My birthday cakes for 2016

Hey everyone!

This might be my last post for 2016 coz it's less than 2 months from my epic trip and yet I haven't completed my planning. There are more events to come like Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year but I don't think I will blog on that.

Scroll down below to know where to get this lovely drip cake.

Review: 1885 at Eastern & Oriental Hotel

Happy birthday to me!!!

It's the event that I have to wait a whole year to arrive since I was a child. But as years go by I am reluctant to celebrate anymore. I just dislike the idea of growing up too soon. I might leave my 20s in coming years but my mind is still in teens. Now that time is running out I am hanging onto my precious 20s so might as well eat off my bucket list. I have always wanted to try real chunky foie gras (I had them creme form last year) and wagyu beef so hubby decided to treat me to 1885 at E&O hotel.

Thank you hubby for the wonderful luxurious dinner. I felt so blessed to have you.

Canon PhotoMarathon Malaysia 2016 - Penang

Hey fellow photogs!

After 2 years Canon PhotoMarathon returned to Penang again! The venue is still the same as PhotoMarathon 2014 which is Gurney Paragon. And I also have a something to share with you at the end of this post. This came as a surprise to me as I wasn't expecting at all.

Good morning!

Review: Yaw's Roast and Grill

Hello dear loyal readers again!

I didn't really plan for another review as I was busy with my trip but this place is worth a try. Yaw's Roast & Grill is dad's friend's brother's restaurant. The homely style is similar to 43 Cafe. It has a very cozy rain forest themed environment right in the gardens of the owner's home and everything is prepared in his own kitchen. How homecook can it get? Dad also says it used to be known as Top Top.

Located in a housing area behind Midlands, you can either park in the mall and walk across or you can park within the housing area but you need to pandai-pandai find parking lah.

Review: The Wine Shop

Hello again foodies!

It's been awhile since the last review. We just celebrated hubby's birthday last Thursday. Nothing fancy just wine and dine. The Wine Shop is the only place I know that serves big wheel pasta and Raclette. Do let me know if there are other restaurants. The big wheel cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano pasta) is only available at their Bayan Lepas branch while Raclette which is Swiss method of scraping melted cheese onto food is served at their Pulau Tikus main shop.

Great place to celebrate Christmas eve.

Review: EKEN H8R 4K Action Camera

Disclaimer: This is not sponsored or requested but based on my personal review.

Hello again, fellow readers!

Few years back I did a review on SJ4000 Waterproof HD ActionCam. The photos weren't great and they seemed to be bluish and needed editing all the time. So hubby decided to sell it and bought EKEN H8R 4K Action Camera. There's another model which is H9R but quality wise almost the same as SJCam.

He chose silver just like the SJ4000. I'm a noob when it comes to tech savvy so he chooses all gadgets for me. Oh btw he also gave me a Sony A5000 as an early birthday present. Should I do a review?

Review: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle

Disclaimer: This is not sponsored or requested but based on my personal review.

Hey beautiful!

Omg omg! The miracle product that everyone's been waiting for has finally arrived in Malaysia! Maybelline Instant Age Rewind that has been a hype among beauty geeks has been on the counter since September this year but always sold out. As I was restocking my foundation at Watson Tesco last week, I caught an eye on a lonely stick. I immediately recognized this is a high demand product from Maybelline so quickly grabbed although its the last one.

Gotto say I'm impressed with the outcome although it's not in my shade.

Recipe: Spaghetti Napolitan

Whenever I feel like having pasta or hungry at night I cook this. Spaghetti Napolitan is like the national fusion dish of Japan. Besides Japan, ketchup pasta is also commonly served in food court, western food stalls and cafes here in Malaysia. I know Italians might be triggered but no harm trying as long as its tasty. In fact some butt hurt Italians did reluctantly admit it tastes awesome. So don't kick it till you try it. Here's my version of Napolitan...

Type: Main
Servings: 1 or 2 depending on your appetite
Type: Halal

Ingredients
A handful spaghetti (Nope I don't measure when I'm hungry)
2 chicken sausages
1/2 julienned onion
2 cloves garlic
1 slice cheese
2 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 tablespoon sugar
Olive oil
Italian mixed herbs
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
1. Boil spaghetti in salt water according to package instruction.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in pan and fry minced garlic, onion and sausage slices in pan for 2 minutes.

3. Pour in ketchup and stir for about a minute.

4. Put in the sugar for sweetness.

5. When pasta is al dente, scoop them into the pan.

6. You can ladle in some pasta water if it's too dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. After it's well blended, turn off the heat.

