Shinzz

For months and months of planning and then practices, finally the event was over jus yesterweek. Planning the menu took months to at last come to satisfactory and they begun searching for ingredients which went on concurrently with the planning of the practice schedule. Took up most of their time and it finally came to an end but that would make another good beginning for some of them.

The effort for preparation for the second largest hospitality event ‘Food Hotel Asia’ or better known as FHA is not a cruise down town. This team of five had to stay back late nite to perfect their menu. To make it a good practice, it was made into a dinner so that ppl can try out the menu and give valuable comments for improvement.

One fine week some months ago, I went to savor the exquisite menu in the whole of KDU.. haha.. with a few companion to make things a lil more fun.

We started off with choosing the different set of menu. They had one couple preparing Duck ala Mandarin, another couple, Lamb Rack with tones of beans I don’t eat and lastly the reserved Cod Fish aka Not on Menu Item. The focus was mainly on the first two items but I of course get to choose the ‘Not on Menu Item’.

 Started with :

Appetizer 1

Appetizer 2

very simple, light and  appetizing, great combinations. (please dont ask me for the breakdown.. )

<—–He can tell you more …

Then we had our three types of main course,

-Canard-

Roasted duck breast with pickled orange and orange mashed potatoes.

 -Classic Fine-

Roasted lamb rack on a duet of beans and red wine jus.

-Atlantic Simplicity-

Pan seared Canadian Cod on a pillow of russet and safron mashed tossed with organic chives.

Pictures stories it all so nonit to further explain la.. cos it will confuse me..

Apart from eating of course we have to camwhore la..

See all the girls so busy checking which photo turns out good..

Me n Joey

As normal, we all bullied Mr. Hor

Everyone were so happy that nite.

 Later that nite, the photographer of the day, Leon, took some really awesome photos for their portfolios.

‘The Team’

The ‘anchor-boy’ …

Of course have to take group photos la…  a nicely taken group shot.

Bravo to all.. we brought home a gold, a silver and two bronzes.. Will be out in the papers soon hahahaha…

Lek: be grateful… see i’ve uploaded (even though its outdated)

Est: my hair is slightly longer.. planning to visit the saloon again soon..

As from where i left the last post, it was only the third day.. i spend six beautiful days in Jakarta, how am i to finish?? can i simply short cut everything?? can la..so.. here goes…

Third day we droved all the way from Jakarta to Bandung (well Pak Bas drove actually, we were all pigging in the car) Bandung is well known for its factory outlets. The weather is similar to Cameron Highlands but the traffic almost same to Jakarta. Our main purpose to Bandung is to shopped and we DID.. Shirts are very cheap although we sometimes question the genuineness. The one place that we love most is ‘Rumah Mode’, spent very long hours going thru their stuff and also loading up the car. The rest of the day was spent walking around shopping and competing who shopped the most.

Mit Linardy und Maya in Rumah Mode Cafe.

They have big , fat & friendly fishes in there.. and we were like total ‘jakun’,got all excited bout the fishes..

We did not have any hotel reservations so we went around checking for the best rates and ended up in Hotel Gemilang. Affordable rates with fantastic rooms. Pool view, clean to the max and best of all we only paid RM40/per pax (three in a room) only downside was the heater was not working well and water icy cold.

Our rooms facing the pool..Cool..

RM120 for this.. very good bargain.

Later at nite, Pak Ken took over the wheels and we headed to The Peak. It was a long and scary journey to nowhere but when we reached our destination, speechless. The view from that place, SUPERB. Its hidden in some village route that tourist might not wana travel but definitely worthwhile. We had our late dinner and it feels like I’m having dinner in some posh place like ‘Smoke House’.

Before the ‘training’ session begin already looking like this.

The Peak and their appetizing menu.

Pee-Ka-Boo???

Interior of The Peak.

While waiting for our food. See what happens when we are hungry…

Chris also started cam whoring..

No photos of the food cos we gulped it down as soon as it reaches our table..

Nex day we went to the ‘Sampan Tumbang Mountain’  (if i’m not mistaken).

I think its still alive..the volcanic mountain i mean..the smell of sulfur was so strong.

How can i miss a chance to snap snap snap right??

The tourist.

On the way down.

We stop by the road side for ‘Sate Kelinchi’. This must be the cause of my food poisoning.

The chefs just cant leave it alone.. i think its in the blood stream.

 After the food..Sate and Indo Mee, we went back to Rumah Mode to grab some more stuff…

Picture says it all…… I LOOOOVEEE SHOOOOPPINGGGGGG!!!!

