Fun and Food

PELITA Nasi Kandar

2009-03-06T20:07:00.004+08:00

I managed to sample PELITA Nasi Kandar's dishes when I was in Kuala Lumpur recently. God I missed the curry mixture. After having spent almost more than 5 years in Penang, its really hard to find authentic Nasi Kandar in Sarawak. I would say you can find it only in Penang but well at Gelugor Minden Heights, but PELITA's one will have to do.

Unlike the Nasi Kandar stall outlets at Gelugor, this two floor PELITA restaurant which is near KLCC, looks quite grand and if you are worried about the effect it has on your wallet, don't be worried. The economic downtirn should not deter anyone away from good food.

One just needs to feast on what is offered in the pictures shown to value good food at PELITA Nasi Kandar. Those are fairly large squids.

Its a Curry Heaven, mind you!

So mouth watering that when I lined up for the food, I was drooling like a baby...foood food... Nasi Kandar mari mari.

Having only one day in KL and with only one chance at my favourite menu I had to be choosy

The other dishes were tempting too..... where else can I get these in Kuching

And finally my choice..... Yummm... fully recommended!

Terminal One

2008-12-02T01:43:00.003+08:00

Fasten Your Seat Belts!

After four months in Sri Aman the Kuching gang decided that it was time to rehabilate me on Kuching's Clubbing scene. Enough of Angela they told me! And so I was hijacked to Terminal One - not the Kuching International Airport mind you. Coincidently, the owners, Mr. and Mrs Jack Chua (Jack & Bibiana) were celebrating their second anniversary. This place is located somewhere near Lebuh Abell (next to Petanak Market or just behind the TMI Lounge - Temuai Lounge to be exact). Actually its an old haunt of mine, the last time I took my Traxx FM Radio DJ buddies there - Patrick and Navsta (that was August 2006). There were a lot of good memories there and so I suppose revisiting the place would be a breath of fresh air - cough, cough...smoky air there.

Terminal One front Entrance

Yhe side entrance was decorated with black and white balloons

Good food was served in conjuction with the owners' second anniversary wedding

They introduced a 'Cage' deco concept with candles and this deco could be found at various corners of the place

Mr. & Mrs. Jack Chua - congrats on your second anniversary - actually they are the owners of Lounge 2 also (see my previous review on Lounge 2)

I was getting curious about those cages hanging up on the walls - what were they for? Well, I was in for a pleasant surprise

Our group had a bottle of Maccalan to kick off the party

I am not so much a whisky person as I drooled over those red wine lining up the shelf - Angela's not here I told myself

The lighting in Terminal One is just nice - not too bright and not too dark, and the music in the early hours allow decent conversation to take place with a cozy environment

Due to the special event, the place was packed with customers who came as early as 7 p.m. By late night it gets a bit crowded and the music beat increases its tempo

And we had a fire eating show by the bartender - I had no idea that this is available in the Kuching party scene - either that or I was totally out of tune on recent happenings in Kuching. In the initial action here you see him swallowing a glass of spirit

He juggles the whisky bottles which were already lighted with fire

And finally the 'huff and puff' - he sprays that spirit from his mouth which lighted the flame - we have a Live Fire Eating Dragon here!

Finally the Grand Finale I guess - they had two live songbirds doing their stuff in the cages ~ so now we know what these cages were for.

This is a first for me - in Kuching I mean - I missed these scenes for a while but I did not really go ga ga as I would last time. Usually I will jump into the cage and try to rescue those birds~ but I just watched and watched. Anyway, due to the few glasses and catching up sessions I knocked off early for the first time (at 10 p.m) and so did my friends - 'don't you dare put our pics in the blog' they said and for the first time I respect their wish!

Kaya Toast

2008-01-13T11:08:00.001+08:00

Kaya Toast Satok Opening

I recieved an SMS from Georgette regarding the food review of Kaya Toast's new branch. I am not sure whether this was going to be a food review or it is going to be a publicity drive for the new Kaya Toast which is opening its Satok Branch today. Last Friday I managed to sample the new Lunch Blockbuster at the Kaya Toast at Ang Cheng Ho and I tried the Nasi Lemak which costs about RM6.90. I suppose this will be the highlight later on but I will be updating about it after I attend. Thanks Gette for this Mission.

