2015: The Ups and Downs

Today, like a book; we've come to the last page of the year. Page 365 of 365.

Most people do summaries in just a short paragraph on how 2015 has been for them. I'm a wordy being, in case you haven't realised! :D

So, the most commonly said phrased today would be "time flies" and it IS true. But what matters most is to reflect on what happened in the past 12 months. Here's mine...

January 2015

The year started off with a *pop*. I tendered my first resignation in my career. It was a move to enhance my portfolio and also to test how much I could be stretched further.

I was blessed with a smartphone and hence, FINALLY grew out of my ancient half-touchscreen-half-keypad Nokia phone! :)

February 2015

 

It was time to bid farewell to the Firm who has groomed me for the past 3 years. It was a choice made for the better good. Nonetheless, I'm truly grateful for the people, work life, friendships built and moments created. Nothing would ever replace those 3 years of foundation.

In the name of farewell, we did outrageous stuff. I love singing Karaoke, and we sang for 7 frickin' straight hours and left the mall, back to the office at 2am the next day. Have I mentioned that it was quite a memorable piece of my life? :)

To the team who has watched me grow, including those who are not in this photo... youknowwhoyouguysare, Thank You all from the bottom of my heart. Thank You for the time invested, patience, guidance and for being through parts, if not throughout the 3 years of my tenure with the Firm. May CPTX3 continue to remain bonded and grow stronger!

I spent time preparing with Chinese New Year and it was an eye-opener at how much work needs to be done just to ensure that Chinese New Year is the grandest of all occasions throughout the year.

Soon after, I started off my new chapter at the Number 1 Firm in Malaysia. It was a blessing in many forms and I am grateful when it all fell into place.

March 2015

Came the month when 2 of the most important men in my life were at their weakest points. Ken Wooi went from this (refer photo above), to....

This handsome young chap with NO GLASSES, ANYMORE! :D

April 2015

(Photo credits: Mr Ho)

Attended my first ever Company trip throughout my "career" - Away Day @ Avani Sepang Gold Coast.

I was ecstatic because, well, who doesn't like a short weekend getaway!? What's even better? Fully sponsored by the Firm/Bosses! :D

May 2015

It was my month and everything that happened throughout was simply beautiful. A whole green tea cheese cake to call mine (thanks, Love), celebratory meals after meals after meals, rolling pin and a hipster purse as birthday presents, and many other simple moments enough to light up my month.

Thank You, Lord. :)

June 2015

Meeting Marina courtesy of the Firm's Diversity Week. She's such an inspiration and I admire her for her boldness and honesty in her simple speech. No sugar coating, just being who she is.

July 2015

July, being his month; I had tax filings to juggle alongside. It's a feat every single year but we pulled through. Thankful for his understanding and here's his FRIES CAKE!! Last year I gave him a Burger Cake hahahaha :D

August 2015

We lost my paternal grandmother. I'd admit that I felt a tinge of regret but I didn't let it get the better of me because I believe that gramma is in a much better place now, free from worldly sufferings. It was also a "Joyful Departure" because she passed away at the age of 90 (according to the Lunar Calendar).

It was a first for me. Losing someone this closely related to me. It was... not quite a shocker, but I wished we had more time together. We bid farewell without tears for most of the send-off journey. We were told to remove all foot wear, and put on white socks and in the photo above, our socks-clad feet were sizzling on the scorching hot tar road. A symbolic ceremony, they called it. The final departure.

What's new to me was that we were then told to be dressed in RED RED RED RED RED after the send-off as a sign of celebratory of gramma's passing on. Joyful Departure, remember?

I'm still not quite used to gramma having left us. Chinese New Year 2016 would be different, so different without her. I miss her stories of the years during the Japanese occupation and how she would repeat the stories without even realising it. Heh.

I miss her.

September 2015

Hello Kitty-fying his room is my life mission. Nuff said! Then came pillows, plushies and everything else. HEH

October 2015

I know this is the photo yall would be MOST INTERESTED IN hahahahaha

Yes, The Proposal at the Top of Europe - Jungfraujoch.

