Yummy Thai Dinner @ Khunthai Restaurant, PJ

Two of my colleagues in the department just left about a week ago, which was pretty sad. I'm especially quite close to one of them, Jason, whom I always feel like a big sister to him. On the other hand though, I'm very happy for him as I know things will only get better for him out there! :)

Anyway, we had a big departmental dinner to bid these two goodbyes. Since we now have Muslim colleagues in the department, we had to find somewhere Halal to break fast and in the end we went for Khunthai Restaurant, a Thai restaurant which is apparently pretty well known.

The restaurant looks nothing less like a Chinese restaurant, only big difference is you get a lot of servicing staff who are Thai, not Chinese. The owner however, I heard, are Chinese. The menu is quite extensive with whole loads of choices so here are what we had that night...

Fish Cake, RM28.

Kailan with Salted Fish, RM13. We had 4 of these for two tables. 

Mixed Seafood Tom Yam, RM34.

Otak-Otak, RM22. 

Sambal Petai with Shrimp, RM18.

Pandan Chicken, RM23.

Salted Egg Calamari, RM15.

Green Curry Chicken, RM15.

Lemon Steamed Fish (Kerapu), seasonal price.

Thab Thim Krop, RM22.

My personal favourite that night were the fish cake, otak-otak, pandan chicken and the dessert! The otak-otak was especially packed with all kind of fresh seafood and tasted really delicious too! The Thab Thim Krop was truly refreshing and not as sweet as it looks! Couldn't stop eating them! 
While the green curry chicken and salted egg calamari were pretty good too, the lemon steamed fish and Tom Yam were to me, a bit overrated. I didn't even finish my Tom Yam but that's because it was sweet rather than spicy or sour. So you might like it if you actually prefer a sweeter version. But for someone like me, it was a huge disappointment. 

Us having fun! 

Taste wise, the food are slightly above average, although some are just forgettable. Good thing about the food here is that you get to choose to have them in small or big size. While we had all our dishes in big, you can choose to have a smaller portion if you have lesser people.

Stole this from Tze Yang, such a cute cute photo!!! :D

Together with rice and drinks for 19 people, we ended up paying RM555.60, which is on average RM30 per person. I thought that was pretty reasonable. I wouldn't mind visiting the restaurant again but it will be pretty hard to have Thai food without my favourite Tom Yam... :(
The place can be pretty busy during dinner time, so reservation is advisable!

Khunthai Restaurant (PJ Branch)
6, Jalan 5/44, Petaling Garden,
Off Jalan Gasing,
46000 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor
Tel: 03-7781 7523
Website: http://khunthai.com/

I'm (also) a Sucker for Hi-Lo Wedding Gowns/Dresses

So I am a sucker for coloured wedding gowns, that's right. But that's not all, I'm also a fan of hi-lo dresses, whether it is for casual wear or for bridal purposes. 

I think I started to imagine myself wearing a hi-lo wedding dress when I first saw Katy Perry's Hot & Cold music video few years back. And the fact that the skirt and the train can be removed just like that fascinated me!

Remember the dress???

I also saw this very nice piece on a Hong Kong blogger/celebrity Winnie Leung, which is nothing but COOL! Best of all, it is convertible too! So it can be one sided length dress or a long gown. Pretty cool, right?

I call this 'YENG'! 

I'm not really sure if it is a trend or what, but when I was searching for ideas, there were so many of them on-line!!!

I don't know about you, but I personally think some of them are soooooooo nice! And it's a breath of fresh air to the usual gowns! And you know how you can never showcase your wedding shoes under the long gown? Now here's the way to do it! *wink~*

So when I was making my gown with my tailor, I actually asked if she could just make it a hi-lo gown instead of following the original design. And she gave me a big no-no, saying it will spoil the whole gown... Then after a while when Deardo and I decided that we will be doing our church wedding more like a R.O.M, I grabbed the opportunity to ask for a tailor-made hi-lo dress and yes the quotation from my tailor is reasonable so I AM MAKING ONE!!! :D

Lazaro.

Reem Acra.

Jason Wu.

I've been sketching my own dress for a while, adding changing stuff from time-to-time when I have or see new ideas before seeing my tailor to officially confirm the design. I am very sure that I'll be making it convertible so that I can wear the dress without the train after the wedding (no wastage!). I also want to make sure it is white as base but with a touch of pink simply because I'm not used to all white on usual days (being practical here). Well I guess since I'm planning to keep it and wear it after the wedding (unless any of you are interested to buy it), this one will be simpler than what you would expect from me. It is, after all a R.O.M. dress, not a wedding gown! 

So who is the one designer whom I adore the most in making hi-lo gowns/dresses?

The super awesome Zuhair Murad it is! 

Jaw-dropping designs!!! 

Seriously, his work are super duper gorgeous! The Pleats, straps, bling, tulle details... They took my breath away every single time I see them!!!

MY FAVOURITE PIECE... FREAKING GORGEOUS!!! 

Well of course, they are also very-the-grand, so I'm just referring to his work for inspirations and not following entirely. Will definitely share more when I have more updates! :)

But will you wear a hi-lo dress/gown on your wedding day???

