iamthewitch.com |
- Best of Lot 10 Hutong Food Court
- Fashion Sense & Trends with Keith Kee
- 50% Off Kampung Style Ramadhan Buffet
- First Video of Modeling Students
- Good Evening Bangkok!
- Bloggers Without Borders – Update!
- The Correct Facial Expression
- Cocktails at View Rooftop Bar
- Start the Day with Austin Chase
- Guest Instructor at the Academy
| Best of Lot 10 Hutong Food Court Posted: 03 Aug 2011 07:23 PM PDT  It’s true, Lot 10 Hutong food court has been around for more than a year now and I’m ashamed to say that I have just recently visited it for the very first time! Claimed to be Malaysia’s first and only destination that pays tribute to good food and the art of local cuisine, this swanky food court is situated on the lower ground floor of the bustling Lot 10 mall. In my 2 years of staying in KL, I have only stepped into Lot 10 for perhaps 2 times? And I’m kicking myself now for not going there more often, especially after discovering the food treasure that is Lot 10 Hutong.
The wide variety of food Famed for its street food, Lot 10 Hutong prides itself by housing some of the countries’ best eateries that have survived over 40 years with distinguished brands, including one that came all the way from Singapore. During my recent visit there with a group of friends, we managed to try out what we thought were some of the best dishes offered from Lot 10 Hutong, presented below in no particular order. #1: Campbell’s Popiah The popiah that is said to be sold out come evening time, these came in 3 different choices – Mini Popiah, Vegetable Skin Popiah and Egg Popiah. We ordered one of each and I loved the Mini and Egg version the most. They’re filled to the brim with various vegetables, nuts and delectable chili sauce that gave the whole combination a crunchy finish without guilt. And just so you know, we went back to place another order around 4pm that day and they were all sold out! Make sure you order this early to avoid disappointment.
Egg Popiah, Mini Popiah & Vegetable Popiah (RM2.50 – 3/pc)
Campbell Mini Popiah stall #2: Kong Tai Singapore Hokkien Noodles The plate of Singapore Hokkien Noodles was certainly very different from the Hokkien noodles that I’m used to in KL or Penang. Funny how one name can represent different dishes when it’s ordered from different regions in the country.
Singapore Hokkien noodles (RM8.30) Best of all, their workers all wore the unmistakable signature straw hat! Cute!
Kong Tai Singapore #3: Kum Leen Kee Hokkien Mee If you prefer the local KL version of Hokkien mee, you can check out the stall that easily had the longest queue there! Kum Leen Kee’s Hokkien Mee is fried with plenty of pork lard, pork bits and some shrimps in a thick and gooey black sauce. Some might find it a tad oily but that’s how a good plate of Hokkien mee should be – sinful, oily and fragrant! But make sure you eat this while it’s hot or the oil will start coagulating on the noodles and you definitely won’t want to eat that.
Kum Leen Kee Hokkien Mee (RM8.90)
Kum Leen Kee stall #4: Soong Kee Beef Noodles This came in a bowl of Hakka noodles topped with savoury minced meat of either pork or beef, and had a side of beef balls in soup. The noodles on its own were plain and bland, but give it a good toss with the minced meat and you’ll think otherwise. If you find it too dry, drizzle it with a few spoons of soup and you’re good to go. The side of beef balls, tripe and beef slices were all tender and bouncy, especially the beef balls.
Hakka noodles topped with minced meat (RM6.50 – S/ RM7.50 – L)
Beef balls, beef tripe and beef slices
Soong Kee Beef Noodles stall #5: Ho Weng Kee Wantan Noodles Wantan noodles are usually my default pick when I’m in any food court, especially one that I’m not familiar with. I always thought that wantan mee is a safe choice and that nothing much could go wrong with this dish. Well, not only did it not go wrong, it was really good! The noodles were springy and firm, and the BBQ pork / char siew was lean and fragrant, just the way I like it.
Wan tan Noodles (RM
BBQ pork / char siew at Ho Weng Kee stall #6: Hon Kee Porridge I have blogged about Hon Kee Porridge not once, but twice before, so naturally, my face lit up in delight to know that they, too, have a stall at Lot 10 Hutong. We had their signature Raw Fish Porridge that I always ordered, and the porridge came piping hot as expected. I could never get enough of their satin smooth and delicious porridge that was good even on its own. Of course, adding in the slices of fresh fish slices was just icing to the cake!
