Putrajaya Park Shout out!

There's something about Malaysia's tourist attractions. They're beautifully designed and tastefully planned (landscape-wise), but highly underutilised.

I made a trip to the Putrajaya Botanical Garden during the Raya holidays and was indeed in awe with its landscape.  It lies over 93 hectares of land and is divided into themes-based zones.  (Clever idea, with such a huge area to cover, touristy me would need to mark the places that I wish to go so I can maximise my explore mission within such a limited time) Themes include Explorer's Trail,  Palm Hill,  Floral Gardens, Sun Gardens and the Lakeside.  It's humongous.  They can be further divided into sections such as the canopy walk,  orchid path, fern garden etc.

I must mention that it was a Tuesday - maintenance day, so all Park services were not available. Happens every Tuesday, so take note.  This meant, no cycling, no tram services, offices were closed, and no security guard. So we decided to drive, encircling the park. Pretty surprising that it was just our car, a lorry ferrying garden workers, and another car belonging to the restaurant staff. We only saw one runner.

So this boils down to my opening statement.  Beautiful, but underutilised. It is plain sad to see a park like this go to waste.  I may give it the slightest benefit of the doubt to say it is Raya and no one's around in town, but I'm fooling myself. The Medan Selera P16 nearby was pack.

My post is not meant to be a whiny complaining one.  I'm just here to highlight the necessity of promotion, marketing, advertising, you name it. They had a copy of bulletin stating up to 4,000 people frequent this park per month but this was dated 2011. I had only heard of this garden recently, when it has been established for more than 10 years.

I dare generalise that underutilisation in many tourist attractions are not because they are not good enough but because they are not well marketed. Another example is Taman Tamadun Islam in Terengganu.  I went there while still in high school and loved everything about it.  The miniature mosque structures were jaw dropping.  10 years down the road I still tell people it's worthwhile to make a visit there! Sadly I've never seen any promotional activities and from what I last heard, the theme park is pretty run down and has little tourists.

Ultimately, I think Putrajaya Botanical Garden is world class.  It is on par with Mcrichie reservoir in Singapore,  if not,  better. This garden deserves some passionate promotion :p Didn't take much pictures so here are some of it:-

Map of Putrajaya Botanical Park

A quiescent stroll along the canopy walk, a part of the Explorer's Trail.

Astaka Morocco

Interior of Astaka Morocco. Read online that there is a entrance fee,
but no one was around, so...

Another noteworthy park in Putrajaya - Taman Warisan Pertanian. Requires entrance fee of RM2. Good place to see (and taste) tropical fruits, herbs and spices.

Another park! Flamingo park at Putrajaya Wetland

I hope more people will visit Putrajaya parks. You will love them!

Sisterly date at Wicked Pancake Parlour

Over Saturday,  we made our way to Wicked Pancake Parlour @ Damansara which just opened 2 weeks ago.  It is closely related to Yellow Brick Road, which according to a few friends we bumped into, hashas the best breakfast set! 

We arrived at 3pm and for a new store, they had quite a queue! Downstairs and upstairs were pretty much full, but this place looked pretty spacious.  The wait wasn't long as we were seated within 20 minutes after giving our names.  :) 

Since we were there after lunch, we were solely there to try their pancake. We had a tough time deciding since everything looked so good! Peter Pandan it was!! (Wasn't hungry,  so we shared :p)

Here, it doesn't make a difference sitting upstairs or downstairs. We can cross order between YBR and WPP.

The pandan based pancake blended so well with the sides. The Jack fruit, gula melaka, and salted ice cream were perfect together. The Combo brought out the best of Malaysian flavours!


Opening hours :
Weekdays 4pm to 11pm
Weekends 10am to 11pm
Closed on Wednesdays

Address :
Wicked Pancake Parlour / Yellow Brick Road
Jalan Batai, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur,  50490.

Kuantan Weekend 2 Day 1 Night Itinerary

Since Bev will leaving for US soon *sob sob*, we thought, why not bring her to a place in Malaysia that US could not offer.

So we thought hard... The best thing about Malaysia is the SUN. So why not go for a beach? Since Kuantan ain't that far * 3 hours only maaa ;p * and it's one of the better beaches Peninsular Malaysia has to offer, why not? Plus, there's lotsa good FOOD to offer!

Our mission is the make her come back to Malaysia as often as possible *evil grin*

Here's a sneak peak into our trip:

Our instagram hash tag is #kuantantogether . So much creativity put into it. lol.

