Mille Crepe Cake ^.^

Headed over to Food Foundry around two weeks ago for their mille crepe cake. Haven't had mille crepe cake in ages and Food Foundry is quite famous for its mille crepe. Anyway, went with my parents on a weekend and settled down for an early lunch.



Menu...quite simple =)

Mum's pan fried fish was the first to arrive and I thought it looked quite good, though it doesn't really look like it was pan fried. Looks more like deep fried fish to me. Anyway, she liked it, so it's still good =)

Pan Fried Fish

To a healthy lifestyle =)

Been a while since I've updated this. Anyway, been caught up a little in trying to get healthy recently, and hopefully, reduce the amount of pimples on my face as well =p

Together with a friend, I recently signed up for yoga classes package. We each paid RM250 for 15 classes, which I feel is quite reasonable. We've went for 3 classes so far and so far so good I guess. Don't feel all that much difference yet but figured I need the exercise since I'm stuck in the office for hours on end everyday.

Though I have to say that nothing can compare to the aches I felt after the first class. I was aching so much I couldn't even bend down!! Just shows how little exercise I normally have, to ache that much after 1 hour of yoga. It's better now, still feel a little bit of aches here and there but not that noticeable, unlike the first time.

Other than that, I also bought a new set of facial products recently as my previous facial cleanser was finishing already. Was introduced to this brand, DHC, by one of the sales promoters at Watsons and decided to give it a try.



DHC trial set



So far, have started using these products for around 1-2 weeks already. Have to say, the deep cleansing oil is really good at doing its job. Unlike some other brands of cleansing oils I've tried, there are no traces of oil on my face after rinsing off with water, which is great. Followed by the mild cleanser, my face feels quite squeaky clean after these two steps.

I also like the mild lotion. There's no alcohol in the lotion and my face doesn't feel tight after applying this on my skin. The promoter also mentioned that the lotion can be used as a sort of mask on the face as well, but I've yet to try it. The only gripe I would have with this set would be the olive virgin oil. Feels a little too oily for me sometimes.

All in all, I think I'd continue to buy the deep cleansing oil, mild soap and mild lotion as I really feel it's quite effective for my skin type. I've noticed that my skin doesn't get oily easily after using these products, even after a few hours, so it's definitely good for me.

Brand's Prune and Berry Essence

I got these a few weeks ago as well. Apparently it can help to reduce pimples as well and my mum suggested I try it. As there was an offer going on at the time, decided to get a few packs to try. Haven't been taking it as regularly as suggested on the packaging though. I suppose it helps by removing the toxins in the body, but the effects aren't really showing on my face. Will still continue taking this as I still feel that there are health benefits in taking this.

Anyway, nothing much else at the moment. Next post, will be on the yummy mille crepe cake ^.^

Tang Shi Fu at 1 Utama

Finally, managed to get my soup at Tang Shi Fu today!! ^.^ Been waiting for the shop to open ever since I saw the advertisements in 1 Utama last month. Been thwarted twice already in my attempts to get to this soup...I've loved it since I first tried it at their outlet in Jusco in Malacca.

The menu =p

First to arrive was Mummy's fish porridge with dried scallops. I was tempted to order this at first but couldn't resist their soup...so in the end, still ordered my dang gui soup with black chicken ^.^

Lui Cha ^.^

Had this long, long time ago but haven't had the time to post it recently. Been a bit busy with work lately =(  Anyway, happened to see this shop called Ho Boh Rui Cha when I happened to be in Subang with my parents one weekend, and as we're all fans of Lui Cha, we decided to give it a try. Not many people there for a weekend lunch though.



Menu



Don't need to guess, all three of us ordered the same thing...Lui Cha!! =p Though my parents went for the one with brown rice instead of white rice. Continued taking some photos while waiting for our food to arrive. Decorations here are rather simple, with traditional marble tops and chairs used.

