Cleffairy's Blog, page 79

Editor’s Pick: Where to Eat Cheap in Kuala Lumpur- Foodzania

Looking for an affordable place to dine with your family and friends in Kuala Lumpur without bursting your pocket? Well, Foodzania (located on level 3 in Sungei Wang Plaza building)is offering plenty of mouthwatering food at a very reasonable price. There’s wide varieties of delicacies being offered here and I believe it will both suit both local and foreign palate.

I had an opportunity to dine with my friends over there and tried a variety of appetizing dishes over here.

Some of the dishes we managed to try

Food offerings in Foodzania, Sungei Wang Plaza Level 3

Foodzania concept is pretty much imitating the hipster food dining style where the deco is made to imitate the open air food truck place. It is divided into 3 sections: The Food Truck, D’Food Caravans and The Food Cart. Each of the sections offered different kind of food to cater to different type of diners.

The Food Truck is more of a grab and go concept where customers can quickly grab simple meals to takeaway or to dine in. At the Food Truck section of Foodzania in Sungei Wang Plaza, we have operators from Quarter Snack, Fun Waffle and and Jo Pasta.

Food operator name: Quarter Snack

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM3.50 above.

Quarter Snack is recommend for those who wants a quick refreshing bite for lunch. They have plenty of things from the menu over here but their must try items are Sushi Popiah and the Fruit Rojak.

Sushi Popiah is actually an interesting fusion of the local springroll and the Japanese traditional sushi. It is made from shredded fresh veggies wrapped in popiah skin and seaweed. The Sushi Popiah makes quite a healthy snack.

Fruit Rojak is a Malaysian style fruit salad made with assorted local fruits that has been diced and mixed with thick prawn paste chilli sauce and topped with crushed peanuts. The black colour might be quite a turned off to some, especially tourists but I assure you that it is refreshing and appetizing. The taste of the fruit rojak over here is perfectly sweet and spicy. Highly recommended for those who wants some daily dose of vitamins in a deliciously indulging way.

Food operator name: Fun Waffle

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM3.50 above.

This operator serves assorted grab and go stuff, but their bestsellers are waffles and Braised Chicken and

Egg Rice

Assorted waffles from Fun Waffles. You may choose the flavour of your choice and these are the usual favourite; waffle topped with peanut butter, strawberry jam and chocolate sauce. There’s no restriction on what spread you want to have on your waffle, of course, so feel free to mix and match like how we did.

Braised Chicken and

Egg Rice. Simple but comforting meal of plain white rice served with braised chicken and boiled eggs. The taste is slightly herbal. Some may feel that this dish is a tad overwhelming on the palate but since this dish is braised in Chinese herbs, it definitely has some nutritional value that helps you to boost your energy. Served in a convenient box like this, you may opt to dine in or takeaway.

Food operator name: Jo Pasta

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM7.50 above.

This operator offers assorted pastas and warm dishes. Pasta lovers will definitely love to indulge themselves here.

But their bestsellers are Japanese Curry Rice with Chicken Chop, Spaghetti Bolognese and Spaghetti Carbonara.

Japanese Curry Rice with Chicken Chop. Unlike the typical Malaysian curry where the curry is usually spicy, the Japanese curry is not. Minimally containing cubed potatoes and diced carrot, the taste is not as overwhelming as Malaysian style curries.Slightly sweet and creamy this dish is perfect for children or those who likes richness taste in their curry . Served wity piping hot rice and breaded chicken chop on the side, the dish makes a great wholesome meal for a ravenous diner.

Spaghetti Bolognese were bathed generously with sweet and sourish tomatoey sauce and topped generously with melted cheese. A wonderful plate of comfort food, I must say. Both children and adult alike will love this.

Spaghetti Carbonara with sliced chicken ham is very rich, creamy and cheesy. This makes a very satisfying meal for all pasta lovers.

Moving on to the D’ Food Caravanz section of the Foodzania, where heavier type of food is offered at a really reasonable price, we have a couple of impressive operators like DM, Chef Ahmad, SS2 and Hakka Cuisine. Food Caravanz consists of DM Port, Chef Ahmad, SS2 and Hakka Cuisine. The food being offered here will surely delight foodies or those who are seeking for a little gastronomic adventure.

Food operator name: DM Port

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM5.00 above per set.

DM Port offers a variety of Malaysian favourite mixed rice.

From top left, clockwise: Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang set, Rice with Ayam Masak Merah Set, Rice with Chicken Curry set and Rice with Ikan Asam Pedas set.

Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang set.

Chicken Rendang with Nasi Lemak is definitely a must try for all nasi lemak lovers. Served with a huge piece of chicken rendang and generous amount of condiments and sambal, this dish gives value to your money.

Rice with Ayam Masak Merah Set is typically a set of white rice served with sweet and spicy chicken dish and a side of fried cabbage.

Rice with Ayam Kicap Set is highly recommended for those who wants a quick but wholesome meal without burning their tongue with spiciness.

Rice with Ikan Asam Pedas set is a dish for those who are feeling a bit adventurous. It’s very spicy so make sure you have cooling drinks on standby while you are eat this.

Food operator name: Chef Ahmad

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM5.00 above.

Chef Ahmad is definitely a must patronize if you love Middle-Eastern Food.

Must try Middle-Eastern delicacies from Chef Ahmad is; Mandi Chicken Rice, Shish Tawouk with Mandy Rice, Breaded Chicken Chop and Hummus.

Hummus. Hummus is a Levantine and Egyptian food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas and blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. This is usually served as a dipping to pita bread.