Kaya Toast New Menu Lunch Blockbuster - Nasi Lemak at RM6.90

Lounge 2 Preview

2007-12-19T07:29:00.002+08:00

Lounge 2 Opening on 21 Dec 2007

There is something to cheer for Kuchingites who are staying in the Stutong an BDC area this coming Christmas. The Lounge 2 will be opening this Friday 21 December 2007. Yesterday evening I was fortunate enough to drop by at the Lounge for the wine tasting event - a preview for Lounge 2 opening. If you are wondering where it is I will try to put it on a map somewhere later. Though it has not opened officially yet, I feel that this is a nice hangout place - reason being its very near where I stay. Just a mere 10 minutes drive from the BDC area. There is ample parking space and the environment, deco and ambience is very unique. Operated by the business couple who opened up Terminal One (I think I will also review that place later to compare the two), I feel Mr. & Mrs. Jack feels propelled to open this one with the success of T1.

Lounge 2 or Lounge Two entrance - its dim and yellow lights create the mood even before you go in

The bar looks neat and clean

The waterfall curtain is unique - it is really water

Wine of different labels for the different taste buds - of course they serve other pouring brands

The glass table is lighted by a yellow bulb below the table

The waitresses are well trained - here is a briefing on how to identify the customers' whims and fancies. There was a brief wine tasting course and waitresses who work here must have good public relations skills and also knowledge about liquor and its origin

We tested and tasted white and red wine - trying to differentiate which is which, be it Shiraz, Chauvignon, Merlot (I hope I got the spelling right). To tell you the truth I was pretty tipsy because I did not just taste or test a drop or two - I think I gulped a few bottles!

The Christmas Tree at Lounge Two

So see you there for its opening this Friday. Mr. Jack informed me its going to be a soft opening. With all those hard drinks I am pretty sure I will be crawling back coz I am in my Christmas and New Year mood (and mode!). *hic*

Click on Map below for bigger picture of location:

Address:
Lounge 2
Heights Drive Commercial Centre
Jalan Stutong

Palace of the Golden Horses

2007-10-02T17:43:00.001+08:00

Be A King for A Day

Fancy staying at a King's Palace? If you have not been to a Royal Monarch Palace in any part of Malaysia why not give The Palace of Golden Horses a try. Its as good as going to one. I had the opportunity to savour the Palace when I attended a Seminar in Kuala Lumpur. I really felt unworthy of the Hotel the first instant I stood outside the entrance. It was damn huge!

The entrance was as grand as the name. The luxury cars lining that entrance makes soneone driving a Perodua Kancil want to avoid the place. Maybe pass by can la.... If it was me, I would park my Proton Saga a few hundred metres from the Hotel and just walk there with my aggages to check in.

I managed to get myself the cheapest room available which was above RM2xx and this is how it looks like. Its like a normal hotel room but this is the Palace man! So even how simple a room may seem but if one looks closely, its 'Horse' theme is almost in every corner of the hotel!

The bed looks inviting. You would not want to leave the room with this kind of 'relaxing' surrounding.

The horse carved lamp was something to look at by your bedside if you have no one to look at in the room

The television is standard and the executive work table is as basic as the other hotels

Though the room was simple but the deco was quite classy

The bathroom was ... whew....I believe I could sleep in here too! Its larger than the average standard hotel, classy marbles

Unlike the other narrow bathrooms in the other hotels you can walk as far back to apprciate this view and take a picture of it.

The bathroom accessories were quite complete. Those boxes contain the basic things needed by any traveller such as a comb, toothbrush and tooth paste, sewing kit ecetra with the shampoo and bath gel put into a horse shaped container

More to come soon!

Hotel Melia KL

2007-09-30T17:11:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Hotel Melia KL

If one needs a place to rejuvenate before a meeting in Kuala Lumpur the next day, one of the best place to consider would be Hotl Melia in Kuala Lumpur. Not only is it in the centre of the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur, it is very responsive to its customer's needs. They place great emphasis on giving customers their best that the natural friendly nature - the moment you enter the lobby the friendly smile from the bell boy, the reception counter staff and the cheerly lady answering your telephone when you ask your phone lines to be released - makes you feel welcome.

The hotel website can be easily accessed in thier international website. Look for their Malaysia website thier Kuala Lumpur Hotel would come to the screen.