Xian Ding Wei at 1 Utama

Originally planned to head to Tang Shi Fu which *cross fingers* I was hoping would be open already. Unfortunately, seems they'll only be opening at the end of this month. In the end, we decided to head over to Xian Ding Wei since the rest of my family haven't tried it yet =)



Xian Ding Wei

As usual, the place was full by the time we got there. Luckily, there were still some empty tables at the outdoor area. At least there were some fans there so we didn't feel too hot. Didn't waste much time before making our orders as we were hungry already =p

Our orders took quite a while in arriving...I guess due to the large number of customers? The set orders seem to be prepared faster than ala-carte items as my order was the last to arrive.



Pork Chop with Cheese Set... yummy yummy cheese =)

Lunch at Fireman BBQ

Decided to have lunch at Jaya One with some colleagues today as it is quite near the client's office. One of my colleagues suggested Fireman BBQ as she heard that they have a set lunch promotion at the moment. Anyway, decided to look for the shop at Jaya One first.

The first thing we saw when we reached the restaurant was the set menu that they were offering. And my eyes almost popped out of my head!! Believe it or not, the set included 5 dishes, 1 rice, 1 soup, 1 dessert and 1 drink, and all for just RM8.90+ 

Have to say, I was quite surprised to find that the restaurant was almost empty, even with this ongoing set promotion. And it was already past 12, when everyone should be on their lunch breaks.

The set offer...cheap right? ^.^

Snowflake Taiwanese Dessert at Kota Damansara

I've been wanting to try this ever since I got back from Taiwan. I really miss those Yu Yuan from Jiufen, and Snowflake has also become quite popular over the sale of Taiwanese desserts at both their shops in Pavilion and SS15. So when I heard they were opening a new shop at Kota Damansara, I couldn't resist going over to try the taroballs, hopefully they're as good as the ones in Jiufen =p

Anyway, went there today after lunch for some dessert with my parents. I decided on the cold Snowflake Bestseller which comes with taroballs (yum!) and grass jelly. Similar to the other shops, we  were given this "beeping UFO", which would vibrate when our orders are ready.

Beeping UFO =p

For the first day, there already seems to be quite a number of people here. Anyway, didn't take too long before our desserts were ready and we tucked in ^.^



Snowflake Bestseller - Cold



Tried a bit of the grass jelly ice first before adding the creamer that is provided. I felt it tasted good both with and without the creamer.

With creamer



The taro balls were gooooddd!! Yummy, tasted almost like the ones that I had in Jiufen, though it's paired with different things here. Somehow the mixture of the grass jelly ice with the taro balls was just perfect, especially on a hot day =) So glad, now I can get my fix of taro balls here as well....at least until I've saved enough to go to Taiwan again ^_^

Snowflake

26-1, Jalan PJU5/10,

Dataran Sunway,

Kota Damansara,

47810 Petaling Jaya

Dinner from Sushi Q

There's this new Japanese shop in 1 Utama, which spans just a small empty area on the bridge between the new and old wing of 1 Utama. Passed by the place a few times, and I've wanted to try it out for a while as their sashimi really looks beautiful =)

Anyway, got my chance on Sunday, when there was only me and my mum having dinner together. So we decided to get a sushi and sashimi set to try. Looks good, right? =p



Sushi sashimi deluxe - RM18.80



The sushi and sashimi was really, really fresh. The salmon sashimi was the most satisfying, as they're not stingy with the fish and serve rather thick cuts. I couldn't resist and gobbled down a piece of salmon before I even took a picture (which explains the empty space in the middle =p)

Price wise, it's slightly below average prices at other Japanese restaurants and it still maintains the freshness of the food. The only minus is that there isn't much variety on the menu other than sushi, sashimi and some salads. Will definitely go back for more of the sashimi ^.^

Sushi Q

SK3, Second Floor,

1 Utama Shopping Centre,

1, Lebuh Bandar Utama,

Bandar Utama,

47800 Petaling Jaya

Taiwan Day 7: Last day =(

Sigh, time seems to fly when we're having fun..suddenly, it's already our last day in Taiwan. Didn't really plan to head anywhere today as we didn't have that much time.