Raw Fish Porridge (RM7.80) #7: Oriental Dessert Ice Kacang Ice Kacang, or shaved ice topped with various beans and dressings, is a famous Malaysian dessert that is perfect on a warm afternoon. I loved the fact that Oriental Dessert uses gula melaka or palm sugar in the mix, topped with plenty of red bean, sweet corn, grass jelly, cendol and nuts. Look at the colourful combination! Give it a good mix and enjoy slurping in the crunchy, nutty and sweet goodness.
Ice Kacang (RM4.50)
Mmm.. gula melaka is the bomb!
Oriental Dessert stall #8: Backerei Banana Puff Backerei is the bakery that you will not miss, located just in front of the escalator coming from Ground floor. It offers a variety of pastries and puffs, but what excited me the most was the Banana Puff that we had after our meals. These unassuming puffs did not look very appealing to me at first, especially when I was full from all the dishes I had! But Saucer took a bite of it and said it’s really good and he seldom praised food so much so I had to take a bite too. And I was hooked! It was still warm when I ate it, complete with fluffy pastry and delicious banana filling inside that was not overly sweet. I love love love it!
Banana Puff (RM3.90/piece)
Backerei Stall #9: Hai Peng Coffee at Hutong Coffee Shop It was the first time I heard of the brand Hai Peng but it’s apparently a very famous coffee brand in Kemaman, Terrengganu. Well, now you don’t have to travel all the way to Terrengganu to savour this coffee, for it’s available in the Hutong Coffee Shop here. We tried the cold and hot version, and I found the cold to be sweeter in taste while the hot was more fragrant and thick. No prize for guessing which was a better one!
The thick Hai Peng coffee (RM2.90)
Black and concentrated Hai Peng coffee #10: Ghee Hiang Souvenirs Last but not least, Lot 10 Hutong does not only offer food and beverages for diners there, there is also a stall selling souvenirs in the form of cookies and instant white coffee. Ghee Hiang is easily one of the most recognizable brand in Penang, also claimed to be the oldest one around. Selling various cookies such as Tau Sar Peah, Phong Peah and its signature teelseed oil, you’ll be glad to know that you can get all of them right here in KL.
Tau Sar Peah, Almond Cookies and Teelseed oil
Ghee Hiang stall I think having a food court that combines some of the country’s finest food and cuisine is a brilliant idea, not to mention convenient especially to tourists. No doubt the quality and standard may not be as good as the original stall but I’d say it’s close enough! What’s more, you get to enjoy all of these in a hip shopping mall with air-conditioned comfortable seating environment? I definitely wouldn’t mind a second visit.
Dining area of Lot 10 Hutong food court
Lot 10 Hutong Lot 10 Hutong Food Court |
| Fashion Sense & Trends with Keith Kee Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:55 PM PDT  Many people think that joining the modeling academy is all about catwalk, catwalk and more catwalk. It’s enlightening to know that after joining the Amber Chia Academy, I was not taught just catwalk alone. The class schedule included many bonus talks that are beneficial to models, which I thought was a brilliant way to groom us into a complete package. I mean, if a model can strut the runway with perfect catwalk but has terrible fashion sense or does not know how to socialize, the model certainly cannot go very far, can she? And I believe that’s the same reason why ACA nurtures its students with plenty of courses such as fashion, hair, nutrition as well as public-speaking, to groom them into not just any catwalk models but a professional model.
Fashion Sense and Trends by Keith Kee Last week was the first class we attended without doing catwalk. It was a bonus talk by renowned fashion designer Keith Kee, who is no stranger especially in the bridal fashion industry. I believe I might have even tried on some of his gowns during my own wedding gown fitting!
Body proportion consists of 8 heads Basically, we were taught 3 main topics on Fashion, which are Body Proportion, Colour Combination and Clothing Style. Keith stressed over and over again that the most important element that we have to know about ourselves is our body proportion. Not everyone is born with equal proportion of waist and legs, some might have longer waist (body) and shorter legs while others could be vice-versa. The idea in fashion is to dress ourselves up to create a proportionate body. The normal human height is divided into 8-head length, and a proportionate body should have about 3.5-4 heads at the upper body and 4-4.5 heads at the legs.
Cold and Warm colours Next, we were taught on the colour combination in fashion – the difference between Cold, Warm and Earth colours. Anyone with fashion sense should know that cold and warm colours usually do not match well, so we’re advised to avoid that combination. For me, I always like to combine colours with Earth tones (black, white, brown) to be on the safe side!