Pak Bas and us bk in Maya’s residence.

Pak Bas The Best laaaaa.

Very lazy to type dy.. cos its so outdated… can I jus post photos?? The short cut is getting shorted.. hehe…

Whatever happens after that is all in the photos… my last two days was horrigeeeble cos food poisoning.. at that moment I only hope to be home in my own bed…

Last day visit to chocolate factory.

Krispy Creme.

Our Krispy Creme….

The hosts and us before leaving bk for KL.

If it was not the vomiting and staying home alone with Susie, the Jakarta trip would be a splendid one…

 Thank you, arigato, danke vielmal… lets pray for my nex post to be soon okaiiii…

Damn semangat to start the day early the second day. From the second day onwards we have our very own driver, Pak Bas. It is something that almost every average family would have, a driver. Maybe thats the reason why all the cars on the road is always clean and shining even though they roads are muddy, dirty during the rainy season. Its really an amazement to see all the cars sparkling clean, and i mean really clean. Too bad i’m always in the moving car with super dark tinting if not i would snap some to prove.
Its good to have a driver that knows which route would be the fastest and less jammed.

The only thing i can capture sitting far back in the car.

We went for Porridge for breakfast. Bubur Bun Ung was the much talked about shop. Famous for their very smooth porridge. It was really smooth and tasty.

Linardy thinking what to order.
 

Chris checking out whats good on the menu.

Kenneth surveying the menu for good stuff.

Maya also going thru the menu.. Everyone were so into the menu that noone notice me clicking away.

Noone to take for me, then self take lo…. then then notice me being a ‘vain pot’

Unwillingly they took one for me.. sad case………

Once the food arrived, lagi tak ada rasa of the camera.

Check out the variety of food on the table.

See noone notice the camera…

After the delicious breakfast, we head to the well known shopping paradise for ladies, MANGGA DUA!!! It is yet a another bigger version of ITC but with different levels that sells different quality clothings. Monday happened to be the day of new and trendy Hong Kong stocks arrival. Most of the boutiques in Jakarta will stock up from Mangga Dua. Best thing is we can bargain for the things we are interested to buy even though most of the stuff there are already pretty cheap. Material there are way better than the stuff we can get off that price from Sg. Wang. The only down side of it is the fashion in Jakarta is not
similar to those back home. Ladies clothings have too much details on it. Lotsa plain beads, colourful beads, super confusing colourful details..not really my style. I was looking for more simple wear, i dont want to look like a Christmas tree walking around town.

After about an hour plus, the boys are tired of walking round and round ladies wear. So we decided to head to the southern part of Jakarta where there is this street full of boutiques selling stuff like those you can get from the brand TOUGH. But these were designed by themselves. Creative young people. The massive traffic took us a very long time to reach that place. (i forgot the street name) and it also took us hours to return home from there even though normally if traffic is smooth its only 20 minutes drive from home.

Before we went home, its eating time again and this time we went to a small little stall, restaurant , whatever you called it by the road side to have ‘Soto Tembrak’. By far thats the best from the whole trip.

Went home and rest a lil then went for seafood dinner with Maya’s family. No photos also cos paiseh the parents will think that they have sent the kid to the wrong college with some crazy lecturer. We had fish two different style, crab, squid, kangkung belacan, & mee goreng. Scrumptcious!!!!!

Later that nite went out to a nearby pub, Eleventh Hour. Just a random pub in Kelapa Gading is better than Santuary in The Curve. The interior..way nicer…. I wonder hows the clubs like….

A blurry photo of the pub.

I dont know which look better.. so i put up both cos i only snap twice. That place quite big, and i dont know how to take a better chot of the place.

After ‘that’ we called it a day!! ( beer seems to come in a bigger pitcher and cheaper price.. heavenly!!!)

The long awaited year end trip to the country that is so near yet so far, INDONESIA. It was something that we have been talking about for a couple of months. Just TALKING. Planning without any actions taken till last minute when Maya & Linardy bought their flight ticket to Jakarta and started questioning me. Its so convinient with the internet and Air Asia, ‘Now Everyone Can Fly’.
Less than half an hour clicking and surveying which flight is cheaper and calling in for final confirmation of details, i managed to get three tickets for less than RM500 per person. I guess its not as cheap as my flight to Hanoi last year but for a last minute thing its quite reasonable.