We walked to a nearby shop which sold traditional Taiwan breakfast. Ordered a bowl of soybean each as well as some deep fried Chinese crullers.

Soya bean

It was only after we started on our soya bean that we realised that we needed to tell them specifically that we want the "sien dou jiang" (salty soya bean), otherwise we would just get the normal one. Seemed a waste as I really wanted to try the salty soya bean drink. Nevertheless, the soya bean drink was very thick and smelt very good, unlike the normal soya bean we drink which is thinner.

Taiwan Day 6: Danshui, Taipei Metro Mall & Shida Night Market

This morning, we decided to explore the area nearby our hostel and have breakfast at a McDonalds shop which we saw on a map the hostel had given us. Hehe, mainly to have our pork burger =p One thing I've noticed, most of the McDonald outlets we've seen here seem to be quite big. Also, the cleanliness here is really good, everyone will clear their table and dispose of their own rubbish before leaving.

Finally, our McD pork burger =p

 After breakfast, we were off to Danshui! Took the MRT all the way to Danshui Station, which took us about half an hour I think? The weather was really hot that day....I was sweating as soon as I stepped of the air-conditioned MRT. It was another few minutes walk from the station to Danshui Old Street, with me sweating all the way =(

Danshui MRT Station....somehow really love the architecture of the buildings in Taiwan ^.^

Taiwan Day 5: Sun Moon Lake, Ximending, Wufenpu & Raohe Night Market

Woke up slightly after 4 in the morning and washed our faces before letting ourselves out of the minsu. As nobody else was up so early, the owner had told us how to open and close the gate to go out the night before. It was really dark at the time, and we walked the short distance down to the walkway surrounding Sun Moon Lake.

We walked for a short while before stopping at one of the picnic areas along the walkway to wait for the sunrise. It was so quiet at this time of the morning, and there weren't many people around to disturb the quiet of Sun Moon Lake. Unluckily for us, we weren't very lucky as the fog was too thick that day and we didn't get to enjoy the sunrise we were waiting for.

Though that isn't to say it wasn't beautiful....

Sunrise at Sun Moon Lake...so quiet and serene early in the morning ^.^

Lunch at Twenty-One Tables + Terrace

Had previously bought 3 vouchers for set lunch at Twenty-One Tables & Terrace through Mydeal (www.mydeal.com.my/). One set lunch was going for only RM26 instead of the normal price of RM52, cheap right?

Anyway, since my brother was back in KL this weekend, decided to head over there for lunch today. I haven't been to Bangsar Shopping Centre in a long time and it really looks much better after the renovations. I especially like the decor on the 3rd floor where the restaurants are located. The restaurant itself has glass windows from floor to ceiling, allowing us a beautiful view while having our meal.

Anyway, enough about that...let's move on to the important part. Food!! ^.^ While waiting for our dishes, we were served with some breadsticks (I think?) to munch on. It was simple but enough to keep us occupied while waiting =p

Some bread we were provided with while waiting for our meal =)

Taiwan Day 4: Taichung & Sun Moon Lake

Our fourth day in Taiwan, already halfway through our trip...sigh, don't know why time seemed to pass faster there. Anyway, as usual, had breakfast first. Tomato Rooms had provided us with a voucher for breakfast at a shop a few doors away. Just a simple breakfast of toast and black tea or 'hong cha' as they call it.

After that, we went over to McD as we wanted to try their pork burger. However, found that it was only available up to 11 am. So in the end, we just got a cup of coffee and continued exploring the other shops nearby.

1. & 2. Breakfast provided by Tomato Rooms, chocolate toast and tea
3. Cheese sticks     4., 5. & 6. McD

Taiwan Day 3: Jiufen, Gold Waterfall, Yin Yang Hai, Taichung & Feng Jia Night Market

Once again, we were waken up by the early morning sun but we didn't really bother as we'd stayed up late at night watching TV =) Had to get up after a while as we're supposed to head to Taichung that day.