Possible colour combinations The fun part about this talk was Keith actually brought in a wardrobe of clothes for us to try on! Each of us was given an assignment to dress according to a particular colour combination. Then, we’re given some time to choose the outfit based on the requirement, try it out and let the others comment on our choice.
The wardrobe of clothes Rebecca was first to go, and I think she was given the colour combination of Earth + Cold? That’s why she ended up with a black dress and a blue belt. Keith commented that her combination was good, and he located her waist to see if her body was proportionate. You see, if a person has a short waist, his advice was to place the belt lower to create the illusion that the waist is longer. The same applies otherwise. In this case though, Rebecca was said to have the correct proportion of waist to legs, so she’s fine with where her waist is.
Rebecca with Earth + Cold combination Some of the other combinations are shown below:
Stephy with Earth + Earth combination
Jolene with Earth + Warm combination
Jia Yi with Warm + Warm combination
Allison with Cold + Cold combination
Jean with Print + Earth Colour
Ai Lin – can you guess her combination? When it came to my turn, I was supposed to look for Print + One Colour combination. My first pick was this tube dress in grey with a striped jacket. But guess what? I could not fit into that size S tube! *embarrassed* So, I returned to the wardrobe and picked what I thought was a safe choice – an elastic maxi dress. *LOL* The dress was flowery and pink, and I had to look for another piece with One Colour to match with it. Due to the limited choices, I only found a white sleeveless piece to go with it, and I think I looked horrendous! Even Keith commented that while my colour combination was correct, the fashion style was off. I had to agree!
Print + One Colour It was also from this class that I found out that my waist to leg ratio was proportionate (yay!), and that I should not wear high-waisted dresses that would make me look like I have a short body! (I certainly have a few of them in my closet |
| 50% Off Kampung Style Ramadhan Buffet Posted: 31 Jul 2011 06:12 PM PDT  It is that time of the year again where the Muslims in the world celebrate Ramadhan, the month of fasting and breaking fast! To commemorate this holy month, many restaurants are offering ‘Buka Puasa’ buffets with various themes. Maytower Hotel & Serviced Residences is one of the many offering Ramadhan buffet, with their concept of ‘Balik Kampung’, which meant plenty of traditional home-style dishes that you would get back in your hometown.
Various appetizers As with all buffet lines, there were three main sections of food – appetizers, main course and desserts. I found the Kerabu Mangga dengan Kacang to be sour and slightly spicy with a nutty finish, whetting up my appetite for the main courses. Be careful not to bite into those fiery bird’s eye chillies though!
Kurma / Dates
Kerabu Mangga dengan Kacang The Rojak Buah was served with plenty of cut fresh fruits centred around a bowl of thick and gooey rojak sauce. Go crazy with your imagination to mix and match according to your own desire.
Rojak Buah
Sup Tulang Of course, how could I miss out on Lemang and Rendang, my two most favourite food during Raya? I’m happy to report that the Lemang at La Maison was moist, soft and fragrant, so much so that I had multiple helpings of it! And I seldom have multiple helpings of anything in a buffet line.
Lemang & Ketupat The Rendang Ayam was flavourful and soft, a sign that it was well-marinated and cooked for long hours. Combining Rendang and Lemang will never fail, but I found out that combining Lemang and Serunding was astounding!
Rendang Ayam Serunding Ayam, or the floss version of chicken rendang, was my new-found love.
Serunding Ayam
Various Main Dishes From the array of main dishes, some of the more memorable items were the Stir-fried Beef with Black Pepper and Bell Pepper and the Kambing Kurma, both of which were tender, juicy and had delicious gravy. I had this with Nasi Tomato and couldn’t get enough of it!
Stir-fried Beef with Black Pepper and Bell Pepper
Ayam Masak Merah Bermadu While the main dishes were pretty good, some of the sides were less impressive, such as the Popiah which had skin too thick for my liking, and the Otak-Otak, which would have tasted better served warm.
Popiah
Otak-otak There was also the unmistakable whole Roasted Lamb with a friendly carver to boot! Just stand in front of the counter and he would be happy to serve you freshly roasted lamb with a smile.
Roasted Lamb
Murtabak Last but not least, desserts came in the form of local cakes and Malay delicacies such as Bubur Durian and nyonya kuih.