From the day after purchasing the ticket till the day itself, three of us, Chris, Kenneth and myself were actually quite laid back comparing to the two tourguide, Linardy & Maya. The two of them cracked their heads to plan out our itinery.
 According to the both of them, Jakarta is a land for no ending SHOPPING.
Sounds like my kinda paradise. hahaha… Well it was indeed very cheap to shop there. Clothings esp.

Other than never ending destinations to shop for different things, Linardy has decided to torture his poor AA. Its pay back time after the first semester.. hehhe..Eating expedition, food whole day long, non stop too..

Weeell delay no more its picture time. [no gila photos from the journey there cos i was with two macho guys that think its silly to be camwhoring..sien-nesss. I wish Esther was the one with me.. hehe]

As we reach early morning on the 16th, traffic was smooth. Its only on a Sunday in Jakarta that you would be able to see the road in front of your car, other days, cars cars cars. From the left to the right, front to the back. Traffic is really bad i should say. First destination after we dropped off our luggage in Hotel De Maya, Kelapa Gading Mal. I was wondering maybe its the rain that we couldnt go anywhere else but i was so so so wrong. Try guessing and i bet none of you would actually get it right…

ITS KRISPY KREME!!!!

Original glazed.. YUmmy..

Right after that we left for ITC Cempaka Mas for first round of shopping. The place is actually like Sg. Wang jus a bigger version and less variety of ‘lala-beng’ shops. Just like market selling clothings clothings and clothings and now and then a shop that sells bags or shoes. Like pasar malam at some point.

First day, have to hold fire hehe not much collection and we head to some far away part of Jakarta for homemade ice cream. With only two hours or less of sleep the night before, three of us slept our way around town. When we were awaken, we were in front of a small
shop with a few mobile stalls in front of it.

Looks like some old school kopitiam. 

[Pardon me for the blurry pics, just woke up..]

We had Gado gado. It was yummylicious thats why i only remembered to snap photos half way scooping mouthfuls of it.

Thats one of the famous homemade ice cream. Spagetti Ice Cream. Its vanilla ice cream with noodle lookingshape and with lotsa colourful toppings.

We also had Sate and thats when the topic of different sate(s) came about. Rabbit, Snake, Dog etc etc.. Eeewwww…

The Sate stall infront of the restaurant.

Gado Gado stall.

The first and also the last photo of me with some Indonesia street culture. Dont ask me why, ask MAYA…

After that Linardy, wanted to take advantage of the smooth traffic and we went to the city center where the Jakarta tower, Monas were situated.

 Thats Jakarta Tower, Monas behind me. (check out the surroundings.. and people say KLCC park is bad. We should be grateful at times…)

Mobile Toilet. Its about time they come visit Malaysia and learn from us to spend millions on public ‘high tech’ toilets.

We wanted to go up the tower and have a look at the city itself but after the underpass without ventilation and the queue we saw, we changed our minds.

The surprising thing is, most of them visiting were all locals not tourist. Weird right???

Just a few must take pictures and off we go..

With Jakarta’s city as background but i complaint we are too small…

There you go the last picture of the day and then happily ever after..

JM part II will be out soon, Stay tuned!!

Some time ago, (so long that i have forgotten all about it till i went thru the folders the other day) i went for MFM for dinner with my sugar muffin. I’ve always like MFM and my favourite is the ‘Pacific Baked Dori’.(thats the only thing i will order..i’m not so adventurous with food) I’m the kinda ppl that will go to specific restaurant for a specific dish. Weird but i dont think i’m the only one having this problem.

My visit this time was not really satisfying and i notice everytime i visit it will be worst than the previous visit..and i’m still visiting, pathetic………I remembered when LH & LL first intro me n Menghua to MFM, the service was fantastic, the food was superb, *the food is still above par now..* the ambience WAS great plus the company were always happy and happening but now its deteriorating slowly. This visit, noone actually bother to get us a seat even though there were only two tables occupied. NVM, we can just sit anywhere. Then noone bother to come to serve or at least present the menu. We had to flag them down in order for them to notice our existence. After the looking at the menu for about 15mins and noone came bk to take our order, we had to shout out to get their attention again. Had to wait quite long for the food to come so the camwhore bug attacked me…..

Hmmmm…..

Wait till can sleep on the table… zzZZZZ

Still waiting… Hmmmm What should i do next??

Hehehe.. i think i’m gonna fill in the comment card and personally pass it tot the manager. Kuang Kuang Kuang Kuang…..

Why are u looking at me like that?? Ok ok we shall just wait.

They served us this and made us waited for another 15 mins before the actual thing reaches our table.

Tadaaaaa…

Makan time….