KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Corntoz Pillow Fight 4 April 2009 from RandomAlphabets on Vimeo

If you have always wanted to re-enact those childhood days of clobbering your friends and siblings with a pillow, here’s some good news. In conjunction with International Pillow Fight Day, the same collective behind KL Freeze in Unison is bringing us the Corntoz Pillow Fight – happening this Saturday, 4^th April 2009, 4 pm at……

The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

The location of the gathering point will only be revealed on random alphabets, Corntoz Pillow Fight facebook event page, kampungboycitygal and some other participating bloggers at 2am on 2^nd April 2009.

Picture from NY times

What exactly is a Pillow Fight Day? Inspired by the film Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk in which everyone fight by rules, the International Pillow Fight Day has brought strangers from all over the world to engage in some walloping action, using soft pillow of course. It has since become an annual ritual.

Over 25 cities participated in the pillow fight flash mob which took place on the 28^th of March last year. This year, KL is one of the 60+ participating cities (the full list here). It’s for everyone and you can just whomp anyone with your pillows. I believe that it will promise some thrilling excitement and fun.

Picture from boston.com

Interested? Here’s how it goes:

1. Show up at 4.00 pm on the 4^th April, try to remain inconspicuous and conceal your pillows beneath your bags, under the tree, at your back, etc.

2. At 4.20 pm, the Pillow Fight Police will divide the pillow fighters into two groups – white & blue.

3. Team A will be escorted to the Pillow Fight Point. Note that the Pillow Fight Point will be located at a different place.

4. The Pillow Fight Police will then escort team B to the Pillow Fight Point. Position yourself and look out for the signal…

Remember…

1.      To bring your own pillow, a soft pillow in particular. This is a children friendly event after all.

2.      To wash your pillow cases beforehand, unless you would want to gross out your opponents!

3.      To keep your cameras and spectacles safe. There will be a team of official photographers snapping pictures around and the pictures will be uploaded to the FB event page.

4.      Not to swing at people without pillows.

5. Not to attempt a full-fledged swing, especially guys, I mean built/buff guys. Ouuchhh!

Let’s invite friends, strangers or even enemies (time to revenge!) to come together for some walloping fun. Join the Corntoz Pillow Fight facebook event page, get the word out and put KL on the International Pillow Fight Map!

I’m all geared up – look at my Battle Tools! I found SIX pillows in my room and I’m going to lug them all into my bags. Don’t you agree that pillow fight is a great way to let out your energy, stress and rage in a harmless way? See you there!

MOST of us have had our meal on a plane, but have you ever wondered what happens before the food gets to your tray?

Thanks to Fleishman & Malaysia Airlines, we were invited to take a peep into MAS’s in-flight caterer (LSG Sky Chefs Brahim)’s kitchen to see what goes on behind the scenes.

We started off with a brief presentation on LSG Sky Chefs Brahim  and it was a very insightful presentation.

Do you know that?

• Most of the time, airlines would outsource the preparation of in-flight meal to catering companies. For MAS, they awarded the contract to LSG Sky Chefs-Brahim Sdn Bhd., which is jointly owned by Malaysia Airlines, Brahim’s International Franchise and LSG Lufthansa Service Holding AG.
• Other than MAS, they also work closely with other airlines such as AirAsia, Korean Airlines, Japan Airlines, Air Mauritius etc.
• LSG Sky Chefs-Brahim’s serves more than 30,000 meals every day.
• LSG Sky Chefs-Brahim’s delivers more than 30,000 skewers of flame-kissed satay every day. The grilling part is a very labor intensive process, though well worth the effort.
• A chef’s job is not to whip out every single dish; in fact they focus on menu creation and even provide some consultancy on food preparation and presentation method.
• In the early 90s, before LSG Sky Chefs-Brahim came into place, Federal Hotel KL provided in-flight meal preparation and delivery services to MAS.
• Back then, puffing (in the air) was allowed and the air stewardess will go around offering cigarettes to passengers.

March Promotion – satays with nasi goreng kampung is being served to ALL passengers while it used to be a business/first class meal.

