Chapter 128 - Let's have TEA at Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

The minute when you are bored thinking where to eat and at the same time, wanting a comfortable place for gossiping and chatting, plus the thought of dressing up well since it's been a while that you have not really gone out for a date, immediately, you thought of behaving like a "tai tai". Seeing your Whatsapp group started to nudge you, you picked a group of ladies for a good tea time session. And this time, it is at Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

Mandatory pose 

I have always wanted to indulge in a tea time session at this hotel but unfortunately, no avail until recently. Opting to have our special tea time session at the Orchid Conservatory but again, we were brought to disappointment as there were people who had booked the place for mini celebration.

Tea time supposed to begin at 3.00pm but we were there at 1.00pm. We strolled around the hotel and wanted to try their lunch buffet badly. We didn't even want to go out from the hotel because the weather was really hot so, we opted for a quick ala-carte lunch. As we flipped the menu, our eyeballs were getting bigger and bigger; thanks to the price.

Imagine that a plate of fish and chips can cost you about RM 80.00 while a plate of fried noodles cost about RM 75.00. Since we were already there, we still opted for the most expensive fish and chips that we have ever had and a plate of fried noodles. The minute the server left us, we laughed really hard nevertheless, it was quite enjoying seeing how ridiculous we were.

Fried Noodles (RM 75.00)

Fish and Chips (RM80.00)

Right after we had our lunch, we continued with our tea time. Our tummies were quite full already but we still went with it. Certainly, we couldn't finish them all so we took away the pastries home. Being a typical Asian girl, I was hoping that they would serve us curry puffs that day but unfortunately, lady luck was not with me.

#happygirlenjoyinghercupofcoffee

The scones tasted good! I love it but my one of my girlfriends dislike it. Since I have sweet tooth, I have literally enjoyed all of them. From cakes to kuih-muih. Yay!

A cup for you and a cup for me :)

Closer look on what we had

All in all, it was a good experience to have with your girlfriends. We lived in our own world for that few hours with minimal disturbance from the crowd and it's all about bonding and catching up with one another on our personal lives. Best of all, there was a pianist who played some songs and made our tea session a much satisfying one.

#mandatoryposeforthreetaitais

Ambient: 3.8/5
Price: Expensive
Food: Halal
Service: Good 

The Majestic Hotel,
5, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin,
50000 Kuala Lumpur.

Regards,
Foodiestravel

Chapter 105 - Birthday + Langkawi + Mardi Agricultural Technology Park + Eco Tours Dev's Adventure Mangrove Ride

Holla!

Birthday celebration. And it means no work on that day, hooray!

Langkawi, a place where many of us have been there and it is the place where we opt for until today. There are so many hidden gems in Langkawi and there are so many things to explore. Personally, I have discovered the ins and outs of Langkawi, visited most of the tourist attractions and even, spent a day before on snorkeling, under the hot sun.

This time around, our main objective was to explore the nature side of the Langkawi. Upon reaching Langkawi, we booked a car and went all the way to MARDI Agricultural Technology Park. 

1. MARDI Agricultural Technology Park

Developed in 1990,  this park is designed as an eco-tourism spot for visitors in Langkawi. In fact, I was pretty surprised that there were so many people who visited this place, not only locals but tourists alike. Upon getting our admission ticket, we waited for a "truck" to bring us around. 

The farm covers an area of 14.2ha with more than 20 fruit types but unfortunately, for this around, there were only selected fruits which we can sample.

Aiks! And there were no durian nor mangoes.

The truck took us to a so-called canteen and allowed us to sample the fresh taste of the tropical fruits while feasting our eyes with the greenery view. The fruit spread was served in a buffet style.

Admission fee is RM 7.00 for Malaysian with MyKad.

Fruits that we had on that day: watermelon, honey dew, rambutan and pineapple. 

Indeed, fresh and sweet.

Taking my own sweet time while eating the fruits there.

Once my tummy was filled with so much of vitamins, we continued our journey - it was rather unfortunate that they did not allow us to walk on our own but we were asked to hop in the truck and they brought us around.