The following was our 2 day 1 night itinerary:

Saturday (4/4/15)

0730 Depart from KL
1030 Breakfast @ Fei Lou Bak Kut Teh
1130 Tapau Nasi Lemak @ Restoran Zaman
1200 Picnic @ Sungai Pandan Waterfall
1500 Check in @ Cathayana Hotel
1730 Cake @ Lila Wadi Restaurant
1830 Beach stroll @ Teluk Cempedak
2000 Dinner 1 @ Satay Zul
2100 Dinner 2 @ Ana Ikan Bakar Petai

Sunday (5/4/15)

0630 Sunrise @ Teluk Cempedak
0800 Breakfast @  Hoi Yin Curry Laksa
0900 Visit local market @ Pasar Tani
1000 Return to hotel
1230 Check out
1300 Lunch @ UK Loh
1800 Arrive at KL

More details up in the future *hopefully soon enough*

Dining at Bangkok House with RM29 for RM50 Groupon Cash Voucher

I dare say Bangkok House serves one of the best Thai food I've ever eaten in KL. Heck, their tom yam soup is even better than my Grandma's she's Thai tom yam soup.

Considering this is my third time visiting this place, nuff' said. This Groupon voucher contributed to my 2nd and 3rd visit here.

RM29 for RM50 Bangkok House Cash Voucher

Bangkok House is actually operated by a Muslim family ( it's Halal ) of Thai descent which specialises in Thai cuisine and currently has three branches. Namely at 3 Two Square, Sunway Giza Mall and 1 Mont Kiara Mall. I always visit the one in 3 Two Square, since it's nearest to UM.

Bangkok House at 3 Two Square

The cosy and white themed interior.
It was a bit quiet then as we went there at 3pm.

The 2nd time we the four of us came here, we ordered dishes with rice. This time, we had Julia with us. We opted for individual ala carte meals and shared a Tomyam soup.

Tom Yam Chicken (Small), RM15
Julia: This is one of the best tomyam I've ever tasted!

1. Kao Kluk Kapi (RM16). Fried belacan rice with marinated chicken soya.
Personally, this was the most surprising dish of the day. I didn't expect much from it, but the fried rice had just enough belacan flavor to it and the texture of the rice was perfect.

2. Pad Thai (RM15). Thai version of Char Kuey Teow.
Julia: What noodle is this? Never seen it before one... *takes a bite* mmm... So nice!
The noodle is actually really thin Kuey Teow. It tatses even better than Char Kuey Teow!

3. Kao Pad Sapparod (RM18). Pineapple fried rice.

Kanom Jeen Kiewan (RM15). Thai noodles with green curry chicken.
When this dish was first served, we were wondering how to eat it. Being the 'jakun' us, we poured the curry over the noodle. is it correct?  The noodle was something like thick Bee Hoon, it complimented the strong flavours of green curry very well.

Kao Rad Panaeng (RM15). Chicken Rendang with rice.
This wasn''t much to our liking as it had a really strong santan taste to it. 

After all this, all five of us were full to the brim but we were still eager to have one of their desserts. We wanted Red Ruby but unfortunately it was not available ;((( We loved it the last time because the jackfruit and the chestnut were really sweet, at the same time the coconut milk was really smooth.

In total, the bill added up to RM105.15.We only paid RM5.15 extra after using two vouchers. Julia was definitely a happy kid!

I would definitely visit here again even without a cash voucher. But since it is available on Groupon, why not? Hehe :D



Bangkok House, 3 Two Square
Lot C13-01, 3 Two Square, Jalan 19/1, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Phone: 03-7954 9872 / SMS – 012-206 9872.

Seremban One Day Food Trip

This is actually a long overdue post which happened on the 18th of May.

Since we were in Port Dickson for our batch trip, we figured why not? Being gluttons, what's a trip without good food eh?

We had everything planned just the night before. We planned to ditch *evil grins* everyone else after breakfast for the gastronomic food feast we were about to have.

We left our homestay at 11am to head for our first stop Lucky King Curry Chicken Bun.

Fern with the renowned stall in Lucky Seafood Restaurant

Look at how huge the bread is! It actually looks like a golden peach where a
child comes out of it in ancient Chinese folklore.
When opened up, it is teared open into flower petals like a lotus. 

Us and the bun. It was soooo filling with just the five of us

I really liked the texture of the bread. It was also very fragrant as it absorbed the aroma of the curry stored within it (in a aluminium foil and plastic foil). The curry is above par of what we normally get in Chinese restaurants. The gravy was thick, filled with potatoes and chicken pieces cooked just nicely. I think it must because the bread withholds all the flavors within it, like a pressure cooker. The bun is priced at RM30.

After that we headed to Pasar Besar Seremban which is well known for a number of hawker stalls.