As we've mentioned, this was indeed a trip of a lifetime! The proposal was a total surprise to me as I didn't see it coming, at all. Despite having friends who kept telling me that he might pop the question, I brushed them all off, because, well... if it's gonna happen, then it will.

Thank You for making me your lucky girl. :)

November 2015

Spent the second last month of the year adjusting back to the usual routine after our trip of a lifetime.

The family gathered in memory of gramma's 100th day since passing on. No tears but gratefulness, that because of gramma, we are gathered together again in Malacca.

I also did impulsive stuff like meeting up with Kor during his 1-hour flight transit time while waiting for the next flight back down South. That's how much I love my Kor :)

December 2015

A celebratory month of Christmas, Winter Solstice and the end to a beautiful year!

It was truly a colorful year of experiences. However, I do have to say that it wasn't the most accomplished year for me ever since coming of age. Nonetheless, I'd say that I've much more to be grateful for than to sulk about. Life is all about the balance and seeking the joy in adversities.

Here's a toast to the colorful year soon to pass, and a fruitful & healthier 2016!

BLESSED NEW YEAR TO YOU! Thanks for letting me share my year 2015 with you! :D

Nando's Lover is Me!

A month ago, Dad told me I've got mail. You see, I don't usually get mails at the postbox other than occasional air mails friends would kindly send me when they were based overseas for tertiary education. We all know I'm well passed that phase right now. Hah!

I saw a nicely sealed "envelope" on the common table bearing my name and opened it with much excitement. The flip side had Nando's logo printed on it. First thought that came to my mind, "hmm, another marketing gimmick?"

Click to enlarge!

As you can see, it's a reward for my love for Nando's!

My love for Nando's is one that people around me can testify. LOL and the best Nando's outlet by far, in terms of customer experience is the one at Taipan, USJ. I briefly wrote about it in January 2013 when the outlet was fairly new.

Anyways! Long story short, I was thrilled to receive such an awesome goodie!

Best of all, it's not a goodie on purchase. IT'S ABSOLUTELY FREE. Can't get anymore Asian than this. :P

Nine choices to choose from...

I had a tough time picking from the lot because I'd always have the usuals of 1/4 chicken w 2 sides. Suddenly I had to deviate from the norm and the burgers/pita/wrap all looked so enticing!

Beefy Gatecrasher

I was torn between the Nandoca's Choice vs. Beefy Gatecrasher.

What was appealing about Nandoca's Choice was the butterflied chicken which comes at a premium if I were to pick that with my usual 1/4 chicken w sides.

Beefy Gatecrasher however enticed me with it being BEEF. Beef isn't exactly Nando's forte. So I ended up giving this a try! Ok la, part of the reason why I chose this was because it was the most worth-it choice of the lot LOL Asian...

The staff at Nando's Sunway Pyramid was pretty helpful. Fully aware that the voucher allows for dine-in only, I requested for a kind favor to opt for a takeout instead as I'd be dining alone.

They were kind enough to do so and pre-empt me on the waiting time if I were to opt for the Beefy option. With that, I went strolling around the nearby shops and came back after 20 minutes.

HUNGER!

My Nando's takeout. Mmmmmm~ It smell so good throughout the car ride home. There's even 2 packets of complimentary Peri-peri sauce.

 

Frame-grilled

First sight of my beefy-licious thang! In my mind, I was thinking... "Oh so this is what a toasted Portugese roll looks like" :D

Temptation

The beef steak was well paired with fresh rockets, pickled onions and red pepper dip. The sauce was amazing! The beef fillet was a lil tough, but texture was as expected because it's a fillet (duh!). As compared to the usual burgers where mince are commonly used, this was a mouthful twist to the norm.

PERi-PERi sauce

The perfect topping to a Nando's meal. With this, nothing can go wrong. My favourite is still the Garlic PERi-PERi sauce but I'll have it another day when I pair it with my usuals!

All in all, it was a PERinaise meal!

