Buffet Ramadhan @ Darby Park Executive Suites

This was my first time dining at the 39 Restaurant located at Darby Park Executive Suit. Why is it named the 39 Restaurant?

Well, because it is located on the last floor of the 39th floor high-rise building. And when I say high-rise and the last floor, you can actually view the whole of KL city from there! This open fast session was accompanied by ciklilyputih and Ivy Kam.

Taking in the breath-taking view of KL's skyline from the top floor.

The seating area is ala banquet style as seen below.

The tables were already set. Just bring in your food and you set to dine!

The buffet spread wasn't that big but still a lot to choose from.

Clock-wise from  upper left - Satay galore, drinks available, 39 Restaurant signage as seen at the entrance, and the dessert section.

Here's something I didn't find at my previous buffet indulgence - Laksa Johor!

Laksa Johor anyone?

Seating area that was closest to the main dishes of the buffet spread.

The ambiance was more casual here.

The thing I enjoyed most about this buffet is the Durian Potong Ice Cream. I actually ate two! Haha!

I just LOVE ice cream POTONG!

I was also accompanied by these awesome bloggers below, Thrishtan and Rayyan Haries. We actually were the loudest group of people in the restaurant! LOL. It was non-stop chatter from beginning to the end! Hope we didn't annoy the people around us though. =p

Thrishtan and Rayyan.

Buffet Ramadhan at the 39 restaurant with the awesome KL skyline view is priced at RM99++ per adult.

Details can be read here -- http://www.pnbdarbypark.com/view-promotion/46067

For reservations, call -- 03-7490 3939 / 7490 3333

There's currently a "9+1" PROMOTION  for 9  people who dines, the 10th person can dine for free! This offer is valid from 23 - 27 July 2012. ^^


Happy dining everyone!

Getting Hitched in Thailand

Will be on a one week backpacking trip. ^^

See ya!

Buffet Ramadhan @ Paya Serai, PJ Hilton

Twas the season again where Malaysians can now indulge their tasting buds at the various Ramadhan buffets offered by all the hotels and resorts in town! I was delighted to dine again at the exclusive Paya Serai Restaurant situated inside PJ Hilton Resort. I dined here twice last year, was extremely satisfied with the experience and so I revisited again this year. (Planned to but since I was invited to review it, I was thrilled to death!) ^^

I think the buffet Ramadhan at Paya Serai is among the most expensive dine-in experience in the Klang area. The first week it will cost you RM99++ and the second week onwards will cost you RM129++ per person. Is it worth it? My answer, yes if you love to splurge.

Among all the Ramadhan buffets that I've been to, I strongly believe that Paya Serai has the most extensive and impressive variety of local cuisine in the country! And I'm not exaggerating on this.

My companion for this Ramadhan review is Ms. Fie of fie-nuts.com. Thanks dearie to accept my invitation at such short notice! =)

My cute date for the buffet review in front of the Chocolate fondue.

Surau is also available on the fifth floow of the hotel. Just follow the blue signs.

Surau signage outside the Paya Serai Restaurant.

I was surprised to see that the female's surau is very big!

And back to the buffet display and the dining area....

Clockwise from upper left : Tropical Fruit Cake, sitting area ala banquet style, sitting area ala corporate, fruits display and local kuih-muih display.

Don't forget the various main dishes at the center of the restaurant!

Ketupat lemang section. Mostly Malay food being served here. ^^

I chanced upon a little girl diving into the seafood section with a smile.

Fresh Seafood on Ice section - Prawn, Mussel, Oyster, Crab, Clam, Slipper Lobster, Shalllot Vinaigrette.

I wandered into the Open Chicken Section and dive into the grills selection -  ayam percik, honey BBQ Chicken Wing, Sotong Bakar, Snapper Fillet and Chili Ikan Ayam, Perghh! #kenyangmak!

Clockwise from upper left - Chicken Wing, Clams, Pudding, Lala Tumis Bersantan, Chicken Shawarma with Pita Bread

And most importantly the kampung-style ambiance caused by the local LIVE talents as seen below. ^^

They were playing famous traditional Malay songs as we dine! Nostalgic much?

Paya Serai has four types of  menus that change daily. We were enjoying Menu A for that day and it was above satisfactory!

For those who are interested to head here for an open fast session, the details are as stated below.

The price?
First week of Ramadhan - RM99++ per person
The following weeks - RM129++ per person
*50% discount for children below 12 years old.
All prices are subject to 10% service charge and prevailing tax.

For reservations, please call 03-7955 9122

More info at -- http://www.zestpj.com/paya-serai/ramadhan-bazaar-paya-serai-2012/
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Sabah Trip - 4 days for RM300

My friends and I were able to go to ALL the four places stated on that board! Ambitious much? pic by Wafa.

I've been receiving a lot of emails and questions on places and things to do in Sabah. I was not that knowledgeable on that matter as I don't really tour around Sabah. All I do is go back to my hometown in Kota Belud and stay at home. =p

But that changed when my friends' planned an extensive trip of five days (for me it was four days) to Sabah with the itineray as planned below. Total costs per person was only RM300 and for me only RM245. Cheap right? So the conclusion is, better to rent a car and travel in groups of FIVE to save more. =)

(Itinerary was planned by Wafa)

Day 1

9:30am - First batch arrive at Kota Kinabalu Airport

10:00 am - Car for rent arrives to pick us up.

11:30 am - Lok Kawi Zoo - Wildlife Zoo located just in KK / Museum Sabah

1:30 pm - Lunch at Sembulan

2:00 pm - The Floating Sabah Mosque - Zuhur Prayers
3:00 pm - Azzalea Homestay (chosen accomodation for the first night)
4:30 pm - Sightseeing around KK (Yayasan Sabah, UMS, Bukit Bendera)
6:00 pm - Tg Aru - Dinner, watch sunset
10:00 pm - Fetch second batch of friends from the airport
10:30 pm - Pasar Pilipin

Day 2
5:00 am - SAFMA - KK's Fish Market 
6:30 am - Breakfast and getting ready to go to Kundasang
8:00 am - Tamparuli to see the Upside-down House and the famous Jambatan Tamparuli
12:30 pm - Check-in May Homestay at Mesillau
3:00 pm - Desa Cattle Farm! The place people so often compare to New Zealand!
7:30 pm - Barbequ

Day 3
5:30 am - Taking pictures of Mount Kinabalu without the clouds
7:00 am - .Kinabalu Park
9:00 am - Poring Hot Springs and venture to the infamous canopy walk above the trees!
1:00 pm - Sungai Ikan Kelah Jinak "Tagal"
3:00 pm - Kundasang War Memorial Park

Day 4
7:00 am - Head to Kota Belud for the Tamu Besar
11:00 am - Head to Tanjung Simpang Mengayau also known as the Northernmost tip of Borneo
8:00 pm - Tanjung Lipat and Pasar Pilipin

Day 5
Fly back to Kuala Lumpur 

Will be blogging about all the places stated in the above itinerary. Until then, bye-bye!
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Trying out Yazid's Burger at Section 7, Shah Alam ,Selangor

Last night, my initial plan was to head down to Puchong and try the famous Kaw-kaw Burger there but to my dismay it was closed every other Thursday. So my friends and I headed to Yazid's Burger joint instead which is located at Section 7, Shah Alam in the Selangor state. There are many other food stalls located within a building that houses the prominent food court for students of the nearby universities.

Lemme introduce you the foodies of last night who joined me for the quest of new tastes in the region.

Keri, Bella (soon to migrate to New Zealand), Masy, yours truly and Yobsumo (soon to be active in blogging, again)

And the victim of our vicious food hunting last night is shown below.

Masy ordered the 250g Yazid burger which costs RM10.00 each.

The meat, Oh Em Gi!! 

We had friends commenting from Facebook concerning the meat whether it was fully cooked or not. Let's discover that together.

Moving to the next thing on the menu.

The 500g Yazid Burger with added two pieces of CHEESE on top which costs RM22 per burger. (No toppings, only RM20)

You may think it looks small. But actually we had to cut it into four pieces and believe me, it's enough!!!

The picture below is one fourth portion of the 500g Yazid Burger (shown above) and you could see how perfectly cooked the beef patty is. Yummssssss!

Watch closely as I take my time scraping this burger, slowly torturing it with my fork. bite by bite.

HINT: Eat slowly to savor each bite of this heavenly burger! haha!

True to other reviews read from other blogs, this burger was delicious!!!

I had to line-up for almost half an hour and wait another half an hour just to get this burger and I must say that it was TOTALLY WORTH IT! (Well, after tasting it of course. I actually planned to NEVER come ever again during the waiting period though. Haha!)

Unfortunately, I can't really post this entry onto Selangorlicious website as a contest entry because I didn't get a picture of the stall. =(

But here are the details of this burger for those who wants to try it out!

Blog -  http://yazidburger.blogspot.com/ 

Fb -  https://www.facebook.com/yb.burger?ref=search 

Prices varies depends on toppings but here are the rough estimations.

Normal 135g Yazid Burger - RM6.00++

250g Yazid Burger - RM10.00++

500g Yazid Burger - RM20.00++

1kg Yazid Burger - RM40.00++

*Please be forewarned that the queue for this stall is quite long and the burgers tend to be sold out before it's closing time. Be prepared to be disappointed at around 10 pm because that's when it's SOLD OUT! Hehe.

A night at Suria Hill Country House @ Janda Baik

Continuing from my previous post...

We headed upwards to the end of the road and found out that Suria Hill Country House was the last sturdy building on the road. If we went further, we'll be met by miles and miles of trees and nothingness except some small folks' homes. So we headed back to Suria Hill Country House to try our luck.

Gated houses wouldn't stop us! Ha'ah!

We were greeted with a closed entrance. Tall iron gates met us.

I went out of the car and looked for any signs of life. I was amused by the signage on one of the pillars which reads "Private Property For In House Guest Only". Only then I realized that we had to make reservations before staying the night. (Phew! Done that already. Thank god! #suspentakkorang? =p)

Private Property. Do you dare to come in?

I felt exclusive being able to stay at such a big place. My first impression of the place was, "Wow!!! So BIG!! I wonder if it's haunted?". It was such a big place. Almost like a big mansion in the middle of the forest of nothingness (and so I thought because I saw nothing from the road. No river, no park. Nothing!)

Open Sesame! And in I drove my blue vehicle.

I chanced upon the inhabitants of the quiet house. They are two workers named Kudsiyah (the cook) and Muharram (the housekeeper). There was also a third worker whom I could not name who was the gardener. They were the only three people working here and I was amused.

Clockwise from upper left : Kudsiyah and Muharram, side view of the house, the living room (lobby) and the guest registration form.

I was given a key which led me to a room called Daisy with the interior as seen below. Ms Kudsiyah told me that there are only 16 rooms in Suria Hill Country House, a dining area and a seminar hall (big enough to fit 30 people, maybe). And they are currently housing some guests who are there for some corporate team building retreat.

You know what that means? Tell you later. Let's proceed to the room first.

From left: Toilet with shower and the double single beds with a flat screen TV. Common amenities for a comfortable night stay in the forest.

The only thing that bothered me was the no sign of the kiblat arrow in the room. Teehee. Never mind. Small matter. =p

Oh, about the significance of a team-building program currently being held there? It means I get to enjoy five times of meal-times with them! For free! Hahaha! If I came another day, I might not be that lucky.

Clockwise from upper left: Eating area, kampung style food for lunch, self-service beverages, banana fritters, and my house-mate enjoying a buffet-style experience.

You might be curious on what activities are made available at Suria Hill Country House. Well, I was initially curious too and had no idea. But we explored ourselves and took a quick look around the area by walking. 

Clock-wise from upper left : Back view of the house, the pathway up hill into the unknown (yet), following the pathway wondering what meets us after, found wooden tree swings (adorable!), a shallow river and signage warning off litterbugs.

My housemate and I did the "walk" several times a day and enjoyed it very much. I contemplated on swimming but decided against it, however tempting the idea was. He he. This is mainly because I enjoyed being online instead when I found out that Wi-Fi was available! So I get to laze out on the benches found outside and surf away with the sounds of nature! Ahhhh... heaven! 

I believe this place is the perfect getaway for couples who wants to bring back romance into their lives. The area is perfectly secluded and peaceful. I'm sure it'd be a truly relaxing weekend retreat for those who seek it. ;)

And it also serves as a good venue to hold your team-building activities. A family reunion perhaps? Family day? A birthday party? The usage of the house is countless.

Alas, me being a temporary guest, I only stayed for a night before heading back to KL.

Sayonara Suria Hill Country House! Thanks for having me!

For those interested to make this house as a venue for your personal or corporate needs, the details are stated below.

Suria Hill Country House

Lot 8567, Kampung Janda Baik,

28700  Mukim Bentong,

Bentong, Pahang, Malaysia

Telephone: +603 7806 4752

Fax: +03 7806 4753

website:

http://www.suriaresorts.com/jandabaik/promotion.php

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The ride to Janda Baik from Kuala Lumpur

It took me about an hour drive from the center of Kuala Lumpur to Janda baik and a toll which costs me RM5.00 one way. In truth, I've never been to Janda Baik before but that's the magic of it. To explore the unknown (which in this case it's unknown to me lor. hehe)

I used the Gombak route, passing UIA on my left into the Gombak-Karak Highway. Signage were easily found during the whole drive and very hard to miss.

Janda Baik also means "nice widow" in Malay. Hehe

I had to drive into the resting area called Genting Sempah to get to a roundabout that will lead me into Janda Baik. Thank god for the large, easily viewable signage! FYI, my car is not equipped with GPS, never been, never will. #toopoortobuyGPS =(

Janda Baik at nine o'clock

The view during the drive was filled with trees on both sides of my car. At one point we could see cyclists on our right and a drop on the left. Scarryyy..... until we reached the gate below.

It says "Welcome to Janda Baik village" in Malay. Postcode included.

And on the left of the gate are the lists of hotels, resorts, chalets and camp sites situated in Janda Baik. I have never seen such an elaborate list of places at road-sides in my life before! I was honestly astonished to find such unusual signboard here! Haha!

We have so many choices to pick from for a stay in the hills! (Or is it mountains?)

We continued the picturesque drive upper hill into Janda Baik. It reminded me so much of the old highway from Kota Kinabalu to Kota Belud. The tormenting winding roads of Crocker Mountain Range. This is among the reasons why Sabahans prefer to own four wheel drives instead of normal vehicles. Got umphhh! Local people say la. hehe

A delightful picturesque view!

My housemate and I chanced upon a small fruit stall at the side of the road. I actually had to u-turn just so I can buy some durians!

Durian kampungs are the best! Petai anyone?

We experienced local hospitality when Pak Mokhtar (the guy who cut open the durian for us) lent us a place to eat, served with iced water! 1kg of durian grade D24 costs only RM10. The durian I ate weighed around 2kg and I paid RM18 for it. Smaller durian kampung costed RM5 per kg. I planned to stop by the next day on the way back.

After the durian feast, we continued our way until we reached a T-junction and yet another informative board as seen below.

So where to now? 

Our destination will be revealed in the next entry. Hehehe. #kasisuspensikit

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Sneak Preview - Janda Baik, Pahang

The place reminded me so much of the garden I read from classic book "The Secret Garden". I found a tall wooden gate which looked unwelcoming and mysterious, but what lays behind the gates was something I'd always remember.

Tree swings seen behind the gates. Loved how the sun rays came bursting in the place as seen in the picture!

Coming up in my next blogpost.

Just a teaser. =p

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ATV Adventure Park, Kemensah, Ulu Kelang #Tsdayout

I was waiting for this day for weeks now. It's kinda weird that I never knew that there's an ATV adventure park just behind National Zoo. And it's just within Kuala Lumpur proximity! Possible around 30 minutes hour drive from my place and thanks to Tourism Selangor for this discovery (gee, I'm such a slowpoke.)

Oh ya, ATV stands for All Terrain Vehicle. =)


So what about TSDayOut? It's a program under Tourism Selangor where photo adventurists get together and shoot their heart on to win prize money worth RM250. I was more enthusiastic on the activities and meeting new people instead of the photography competition. Hehe. We convoyed from a nearby mosque to the park via a very narrow road and evidently had some parking problems. But all is well!   

The atendees were equipped with their "shooting" gear. Boy have I felt so tiny! Haha!

After asking around, I managed to find out that we'll be taking Package D which means a 2 - 2 1/2 hours off road ride to Bukit Tabur / Dam Ride uphill and downhill to enjoy magnificent view of Kuala Lumpur and Kelang Gate Dam. The package costs RM200 per pax. You could click on the given link above to learn more of the other packages made available.

First thing first is SAFETY.

Clockwise from left - A guide showing how to change gears (forward, neutral, reverse), Jessying all smiles, guide demonstrating how to start the ATV, and attendees (elis, adam, dan, lily, byya) intent in listening. 

Later-on everyone could get on their bikes for a test-drive around the complex. 

Hot stud detected - Dan Arif of danarif.com

There were three groups for the ATV ride. I was in the second group. Each group was accompanied by guys in red t-shirts like below to make sure everyone rides out safely. *gulps.

If you got problems with your vehicle, they'd be there to help you. (especially the girls) =)

The terrain we went through was damn harsh, suicidal at times and dangerous! I bruised my hands by gripping the handles too hard. I was so afraid of falling off my vehicle, haha. Hint - Going downhill is much more difficult than going uphill. Take my word for it. But the view was AWESOME!!!

Clockwise from left - Riding downhill through rough rocky terrain, muddy terrain, guide waiting for the others to arrive (I was right behind him), waiting turns to go uphill, and up the hill we went! Easy peazy!

I was a fast learner so the guide confidently put me in front of the group for being fast and furious! Ececeh.. ececehhhh...

I despised the rocky terrain the most! The ride was bumpy!!!

Tired, oddly satisfyingly happy, and clothes drenched in a mixture of perspiration and mud, we finally reached the end three hours later. It was cool that the park provides an open Surau with a great view (arghh! no picture!). Hehe.

After that, we headed to Breadties for refreshments and food!!!

Clockwise from left - Alex Lim posing for my camera after much begging, fish chips and fries (yummy!), soup with coke, and the winners for the TsDayOut photography competition (Faris,??,Sabrina -Faris's wife!, Danial, Alex, Adam)!

Overall, the whole experience was AWESOME! Thankyou Tourism Selangor! Can't wait for the next edition sometime in September!

Ps: I highly recommend reading this blogpost though. Brought tears of laughter to my eyes! LOL!

Lilyriani --> ATV @ Kemensah | TSDAYout Special Edition.

and another highly recommended post by my favorite photographer -

Nigel - #TsDayOut @ Ulu Kelang (Special Edition)

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