Mandi Chicken Rice. Mandi is a fragrant traditional rice dish from Hadhramaut and is usually served with chicken or lamb on the side. The Mandi Chicken Rice over here is marvellous. It was bursting with flavour and is definitely worth your calories.

Shish Tawouk with Mandi Rice. Shish Tawouk is a traditional marinated chicken shish kebab of Middle Eastern cuisine. And here, it’s served alongside the exceptionally yummy mandi rice.

Breaded Chicken Chop . Western cuisine is also offered here at Chef Ahmad for those who doesn’t favour herb and spices. The chicken chop is comes in quite a huge portion and is served with generous amount of salted crinckle cut fries.

Food operator name: Hakka Cuisine

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM3.50 above

Ordering from the Hakka Cuisine can be quite tricky as the menu is mostly written in Chinese, but no fret, the staffs are multilingial and speaks English, Bahasa Malaysia and several different Chinese dialects well, so you can just ask for recommendations if things gets overwelming for you.

Hakka Cuisine, like the name suggest serves Hakka Food. Among the must try is the famous all time favourite Hakka dish, Lei Cha, Yam Abacus and Yong Tau Foo

Lei Cha Rice. For those who are new to this dish, ‘lei cha’ simply means ‘pounded tea’ but it’s also called ‘thunder tea rice’ because traditionally, the ingredients were pounded manually to make the tea soup and the sound of that action actually resembled thunder. It consists all sorts of vegetable and high in fibre. Great for those who wants to detox or on a diet and is looking for a healthy, guilt-free meal.

Yam Abacus, also known as Suan Panzi is an auspicious dish that is popularly served during the lunar new year as the roundabacus seeds represent reunion and signifies wealth and health. Made from yam flour into abacus shape, this dish is savoury and chewy. Really fun to eat, I must say.

Yong Tau Foo. Yong Tau Too is a Hakka Chinese cuisine consisting primarily of tofu filled with ground meat mixture or fish paste. Variation of this food include vegetables and mushrooms stuffed with ground meat or surimi. I personally love this as it has a bit of everything and you get a mouthful of flavours in just one plate.

Food operator name: SS2 Goreng Pisang.

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM3.50 above per set.

SS2 Goreng Pisang offers all time Malaysian favourite teatime snack goodies like fried banana, fried nian gao and cucur udang. Whether you are looking for a quick bite or for teatime indulgence, SS2 will surely satisfy your tastebuds.

Assorted fried stuff; Cucur Udang, Fried Nian Gao and Fried Popiah.

Assorted Pisang Goreng; Pisang Goreng Cheese and Pisang Goreng Cheese-Chocolate.

And finally, last but not least the Food Cart Section. There’s a few nice food cart selling all sort of mouthwatering food, especially desserts but I only managed to try the one from Mary Nyonya

Chicken Curry from Mary Nyonya. Nothing to shout about on it’s own but the curry makes a great dipping companion for a piece of roti canai or toasts.

The dining experience here in Foodzania at Sungei Wang Plaza is splendid. If you are on a budget but would like to have a good meal with your family or friends, the Foodzania is really a good place with good food to dine without bursting your pocket. It is pretty much budget friendly. A bonus? The deco here is pretty much instagram-worthy with plenty of props you can pose with, so you won’t just be enjoying the food but will be enjoying taking pictures as well.

The Foodzania definitely walks hand in hand with Sungei Wang Plaza’s tagline; a place with All Kinds of Everything. They really do offer all kinds of everything, and at affordable price at that.

For more information on Foodzania, refer below:

Foodzania, Level 3

Sungei Wang Plaza, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Operating hour 10AM–9PM

Editor’s Pick: Where to Eat Cheap in Kuala Lumpur- Foodzania, Sungei Wang Plaza

Looking for an affordable place to dine with your family and friends in Kuala Lumpur without bursting your pocket? Well, Foodzania in Sungei Wang Plaza is offering plenty of mouthwatering food at a very reasonable price. There’s wide varieties of delicacies being offered here and I believe it will both suit both local and foreign palate.

I had an opportunity to dine with my friends over there and tried a variety of appetizing dishes over here.

Some of the dishes we managed to try

Food offerings in Foodzania, Sungei Wang Plaza Level 3

Foodzania concept is pretty much imitating the hipster food dining style where the deco is made to imitate the open air food truck place. It is divided into 3 sections: The Food Truck, D’Food Caravans and The Food Cart. Each of the sections offered different kind of food to cater to different type of diners.

The Food Truck is more of a grab and go concept where customers can quickly grab simple meals to takeaway or to dine in. At the Food Truck section of Foodzania in Sungei Wang Plaza, we have operators from Quarter Snack, Fun Waffle and and Jo Pasta.

Food operator name: Quarter Snack

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM3.50 above.

Quarter Snack is recommend for those who wants a quick refreshing bite for lunch. They have plenty of things from the menu over here but their must try items are Sushi Popiah and the Fruit Rojak.

Sushi Popiah is actually an interesting fusion of the local springroll and the Japanese traditional sushi. It is made from shredded fresh veggies wrapped in popiah skin and seaweed. The Sushi Popiah makes quite a healthy snack.

Fruit Rojak is a Malaysian style fruit salad fruit salad made with assorted local fruits that has been diced and mixed with thick prawn paste chilli sauce and topped with crushed peanuts. The black colour might be quite a turned off to some, especially tourists but I assure you that it is refreshing and appetizing. The taste of the fruit rojak over here is perfectly sweet and spicy. Highly recommended for those who wants some daily dose of vitamins in a deliciously indulging way.

Food operator name: Fun Waffle

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM3.50 above.