Various Malay kuih The good thing about this Ramadhan buffet that they have 7 rotating menus of over 80 appetizers, main dishes and desserts, ensuring you would never get bored of the same spread throughout the whole month. And if you book your place early enough, you will even get to enjoy 50% off the normal price.
Ramadhan Buffet 50% discount While the buffet spread here might not be as extensive or huge, they kept their focus to the theme of ‘Balik Kampung’ and served mostly traditional dishes with good quality. This was definitely the case of quality winning over quantity.
Dining environment at La Maison
La Maison Restaurant at Maytower Hotel & Serviced Residences Ramadhan Buffet is available from 1-31 August 2011 at RM75++/adult. Senior citizens above 55 years old and children (4-12 years old) enjoy a 50% discount. Don’t forget, 50% discount to all diners on the first and last 3 days of Ramadhan! *SPECIAL OFFER: In case you miss out on the 50% discount, book your buffet from this online form to get a special 25% discount at all times! Remember to key in “www.iamthewitch.com” at the Special Request section to ensure you get this exclusive discount! La Maison Restaurant |
| First Video of Modeling Students Posted: 28 Jul 2011 10:23 PM PDT  Ever since I started joining Amber Chia Academy early this month, many of my friends have been pestering me to demonstrate my catwalk in front of them. Naturally, I was always shy and said no.
Amber Chia Academy family Bear in mind that our catwalk was still far from perfect since we had a lot more to polish. Which is the reason why I made this video in the first place – for us to know where our mistakes are right now and to laugh at ourselves when we are better in the future.
Basic Catwalk video from Amber Chia Academy Modeling Pro students P/S: Video quality became poor after uploading to YouTube. I’m trying to upload it to another host to see if I can get a better quality version. Will update here if I manage to do so! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 27 Jul 2011 06:23 PM PDT  No, I’m not in Bangkok, but dining in this restaurant might give you the impression that you are! Located in 1 Utama shopping mall, Good Evening Bangkok is tucked at a corner just next to the rainforest exhibit, and is largely decorated by wooden furniture, plush cushions and colourful lanterns – much like many Thai restaurants in Bangkok do. Couple that with friendly wait staff who were always ready to serve with a smile, it felt like we were in Thailand indeed. Of course, never judge a book by its cover, they say, so we started placing our orders before jumping to conclusions.
What’s cooking? While waiting for our food to arrive, I had a sip of the Thai Iced Tea, presented in a tall glass with 3 distinct layers of palm sugar (gula melaka), milk and tea. Make sure you give it a good stir before slurping! Although the drink was fragrant with the taste of palm sugar, I found it to be too sweet for my liking. Perhaps it would have been better with a little less sugar and a bit more tea.
Thai Iced Tea (RM9) For appetizer, we shared a plate of Crispy Catfish and Mango Salad, my favourite salad in a Thai restaurant! The catfish was light and crispy, while the mango shreds were crunchy, sour and spicy. Such a mouth-watering combination that left us hungry for more!
Yam Pla Duk Fu / Crispy Catfish and Mango Salad (RM17.90) The Thai Fish Cake was served with a glistening golden layer, piping hot from the wok. These were unlike the Chinese fish cakes, for they were darker in colour and had a slightly sour finish to it, possibly from the addition of kaffir lime leaves. They’re also less bouncy ‘QQ’ compared to the former, but definitely more tasty. Don’t forget the nutty and garlicky dip!
Tho Man Pla / Thai Fish Cake served with Sweet Chili Sauce (RM13.90) Riding on the wave of appetizers, we had the Deep Fried Prawn wrapped in Wanton Skin served with Plum Sauce. These were such a delight to eat! Just pop the whole thing into the mouth and start munching away. The skin was paper thin, light and golden brown – though a minor gripe was it was a tad oily. Still, they were pretty addictive as appetizers.
Goong Hom Sa Bai / Deep Fried Prawn wrapped in Wanton Skin served with Plum Sauce (RM14.90) Of course, dining in a Thai restaurant meant lots and lots of spicy soup that we fondly know as Tom Yam.
Tom Yam Goong / Spicy Tom Yam Soup with River Prawn (RM15.90)
Tom Yam Talay / Spicy Tom Yam Soup with Seafood (RM12.90) Even though I would still prefer the red version due to familiarity and the less sour taste, the clear tom yam managed to tickle my fancy due to its extra spicy and sour flavour that provided a sudden kick in the aftertaste. I have a high tolerance towards spiciness but this, this made me perspire! Try it at your own risk.
