Sekinchan Road Trip

So it’s been almost 3 months since I last saw both of my girlfriends. Although we live in the same state, our lifestyle and crazy work schedule makes it quite impossible for all three of us to meet up at the same time. So after much planning we decided on Sekinchan, as it was what we wanted an hour and half drive road trip, some sight seeing and finally some good food.

Honestly I’ve never heard of this place until one of my friend told me about it. I was instantly attracted to this place because being a pure city born kid, I’ve never set foot in a paddy field before and not to mention seeing live goats milling about. The ones I see are usually dead at the butcher shop …….as morbid as it sound LOL.

So what is Sekinchan?

Sekinchan is a small town located in the state of Selangor. It is located along the coastal Federal between the towns of Sabak Bernam and Tanjung Karang. It is a major rice producing area besides fishing.

Apparently it was just a normal sleepy town up until a Hong Kong TV drama did some scene around this place so it became a word of mouth thingy and eventually everyone wants to be where those actors were…..I think.

So what to do there………..

Well despite reading numerous blogs about this place, basically there is nothing much happening. I mean there is paddy gallery, the actual paddy field, the Pantai Redang and …..well that’s it I guess.

We all decided to meet up at Sri Damansara Mc Donald’s and from there we had a good hearty Malaysian breakfast at one very nice mamak shop. Then we all hopped in my friend’s car and went to start our adventure.

The drive to Sekinchan was about an hour and 30minutes. We took Guthrie highway I think, and it was a relaxing drive, no heavy traffic and the weather looked promising.

Along the way we saw a lot of quite unique food signboard. I have never heard of  “Cendol Bakar” LOL unfortunately the place was closed …..or else  I would have tried it. We also saw a couple of beautifully arranged fruit stall on the road side. But we decided to get them on our way back.

But after passing by a couple of “Karipap Gergasi” stall *Giant Currypuff, we gave in to our temptation and got ourselves one each. One giant currypuff cost RM 3.50 which is not bad considering how big and heavy it felt. It was freshly cooked so the whole car smelled of crispy delicious currypuff.

The size comparison 

We passed by a lot of temple, mosque and church along the way. Most of them a just a stone throw away from each other. That is how Malaysia is truly Asia 

I’m not quite sure what temple this is, but it look like a freaking ancient and beautiful!!! Although I later found out it was a brand new rebuild temple.

We finally arrived at Sekinchan!!! And by the time we found the ‘correct’ place to park our car, we saw plenty of  Chinese from mainland tourist getting off their respective tourist bus. Most of them we we giving us a weird look probably because there was only about 3 non Chinese walking around. Two Indian girls with a Malay girl, yeah we are an odd ‘herd’ LOL.

OMG, if you guys are planning to go Sekinchan please bring a sunglasses, plenty of water, an umbrella if you get burned easy and also please put on some lotion to protect your skin from the extreme heat.

I didn’t get to touch the paddy plant because people are waiting and walking about nearby so I felt like I needed to hurry up and take a picture before they take their turn.

So basically it a beautiful green scenery, it was doing amazing things to my eyes. It almost hurt me eyes to see so much green in one go………so typical of a city kid.

There is a gallery museum for you to ‘learn’ about Sekinchan and their paddy field but because we were on tight budget and the entry price was RM5.00, none of us wanted to go in.

So after getting a heatstroke from walking around, we bought ourselves some cold beverages and decided to check out the beach. The drive from Sekinchan paddy field to Pantai Redang is about 1.2km  and you may miss it if you are not looking for it. ….not sure what I even meant by that LOL.

The moment you get off the car, you can hear Korean song blasting from one of the many stalls set up at the beach.  While my girls stood under the tree shade with their drinks, I decided to walk around beach and take some pictures.

I’m quite surprised to see so many dead seashells on the beach. 

WOW……I mean the sea is far away so I’m able to get some pictures of shallow coral stones which had plenty of mini crabs crawling and dashing into all those holes. I could not get a decent picture of them because the sun was blinding and the crabs were moving too fast. GRRRR

The stalls sold many food, drinks, souvenirs and some even offer massage service. After walking about we took some pictures of the wishing tree which looks amazing but honestly we were starting to feel the heat of the blazing sun that we decided to cut short our milling about and head back to the car.

We had initially planned to buy some fresh seafood but I guess since it was Sunday most of the shops that sell bulk sea food was closed. So there goes our opportunity to buy fresh sea food.

Overall Rating: 5/10

Recommended for:

• Parents with 8-12 age kids who both can benefit from this trip. 
• For parents they are able to buy cheap food, seafood and some lazy day by the beach.
• Kids there is plenty of place for them to play around the beach and stalls there mainly sell toys and junk food.
• If you are passing through Sabak Bernam and you can stop by Sekinchan for a quick sightseeing or maybe stop by lunch or dinner.

