iamthewitch.com |
- Diet for a Model
- Recipes & Hari Raya Centrepieces by Just Heavenly
- First Impressions & Communication Skills of A Model
- Springy Ramen Santouka at Tokyo Street
- Posing & Expression with Amber Chia
- 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!
| Posted: 11 Aug 2011 08:55 PM PDT  When I started joining modeling classes at Amber Chia Academy, I was under the impression that everyone of us would be asked to go on diets, to lose weight and to be stick-thin by the end of the course. And being the food-lover that I am, I was pretty worried about that. Luckily, although some of us were indeed advised to lose weight, we were not advised to do so drastically or through aggressive crash diets. This was all made clear when we were given a talk by Benny Ng, a nutritionist, on what a model’s diet should be.
Diet for a model
Benny Ng giving his talk He started the talk by showing us the conventional food pyramid, the triangular diagram that shows the recommended intake for each group of food. Obviously, the guideline has changed throughout the years, and carbohydrates (rice, bread, pasta) are no longer recommended as the food group with the biggest portion.
The old food pyramid Instead, the USDA has introduced a new and simpler method of dividing food groups on a plate, known as MyPlate. According to this NY Times article, MyPlate was a crucial part of Mrs. Obama’s campaign against obesity, and to remind consumers about the importance of a healthy diet. From the plate diagram, the biggest difference I noticed was that fruits and vegetables are now the biggest portion in a diet, as compared to rice and bread in the food pyramid. Also, the amount of dairy is reduced and there is no indication of fatty food on the plate. Personally I think this healthy diet makes so much more sense compared to the food pyramid, not to mention simpler to follow. As long as half of our daily diet consists of fruits and vegetables, we’re good.
MyPlate replacing the Food Pyramid According to Benny, as models, the consumption of alcohol is almost inevitable, especially during functions and or after-show events. The shocking revelation that I found out that night was that excessive amount of alcohol could actually be converted to fat! But that’s not to say that we should avoid alcohol completely. A drink a day for female or 2 drinks a day for male is actually good for the body. Just remember everything should be in moderation.
Alcohol consumption Also, we were taught on how to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI), a common term to gauge whether one is over- or underweight, by dividing the body’s weight with the height squared. Do you have a healthy BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI) Now for the part that we were most interested in, how to lose weight safely. True enough, crash diets, Atkin’s diet or anything of that sort is not recommended. Those are just short-term solutions that are hard to maintain, not to mention stripping off your body from essential nutrients. The healthy weight loss is about 0.5-1kg per week. In order to achieve that, we should reduce our daily calories by 500kcal and increase our physical activity to burn another 500kcal. In total, that would be 1000kcal burnt, resulting in a 1kg loss a week. If you only reduce your daily food intake by 500kcal without doing the extra physical activity, that would be a reduction of 500kcal or 0.5kg per week. Sounds straightforward enough?
How to lose weight safely A person’s normal calorie intake is about 2000kcal a day, so to follow the plan above would be reducing it to 1500kcal a day. Now, what would the diet of a 1500kcal be like? Look at the sample diet below, I’m surprised that the recommended food is actually pretty well-balanced (nothing of that fruits and water only sort of diet) and achieving less than 1500kcal a day is not that hard. In fact, the diet even included a night snack, something I thought was an absolute no-no to reduce weight. I guess I was wrong.
A sample diet The slide below shows some of the low calorie food that you could include in your diet. I noticed that bean sprouts have really low calories per 100g! OK from now on I should eat more bean sprouts to make me full without adding on too much calories. LOL!
Top 10 low calorie foods Last but not least, the talk ended with Benny advising us to practice a healthy diet by having food in moderation. Also, alcoholic or caffeinated drinks should be avoided if possible. This talk enlightened me that models can eat like other normal people too. It doesn’t mean that they have to starve themselves or go on crash diets. That’s definitely good news for me.
Picture of our class students Note: This is Part 9 of a series of my experience being a modeling student at Amber Chia Academy. Check out the remaining parts here. |
| Recipes & Hari Raya Centrepieces by Just Heavenly Posted: 09 Aug 2011 07:25 PM PDT  Can you smell it? The end of the holy month of Ramadan and the beginning of Syawal, marking the celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, is just around the corner. That means all things good – holidays, friends, family and most definitely – food! In conjunction with this festive season, Just Heavenly has come up with a brilliant idea to introduce Centrepieces to everyone. These are exceptionally gorgeous themed cakes that could be used either as decorative centrepieces on a table laden with food, or even as unique gifts during visiting. 1. Bulan Ramadhan Stars light the night sky of Ramadhan with your blessings as your loved ones receive this beautiful cake. Available as our famous CHOCOLATE and traditional SUGEE FRUIT in 9" round (approx 1.8kg), 11"x11"(approx 4.2kg), and 11"x 22"(approx 8.5kg) and from RM188 onwards.