1. The bar/kitchen area     2. Coffee
3. Dining area overlooking Jiufen mountainside     4. Our healthy breafast

Our stay at Windsor B&B was inclusive of breakfast for two. We each got a sandwich together with some fruits and Jiufen's famous taro for breakfast. Together with that, we also had a choice of coffee and tea to go with our food. Healthy and delicious!! Hehe ^.^

I really like the design of the minsu. There's an adjoining balcony at the dining area where we can actually have our meal, and look at the view there!! Just amazing =)

The view from the dining area balcony. Imagine being able to see this everyday ^.^

Taiwan Day 2: Keelung & Jiufen

Can't believe how early the sun rises in Taiwan during summer!! I woke up thinking we were late as the sun  was already shining brightly through the windows. But then I checked my watch and found that it was only around 5.30 in the morning..In the end, just went back to sleep since it was still early =p

Breakfast of Pork Burger and Chua Bing with Coffee and Tea  =)

Once we had finally got up and packed our stuff, we headed next door to the Eight Elephants Hostel to return our room keys and leave our luggage as we were going to Jiufen and Taichung over the next 3 days.

Next up, breakfast!! Walked around the area near Guting Station looking for breakfast and spotted this little breakfast cafe, which seemed to be doing quite good business. So we sat ourselves down and picked a few items off the menu. All in all, the food was quite good.

After we finished our breakfast, took the MRT to Taipei Main Station, where we switched to the normal railway to get to Keelung. Lucky for us, there was one train leaving in less than 30 minutes, so we didn't have very long to wait.

1. Keelung Station     2. Soup made from crab     3. Crab ball?     4. Corn Pao Pao Ping
5. Temple in Keelung     6. Lu Rou Fan     7. Tendons     8. Mango Ice

After getting down at Keelung Station, we got directions from the tourist information centre on how to get to Miaokou. The information centre is just next to the train station and there are a quite a lot of people there who are willing to help.

As you can see, we stuffed ourselves with food again there =p Miaokou is just one row of stalls selling food, food and more food...just heavenly =)

I think the crab soup is one of the must try food here. It was my favourite out of everything we tried here. Of course, the shaved ice was also  very welcome in the hot weather there ^_^

After lunch, we explored the other shops in the surrounding area, which also sold a lot of clothes and accessories. One of the shop assistants there also recommended to us a famous shop which sold pineapple tarts there, called Lee Hwu. Following her directions, we went over to get some to bring back as souvenirs.

As it was getting late, we then went to wait for the bus to Jiufen in front of a clinic located opposite the road from Keelung train station. From there, it took us about an hour to get to Jiufen, whereupon we got off in front of the 7-11 in front of Jishan Street.

With all the small alley and stairways, we found ourselves a bit lost and had to call our minsu for directions. They were very nice and even sent someone on a scooter to help carry our luggage over for us.

Windsor B&B in Jiufen

Doesn't the place just look beautiful? This was one of the nicest places we stayed in Taiwan in terms of decor, though it also cost us slightly more at NTD2,300 per night, inclusive of breakfast. Didn't regret staying here though as I really love the room we stayed in, and there was also a small adjoining balcony/room from which we could enjoy the view of Jiufen.

The owners of the minsu had informed us that most of the shops in Jiufen Old Street would close by around 8 or 9 pm, so we rushed out  to explore the place before it got too late. As usual, bought a variety of food for dinner as we walked along the streets in Jiufen. Really, really love the Yu Yuan!! It was springy and really, really good...blissfully good =)

1. Fruit juice in Doraemon shaped bottle..cute!!     2.Yu Yuan     3. Wild Boar Sausage     4. Jiufen Old Street
5. Sunset in Jiufen     6. Rou Yuan     7. Fishballs     8. Squid Ink Sausage

Spent some time wandering around the area, but the shops there mainly sell food and souvenirs. When we were walking there, really felt like we had gone back in time, with all the old-fashioned shops and small alleys there =) Didn't really manage to catch the sunset, though, as we were somewhere near the middle of Jiufen Old Street at the time.