 Mimosa Pudica..

I was together with a group of foreigners and it came to my surprise that the foreigners did not know about Mimosa Pudica. They were amazed on how these plants reacted once they touched them. I wish I could record down their reaction as it was quite funny actually. Haha!

For the benefits of tourists, our tour guide introduced them to pineapples as well as bananas. 

Coming towards the end of the trip, I toured the sheltered vegetable production farm. This include rain shelter structure for fruit vegetable production, hydroponics and others. I couldn't really find out more because there was no tour guide with us at that time hence, we were playing and roaming around in that area. Haha! 

2. Flora and Fauna of Langkawi (Geopark Mangrove Trip)

I must give credit to Dev's Adventure Tours where it offers trips that allow us to go close to the beautiful flora and fauna. Thanks to Potato's recommendation, we truly enjoyed our experience there. Although their price is slightly higher as compared to other tour operator, it is certainly worth it especially if you are looking for a quality yet an educational tour.

Langkawi is indeed the place for one to seeks tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of the city. As we were there for 3 days only, we took up a package of Geopark Mangrove Boat Trip with Dev's Adventure and we did not want to tire ourselves with kayaking later.

This package took about 4 - 5 hours. An experienced tour guide was with us to explain every single thing that we came across and brought us to see limestone outcrops and caves. During our ride, we saw snakes, eagles (but we don't feed them), special birds, dogs along the coast of Langkawi's various islands. Unfortunately, we were not able to watch monkeys, otters and monitor lizards during our ride.

Our starting point! 

The package includes of transfer from and back to hotel, mineral water, set lunch on a floating restaurant, insurance, experienced guide, well-equipped  boat with canopy, visit bat cave, visit eagle area, visit fossil location and swimming stop.

Price is RM 160 per person.

 The trip is focused on nature and wildlife in the mangroves.

 Can you spot a snake?

 Eagle feeding area (but we don't feed them).

According to the tour guide, the eagles in Langkawi are pretty much pampered by us which causes them to be lazy to hunt for their own food. I spotted a few resting on the tree. Due to that, the ecosystem in Langkawi becomes imbalance because the number of animals like snake has increased tremendously over the years. Therefore, only one tour operator is allowed to feed the eagle to ensure a balance of the ecosystem in Langkawi.

 Bat cave

Can you see the bats?

Clearer view here. 

In evening, bats go out and hunt for their food hence, at the time of our visiting, they were resting. By the way, our tour guide did mention that bats are really good with "traffic" system - they have a one way in to the cave and another way out from the cave (SO, accident don't happen).

 More bats!

 Can you spot the wild dogs?

 I'm in love with Langkawi's nature :)

I highly recommend Dev's Adventure. I'm sure the next time I return to Langkawi, I will take another package of this tour operator again, probably nature cycling trip.

If you don't fancy Geopark Mangrove Boat Trip, you can opt for other packages offered by Dev's such as nature cycling trip, Geopark Mangrove Kayak Trip, bird watching, morning / evening walk or jungle trek. 

Click Dev's Adventure if you want to find out more about them.

And that sums up my short getaway in Langkawi. Ended my holidays with packed, simple food accompanied by bottles of beers and wine while watching the badminton finals of Olympics - hoping that we could get a day off after that. Haha!

But that did not happen after all.

And here I am, in my mid-twenties! Another 4 more crazy years to go before hitting 30s! Thanks to my family and friends who wished my birthday, be it from Facebook, Whatsapp, call or message and gave your time to celebrate with me. My birthday celebration had became a memorable one, thanks to all of you! It meant a lot to me.

Kamsahamida...Arigatogozaimas..

A bowl of soothing and nutritious mee suah during my birthday! Look at the amount of mushrooms and meat slices that I got - truthfully, that's a real present for a birthday girl. Thanks Mummy!

