting updates and adventures in my next post. Stay tuned! xoxo

More Information:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/owlespresso/?fref=ts

   Everybody needs some indulgence once in a while, just to keep their sanity. Be it retail therapy, short getaway, alcohol, food; for me, it has got to be desserts. After a long day of work, errands and boring routine, sometimes you just have to get out and grab something sweet to brighten up your day. Today's post is all about this new found cafe that serves some really out-of-the-box desserts. Introducing the Fluffed Cafe and Dessert Bar at Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya.

Pooh Bear's Favourite--RM 18 Crispy waffle topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, banana, honey ice-cream, honey combs and drizzled with salted caramel sauce.

Look at that gorgeous and fluffy texture of the waffle!

Rose Lychee Cloudcake--RM 11Layers of rose flavoured cake, with lychee cream and strawberries.

   By the look of these photos, i hope you could tell how wonderful they look and taste in real life. The waffle itself had the perfect texture, crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside. The accompanying components were all on point, i wish that there was more! Salted caramel and honey combination was so perfect, complementing each other well. My personal favourite goes to the rose lychee cloudcake, simply because the light and airy texture of the rose cake, along with the sweet lychee cream and tangy strawberry, creating the perfect summer dessert. Everything was spot on! It is rare to see such creativity in combining feminine flavours such as rose, lychee and strawberry in one single cake. This cake definitely did it and brought a whole new level to KL's dessert game.

More cake selection

   Overall, Mr. J and i really enjoyed ourselves here in Fluffed. Not only we gotten some unique and well done dessert, we also enjoyed the fun crowd, friendly service and relaxing ambiance dining in Fluffed. I would totally recommend dessert lovers out there to give it a try! Hope you like it! xoxo.

   The British are known for their elegant language and manner, polished etiquette and most importantly, scones and afternoon tea. Hence, when i visited London during my spring trip, of course i gotta have some of that before returning. Ms Zheng and i met up with our old buddy Jasper, who is currently based in London for a quick catch up over some tea and pastries. He recommended this humble tea house called Maison Bertaux, right behind the busy London Soho, located off The Greek Street.

Delicious pastries and cakes!

     Maison Bertaux is the oldest French patisserie (French pastry house) in London, established since the year 1871, by Mr. Bertaux himself. Throughout the years, this pastry house remains standing in the evolving metropolitan with its traditional French pastries and a wide selection of warm tea. We were welcomed by an array of pastries as we stepped into this old and humble double storeys hut. Next, we were required to make our order at the counter before proceeding to our tables on first floor. As you can see from the photos above, every corner of this tea house screams classic, elegant and warmth, so welcoming and comfortable for a relaxing afternoon tea.

   I was hoping for some warm scones and tea, so we went for 2 traditional English scones, accompanied by cream and strawberry jam, a Strawberry Tart and a slice of Chocolate Cheese Cake for sharing. Our tea selection would be the classical Earl Grey and Chamomile Tea.

Traditional English Scones, served with whipped cream and strawberry jam.

Strawberry Tart

Chocolate Cheesecake

Earl Grey Tea

#flatlays

   I guess some of you might have noticed, i have a certain standard when it comes to scones, as mentioned in a few of my previous entries. I'm glad to say the scones here were up to par, with its crumbly texture and buttery flavour. The only thing i hope to alter, would be the addition of clotted cream because that lovely thing is essential! Strawberry tart were tangy and fresh; while our chocolate cheesecake was a huge let down. The cheesecake had too much solidifying agent within, causing it to be too jelly-like. Nevertheless, our tea was amazing! I adore the strong alkaline after taste we got from the Earl Grey, giving us extra caffeine kick.

Missing you both!

   Overall, it was quite interesting experience, sipping tea accompanied by wonderful desserts, overlooking the busy street of London, spiced up by never-ending conversation with my dearest buddies. London truly has its own unique charm, with captivating vibes and surprises. I can't wait to be back in this metropolitan, explore more cuisine and finds to share with you guys. Stay tuned for more updates! xoxo

More Information~
Address: 28, Greek Street, London W1D 5DQ, United Kingdom.
Website: http://www.maisonbertaux.com/maisonbertaux.com/Maison_Bertaux.html