Tom Yam Poh Teak / Spicy Clear Tom Yam Soup (RM12.90) Another common Thai dish was the Stir Fried Beef with Hot Basil Leaves, or in fact, any meat with basil leaves. The basil leaves emitted a unique flavour unlike no other herbs, such that you either hate it or love it. Me? I just couldn’t get enough of the tender beef slices!
Nue Sab Phad Kra Prow / Stir Fried Beef with Hot Basil Leaves (RM17.90) Another star of the night was the Steamed Siakap with Lime and Chillies, a dish that Saucer would usually order. My usual complaint on this dish would be that the fish was not fresh or it was overcooked. Thankfully, Good Evening Bangkok managed to maintain the freshness of the fish with the extra spicy and sour soupy gravy that had us all sweating.
Pia Kapong Nueng Manow / Steamed Siakap with Lime and Chilies (RM47.90) Who doesn’t love Pandan Leaves Chicken? The pieces of well-marinated boneless chicken wrapped with fragrant pandan leaves were just too good to ignore even when our tummies were full. Best eaten while it’s hot, the chicken was extremely tasty, tender and juicy.
Gai Hor Bai Tuey / Pandan Leaves Chicken served with Thai Chili Sauce (RM17.90)
Phak Bung Prik Kapi / Stir Fried Kangkung with Belacan and Garlic (RM13.90) Last but not least, to satisfy the sweet buds in all of us, we had desserts! The Mango with Sticky Rice is always my favourite pick because I love mangoes! And Thai restaurants somehow always manage to serve the sweetest mangoes, don’t you think so? The same applies here – huge, juicy and incredibly sweet mango to go with the sticky rice dipped in coconut cream. Decadent!
Khao Neow Ma Moung / Mango with Sticky Rice (RM12) The Tab Tim Krob or Red Rubies came in a generous portion topped with slices of jack fruit, while the Sago Yam with Coconut Milk tasted very similar to bubur cha cha, except that this version only had yam. Anything common in these desserts? Coconut! If you don’t already know, the Thais use a lot of coconut not only in their desserts but also in their dishes. My suggestion is for you to share these rich and sinful desserts so as not to feel guilty later.
Tab Thim Krob
Sagoo Plerak Thai Style / Sago Yam with Coconut Milk (RM8) That night, I left the restaurant satisfied and contented, especially after a good sweat (we sat outdoors). I love the dining ambience here as much as the spicy tom yam and steamed fish. That, and the reason that it’s within a shopping mall, made this a convenient choice for food while doing what Malaysians love in their free time – shopping!
Dining environment of Good Evening Bangkok
Good Evening Bangkok, One Utama PS: They provide delivery service too! Contact Butler Deliveries for more information:
Good Evening Bangkok |
| Bloggers Without Borders – Update! Posted: 26 Jul 2011 06:16 PM PDT  If you still remember a couple of weeks back, I did a post on Hotlink’s Prepaid Data Roaming contest – Bloggers without Borders, asking for your votes to send me to Philippines. Well, the contest officially ended last week and the traveling period was to be this week. Unfortunately, none of us in the Food category was able to make it for the trip in the specified duration.
Apology video – don’t laugh! In case you don’t have access to YouTube, I’m going to summarize what I said in the video here: I made the video last week, and the trip was supposed to be this week but I was recently bombarded with work such that I couldn’t take a whole week off. Last but not least, please don’t be mad at me. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:15 PM PDT  Besides knowing the right technique to walk and pose, the facial expression of a model is also important. As mentioned in the first post, a model is supposed to sell products through body language alone. The emotion we portray, the look in our eyes, the way we pose all make an impact to the audience. At Amber Chia Academy, we are taught to portray a facial expression that is serious but not fierce.
What are the girls doing? During our 5th class, we were taught to create the model facial expression, by, loosely speaking, squinting our eyes. The technique to squint the eyes is to move the lower eye lid up instead of moving the upper eye lid down. Doing the latter would make us look like we’re frowning or worst, like we did not have enough sleep. Hence, we had to train ourselves to just move the lower eye lie muscles up to create that sexy, smouldering look.
Failed attempt And it’s a pretty hilarious process! We were asked to hold our index finger in front of us and to focus our eyes on that finger, while squinting them until the finger became blur. You could see all kinds of funny faces in the mirror while we tried to get it right!
