Friday, April 18, 2008

I went vegetarian again ... this time it's 'Salted Tea' Rice




*Woot* My mom cooked this Hakka dish called 'Ham Cha' I think and it's loosely translated as 'salted tea'. It's fairly simple really, you mix a certain tea paste with water and a li'll bit of salt and bring it to boil. Next up, wash the variety of vegs, dice 'em up and stir fry with salt and other seasonings to taste. The veg goes on top of rice, throw in a handful of roasted peanuts and add in the tea-based soup. Some people like to flood the entire bowl with soup but as for me, the bare minimum will do. A healthy meal and believe me, it taste good too or at least that's what my tastebuds tell me. :) One of my favourite comfort food yo.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Wong Kok Char Chan Teng @ SS2, PJ






Both SY and I went over to TF, Jaya33 yesterday for a round of Body Combat. It was Kevin's class and after it's done, dinner beckons. We drove to nearby SS2 and found a parking spot (illegal one ... hehe) near Wong Kok Char Chan Teng. For those of you not in the know, WKCCT is one of the many Hong Kong type restaurants mushrooming all over the place ... very much like my all time favourites, Kim Gary and U Village. Apparently, WKCCT opened their latest outlet in the Pavilion as well and judging from the photos, it looked swanky. Must give it a try someday.

Anyways, we ordered pork chop hand-made fried noodles (nice), preserved veg & pork slices noodles (nice), some fried bacon & meat side dish (so-so only) and beverages consist of coke cuppacino (crazy caffeine overdose concoction) and some kinda sour plum juice cocktail (sweet and refreshing). Hehe ... do pardon the inconsistent provision of accurate information here but last night, I was very thirsty and hungry ... hence, my grey matters weren't in optimum drive. Notice how the photo quality were compromised too. As the saying goes, a hungry man is an angry man. Hehe.

Also, I was busy giving Roger Kwok (WKCCT's new brand ambassador) a thorough 'facial make-over'. So you could tell how hungry / angry I was then. Hmphhh!!!. You gotta love me no??? :p

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Sometimes, love just ain't enough




Does the words tug on your heartstrings? It's really heartwrenching when it happens ... :(

P.S. I like the first one by Stephanie Sun better. The second one is by the original singer, Patti Smyth feat. Don Henley. What do you guys think?

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

A roof over my head

Ok, I'm 26 this year. I know I may pass off as a couple of years more mature than I really am but nevertheless, wipe that snigger of your face before I do it for ya. Kapish!!! Been running the rat race for slightly more than four years now and I think it's about time I make a commitment to adulthood. One sure way to do so is to purchase my very first home. I'm not looking at something overly fancy ... can't afford to at the moment anyway. So a nice comfy li'll pad will do. I've always envisioned my initial home purchase to be a condo. Some place with an good pool, panaromic view, pleasant landscaping ... well, you get the idea.

Location wise, would most definitely prefer it to be in the Klang Valley. Subang, Puchong, Damansara are all acceptable. Now comes the most important factor ... the cost. Well, I'm looking at anywhere between RM230k - RM250k. It doesn't have to be new, a 2nd hand unit would do fine as long as it's still in a fine condition.

Any input guys??? Would really appreciate it.

If you're happy and you know it, clap you HAIR!!!


This is an old ad. Just recalled about it yesterday and found it on Youtube. Seriously, it blew me away when I first saw it and literally made me ROFL. Enjoy it k. :D

Monday, April 14, 2008

More photos on Pick & Brew ...



Pick & Brew @ 1 Utama






How did you spend your Sunday??? I had a great one. Kick started it off by picking SY up and headed to Jaya 33 for BC. It was my first time teaching again (replacing Kevin) after my surgery and I really enjoyed it. At the very least, I now know that my fitness level is good enough to last one whole class and perhaps a li’ll bit more. :p

After that, the both of us headed to 1 Utama as we had already bought movie tickets for Escape From Huang Shi starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Chow Yuen Fatt, Michelle Yeoh and Radha Mitchell. Based on a true story, it tells the tale of an inexperienced English reporter, George Hogg during the dreadful times of the Japanese invasion of China. From a reporter, Hogg gradually played the role of father and teacher to a group of 60 orphans in Huang Shi. As the Japanese army marched closer to Huang Shi, Hogg decided to relocate everyone to Shandan through the Silk Road. A 600 miles journey (mostly on foot) … depicting the bravery and steely determination of Hogg and the children as they battled the harsh elements of Mother Nature and much more. Brilliant cinematography overall … just something one would expect from a USD40 million production.

This time around, we also had the opportunity to have our lunch in Pick & Brew. Wonderful atmosphere for a relaxing meal and service was excellent (though a waiter … probably new at his job mixed up my coffee order). It's located between the Old and New wing of the complex (a couple of shoplots away from Wong Kok Char Chan Teng).

Foodwise, nothing short of YUMMILICIOUS!!! Upon being seated on really comfy grey sofa chairs, we were served with some complimentary baguette and olive bread. It went well with the dip of virgin olive oil and sour vinegar ala Itallianies style.

We started off with some warm chicken served on a bed of mixed lettuce, sweet apples and other garden vegs. Do take note that it’s big enough a portion for two ya. The chicken was juicy and succulent. Pairing it with the crunchy greens, it gives the tastebuds a very tasty sensation indeed. SY decided to go local and had their nasi kerabu while I had their oven baked oats and almond crusted snapper served with boiled potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Our beverages consisted of iced fruit tea and iced black tea with soda. The iced fruit tea had a generous amount of tiny diced apples mixed in which was ultimately very refreshing (perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon) while the black tea was infused with a dash of soda to give it that zesty aftertaste.

The snapper was well cooked, the fish was very fresh and I thoroughly enjoyed its tasty texture. The sauce drizzled on the side complimented the dish perfectly while the spiced tomato puree worked well to excite the appetite. The nasi kerabu did not dissapoint either. The rice was unlike the traditional ones I usually have, can't really put my finger on it but the spice tasted different ... a good kinda different nevertheless. Served with a sizeable piece of chicken chop, it was a dish well presented and kept the pallet oh-so-happy too. Oh and the prawn crackers was a nice touch to remind one of kampung familiarity.

Halfway through her meal, SY noticed that the chicken chop on her nasi kerabu wasn’t well cooked enough, so we sent it back to the kitchen to be re-heated. Moments later, her meal came back satisfactory and the management insisted that we choose a slice of cake (on the house of course) as a token of their earnest apology. Being nice people, we definitely do not want to deny them their sincerity and hence, a rich creamy slice of blueberry cheesecake was served. Hahaha. But seriously, it's this kind of welcoming service that keep the customers coming back.

You simply must have one of their gourmet coffees there. Wide selections of coffee beans from all over the world are available here and Pick & Brew are master connoisseurs at mixing and blending them together to produce any taste to cater for coffee lovers. They also separate their coffees in terms of mild, medium and strong for customers to make a better judgment when ordering their favourite brew.

I went for Prominence … a blend of dunno-what coffee beans (sorry la … don’t remember already) that gives off a hint of bitter dark chocolate. When the coffee was poured out of its Italian moka pot into my cup, the aroma radiated was simply deliciously sublime. Good coffee makes this blogger happy. :D

Oh and I also signed up as their member for a fee of RM10. This will entitle me to collect Beanie points for future benefits and redemptions.

Me give this place a double thumbs up!!! Shall be back in the near future to sample the rest of their menu.