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With a contemporary focus on food and style, Moxie is the latest addition to Maxim Image line of restaurants and cafes such as the fame Opus Bistro and Cava at Jalan Bangkung, KL. We first heard about this place from KLUE and were so keen to try it out as Opus Bistro has been impressive. The food tasting invitation from Fadlin, the restaurant manager came in when we were about to drop by, so we gladly said yes.

Sitting on a two storey shop lot, the first floor houses a main lounge area and a VIP dining area, while the lower level is the usual dining place. I love the use of vibrant red here and there that brings energy and vivaciousness. The yankee style poster prints they sourced from US are really fun and quirky too!

New York Yankee Boston Red Sox Posters and Prints

The Lounge

VIP Dining Area

Even the name itself carries a lot of energy. Moxie is a famous carbonated drink in the US back in 1884 and “moxie” has since become a part of modern American slang meaning verve, spunk and the ability to face difficulty. Just like Moxie has got moxie! How cool!

Moxie takes pride in their Australian meat but they do not market themselves as The Steak House. By offering other culinary fantasies such as chicken, lamb and seafood, it is sure to satisfy even the fussiest patron.

The Starters:

Fromage Frite (RM 18) was presented to us once we were comfortably seated. Lightly breaded and fried till golden perfection, the fromage frite was crispy, greaseless and wonderful. The creamy camembert cheese was warm, sticky, gooey and with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. It was served with a refreshing cumberland sauce and wild berry salad.

Next, we had the Blue Crab Slaw (RM 25) wrapped in salmon gravlax and served with mixed grilled peach salad and blue cheese crumble. The small but otherwise fine crab meat slaw and the salmon gravlax, served cold has got mixed reviews from us. KampungBoy find the crab slaw mushy and watery but I can live with that because the meat was really sweet and flavourful.

Another solid appetizer pick that spurred a surprise – Parcel of Seafood Melange (RM 22). Beneath the crispy phyllo pastry, it was an erotic combination of scallops, crab and shrimp that encourages a lusty appetite! We love it to bits.

Some tummy warmer? The Wild Forest Mushroom (RM 17), slowly simmered with thyme and Gruyère de Comté, and then aromatically finished with truffle oil was thick enough to be eaten with a fork. Aromatic and delightful, this is not your average canned mushroom soup with nothing but starch.

The Mains:

Roasted Olive Croûte Cod (RM 56). Impeccably fresh and juicy, the olive crusted North American cod was a flaky perfection! The aubergine caviar roasted with basil, thyme, paprika and black pepper was really awesome too. The verjuice (a very acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes) was refreshing, accentuating the natural flavour of the lightly seared cod. We would highly recommend this!

Pan-roasted Chateaubriand (RM 62). The Chateaubriand steak is  a cut from the head of tenderloin and was huge enough to serve two. The steak was pan-roasted and served with sautéed wild forest mushrooms, vegetable dauphine and au jus.  Though it is a quality cut and was cooked just right, there isn’t any surprise element to it.

Cattleman’s Barbequed Short Ribs (RM 59). The juicy Texan-style beef short ribs were smoked overnight with barbequed anchovy chili sauce and served with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Tasty is how we could describe this signature dish of Moxie. The meat is fork-tender, and the sauce is wonderfully tangy. Another winner!

For those who prefer their beef in its natural unadorned glory, Moxie is offering a selection of premium cuts (Australian 200 Days Grain Fed & Australian Black Angus Gourmet Pasture Fed Beef ). Feel free to select the cut you desire, the accompanying sauce/mustard of your choice and various individually priced side dishes from RM 4 to RM 6. You can even add foie gras at RM 35!

Every meal deserves a sweet ending and we were being treated right with the Marquise de Moxie (RM 16). Imagine layers of chocolate flourless cake, coffee crème Chantilly, candied walnuts, toasted almonds and French meringue – could anyone ask for more?

The Banana Toffee Pie (RM 14) deserves a special mention here. English toffee, marie graham crust, grated chocolate and local golden bananas, all baked together into one glorious pie. It was so delicious that we were (literally) fighting for it (after 5 starters & 3 main courses). We even licked the oozing delicious toffee cream clean.