Looking forward to my next visit :D Once again, thank YOU, Nando's Malaysia! :D

Purple Pasta Restaurant & Café @ Oasis Square

Oasis Damansara is a fairly new development in recent years. Slowly, but surely, it has gained quite a reputation for hipster cafes in the vicinity and even high end eateries, such as Royal Flush.

After yet another long hiatus, I'm back with a simple review of a no-frills eatery - Purple Pasta Cafe located at Oasis Square. This is where you can find affordable, homemade-ish tasting pastas. Nothing over the top. Simply good enough for our liking.

Contrary to the name of the cafe, there's nothing particularly purple about it. Not the outlook, interior... not even the pastas. Okay, perhaps its just the color of the signboard LOL

Outlook of Purple Pasta

Service was prompt and warm.

Buzzer and menu

WiFi is also available in the eatery. But of course, by no means am I encouraging you to have a phone screen in between your dining partner(s). Heh Flip on to the menu!

Menu in a glance

So I was asking one of the staff on duty how long has this eatery been in operation; only to be informed that although they're newly 1 month into Purple Pasta, they've just been bought over by a new owner.

That being said, the menu, brand name and (potentially) prices are changing in a month's time. In fact, when we were there last weekend for dinner, we noticed someone occupying the cozy section of the eatery, equipped with his pro-DSLR, snapping photos of food away. Presuming, items to be included on the new menu. :(

Hence, this humble review of mine may be obsolete w.e.f. October 2015. Heh. But, somehow I just feel the need to write today.

What a loooong-winded introduction, let's move on to our orders for the night.

Purple Pasta - Appetizer

Verdict - Fried Mushroom - RM9 (Rate: 6/10)

Two types of mushrooms (i.e. Shiitake and Oyster) were well enveloped in the beautifully crisp batter. However, we didn't find it worth recommending. Other than the batter, everything else were pretty average. Sauces provided were chilli sauce, mayo and ketchup.

We did spice up the fried mushrooms by mixing up some black pepper, chilli flakes and cheese powder.

One of my favourite aspects of dining at Purple Pasta is that the dishes are mild tasting (don't mistake it for being bland) and it gives me room to spice up a notch on the flavours according to my fancy!

Next up!

A pasta to remember

Verdict - Mushroom Pesto Pasta - RM9 (Rate: 9/10)

Yes, you read right. Nine Ringgit ONLY. You can say its affordable, or to put it bluntly, cheap. When I placed my order, I double checked w the staff how the portion would be like. She said, portion would be right for 1 pax and definitely enough for me. Haha honestly, I was half expecting to be served somewhat pathetic a portion. Turns out the opposite, what a pleasant surprise! Portion was decently great for the price.

Taste wise, it was quite delicious a plate. If I had to pick on this dish, I'd wish for it to be more herb-ish and for the pesto taste to come out stronger. But, as I've mentioned above, dishes served at Purple Pasta allows you to up a notch in terms of flavouring according to your fancy. I liked that. Topped it with chilli flakes and cheese powder w a dash of black pepper and voila! Lovely!

They were also generous with the mushroom. Pasta was al dente. Overall a pasta well done! :)

Food porn alert

Verdict - Beef bacon egg carbonara - RM15 (Rate: 7/10)

If you are half expecting this plate of Carbonara to be the rich creamy kind, then I'd say this would disappoint you. But, what I can assure you is this - this plate will be a satisfaction guaranteed one where you'd feel just right (i.e. not easily jelak) upon your last mouthful.

Have some chilli flakes & cheese powder

Upon popping of the perfectly poached egg.

Ooooooh~

Portion was wise, taste once again, decent and up to the diners to add additional flavours according to your liking.

Lastly, dessert!

Exquisite sweet and salty waffle

Verdict - Beef Bacon Ice Cream Waffle (B.I.C. Waffle) - RM19

Waffle was soft and fluffy, not the crunchy hard type. An exquisite pair to have it with some tasty vanilla ice cream drizzled richly with salted caramel sauce.... and top that up with cut up bits of beef bacon. Very exquisite! My dining partner didn't quite like the whole combination but the adventurous foodie in me, loved it!