Bulan Ramadhan 2. Wau Malaysia This centrepiece was created with the iconic Wau. Flying high in the wind and from your heart to your loved ones for their Raya table. Available as our famous CHOCOLATE and traditional SUGEE FRUIT in 9" round (approx 1.8kg), 11"x11"(approx 4.2kg), and 11"x 22"(approx 8.5kg) and from RM208 onwards.
Wau Malaysia 3. Pelita Ramadhan A flickering flame lights your path with God’s blessings which are passed on to the recipient when you give them this gorgeous centerpiece. Available as our famous CHOCOLATE and traditional SUGEE FRUIT in 9" round (approx 1.8kg), 11"x11"(approx 4.2kg), and 11"x 22"(approx 8.5kg) and from RM198 onwards.
Pelita Ramadhan 4. Plant Zombies – RM18 each
Plant Zombies 5. Angry Birds RM120 for all of them inclusive of the slingshot and the presentation tray.
Angry Birds cupcakes To add to the festive mood, Nigel of Just Heavenly was kind to share with us two of his prized recipes. The first was the Spiced Date Cake, a simple recipe that does not even require the mixer. Watch the video below to see what I mean. Spiced Date Cake Recipe
A video on how to make Spiced Date Cake
Nigel showing off his ingredients
Ingredients from (A)
Spiced Date Cake
Moist and dense cross-section of the cake Nougat / Torrone Recipe I LOVE Nougat! So I was especially excited with this recipe, since I never thought nougat making can be so fun!
Video on how to make Nougat
A Whiff of Lemon?
Freshly beaten egg whites with sugar syrup – glorious!
Nougat / Torrone It was such a fun and informative evening with great food and lovely company. Do try out the recipes, I know I’m going to try making the nougat soon. More information on the Raya centrepieces can be found here. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| First Impressions & Communication Skills of A Model Posted: 08 Aug 2011 07:00 PM PDT  It was a Tuesday when it happened – BANG! And all of us were shocked out of our skin in the midst of our conversations. We were, in fact, all sitting and chatting in the classroom while waiting for our guest speaker to arrive that night. True to the saying, “Starting with a bang”, she did so, literally. It turned out that she did not notice the glass door to the room and walked right through it, resulting in a sharp, resounding bang that sent echo throughout the whole building. It must have hurt. There she was, Cassandra Patrick, our speaker of the night, still rubbing her forehead from the mini accident.
A blank paper on everyone’s back Still, she laughed at herself, popping a silly joke about how she was clumsy and made us warm up to her immediately. So, that was it – our first impression of her, and it was definitely a memorable one. Cassandra Patrick is no longer a stranger in the world of modeling, having won several beauty pageants and graced many fashion shows. She was there to give us a talk on first impressions and a model’s communication skills.
Writing down our first impression To start off the session, she gave all of us a piece of white paper, with the instruction of sticking that piece of paper onto our backs. Then, each of us was supposed to go around and write down our first impression of the person with the paper, anonymously. So we went around writing on people’s backs, without them knowing who wrote which comment.
Stephy’s back It was quite an interesting way to find out what the others think of us, without them telling us to our face. My piece of paper contained mostly one thing – “You are so tall!” Well, now I know for sure what most people think of me when they first meet me!
Comments on my back
Comments on Allison’s back Cassandra spoke really well about what it’s like to be a model for about one hour, and I managed to take home some important pointers from the talk:
Picture with Cassandra Patrick Thanks to Cass, we felt so much more inspired and confident with ourselves now. By having an experienced model sharing her experience and wisdom with us only further prepared us for the modeling world outside, a competitive one in that. Now tell me, which other modeling academy goes so far to ensure our readiness? Note: This is Part 8 of a series of my experience being a modeling student at Amber Chia Academy. Check out the remaining parts here. |
| Springy Ramen Santouka at Tokyo Street Posted: 07 Aug 2011 09:22 PM PDT 
It was to my greatest delight to find that the well-known ramen chain from Hokkaido, Santouka Ramen has now landed on our shores, starting at Tokyo Street, Pavilion KL. According to their history, they strive to provide a classic ramen for all to enjoy, made with a simple soup that could be savored to the last spoonful and topped with fabulous Char-siu pork, creating a masterfully assembled ramen whose superior ingredients and magnificent, robust flavor would truly stand out and long-lasting. It’s seriously non-halal!
Shio Ramen ready to be eaten We started the meal with their signature dish, the Tokusen Toroniku, which is essentially pork cheek slices with that tender bite and melt-in-your-mouth fatty layer. Pork cheek meat is extremely rare since there’s only 200-300g of it in each pig, making this a prized item that is highly sought after. And I can understand why – the rich taste and fatty meat blended together definitely pushed all the right buttons.