February’s Promotion

Moxie is more than just an exciting addition to KL’s dining scene. It has got indisputable food quality, just like its reputable sister outlets at Jalan Bangkung. Though ‘glam’ dining as such is not light on the pocket (for us lar), Moxie still warrants a revisit. As I am writing this, I can’t help but to keep thinking about the seafood parcel, the cod fish and my banana toffee pie!

MOXIE RESTAURANT AND BAR
44 Jln Medan Setia 2
Plaza Damansara
Bukit Damansara, KL.
Tel: 03-2095 0016

Yaki-Yaki Grand Opening: 50% on All Dining Period

From: 16 Mar 2009 – 30 Apr 2009

Price (before discount): Lunch RM65++, Hi-Tea RM55++, Dinner RM75++, Supper RM65++

Yaki Yaki Japanese BBQ Buffet Restaurant

Ground Floor, Federal Bowl,

Jalan Bukit Bintang,

55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03- 21428111

*Terms and conditions apply.

Limited 2 hours dining time

With 5% government tax and 10% service charge.

Daidomon Special Washoku & Yakiniku Buffet (50% OFF)

From: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 – Mon, 6 Apr 2009

Price (before discount): Adult – RM 68++, Children – RM38++

Daidomon  Charcoal BBQ Japanese Restaurant

Lot 4, Level 3, Great Eastern Mall,

No 303, Jalan Ampang,

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03- 43528155

*Terms and conditions apply.

( Monday to Thursday dinner only)

(Week end & Public holiday Lunch only)

It seems like more all you can eat buffets at half the price are coming our way! Have anyone tried these? Do leave us a comment and share it with us.

Small Note: Our write-up on Nong & Jimmy was featured in The Star Sunday Metro

With more stories about credit crisis, mortgage meltdown and job losses, it appears we are heading towards recession, and it may not get better anytime soon. I figured I’d jump on the recession bandwagon by introducing some recession proof food that is light on the wallet but feels heavy on the stomach.

Vicchuda in Damansara Utama is a great place for some Thai food. The restaurant has done pretty well because it is simply the best – cheap, easy and quick. The owner himself originates from the southern part of Thailand too. Though Vicchuda is essentially a restaurant with Thai influnces, the menu roams freely with some Malaysian fares such as ayam paprika daging masak merah and curries too.

From top left: ayam paprik, menu, tom yum campur, kerabu perut, kailan with salted fish, cucumber with sambal belacan.

Served scalding hot, the tom yum campur is very spicy and sour, with a lot of fresh spices and herbs like lemon grass, ginger root, red shallots, lime coriander leaves, chili and kaffir lime leaves. The bits of cili padi floating on top of the clear soup may look too intimidating, do not fear as real tom yum should draw your sweat and tears. Unlike tom yum soup at other places, Vicchuda’s version has got omphhhh. It was spicy enough to make our scalp sweat but keep wanting for more.

Kerabu Perut. The tripes were thin, slighty crunchy and firm in texture. With dashes of fish sauce, lemon juice and sugar, the sauce is sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Very addictive stuff.

Apart from their specialties such as bawal masam manis udang petai, kerabu sotong, the usual fare like kangkung belacan, ayam papril, fried rice, and nasi pataya are pretty good too. We would highly recommend both kerabu perut and tomyam soup. At only RM4 to RM6 per portion (small), it is best to go for a greater variety of dishes. With 4 dishes, 2 rice and iced water, the total bill came at RM 23. Now this is what we meant by recession food…

Vicchuda Tom Yam Restaurant
24 Jalan SS21/35,
Damansara Utama
03 7722 3481

Opens from 11am to 12 midnight

(same row as Champion Duck and MayBank)

Updates: Our flickr photos are made public. Click on the flickr tab at the side bar to view our pictures.

To my friends, families and readers, thanks for the well wishes! The overwhelming awesomeness everyone showed me this past week was much appreciated but I have to disappoint you guys. We are not, despite several rumours to the contrary, engaged to be married. We can’t help but have a little giggle about this but we’ll figure it out when the time comes.