This operator serves assorted grab and go stuff, but their bestsellers are waffles and Braised Chicken and

Egg Rice

Assorted waffles from Fun Waffles. You may choose the flavour of your choice and these are the usual favourite; waffle topped with peanut butter, strawberry jam and chocolate sauce. There’s no restriction on what spread you want to have on your waffle, of course, so feel free to mix and match like how we did.

Braised Chicken and

Egg Rice. Simple but comforting meal of plain white rice served with braised chicken and boiled eggs. The taste is slightly herbal. Some may feel that this dish is a tad overwhelming on the palate but since this dish is braised in Chinese herbs, it definitely has some nutritional value that helps you to boost your energy. Served in a convenient box like this, you may opt to dine in or takeaway.

Food operator name: Jo Pasta

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM7.50 above.

This operator offers assorted pastas and warm dishes. Pasta lovers will definitely love to indulge themselves here.

But their bestsellers are Japanese Curry Rice with Chicken Chop, Spaghetti Bolognese and Spaghetti Carbonara.

Japanese Curry Rice with Chicken Chop. Unlike the typical Malaysian curry where the curry is usually spicy, the Japanese curry is not. Minimally containing cubed potatoes and diced carrot, the taste is not as overwhelming as Malaysian style curries.Slightly sweet and creamy this dish is perfect for children or those who likes richness taste in their curry . Served wity piping hot rice and breaded chicken chop on the side, the dish makes a great wholesome meal for a ravenous diner.

Spaghetti Bolognese were bathed generously with sweet and sourish tomatoey sauce and topped generously with melted cheese. A wonderful plate of comfort food, I must say. Both children and adult alike will love this.

Spaghetti Carbonara with sliced chicken ham is very rich, creamy and cheesy. This makes a very satisfying meal for all pasta lovers.

Moving on to the D’ Food Caravanz section of the Foodzania, where heavier type of food is offered at a really reasonable price, we have a couple of impressive operators like DM, Chef Ahmad, SS2 and Hakka Cuisine. Food Caravanz consists of DM Port, Chef Ahmad, SS2 and Hakka Cuisine. The food being offered here will surely delight foodies or those who are seeking for a little gastronomic adventure.

Food operator name: DM Port

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM5.00 above per set.

DM Port offers a variety of Malaysian favourite mixed rice.

From top left, clockwise: Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang set, Rice with Ayam Masak Merah Set, Rice with Chicken Curry set and Rice with Ikan Asam Pedas set.

Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang set.

Chicken Rendang with Nasi Lemak is definitely a must try for all nasi lemak lovers. Served with a huge piece of chicken rendang and generous amount of condiments and sambal, this dish gives value to your money.

Rice with Ayam Masak Merah Set is typically a set of white rice served with sweet and spicy chicken dish and a side of fried cabbage.

Rice with Ayam Kicap Set is highly recommended for those who wants a quick but wholesome meal without burning their tongue with spiciness.

Rice with Ikan Asam Pedas set is a dish for those who are feeling a bit adventurous. It’s very spicy so make sure you have cooling drinks on standby while you are eat this.

Food operator name: Chef Ahmad

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM5.00 above.

Chef Ahmad is definitely a must patronize if you love Middle-Eastern Food.

Must try Middle-Eastern delicacies from Chef Ahmad is; Mandi Chicken Rice, Shish Tawouk with Mandy Rice, Breaded Chicken Chop and Hummus.

Hummus. Hummus is a Levantine and Egyptian food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas and blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. This is usually served as a dipping to pita bread.

Mandi Chicken Rice. Mandi is a fragrant traditional rice dish from Hadhramaut and is usually served with chicken or lamb on the side. The Mandi Chicken Rice over here is marvellous. It was bursting with flavour and is definitely worth your calories.

Shish Tawouk with Mandi Rice. Shish Tawouk is a traditional marinated chicken shish kebab of Middle Eastern cuisine. And here, it’s served alongside the exceptionally yummy mandi rice.

Breaded Chicken Chop . Western cuisine is also offered here at Chef Ahmad for those who doesn’t favour herb and spices. The chicken chop is comes in quite a huge portion and is served with generous amount of salted crinckle cut fries.

Food operator name: Hakka Cuisine

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM3.50 above

Ordering from the Hakka Cuisine can be quite tricky as the menu is mostly written in Chinese, but no fret, the staffs are multilingial and speaks English, Bahasa Malaysia and several different Chinese dialects well, so you can just ask for recommendations if things gets overwelming for you.

Hakka Cuisine, like the name suggest serves Hakka Food. Among the must try is the famous all time favourite Hakka dish, Lei Cha, Yam Abacus and Yong Tau Foo

Lei Cha Rice. For those who are new to this dish, ‘lei cha’ simply means ‘pounded tea’ but it’s also called ‘thunder tea rice’ because traditionally, the ingredients were pounded manually to make the tea soup and the sound of that action actually resembled thunder. It consists all sorts of vegetable and high in fibre. Great for those who wants to detox or on a diet and is looking for a healthy, guilt-free meal.

Yam Abacus, also known as Suan Panzi is an auspicious dish that is popularly served during the lunar new year as the roundabacus seeds represent reunion and signifies wealth and health. Made from yam flour into abacus shape, this dish is savoury and chewy. Really fun to eat, I must say.

Yong Tau Foo. Yong Tau Too is a Hakka Chinese cuisine consisting primarily of tofu filled with ground meat mixture or fish paste. Variation of this food include vegetables and mushrooms stuffed with ground meat or surimi. I personally love this as it has a bit of everything and you get a mouthful of flavours in just one plate.

Food operator name: SS2 Goreng Pisang.

Muslim friendly: Yes

Price Range: Items on the menu sold from RM3.50 above per set.