Regards,

Foodiestravel

Chapter 104 - Congratulations Malaysia + Dinner date at Village Roast Duck, The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur

Eyes gluing to the television, fist clenching hoping that Malaysia could walk away with a gold medal at least and in this very moment, Malaysians were all united, watching the mixed-doubles badminton game.

Although Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying took home a silver medal, they had indeed brought pride to Malaysia. While we now put ourselves in a calm state, anticipating another final game tomorrow, why don't we call for an early celebration first? Instead of just celebrating the accomplishment by our athletes, we too should pat ourselves for an accomplishment done at work by pampering ourselves with something good to end the day by having a proper yet delicious Chinese dining food at Mid Valley.

Previously, I was reluctant to go to any shopping malls during the weekdays. But now, things have changed. The urge to visit a shopping mall accelerates with the PokemonGo game. 

While catching a number of Pokemons and visit a number of Pokestop seems to be a valid reason for your visit to Mid Valley lately, my other intention to the mall is to pamper my beloved tummy at Village Roast Duck, The Gardens Mall. 

                    

Located at the Lower Ground Flood where it is situated beside Canton-I, the restaurant was quite packed on the day that I visited. Got ourselves seated and we then browsed through the menu. Looks tempting in fact!  

3 Combos Noodle (Dry) (RM 20.90)

When it said 3 combos, it meant that the noodles come with 3 different types of meat namely char siew, roast pork and roast duck. While it may be difficult to choose what type of meat to have, you can either order a plate of noodles that comes with all these 3 meat or a plate of rice to go with it. Certainly, my opting did not go wrong. I got to try all the 3 meats.

Char siew is absolutely good! Soft in texture and melt in the mouth. In comparison with the ones that I had lately, I prefer the char siew sold in Char Siew Yoong, Pudu. The drawback for the char siew at Village Roast Duck is that most of the outer layer is burnt so at some point, it carries the burnt taste.

Roast port on the other hand is good! Juicy in nature and the proportion of the pork is just right. Roast duck is actually the signature dish for that restaurant itself. I find the duck meat is a bit dry. Despite all that, it is a good combination of all these 3 types of meat.

Can you see the duck meat clearer here?

Chicken Fried Rice with Salted Fish (RM 18.90)

Besides the noodles, a plate of fried rice was ordered too. Comes in a huge serving which I believe it can be shared between 2 to 3 people, the fried rice is fragrant in salted fish smell. The fried rice tastes good with enough "wok hei". I wish that the long beans could have been given more. Nevertheless, the fried rice tastes absolutely yummy if it is being eaten with chillies, giving both spicy yet sweet taste to the tastebuds.

HM Beancurd with Minced Pork (RM 18.90)

Adding to our dining palates is a plate of HM Beancurd with Minced Pork. By the time we had the noodles and a plate of fried rice, we were actually quite full. Thankfully, a plate of beancurd is just good enough to complement our dinner. 

Soft and smooth in texture, the tofu itself is quite tasteless. But having it with minced pork, it gives a kick to the tastebuds itself. I believe they make the beancurd because they are very very smooth. Despite all that, this dish is indeed a known dish among the Chinese.

In total, the bill came up to RM 75.40 including a glass of Lo Han Gor and all the taxes (GST and service charge). A rather pricey dinner I would say for two people so, you can have it once a while or whenever you find a good reason to reward yourself. Haha! Nevertheless, I would say that the price is rather reasonable for a plate of noodle that comes with 3 types of meat. I remember I had to pay RM 18.00 once for just a plate of char siew rice at Jalan Pudu (not char siew yoong).

Ambient: 7/10 

Price: 3.5/5 (reasonable)

Food: Chinese food, non-halal

Service : 4/5 (very good. The minute when you were seated, they served you a bowl of hot soup)
Verdict: You must try the 3 combos meat (roast pork, char siew and roast duck)! 

So, what are you waiting for? While your life may face some challenges and hurdles, just remember that you deserve something better and more than that! 