Not recommended:

• If your sole purpose of your trip is to go to Sekinchan, besides beautiful scenery, its pretty much a sleepy town, nothing much to see or do besides paddy field, Chinese temple, and beach. If you are into seafood maybe this might be a bonus point.

Tip:

Heat is real here !!
So be warned to bring plenty of water and bring along sun protection things for your eyes and skin. 

Pets My Heart - Happiness in a box.......

If you are familiar with box subscription ….hold on wait a sec…..ok let me use another common word “BeautyBox” ahhh that rings a bell huh…..well that service is called box subscription service. 

So what is it? In simpler terms, it is the process of placing an order for a box full of surprises based on whatever genre you have subscribed.  For example the BeautyBox comes in a beautifully decorated box that contains 5 to 6 items of randomly selected beauty products. The catch is …….you don’t know what you will be getting…….sound a bit risky but hey think of it this way…….it’s like getting a birthday present every month only that you paid for it LOL.

So for years Malaysia has only offered beauty box and being a non make up person, I was insanely jealous of other countries that had awesome variety of box subscription services. So one day while I was stalking people in Facebook, I saw an ad on the side and it caught attention. It was a pet box subscription plan !!!! Being a dog lover, I was so happy that I am able to get something for my pet dog, Veer. At least there is different box subscription service!!!

Please visit this website get more information. URL :http://petsmyheart.com/

Go have a look at their website and see for yourself what deal is ideal for you and your pets.

To be honest pet food, toys and basically anything to do with pets is quite expensive. So a box containing two toys, four packets of snacks and 1 free homemade cookies for RM69 per month is not bad deal.

My box arrived a few days ago, I was at work and my mom took the package on my behalf. She immediately called me because the box is damaged. Thank god the contents were not. But it kind of ruined the whole aura for a millisecond.

Damaged box :(

what's inside......

 Toys

Two puppy/dog toys, each is a sturdy cloth material which is good because my dog hates anything to do with plastic or loud crackling toys. He avoids it like a plague.

The toys are in good condition, no tearing or damaged in anyway.  What I like about the toys, is that they do not have buttons or stick on eyes that can be chewed off. Which is good, because my dog loves to rip off anything that is not cloth material.

The dog/horse is a squeaky toy, it squeak when you press on the red star. I kept the monkey for next time, I only let him have one toy at one time. He has other tons of toys lying around the house.

the squeaky dog/horse......

My parents already opened the package before I did, so I had no idea that there were 4 packets of jerky until after I took this picture. Veer likes both the bow jerky and chicken jerky. He hesitated to eat the bow jerky at first but when he got the taste of it, he liked it.

 forgot another packet......

Veer enjoying a bow jerky strip

Again the homemade cookies here (in the picture) is half finished because it says on the back to consume it by two weeks. I had made my fair share of homemade dog cookies so I knew for sure Veer loved it very much. He ate this lot more compare to the jerky at first.

Conclusion in terms of website service and products.

Pros:

• The toys are of a good material and not damaged
• Jerkies are plenty in variety and not expired
• Added bonus of homemade cookies

Cons:

• Lack of variety in products
• No payment via bank in, which is pity because I do not own a credit card (although Mr Woon had helped me a great deal)

Suggestions:

• Should have a ratio of 1 toy, 2 snacks, 1 accessories, 1 toiletry product (shampoo, perfume)
• Include some pet related voucher or pet friendly restaurant/ hotel recommendation
• Something for owners as well (if as an added bouns) dog keychain, or small pet themed ID tags
• Maybe offer discount if we managed to get 5 people to join the box subscription

Overall I am happy with the box and I would definitely be ordering again soon. 

KGB @ Mid Valley

So the other day my sis and I was walking around Midvalley........endless hour of searching for me shoes for me and my bigfoot. So after  many hours, we decided we both wanted something really fast, but savory .....somewhere along the border line of Fast food but not too commercial.

Yes yes, We have mad conditions LOL.

So while deciding on which kind of food that goes into our very complicated conditions, we happened to walk pass KBG Burgers, And just so happens while I was walking pass one of the table, a couple of guys got up  and left (obviously loved what they ate because one of the guys actually took a bite out of his tissue paper LOL

So we decided KGB was our calling. Now now, KGB here has nothing to do with Russians and their military. It simply stands for K = Killer  G = Gourmet  B = Burgers. 

*Guys, I'm sorry, If the images are not very good because we were rushing (KTM not car) and my sister was too hungry to wait for me to take proper pictures. 

Ambiance: 4/10

I gave low rating is because its a small booth not a whole restaurant and it can get pretty loud and noisy because people are talking and doing people things LOL. 

I wish they had a small indoor seating rather then sharing the outside space with other smaller food booth. 

*My sis and I had quite the neighbor while we were waiting for our food. The dude was breaking up with her and it was rather sad because the gal was half crying and half flabbergasted. We could hear their conversation. So yeah .........it was that close. Not really a place you can sit in a large group for few hours and chat away.......

Tornado (Chicken) - RM15.90 + Add RM 6.50 Set Meal

  

Visual Observation: 7/10
It’s neatly presented and not sloppy. Looks appetizing. The thing about wrap food is if its not done properly it is going to look bad. But KGB nailed it!

Taste evaluation: 9/10
Grilled Chicken (not too thick or chunky - just nice), crispy onion rings, sunny side egg (OMG!!!) and buffalowing aoili sauce (flavored with hot and spicy mayonnaise).

My only complain is that my sunny egg was difficult to eat with the rest of the burger. Embarrassingly it ran down my hand when I took a big bite out of the burger. Not very lady like i tell you !!!

My sister had The Shack but as you can see I have no picture of it!!! Sigh.....

You can choose soft drinks along with fries and you can choose its flavour. We had cajun fries. It was mildly spicy and It was served hot and crispy. Nobody likes soggy fires :P

The bottle is tiny and I was so close to taking it along with me. It very rare to see Coca Cola served in bottles since we Malaysians are used to drinking it from Cans and plastic bottle. :P

It comes with other range of side orders and drinks but we didn't try them out .....which is why I wasn't so keen about wanting to write a review about KGB. But then again, while I can I try to share as much as I can. Does that even make sense ......Oh dear ......

I can share some of the pictures of the menu I managed to take. So you can see what other food and drinks as well as the prices offered.

If you are looking for a good tasty burger, this is the place to go :)

Restaurant Nepal Himalayan Cuisine @ Plaza Damas, Sri Hartamas

My sister decided to celebrate a much delayed father’s day by trying something different. So while browsing through Groupon site, she came across a Nepal cuisine. Since neither of us tried this type of cuisine before, we thought it would be a great father’s day gift.

Here is the deal: http://www.groupon.my/deals/klang/restaurant-nepal-himalayan-cuisine/718405239

Now if you are a very adventurous and not easily disappointed with the outcome, I dare say just walk in and go ahead with your eating adventure. But if you are trying to involve people who are not so keen with trying new cuisine, be sure to do some research or take a safer deals like such offered in groupon, because usually these deal are already pre-set and you can view and do some research about the selected dish and see if your guest are ok with it. No need to head scratch when you get there……….

Ok let’s begin ……..

Ambiance: 4/10

Now the reason I gave such a low rating is because I don’t feel like I could relate anything to Nepal or Nepalese theme. I felt quite disappointed with the ambiance of the restaurant because it lacked creativity and if I were to accidentally walk into the restaurant I could not have guessed anything about this place or what they offered.

Maybe it’s just me but the moment I walked in I could smell pressure cooked meat,while it was not unpleasant but it was not something you want to smell when you walk in. I wish they had some spices aroma or smell of burning incense. It could help accelerate the Nepal feel or something.  

The waiter allows you to choose your level of spiciness, ranging from spicy, moderately spicy or mild. We asked for mild since none of us could handle spicy food (I know we are weird bunch of Indians)

 Signature snack platter (RM24)

Visual Observation: 8/10

It’s neatly presented and not sloppy. It gives you a eyes full of the variety of snack size dishes. It also looks appetizing. Very convenient if you like to try more than one dish in a small portion.

Taste evaluation: 8/10

Chilli chicken (the red one with green capsicum)

The chicken was quite tough and it was not very spicy. It’s more like a Chinese style sweet and sour dish. 

Bhuteko bhatmas (Roasted soybean)

This is my favorite, it is really crunchy and it is a good combination with the other dishes. Soybeans are marinated in Nepalese spice. This could be awesome munchies while having a drink.

Nepali salad

This salad was very asian salad. It had lime taste and it also had some sweetness to it.

Aloo silam  (Boiled potatoes)

Potatoes were boiled and cooked in some Nepalese spices. It’s not spicy more like cumin and non spicy masala.

Momo dumplings

We got the steamed dumplings,which is like Chinese dumplings. I guess since Nepal is surrounded by China and India, their influence is absorbed into their food as well. The dumpling was a bit thick skinned and it was stuffed with mixture of some veggies and meat. It was quite yummy.

Mushroom peas

Again these are not spicy but more like cumin and non spicy masala.

Farsi ko daal ra khasi ko nail  (RM18)

Visual Observation: 7/10

It’s neatly presented and not sloppy. Looks appetizing. You can smell the thick pumpkin gravy.

Taste evaluation: 9/10

The thick pumpkin gravy is absolutely delicious. It goes well with white rice and it taste good on its own without the meat. The gravy is not spicy rather it’s sweet and savory. It blends well with the tender mutton. I love how the meat just falls off the bone.  It comes with big chunks of meat that suits 4 person.

My sister enjoyed this dish. She also loves bone marrow and she actually used a straw and sucked out the marrow. 

Useful tip, please do not attempt to bang or knock the marrow out of the bone. It makes a lot of noise and you can break or chip the plate.

Chatamari (RM 12)

Visual Observation: 5/10

It’s neat and looks yummy. Nothing to brag about.

Taste evaluation: 7/10

This is actually thin-crust battered rice crepes topped with minced chicken, spring onions, tomatoes, and egg. Basically it’s a omelet pizza LOL. It is not bad, I liked the thickness of the caked egg and crispy crepes. Perfect for a pleasant tea time snack.

Beverages

We had to order the drinks separately as it does not come with the Groupon deal. Honestly I felt like the drinks were rather expensive.

Mango Lassi (RM12) and Sweet Lassi (RM10)

Visual and taste evaluation: 10/10

OMG I love a good lassi anytime. They nailed it. The mango lassi was amazing. It was thick and the real blended sweet mango was exquisite. I love how it looked, so delicious and so OMG.

My dad had the sweet lassi, like its name it was sweet. He said it was a touch bit too sweet for his liking. But I guess that is how it was meant to be.  But it is delicious never the less.

Masala Tea

Visual and taste evaluation: 6/10

My mom had some hot masala tea, she said it did not have the strong Indian masala taste but rather it was quite pleasant and different kind of masala tea. I guess traditional Nepal spices are not very strong but rather unique on its own. 

Overall conclusion: Something different, will try again if they have new dishes.

While the food was delicious, I as an Indian (no matter how weird I am), For me i felt like the Nepal spices does not have a strong KAW or satisfying aftermeal feeling. It felt very unruffled and it does not quite hit my taste buds. It maybe different for other people. This is just my opinion after all. I do feel like the price for the food is rather steep. I can’t blame them considering the location of this place and its exotic flavors. The best way to try these dishes is to get a good deal in groupon.

Additional: 10% service charge RM3.90 + Service RM3.90 (ouch)

Malones @ Sooka Central

Malones is a Irish restaurant and bar, located across from KL Central. It’s just outside Sooka’s building. It’s a rather weird location, its located at the center of the walkway (soft of).

My friend and I decided to have some drinks and catch up on some life thoughts, and we decided on this place. I always wanted to try this place back when I was working at plaza central but there was not many alcohol drinking friends around at that time. 

Ambiance: 5/10

http://www.malones.my/index.html

I think it looks like a decent bar, typical dark and yellow light bar. Nothing to shout about. I personally thought the bar looks more on the dark side. I knocked my feet a few times while walking to find seats.

I took these images from their website because I just didn’t have the time to take any pictures. Too many people around and I don’t think this is an ideal place if you are hang out in a large group.

 Sex on the beach

The moment my eyes landed on the cocktail name, I was like I want this! Name as good as it sound should justify that drink right ? WRONG !!!

I don’t know if this drink should taste like this but MAN I was disappointed. But before I jump into my rant, let’s take this one step at the time.

Visual Observation: 3/10

Visually it was disappointing to look at. I mean there is lack of decoration and presentation was a dissatisfying.  It looks like the drink had period ………honestly speaking !!!!! Should name it as period on the beach instead. Where is the small umbrella, the slice of pineapple, the cheery and my flower!!! WHERE!!!!

Taste evaluation: 2/10

OMG, after taking the first sip I was like ……um ok nothing happening here. Drink tasted quite light …..almost watery like. After awhile I took another big sip and was waiting for the sex to happen. Nothing it still felt like nothing was trigging my alcohol sense.  

I gave up and took a long sip, about half mouth full and swallowed …….nothing. I honestly tasted no alcohol in the drink. I was severely disappointed !!!!! It was bad !!!!

Mai tai

Remember my earlier review of Mai tai in S’mores. If not check link here: S'mores's Mai tai

That was a Mai Tai this was Ma Tahi !!! Gosh I’m sorry for sounding harsh but really these drink are not cheap so at least you can do is make it taste good.

Visual Observation: 3/10

Visually it was unsightly to look at. I mean there is lack of decoration and presentation was a dissatisfying.  

Made a comparison base on my evaluation. I let u be the judge !

S’Mores	Malones
Presentation: Simple and elegant Taste : Taste of some fruit juice, and strong tint of pineapple. Sip on it and feel the bitterness as you swallow. Light texture drink, nothing heavy and you don’t feel the alcohol right away. It takes about a good few sips or gulps before you actually feel the effect.	Presentation: Non existence Taste : Taste of some fruit juice Light texture drink, not heavy Alcohol effect is immediate but very mild Watery alcohol fruit juice.