SS2 Goreng Pisang offers all time Malaysian favourite teatime snack goodies like fried banana, fried nian gao and cucur udang. Whether you are looking for a quick bite or for teatime indulgence, SS2 will surely satisfy your tastebuds.

Assorted fried stuff; Cucur Udang, Fried Nian Gao and Fried Popiah.

Assorted Pisang Goreng; Pisang Goreng Cheese and Pisang Goreng Cheese-Chocolate.

And finally, last but not least the Food Cart Section. There’s a few nice food cart selling all sort of mouthwatering food, especially desserts but I only managed to try the one from Mary Nyonya

Chicken Curry from Mary Nyonya. Nothing to shout about on it’s own but the curry makes a great dipping companion for a piece of roti canai or toasts.

The dining experience here in Foodzania at Sungei Wang Plaza is splendid. If you are on a budget but would like to have a good meal with your family or friends, the Foodzania is really a good place with good food to dine without bursting your pocket. It is pretty much budget friendly. A bonus? The deco here is pretty much instagram-worthy with plenty of props you can pose with, so you won’t just be enjoying the food but will be enjoying taking pictures as well.

The Foodzania definitely walks hand in hand with Sungei Wang Plaza’s tagline; a place with All Kinds of Everything. They really do offer all kinds of everything, and at affordable price at that.

For more information on Foodzania, refer below:

Foodzania, Level 3

Sungei Wang Plaza, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Operating hour 10AM–9PM

For more information and ongoing promotions at Sungei Wang Plaza, please refer below:

http://www.sungeiwangplaza.com

http://www.facebook.com/sungeiwangplaza  

Pork-Free Dimsum Indulgence at Dynasty Restaurant, Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel

I love dimsums, but finding delicious Halal or pork-free dimsums in Kuala Lumpur can be quite a feat. Most of the pork-free or Halal dimsums that I’ve tried tasted something like reheated frozen food and of course, that’s quite a turn off. Lucky me though, Dynasty Restaurant at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel has recently converted their restaurant’s status from non-Halal to Pork Free and is now serving mouthwatering selections of pork-free and Muslim friendly Chinese cuisine delicacies. A wide variety of dimsums is of course, part of what Dynasty Restaurant is offering.

Had the opportunity to try the dimsums over here with friends one fine afternoon and I have to say that I’m quite impressed with their offerings.

Below is some of the dimsum items that we managed to try:

Pork-free dimsum delights that we managed to try: 3 varieties of fried dimsum, 3 steamed varieties of steamed dimsum, some appetizer, some poached and baked fish dishes, fried rice and dessert.

Crispy prawn toast with sesame. These were adeptly fried. Crispy and slightly nutty from the outside and juicy from the inside, the crispy prawn toast are pretty much addictive.

Crispy chive biscuit filled with shrimp. Chef’s signature and a bestseller in Dynasty Restaurant. These thin and crispy ‘biscuits’ are fried to perfection while maintaining the juiciness of the chives and the shrimps inside. Crispy and bursting with flavours, this biscuit is definitely a must try on the menu.

Pan seared Shanghai dumpling may look like an ordinary pan seared dumpling, but these are exceptional. It’s packed with meaty fillings and stopping at just one piece is almost an impossible feat.

Minced chicken dumplings topped with dried scallops is great for those who want something quite normal and less overwhelming on the palate. Maintaining the traditional steamed dimsum taste, these are purely comfort food, especially for dimsum lovers.

Green dragon chive dumplings speaks for itself. With whole prawn wrapped in a thin layer of thin floury skin, each of the dumplings is quite satisfying to eat. Abit plain on it’s own, though. So make sure you dip it in the dimsum sauce if you are the kind who likes strong flavours in your food.

Prawn wanton with chili vinaigrette is superb. Bathed in chili vinaigrette, the wanton is a tad spicy, but it is not unmanageble. Pretty much an exciting eat, I must say.

Deep fried oyster was served in a pretty colourful presentation. It makes me think of an undersea coral garden. Beautiful, instagram-worthy presentation aside, the crispy oyster is really nice to eat. It is a true cholesterol-fest, though, so please don’t overindulged.

BBQ chicken with glazed honey sauce. I’m more used to savoury chicken dishes so sweet ones like this is something new to me. Lovely dish. A must try if you like sweetmeats.

Baked cod Portuguese style with stinking beans and eggplants. Being a Nyonya, this dish won my heart that day. Have it my way, I would just snatch the whole plate and eat them all up myself, as stinking beans and eggplants are my favourite, but that will be rude and I wouldn’t want to be known as a glutton. Highly recommended item on the menu, especially if you love fish and strong tasting spicy food.

Aromatic duck breast with tea leaf. Got to love the duck breast slices and the Granny Smith apple slices. Very refreshing dish, I must say.

Stirfried beef with vegetables and shimeiji mushrooms. Not sure which part of beef was used for this dish but the beef was so tender that it could almost melt in your mouth. Truly a divine creation. Another must order dish if you ever patronize this restaurant.

Poached fish fillet with ginger soup and chili in claypot. I gave this a pass. Why? I don’t like gingery taste and therefore I found this dish rather difficult to eat. But I’m sure it taste great as everyone else polishes off their portion off from their bowl.

Fragrant fried rice topped with scallops. Love the rice. Unfortunately, by the time this arrived, I was already too full from eating the dimsums. Such a shame. It was simple and yet delicious. I might revisit the restaurant again just so that I can enjoy this fried rice.

Sweetened mango puree with sago and pomelo was a sweet but refreshing end to our meal. No words can express how much I love this dessert.