Village Roast Duck,
LG-205, LG Floor, The Garden Mall,
Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: 03 - 2201 5095

Regards,
Foodiestravel

Chapter 99 - Reminisce Descendant of the Sun at dal.komm coffee at Damansara Uptown, Petaling Jaya

A cup of coffee and a slice of cake accompanied by background music is what you need the most, marking the beginning of a short break. Celebrating the Raya Eve, bestie and I headed to dal.komm coffee at Damansara Uptown - a place where I have longed to go since the airing of Descendant of the Sun.

Like a bubbly child, I happily entered this cafe, reminiscing every single moment where Captain Yoo had with Dr Kang in this place. What makes me more excited is no other than seeing a photo shoot area where the "girlfriends" of Captain Yoo and Sergeant Seo Dae-Young are happily greeting the guests. 

I smiled. This was just perfect! Alas..How I wish I could bring the dolls back...

                      

Salute, Captain!

While I was excited with all these, bestie was at the counter, ready to order some drinks. Some of the drinks caught my attention and I opted for Bubbling Cappuccino whereas bestie ordered Chocola' deShake. We too ordered a slice of New York Cheese cake to journey the rest of the evening.

You will be notified once your drink is ready through this beep.

                       

Chocola' deShake and Bubbling Cappuccino

There are two floors (referring to dal.komm coffee at Damansara Uptown). Suggested to sit on the first floor to have a better view. However, as many people flock to the first floor, the place will eventually become stuffy and hot. Like myself and bestie, although we prefer to have our coffee at the first floor, we decided to just stay at the ground floor as it is less noisier (since there was a huge crowd on that day) and it is colder.

At the first floor, if diners are bored, they can play around with a couple of iPads pre-loaded with a variety of songs. Simply put the headphones and enjoy the music tunes as you enjoy the view out there. 

Food and beverage 

                  

Chocola' deShake (RM18.90)

Looks tempting - the ice cream is good! However, we do not really fancy much once we start to drink it. This is because the ices that are used are course and rough instead of a finer ice, causing the chocolate taste to be diluted. Is this how the shake is in Korea?

Bubbling Cappuccino RM 14.90)

Nice presentation! How am I supposed to drink it with the chocolate powder on it? I took a sip of it while handling the drink with a very careful manner. Yumm...Both coffee and chocolate taste are not that strong hence, they blend pretty well here.

                  

New York Cheese Cake (RM13.50)

Delicious! Cheese taste is so strong and it truly melts in my mouth. This cake is comparatively good like the ones that I had in Royal Selangor. Suits people who love cheese.

Other than these, there are other offerings too like pastries, cakes, toasts and popular Bingsu. I have no idea why but lots of people actually ordered Bingsu - a cup of shaved ice dessert that is served in a number of ways, be it in terms of flavors or toppings. Suggest to try it with a group of friends rather than having it all by yourself. By the way, you can help yourself with a cup of warm water at pick-up counter at anytime you want.

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Calling for all Descendant of the Sun fans'!

The Snap & Win Contest is running now where you can stand to a chance to win the original Bonicrew Toy where we address it as 'cute dolls" by following these 3 steps:

1. Take pictures creatively with Captain Yoo and Seo Dae-Young's girlfriends at dal.komm coffee.

2. Upload on Instagram with hashtag #dalkommcoffee #descendantofthesun

3. Screenshot the image and send in to marketing@dalkomm.com.my

The contest ends on 31 August so good luck!

I really want to win this toy hence, this is my post in Instagram :)

                  

Ambient : 8/10

Price : Reasonable

Food : Light snacks and dessert

Service : 4/5

Verdict : Try dal.komm coffee!!

dal.komm coffee

Address              : No.61G & 61M, Jalan SS 21/37, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

GPS Coord.        : 3.13598 N 101.62328 E

Tel                      : 03 - 7722 5199

Operation hours : 9.00am - 12.00am (Mon to Thurs), 9.00am - 1.00am (Friday), 10.00am - 1.00am                                 (Saturday), 10.00am - 12.00am (Sunday)

Website              : www.dalkomm.com.my

Others                : Accept credit card, wifi available

Regards,

Foodiestravel