I have been sick; my throat is getting scratchy and my nose is running and I am no better on my birthday. So, I spent a rather quiet day with KampungBoy, no party and no merry-making. It was really sweet of him to surprise me with a little blue box with the perfect white ribbon. It doesn’t matter what comes wrapped in that little blue box, because it is among the most favourite gift a girl could possibly receive.

Thanks, the interlocking ring put a smile upon my face.

The birthday dinner was a simple one, nothing extravagantly expensive. We headed to Izakaya Ichiban at Plaza Damas for some hearty and good Japanese food. It’s no frills and unpretentious place with minimal décor and ordinary lighting, like a ???. There were plenty of Japanese diners which are probably a good sign too.

Kaki Mayo Yaki (Baked Oyster with Spicy Mayo). The fresh and juicy topped with spicy mayo are absolutely delicious! The sides of stir fry enoki mushrooms, shitake mushrooms and capsicums goes really well with the oysters too.

Ika Shio (Japanese Grilled Squid). All happily glazed in some fresh lemon juice, the ika was a bit savoury and moist with but not chewy. It tasted so delicious on its own, without the need to use any other seasonings.

For our toro (salmon belly) don and wagyu beef don, the portions were pretty generous but we find it mediocre. Nonetheless, it’s a steal to indulge in toro and wagyu beef at only RM 30++.

With quite an extensive sake list, Ikaya Ichiban is a no-frills place to meet up with friends for a pint and bite. We’ll come back to check out the other items in the menu for sure.

Izakaya Ichiban
Lot P-3M
Plaza Ground Floor
Hartamas Shopping Centre
Jalan Sri Hartamas
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03 – 6201 5905

When I mean up close – I sat at the first row and Bobby Chinn was only 1 meter away from me! *Drooling*

What about personal? He wrote me a personal message on his cooking book “Wild Wild West”. See the hearts on my name? Awwwww…

As a part of his “World Café Asia 2″ Tour, Bobby Chinn was in Cold Storage, Ikano Power Centre to share his experiences and to conduct a cooking demo. Thanks to Jess from Cold Storage, I was invited to the event to catch a glimpse of Bobby Chinn.

Half Egyptian, half Chinese, raised in England, lives in San Francisco and New York and now based in Hanoi, Bobby Chinn is quite a character. He is always at his best- charming, urbane, and witty. He laughs at himself, gives funny anecdotes, and unabashedly pokes fun at everything. He’s good at imitating other celebrity chefs as well, which gives the audiences a good laugh.

Can’t get enough of Bobby Chinn? Here you go…

Thanks to Discovery Travel & Living and Cold Storage, I left feeling star-struck after the event. Most ladies felt the same too, with most of them throwing themselves shamelessly at him. I was about to do so, but refrained from doing so because KampungBoy will be here anytime soon to pick me up. *sigh*

Well, I can always tune in to Astro Channel 707 - World Cafe Asia 2 premieres on Astro Channel 707 on March 23 (every Monday at 10.30pm) and encores every Tuesday at 5.30pm; and Sunday at 2.30pm and 1.30pm.

The Encounter  – KampungBoy’s eyes, in a flash, met with the most beautiful woman’s eyes he has ever seen. It was love at first sight…

They started seeing each other and their life revolve around food …

Of course, KampungBoy has to throw in romantic factor from time to time. As you can see, the couple in silhouette, enjoying a romantic sunset…

And so, the day has finally arrived. Is he going to pop the question (propose)?

Nah. It’s Citygal’s Birthday. Selamat Hari Jadi my dear.

Guess what have I got for you?

It’s not THE END yet. There is yet more chapters unwritten in my live and I’m glad that you’re in it…

Just for you my love. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead (with me by your side of course).

How many people get to experience the thrill of flying a jet airliner? We were so excited when MAS invited us for a flight simulator session at Subang Airport.

What exactly is a flight simulator? From Wikipedia: A flight simulator is a system that tries to copy, or simulate, the experience of flying an aircraft. It is as realistic as possible. The different types of flight simulator range from video games up to full-size cockpit replicas mounted on hydraulic (or electromechanical) actuators, controlled by state of the art computer technology.

The fortunate bunch - Red Mummy, Sultan Muzaffar, Rojaks and other bloggers.

Saw the little white box behind? Yes, it is the official flight simulator on which all MAS pilots conduct their training on. It is so realistic that commercial pilots can complete 100% of their training in the simulator, without the need to fly real aircraft until their first commercial flight.

Before climbing aboard, our instructor gave us a pre-flight briefing. Now here we go -switch on the seat belt sign and prepare to take off.

This is the screen of a very sophiscated system that provides a variety of conditions and interactive mission. We can choose to fly anywhere in the world, anytime (choose from dusk, dawn, day or night).

The interior cockpit of flight simulator.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking…

Pretty Red Mummy: On behalf of the flight crew, let me welcome you aboard…

Thank you for flying with Malaysia Airlines, we’ll be cruising at 35000ft… (sounds familiar?)

Taking-Off.

A scenic view of London in the evening.

Nose up and preparing to land

Greasy smooth or bumpy landing? The approach plot will tell you all, as you can see, KampungBoy did a not so smooth landing (bottom graph, red line) but overall he was  a good pilot for a good 20 minutes! LOL

After the 20 minutes session, each of us received a certificate as a memento.

Though the flight simulator is nothing likea theme park or amusement arcade ride, it is terribly fun and thrilling! The good news is, MAS has decided to open it to the public, where off duty pilots and engineering teams will guide you through the session and there is a price to pay for it – RM 500 for 20 minutes. Any takers?

Have you noticed that new restaurant with a garden theme in One Utama lately?

KampungBoy has been a bit reluctant to try this place because it seems that most themed restaurants pay greater attention to create that inviting ambiance instead of focusing on food quality. On the other hand, I was so keen on checking this place out so he gave in for once.

Call me a sucker for ambiance. But I’m always enchanted by restaurants that greet diners with the welcoming embrace of charm and all things pretty. The sight that greeted us as we walked in was a vast array greens interspersed with beautiful flowers. Spotted was also a piano silhouetted against the counter and open concept kitchen.

Set in what looks like a cottage garden, we can see arches covered with blooms around, wrought iron gates, hanging basket hooks, tulle, small potted plants and plenty of silk flowers.

It is hard not to relate them to Full House @ NZX. In fact, they are under the same management. So I went ahead to clarify this with one of their waitress, she answered defensively that Garden is not related to Full House and the concepts are totally different. Shrug.

Most of the décor items in Garden are for sales too, for example, this cute little potted plant is being sold at RM 29.90.

We arrived on a Friday night and were promptly seated. We browsed through the menu and concluded that there’s nothing exciting on the menu. That’s my only gripe. So we settled for the recommended aglio olio (RM 17.90) and beef burger (RM 15.90)

They are running an afternoon tea time buffet promotion at RM 19.90 (3pm to 6pm) too. Just pick anything from these pretty selections. The pastries and tarts are so cute and delicate!

The beef burger arrived promptly, served on a huge white plate with fresh garden salads on the side, along with some crinkle cut fries. Ground beef patty, onion, ketchup, shiitake mushroom and the big soft sesame buns were stacked together nicely. Maybe there wasn’t a lot of pre-hype and high expectation, so the beef burger was actually quite delectable for us.

The Spaghetti Aglio-Olio was done al-dente and was well tossed with olive oil and chili bits and comes with very fresh shrimps. However, I thought that it was too bland for my liking.

Jasmine Flower Tea (RM 5.90) with CityGal’s angel earring

KampungBoy filling up the feedback form.

In all honesty, Garden offers above all excellent ambiance and services with mediocre food. We do appreciate the chefs’ effort in incorporating the freshest ingredients, but taste wise, there is room for improvement. We really like Garden and think that it is the perfect place for a date and it would be fun place for a crowd celebrating special occasions too.