Making all the dimsums from scratch daily, the team of chefs and kitchen crew in Dynasty Restaurant uses only high quality and fresh ingredients to ensure delicious offerings are presented in their most premium way. Choices of dimsums in this restaurant range from steamed, baked and deep fried variety. Congee and some local Malaysian delights is also offered to cater those with true blue Malaysian palate.

Overall the dining experience in Dynasty Restaurant at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel is really pleasant and satisfying, and I’m planning a revisit as of writing.

Made to order, the dimsum feast is available from Mondays to Saturdays from 12-2.30pm and Sundays / Public Holidays from 9.30am to 2.30pm

For booking and reservations please refer to the information below:

Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel

130, Jalan Ampang

55000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel : 603-2716 9388

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/RenaissanceKL

Email: rhi.kulrn.fb@renaissancehotels.com

Reservations can be done online as well, at http://www.klrenaissance.com/dining . 

Shop, Snap and Win While Traveling in Malaysia

March 1 is the first anniversary of Malaysian Shopping Buddy, Miss SHOPhia. Since her debut last year, Miss SHOPhia has been diligently taking up her role as the ultimate shopping buddy by keeping fashionistas and shoppers across the globe up to date on fashion, food, gadgets as well as shopping news and events via her social media platform.

She also takes on cameo roles in viral videos and TV commervials promoting shopping in Malaysia. Her presence was internationally recognized recently, with Tourism Malaysia awarded The Most Favourite Promotional Activity-Miss SHOPhia at U Travel Magazine Award in Hong Kong.

In conjunction of the first anniversary of the shopping icon, shoppers aged 18 and above are invited to enter the SHOP,SNAP&WIN! online contest and win exciting holidays and fabulous prizes sponsored by Suria KLCC, Starhill Gallery, Fahrenheit88,IOI City Mall Putrajaya and IBC Tours Sdn Bhd. The contest run from 1 March to 31 March 2017. To participate, contestant is required to do the following:

1. Shop at your favourite shopping mall or brand

2. Take a creative picture of yourself or with friends and family together with your shopping haul outside the store.

3. Complete the caption “I love shopping in Malaysia because…” in no more than 20 words.

4. Upload your picture together with the completed caption to Miss SHOPhia’s Facebook Page and tag #MalaysiaSuperSale2017, #MissShophia and the mall location.

Pictures of the most likes and creative captoon stands a chance to win.

For more info, hop over to:

Website: www.missshophia.malaysia.travel

Facebook: http://fb.com/missshophia

Instagram: @missshophia

Malaysia National Sales Campaign 2017

Malaysia’s annual shopping campaign for 2017 kicked off today with the launch of the National Sales Campaign at Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur.

The nationwide campaign is held three times a year and comprises the 1Malaysia Super Sale (1-31 March), 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (15 June-30 August), and 1Malaysia Year End Sale (1 Nov-31 December).

Organized by Tourism Malaysia through its shopping promotion arm, Secretariat Shopping Malaysia, the yearly campaign is part of Government’s ongoing effort to promote Malaysia as top, first class shopping destination in the world.

Comments

The National Sales Campaign was launched by Minister of Tourism and Culture, Dato Seri Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz. Present at the launch, which also marks the beginning of 1Malaysia Super Sale, were 15 members of the media from Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, India, China and Vietnam who participate in the Tourism Malaysia Mega Familiarization Programme from 28 February until 3 March 2017.

Malaysia tourism sector has shown the sign of ecovery with positive growth in tourist arrival and receipt in 2016. In 2016, Malaysia welcomed 26,757,392 tourist mainly from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, China and Saudi Arabia. It was a 4% growth over 2015 arrivals. Tourists spendings on shopping in Malaysia amounted to RM26 billion an increase of 20.3% compared to RM21.6 billion in 2015. The low currency rate actually helps in making shopping in Malaysia more affordable.

Malaysia’s shopping branding is centred on the “Experiental Shopping” concept that promotes Malaysia as a fun and wholesome shopping destination complemented by entertainment and recreation activities, gastronomic adventures, luxury treatments and visits to popular tourists spots. It is made possible by the support of more than 500 integrated shopping malls and retail  outlets in the country whose numbers are increasinf every year. New retail and lifestyle hubs coming up soon includes KL Gateway Mall in Kuala Lumpur and Genting Premium Outlets in Genting Highlands, which will further stimulate Malaysia’s shopping scene.

MAD Adventure in PD Ostrich Showfarm, Port Dickson Malaysia

Initially I thought our MAD weekend escapade will end with our little explorace in Eagle Ranch Resort, but I was wrong. Our little weekend adventure continues in Ostrich Showfarm, Port Dickso. It is one of the must visit attraction in Port Dickson.

The ostrich farm have much more to offer than getting up close and personal with ostrich. It’s practically a mini petting zoo over there and we had so much fun playing and feeding the tame and friendly animals who resides there.

Seashell museum. We get to see plenty of beautiful seashells on display over here.

Friendly goat

Nursing a little lamb. I was told that the poor thing is an orphan.

I was a little scared to get close at first but this little lamb is so affectionate that I can’t help but hug him after nursing him. It is definitely a pet material.

Up close and personal with a cow

Playing with cats.

Well, not much to comment on the cats as I have a bunch of them at home and I’m practically their human slave, but it is really refreshing to see those who just want to play with you instead of nagging for food or those who is unhappy with you cuz you want the bed to yourself. Visiting and playing with the cats here actually makes me feel at home.

The star in Ostrich Showfarm, a female Ostrich known as Princess.

She’s practically a celebrity here and is the tamest in the farm. She wouldn’t hesitate to take picture with you and have very good temper too. She won’t get uncomfortable or bite even if you pet her.