Interesting attempt indeed! Well done!

As you'd have noticed, they're reaaally generous with the ice cream servings. 4 scoops! Honestly, I feel that it's quite a lot for a standard size of waffle. No precedent of such portion have I personally seen among cafes in town. This is definitely a first. Perhaps, its because this eatery is quite a newbie on the block. Heh

Total satisfaction: RM52

Service charge: N/A

GST: N/A

***

Evening crowd on a Saturday night was great, comprising mostly of families and a couple of friends hanging out.

Location

D-G-06, Block D, Oasis Square Ara Damansara, 

2, Jalan PJU 1A/7A Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya

Opening hours

Monday to Sunday 12pm to 11pm

A return visit would be a definite, if not because of the change in ownership of the cafe. Heh. We'll see!

Sangkaya @ SS15

A quarter of the year 2015, 120 days down. A quarter of a century, 25 years passed...

Hello!

Foodie me is back. This time, a self reward on a scorching hot day - Sangkaya @ SS15, Subang Jaya. In case you don't already know, Sangkaya is the new food sensation, on Instagram/ social media. It has various branches namely, SS15, Uptown Damansara, Ampang Point, Jalan Alor Bukit Bintang and even at Jonker Street, Malacca!

Sangkaya; #NutsAboutCoconuts

Toppings Station!

Basically, the system works as such:

1. Place your order at the counter

2. Make payment

3. Wait in line to be handed your coconut bowl of ice cream

4. Choose your toppings and decorate your ice cream to be Insta-worthy
5. Voila! You can now post it on social media :D

Whilst I was in line waiting for my bowl of coconut ice cream, I went nuts staring at the toppings station. Not because it was as if it has been ransacked by monkeys... But rather there were quite a number to choose from.

If I didn't want my bowl of coconut ice cream to be Insta-worthy, I may very well have topped it with EVERYTHING!

Plain Naked Coconut Ice Cream

Choice of toppings include,

1. Peanuts (sounds like food for the monkeys who ransacked the station!)
2. Nestum
3. Cornflakes
4. Roasted coconut flakes (my favourite)
5. Corn
6. Kidney beans
7. Hershey's Chocolate Sauce

Creating suspense before showing how my serving looks like...

I've read a couple of online reviews where it states that toppings are limited to 3 choices/person. Hmm, funny thing, when I was there, I had the liberty to pick whichever I wanted! I even had refills of different toppings LOL really monkey la me. :D

Instagram worthy one

Tada! Here goes my serving of Coconut Ice cream. I definitely went nuts over the toppings. Spot the mess on my hand. We then proceeded in for some air conditioned environment. Just pushed the door where the artificial "brick wall" is. Inside is a cool place to chill with a club-like atmosphere.

Verdict:

Coconut ice cream taste was fairly mild, mainly because Sangkaya uses young coconut (less matured so the coconut taste has not fully ripen). There's also some coconut flesh underneath the 4 scoops of coconut ice cream. Likewise, coconut taste is very mild. Nonetheless, it is very refreshing a snack/ dessert on a scorching hot afternoon.

Note: They advocate no eggs, non-dairy ice cream. Plus point for those who do not consume dairy products. :)

Price: RM10.50 (inclusive of GST)

Price

I like how they got the GST element right, i.e. prices on display shall be inclusive of GST. Many eateries I know do not practice this new price display requirement.

P/S: Their price before GST was RM9.90 (FYI only, not that it is a cause for concern).

RM10.50 is for the Signature Sangkaya Coconut Ice Cream, where is comes with 4 scoops of coconut ice cream (so duh la) and toppings as mentioned above.

Sangkaya's outlook

Location

No. 25, Jalan SS15/4B, 47500 Subang Jaya


Opening Hours

Basically, they are opened EVERY DAY! But do note the opening hours below :D

Mon - Thurs & Sat - Sun: 12pm to 12am
Fri: 2:30pm to 12am


Overall Verdict

5/10, I'd say worth a try considering the hype. But a revisit? Maybe not.