Unfortunately, when we arrived it was 1.30pm. Majority of the shops were closed.
*cries alongside the rain* 

We had meticulously planned which store to tackle and what foods to order. We wanted to have the beef noodles, Laksa, Hakka Mee, Mee Hoon Sotong, and the Mee Rojak. We were only left with beef noodles at that time T.T

The famous beef noodle stall. The queue was pretty long at 1.30pm.

The dry and soup beef noodle (about RM7.50)

The beef noodles had a very unique taste. By unique i mean it did not suit my taste buds very well. The soup one fared better than the dry one. Though one thing  to compliment is the texture of the beef - soft and chewy. 

We managed to find this wonderful sugarcane juice store near the beef noodle store.
The juice was 100% and made fresh on the spot. It left us a little less disappointed.

Next, we headed to Haji Shariff’s Cendol. We expected that it would be a small road side stall, turns out it was a pretty established corner shop. There were lots of customers at 3pm. We had the normal cendol, the pulut cendol and the Mee Rojak.

Cendol Biasa and Cendol Pulut (RM1.50 - RM2.50)

The cendol managed to enlighten our mood after the huge disappointment earlier on. It was really refreshing. Unlike the cendol found in Melaka or Penang, this cendol had a very light feeling to it. The coconut milk together with the gula melaka made the concoction smooth and extremely soothing to the throat. I'm not exactly a huge fan of pulut, but the pulut in the cendol tasted good. The rice was sticky but not too mushy and very fragrant.

Mee Rojak (RM3.50)

The Mee Rojak is one of the best Rojak I have ever had. Tasty with lots of nuts.

Obviously Aimee loves it too.

After eating so much, we realised that our stomach could no longer take it, we decided to go sightseeing. We decided to go to Then Sze Koon temple / Centipede Hill, which is a hill where we can see the entire view of Seremban town. In Chinese terms, it is known as 蜈蚣山 where a temple is situated.

We walked all the way up from the foot of the hill to the temple. Nearing the top, we were flabbergasted that people's cars were parked there. Call us dumb, I think we're rather athletic. HAHA.

Guanyin statue

What a scary centipede as the entrance signage

True enough, we could see the entire view of Seremban. Too bad we did not capture scenic views from this hill. The temple was quite huge and we spent about an hour and a half here. Although it is called Centipede Hill absolutely no centipedes seen. 

After that, we decided to give our stomach another go before heading back to KL.

We followed the GPS and asked the locals' directions to look for Tow Kee Hakka Mee. But it was so hard to get there that we almost gave up, until we saw the signboard *hoorays!!* It was actually located in a small alley just before a major street turning. 

Tow Kee Hakka Mee. (Large bowl)

Persevering to look for it proved to be extremely fruitful. Xeyan loved it so much that she ordered another large bowl. It tasted like Singapore Mee Poh, just wayyy better.


Lastly, before heading back, we went to Asia Confectionery to get the Seremban famous Siew Pau.

A pack of 6 for RM9.00

Char Siew filling within the Pau

We had to wait 20 minutes to get the Siew Pau. I must say the wait was worth as it was delish. Maybe it was a delusion where it just came out of the oven. Nonetheless the pastry was good. It might be a bit too thick to some people's liking, but I liked it being thick. The pork filling was salty and sweet at the same time. You know how char siew tends to lump up together? In this pau it doesn't, the sauce was sticky yet not too mushy, otherwise just right.

We headed back home at 5pm.


Here is the list of places we visited: 

Restoran Lucky (P.D.) Seafood
4366, Taman Aman, 
Jalana Bandar Lukut, 
71010 71010 Lukut, 
Port Dickson,
Negeri Sembilan.
Tel: 06-651 2392
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 11pm daily

Sin Yee Kee Seremban Beef Noodles (Stall 748)

Pasar Besar Seremban
Jalan Pasar
70200 Seremban
Negeri Sembilan

Haji Shariff’s Cendol
No. 44, Jalan Yam Tuan,
70000 Seremban.
Tel: 016 – 612 8505

The Sze Koon Temple
Bukit Jung,
Jalan Temiang,
70200 Seremban

Kedai Makanan Tow Kee/ Tow Kee Hakka Mee
94, Jalan Kapitan Tam Yeong,
Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
Opening hours: 12noon – 5pm

Kedai Siew Pow Asia (Asia Confectionery)
No. 368, Jalan Seng Meng Lee,
70200 Seremban, NS
Tel No : +606-7632 409
Business hours : 7am – 6.30pm

Lunch at Taipei House SS2 with RM15 for RM30 LivingSocial Cash Voucher

I bought this voucher two months back, thinking that we could use it when we were going to be posted in UM for Obstetrics and Gynae posting in June. Finally, we got to use it!!