A family picture with Princess

Feeding the ostriches

Kembara #dekatje: A race with an ostrich at PD Ostrich Show Farm

My husband and son went nuts and joined the ostrich race, which they lost, of course. Ostriches are fast and is said could run as fast as 40km/h.

The Dinosaur Park at the PD Ostrich Showfarm is somewhat an educational part of the park where you can walk and see some dino statues with some infos attached to it. It is literally a walk in the park with dinosaurs, I must say.

Dinosaurs spotted at the park

One thing I learned during the visit is that dinosaurs are actually huge lizards. Their scientific name, ‘saurus’ actually means ‘lizards’.

Fooling around with T-Rex. According to National Geographic’s findings, T-Rex had a pair of lungs that resembles modern birds and they are believed to be ancestors to chicken. Yes. Ancestors to chickens. Imagine that.

MAD ride is also offered over here. Unlike the ones we experienced in Thistle Port Dickson and Eagle Ranch Resort, the jungle tour around the Dinosaur Park at the Ostrich Showfarm is very challenging.

Kembara #dekatje: MAD Jungle Tour in PD Ostrich Show Farm

The route is not only bumpy, but steep as well and it takes a lot of skill to balance on the MAD scooter. Not quite for an amateur, I must say. You need to really know how to control the MAD scooter if you’re to opt to ride around in the Dinosaur Park at the Ostrich Showfarm

The pricing for MAD ride in Ostrich Showfarm is as below:

Ostrich Farm

– 10 minutes Ride = RM 20

– MAD Jungle Tour = RM 30

And if you would like to challenge yourselves a little, a MAD Jungle Tour is just the thing. But if it is not a leisurely ride around the farm is also offered.

I can be quite a weirdo at time and quite an introvert. I may feel uncomfortable around strangers who are human but never the animals. Being around animals actually makes me feel good, even if I just met them. Unlike humans who sometimes have hidden agenda and usually befriended me for benefits, animals are genuine and doesn’t have any hidden interest (except perhaps, wanting your affection or some treats). I usually treat them like my own children and talk to them whenever I meet them. Some must have found me weird when they saw me talking to the animals who resides in the farm, but hey, there’s no harm being friendly to animals. I believe they like it and could sense your sincerity.

Anyway, I really enjoyed my time in the Ostrich Showfarm and I guess this will not be my last visit. I’ll be sure to make a revisit the next time I’m in Port Dickson should the time permits.

If you haven’t visit the Ostrich Showfarm in Port Dickson, you might want to hop over. It’s a great place for you to spend quality time with your family, no doubt.

For more information on the Ostrich Showfarm, please refer to the information below:

P.D. Ostrich Showfarm

Lot 1419, Jalan Kemang 13,

Batu 9, Jalan Pantai,

71050 Port Dickson,

Negeri Sembilan,

Malaysia.

Tel: 012-3317770 / 019 – 3604466

Fax: 06 – 6625421

MAD Exploring in Eagle Ranch Resort, Port Dickson Malaysia

After our leisurely MAD ride in Thistle Port Dickson, things got madder and madder and our adventure continues to the next day at Eagle Ranch Resort where we joined the MAD scooter owners’ gatherings. Plenty of fun activities were planned out by the organizer and one of it is a fun explorace where we had to find a couple of items scattered around Eagle Ranch Resort with given clues.

Bloggers and guests alike were divided into groups to complete the tasks given.

MAD scooters lining up for us.All of us had to ride on the MAD scooter in order to find the hidden items.

Picking out our MAD scooter

Getting geared up for our MAD ride

All set for a MAD exploration in Eagle Ranch Resort.

Getting ready to race against each other to find the clues

Riding around the Eagle Ranch Resort to find hidden items.MAD ride in Eagle Ranch Resort is not as leisurely as the one in Thistle. There’s a few slopes and the ride over here can be quite bumpy, but nothing an amateur rider couldn’t handle. The experience on Eagle Ranch Resort is pretty much something from a cowboy fantasy novel as the scenery in Eagle Ranch Resort is exactly just that. Great for those who wants a bit of challenge and the fantasy of escapism. Sceneries around Eagle Ranch Resort where everything, including rooms is set against a beautiful rustic cowboy town concept

The Red Indian’s hut

The bandwagon

Horse stable

The loghouse

The swimming pool

Team building area

Kampung house

Searching for clues scattered at various locations in Eagle Ranch Resort.

Clues to the next checkpoint found

Deciphering clues

It’s all about teamwork. Working together to get the tasks done.

Winning group

One for the album. Eagle Ranch Resort may be well known as a place for teambuilding activities, but they do offer MAD rides too for both in-house guests and non staying guests . If you’re ever in Eagle Ranch Resort, you might wanna give it a try. The MAD ride in Eagle Ranch Resoey is really fun.

The pricing for MAD ride in Eagle Ranch Resort is as below:

Eagle Ranch Resort

– 5 LAPS = RM 21.20

– 8 LAPS = RM 31.80

– MAD TOUR = RM 31.80

For more information on Eagle Ranch Resort, refer to the information below:

544, Jalan Pantai, Batu 14, 71250 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Website: http://eagleranch.com.my

MAD Leisurely Ride in Thistle Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan Malaysia

They say a woman will not marry a man who have nothing. Well, let me tell you a story. A love story, if you will. I did. I married a man who had nothing. I met my husband for the first time when I was 17. He was my college senior and he had nothing to offer. Being just a student, he had no car, no house, no money, no nothing. All he had was a third or fourth hand old motorcycle, and he used it to fetch me around on our dates and when we got married and had a son two years after that, the motorcycle was still our main vehicle. We built our family at a pretty young age and we were still student then. Raising a family was tough, especially when you are struggling to keep your grades up in college, but despite the lacking of material things that could make our daily lives better, it was still the happier and less complicated times. Things were so simple back then and we had more time to spend with each other. Unlike now, we have almost everything; a car, a house, money to spend and yet, time is a rare commodity. Ironically, that’s the price we had to pay in exchange for economic stability and all the lavish and material things that we have now.