Quality Food & Coffee @ Coffee Societe, Publika

I'm actually quite a big fan of Publika. It's very artsy and is probably the best place to hang-out with friends and family at the many cafes and restaurants located in the mall itself. Unfortunately, there isn't a Harvey Norman so it actually sounds like a boring place to Deardo, which explains why I don't go there so often. And by that I meant like, once in a year? 

We were so bad with Publika that we needed a map to get around.

Anyway, since my colleague Lea has always been telling me how Coffee Societe has really nice coffee, I said hey, let's go and try it out!

Not the most unique-looking cafe actually. Cafes decos and designs are certainly getting more competitive. 

Honestly, compared to other cafes (except for maybe those commercialised ones), the cafe was pretty crowded on a Ramadhan month's Sunday afternoon. No queue, but almost fully occupied. The cafe is also pretty cozy and quiet too.
Since it was brunch time, I ordered a breakfast while Deardo went for a spaghetti dish.

House Smoked Salmon Aglio Olio, RM22.

The Awesome Breakfast, RM18.

The really yummy homemade hash brown. Yumzzzz...

Cappuccino, RM7.90.

Latte, RM7.90.

Initially, I was a little worry that they are only good at their coffee and their food might be sucky. But much to our surprise, both dishes we had were really good!
The Awesome Breakfast was indeed really awesome! Comes with a poached egg with Hollandaise sauce, a piece of beef bacon, a homemade hash brown and some spinach and mushrooms, the dish was truly satisfying! I especially love the homemade hash brown! It was so yummy I actually forgot that it was supposed to be a piece of junk (I mean, deep fried stuff)! Unlike the frozen hash brown, this one has the potato in strips and and it wasn't oily at all! :) Deardo's House Smoked Salmon Aglio Olio was not bad too, tasting pretty perfect and comes with some other ingredients such as olive and rocket greens. Really yummy!

Real quality food they offer that I really hope they will stay the same! 

As for the coffee, well for someone who is not yet a pro in coffee, I think the coffee here is really smooth and has this really nice aroma to it. Coffee lovers out these should really give their coffee a try! 
With 10% Service Charge, the total bill came up to RM61.40, which is actually quite reasonable too! I'm surely coming back for more quality food and great coffee!

Coffee Societe
D4-G3-3A, Jalan Dutamas 1,
Solaris Dutamas, 50480 KL
Tel: 03-6211 5523

Bonus photos of me camwhoring in Publika with my new H&M dress... *wink~*

Cory Monteith 1982~2013

He may not be my favourite actor or character in Glee, but damn this is such a shocking and saddening news! He was only 31 year-old!!!
Rest in peace Cory Monteith and Finn Hudson. You will be missed.

Be good to your loved ones, people! Cos you will never know what is going to happen next.

The Lone Ranger

Cast: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, etc
Director: Gore Verbinski
Synopsis: Tonto, an American Indian and John Reid, a Texas Ranger, set out to hunt down Butch Cavendish, for different reasons. The movie follows their journey from the beginning till they successfully won the battle.
The Thumb-Up(s): Towards the climax of the movie in the middle till the end, it was very entertaining. Quirky and fun actions, funny yet suitable background music makes up for the dull beginning of the movie. Love the little twist towards to end of the story too. Johnny Depp was his usual, although not his best. I also kinda like Armie Hammer! He is cute! :p
The Thumb-Down(s): As stated above, about 1 hour 15 minutes of the movie was really really boring. And I mean, seriously, I was already playing with my phone in the cinema! For a Disney movie, I don't think kids will appreciate the boring start to the movie! And although I'm a die-heart fan of Johnny Depp, I think it is really time for him to tackle some other genre and roles...
Verdict: A little disappointed actually, especially when this was one of the movies in my most anticipated list. However, it's not the worst movie! Johnny Depp's fans still shouldn't miss this! :)
3 out of 5

Mamo's Birthday Treat @ Shin Japanese Restaurant, Taiping

Big hello from Taiping!

Surprise! Took this photo with Mamo right at the front door as I arrived to surprise her! :)

Made a last minute surprise trip back home to celebrate Mamo's birthday but am heading back to KL in a few hours time. 

Apart from the surprise visit and a pot of Daisies, Vivian (who also came back on Friday night) and I also gave the birthday girl a lunch treat at Shin Japanese Restaurant, the one restaurant in town that I've read so many reviews from bloggers and haven't been there myself.

Their Nigiri promotion is quite good! 

Located right in the middle of Taiping town, in the former Fajar building, next to Panorama Hotel, the Japanese restaurant is only the second Japanese restaurant in Taiping, besides the commercialised Sushi King. A glance through their menu, it is surprisingly complete with some dishes that you can rarely even find in Japanese restaurants in KL. Pricing is a little high for Taiping's standard actually, some are even more expensive compared to those in KL. Nevertheless, there are some which are cheaper too.
We ordered quite a lot to share for the four of us...

Kaisen Yaki Soba, RM12. 

Omelette Ramen, RM13.

Kimchi Yaki Ramen, RM13.

Cheese Snowcrab Nigiri, Salmon & Cheese Nigiri and Spicy & Sweet Roasted Salmon Nigiri, ranges from RM1.50-RM2 per piece, as per advertised in their 50% promotion sheet.

Yasai Itame, RM9.

Salmon Skin Karage, RM8.

Ika Hanasaki, RM6.

Kinoko Cream Mushroom Salada, RM11. 

Personally, I find their fried Ramen (for some reasons, we ended up ordering only Ramen) are pretty nice. Though they all came in different flavours, what I like about it is that they are not as oily. Their Nigiri comes is smaller portion of rice, which is perfectly fine for me, someone who is avoiding rice. They tastes not too bad too. The Salmon Skin Karage and Ika Hanasaki are okay, although I still think Sushi Tei has the best Salmon skins. The Kinoko Cream Mushroom Salad is basically boiled mushrooms with roasted sesame dressing and I think it would definitely tastes so much better if it was served cold.

Vivian & Mamo, Kupu (Ah Ma) and me! 

Overall, I was quite happy with the lunch. The food is definitely above average for a restaurant based in Taiping. I just wish their plastic chairs can be changed to more presentable ones. Together with four hot green tea and service charge, the bill came up to RM92.20, which is absolutely reasonable for the amount of food we had!
It's actually great that now we have a nice Japanese restaurant in Taiping, I mean a real one! Not those commercialised one. So, if you ask me, to avoid the crazy crowd in Tesco area, this is a much quieter and nicer place to hang out, especially when you are craving for Japanese meals in Taiping! :)

Shin Japanese Restaurant
Panarama Hotel
No. 61-79, Jalan Kota,
34000 Taiping, Perak
Tel: 05-8084111

A Series of Violent Movies

Totally not on purpose! It was just when I was thinking for a title for this post, it triggers me! All three of these movies I recently watched are with a lot of violent! Very light ones, though, luckily... Phew~!

Gangster Squad

Cast: Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Emma Stone, etc (being totally fair by not putting Sean Penn's name first :p)
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Synopsis: Inspired by true story, the movie was set in the 1940s' and 1950s'. It talks about the Los Angeles Police Department formed a 'Gangster Squad' unit with an aim to bring down the biggest gangster, Mickey Cohen who dictated almost everything in the city.
The Thumb-Up(s): The violence and the occasional humour  in the movie serve as a good entertainment, while the pretty costumes and settings are quite attractive (though not as amazing as The Great Gatsby). Sean Penn, while not given a lot of screen time since he plays the villain roles, is to me, still the best performer of the entire movie. 
The Thumb-Down(s): The movie started great but honestly, ended really suckily. I totally hate the ending! I also think most of the characters were not well-developed, which makes such a great cast a waste for the movie. I mean, I'm sure some of you would be watching this because of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone but I have to tell you, their characters, and their romance in the movie are a waste of time and totally unnecessary. I don't blame them though, it's the writing of the movie that screws things up. 
Verdict: If you are a true fan of violent movie, this is still a movie for you, as long as you know you are expected to be disappointed at the end of the movie. Otherwise, you can save your energy, time and movie. (Gosh, How can I say such thing about movie by one of my favourite actors???)
2.5 out of 5

World War Z
Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox, etc
Director: Marc Forster
Synopsis: Based on a novel, the movie talks about Gerry Lane, a retired UN employee who is asked to resume work to travel the world to find a way to stop the zombie-like pandemic.
The Thumb-Up(s): Unlike the usual zombie movies, this one has zombies that run and climb real fast, giving you the thrill you need in a movie. It is also not as surface (just zombies-killing) and not as bloody. So in stead of loads of gun-shots, you see people act smartly like some FBI or something to solve the problem. In fact, the story is a fresh change to the recent strings of apocalyptic movies made in Hollywood. 
And yes, as much as I hate to say this, Brad Pitt looks hot in the movie.
The Thumb-Down(s): Okay, I get it that this is a movie produced by Brad Pitt, but I didn't like how he makes himself so heroic in the movie. Worst, he chose Mireille Enos to play his wife in the movie which make them look more like maybe mother and son! I think this is secretly Angelina Jolie's idea of getting a not-so attractive and old-looking woman to play Brad's wife because she feels insecure! Ha! 
Verdict: Story line is something new and smart, action-packed and thrilling enough.
4 out of 5

The Heat
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy
Director: Paul Feig (he did the fantastic Bridesmaids too!)
Synopsis: FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn(what a last name, LOL!) met Boston Detective Shannon Mullins in Boston and both can't stand each other. They must however, work together to take down a Russian mobster.
The Thumb-Up(s): Once again, Melissa McCarthy was super duper hilarious! And Sandra Bullock too, delivers as a usual her, which was great! I think the movie owes a lot to the insanely funny and vulgar lines. It is a true entertainment which will definitely cheer you up if you are down because of something in life. 
The Thumb-Downs(s): Not entirely logical, not entirely fantastic in terms of action, predictable story line... But then again, this is a freaking comedy, who cares about all these, huh?
Verdict: You will enjoy the movie with loads of laughter! 
4 out of 5