8. I like to put any available cheese which is usually cheddar but you can scrape some Parmesan.

9. Voila! It's ready to serve. Don't forget to sprinkle on some mixed herbs.

Review: Morganfield's - Home of sticky bones

Hello again foodies!

If you are a big fan of juicy succulent BBQ ribs head on down to my all time fav Morganfield's. I can't remember how many times I had meals in this place. It's countless!

Halloween vibe donning on the entrance.

Review: J. L. Gourmet Café

Hey foodies,

I'm back again with another restaurant review. This time I will introduce a deliciously affordable western food cafe that I always patronise. J. L. Gourmet Café is conveniently located in Prangin Mall. I have always passed by this corner cafe but didn't try until my colleagues brought me for lunch here years ago. Now it has became one of my fav. I noticed their dishes are familiarly similar to Mizi Bistro and after some research discovered both of these brands are under the same group.

A quiet little corner with tasty secret.

Recipe: Alicia's cheese fondue

Do note this is not the original Swiss cheese fondue due to non-alcoholic. I'm also using whatever type of cheese convenient to me. Traditionally cheese is served in a fondue pot with lit candle beneath the bowl to maintain texture but I don't have one.

Type: Sides
Servings: 2
Category: Halal

Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth
200g shredded mozzarella
200g cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation
1. Mix flour with shredded cheese.

2. Pour chicken broth into pot and simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Pour all cheese into pot and stir till melted.

4. Season with ground nutmeg and salt.

5. Voila! It's done! You can serve with anything you like. I prepared broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, crabstick, fries, nuggets, sausages, cherry tomatoes and leftover cheese poured on pasta. And I hate roti so no bread here but traditionally served with French bread lah.

The Fujifilm X-perience: X-T2 Touch & Feel Session

Hello photographers!

Since hubby and I attended Fujifilm X-perience last year and found the event interesting we decided to attend again this year. Fujifilm X-T2 Touch & Feel session was held on 28 August from 2:30pm till 6pm at Kota Cornwallis Dine & Coffee. I feel last year's event at Royale Bintang was more exciting and garnered an overwhelming crowd. The speaker Ella Locardi was so inspirational that I thought of living the nomadic life too.

When Francis meets rempah....gives you a surprising combination of fusion food.

Review: 43 Cafe

Hi foodies,

This homely cafe is somewhere near my neighbourhood. I haven't visited 43 Cafe for quite a while since it's facelift. I also got to know my ex primary school mate is awesome at cooking pasta. He is one of the chef here but only part time. It must be his family business so he's only there during weekends I guess.

My goal is to try as much pasta as I could since I'm a huge fan of pasta and hopefully someone can sponsor me to Italy to try the real deal.

Review: Lunarich Pizza & Pasta Restaurant

Hey foodies!

I've been longing to try Lunarich for a long time since I heard from friends that their pasta is good. My all time favourite food has to be Italian besides Japanese.

Conveniently located on the 1st floor of Gurney Paragon just above the front courtyard.

Review: Zalora for men in under RM100

Hello fashionistas!

It's known to all that men's clothing costs more than women's even for a simple T-shirt. Check out how did I manage to buy 3 items for hubby within RM100.If you are interested to find out how I spend RM1200 on Zalora you may click here.

Review: RM1200 Big shopping spree with Zalora

Hey pretties!

As you know months ago I posted about being one of the grand prize winner on March for Sunsilk Invite Ready. I have finally received all my clothes! Thank you so much Sunsilk and Zalora. You might say what was I thinking? RM1200 and all you got are whites? Well, I picked neutral colours because my wardrobe is already full of fancy colours, flowery patterns, prints, stripes and anything you can imagine so it's hard to match around.

Not a full collection yet. Will wear one by one and update this pic.

Pokémon Go for beginners

Wasup gamers!

Can't believe I'm writing a separate article about Pokémon Go again. Seems like this game has got me hooked now. Anyway if you wanna know how Pokémon"ruined" our lives you can click here. I could see the effect taking over day by day. Drivers holding steering with right hand while the left hand holds cellphone. Pedestrians crossing streets with eyes on their phones which are connected to power bank. Dear trainers, the app has vibrate function so that you don't always have to keep an eye on screen. Stay safe ok. We don't want to give a bad name to our childhood game.

Anyway my topic today is to share what I understand about the game. I don't have much knowledge so please correct me if I'm wrong for I'm just a noobie.

Pokémon Center

Butterworth Fringe Festival 2016

Hey readers!