Tokusen Toroniku (Pork cheek char siu) I tried their Caesar Salad as well, which was interesting topped with a runny half-boiled egg and plenty of crumbs, making it a mixture of texture – crunchy, creamy and crumbly.
Caesar Salad The Komi Tamago may not look like an interesting dish to order but this boiled egg turned out to be a visual eye-candy! A cut through the middle of the egg revealed semi-runny yolk which was extremely decadent. The flavoured and savoury egg white combined with the glorious egg yolk proved to be a combination that would not fail.
Komi Tamago Some other appetizers we tried with the Tori Karaage (deep fried chicken) and Tori Gyoza (pan-fried dumplings). The karaage was served burning hot with exceptionally crispy skin that was too hard to resist, resulting in my burnt tongue.
Tori Karaage
Tori Gyoza Last but not least, of course we had to try the ramen at a ramen shop. Their signature ramen is the Shio Ramen, which had a mild and creamy soup seasoned with salt, topped with a Japanese pickled plum. I did not try this since I was in the mood for something spicy, but comments from fellow diners who had this were all good!
Shoyu Ramen (RM22.50 – S, RM25 – M) I, on the other hand, tried the Kara-Miso Ramen which was a soup with spicy soybean paste flavour. Don’t be scared away by the bright red broth for I found the level of spiciness to be pretty tolerable. In fact, it was spicy enough to keep me going, but without making me break buckets of sweat.
Kara-Miso Ramen (RM24.50 – S, RM27 – M)
The firm and springy ramen Dining at Hokkaido Santouka Ramen was a no-frills, fuss-free experience, with a simple one-page menu that focused on ramen, ramen and more ramen. Stick to the basics of Shio Ramen and pork cheek and you won’t leave the place disappointed!
Dining environment at Hokkaido Santouka Ramen
Hokkaido Santouka Ramen Since I was already in the vicinity of Tokyo Street, I couldn’t help but take some pictures of the area, and that famous banner at the entrance that so many people were posing with!
Tokyo Street banner at the entrance
Some of the shops at Tokyo Street Hokkaido Santouka Ramen |
| Posing & Expression with Amber Chia Posted: 04 Aug 2011 10:00 PM PDT  Throughout the whole Modeling Pro course at Amber Chia Academy, we met with a great deal of different instructors ranging from Ben the catwalk guru, to Kit Leu and Ethel, both experienced models, as well as Keith Kee the fashion designer. Finally, it was time for the principal, no other than Amber Chia herself, to impart some of her wisdom on us! Amber Chia was there for the 2.5-hour class to teach us how to pose and express ourselves facially on camera. When we think of her pose, the sexy and pouty lips look would immediately come to mind. The question is, will we be able to do that signature expression of hers?
Amber Chia giving us tips on facial expression and posing Class started with doing some facial warm-ups to relax our muscles and neck before starting the poses. Due to limited time, we were taught only one facial expression on camera, that is the sexy, seductive look that is supposed to entice the clients to pick us.
Lining up in front of the camera I wish I could say that it’s just a piece of cake to get one look right, but it’s not. Everyone has different facial features and flaws, so each of us will have our own ‘good’ angle. And to find that good angle, we need to experiment, experiment and experiment! It’s really quite tiring! The basic steps to remember is to work with the eyes and the lips. As Amber says, the eyes and lips can tell a story, so work with them!
Stephy with her sexy look It was really funny going around and seeing my classmates making their sexy faces to my camera! Do you think they nailed it?
Ai Lin & Rebecca with their sexy pose Before you continue reading, may I just ask you all NOT to laugh?
Practicing in front of the camera
Allison with her pose I believe my weakness was controlling my eyes to be more soft and sultry. Sometimes in the process of ‘softening’ the look of my eyes, my vision became blur and muscles started twitching. LOL!
The girls practicing This was how I looked like attempting the sexy look. Do you think the client will want to hire me if they see this look on my profile?
Attempting the sexy look Even though the talk was short, it was very informative. We could see Amber transforming her face into various expressions within seconds – sexy, sad, surprised, happy, angry – you name it, she can do it. To learn all her other expressions would require a whole standalone course on itself! Which is why she is starting a 6-week course called Modeling Advanced Photo & Video that is taught all by herself just on how to pose. Definitely a course to take for anyone who wants to venture into print ad.
with the principal of Amber Chia Academy Next class: Public speaking and communication skills by Cassandra Patrick. Stay tuned! Note: This is Part 7 of a series of my experience being a modeling student at Amber Chia Academy. Check out the remaining parts here. |
| 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 (RM7.90)
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 Note: This is Part 6 of a series of my experience being a modeling student at Amber Chia Academy. Check out the remaining parts here. |
| 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! Note: This is Part 5 of a series of my experience being a modeling student at Amber Chia Academy. Check out the remaining parts here. 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 |
) Well, we learn something new everyday, don’t we? 
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