Before
After In one of our classes, we also had the privilege of Ethel Cho as our guest instructor. She’s extremely experienced and apparently coached Andrews’ Models before. One thing though, she’s also very strict! Never a smile during class and always straightforward with her instructions. Strict as she was, I found that I learnt a lot from her during that one class because she pushed us by making us walk rounds and rounds while giving us constructive feedback.
Ethel Cho as our guest instructor In our 6th class, we were all asked to strut down the studio individually, doing the full catwalk starting with a pose at the beginning, another pose at the end, a half turn around, walk back to the original point and a full turn before exiting. Confusing? Take a look at the video to get a better picture.
Feliz striking her first pose
Still remember Lulu?
Basic catwalk Can’t believe 6 weeks of classes just flew by! Classes will start again today after the weekend. Stay tuned for more updates! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 24 Jul 2011 09:06 PM PDT  Cocktails, ever wondered why they’re named as such? A combination of at least one alcoholic drink with another mixer – a cocktail, is simply a bartender’s avenue to unleash their imagination. This is where they can mix and match according to their creativity, only the sky is the limit. Recently, I was invited to a Cocktail tasting event held at View Rooftop Bar, G Tower. It was my second visit there, after attending the launch of Kronenbourg Blanc earlier.
Freshly prepared cocktail There were six types of cocktails presented, each centered around Absolut Vodka. The first of the lot was Absolut South Beach, which contained 50ml of Absolut, 25ml of Lemon JC, 20ml of Sugar Syrup and 8 Mint Leaves. I took a sip of this and found this to be very sour due to the lemon content in it. Not a fan of this but Saucer loved this, or anything with lemon in it.
Absolut South Beach The Absolut Passion Tini was a mixture of 50ml of Absolut, 30ml of Passion fruit, 20ml of Lemon JC and 15ml Vanilla Syrup. Finish off with vanilla bud on the side of the glass. Love the colour of this drink and the vanilla bud as an extra touch to complete the delicate look.
Absolut Passion Tini The next drink I tried was the pink Absolut Strawberry Basil Smash, which tasted more potent than it looked. Consisted of 50ml of Absolut, ice, 4 fresh strawberries, 6 basil leaves and 100ml of lemon JC, this drink packed a punch. It was sour with a hint of basil herb, with a strong lemony finish. Needless to say, not my type of drink.
Absolut Strawberry Basil Smash At this point, I was getting a bit fed-up. Isn’t there any drinks without Lemon in it? Fortunately, the Absolut Pineapple Cardamon Martini came to the rescue. A combination of 50ml of Absolut, 15ml of Cardamon sugar syrup, 50ml of Pineapple JC and 3 pieces of Cardamon seeds, this was my favourite of the night! The pineapple taste was strong, sweet and slightly sour while the cardamon seeds added just a hint of spiciness to the drink. The taste of cardamon was very similar to curry leaves, but a milder version. This was the perfect combination for me and I had multiple glasses of it.
Absolut Pineapple Cardamon Martini The Absolut Apple Rosemary Martini was mixed with 50ml of Absolut, 4 fresh strawberries, 6 basil leaves and 100ml of lemon JC.
Absolut Apple Rosemary Martini Last but not least, the Absolut Cinnamon Martini had 50ml of Absolut, half a green apple, 15ml of sugar syrup, 15ml of lemon JC and a pinch of cinnamon powder. I thought the addition of cinnamon in a cocktail was a pretty brilliant idea, to give it more dimension and depth. Also, the presentation with a cinnamon stick on top did make it that more attractive.
Absolut Cinnamon Martini Besides the cocktail tasting, we were treated to a live demonstration of cocktail preparation by the in-house mixologist, Junior. Just look at how passionate he was when he did his thing, with closed eyes and all.
Junior shaking it hard
Can you guess this cocktail’s name? It was indeed an eye-opening experience, to be exposed to the various types of cocktail that can be mixed with Absolut Vodka alone, and to observe a live demonstration from the bartender. It was also during that night that I discovered my favourite cocktail of them all!
Double dosage of Pineapple Martini anyone?
View from the View Rooftop Bar View Rooftop Bar |
| Start the Day with Austin Chase Posted: 23 Jul 2011 07:13 PM PDT  Can’t believe it’s Sunday already! Weekend just seem to have flown by, as always. Today’s post is going to be a short one, before I head out for breakfast!