Last week hubby and I attended Butterworth Fringe Festival (BFF) briefly just to take a look at his photo for Star Sanctuary Seberang Perai Photography Awards 2016. The theme is #MyPantaiBersih which is a beach overlooking Penang island from Butterworth. The festival was held for 2 days from 13 - 14 August 2016 (5pm - 11pm) at Jalan Jeti Lama and admission is free for all. After its overwhelming success last year, the BFF returned this year with one of a kind local and international showcases, intriguing art installations, screenings, live performances and much more. You can also check out their Facebook page.

  When we arrived there were giant snuffed puppets but we didn't snap pictures.

What can Pokémon Go do to your life

Hey there readers,

I'm sure all of you have heard about Niantic's Pokémon Go that has made the world insane. I ain't an avid player to begin with and have yet to discover protip on how to gain more experience, evolving Pokémon to over 1000cp, calculating IV, hatching egg and most of all winning a battle. I mean its so hard to win a battle. If you want to know basics on how to play you can click here.

Aren't they super cute?

How NOT to make your life miserable

Photo from CNN. Originally taken by Adam Wade

Dear readers,

I saw a photo on CNN's Facebook page depicting a gorgeous dome shaped rainbow over New York. It's not everyday you get to see a perfect rainbow like this. However the comments are utter miserable. I get it there are war and election happening but take the chill pill for a moment and just enjoy the photo.

Review: Cheng Hwa Seafood Porridge

Hello again!

After our short trip to Trong Leisure Farm 自农休闲农庄 we decided to head to Nibong Tebal for the famous crab porridge. There are several crab porridge restaurants in Nibong Tebal but the one we usually patronize hasn't opened yet till like 6:30pm so we circled around and came across Cheng Hwa Seafood Porridge. 

 Fresh and tasty seafood goodness.

Trong Leisure Farm 自农休闲农庄

Hey there loyal readers!

Last week was a long raya holiday so hubby and I decided to pay Trong Leisure Farm a visit since we love being around farms and zoos. We spent around 2 hours there strolling around the lakeside and visiting larger ponds that has hundreds of ducks.

My hand can barely touch the railing. It's like BBQ out there.

Review: Summer Dessert Cafe

Hello dessert lovers!

I'm sure all of us are guilty of having a sweet tooth. Here's a new joint for you to indulge on fancy French-like desserts and pastries. Summer Dessert Bakery has been my all time fav. I can't get enough on how perfect their cream is and how soft and moist their cakes are. The cakes also don't have that strong synthetic essence that make you feel like you're eating medicine. I shall not mention the bakery that has that taste.

Tastefully furnished 2-storey outlet with Parisian touch caters for in-house dining could possibly be the largest of all their outlets.

Review: Route 9 Restaurant

Hey foodie!

Fancy cafe hopping? Among the endless rows of cafes in the heritage lane of George Town, you might wanna add Route 9 in the list.

Situated at Bishop street, this casual dining restaurant is a great place to chill.

Review: Benefit ka-Brow!

Hey, girls...and boys too!

It's no shame for buys to use make up. I mean my hubby grabbed my concealer, eyeliner, brow liner and tinted lip balm sometimes. Guys need to cover imperfections too. Oh, the main thing is I wanna share with you my review on Benefit's amazing ka-Brow! eyebrow cream gel colour.

The colour fits my natural brows perfectly.

Review: Laneige Water Bank Moisture Refill Kit

Hey beautiful!

How's your day? I'm excited to share with you a simple review on Laniege Water Bank Moisture refill kit. Although it's just a small sample pack, the difference is clear. I can really feel the moisture surging through my skin.

Selfie with the kit.

Sunsilk Invite Ready

Hey guys and girls!

OMG OMG! I'm so excited to find out that I've won a year supply of clothes from Zalora. Means a whole year of free clothes! Thank you so much Sunsilk and Zalora for making this happen. You can check out the announcement for March here. Tbh I had totally forgotten about this contest till I checked my email. However this is not the first time I received freebies from Zalora.

How cool is this? I will share what I bought with a budget of RM1200 soon.

Besides the grand prize, I have received a pair of GSC Gold Class tickets for the weekly prize. Thank you Golden Screen Cinemas.

Review: Uncle Albert's Traditional English Fish and Chips

Hello again readers...

A couple of weekends ago hubby and I went to Straits Quay for his photoshooting but I ended up admiring the pool mansions. Yeah, just found out there's a row of gorgeous supersize bungalows at seafront with wading pool. The jogging path in between the sea and houses are open to public...I guess.

Nautical themed restaurant puts you into the ocean vibe. Not sure how authentic is the fish and chips here. Like BBQ Chicken, I highly doubt this comes from England.

Review: Chicken Claypot House

Good day, foodies!

I stumbled upon Chicken Claypot House through a friend on Facebook so decided to try out as we always pass by this restaurant in town.

Brightly lit strategically located at a corner of the busy Macalister road makes it easy to spot.

Review: Foong Wei Heong Restaurant (風味小食館)

Hello again my beloved readers!

Last month we celebrated Mother's Day with my mum and godmums at Foong Wei Heong restaurant which is situated in town. My mum suggested this place to her relatives coz my parents has been patronizing this place for a long time and they felt Foong Wei Heong serves one of the best Chinese cuisine.

Every time we pass by the lane beside Penang road this restaurant doesn't fail to look full house.

Review: BBQ Chicken Restaurant

Hello foodies!

Recently we noticed a newly open outlet called BBQ Chicken at Tesco E-Gate, my 2nd home where I shop for groceries regularly.

You know now it's all about Kpop, hipster cafe and fusion food so why not give this a try.

Review: 2 days 1 night at Novotel Bali Benoa

Hello travelbugs!

Yearning for an affordable beach front holiday? Novotel Bali Benoa is the answer. Though I only stayed at Novotel for that extra night in Bali to celebrate anniversary with my hubby, I thought of doing a review about this gorgeous beachfront resort. I would also like to thank my friend who helped to book.

Our relaxing Tropical Terrace room. I did request for honeymoon deco like rose petals and swan towels back in January but they must have forgotten to note down.

Bali: Day 6

Hello there!

Finally it's the last day at Bali. Time to fly back home and face reality.

Unexpectedly huge new airport.

Bali: Day 5

Hey peeps!

Last full day in Bali! Day 4 was a spectacular beach day that we got so tanned. Though we just visited Bali in a nutshell, we all agree that Bali opened our mind to its people and culture. I really admire how the locals being religious, friendly and not influenced by foreign cultures despite catering tourist demands.

Be extra careful here at the cliffs of Uluwatu. Our thoughtful guide informed that the soil is soggy and unstable on this spot.

Bali: Day 4

Rise and shine peeps!

Another full day in Bali and it's a beach day coz most hotspots we visited are by the sea especially Nusa Dua area. Just for recap, yesterday was a cultural day touring mostly temples.

Beautiful private beach with bouncers that will halau you.

Bali: Day 3

Good morning!

It's already 3rd day in beautiful Bali. The previous day was very tiring but filled with adventure; waking up at 2am, nap awhile and having fun from 6am till 7pm. Phew! We had to take things slow today by waking up at 7am, breakfast at 8am then start journey at 10am.

 Holy water??? Let's find out more about this interesting heritage site...

Bali: Day 2

Rise and shine, peeps!

We woke up at 2:30am today. Gosh it's damn early! Even earlier than the 4am wake up call at Alishan for sunrise. Anyway, we slept around 10:30pm yesterday. Hence we spared a 3 hour nap in the car on the way to Lovina.

A must visit icon of Bali.

Bali: Day 1

Hello, everyone!

Finally a long awaited blog post on travel. The last time I went on a vacation was to Macau a few weeks before Chinese New Year last year. For our anniversary trip this year we went to Bali! It's my first time to Indonesia and I am truly amazed with their culture. Before I continue further, a word of advice would be to research about the culture and festivals of your destination. The most exciting time to visit new places is during their festive season but the downside is most attractions and shops will be closed.

As for Bali, they have Nyepi which is a "Day of Silence", a Hindu celebration to commemorate every Isakawarsa (Saka new year) according to the Balinese calendar. Nyepi falls on 9th March in 2016. Our actual date for the trip was 6-11 March but we changed to 6-11 April due to clashing with hubby's colleagues' trip. Nyepi is an Earth friendly day but not tourist friendly where everyone is not allowed to be outdoors, no electricity for 24 hours and no flights on that day. Huge thanks to our tour guide for the detailed explanation. 

A compulsory OOTD shot....or shall I say OOTF (outfit of the flight).

Bali: Itinerary and Budget

Hey readers!

Bali has become a very common destination for everyone regardless backpackers, couples or family. So there's no need introduction to this honeymoon island. Though there are endless Bali itinerary online, I still want to share mine just coz I believe it's unique. Last year we went to Macau for wedding anniversary so this year we decided Bali would be romantic to spend our anniversary.

Bear in mind this isn't exactly a backpack trip but if you really want to spend below RM2k it is possible with budget airlines and hostels.

Review: Photobook Malaysia new packaging

Hello my dear readers!

I just received my 2 photobooks from Photobook Malaysia. Gosh, their delivery has become faster and faster. I placed my order at night and the next day already printed and sent for delivery. I only waited like 2.5days for the books to arrive. So efficient!

This time I ordered two 6" x 6" 40 page mini square softcover photobooks worth RM79 each for Bali trip and in memory of my late cat. You can see my previous review for sample prints of other sizes.

Recipe: Alicia's meatloaf

Type: Side

Servings: 2

Category: Halal

Ingredients

350g ground beef or any meat of your choice

1 egg

1/2 chopped onion

2 cloves chopped garlic

1/4 cup diced carrot

50g breadcrumbs

20g grated cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

2 tablespoon tomato sauce

Mixed Italian herbs

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

1. Stir fry garlic and onion about 2-3 minutes till caramelized then add to ground beef.

2. Mix in diced carrots (I steamed to soften), breadcrumb, cheddar, a tablespoon of Italian herbs, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

3. Add a beaten egg to combine.

4. Pour mixture onto deep rectangular baking tray and even out surface.

5. Bake in oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.

6. Take out and pour tomato sauce onto surface and bake again for 15 minutes at 200°C

Recipe: Mac and cheese

Type: Main/side
Servings: 2
Category: Halal

Ingredients
200g macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
200g cheddar cheese
30g grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon melted butter
Salt
Pepper
Paprika/ chili flake

Preparation
1. Cook macaroni according to package then drain and set aside. I took 6 minutes to cook till al dente.

2. Melt equal part of butter and flour then stir till brownish but not burnt for about 8 minutes to make roux.

3. Stir in milk and all the cheese till thicken for about 10 minutes or so then add the boiled macaroni.

4. Season with salt (optional because cheese is already salty), pepper and a pinch of paprika.

5. Pour mac and cheese onto baking dish and sprinkle breadcrumbs and melted butter.

6. Bake in oven at 180°C for 20 minutes or till breadcrumb looks brownish and crispy.

Recipe: Thai inspired tuna fish cake

 Made with whatever I have in hand, this is not the authentic Thai fish cake.

Type: Side/snack
Servings: 2 or more
Category: Halal

Ingredients
1 can of tuna
2 cloves garlic
1 piece ginger
1 red chili
2 stalk chopped spring onion
3 kafir lime leaves
A handful of coriander
2 teaspoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon curry paste
2 eggs
2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoon flour
Salt
Sugar
Pepper
Oil

Preparation
1. Drain tuna and flake them in a bowl. Make sure your tuna is completely dry. Traditionally Thai use white fish.

2. Mince garlic, grate ginger, slice spring onion, mince coriander, finely chop chili and kafir lime leaves.

3. Add all the herbs and curry paste into the tuna. You may add green beans if you have. Usually Thai will grind in blender at this stage before adding green beans but I was lazy to take out my blender and clean it.

4. Season with salt, pepper, a little sugar and fish sauce. I only agak-agak in this recipe.

5. Add eggs to bind. I also added cornstarch to make them crispy and flour to thicken because I did not blend into thick consistency.

6. Add generous amount of oil onto pan. When it's heated, add tuna patties. You can shape the patties into circles but being lazy, I just scooped with spoon onto pan.

7. Fry for 3-4 minutes or till brown then turn to the other side and done!

Florida's hidden gems by HomeAway

Hey there, wanderlusters!

I have stumbled upon some postcards from HomeAway and can't wait to share these amazing beaches that I didn't even know apart from the touristy Miami and Key West.

What is HomeAway? From my understanding, it is a platform where you can find rentals that suit you best and make you feel the comfort of home even though you are away from your real home. You can also rent out your humble abode to travelers out there.

HomeAway's mission is to make every vacation rental in the world available to every traveler in the world through online marketplace. With over one million live vacation rental listings in 190 countries, they are committed to helping families and friends find the perfect vacation rental to create unforgettable travel experiences together.

Check out more of these hidden gems along the Panhandle and who knows they might cater your next summer vacay.

After reading through the descriptions, I personally love Destin. It was originally a quaint fishing village located on Florida's Emerald Coast known for its white beaches (I mean one of the whitest in the world) and emerald green waters. Several events take place throughout the year such as the annual Destin Fishing Rodeo since 1948 and also Destin Seafood Festival. And who could forget The Truman Show. Coincidentally this movie is shown on my local HBO occasionally. 

Review: Ka Bee Cafe

Hello, foodies!

I have been a regular at Ka Bee (previously known as Kar Bee) for over 10 years since introduced by my dad's diving friends. To me, it serves the best fish noodles in town. Just freshly renovated, we decided to try their new environment and also check out their new pricing and changes to their menu.

It used to look like a wooden shack but now we're surprised by the 360 change.