Kechara Oasis 如意轩 @ Viva Home

Recently quite busy with my study and work, almost 1 month did not update my food hunting stories. Well, better take a short break, spending some times refreshing my memory on the nice food I had in these 2 months. 

最近有点忙，很久都没和大家分享我在这两个月内享用过的美食了。脑袋被一堆的方程式搞糊涂了，还是暂时抽离一下，写些提神的东西。

We went to Viva Home, a shopping complex with special theme, I'm sure you know what theme is that based on its name. Yes, lots of home- related stuffs can be found here. We actually planned to go there before moved to new house. But, until now only we have the chance to visit there. Well, we spotted a nice set of living room furniture, including sofa, coffee table & console table. Did we buy it? NO! Why? Because.......we cannot afford to have it right now. See? I try to comfort myself, not now, maybe in the future, only God knows when is the right timing. Haha!! 

上个月尾，我们去了Viva Home，一间拥有各式居家物品专卖店的大商场。我们很喜欢其中一套家私，是那种线条简单却很有禅味的沙发＋咖啡桌＋电视架＋摆设小桌子。一看标价，我的妈呀！只是咖啡桌就要差不多两千块钱。我们就赖在那舒服的沙发不舍得起身。

Since our dream do not come true, then must have some compensation (a poor excuse, I think.). We're attracted by this restaurant. It is a vegetarian restaurant, I think can be considered fusion as they offer Tibetan's, Thai's, Vietnamese's, Malaysian's vegetarian cuisine, as stated in their menu.

既然物质享受买不起，就满足口腹之欲吧！一看招牌，就知道是一间充满法喜的素食馆。他们提供了多国的特色素食。

A pot of hot tea always is a good choice when you can't decide what to drink with.

一壶热茶，为洗去油腻而准备。热毛巾温暖了被冷气吹冻的双手，同时也唤醒了沉睡的细胞。

Top: Appetizer from the house - preserved papaya. 

店家为我们送上了他们自家腌制的木瓜酸，清脆爽口，真是一道好开胃菜。

Bottom: Deep fried round momos. 

藏式炸圆饺

A unique Tibetan dumplings with potatoes, vegetables, herbs and cheese served with chili oil. (as stated in the menu) 

以马铃薯，蔬菜，香料及奶酪为馅，佐以辣油。

I never been to Tibet, so I can't tell you how authentic this dish is, but I can tell you, the chili oil is really spicy! It is a perfect match with the cheesy deep fried momos!

香辣的辣油，足以抵消奶酪的油腻感，却让我的舌头被辣得麻麻的。

Top: Butter Mushroom

奶油茗片

Deep fried oyster mushroom served with special butter sauce (as stated in the menu)

奶油酥炸鲍鱼菇

Bottom: Vietnamese Eel

越南鳗鱼

Stir fried mushroom in plum sauce, red chili, mango & basil. (as stated in the menu)

素鳝炒梅子酱，红辣椒，芒果及罗勒

I think they also put some passion fruit on top of it. Can you see the black seeds with some juicy orange stuff? It tastes like passion fruit, sweet & sour. Thumbs up!

我觉得除了餐单上所写的食才，他们还放了些许百香果肉。虽然是炸香菇，但因为多了芒果及白香果，酸酸甜甜的，一点也不觉得油腻。

演唱会

最近这几个月，有很多场的演唱会，比如：让人为之疯狂的王菲，刚刚圆满结束的张学友1/2世纪巡唱大马站，八月份的陈奕迅，即将来临的许志安，等等。。。

我原本很想去张学友的那场演唱会，可是，就因为犹豫不决，结果，门票两下子就售罄。在加场，却因为工作的关系，没法实现了。

因此，当我一在电台听到动力火车明年将来马举行演唱会，就赶快上网搜索详情。一开始开放网上及电话订购，加上有10%折扣，当机立断，买下了2张门票。前天，特地去主办单位的办公室领取门票。

十年前，我们就曾说过，要一起去看动力火车的演唱会。十年后的今天，诺言即将兑现！

期待2012年2月25日。。。

Strawberry Moment @ De Garden, Ipoh

Last night, we went to the De Garden located at Ipoh, opposite the Jusco shopping centre.  There are a few food & beverage outlets in the building, such as Wong Kok Restaurant, Burger King, Ayam Penyet, Daorae Korean BBQ, Papparich and etc.

After wandering around the building for minutes, we finally decided to try this.

Chocolate Banana Mousse cake with strawberry

Tiramisu Mousse with vanilla ice cream.

Ice Blended Strawberry Mocha

Strawberry juice

Speechless ...

Last week, I gave my students test as per scheduled in the teaching plan. To me, the questions asked are extremely easy! As long as they pay full attention in the class, do their revision (by just need to study the notes and tutorial questions), they can score well in the test.

However, from my observation in 10 weeks, many of them do not attend the lecture classes, only a small number of students pay attention in my class when I was trying my very best to keep my voice louder in explaining and providing them suggested answers. Can you imagine half of the class are talking with each others, treat you as transparent, although you'd "remind" them about your existence?!

OK, I went too far from my story. Back to the test, after finished the test, I heard various "sounds" & noise made by the students. Suddenly, I heard 1 of the student complaining to his friend about the vocab used in the questions.

"I don't know what is the meaning of 'pessimistic' lah! The English ah, very high standard, like the degree level English, not diploma level one."

I looked at him for a few seconds, wondering " Har? English also can be classified into  DIPLOMA & DEGREE level? " Can anyone tell me what to say?

I was speechless...

志工初体验

上个周末，我们报名参加由世界宣明会主办的“童路有你，共享改变”巡回展志工计划。这项计划主要是让更多人接触到它们的“儿童助养计划”。这是我们第一次当志愿工作者。既然是第一次，就由最简单的工作开始 -- 派发传单！

世界宣明会通过与贫苦社区的合作，帮助该区居民为自己的孩子、家庭及社区建立长远的未来。大家一定有听过“饥饿30”吧？那是世界宣明会的主要常年活动之一。虽然我们不曾参加这项活动，但是，在大约3年前，我们就通过“儿童助养计划”，助养了新疆的一位小女孩。

我们觉得想要更深入了解它们的活动，就必须亲身参与活动，于是，就有了这次的初体验。此次的巡回展是配合在谷中城举办的第二届妈妈与小孩展览，只占了小小一个角落。

巡回展的设计展现出世界宣明会的社区发展计划的几项主要活动：

1。医疗保健

2。干净水源

3。教育机会

这是当天乐捐一定数额就可获得的商品，包括：BROS特别为与世界宣明会合作而设计的水壶 （大、小）、记事本、印有“我是儿童助养人”字眼的T恤，还有，群星为马来西亚世界宣明会15周年庆录制的VCD。

十号胡同 @ Lot 10

我们终于到这个地方了！其实，我们想到这里已经很久了，只是，之前住在一个相对来说是离闹市偏远的地方，所以一直没行动。趁着哈芝节公假，我们特地到位于Lot 10的“十号胡同”。

“十号胡同”有什么特别呢？这里集结了二十几家传承了至少50年的街头传统美食，也就是说，在这里可以一口气品尝各种具有南洋特色且绝对品质保证的美食。

 

牛肉丸面 -- 看似普通的牛肉丸，一点也不平常，很弹牙。

另一道平凡中更能显得出师傅功力的美食，叉烧云吞面。本人是非常喜欢吃干捞云吞面，在小贩中心用餐时，如果没有其他事物吸引的话，一定点一碟干捞面。只是，我又很不喜欢有碱水味的面条。何荣记的干捞面，没有淋上很多酱油，可是味道适中。还有还有，叉烧嫩嫩的，再加上一碗应该是下足材料去熬的高汤和云吞，满分！

最后，再来一碗榴莲口味的挫冰。一“片片”的挫冰，绵密幼滑，让我顾不得冰冻牙痛，一口接一口。

好吃的食物，结局只会是这样！

Kiku Zakura @ Tropicana City Mall

我们两人相当喜爱日本餐，隔不多久就会到不同的日式餐厅满足一下，就好像这次到位于Tropicana City Mall 的菊樱 -- Kiku Zakura。不晓得是不是因为人潮不是很多，还是因为它给人是属于高价位的餐馆，只有我们和另一桌的客人，到最后，变得像是我们在“包场”！

很特别的茶杯，印着穿上传统和服的，类似艺妓的图案，还很体贴的准备了热毛巾，美中不足的是，毛巾都是洗衣粉的味道。

寿司拼盘，绿叶是可呛得你眼泪鼻涕直流的辣芥末。食材非常新鲜，好吃！

绿茶荞麦冷面 -- 面可是美美的摆在碎冰上，保证放入口中时，只会感觉到面条的冰冷弹性可口，再佐以腌制的小菜及香脆的甜不辣（Tempura），包你满意！

到日式餐厅用餐，岂可少了日式蒸蛋？滑嫩嫩的蒸蛋，入口即化，只觉得满口蛋香味，回味无穷。

无题

读书读得有点无聊，忽然有个念头，拍下这张照片，记录当下的心情。一杯清香的龙井茶，刚下过雨，凉爽带点阴暗的天气，这就是在家苦读的写照。颇有古代穷书生寒窗苦读的意境，呵呵！我也可算是穷书生吧！虽然读书不是因为胸怀大志，比较像是偷懒逃避工作；但，还蛮享受这个过程。不过，现在只是起点，距离终点，却漫漫长路。像今天这样的日子情境，多得是呢！

Mbuji Cafe @ Tropicana City Mall

我很喜欢喝咖啡，我想都可算是胎教，哈哈！据我妈说，本小姐还在娘胎里时，已经每天都在吸收香浓的咖啡。无他，我妈可是每日一杯Kopi O Gao Gao！

上个月，第一次去了Tropicana City Mall逛逛，其实，是因为距下个约会还有点空档，又不想把时间浪费在往返家里和约会地点路上，于是，最好的消磨时间方法，就是坐下来享受一杯香浓得令人颊齿留香的咖啡。这家名为Mbuji Cafe的咖啡厅，吸引了我们。

占地并不大，可是，玲琅满目的咖啡摆设，绝对可以吸引“嗜啡者”。

我点的 Short Macchiato。

他点的 Cappuccino。

Sankolok Boutique Cafe @ Sri Petaling

九月尾，当我们在大城堡新建成的一排店铺前，徘徊寻找美食，无意中发现了这间新开的泰式餐馆。本着尝试新东西的冒险精神，姑且试一试，结果是意外惊喜。

店里的设计走简约舒适风格，一副墙上还用扇子装饰图案。

最让我意想不到的是，厕所竟然很有度假村或是SPA的感觉！由此可见老板的用心。

很特别的杯，装着酸酸的洛神花茶。

特色开胃菜，西瓜加上泰式配料，如：香茅、葱、花生、辣椒等等，非常特别，清爽中又带点辣，名副其实的开胃菜。甜品则稍微太甜了！可能是我不喜欢太甜的关系，所以，这道甜品无法吸引我。

我还蛮喜欢这道炒米粉，加了九层塔作为提味香料，丰富了整个味蕾。炒饭诚意十足，因为放了好几尾虾，现在这样的市道，算是难得的了。

地址：

Sankolok Boutique Cafe

63-1, 1st Floor, Jalan Radin Bagus,

Zone J5, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, 

57100, Kuala Lumpur.

New Identity

It has been a while I did not update my blog. I was quite busy this month, out of town, attending wedding dinners for 3 weeks consecutively. Almost going to declare bankruptcy. Besides, I also need to adapt to new tasks, started from this month. In my previous post, I mentioned that I got a part time tutor job in TARC. This week is the 1st week I start my teaching life there. And of course, the most important task for me throughout this coming 3 years, my PhD life.

 Just want to share (show-off) some evidence of I'm doing my PhD. Haha... The photo taken is not nice, I know, one of the reason, perhaps the only reason, I'm not pretty at all! With this student ID card, I can tell loudly, I'm A Student!

This 'cheap cheap' lanyard is NOT CHEAP at all! It costs me RM5, with this very simple lanyard, printed with the UPM logo, School of Graduate Studies website address, attached with a card holder. What can I do? 

假日吃喝玩乐

上周末，我们去了KLCC的书展。适逢学校假期，整个书展人山人海，很多大人小孩站累了，就拿了本书，席地而坐，旁若无人地进入书中情境。我们还有幸的近距离看见前首相Tun M. 贤伉俪，还有名主播叶剑锋。由于太多人了，我用最快的速度浏览所展出的书籍，然后，再以最符合个人经济效率的时间与金额，购买了书，然后，带着几乎是‘逃离’的心态，离开了书展。有了精神粮食，就轮到肉体上的粮食需要补充了。

我们选择了这家日式餐厅。餐单上的选择蛮多，可价钱也不便宜。结果，我们各点了套餐，价廉物美！

Lime Mojito & 冰绿茶

烧烤鳗鱼套餐

 

日式蒜头炒饭配上烧烤和牛块

开斋节假日，去戏院看了3D 卡通片 “CARS 2”。 这是我们第一次观看3D影片哩！过后，去了美式快餐厅Chili's用餐。我第一次到这家餐厅大概是在七年前了。那时，我刚踏入社会工作，薪水少得可怜，这类餐厅对我来说已经可算是高级了。多亏老板不吝啬，带我们一班同事到这里吃午餐慰劳我们。

 

 我们的前菜： Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip with chips

 

 Soup of the day 和主菜： BBQ Beef Spare Ribs

虽然只点了这些，可是由于分量实在太大了，我们还是没办法全吃完。