Things may not be the same as before, but we do appreciate what little and limited time that we get to spend together these days. We both make a point not to stop dating and travel to interesting places together every now and then, and our most recent one was a 2D1N escapade in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

As mentioned in my previous post, we were invited by Maison Moments to experience the MAD scooter during our stay in Port Dickson.

I may not say it earlier in my previous post, but being given the opportunity to ride on those electronic scooter somewhat allow both my husband and I to travel back in time and reminisce our earlier years together. You see, after buying a car, we somewhat got rid of our motorcycle and never rode on one since then. The MAD scooter is probably the next closest thing to riding a motorcycle, I guess.

Thistle Port Dickson was the location of our first riding session. The place itself is quite laid back and picturesque.

Checking out our rides. Kid was excited about it too.

Listening to instruction on how to operate the MAD scooter before we ride away.

I’m not much a two-wheeled vehicle rider. I was always the passenger. But my husband is an excellent rider, and he was so excited during our first riding session.

Kembara #dekatje: Riding MAD scooter in Thistle Port Dickson

Check out my husband’s commentary video on MAD scooter.

Kembara #dekatje: Adam riding MAD scooter in Thistle Port Dickson

My husband recorded this with his smartphone while riding the MAD scooter in Thistle alongside with other invited bloggers. Pretty cool, huh? But guys, please don’t do this when you ride on a MAD scooter. I wouldn’t recommend recording or snapping pictures while riding like my husband did. It’s not really safe and safety should not be compromised during all MAD rides.

The MAD ride in Thistle Port Dickson is pretty easy and leisurely. There’s no challenging route or difficult slope for your to deal with.

Kembara #dekatje: Adam riding MAD scooter at Thistle Port Dickson

The MAD ride in Thistle Port Dickson is perfect for family who wants to take a relaxing evening stroll at the resort with a beach in the background.

Life is so funny. I used to want to give all I have to gain financial stability and all the material things, but now, I wonder what I can give to return to those simple and uncomplicated days again. But then again, no point being wistful. Whatever it’s worth, I’m glad we get to spend our time riding MAD scooter in Thistle Port Dickson. It was indeed really fun and memorable. I really enjoyed the adrenaline rush and the little trip down memory lane. I wish I can do it again, someday.

The pricing for MAD ride in Thistle is as below.

– Free & Easy (15 minutes) = RM 21.20

– MAD Tour = RM 31.80

Quite reasonable, don’t you think? So ladies and gentleman, if you are ever in Thistle Port Dickson, do give this a try. You might enjoy it as much as we did.

For more info on MAD scooter, you may click here: https://facebook.com/vmadn9/

For more information on Thistle Port Dickson, please refer to the details below:

KM16 Jalan Pantai, Teluk Kemang

71050 Si Rusa, Port Dickson

Negeri Sembilan

Malaysia

+606 648 2828

Website: http://www.thistle.com/en/hotels/malaysia/port_dickson/thistle_port_dickson/index.html

Exciting Things To Do in Port Dickson, Malaysia: MAD Ride

Port Dickson, or PD to locals, is a coastal town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It takes just over an hour by car to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Port Dickson along the North-South Expressway. What Port Dickson is usually well known for is it’s beach and watersports activities.

But many may not know that Port Dickson have more to offer than just it’s beach and water sport activities. While it still pale in comparison to Melaka in terms of liveliness and historical spots, Port Dickson still has things to offer to tourists and travelers alike. Some of Port Dickson’s must visit attraction is the Muzium Tentera Darat, The Upside Down House, Haunted House, The Ostrict Farm, Seashells Museum and of course, the lighthouse in Tanjung Tuan. These places are the common favourites among tourists, but if you are looking for something new and exhilarating to do, Port Dickson have something exciting to offer; the MAD scooter rides.

My family and I were invited by Maison Moment, an official MAD scooter dealer in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia to a 2D1N MAD Ride weekend escapade in Port Dickson recently and while I’m not much of a two wheel vehicle rider, I must say that it was a fantastic experience.

So, what’s a MAD scooter ride? Allow me to explain.

MAD is an acronym for Mobility Adventure Design scooter.

It is an exceptional cross between a mini-scooter and an electric bike. With very original styling: the bamboo footrest echoes the latest generation of skateboards.

The fat tyres give it a sporty look, the accessory kit and the range of colours make it a product with a strong personality. The basic version has a 500 watt 36 Volt brush motor while the top of the range model features a 1600 watt 48 Volt motor with generous torque and enviable performance, attributes that give it the power to tackle all types of terrain. This vehicle can go up to 40km/h and could accommodate a rider weighting up to 120kg. It is also foldable, making it great for leisurely travel. One does not need a motorcycle license to ride MAD scooter on the road in Malaysia as the speed does not go over 40km/h and it is classified as an electronic bicycle, so no fret about the legal boundaries and restrictions should you want to give this a go.

Kembara #dekatje M.A.D Ride in Eagle Ranch Resort with Ellie

As of writing, there are 3 places where you can enjoy exhilarating MAD rides in Port Dickson; Thistle, Eagle Ranch Resort and The Ostrich Farm. All these places offers different kind of experience with MAD scooter as not only the background setting differs from one another, but the ride difficulty level is different too. I’ll be writing in detail on the experience in each of these places individually, but below is a brief breakdown on the MAD scooter rides offered in the 3 locations in Port Dickson.

MAD ride in Thistle Port Dickson is pretty easy and leisurely where they offers free and easy ride around the resort.

Difficulty level: Easy. Perfect for evening stroll with the family with a beach in the background. The pricing for MAD ride in Thistle is as below.

– Free & Easy (15 minutes) = RM 21.20

– MAD Tour = RM 31.80

For more detail write up on our riding experience in Thistle, click HERE

MAD ride in Eagle Ranch Resort is not as leisurely as the one in Thistle. There’s a few slopes and the ride over here can be quite bumpy, but nothing an ameteur rider couldn’t handle. The experience on Eagle Ranch Resort is pretty much something from a cowboy fantasy novel as the scenery in Eagle Ranch Resort is exactly just that.

Difficulty level: Medium. Great for those who wants a bit of challenge and the fantasy of escapism. The pricing for MAD ride in Eagle Ranch Resort is as below:

Eagle Ranch Resort

– 5 LAPS = RM 21.20

– 8 LAPS = RM 31.80

– MAD TOUR = RM 31.80

For more detail write up on our riding experience in Eagle Ranch Resort, click HERE.

MAD ride in Ostrich Farm is not quite for the faint hearted. With rocky and slippery slope, it takes some mad skill to go off-roading in the Ostrich Farm. Riding MAD scooter in the farm is like going on a rough ATV ride, minus automatic balance and stability from the ATV.

Difficulty level: Challenging. Great for adrenaline junkies.

The pricing for MAD ride in Ostrich Farm is as below:

Ostrich Farm

– 10 minutes Ride = RM 20

– MAD Jungle Tour = RM 30

For more detail write up on our riding experience in Ostrich Farm, click HERE.

Like I mentioned earlier in my post, I’m not much a two-wheel vehicle rider. But I did had fun during our little randezvous in Port Dickson and I certainly wouldn’t mind a repeated experience. Be sure to click on the links above to read more on my family’s experience riding on MAD scooter at 3 different locations in Port Dickson.

For more info on MAD scooter, you may click here: https://facebook.com/vmadn9/

Visit the Heritage Splendor of Georgetown

Many has compared Singapore with Georgetown, both being an island with modern facilities yet persevering the vast culture and heritage that makes the city what it is today. Getting to Penang from Singapore is surprisingly easy as you can either take a bus from Singapore to Penang, board a train or even take a flight via the budget airline.

Unesco World Heritage Site, Georgetown is a fantastic and magical place to be. Probably you have heard a ton of story about how amazing this place can be and trust me, you will not be disappointed. Prepare to be awed by the unique blending of the ancient cultures, indigenous and colonial architecture. Among the many places, you might find the following attractions worth paying a visit to.

• Blue Mansion

This is a more than a century-old heritage hotel is estimated to have been built in the 1880s. What makes it unique is the exceptional blending of the Eastern and Western designs with beautiful tile floors, louvred windows, and art nouvea stained windows. The house is beautifully decorated from inside and outside with beautiful ancient Chinese architecture. You will wonder a 38-room capacity was developed during those times.

• Khoo Kongsi

Khoo Kongsi is another spectacular attraction you cannot miss to visit. The clan house is indeed among the most impressive sites. The magic carving with distinct meanings welcomes you into this more than a century-old facility. The interior is immortal sculptures, dragons, carp and many other amazing artworks.

• Cheah Kongsi

They restore recently, it still retained its splendid look and authenticity as one of the oldest attraction sites in Penang. Dating more than a century old, it is first of Penang’s five great Hokkien clan houses. The breathtaking ancient architectural art will just blow your minds away. Get amazed with the fine art of the carvings that have stood the test of time to remain relevant at this age. Get into this place and learn fascinating stories about its existence and mostly the inter-clan riots that rocked it in 1867. 

• Penang Peranakan Mansion

The mint-green structure will give you a feel of what life and art were back then. How people valued style and class. The walls and doors of this ostentatious structure are carved in an artistic and magic way, considering the times this was done you can only imagine who the owner was in the society. The wood furniture is majestically curved, and charming antiques will just make your visit here very fulfilling. The owner of the house (Chung Keng Quee) was a wealthy trader and clan leader who lived in the 19th century.

• Hin Bus Depot Art Center

This former bus station is another great heritage splendor of Georgetown. Though it has been converted for various uses, it did not lose its splendid look as one of the most significant heritage zones. The place is nowadays a vibrant contemporary art hub showcasing regular arts, exhibitions, and crafts market every Sunday. One thing that you will enjoy is the fantastic, excellent street art. The quality and the creativity behind this art will leave you lasting images of this place.

• Sri Mariamman Temple

Built in 1883, it is the oldest Hindu houses of worship in Georgetown. You will be amazed by how in those days, the fine architectural art was highly used to build this temple. From the exterior to interior of this temple, you will experience more than century old carvings that depict the Hindu culture in South Asia. If you are lucky, you will experience the Thaipusam festival that is celebrated during late January and early February every year.

• Penang Museum

This state-run museum provides a vast history of the Penang state and mostly, Georgetown. You get access to materials exhibiting the history, customs, and traditions of Georgetown. This includes videos, costumes, documents, and photos. Get to experience a history gallery with a collection of 19th-century captions showing the magnificent landscape of old Penang.

These are some of the main places that I visited and would recommend to anyone traveling Georgetown, Penang. I would also highly recommend travel by bus from Singapore to Penang as this will provide you a free tour of the enchanting Malaysia. You might even consider dropping by some other places on your way back!