All the information you need to know about the hotel services will be on the table once you come in. 'Nice' - even if the Manager is not there to greet you personally, his presence will be enough in the 'welcoming folder'.

For the Deluxe Room with a Queen Size bed it will cost you around RM180 - RM220 (depending on whether its holiday season or if your company has a corporate rate offered by the hotel). Offering you a comfortable night stay for that much needed rest.

The television works fine and offers a variety of channels. There is a wide working space if you have some last minute work to do.

If its space you are looking for, the deluxe room is just nice for two if there is anyone coming with you for the holiday.

The closet is spacious and the distance to the door and bathroom is standard like any other hotel. In my case, I always arrive in Kuala Lumpur almost midnight to attend meetings so this arrangement is just nice because the next morning I have to check out as most of our meetings are held in Putra Jaya. Check Out time is at 12 noon (may be extended to 1 p.m upon request). I would rush to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after that to catch the flight to Kuching.

One plus point about the Hotel - it offers you the basic cosmetic and toileteries in the green boxes (comb, toothbrush and toothpaste!) should you miss packing those basic needs. The toilet itself is clean and spotless - good effort by the housekeeping

In summary the bathroom also meets the basic requirements for a traveller. Functioning toilet, bathtub with hot and cold water signs clearly mark. It would not be enough for a big family though - for that a bigger room is needed. Hopefully I can get the chance to sample their suite one day.

My overall comments on the hotel: Its locality is a plus point. Behind it is the famous Low Yat Plaza for computer geeks like me. Also the shoppers can just walk five minutes to Sungai Wang Plaza or the Berjaya Shopping Complex which is just two minutes across. The Monorail transport is accessible also within 5 minutes including the ever reliable Seven Eleven, below the hotel, just in case you need some 'urgent' essentials. Fun spots are just a few moments away also though I am usually too tired to visit any of them. The room was just too nice to leave. Their internet connectivity is quite reliable except that it can be expensive. At more than RM10 per hour its still a bit steep, so I am hoping that the next time the hotel can include that in the hotel package.

The hotel also has this desire to improve itself again and again. Upon checkout you will be required to fill in a form to rate their services. And when you start working the next week you will recieve a postcard from the Hotel thanking you for selecting them and using their services. That's a good way to connect with people.

Hilton Lobby

2007-09-29T12:38:00.002+08:00

Kuching Hilton Lobby

Fancy some good coffee? I should say, an alternative to those Coffee Beans and San Francisco Coffee. Coffee woke up this fun blog of mine this morning. I have reconfigured this account's ftp after I moved servers. I distinctly remembered the coffee I had at Kuching Hilton Lobby. Hmmm...the aroma was just nice built around Kuching Hilton's exclusive lobby. The good thing about the lobby is that it has WiFi and also Hotspot - so you can have the best of both worlds. Internet connection at the Hotel's lobby coupled with coffee and biscuit.

Senso - the music lounge is accessible at the lobby. They play good music here and its a good place to relax. It has Kenny Sia's approval and as he says, the drinks there are really expensive. Anna also blogged about the place. So I will stick with the coffee story.

There's a variety of coffee to choose from - as long as you have RM10 - RM15 to burn, you get to sit there all day enjoying the hotel's comfortable environment. It used to be my 'lepaking' place during my younger days. Its because there were so many official functions being held at hotels back then so I happened to be part of the organising secretariat. The Malaysia Airlines crew also used to stay here before they moved to Crowne Plaza.

You can use Hilton's WiFi access or TMnet Hotspot. The difference is the Hotel's access is a wee bit expensive for hourly/daily usage compared with the Hotspot

The Coffee comes with a glass of warm water and a biscuit (its too delicious that it disappeared the moment it was put on my table). Coffee Latte....with some funny South American name I will check out next time. Its funny because its only when you wanna blog about that you wished you had got the name right

Some more variety of mouth watering sweet cakes to go with the coffee... yummy!

Ruai Kitai Cafe

2007-05-19T16:16:00.001+08:00

Ruaikitai Tribal Cafe & Restaurant

Fancy a different kind of theme cafe to hang out? I discovered a rather unique place for people who want:

- Unique interior deco (very tribal indeed)
- Traditional food - BBQ Pork, Bamboo cuisine
- Local tuak, langkau and cheap beer

They even have their own website at Ruaikitai.Com. I had asked the owner, a former government servant, radio disc jockey, big biker and politician - Mr. Peter John to put in a map as the place is quite out of the main traffic flow. Even I have trouble trying to describe where to go but to be on the safe side its near the BB Hostel - famous for backpacking tourists.