Taipei House RM30 for RM15 Cash Voucher.
Somehow Livingsocial had an offer for RM13 for 10 minutes! Who could ever resist EXTRA discount?

Truth be told, I have never eaten authentic Taiwanese food before. I always assumed that it would be similar if not the same as Chinese food. I suppose Taiwanese food is different as they put more flavors into a dish, making it's gravy much more flavourful than Chinese food. Somehow the gravy always turns out black-ish in colour.

We decided to order two set meals and one ala carte. The set meal included steamed vegetables, winter melon soup, rice, and something fried (it tasted vegetarian but the three of us has no idea what it is), it still tasted good. These are the dishes we ordered for three people:

3 Cups Sauce Chicken Rice Set 三杯鸡饭套餐 (RM16)

This is a chicken dish which literally translates as "three cups chicken", named because the sauce is made of a cup of rice wine, a cup of sesame oil, and a cup of soy sauce. I must say the gravy tasted very nice! Together with the steamed cabbage, this set gave a home cooked food feeling.

Taiwanese Sausage Rice Set 香肠饭套餐 (RM14.00)

What's different about Taiwanese sausage and English sausage is that it has a sweet taste to it, and the meat is chunkier rather than the smooth texture of English sausages. Although Taiwanese sausage is normally taken as a snack 小吃 rather than a set meal, they served the sausages with rice. The set would have turned out dry if not for the braised pork 卤肉 gravy over the rice. Nonetheless, this was a very pleasant meal.

Braised Pork Rice 卤肉饭 (RM3.90)

Talk about value for money! Minced pork with rice topped with pickled vegetable and herbal egg. It's a very self sufficient bowl of rice. It could be better if there was more fatty pork and more gravy.


I would say that this meal was a good exposure to Taiwanese food and I look forward to trying Taiwanese food again. Overall, the meal added up to RM41.15. We only paid RM11 extra after using the cash voucher. I still have another voucher to use in this coming month (I don't mind visiting this place again!)


Taipei House 
No 9. Jalan SS2/64
Petaling Jaya, 47300

Tel: 03-7865 9110

Dining at Tai Lei Loi Kei: Set Meal with Sawdust Cake for RM9.90 with Groupon Voucher

Tai Lei Loi Kei is one of those restaurants which catches my attention whenever I drive past a row of shop lots. It must be because of the colours of their signboard. Red, green and white.... it reminds me of Christmas. I've always wanted to try this place out but never came about it. This voucher awarded me with the opportunity to try it out.

RM9.90 for a pork/chicken chop meal with sawdust cake

Tai Lei Loi Kei is actually a Macau fast food chain franchise that came to Malaysia in 2013. I had no idea that it was a fast food restaurant where we had to self service ourselves. It's like the non-halal version McDonald's or KFC, a breakthrough for the Chinese community I must say.

A super cute door handle of the restaurant. Pig for Pork!
The interior of Tai Lei Loi Kei. Exactly as how a fast food restaurant should look like.

After ordering and paying over the counter, we waited for our number to be called. After 10 minutes we collected our food over the counter and food was served!

Chicken Chop Bouncing Noodle (RM12.90)
Curry Pork Chop Noodle (RM13.90)

Supreme Pork Chop Rice with Egg (RM12.90)

Polo Pork Chop Bun (RM12.90)

Oops, pictures do look a little bland. (It's hard to take nice fast food pictures with our limited photography skillls LOL) Personally I preferred the chicken chop over the pork chop. These meat are REAL meat, not your mashed-up burger pattys. To pick over rice, noodle or bun, I would recommend the bun. I mean, the rice tastes like what Hong Kong Kopitiams a.k.a. 'Char Chan Teng' serve, while their bouncy noodle is similar to wantan mee. So why not try out their bread which is unique to this franchise?

Ice cream? Tiramisu? It's sawdust cake!

The star of the night was definitely the sawdust cake. We ordered two chocolate and two original flavoured cups. With expectations that it was just an ice cream cup, it proved to be much creamier, smoother, and went very well with the sawdust (crushed biscuits). It's so good, I'll probably attempt to bake this at home!

To add on the the value to this voucher, we were allowed to add on any drink for the price of RM2 only. Both their Macau milk tea and honey lemon drink were very good!

I liked how we paid only RM9.90 for this meal that came with a really filling main course and its saw dust cake. To allow add-on drinks for only RM2 proves how voucher-users-friendly they are.


Branch we visited :
Tai Lei Loi Kei
32, Lorong Batu Nilam 3D (Bandar Bukit Tinggi),
41200 Klang, Selangor.