1. Purchases in Keelung     2. Mai Ya Tang     3. Souvenirs for home

Headed back to our minsu once the shops there started to close for the day. As usual, couldn't resist taking a photo of all my purchases during the day. Didn't get any clothes that day but still got some accessories as well as some souvenirs for home =)

After that, settled down to watch TV in our room. Can't believe the number of channels they have there. We were switching back and forth between different channels and were even watching several dramas at the same time ^.^

Taiwan Day 1: Shihlin Night Market

Finally, after the long anticipation, we were headed to Taiwan on a bright Saturday morning. I had originally bought the return air tickets during an Air Asia promotion for only RM300 in November 2009.

Having spent approximately four and a half hours on the plane, we finally reached Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at around 3 in the afternoon!! Eager and excited, we first got our Taiwan Youth Card at the tourist information counter which was right in front of the arrival hall. Then we went to get ourselves a SIM card for our phone (NTD345) and also a bus ticket to Taipei Main Station (NTD90).

1. Going to Taipei Main Station on Da You Bus     2. A school we passed by on the way     3. Taipei Main Station

Doesn't the school just look pretty? I wish our schools here looked as nice, or could have studied in Taiwan. Guess it's a bit too late for that now as I'm already long past that age =(  Took us about 1 hour to get to Taipei Main Station, where we got down and walked to the MRT. Originally wanted to buy the Easy Card but was advised against it by a lady we met there, who said it wasn't necessary.

We bought our tokens at the automated machine, which were really efficient. There are no counters selling these tokens, only these automated machines, unlike in Malaysia. Since most of the locals use their own card, there was never much of a queue when we needed to buy the tokens. Anyway, as it was our first day, we were unsure how to enter at the turnstile as we couldn't find the slot for the token. So embarassing, we were blocking the way there for ages, and with our big luggage too...

Anyway, finally found out we were supposed to tap the token to the sensor upon entering and finally, were on our way to Guting Station, where our hostel is located. I'd originally booked a room for two with Eight Elephants Hostel. However, they'd e-mailed me earlier to ask if they could upgrade us to bigger room in Dreaming Dragons Hostel as some of their current guests had extended their stay. Since they didn't charge us any extra, we of course didn't mind =p

I made all our reservations were made through this website (http://www.eehostel.com/), which also contains the directions to the hostel. For only NTD1,560 per night, the hostel is quite good value for money as it is less than 5 minutes walk to Guting Station and there are lots of shops nearby where we can buy food and drinks as well. Anyway, after checking in and getting our keys, we just left our luggage and went to take the MRT to Jiantan Station.

Directly opposite Jiantan Station, there's this food court with lots of stalls selling food and drinks. Of course, we had to go and fill our tummies before shopping, right? As we weren't sure which stall was better, we randomly chose whatever looks good, and these really did taste good ^.^

1. Ma La Chou To Fu     2. Shen Chau You Yu     3. O' Chien     4. Peanut Butter Pao Pao Ping
5. & 6. Can't remember the name of this, but it's gooooddd. Only know that this is the stall we bought it from    
7. Tang Hu Lu     8. Yu Zhi Gan

After we finished our food, we headed on to Shihlin Night Market, which was less than 3 minutes walk away. The amount and variety of things they sell here is amazing, there were clothes, shoes, accessories, bags, etc. And these were all very cheap too!!

1. My haul for the day     2. & 3. Our room in Dreaming Dragons Hostel

Apart from the bag which cost me NTD200, the other tops and dresses only cost me NTD170 and below each. So cheap, right? I think I'm getting spoiled now...how am I ever going to buy any clothes in Malaysia for this price?

Anyway, we headed back to the hostel around 11 something after we had our fill of the night market. Good thing as well, since our legs were already aching even though it was just our first day there.