The entrance - looks simple from the outside

The ambience and deco are very 'longhouse setting' type (except for the lamp)

Guests enjoying themselves in the 'tribal' atmosphere - you can sit on a sofa, wooden chair or a bar table and chair

There's a rattan chair too - with traditional tobacco known as "smakau"

They serve traditional food - barbecue pork 'Iban' style

If you prefer some private discussions - there is a corner for just that - close the curtains if you have really 'secret' discussions

Some other antique decos also being displayed

And they have a unique 'bratak' or a tradiditionally designed raised platform for cutomers to enjoy the setting

Time for some "traditional" smoke

The 'smakau' or tobacco is rolled to form the "cigarette"

The chef of the traditional barbecue menu

Even the toilet (latine) is decorated traditionally

You can wash your hands - at the traditionally decorated bathroom

And the drinks there are quite cheap during Happy Hours

Nadai Nama's Ratings

Non Halal Status: They serve pork here but if you do not mind and are there just for the environment and friendly people you are welcome. Just order a few soda drinks and you can still enjoy the traditional deco and music

Environment:Traditional setting (no air condition)

Price: Don't worry its Affordable

Waiters & Cooks: Friendly &

Food: Delicous BBQ Pork, Bamboo Chicken, Pork (mostly traditional food)

My overall ratings - give it a try as I make sure its my hangout place. The term itself Ruai Kitai means its Our Place making it open to everyone and not intimidating. Which is why I will recommend it to everyone as the name depicts it does not belong to a particular group. So you do not have to fear bumping into any wild Sarawakian tribes here.

Singapore Chicken Rice

2007-05-17T06:48:00.001+08:00

New kid on the block

Singapore Chicken Rice recently opened up a new outlet along Jalan Song (just across the Taman Sahabat). Being curious and hungry (two lethal combination) when I passed the place I decided to give it a try. So here are the things that were oredered when I was there:

The place looks hygienic. Of course they have chicken (steamed and roasted) - the walls are decorated with pictures of delicous dishes being offered

You can choose to eat inside or outside (or upstairs). There are two floors - the lower and upper floor and you may have a choice of eating outside or inside when you are on the ground floor.

Tom Yum Kung - okay they will give you just one prawn and crab roll

Taugeh as your veggie of choice and the steam rice

The steamed chicken rice and soup - Yum Yummy

Tauhu looks nice - I wish they had more tauhu on that big plate though

And being just one of the few halal outlets there it is quite convenient. I happened to catch an old (and young) buddy Dr. Mahadzir Datuk Sulaiman Daud trying the place out

Nadai Nama's ratings:

Environment: Just nice and you have that choice of eating outside and inside (ground floor or upper floor)

Menu: They have a variety of dishes to choose from apart from the ones I ordered - they even serve fried mee (various style)

Price: Reasonable as each dish is around RM5 to RM6 per person and drings are averaged at RM1.50 to RM2.00

Staff friendliness: They are all smiles and of course patient with me - being picky I went "Uummm... I have this one, oh no no no... I 'll have that.... oh... no no no... not that..." I guess if they want to eject me out of the shop they will still do it with a smile....

I must get Pierce to join me to try out this place next time :)

Secret Recipe Kuching

2007-05-12T05:01:00.000+08:00

First Secret Recipe in Sarawak Reviewed

Last weekend I managed to review another new food and drinks venue in Kuching. It is appropriately known as the Secret Recipe. From their website I discovered that they have many outlets in Malaysia (said to be famous in Kuala Lumpur) and also the Asian region - Singapore, Thailand, Phillipines and China.

If you go along Jalan Song Thian Cheok, you can't miss it as it is just across the former Upwell Supermarket (another landmark nearby is across the Malaysia Airlines Building) in Kuching

The deco out front looks mouth watering with the pictures of the Fusion Menu being displayed

You will recieve a rather attractive menu upon getting a table - and I do recommend that you do not get distracted by the pictures of the delicous food there (do try to look at the price too)

The internal deco again is also quite attractive - the place is quite full most of the time. Its either that this place is really famous or that the Kuchingites love trying out new venues for their meals

It seems that they are the best in some of the cateories they mentioned in the banner dispalyed behind the cake counter

Really yummy view of the pastries being displayed

The cakes in the refrigerators

Various assortment of cakes to your choosing

The Cheese Cake being examined throroughly RM5 ++

The Lasagne - I just pronounced it 'Laksa' so don't get confused (RM11 ++)

Chicken Mushroom Rice - The difference of course with the other Chicken Mushroom Rice in the other food outlets may be the price. This one is about RM12++

Curry Mee with Seafood is about RM14 ++

Chicken Kebab Rice comes at RM12 ++

Smarties Treat Ice Cream comes at about RM8 ++

The Frosty Lemon tea costs around RM7 ++

So here goes Nadai Name's ratings for Secret Recipe:

Set up: The environment is pleasant and if its a hearty meal you are looking for - this is the place for just that
Pricing: For my standard its quite on the 'high' side. Add in the other dishes ordered the bill for 4 person was about RM105 ++ (So its about RM25++ per person as it came with the cakes and ice cream)
Halal status: The website indicates Secret Recipe is a Halal outlet.
Other Remarks: At peak period its not a place to hang out as it will be full of people and if you do care to check the entrace to the wash room (or toilet) the entrance is rather narrow. I would not want to sit near the entrance to the wash room too - it will spoil your appetite
The place is fully air conditioned but I guess the seats outside are for the smokers though I do recommend that if you do smoke - please try to stop (Tak Nak!)
Staff friendliness: Well trained staff (try not to look in their eyes when you look at the bill. I guess they want to see whether you are going to have the surprise of you life). But if you wish to amuse them - pretend that you are having a heart attack. If you wish to be macho just throw your credit card in between the bills and tell them to keep it.

Causeway Bay HK Restaurant

2007-03-26T21:35:00.000+08:00

Causeway Bay Hong Kong Restaurant

One of the few places I magaed to sample in my quest to try the food outlets in Kuching was the Causeway Bay Hong Kong Restaurant. The restaurant is located at the Crown Towers Kuching - across the Kim Hock Lee shopping complex..

The restaurant entrance

The environment in the restaurant feels quite conducive for having hearty meals

Hot plate mee - with eggs and veggies

Mihun wrapped up in eggs ala Pattaya style

Light sea food mee - a quick meal for those in a hurry

Steamed chicken rice is presented in an interesting bamboo container

The prices are quite reasonable

The overall ratings:

Set up: The environment is just nice
Pricing: Its slightly dearer than the normal street hawker's (Chicken Rice is RM3.50 at a hawker's stall while its about RM6.90 here).
Halal status: As i noticed some of the waitresses are wearing scarves, I believe this place is suppose to serve Halal food also - at the moment there is no halal sign at the entrance.

Nadai Name's Fun & Food

2007-03-25T07:08:00.000+08:00

Greetings to the visitors of Nadai Nama's Fun and Food Blog. I started this new blog to cater for the exciting fun and food outlets in Sarawak - at least the places I visit. Since its visit Malaysia Year 2007, I would say starting this blog seems appropriate as I am a frequent visitor to the food outlets and also the fun spots in Sarawak. I used to follow a fellow blogger's adventure in food testing and tasting a while back - the name of his blog was Sixthseal and he has great reviews of the food around Malaysia but it seems that his blog is inaccessible for some time now - maybe due to some technical reasons but I guess its time I start one myself to share what's out there with my Nadai Nama's readers.

Not that I am making it a habit or something (I am supposed to be on a diet!!) - I just like going out to the various places and really observe the place and food served (and eat them) - and also sample a couple of glasses or two of wine and cans of beer being served.

The Fun Outlets - they are hangouts for you and your friends and sometimes family to enjoy. I will be pretty much recording that too. One example is the Steppes Karaoke.

Steppes Karaoke at Simpang Tiga Kuching is one of the few great place to hangout in Kuching - it opens as early as 5 pm everyday and the band performs there nightly. Its quite secluded, the place is just across the Police Simpang Tiga Headquarters - about 5 minutes across if you run, so no worries there.

Singing along with the band - here my friend Mr. Mathew Layang performs with the perforing band. If you think you have got what it takes to sing live without the karaoke help .... go ahead and make your day coz the band will cater for your songs if they can. The band starts playing at 9.30 pm and they do about two sets of songs each about 45 minutes.