Breakfast set of scrambled eggs, toast, baked beans and hash browns It was around 11am on a weekend, when Saucer and I were in the Gardens deciding what to have for brunch. We were not extremely hungry, so the sight of the breakfast sets at Austin Chase caught our attention. They have a choice of 6 sets, with prices ranging from RM6.90 to RM10.90, inclusive of a mug of brewed coffee.
All-day breakfast sets at Austin Chase If you’re not keen on regular brews, there’s even an option to upgrade it with a minimal fee of RM3 to a latte, RM4.50 for flavoured coffee or RM5 for a frappe. If you total up the price of the breakfast set with the upgrade fee, it amounts to the a la carte price of the coffee itself. Which means that the food is, in other words, free!
Austin Chase Latte (upgrade at RM3) We tried the Set 6 - Salmon with Baked Bean and Hash Brown. The set came with 2 pieces of golden hash browns, toasts topped with salmon and scrambled eggs, and a side of baked beans. I must say that I love the hash browns tremendously! They’re not overly oily, had a crispy outer layer and gloriously soft insides – simply decadent. Even Saucer who’s extra careful with oily food couldn’t stop himself from taking a bite, a few bites actually.
Set 6 – Salmon with Baked Beans and Hash Brown (RM10.90) We love the hash browns so much that our second set was a combination of Scrambled Eggs and Hash Browns – a generous portion that turned out to be more filling that it looked.
Set 4 – Scrambled Eggs and Hash Brown (RM10.90) Apart from the all-day breakfast (some people don’t wake up at 8am during the weekends, you know
Dining environment at Austin Chase Writing this post has indeed stirred up my hungers and my cravings for scrambled eggs. Thank goodness there are eggs in the fridge.
Austin Chase, The Gardens Mid Valley Austin Chase at The Gardens (other locations) |
| Guest Instructor at the Academy Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:48 PM PDT  First of all, let me apologize for the lack of updates this week, especially on food. The truth is, I have been attending modeling classes for 4 nights in a row that I did not even have the chance to eat.
Warm up session It has been 2 weeks of classes so far and trust me, catwalk is not easy. Many a time, we would look at runway shows thinking that what the models do is just walk, like what every normal human being does. Yes, everyone can walk, but if one is asked to walk in front of hundreds of people, in a pair of killer heels and with confidence, not everyone can do it. I'm speaking from my own experience, because when I'm asked to do a catwalk in front of my class of 12 girls, I would automatically become nervous and stiff. Just 12 persons as my audience and I'm already freaking out, what more with a hundred strangers?
Warming up session So what do we do in our third and fourth classes? As usual, we started our session with warming up our legs. Since we were not able to balance ourselves well on one foot, we had to use the mirror as our assistant. The same routine applies – lift one leg up 90 degrees for 10 seconds, and stretch is straight for another 10 seconds. Continue with the next leg, and repeat the cycle for about 5 times.
Lift one leg up 90 degrees
Stretch it straight Then, we were asked to walk with a pole behind our backs, to ensure that our shoulders would always be pulled back instead of hunching forward.
Doing the basic catwalk – up
Doing the basic catwalk – and down
Look who dropped by? During one of the lessons, we were honoured to have a guest instructor, who is an experienced model called Kit Leu. Standing tall and slender, she had the poise and confidence of an international model when she strutted down the studio. Needless to say, everyone was impressed.
Guest instructor Kit Leu
“Always look at the mirror to check your posture” She analyzed each of our walk and told us what was wrong and what needed to be improved. I was always asked to straighten my leg and to walk in a straight line. Apparently, my left leg crossed more than my right leg when I walked, so I had the tendency to sway to the right.
Personal coaching from Kit We certainly benefited a lot from her, since she gave us very useful tips and comments as someone who's observing us for the first time. Really, guest instructors are sometimes good to give us fresh assessment and a second opinion.
Kit showing us how it’s done Before I end the post, let me share another interview with another modeling student.
Allyson, 24
|
Anyway, this version from the neighbouring country down south was wet, fragrant and had a generous amount of pork lard in it. Topped with shredded egg and shrimps, I found this best to be eaten with a pinch of lime juice and chili sauce provided on the side, giving this a sour, spicy and savoury combination that was oh-so-addictive.
But we both also agreed that it’s due to his limited wardrobe, and he said I’d look better without the white sleeveless piece. 
) Well, we learn something new everyday, don’t we? 
| You are subscribed to email updates from iamthewitch Food and Travel Escapades To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment