The Reviewer

Gourmet Fast Food at Jungle Gym

2011-10-24T23:31:00.004+08:00

Well I'm sure any parents in Brunei have at one time or another been to the Jungle Gym in Kiulap. I have been going more frequently this year as the kids are at an age where I need to get them out of the house so they can thrash some other place that I don't have to clean up after. hehehe.

And often times, places like these serves up what kids like to eat - fat ladden fried food like fries, nuggets, fried chicken, burgers etc. So I had been reluctant to eat there all this while. Until one day, I was just too tired to brave the traffic to go to our usual haunt and decided a little fast food once in a while might not be a bad thing. So I sauntered casually up to the food counter and looked the menu up and down while other parents were ordering buckets before me. With the usual fast food list, you can also order from their sister establishments like Le Taj (which serves North Indian Cuisine) and Capers (Italian pasta and pizza). So I order the Jungle Gym set for the kids which consisted of a drink, fries and choice of chicken fingers, fried chicken, spaghetti, burger, hotdog or cheese & tomato toastie which comes with a toy for $5.00. Add 50 cents extra if you want Milo in place of the softdrinks which I did. I also chose the chicken fingers which I thought would catch the kids attention. On top of that, I ordered some papadoms from Le Taj.

Results: The so called toy that came in the Jungle Gym set meal box was nothing to shout about. In fact, it was nothing even to whisper about. It was totally crappy. But then again why was I expecting a premium toy, eh? This is not McD here. It's just a box toy that you can buy in any supermarket for 50 cents with a pack of melted candy & if you're lucky, a small plastic toy, and if you're not so lucky, a card or sticker or tattoo.

But enough about the downside, let's talk about how unbelievably good those chicken fingers are!! They are the best chicken fingers I have ever tasted from a fast food outlet. Beats KFC, McD & Ideal combined!! Unlike those other fast food outlets whose nuggest are made of minced chicken bits, this is big chunks of chicken meat (not minced) fried in a breadcrumbs batter. Very aromatic, juicy, tender on the inside and cruncy on the outside. The only thing is, it's not well salted. Which might not be a bad thing, considering it's for kids. But even with the under salting, I couldn't get enough of them. I mean, I plan to go there the next week just to eat these chicken fingers. Why has it taken me so long to discover them? So after that, I decided to try the cheese and tomato toasties, which were also very good. So it's not just your average white trash junk food we're talking about here, but gourmet fast food. I think this is courtesy of their highly reputable sister establishments (which does the cooking, I guess).

Price: Reasonable enough with a pack of 6 chicken fingers for $4. Cheese & tomato toasties for $2.20. Fries for $1.50. Jungle Gym set for $5.00, add 50cents extra to substitute Milo. I noticed they have brewed coffee ($3.00) and I think I'll try that soon.

Rating: 10/10 for the chicken fingers!! Craving for them badly now....

Best Chicken Chop Ever

2010-09-28T18:23:00.000+08:00

Had the best chicken chop ever today. Accompanied with the best coleslaw (even though it was a bit warm) and slightly soggy wedges (but still good, nonetheless) with a sauce that is not the usual taggy type but salty, just perfect for it. The chop was fried to crispy perfection with a crumbed crust and had no gamey chicken taste at all! It was a big piece of boneless thigh, yet tender and moist, sprinkled with bits of mixed veggies on it. Even the kids couldn't get enough of it.

Where, you ask? Ironically it was served in the RIPAS Hospital Ward today. You know, if they keep serving food like this, I'd check myself in there just to eat it. And they'd be less wastage too. I noticed everyone in the ward licked their container that day. All pleasantly surprised at the treat. 3 cheers for RBC. WE WANT MORE! WE WANT MOREEEE!!!!

Supasave's VacuumSaver Containers

2010-09-20T16:38:00.004+08:00

Pic of the Roundy Series with the Pump

Supasave is having another promotion where for every $10 spent you will get a sticker and with 5 stickers you can purchase a range of VacuumSave containers at discounted prices. These containers (made in Taiwan) claimed to be airtight and with a special pump will remove all air from the container and make it EVEN MORE airtight. So of course I was tempted to buy a few.

Results: I bought the biggest "roundy" and the biggest rectangular one and the pump. I must say they are NOT very good at all. First, when you suck out all the air from the container with the pump, it only lasts less than a day and suddenly the container is no longer airtight and you can even remove the lid easily (instead of needing to push a small button to release the air when you newly pump it).

I put my biscuits and keropoks into the containers and they were all soggy. I would have been better off with a Tupperware (or any other commercial airtight containters for that matter). Less fuss too, no pump, no nothing, just put on the lid and it doesn't even go soggy as fast as this VacuumSaver. With the VacuumSaver, I pumped my muscles out only to have the air magically refill back in a matter of hours.

Would I buy it again? BIG FAT NO!

Costs: Ranging from $2.95 for a small one to 16.95 for the bigger ones. Pump costs $4.95.

Rating: 0/10.

P/S: Just gotta warn people not to get it because it's so lousy! In fact, I felt deceived! It's like the worst airtight product ever!!! Aaargghh so pissed.

Twelv Cafe "Gourmet" Buffet Spread

2010-08-22T19:18:00.006+08:00

Well, Ramadhan is here again. Which means a deluge of Sungkai buffet spreads on the offer. Ahh..so much food, so little time. Went to try Twelv Cafe's "Gourmet" Buffet Spread. Called ahead to make a booking and should have taken the hint when I asked if it was fully booked yet at 4pm and the waitress said I was the first one. Turned out, including us, there were only 2 other tables. Hmmm...

Verdict: Food pics all taken courtesy of Twelv Cafe's Facebook page. And I really gotta say, it looks better than it tastes. I gotta stop getting fooled by the tasty pics on Twelv's FB page damnit! A few gripes - they served the food really late, way past 6pm (maybe to preserve food integrity so that it is hot), but some people who are there early and who do not puasa (like young kids), at least they can feed the kids first, and they themselves eat later. There is a TV inside but they did not switch to the channel that shows the beduk, and no other indications of the correct time for sungkai. So we were left with no idea that it was already time to sungkai until the waitress said it's time and we had to take their word for it without hearing the actual "proof". But they said the TV was outside with the beduk channel.

Another thing is their dessert is really poor. There is only fresh fruit platter and cendol, which consist of the green thingy and the gravy only. I had expected them to at least include some kueh if not their "famous" cakes. Also, instead of having a drink dispenser so that diners can get their own drinks, they make you your drink and serve it to you, asking you a choice of either red or orange. And the drinks were too sweet we had to ask for water to dilute it.

Food wise, the only thing worth remembering was of course the lamb chop (which was cut in small pieces but nevertheless good, done the Twelv grilled way) and the pasta. Other things that were served that day was mixed veggies, mushroom soup, steamed chicken, some seafood gratin, (there were no labels because I think they don't even have time to put it up since the food came out so late), pandan chicken, mashed potato with mushroom gravy, with starters such as popiah, deep fried mushroom, battered chicken pieces & onion rings, and dessert of cendol, fruits, etc

Price: BND$15 for adults and half price for kids above 5 years old. I don't think it's really worth $15. Maybe $9.90 is more appropriate.

Would I go there again? Not for the "Gourmet" buffet. But as I've said before I think they do good steaks and they do have a loyal fan base for certain ala carte dishes.

Rating: 4/10, below expectations.

Some of the starters. The square bits were cold meat cuts which I didn't try because it didn't look appetizing.

Another starter, the popiah and pizza. Even my kids were not interested in the crunchy popiah and the pizza which they used bbq sauce as the base was too sour. I like the veggy popiah but it was too salty if eaten too much. Actually most of the food tasted too salty.

I assume a waldorf salad with fruit pieces.

The starter of popiah and breaded chicken pieces which was quite nice but again, the kids didn't like it.

Steamed chicken with ginger & garlic sauce. This one came out so late that we had eaten our fill and was about to leave so didn't even touch this.

The mashed potato and mushroom gravy. The gravy was nice.

The pathetic looking "homemade" cendol. Didn't try it.

The tomato bruschetta toppings were quite nice but they could have toasted if not buttered the bread.

Jindi Camembert Cheese

2009-11-12T21:06:00.003+08:00

Comes in a semi circle box.

Results: I'm a big fan of brie and I think camembert is kinda similar to brie. The wax sealing on this brand of camembert, however, is too thick. Hence, there's not much cheese left to enjoy.

Notice how thick the wax is.

Price: B$4.20 for 100g at Supasave, slightly cheaper than Australia Gold but hardly worth it.

Would I buy it again? No.

Rating: 5/10

Royal Brunei Catering

2009-11-01T13:45:00.004+08:00

Some of the finger food from RBC, truly exceptional ones were the spinach tart and a sort of squid tart (not pictured). Good touch with the cheese and crackers.

We had a corporate function the other day and decided to go with RBC to cater some finger food. There's no denying that RBC does good finger food with creative presentations. But it's their staff that spoils the RBC brand.

We ordered food for 100 guests but since less than 50 showed up, we asked them to wrap up the food for takeaway so that at least we can bring it to the office for the rest of the staff the next day.

The next day, 3 plates of cold starters turned up. I doubt that was all the food we had left. Come on, there was $2000 worth of food there and 3 plates was all they could spare? We paid for the food. Wait, it's not even about the money. I'm going to be cliche and say it's about the principles. I mean this has happened way too often. It has become synonamous with the RBC brand.

So our PR officer rang up RBC and all they could say was, maybe it got misplaced and sorry for that. That was all. They expect us to just accept that and say ok, thank you, don't let that happen again (but we know it will). But we refused to be made a fool of this time. We demanded that the food show up or we were not going to use them again and others will hear about this.

Aparrently according to some of our staff who were there that night at the event, they saw one of the RBC's more senior staff asking the waiters/waitress to just take all the food they want. When our PR officer walked into the kitchen he was vissibly caught off guard and a little embarassed and when we enquired about the food, he said yeah they were in the process of wrapping it up.

RBC should really train their staff on PROFESSIONALISM. It's understandable if the junior staff would be doing something like that, but as a senior staff, he should be able to set a good example to the juniors and always remind them to behave professionaly. But having a senior staff endorsing this kind of behaviour is just too much.

I can see that most of the waiters and waitresses are youngsters, probably school leavers, or those waiting for a permanent job. They are impressionable and most of them are in it for the fun. There was also one time, not only were they taking the food, they were pulling out the flowers of the main bouquet. Usually our company's practice would be to bring back the bouquet to put in the main hall. But a few of the young waitresses were already pulling out the roses and each shouting, "I want, I want". One of our staff had to tell them that we still wanted the bouquet. They didn't even ask permission but, like vultures, swooped down on everything after the main guests have gone.

Another time, we asked for containers for our staff to take away the food but we were told there were no containers, only to find the RBC staff in the kitchen with containers wrapping food up for themselves.

Another incident, the staff started eating the food after the function had just ended. We told them that the food belonged to the company and we would like to take away and the staff said, "But we're hungry." And on humanitarian grounds we let them continue eating.

I think whenever there are any big corporate functions, all the staff are just volunteering to work.

Rating: 4/10

Tepung Goreng Ayam Puteri Ayu

2009-10-24T18:39:00.003+08:00

So far in this blog, I have yet to give anything a 10 out of 10. But, that streak is about to be interrupted. Yes, this is the product that deserves 10 out of 10.

Magic powder that can make anything taste good

Inside the packet

Results: I use this to fry chicken, seafood (squid rings, tempura prawns), veggies (cauliflower) and I've not tasted any flour this good. It makes everything taste nice. Compared to other frying flour, it is nicely seasoned, not too salty, not too peppery, just right. The chicken also stays crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I normally would dip everything in egg first before coating it with the flour. This product is also hard to find as it often runs out - a testament to how good it is, perhaps? hehe.

Price: To be updated as I'm not really sure (it comes in huge and small sizes)

Would I buy it again? In a heartbeat.

Rating: 10/10

Twelv Cafe Cakes

2009-10-23T20:06:00.008+08:00

Saw Twelv cafe's tempting cake pics posted on their Facebook pages. They do look really good and I thought 3 slices for the price of $2.50 was kinda cheap. I had my eye on the lamingtons, so I popped by there today after lunch to get some.

The cake counter (picture taken from Twelv's Facebook).

The double decker also taken from Twelv's FB.

The actual double decker mousse. I peeled off one of the choc pieces to get a better view.

Results: Imagine my surprise when I walked into Twelv. I was trying to find where the cake counter and the cakes were and lo and behold. They were so tiny, I had trouble spotting them. They sure do look much bigger in the FB pics. I wish they had put it against something so that I had a better idea of their scale. Their cake counter didn't help, cuz it was equally tiney. So now, I thought, fittingly that it costs $2.50. And for that size, it's no longer as cheap as I thought.

The trio in their styrofoam container

Just as well that it was that small, though. Cuz I'm not sure I wanted to eat more than that. It really does look better than it tasted. I wanted the choc mousse, lemon cheesecake and carrot cake but they were unavailable. At least I got my lamingtons, which tasted so-so only. Nothing to shout about (or even whisper, for that matter).

The lamington (actual size) in my hand. One bite and it's all over. Just as well.

I also got the double decker mousse and moist choc. The "mousse" for the double decker was too hard as too much gelatine had been use. There was no creaminess there. I believe a mousse should be lighter than that (note of reference: MUM Bakery's choc mousse cake). The "moist" choc cake was too dry and not chocholatey enough.

The "moist" choc cake which was too dry.

So all in all, I was kinda disapponted, really. But I've eaten there before and I do love their grilled steaks and I admire their initiative to branch out. But I think those cakes need a lot more work in the taste department. They not only have to look good, but most importantly, they must taste good.

Also, they put the cakes in a styrofoam container for takeaways. Hmm... at least must have a fittingly nice palace for your princesses to sit in lah. In other words, they could have put it in a nicer cake box.

Staff were friendly and accomodating enough, so service was ok. Maybe because they only had one table at the time (since it was already 2pm), so wasn't really busy.

Price: B$2.50 for 3 pieces of your choice.

Would I buy it again? No.

Rating: 3/10

John West's Soft Herring Roes

2009-10-11T13:01:00.003+08:00

If you're wondering what is SOFT herring roe as opposed to HARD herring roe - well hard herring roe is the actual egg of the herring (a type of fish found mainly in the Atlantic Ocean). So if hard herring roe is the egg, then what does that leave soft herring roe to be? This might surprise some, but it's actually the sperm of the herring. I guess calling is soft roe sounds less offputting to certain people than calling it fish sperms. :)

Yes, it is edible and it's quite, soft, squishy and tasty. It's contained in a sac, so there are a number of sacs in a can.

The can of roe prior to being opened.

The contents of the can. Rows of roes steeped in brine.

A piece of roe.

A cross section of it just to see how the inside looks like.

Results: If you don't like oysters, then for sure you will not like this hehe. It's slightly salted but you can taste the sweetness of the soft roes and I often drink up the brine as well. You can eat this on it's own as it is not overwhelmingly salty, or with rice or on top of crackers or bread.

Price: B$5.80 per can at Supasave.

Would I buy this again? Definitely.

Rating: 9/10 (I wish it was in a bigger can so there's more of it hehe).

MUM Bakery - Kiu Lap

2009-10-10T12:03:00.008+08:00

Ordered a birthday cake at Mum's Bakery and wanted to have a custom printed picture lasered onto the cake.

1. First time I went there, they said they need 24 hour's notice because the place where they make the printing is in Yayasan and not in Kiu Lap thus if less than 24 hour's notice, it can't be done. That was last year, so we had to abandone the idea and get a cake that was hand drawn by them (charge for handdrawn cake $6)

2. This year I went 48 hours earlier and they said it can't be done because the place that does printing is done in Tutong. I said last time you told me I need 24 hour's notice. Then after some haggling they said ok, no problem, I can collect it 2 days later.

3. Went there a week later to order another printed cake and this time they said I have to get the printing done by myself because they don't do that at all. They gave me a number of the contact person to go get my printing done, then collect it myself and send it back to them so they can put it onto the cake.

You know, if they don't want to offer the service in the first place, then just say they do no offer such services instead of making customers like myself feel like idiots with all the different stories.

There was a smudge on the design which looks like the jelly icing from the side of the cake. They didn't bother to clean it up or apologized for spoiling the design. The top part of the design was haphazardly cut off (which is not entirely their fault, but they could have adjusted it better to fit in the whole design as there was still a bit of space below). And the wordings were "creatively" written on the side of the cake instead of on top (could have been written below the area where the cherry was) thus was not able to see the wordings.

Results: For an established business, I must say their service really leaves a lot to be desired. And I'm not just talking about the cake ordering fiasco, but also the daily service. Sometimes the staff can be quite rude and impatient to the customers. I was there a few days ago and there was this lady who had become disgruntled after asking numerous times for $15 worth of cream puffs but was left waiting for 15 minutes without being served. Apparently the staff that was supposed to be manning the "puff counter" had run off from his station and had to be called back (another staff shouting at their top of her lungs for him in front of customers).

Back to the issue with the cake. I think Mum should really try to go the extra mile for their customers who have been supporting them for so long, by providing the printing service as part and parcel of their business. If not, at least make it transparent to the customers. Afterall, shouldn't the motto "The customer is always right" be a priority?

A closeup of the blue smudge which could have come from a careless fingerprint coated in the blue jelly of the cake.

Price: 1lb of cakes such as Chocolate Mousse & blueberry cheesecake is B$18. For a 2lb cake is B$36. 1lb of black forest is B$13. Icing printing: $7 for half A4 size and $9 for A4, courtesy of LYL Enterprise, contact Amylea at 8666715 or you can email her at edibleimage@hotmail.com.

Would I order cake from there again? Maybe.

Rating: For service & attitude of staff: 2/10, for the taste: 8/10, for creativity: 3/10

LYL Enterprise

2009-10-09T17:03:00.003+08:00

Found this "shop" when I was trying to get a customized design done for a birthday cake. It's not actually a shop as the owner, Amylea, said that she operates from her house which is located somewhere in Mulaut. And she meets up with customers at designated areas (mostly in Hua Ho Tj. Bunut) for them to collect the completed product from her.

Result: She can print any designs that you have or I think she has a booklet of designs you can choose from (she has a booklet with lots of designs and their corresponding codes with Yataro Bakery located at Mall and Centrepoint if you want to choose a design). You can email your designs to her at edibleimage@hotmail.com. Or contact her on her mobile at 8666715. The problem is, she does her printing on square A4 or half A4 sizes and sometimes you might have a round cake and it might not fit that well.

What they can or should do is actually have the measurements of all the available shapes and sizes of cakes so that they can customize their designs more accurately. Perhaps they could go and actually buy 1lb/2lb/3lb round cakes, square cakes, heart shaped cakes and have their measurement scanned/drawn into their computer so they can do a more accurate picture that will fit the cake. I say this because a few of my printed icings have been cut off by the bakery in order to make it fit onto the cake. And some of the designs came out too small, thus it doesn't look so nice on the cake.

Another disadvantage is, because she doesn't do delivery to the bakeries (i.e. if you happen to order your cake from MUM's for example), you need to actually deal with her to get your designs printed, then go send it to the bakery so that they can paste it onto the cake you ordered. I asked her why she doesn't do deliveries as there are a lot of customers from the bakery that would like to have the designs printed out as well. And she said because the bakery pays by credit and not cash, they need to order in bulk for her to warrant delivery.

So, to all the big companies, let's support our small/home entrepreneurs by dealing on cash terms to encourage their growth. :) And do arrange for a proper collection/delivery service with her so all your customers can be happy.

Oh, taste wise, the icing tasted quite good actually. I had thought it would be a thick and hard piece of icing, but nope, it's soft like a piece of paper. Just be careful not to fold it.

Price: $7 for half A4 and B$9 for A4 size. You can print various designs on one A4 and it'll still cost $9. I saw someone printed 8 small circle shapes with their picture (presumably to be pasted onto cupcakes) and she told me that costed $9 as well.

Would I buy again? Yes.

Rating: 7/10 (could do with a better business management strategy)

KFC Batu Satu

2009-10-01T10:43:00.007+08:00

Went to KFC Batu Satu last night at around 7pm for dinner. Ordered the mini bucket and asked for all Hot & Spicy chicken. When we started to eat, I could taste a strong burnt (hangus) smell and a slight bitter taste on the chicken skin. The chicken pieces themselves looked normal in terms of color so it is obvious that they are not burnt. So I deduced that the oil they have been reusing to fry the chicken must have been burnt.

Results: Because only the outside part of the chicken tasted burnt and the inside meat was still ok, we decided to continue eating as we were in a hurry. Only towards the end of the meal when a waitress was cleaning up our table and getting ready our take away did I asked her why the chicken tasted burnt. She said she will ask the kitchen staff. Then she came back a while later and told me that they said it was because the temperature of the oil was too high. I love their brutal honesty in daring to admit it. :)

So now my question is, they KNOW what had happened and they KNOW the cause of it. So why didn't they throw away the chickens and the oil and redo a new batch? I thought KFC franchises have very strict QC and they would never serve anything that is off standards to their customers. So that was rather disappointing. To have the staff know the reasons and yet did not inform nor rectify the situation. And to know they did not conform to the QC standards of the KFC franchises.

Incidentally the mini buckets are a great deal. I got the one with 6 pieces of chicken, 1 big box of chicken nuggets, 2 mini mashed potatoes, 1 large fries (they were out of potato wedges) for B$19.30 and add $1.30 for a big bottle of pepsi. It was good because we got all the stuff that everyone wanted to eat and none of the stuff that nobody wants (such as the coleslaw & buns

Price: B$19.30 for a mini bucket meal set. There is also a mini mini bucket set of 4 pieces chicken, 2 coleslaw, 2 mash, fries, drinks for B$11.90.

Would I go there again? Yes, because I'm sure this was a one off thing (I hope). I've been going there for over 10 years and this was the first time I encountered it. If I had to rate all the KFCs (that I know of in BSB) based on freshness and availability of the chicken, it would be: 1. Batu Satu, 2. Giant, 3. Kiu Lap, 4. Mall & 5. Yayasan.

Rating: 2/10 (2 points for the great bucket deal, points deducted for pure disappointment that they would let something like this happen).

Update: Went there again 2 weeks later and the chicken still tasted slightly burnt. Only very very slightly. So I think they really need more practice in controlling the temperature of the oil.

Fun Bread

2009-09-30T17:25:00.008+08:00

Results: Bought this bun at Fun Bread in the Mall a few days ago. It has so many things going for it. Aside from the chicken floss liberally sprinkled around it, there's corn and also a ball of mashed potato dotted with pink pieces of chicken ham on it and all topped with mayo and cheese. I realised that most of the breads in Fun Bread are all topped with a layer of cheese. That's a good thing for me cause I'm a huge fan of anything topped with cheese hehe. I actually forgot what this bun was called because I went around reading all the inventive names of the buns there. I hadn't been there for a while, so this was something new to me and I decided to try it out.

A closer look at the potato ball. You can see it's dotted with tiny pieces of chicken ham & black pepper.

One thing about buns with potatoes on it is it doesn't keep well. I had bought this in the morning and wanted to keep it to eat for breakfast the next morning (like what I normally would do with buns), but the potato part had soured the next day. the rest of the bun was still good, so i ate the rest and threw away the potato part, which was a waste because one of the reasons I bought the bread was because I was attracted to the potato. Incidentally, I absolutely love the potato salad bun in MUM's bakery. They are always sold out by afternoon though.

I also bought the mini garlic baguette also topped with chock full of ingredients like capsicum, ham bits, lotsa cheese. It tasted like a mini pizza and the baguette was so crunchy and garlicky. I gobbled it up so fast, I didn't manage to take a picture hehe.

Fun Bread was already opened when I got there at 9.30 am (before the rest of the Mall was opened).

Price: $1.30 for the potato bun and $1.50 for the mini baguette.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Rating: 9/10

Jack & Jill Salmon and Wasabi Flavoured Potato Chips & Unagi and Seaweed Flavoured Potato Chips

2009-08-21T11:24:00.016+08:00

Never seen these chips before so I assumed they were new. Of course, fascinated by all things sushi, I decided to give the Salmon and Wasabi flavoured potato chips a try after coming across them in Hua Ho. I liked the packaging and what's better was it came in a resealable pack. When I opened them up, not only were the chips directly in the resealable pack, there was another vacuum pack inside, so I thought, wow, double insulation? Double impressed!

The salmon sushi & wasabi one. Captivating design.

The unagi & seaweed one.

Results: I chomped down on them immediately, curious to know how salmon sushi and wasabi chips tasted like. And...they tasted like normal potato chips. Disappointed that I was unable to discern the taste, I tried another one, this time, trying harder to detect any signs of anything salmonish or wasabish. Still nothing. Oh well, they were potato chips, so I downed them anyway. A few days later I came across the Unagi and Seaweed Flavoured ones at my kampong mart and decided to give this one a try, thinking I'm sure it'll taste of unagi this time.

The vacuum pack inside the resealable pack.

So again I opened the resealable pack. This time I took out the vacuum pack inside to show my husband. and Lo and behold, a small flavouring sachet fell out. Yes, I had failed to read the instructions at the back of the packet. Who reads instructions at the back of a pack of POTATO CHIPS anyway?! It says, you're supposed to empty out the contents of the vacuum pack INTO the resealable bag (so, there WAS a reason for the double bagging), then pour on the flavouring from the little sachet which was INCLUDED in the resealable pack, seal the pack and shake the whole thing to mix in the flavours. DUHH!

I failed to see the small flavouring sachet tucked inside the resealable pack with the vacuum pack.

So after that, I can now, more accurately review the chips. The unagi & seaweed flavoured one, tasted like seaweed because the little flavour sachet consisted of seaweed flavouring. It's a little too salty for me if I were to put the entire satchet in. I don't know why they can't just incorporate the flavours into the chips instead of having people mix it in themselves. Maybe it just adds to the whole "experience" and the novelty of it, I guess, plus you can adjust the flavourings according to your taste. I am still curious how the salmon one tasted like as I had discarded the whole thing without even realising my little unopened flavour sachet was still in there.

The chips - looks like normal Jack & Jill chips.

Price: From B$1.65 at my local mart to B$1.80 at Hua Ho.

Would I buy it again? Yes, especially the Salmon one to actually try it out with the flavour sachet.

Rating: 7/10 (for the novelty of coming up with such new flavours and the great packaging). Flavour wise, so-so, but I never say no to a bag of chips - any flavours. Hehe.

Buna Shimeji Mushroom

2009-08-20T10:23:00.008+08:00

Wow...didn't update for over a month. Was busy with the new amah (as expected, can't measure up to the old one, doesn't even come close), farming (in Facebook, that is) and puasa just started. Excuses, excuses hehe. As with anything, once you stop, it's hard to pick it up again. So I'm gonna do some warm up and hopefully go full throttle soon. :)

The packaging. I assumed they are from China from the Chinese writings on the packet.

Ok, so I bought these mushrooms at Soon Lee Batu Bersurat together with a mix of other mushrooms for a mushroom ragout recently (ok, not so recent anymore). And I had to get them cuz they look so gorgeous and fresh and was so cheap. Incidentally, in Soon Lee Batu Bersurat is usually where you can get a lot of fresh veggies (especially mushrooms) and they cost less than other supermarkets.

Looks can be deceiving. These gorgeous looking babies betray their real taste.

Results: This was the first time I've bought them but not the first time I've made mushroom ragout. So after cooking, I had a taste test and the ragout had a bitter taste to it, which never happened before. I didn't think much of it as I assumed the taste would go away after stewing it longer or it was just my taste buds that day. But the taste continued to bother me, and I started isolating the mushrooms and tasting them one by and when I got to these mushrooms, they were the culprit. They very clearly had a bitter taste to them. I had washed them thoroughly beforehand, so I don't know if they were naturally bitter or I just had a bad batch.

This village of mushrooms came in a little neat container.

Price: B$1.30 at Soon Lee Batu Bersurat

Would I buy it again? No.

Rating: 3/10 (for the cheap price & its great appearance & packaging)

Boh Teh Tarik Kurang Manis

2009-07-11T15:33:00.005+08:00

One satchet per cup please.

Results: Taste quite nice actually and not too sweet. Does it taste like the real teh tarik? No, of course not, but close enough to cure any teh tarik cravings for me. Although, according to my husband it is tasteless as it's just not sweet enough for him. And he says it tastes powdery. It kind of reminds me of those bubble tea/milk tea sold at those drink kiosks around the mall. Those are made from powder as well. But to me it tastes pretty good. It comes in a big pack of only 12 satchets. Since it's not that sweet, I don't have to worry about downing 2 satchets a day hehe.

The powder before pouring in hot water.

It froths up after hot water is added.

The froths settle into smoothness after stirring. Enjoy!

Price: B$4.80 at Hua Ho Tanjung Bunut for a pack with 12 satchets. I think there are some places that's selling for B$5.20.

Would I buy it again? Definetely.

Rating: 9/10 (I think it's kinda pricey for 12 satchets only and I don't see why it's not only B$3.++)

Amah

2009-07-08T14:27:00.014+08:00

Well my amah finally went back today after 1 yr 8 months. Actually, she requested to go back early before her 2 years contract was up and I relented because she had been a good worker and had done a good job. So it was the least I could do, not to hold her back against her will as she did have a valid reason for doing so. Her daughter aged 6 will be starting primary school in July, and she wanted to be back to take care of her. Far be it for me to hold someone back to take care of my kids and neglect their own.

I remember when she first came, I had just had my 2nd baby, and he was only 3 weeks old. She took care of him from 2 months onwards til now he is almost 2. So she practically brought him up and he is particularly close to her. Even my eldest son, who is quite anti-social and does not warm up to anyone easily (not even his own relatives) is also fond of her as she really knows how to get through to kids. Not only do my own kids love her company but also other kids of my extended family.

At that time, she had to take care of my 2 month old baby and my 1 year old, who had not learnt how to walk yet, single handedly. There were times when she was rocking the basket that they slept in, one hand each simultaneously. She said her arms felt stiff from the exercise. And she waited for both of them to have their naps before having her lunch, sometimes at 3pm. Those were the days when they were still small and as they grew older, things got easier, so it was easy to forget how hard and tirelessly she had worked then. At times, I really wondered how she did it, taking care of 2 young kids single handedly (and might I say fearlessly) and without even complaining how hard it is as if she felt that just comes with the territory of her job. I don't even think I could have done something like that myself without having a nervous breakdown.

Even when no one helped her, she didn't feel that they were obliged to because it was her responsibility. When she first arrived, we lived alone in a small house and recently we had just moved to live with my in-laws a few months ago. So she's been through a lot with us. From the kids getting HFMD (twice), to moving house, to various weddings, birthdays, trips and festivities. The good times, the bad times. Just like part of the family, even with my in laws, she is well liked. I find I often confide in her about family matters, things that may not be of interest to our husbands if we were to tell them, but which we feel we do need to get out of our system nevertheless.

Sometimes I do feel annoyed with her but I don't believe I have ever shouted at her outright. This is due to her bossy nature. But it is also one of her best traits as she is able to take charge and manage the household in an orderly manner without having to ask me about every little details all the time. She sometimes even overwrites my decisions, but mostly for the good of the kids. There is no doubt she always has their best interests at heart. In fact, I dared to say that she took care of them better than me, their own mother. I couldn't have done a more thorough job. She never took any shortcuts with them.

My eldest son is a fussy eater, but she would patiently force him to eat all his meals, never giving up, sometimes over an hour. Because of that, he has progressed from a scrawny boy to being more robust. She made sure that they take their medications on time when they are sick, by force if necessary. And she would play and entertain them to fill in the time. She also speaks excellent bahasa Brunei as she has worked for a family in Tutong before. I'm sure they found her indispensable as well when she left.

I never minded about her cleaning skills (which were not as fantastic as her child minding skills) as long as the kids are well taken care of. She would cook their meals for them and know their favourite food and what they don't like. She understands what they are saying when no one does. She picks out the clothes that they wear daily and will inform me if the clothes are getting smaller, tighter or no longer fits. What I like best is when we go to Miri, she will pack their bags without needing to ask me what to bring. I'm hopeless at packing and having her take care of that part really puts me at ease.

In short, having her around made me felt a lot better and positive especially during the time after I was feeling a little bit depressed post natal. It's true that we don't always get along, in that I feel annoyed by her bossy attitude sometimes (heck, sometimes I feel like she is MY boss), but I would chalk that up to PMS (either one of us). Sometimes I feel she oversteps her boundaries and even appear rude especially when I ask her to do something my way and she prefers to do it her own way. But overall, there is no denying that she has made a lot of difference in our lives, especially the kids. In essence, they had one more person to love them.

Today, she was dued to be picked up by the driver on her journey back home at 3pm, but they came unexpectedly early, making her rush and we didn't have a proper goodbye. The kids were still napping when she was leaving, so when they wake up, she would have been gone. I doubt that they realised that a big part of their life has changed.

She was the one who put them down for their naps every afternoon and also puts my younger son to sleep every night before carrying him into his bed. Now I wonder if I will be able to accomplish that. My new amah will be coming in another 2 weeks. And I hope that we will be as lucky as the first time and have somone as good. But I really do doubt I can find anyone up to her standards, so I shall just lower my expectations and try not to compare them. I never got a chance to say thanks to her for taking such good care of my kids but I think I'll just SMS her that later. :)

Update:

She called me around 7pm to say that she had just arrived at Sg. Tujuh and asked how the kids were doing. She said she felt sorry for my younger boy and she felt sad everytime she thought about him. She even spoke with them for a while. She will arrive in Pontianak by tomorrow night and hop on a flight to Jakarta. Then an hour's car ride to Bandung. Then a 7 hour train ride to her village and a 1 hour motorbike ride to her house. Yeah, it's really damn far.

I hate to admit it, but I do miss her - for being her.

Listerine Mouthwash

2009-06-22T14:45:00.001+08:00

Results: You know when you see those Listerine adverts on TV where there's an explosion in the guy's mouth after he rinses with the product? Well, they ain't lying! I think its power is rivalled only by acid. The fluorescent colour should have been a warning of things to come hehe. It's much much more powerful than Colgate's mouthwash. But since it was cheaper, I thought I'd give it a try. At least I can also make it go a long way now because I have to mix in some water before using it to dillute it a little. I would say 1/4 water. It's a good thing my mouth didn't glow in the dark afterwards.

Cost: B$5.90 at Hua Ho.

Would I buy it again? Maybe.

Rating: 6/10

Restoran Rasa Idaman, Batu Satu

2009-06-17T14:29:00.007+08:00

The menu available and their prices. There are also nasi campur.

The roti telur. A bit on the oily side. My husband always has to use a tissue to blot up all the oil on the surface of the roti first.

The best thing about this restaurant is, unlike other kedai kaling, they prepare tissue in a nice little plastic box for you on the table, so you can use as much as you like without having to ask the waitress for more.

They also sell roti kuning. But the thing is they microwave the roti kuning to heat it up. And as with microwaved food (especially breads) it does not make it crunchy, but makes it hard and tough instead. They used to toast it, but maybe their toaster broke and they never bothered to get a new one. But they are very generous with the kaya & butter filling. The cabinet is where they keep the veggies & meat for their nasi campur.

My husband's Nescafe tarik (as usual). He said the drinks here tastes a lot better than most places. You have a choice of big or small. This is the big one. The small one is served in a plastic cup.

The kuah daging. Actually I prefer the kuah here than the ones in Alam Ria because they are thicker and taste less of curry powder and a little sweet (especially the kuah daging). Each kuah has a different taste from the other, instead of tasting similar. I really like their kuah ayam. They will automatically give you kuah daging unless you specifically ask for ayam.

I'm also a fan of their kuah dhal. It's saltier than the kuah daging and ayam. This one even has a little piece of potato floating in it.

Results: There is a wide variety of choices here compared to Alam Ria. And their nasi campur is really good as well. We used to eat lunch here most days of the week (before we got married hehe). I especially liked their assam fish, hati buyah and radish masak lemak. My husband likes their fried chicken, ayam masak merah, curry ayam, hati and acar. I have to say the food is a little on the oily side, though.

Other items on the menu that we order quite often is the kueh tiau goreng (daging) and omelettes. There's Chicken omelette, cheese omelette and tomato omelette. The omelette comes with 2 slices of bread with mayonaise spread. You have to remind them to put salt because they often forget to do that with the chicken omelette! And sometimes they also forget to mayonaise the bread, so if you find you're given slieces of plain bread, ask them for the spread.

They also serve soto, which I have never tried, simply because my mother-in-law already cooks a mean soto a few times a month hehe. They also have a variety of Kart's Pau (daging, ayam, red bean, kaya, coconut) on the steamer, and always some ready boiled eggs on the table.

Last but not least, they also sell daily newspapers (Bulletin & Media Permata). So it's really convenient to get your daily news while enjoying your breakfast/lunch/tea.

The weird thing is, they don't have dosai. And they are closed on Sunday. (Must be the only kedai kaling to be closed on Sunday? hehe)

Would I go there again? Yes, and often do.

Rating: 9/10 (For not serving dosai + food on the oily side)

Fedac Tablet

2009-06-16T16:02:00.006+08:00

This is actually the medication prescribed to me at the government hospital when I had a cold. According to the pharmacist there, these little pink tablets also for a some anti-allergy properties, so it's helpful in controlling sneezing.

Also comes in syrup form. And it's also pinkish in color. Apparently, in the hospital, they would ask you first if you prefer the tablets or the syrup.

Note: This medication is intended for adults only. I believe the government hospital here also dispenses a similarly named medication for children in the form of a yellow syrup. So, it's quite a different thing in terms of strength, I believe.

Results: Very efficient in unblocking the nose, especially when you find it hard to breathe and your nose is completely stuffed up, or when your nose keeps dripping. It dries up the nose, so there are no drips or mucus to deal with. Will take about 15-20 minutes for it to take effect. Will last a couple of hours, so if you feel your nose getting blocked again, you can retake it. However, it causes extreme drowsiness. So I only take this when I'm about to go to sleep. It has a very bitter taste once it touches your tongue, so get that cup of water ready.

A handy medication to have around, in case someone feels like they are coming down with the cold. Just take one of these immediately and if you're lucky, the cold would not even materialize.

I bought these in Guardian in Miri, so they came in these little tablet sheets. The tablets are exactly the same as the ones they dispense at the government hospitals here.

The dosage written at the back. According to the pharmacist in Guardian, you just need one at a time.

Price: RM3.30 per sheet of 10 tablets from Guardian Parkson in Miri. Or you can request for it at the government hospital here.

Would I buy it again? Yes. If I go Miri again, I will stock up on it because sometimes I'm just too lazy to go queue up at the government hospital here just to wait for my meds. And sometimes they would only give 10 tablets or if they are nice enough and you ask for another pack, they might give 20.

Rating: 9/10 (point deducted for the drowsiness factor)

PRECAUTION: As with all medications, please consult your doctor before use.

Roasted Chestnut

2009-06-15T13:12:00.002+08:00

Remember a few years ago, roasted chestnuts were all the rage? I mean, there were stalls set up in places like First Emporium where they would be selling these freshly roasted chestnut in a paper bag. I wondered what happened to them?

Anyway, this is another alternative to that. I only saw this recently being sold in First Emporium so I decided to give it a try.

Results: Convenient as you don't need to take off the hard skin yourself as it comes skinless! It tastes pretty good, sweet and taste fresh, not at all preserved. It's quite soft and squishy, so it's not dried or hard. The only thing is, most of the writings on the packaging is in Chinese. So presumably it's made in China. Yet when I want to look at where it was made, there was a yellow sticker covering it (presumably with the name of the importer). So, that was a bit dubious.

The front packaging.

The back packaging with the yellow sticker near the bottom.

The content. There was of course more than this because I ate about half already before taking pictures hehe.

One of the roasted chesnut. It tastes very sweet & soft.

Price: B$1.50 at First Emporium (Bangunan Kuning) at Batu Satu

Would I buy it again? Yes. I'd buy more than one pack because it's just too easy to finish the whole pack.

Rating: 9/10 (point deducted for the dubious nature of the sticker and no English translation of what seems to be a lot of words written in Chinese on the packaging).

Maggi Cup Noodle - Curry

2009-06-14T15:29:00.001+08:00

I used to be a huge fan of cup noodles, but I find I am no longer able to digest them as well as when I was younger. Hmm..the travails of age :p

I stocked up on a few flavours and regretted it because I also just realised why I no longer like them as much. Their texture is different from the ones that you cook. And nothing tastes better like slow cooked instant noodles, if that makes any sense hehe.

It's actually a bowl instead of a cup now hehe. So it's quite big.

Results: The good thing is they did include a fork that doesn't fold. So it's not as fragile. This is the curry flavoured one and it actually comes with a pack of santan. So it's curry santan flavoured. It tastes a little too rich for me. So when I eat a lot of it, I don't feel so good. So I never finish it. If you're wondering if it tastes like the Instant Maggi Curry noodles that you cook? No, it doesn't taste like that at all, which is too bad because nothing beats the classic taste of Maggi's instant curry noodles that millions grew up on, right? hehe.

Look, they didn't forget the fork! Yayy for Maggi. Boo for Myojo who doesn't include any utensils.

The flavorings (perencah) hehe. 3 types - one is the curry powder, one is the oil and one is the santan powder.

Pour everything on. You can see the white santan powder. Then pour in the hot water and cover for a few minutes.

The end result. I don't like too much gravy so I didn't put in so much water. The gravy is quite light color. If you don't like santan or don't want it to taste so rich, I think you can omit the santan powder.

Price: B$1.10 per cup at any supermarkets.

Would I buy it again? No. Nothing against it or anything but I'm just gonna clear all my cup noodles stock and stick with the cooked ones because they suit my stomach more at the moment.

Rating: 7/10

Excapade Sushi

2009-06-13T16:29:00.001+08:00

The pictures here were taken at Excapade Kiulap 1 (old branch) after I went to the new branch Kiulap 2 and the pictures I took there were gone because my phone's memory card got corrupted for the upteenth time! So I brought my trusty digicam instead when I went to the Kiulap 1 branch. And there was a reason why I decided to go the Kiulap 1 branch instead of going to Kiulap 2 again.

And I always feel that the Bento Set that is really worth ordering is the Tempura Bento Set. There are so many things on it, tempura, sushi, sashimi, appetizers and even fruits for dessert. As if that was not enough, there's even miso soup. The portion is enough to share among 2 people. But of course I had no problem gobbling up the whole thing all by myself as I'm a big eater.

Look at the amount of stuff in this Bento: There's the 6 pieces of maki sushi (salmon, cucumber & crab), 2 pieces each of tamago and eel sushi)

Results: I ordered the exact same thing at both places, but the quality and some quantity was quite different. At the new branch, the sushi rice fell apart right away when I picked up the sushi rolls. And they looked badly made, with the seaweed not even properly sealed.
In the Kiulap 1 branch I got like 8 baby octopuses, instead of the 2 i got in Kiulap 2. Talk about big difference. The rest of the stuff tasted more or less the same. But Kiulap 2 is bigger and much noisier. But I do like that some tables are fitted with a hot water tap so you don't have to flag down a waitress like a madman/madwoman when you want some tea.

I think I was quite lucky that day, I got 8 baby octopuses hehe. Aside from that there are 2 pieces of deep fried fish cake kind of thing, 2 prawn tempura, 1 corn tempura, 1 sweet potato and 1 yam tempura. Sometimes the veggies vary and there is green pepper instead of corn but I prefer corn.

I tried ordering the Aji Sashimi in Kiulap 1 and they told me that it was only available in the Gadong branch. So I went to the Gadong branch just to try that the other day, but was really disappointed after the waitress took my order and came back to tell me that it was not available. I asked, not available forever? She said, oh not forever, just currently. I think I'll call first next time to check before heading there.

And the branch that I like the best is still the old Kiulap 1 branch. Because it is cosier, less noisy compared to Gadong and Kiulap 2 and you can get the waitresses' attention easily when you want something compared to Gadong, which takes forever just to get someone to notice you. The Serusop branch is actually smaller than the Kiulap 1 branch and there is a conveyor belt instead of a train but no chef in the middle. All the orders come from the kitchen, so I can't actually see them slicing the sashimi and I wonder about the hygiene at the back kitchen (if there is a chef or the kitchen helper doing the slicing and dicing). But I guess the really good thing is it's opened whole day.

Yes, there's more. Some preserved daikon pickles (nice!). For the sashimi, it usually varies, but lately they have been giving octopus instead of 3 types of fish sashimi. The sashimi I got that day was extremely fresh with the Hamachi beingvery firm, and I've never seen the Salmon sashimi such a deep coral colour. Previously they would have given either mackerel or tuna as the third sashimi. Dessert of fruits too, this time was red & green apples and orange. Usually there's watermelon but I think they ran out so they replaced that with teh green apple.

Price: Tempura Bento Set B$15. Aji Sashimi B$8. Red plate B$3.80. Blue plate B$3.00. Yellow plate B$2.50. Green plate B$2.00. Salmon sashimi set B$15 for 12 pieces, so I think it's more worth it to order red plate for $3.80 for 4 pieces - that's 4 plates for B$15.20 for a total of 16 pieces for all you mathematicians out there :p

Wow, everything finished! Yep, I did that all by myself hehe

Would I go there again? Kiulap 1 - Definetely. Kiulap 2 - Maybe. Gadong - Only when necessary. Serusop - Maybe.

Yeah, just an empty bowl left where the miso soup used to be hehe.

Rating: Foodwise it's my fav sushi joint, so 9/10.

Yataro - Tiramisu slice

2009-06-02T20:55:00.006+08:00

Results: Taste cheesy and creamy enough. But for takeaway slices, although they do provide a nice box, they should have provided a spoon as well so that people can eat it while on the go. My husband got the choc mousse cake (not pictured, cuz it has a similar look), but he said it's not really mousse cuz it tasted more like cream with some choc flavourings. And he's the expert in choc mousse cakes. But it still tastes light and creamy (I ate the rest of it hehe).

Overall I do like the cake slices there as they are value for money without sacrificing the taste and they're not stingy with the ingredients. The other good stuff there is their batard only B$1.30 and I've always liked their milk bread. Unlike their cake slices, which are well decorated, the rest of their buns don't really look appetizing or appealing to me.

Yataro is located inside The Mall Gadong and inside Centrepoint.

Price: B$2.00 per slice. There's a coffee cake (which I imagined should taste similar to the tiramisu as it has a similar look but is cut in a rectangular shape) is only B$1.50. Choc mousse cake is B$1.80 per slice. And other slices like blueberry, strawberry (is a rounded slice) and blackforest slices are also around b$1.80. The cakes are cheaper compared to other places such as Fun Bread and Mum's which usually starts from above $3 a slice of similar sizes.

Would I buy there again? Yes.

Rating: 8/10

Azam Ria Restaurant

2009-06-01T17:18:00.010+08:00

Went for tea break at our usual kedai kaling while waiting for our photos to be developed at the Kodak shop in Gadong. This place is the same row as the Kodak shop and Chong Hock, Ahan Thai, and that shop that sells the musical instruments. We used to go there quite often when we were working nearby the area for our morning tea break.

This is the only place that I know of that serves roti any hour of the day! Other places only serves roti til 11AM and then starting at 3PM. So if you need your roti fix and can't wait for 3PM or if you woke up late and it's pass 11AM already, you know where to go.

I ordered teh tarik ping cuz it was a hot day.

My husband had his usual Nescafe tarik. He already took a sip (or two) that's why the glass doesn't look full.

And my husband's usual roti telur. Was big and crispy. Not oily such as the roti at Restoran Rasa Idaman.

Accompanied by the kuah kari ayam. He also likes the kuah here, cuz there's no layer of oil on it.

And for the sake of something dramatic to snap, I ordered the dosai. Look how huge it is. It can't even fit into the frame. Very thin & crispy!

Comes with 3 types of gravy, the usual kari ayam, fish (I think they ran out of daging, so they just put fish) and white chutney. Surprisingly the fish curry gravy tastes the best, the combination of hot curry, crispy dosai and ice cool teh tarik was heavenly.

Results: Crunchy roti, tasty drinks, gravy too curry-ish though, as in more curry powder than santan. Rest of the side dishes for their nasi campur don't really look appetizing. Limited food choices. But roti is always ready and good. Service is good and attentive.

Price: Normal kedai kaling price.

Would I go there again? Sure. Anytime I feel like having roti and none of the other places are serving it yet.

Rating: 7/10

Update: I went there today (15 June) around 1.10pm and tried to order Dosai but the waitress told me it's not available because it's not yet 2pm. I've never had problems ordering roti before, even during lunch time! Did some kaling association of roti discovered that they were serving rotis at all hours of the day and swoop down on them? So now they were given the choice of either risk alienating the entire kaling roti making community or follow the official roti hours as set by this mysterious sect. Oh noooooo.........

PDS Roast Ribs

2009-05-31T16:29:00.003+08:00

I saw this product about a month ago while browsing in Hua Ho Kiulap. It seemed like a promising new product and I decided to try it out. Since it seemed kinda pricey, I decided to ask the workers there how was the reception towards this product. I asked one guy at the meat counter if he thought this would taste good and he said he had no idea. Oh well, I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I just needed someone to assure me that it was worth buying. My guts got the better of me and I bought it after words like "Premium ribs", "Tender and juicy" and the gorgeous looking picture of the glistening ribs on the packaging finally got the better of me.

Results: There is a reason why I had to go take this picture again in the supermarket. I threw away the product so fast, I didn't have a chance to take a picture of how it looked like inside. I only had a small piece of it. I tried to finish it for the sake of trying to let the taste grow on me. But I really feel sick at the taste and recalling it now really makes me feel sick to my stomach again. It tasted like something that had been around for the last 10 years. I think it's because of the preservatives they use that made it taste really unfresh.

PDS produces a lot of meat products for the local market here. I have tried a lot of their prepared meat products like beef rashers, salami and so on and they all have that same preserved meat taste. Even when it says that the meat is smoked, I can't even taste any smoked taste in any of the meats except a faint preserved flavour which is supposed to act as smoke. I think PDS should look into the kind of preservatives they use or try to use less of it because it really does affect the taste of their products and that's just too bad. It seems that all the meat products they produced has the same taste, just with a different look, name and packaging. I've tried deli meats in other countries and they tasted fresh, not so preserved you think you're chewing a piece of cardboard.

Back of the packaging with the list of ingredients and the preservatives used.

Price: B$8.60 for the pack of 500g, comes with sauce. I didn't bother to try the sauce as well cuz I wanted to throw the whole thing away before someone else in the family eats something that tastes so awful. And I don't think the sauce can cover or improve the awful taste of the meat.

Would I buy it again? Absolutely not. Unless they promised an improved taste.

Rating: 1/10 (the packaging was attractive enough)

Vstana Jewellery - Hua Ho Kiulap

2009-05-30T21:48:00.023+08:00

We were looking around at a few goldsmith shops and ended up at Vstana Jewellery in Kiulap as I wanted to try somewhere else other than Million Goldsmith, where I usually get my jewelleries from. For this particular occasion I wanted a simple bracelet for everyday wear (and the husband was getting it for me for our anniversary). We were served by this Filipino sales lady who had always manned the counter there and she was friendly and accomodating. After settling on the one we wanted, the process was brief as we paid and left.

Results: In the car, the little heart shaped leaf thing fell off straight away. Luckily I caught it in time, otherwise, we would really have a hard time looking for it. My husband had to fix it on using a pair of pliers so that it was secure enough not to fall out anymore. After about 3 weeks, when I was out shopping, I rolled my bracelet and the whole thing broke off. Again, luckily I caught it in time before it fell to the ground. It broke off somewhere towards the end, and this time it meant I had to bring it to the shop for it to be fixed. They told me that there would be a charge of B$8. I was a bit miffed because I had assumed that all goldsmiths are like Million Goldsmith, where they give a lifetime warranty for the jewelleries you buy and they never charge if you bring it to them to clean or fix it. I asked for a discount and the lady said maybe the boss will give me a discount because I bought the piece from them. Then she told me it would take about 5 days, asked me for my phone number and told me to wait for a call from her before I come to collect it.

The little heart shaped leaf that fell off

The original receipt

I waited for 5 days and there were no calls, so I just went up to check if it was ready. When I got there, the same sales lady was there and there was a customer looking at the jewelleries on display. When she saw it was me, she just waved the wait hand at me. I waited for quite a while, as she served the other customer who was just browsing and did not seemed like she needed the undivided attention of the sales lady. However, the sales lady insist on providing the best service for a potential customer, whereas I, already a customer that only needed to get my fixed item was relegated to 2nd place.

Again, I felt disappointed at the treatment after I was waved at 3 more times while she followed the potential customer around as they browsed. Eventually the potential customer left without purchasing anything, and she took her time before she came to me, by which time a Chinese guy, who I assumed was the boss, had come out from the room and was looking at me. I gave them my receipt and she said it was ready. The Chinese guy said he would only charge me $B6. I asked him why can't it just be free since I bought it here. He said they had to put in a bit more gold to fix it. I tried it on and it was slightly shorter than it originally was. So I wondered where the extra gold went into?

The little bit that they cut off

Looks like metal rather than gold

Dark color

He gave me back the little piece that he said they had to cut off in order to fix it. I couldnt understand why they had to cut it off and I asked him why can't they just connect it back. But he never explained. I saw that it was blackish, as if it was steel coated with gold. He just said because it was dirty and they hadn't cleaned it. He told me that I can use it next time to add on to any gold items that I need to have melted. I looked at him sceptically and said, "huh, this itsy, bitsy black bit?"

The receipt for the repair B$6

Price: $B48.50 per gram. Total was B$240. Price to repair: B$8 and if you're lucky they might just charge you b$6

Would I buy there again? No. I think there is a reason I've gone with Million Goldsmith for so long. Great value added after sales service. In the goldsmith industry, this is one important factor that will keep customers coming back because they feel valued for their business. If by selling substandard items to have your customers coming back again and again to get it fixed and earning from there, is really not ethical.

Rating: 0/10 (seriously lacking after sales service & item quality seems to be lacking as well)

Update: After 3 weeks, the bracelet broke again! No, I did not tug on it or anything. As usual, I just rolled it up and it broke off again. I could not believe it. So I brought it back to the shop and asked them are they going to charge me again for getting it fixed. This time it was a different girl and she asked me how much did they charge me last time. I told her B$6 so she said, same price. So I said, "Can't you fix it for free since I bought it here and this isn't the first time it broke off." She refused so I said, then forget about it. I don't think they should keep earning my B$6. I'd rather get it fixed elsewhere and let someone else earn it. So after that, I've decided to downgrade their rating further from 2 to zero.

It broke off towards the end there (near the bell). How many more times to I have to fix it or should I just sell it to Million and get a new one from them?

Gift wrapping at Hua Ho

2009-05-28T11:24:00.006+08:00

Went to Hua Ho Kiu Lap to get a gift for my husband's niece's birthday. As usual, after getting the gift, we got the wrapping and wanted to have it gift wrapped as well. And as usual, we had to wait for the salesgirl at the wrapping counter as there was no one there. Since we had the kids with us, and they were getting antsy, I asked the Filipino salesgirl at the cashier where the wrapping girl was and she just gestured for me to wait. After much waiting again (another couple had joined me, also waiting for gift wrapping), I asked the cashier girl again and she just called out for the wrapping girl. But still no response. Then I saw a Filipino salesgirl walked by towards us, looked at us for a while and walked away again towards the stationery area.

As I didn't know how much longer we had to wait and the kids were getting impatient, I started to wrap it myself (as we stayed with the family and I didn't want them to see the gift if I had to wrap it at home). The other couple proceeded to wait patiently, while the husband asked, "Are we supposed to gift wrap ourselves?" And the wife replied, "Antah eh!"

After I was done, the Filipino girl that had walked by just now appeared and as it turns out she WAS the gift wrapper. And when she saw that I had finished wrapping the present myself, was a bit red faced and started to approach the other couple as I told them "Wow, what good customer service you guys have here!". The two girls (wrapper and cashier) stared at each other as if they had no idea what I was talking about and was wondering what had happened. But they know very well what had happened, with wrapper girl, already walking past, seeing people at the wrapping counter, yet still walking away without even saying a word to acknowledge us.

This of course was not the first time it happened as I encountered the same thing before this at the same Hua Ho outlet. At the time, we didn't have the kids along, so I had more dignity to wait although I was almost tempted to gift wrap it myself then. Looks like I finally got a chance to prove my wrapping skills last night.

The day before that, my sisters-in-law went to Hua Ho Tanjung Bunut to get a gift for the same niece. And according to one of my SIL, the Filipino sales lady banged the box rudely as she opened it when they asked if they can test the product inside. And she did a lot of banging and handled the parcel roughly while gift wrapping with a sour face. My SILs, of course, felt very disgruntled with the service.

I hope that Hua Ho improves their gift wrapping "service" as not all customers have the time to wait around for those salesgirls to show up whenever they please. And getting a present for someone should be a happy experience, so don't have a salesgirl that makes people feel like they owed them a huge debt. I know the 2 Hua Hos actually belonged to different owners, but it shows that their workers' attitudes are just the same towards their customers. In many countries, there is a special department set up just for free gift wrappings with professional wrappers employed to do such a job. These people do not leave their post during their shifts and always greet customers and thank them for their purchase, not to mention the skillful and swift wrapping that they do.

Maybe Hua Ho should spend some time on some etiquette training for their staff. I know that not all the Filipino staff are like that as those at the supermarket cashiers (in Hua Ho Kiulap) are very friendly and helpful. It's just those few rotten eggs that spoil the whole bunch.

Result: Next time I'll just gift wrap all the gifts myself at their counter by default and act surprised when there is actually a "wrapper personnel" offering to do so.

Rating: 1/10 (1 point for them actually leaving the cellotape dispenser on the table for convenience).

Update: I went there again a few weeks later to buy another birthday gift for my husband's little girl cousin's birthday. This time, the cashier was a local girl and when she saw that I wanted it gift wrapped (after I chose the wrapping paper) and she screamed for the wrapper girl again and again. The wrapper girl, also a local girl came immediately and started wrapping and chatted with me cheerfully. She said she really liked the gift that I chose (variety of beads to string for neckclaces and bracelets) and said she also thought of getting this herself etc. And said can make business from that, and that went to how Chinese people are so creative in making business to how she would love to own her own saloon and she had taken courses at the Pusat Belia but it's hard to start up her own biz. See, that's the kind of people you should have manning the wrapping counter, chatting with people while they wait for the wrapping to be done. So because of that girl, I'll up the point to 3. hehe. Good on her!

Liyana Restaurant, Batu Bersurat

2009-05-25T11:38:00.006+08:00

Went to Liyana at Batu Bersurat (where SML Satay is) for tea yesterday afternoon after a hardcore shopping session for household essentials minus the kids. hehe. There are no pics though for this post, so it's kinda disappointing because I forgot to bring my digicam and my phone memory was corrupted!

I had watermelon juice (B$2.50) and crispy kolo mee with beef (B$4) and my husband just wanted some fries (B$3.50) and lychee drink (B$1.50). Since it was 3pm, there were only 2 other tables besides us and the satay stall was not opened yet. But it took ages for our food to arrive! 10 minutes just for the drinks to reach us. 20 minutes before the fries came and we had finished the fries a good 10 minutes before my order arrived. I thought they were usually slow because there were always a lot of customers, but the other 2 tables were already served. So I really don't know what the hold up is. But I guess Liyana is one of the restaurants that do not disappoint with the food.

Results: The fries were well fried and not soggy at all. The kolo mee was crispy and the gravy was good. No complaints there. So overall the food was good and I guess worth the wait. But really not for people who are in a hurry. Well, we weren't even in a hurry and still it felt like forever. So maybe for people who have a lot of patience. hehe.

Price: Reasonable restaurant prices with normal drinks costing B$1.50 and juices at B$2.50 and fried noodles/kueh tiau at B$4.

Would I go there again? Only when I have a lot of time to kill or when I really crave some of the food there. But not as a regular haunt. Or maybe if they see that I'm a regular customer, they would hurry my order next time? hehe. Actually I used to go there quite often last time when I was staying around the area...and yeah, they were slow then also, but the waitresses knew me well. Don't see those gals around anymore though.

Rating: 7/10 (yeah 3 whole points deducted for the waiting time because there wasn't even so many customers there at the time!)

Iliadin-Merck 0.01% Nasal Drops

2009-05-23T21:30:00.003+08:00

Decongestant solution for infants

Anyone with an infant or toddler with a cold would know how hard it is for them to sleep at night with a blocked nose. Not only does it cause irritation to the child but also to the adults. hehe. I find the normal saline drops given by the government hospital not to be very effective. But good for them, they also had other alternatives available and I have been using this on the kids whenever they've got a cold. It is suitable to use on newborns.

Results: Very effective in unblocking the nose for easier breathing. What I really like about this is, if you don't want to drip it into the nose, you can put some of the solution onto a piece of cotton and wipe it on the nostrils. This works especially well for newborns and infants as their nostrils might be too small to drip into or if you don't want to irritate them. For older kids, it is more effective to drip it directly into the nostrils. It does take a few minutes for the solution to take action, so if after dripping and it still seems as if their nose is blocked, do not drip further. It may take up to 20 minutes for the onset of action.

Side effects: However, as the warning on the leaflet said, if used too often, it will result in extreme dryness of the nose and throat. Therefore it is recommended only for short periods of time (5-7 days). I usually use this on my child only at night when he is about to go to bed as that is when you want them and yourself to have a good night's sleep. And I would drip it again in the middle of the night if he wakes up because his nose is blocked again. Other than that, I try to minimise it's usage. And I normally stop using it after 2-3 days as after that the blockage is not so bad anymore.

Price: I got this from the government hospital for free. Whenever my supply finishes, I would request for them from the doctor again.

Would I use it again? Yes.

Rating: 9/10 (point deducted for the side effect of over dryness if overused.)

Precaution: As with all medications, please consult your doctor before use.

The information in the leaflet

Composition
1ml iliadin-Merck 0.01% contains in an aqueous solution 0.1 mg oxymetazoline hydrochloride.

Excipients
Disodium edetate, benzalkonium chloride, sodium dihydrogren phosphate, sodium monohydrogen phosphate, sodium hydroxide solution, purified water.

Indications
Acute colds, paranasal sinusitis, syringitis, otitis media.

Contraindications
Rhinitis sicca, hypersensitivity to the active ingredient. In the following cases this drug may only be used after carefully weighing the risk-to-benefit ratio:
- patients treated with monoamine oxidase inhibition (MAO - inhibitors) and other drugs potentially increasing blood pressure
- increased intraocular pressure, especially narrow-angle glaucoma
- severe cardiovascular diseases (e.g. coronary heart disease, hypertension)
- phaeochromocytoma
- metabolic disorders (e.g. hyperthyroidism, diabetes).

Because of the benzalkonium chloride which is contained as a preservative iliadin-Merck 0.01% must not be used in known hypersensitivity to this subtance.

Precaution for use
During pregnancy and lactation the recommended dosage should not be exceeded and the preparation should only be used after carefully weighing the risk-to-benefit ratio.

Interactions
No interactions with tricyclic antidepressants or monoamine oxidase inhibitors of teh tranylcypromine type have been reported in the recommended dosage of iliadin-Merck 0.01%. Overdosage or swallowing of iliadin-Merck 0.01% and use of tricyclic antidepressants or MAO-inhibitors simultaneously or immediately prior to administration of iliadin-Merck 0.01% can lead to an increase in blood pressure.

Dosage and mode of administration
iliadin-Merck 0.01% is intended for intranasal application. Unless otherwise prescribed, up to the age of 4 weeks instil 1 drop of iliadin-Merck 0.01% into each nostril 2-3 times daily. From the 5th week of life until the age of 1 year, instil 1-2 drops of iliadin 0.01% into each nostril 2-3 times daily. To facilitate and ensure exact dosing, iliadin-Merck 0.01% is supplied with a metering pipette. The numbers on the markings indicate the quantity of drops drawn up. For example if 1 drop is to be administered, the liquid level should be at mark 1 when filling the pipette. This ensures that exactly the desired dose is dripped into the nostrils. The following procedure has also proved efficient: Depending on the age of the infant, drip 1 or 2 drops of the iliadin-Merck 0.01% solution onto cotton wool to wipe out the nostrils. In the case of iliadin-Merck 0.01% 20 minutes may elapse before the onset of action.

Duration of treatment
Unless specifically prescribed by the doctor, iliadin-Merck 0.01% should only be used for short periods of time (5-7 days). Permanent use of decongestant rhinological agents may attenuate their effect. The abuse of local rhinological agents may cause mucosal atrophy and reactive hyperaemia with rhinitis medicamentosa. Longer use of oxymetazoline may case damage to the mucosal epithelium with inhibition of ciliary activity. This may possibly result in irreversible damage to the mucosa with rhinitis sicca. Long term use and overdosage must be avoided, especially in children. Dosage higher than recommended may only be used under medical supervision.

Side effects
Occasionally, burning or dryness of the nasal mucosa, sneezing. In rare cases - after the effect has worn off - an intense sensation of "blocked" nose (reactive hyperaemia). With topical intranasal use, overdosage leads rarely to occasionally to systemic sympathomimetic effects like palpitations, accelerated pulse (tachycardia) and increase in blood pressure. Restlessness, imsonia, tiredness and headaches has been observed in very rare cases. Effects on the ability to drive a vehicle or operate machinery: Systemic effects with cardiovascular involvement cannot be excluded after prolonged administration or intake of oxymetazoline - containing cold remedies in doses higher than recommended. In these cases the ability to drive a vehicle or operate machinery can be impaired.

Expiry Date
Please note the expiry date on the package. The drug should not be used after the expiry date has elapsed. After opening the pack, iliadin-Merck 0.01% should not be used longer than 3 months.

Storage conditions
Do not store above 25C.

Keep medicament out of reach of children.

As with all medications, please consult your doctor before use.

Excellent Taste - The Mall Gadong

2009-05-18T12:06:00.014+08:00

Went there for dinner on a Saturday night and I ordered claypot noodles (chicken) and the husband had chicken rice. I remember the chicken rice used to be my husband's favorite and they used to charge B$5.50 just for that. But I think they've changed the chef because the chicken rice no longer taste the same although the chicken is still as tender as before (boneless). It now has some kind of sweet soy sauce poured on it. And it comes with 2 additional sauces. The usual chicken rice chili and a sourish gravy sort of thing. Both of which did not taste good. The chili tasted too much of a raw chili taste.

The half eaten chicken rice. I only remembered to take pics after we were eating halfway.

The 2 sauces for the chicken rice.

The claypot noodles was another revelation. I had expected something like what they serve at TPH, with clear gravy, crispy thin noodles and an egg on top. But I was surprised when i got something with black gravy and what looked like an enormous amount of ginger and spring onion in it. No egg in sight too. It seemed like they had used the gravy for cooking ginger and spring onion chicken and just poured that on top of some yellow noodles. Disappointing. I used to love ET's food although they are pricier compared to other places, but it's just not the same anymore.

The claypot. The taste is ok, if I was ordering ginger & spring onion chicken.

This is only half of the ginger in the dish that I managed to pick out. Some were too finely chopped and I accidentally ate it (and cuz I was too lazy to keep picking them out). And another half was still in my noodle as I haven't finished picking them out yet.

Price: I think the chicken rice was B$4.50 (boneless). Not sure about the claypot as I just ordered without looking at the menu. But I think it could be around B$5.50.

Would I order from there again?: No.

Rating: 5/10

Tenji - Kuala Lumpur

2009-05-16T18:23:00.070+08:00

This was taken from my BRO's Facebook. He is currently working and residing in KL with his wife. Bruneians going to KL are spoilt for choice when it comes to good food especially with the abundant buffet spreads. You can add this as one of the must go places on your agenda. All descriptions written by the BRO himself with some minor editing, hehe. Thanks for the informative reporting, bro!

Located at: Solaris Mont. Kiara
Price: Parent’s Day promotion for Lunch @ RM39.99++ per person.(Normal price is RM77.00++). You can visit, Blog.tenji.com.my, for their promotions and details.
And according to my bro it is HALAL, but they do have an alcohol bar.

This nice signboard was at the entrance to the toilet. Not at the main entrance.. Weird but true~! Maybe it's fengsui ? :P

You can opt for a sauna and a buffet together at their outside seating. haha! It was bloody hot during the afternoon. only 2 tables were taken, I wonder how they manage the heat!!! And you have to walk thru here to go to the toilet at the end of the alley.

This stall , at night, you will see some chef BBQ a huge lamb and cutting it up to serve, so just line up with your plate and make the drooling face so they'll give u more. There are sauces on the table, got peppermint, bbq, black pepper and so on.... it started quite late at nite one, so don't eat too full first... a MUST have dish too! I am not into lamb, but when I tried this, I had 3 plates of it!!! Imagine that!! I bet my mom would love this one!!

The inside view...Nice light effect and soft music with LCD tv with some football show.

More inside view.... very nice design! Seats are comfortable, tables are quite near to each other so sometimes u can hear the other table talking. But moving around is still acceptable.

The pantry and left side red signboard stand for Haagen Dazs ... sweet! Newly opened bucket , dunno what but darn nice! But they forgot to turn on the water flow (to soak the metal scoop once used), saw some customer try to pry open the valve but failed. Lastly my wife went over and told me to turn it on. I just turn lightly and wah-lah! Gold pouring out. Funny as I saw many of them lifting it up, pushing it down, pressing here and there but still no water. End up they use the dirty scoop (not really dirty just mixed up with other flavor). haha~!

Fresh oysters anyone?? Nicely laid out on ice and you can see the chef pry open each and wash them then lay them out for you. Fresh indeed!

Big crabs in chili sauce! Abit wasted since it's too spicy and you can't really tell if the crab is sweet or anything! But just looking at the huge claws is just speechless.

Got fish fillet, mussels in buttermilk, grilled squid, crab in chilli, roasted lamb slices... all full of flavor. Nicely done. Been to alot of buffets, these are top notch food. Even though the squids are hard but it should be like that since its pan grilled.

Sashimi !!!! Fresh as it goes. Indeed! Smoked salmon, salmon slices, scallops, and some wasabi!! Indeed you guys will want more and more. There was once I went there and only ate sashimi till I drop!! It was heaven. A must have dish there! (there is also once I did not even touch one of their sashimi, coz not in the mood for raw food and their western and chinese food are too tempting!!)

Clockwise ...Nice garlic prawn (fresh and sweet and juicy!), sweet and sour fried chicken (I only took one tiny piece since its a normal dish we can have outside) (very hard indeed,had a hard time chewing the skin down..ughhh!), grilled beef (i think it's grilled) nicely done with pepper and medium raw. Nice and sweet. And the all time favorite, mussels in buttermilk! Delicious as it sounds. Drool over it, baby.

Ikan bawal hitam. :D Very very fresh and meat is very sweet, the soy sauce is just nice. Irresistable! A must have dish for fish lover! Dig in!

One of my favorite dish!! Steamed cod fish!!!!!! Hell of a dish!! I had like 6 or 7 plates of this heavenly done cod fish.... smooth, silky, sweet, delicious meat just melt in your mouth. I really wonder how they cut and cook it so perfectly...... I am just drooling looking at the pics and thinking back.....oh my god!!!!!! HELP ME PLEASE!!!!

HELPPP I must go and eat again next 2 weeks before their offer is off ...... argghhhh... yummm yummiee... a real must have plate!!!

Need I say more? Go and grab it while stock last !!!!! Holy crap, my keyboard full of saliva already... damn must skip this picture already... NEXT!!

The chocolate fountain. Where you can take the marshmallow and let the chocolate flow onto it and eat it.... classic one!!

Marshmallow dipped in pure chocolate ..... had one stick , nice smooth and very sweet taste. A must have for chocolate lover!!

Close up. Very nice chocolate.

All the pastry that we did not have the stomach for. Just drooling and looking at it only. Looks nice but I am not so into these.. :D hehehe

They have so many design and stuff, indeed very creative and the layout also very neat and tidy. Just tell the chef which one you want, they'll scoop it up for you in a plate. :D dont forget to say "thank you"!!

Haagen Dazs ......... need i say more? :D I had two with cones , very very nice. You just melted yourself into it and when you finish, you feel like a 3 yrs old kid again........ a must have! (These 3 scoops are not mine!!! WAhahahhaha!!)

This is the last dish i had that day. Yea, salmon skin in sweet and sour sauce. Nicely done. Fresh yet spicy but sour. Should have this earlier but not in the mood for raw stuff, maybe next round..... a must have if you are a salmon lover! Enjoy!

Ahhh... this is where you go after all the food. The toilet! Nice hand bowl. Dimmed light and even have those candle light in glasses. But it was not lit up. Indeed very clean and not smelly. Nice job, Tenji!

For men only. Ladies next door please. Express way when you had too much to drink. :P

L & J Light & Crispy 6 Lemon Crumbed Junior Portions Fish Fingers

2009-05-15T19:54:00.025+08:00

I took this picture at the supermarket and it's not the junior portion that I bought, hence it is more pricey, but it has the same packaging.

I actually bought this product sometime in May of 2008. I was so dissatisfied with it that I wrote an e-mail to the company that distributes it in Malaysia. I got the website address from the product packet and from the website I got the contact information. Apparently the product is manufactured in China (or the lab they conducted the test in was in China. Anyway, China was involved). Long story short, here are the excerpts of my email exchanges with them. For their part, they were nice enough to entertain my complaint and even launched an investigation. But nothing conclusive came of it and they never admitted there was any problems with the fish fingers.

They actually sent me the report and pictures from their investigation. I've also included that below.

The above email was the last I heard from them. After I sent them a video of the product and the following email, I never got any replies from them anymore. I was hoping for an analysis of my video or a reply that they have seen my video and understood what I was getting at. I guess in China, or where ever they are, the fish must be so mutated in the polluted rivers that it tastes hard, gel like and reeks. I pity that they never know the taste of real flaky fish.

Sunday Brunch Empire Atrium

2009-05-03T14:48:00.034+08:00

The seafood on ice were the usual suspects: oysters, prawns, crabs and mussels. Not very imaginative. How about some crayfish? Scallops? Langostines? And for the price, I think we deserve lobsters too. Prawns and crabs were not that fresh (as usual).

Went to the Sunday Brunch for our 5th anniversary. The last time we went there was over a year ago. And a lot have changed since then. For one, the price has increased by B$5. But unfortunately the quality of the food has not. I was expecting the usual sashimi but there was none at all which was really disapponting. Because, had there been sashimi it would have been more worth it even if everything else was a let down. So this was a double whammy.

One of the better dish was in fact the simple fried kailan and the more exotic straw clams in a sourish green thai sauce which I tried for the first time. I finished the entire plate of veggies and this was the most helping of any food I had there. The clams were not bad. Taste like normal clams, except longer hehe.

The desserts have been cut down, but nevertheless still good. I've always felt the oysters there are too salty. How do they get them to be so salty? Are they soaked in salted sea water? Is it to prevent people from eating a lot of it? I've had oysters in other places and countries and they've always had a sweet taste but never salty like this.

The salty oyster which looked better than it tasted.

The main course fare was kind of bland with fried rice, fish in some kind of sauce, stir spicy fried beef, curried vegetables, Indian potatoes, fried kailan, straw clam, pan fried fish, risotto, gnocchi, roasted chicken, spinach wrapped in chicken with pear sauce which tasted dried and bland were it not for the sauce, which was not all that good either. Nothing exotic like pigeon which they had last time.

Some of the mains which consists of (clockwise from top), mushroom risotto, spinach wrapped in chicken with pear sauce and those red sprinkles are beef bacon bits, pan fried fish with dill sauce, squash fried with onion and honeyed sauce and squid.

The kids' station consists of fried kueh tiau, nuggets, donuts, cupcakes. There was a noodle section which i didn't bother to try. 2 types of soup, salmon cream soup and chicken and water cress. I tried the salmon cream and it was quite nice. But unfortunately none of the food made an impression enough to have me going back for seconds.

One of the gorgeous looking desserts. It tasted really good to me but my husband hated it. The cream on top is bland, the middle part is sourish and the bottom is rich custard. So when you scoop the whole layers up, it gives a great combination.

There was one huge baked fish accompanied by some kunyit sauce and the usual soy sauce. I tried the kunyit sauce which didn't taste good. I was looking for the carvery section and realised when we got home that there were not roasted beef or lamb. But my husband said there was roast beef at the end towards the juice area which I didn't notice.

The dessert plate with stuff like chocolate cake, mango pudding, apple crumble in vanilla sauce and many more. As usual the best part was the dessert.

The salad station was nothing extraordinary. They had antipasti of roasted veggies like pumpkin, eggplant, abalone mushroom which didn't taste all that good or fresh. There was also a fennel and smoked oyster salad which I tried because I wanted to try how fennel tasted like. Again, was kind of disapponting. There was a cold platter of chicken meats which I didn't try. And the usual salad greens and assorted dressings.

One of the nicely decorated dessert of a walnut brownie with berry compote. Notice the gold paint on top? I finally ate gold! The sour compote went well with the rich brownie to balance it nicely.

There was also a pasta section where the chef can cook up your pasta in an accompaniment of sauces and ingredients. I asked for a plain mushroom macaroni for the kids and it tasted quite good. Again, nothing exotic that I can't prepare at home.

Macaroni fried with fresh diced mushrooms.

There was also a kueh and fruits section and also ice cream with a variety of sprinkles for the ice cream. There was also a machine for shaving ice where you can make your own iced cendol. The usual 3 types of juices are pineapple, apple and orange.

Lastly we had bread and cheese with our coffee. I had a 3/4 piece of the brie on my own hehe.

Results: Overall, it left me feeling disappointed. Like I wanted more. Expected more. But all I got was a feeling of "that's it?". Normally I'd be ready to burst after a buffet, but I still had a ton of free space and an hour later, I was starving.

Price: B$40 for adults and B$20 for kids above 3 years old plus 10% service charge. For the quality, however, it felt like it was way overpriced. It's more of a B$25nett buffet than a B$44nett one, really. Starts from 11.30am - 3pm.

Would I go back there again? For that price tag and that kind of quality? Even if they layered the whole buffet in gold? Not likely.

Rating: 6/10 (too many staples were lacking, sashimi, a whole baked salmon is more like it instead of just the soup, roasted lamb/beef)

Crich Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Rosemary Crackers

2009-05-02T21:23:00.014+08:00

Nice eye catching packaging

Got this from Sin Kiew Hin in Gadong the other day when I was looking for some new crackers for the kids as their snacks. I've never seen this brand of crackers before. They are made in Italy and comes in a variety of flavours (which you can see at the back of each packs) and surprisingly Sin Kiew Hin stocks ALL the flavours available.

The flavors are Salted, Sesame, Unsalted on Surface, Whole Wheat, Tomato & Oregano

The olive oil and rosemary one immediately caught my attention because it sounded so healthy so I decided to try that.

Individually packed

Ingredients: wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil (10%) glucose syrup (maize), rosemary (1%), salt, acidity cocrrector, sodium bicarbonate, yeast, malt extract (wheat and barley). May contain traces of seeds.

Results: The crackers are light and not salted. It really does taste of rosemary and you can see the speckles of rosemary leaves on the cracker itself. Comes in individually wrapped packets for freshness. My kids ate it willingly.

Notice the speckles of rosemary leaves scattered all over the cracker

Price: B$3.20 for 250g pack with 10 individually wrapped packets at Sin Kiew Hin Gadong.

Would I buy it again?: Yes. I also might try the other flavors especially the tomato & oregano one.

Rating: 9/10

Croissants - a comparative study

2009-05-01T14:20:00.003+08:00

One of my favorite food is the croissant. And I find that the ones sold in Giant tastes the best with the best value. You can get a pack of 5 for B$2.99. When Giant first opened, they were sold at that price. A few months ago they increased the price to B$3.99. But about 2 weeks ago the price has gone down to B$2.99 again. I don't know how long it's going to be maintained before they raise it again.

Anyway, I prefer the croissants at Giant because they tend to stay fresh longer. I've bought the croissants in Supasave (pack of 6 for B$4.80). They taste really good fresh, but if you leave them for a while, they start to get soggy. But you can always pop them into the oven (not microwave) to reheat them for a while to crisp them up. Whereas the ones from Giant remain crispy and airy even after 3 days. Which goes for their French sticks (batard) as well. But I don't recommend Giant's batard because it is TOO dry especially after being left overnight. It just tastes like cardboard by the next day.

The croissant at Mum Bakery with a sweet and sticky glaze on top. You can see the glaze sticking on the plastic. It tastes crusty and buttery when eaten fresh but they tend to get soggy fast. I wish they didn't put the sweet glaze so that I can put savoury spreads like tuna and egg into it without it tasting weird.

My half eaten 3 days old Giant croissant. Not soggy and still buttery.

Price: B$2.99 at the moment in Giant for a pack of 5. B$4.80 for a pack of 6 at Supasave. B$0.75 a piece at Mum's.

Ratings: Giant's Croissant : 9/10 (point deducted for price inconsistency, sometimes $3.99, and
because Giant is so damn far to go just to stock up on these!)

Supasave's Croissant : 7/10 (goes soggy too fast, but great when fresh)

Mum's Croissant : 6/10 (goes soggy fast, sweet glaze on top)

Update: 18 May

Apparently the price of Giant's croissants has gone up to B$3.99 again. Keep your price consistent lah please, Giant! Everything there changes price everytime I go there. It's like the bloody stock market there.

Silky Girl Moistureshine Lipstick

2009-04-30T09:40:00.007+08:00

I got this at Guardian in Manggis Mall a few months ago as I was looking for a cheap glossy lipstick. There was a 20% sale at the time, so it was a real bargain on top of the already cheap price. The color I got was called 03 Berry Pink. As usual, there are testers available so you can try out which color suits you.

I think Silky Girl is trying to target the youngster market with their spokespeople like Paula Malai Ali and Sharifah Amani, and with ranges like Cool Girl, Party Girl, etc as well as the vibrant colors for their makeup range. And I thought that since these people are willing to endorse the product, it should be quite above average.

The funny thing is I can't find this range in the company's website www.silkycosmetics.com.

Results: The color was somewhat glossy with glitter particles. However, I noticed a bitter taste to the lipstick when my tongue brushed against my lips. I have never come across or ever used a lipstick with a bitter taste, or any taste at all, for that matter. I mean, I thought the age of lipstick where you can taste the chemical makeup is already so passe? Lipstick nowadays should be tasteless, even if it has a fruity scent. So that definitely bothered me a lot as I start to think what cheap chemical did they use that they couldn't get rid of of the bitter taste and what side effects are there if I were to ingest it. I also noticed that the lipstick itself was thinner and shorter than normal lipstick like Maybelline etc. And after only a few usage, the stick mechanism broke and I was no longer able to eject the lipstick out. Talk about getting what you paid for!

This is the length my lippie can extend after the mechanism broke. There's still about over an inch left. I'm not about to buy a lippie brush as it's too troublesome, so I guess brute force is the only way to go. I'll have to rip it's head off. Looking forward to it hehe.

Price: B$7.90. I got it around $6.xx after discount.

Would I buy this product again? Definetely not. And that goes for any lippie in this range. I might try their other makeup products, but not immediately in the near future.

Rating: 5/10 (The colour was ok, but the quality of the lippie itself and the mechanism it comes in is really not up to par).

Elianto Pearl Mask Pack

2009-04-29T20:14:00.015+08:00

I've heard of Elianto mentioned in a few beauty blogs and I thought it was a famous new brand from a foreign country. Turns out, Elianto is actually a Malaysian brand with the products manufactured in Korea. The word Elianto means sunflower in Italian, according to the website www.elianto.biz. I was wondering why it was only available in countries like Malaysia, Arab Saudi, UAE , India, Phillipines and Indonesia but not in Korea where it is manufactured or in Singapore (which is close to Malaysia and known for its numerous brand names shopping).

Like all new type of brands trying to market itself as young, hip and environmentally friendly, most of its products are made from ingredients derived from nature. Packaging is bare and minimal with not much info on the properties of each product as opposed to established players like Shisedo, SKII, Lancome etc. which normally provides an acccompanying booklet for each product. And as with naturally derived ingredients, their effects are usually not very drastic or harsh but are very mild and gentle. Too mild, in my opinion, to make much of an impact unless you use it regularly, which is not very practical for a mask and also since it comes in only a small tube of 100ml.

Don't forget to peel off the seal before squeezing the life out of it.

As it is not available in Brunei, I got this from the Elianto Branch in Boulevard Miri on my last trip there. I also saw a branch in Parkson. There were a number of other masks but I wanted a whitening one and also one that is in a tube, not a sheet mask. Since it is a pearl mask, I expected it to be white in color, what with pearl powder and all, but it is actually transparent. So that made me doubt it's whitening effects further. It doesn't smell "pearlish" but rather like one of those wet tissue pack that they give you at the sushi restaurant.

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Info on the label of the tube: For all skin types. Pearl is rich in minerals and amino acids that is essential for skin cell nutrition to achieve a smooth and brighter skin without damaging the skin. This mild yet effective mask is formulated to refresh, stimulate, and rejuvenate the skin to improve skin tone, texture and radiance.

Apply liberally over clean face and neck. Wait 10 to 15 minutes then rinse off.

Ingredients: Aqua, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Trehalose Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Triethanolamine, Imidazolidnyl Urea, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Methylparaben, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Carbomer, Glycerin, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Potassium Carbonate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Aloe Barbadensis, Citrus Limonum (Lemon Extract), Fragrance. (For a "natural" product, it sure has a lot of chemical. ;p)

Results: After using it once, I noticed no difference in texture or fairness of complexion. In fact, I noticed no noticeable effects. It tingles as I put it on, but I think that is due to the alcohol in the content. I expected to feel refreshed and soothed after using it as I had felt a bit sunburnt after my trip to Miri, but, really, I didn't feel any different. Maybe its mildness is more suitable for teenagers or youngsters, but for old skin like mine, I need something stronger hehe.

Price: RM19 from Elianto in Boulevard Miri. Quite pricey for a 100ml tube.

Would I continue to use it? No. I'd prefer to try another brand. But I would finish this tube just to give it a chance to prove itself as I have only used it once before reviewing it. I won't be buying skin products from Elianto anymore because I don't really have much faith in its effectiveness, but I would still like to try its makeup products next time I am there.

Rating: 5/10

Sariayu Putih Langsat Lulur SPA 2 in 1

2009-04-28T09:13:00.001+08:00

I got this at the Sariayu counter at Hua Ho Kiu Lap. There are two types to choose from, one in a pink plastic jar and the other in a green plastic jar. The Sariayu lady is quite helpful by letting me smell the sample since I was undecided on which one I should go for. The pink one smells light and floral (it has rose essential oil which is not too strong at all and red algae), the green one has a more musky perfumed scent (with orange essential oil) which I'm not too fond of. So obvious choice was the pink one. Neither of the product smells like langsat though, or what I imagined langsat to smell like if it were incorporated into a product hehe.

The label on the jar says:
Get bright, fragrant and soft skin with Sariayu Putih Langsat Lulur SPA 2 in 1. Enriched with natural extract from Red Algae scrubs to help maintain moisture and firming skin. Plus Rose essential oil for relaxing aromatherapy.
Usage: Use every shower for optimal result.
Caution: Cease use if irritation/allergic occured.

The texture of the scrub has something which resembles coarse salt when you use it straight onto dry skin. I was tempted to take a lick to see if it was indeed salt. I eventually did and it wasn't salty, just bland. I read somewhere online that one of the ingredients is corn used as the scrub so I am still puzzled what those little white beads are. Corn? Really? How? I mean, we know the benefits of using sea salt, but what are the benefits of using corn? And which part of the corn did they use and how did it become so grainy?

Anyway, I tried this product on my husband and he liked it so much he used it as an alternative to his normal soap in the shower everyday. He said it really makes his skin feels clean and fresh (not sticky). He not only used it on his body but also on his face! As I was surprised why his face suddenly has a very smooth feel to it, so he admitted to using it on his face as well. But since men and women have different skin, I don't really advice women to use this on their face especially on a daily basis. Men got thicker skin bah hehe.

Ingredients: Water, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyethylene, Glycerin, Olive Oil, Lactic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulosa, Sodium Hydroxide, Cocamide DEA, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Laureth-10, Euchema Spinosum (Red Algae) Extract, Lansium Domesticum (Langsat) Extract, Phyllanthus Niruri (Meniran) Extract, Rose Centifolia (Rose) Flower Oil, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Mathylisothiazolinone, Fragrance.

Results: I find it more effective if you use it directly onto dry skin right before you shower and then just rinse it off. But then you'd have to use a lot of it otherwise, it dries out easily. I believe, though, it is for use in the shower on wet skin, in which case the scrub particles feel too fine for my liking. I think because of that, the smoothness on the skin lasts only a day as the rough skin returns and can be felt again shortly. However prolonged daily or constant use does make the skin smoother for longer periods. I also noticed that after using it, my skin has the "stripped" feel, hence the "not sticky" feeling that my husband described. It is the total opposite of using a shower gel, where you get a slippery feel on the skin afterwards. I have not experienced any whitening effect which it also claims to have, but my husband did say he felt his skin was fairer. Well, he did use it more often than me hehe. I also did not notice any firming effect. The nice scent does linger on the skin after using it.

Price: B$4.80. There is a 20% discount at the moment which lasts until 10 May. So we went and stocked up hehe.

Would I continue to use it? Definitely. Heck, my husband loves this so much, I think we need to import this by the truck load at the rate he's using it! I use it about twice or 3 times a week if I'm not lazy. But I still wanna find a leave on body mask.

Rating: 7/10 (points deducted for the the dubious benefits of using corn as the scrub and the texture of the scrub which is too fine.)

TRIM Dental Paste for Mouth Ulcers

2009-04-23T16:40:00.005+08:00

TRIM (Triamcinolone Acetonide)

Everyone who's ever had an ulcer knows what a pain it can be. And any form of relieve is more than welcome. I discovered this paste when my kids contracted HFMD last year. Initially when we brought our younger son (1 yr+) to RIPAS hospital, we were given Soragel and it didn't seem to lessen the pain or cure it. But when we brought our older child (2 yr+), we were prescribed TRIM and it cured the ulcers almost immediately upon application. Any new ulcers that had wanted to appear were too scared to even try. Hehe.

Generally, it takes about 2-3 days for the ulcers to start to heal and is extremely helpful for kids with HMFD ulcers around the mouth and at the back of the throat. We just squeeze a good amount onto our fingers and rubbed around the back of the kids' throats (really fast, before they start to gag), which was also helpful. I've tried a number of other ulcer gels and none has proved to be this effective.

I've used it on my own ulcers and it tastes like steel. Nothing bitter or strong tasting. Try sucking on a coin and that's how it tastes like. However, you do need to work fast as the gel becomes solidified once it comes into contact with saliva/water. I think that is part of the gelatin at work trying to adhere the gel onto the affected area for a longer period of time. But I find it has an adverse effect in that it adheres to the fingers more (as it is dry) rather than onto the ulcers as the mouth is naturally wet. Nevertheless, as long as you aim properly at the area and swipe a good deal of it on, it should do the job.

I applied it a couple of times a day, especially after meals or when about to sleep, as that ensures that it will not be washed away so easily. I have not noticed any side effects while using it as the ulcers do go away in a few days, so no prolonged usage is necessary.

Results: It does bring a great amount of pain relieve in that it speeds up the healing process of the ulcers. Usually by 3 days. Works as well in adults as do kids. I think it is recommended to use for kids above 9 months old.

Price: B$10.50 in Guardian or you can get it in RIPAS for free.

Would I continue to use it? Absolutely! In fact, I think every household, especially those with young kids, should have one on standby.

Rating: 9/10 (point deducted for its hardening texture after coming into contact with the saliva which makes it more difficult to apply evenly on the affected area if you don't do it fast enough).

Do try to ask for this instead of Soragel if your child has multiple ulcers occuring at once and is unable to ingest food especially with ulcers at the back of the throat. The last time I tried to ask for this at the emergency dispensary area, the pharmacist there told me tersely that it is not available. But it was precribed to us by the doctor when we went for an appointment at the Paediatric clinic the next day. So, if at first you don't succeed...try and try again :p

This product is made in Thailand and is not available in the US market.

Precaution: As with all medications, please consult your doctor before use.

Information on the product leaflet

TRIM is a dental paste intended for local application in the treatment of acute and chronic oral lesions. TRIM is a synthetic corticosteroid with pronounced antiinflammatory, antipruritic allergic action. Each gram of TRIM contains triamcinolone acetonide 1 mg as the active ingredients. It also contains gelatin, pectin and sodium carboxymethylcellulose. This maintains medication in intimate intact with the lesion for prolonged period.

Description
A clear, light brown ointment

Indications
TRIM is indicated for adjunctive treatment and for the temporary relief of symptoms of acute and chronic non-infective inflammation of oral mucosa such as ulcerative stomatitis and gingivitis.

Dosage and administration
Apply a small dab of TRIM (about 1/4 inch) to the lesion. A larger quantity may be required for coverage of some lesions. For optimal results use only enough to coat the lesion with a thin film. TRIM should be applied at bedtime to permit steroid contact with the lesion throughout the night. Depending on the severity of symptoms, it may be necessary to apply the preparation 2 or 3 times a day, preferably after meals.

Contraindications
Contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to any of its components, contraindicated in the presence of fungal, viral or bacterial infections of the mouth and throat.

Side Effects
Prolonged administration may elicit the adverse reactions known to occur with systemic steroid preparation, for example, adrenal suppresion, alteration of glucose metabolism, protein catabolism, peptic ulcer activations and others. Those are usually reversible and disappear when the hormone is discontinued.

Precautions
Patients with tuberculosis, peptic ulcer or diabetes mellitus should not be treated with any corticosteroid preparation without the advice of the patient's physician. It should be borne in mind that the normal defensive responses of the oral tissues are depressed in patients receiving topical corticosteroid therapy. Virulent strains of oral micro-organisms may multiply without producing the usual warning symptoms of oral infections. The small amount of steroid released when the preparation is used as recommended makes systemic effects very unlikely; however, they are possibility when topical corticosteroid are used over a long period of time. If local irritation or sensitization should develop, the preparation should be discontinued and appropriate therapy instituted. If significant regeneration or repair of oral tissue has not occurred in seven days, additional investigation into the etiology of the oral lesion is advised.

Losyen Mustajab Pati Halia

2009-04-22T21:01:00.004+08:00

The information on the box of the lotion states:

1. Sangat sesuai bagi tujuan urutan di seluruh badan dengan memecahkan dan membuang angin-angin di dalam badan (very suitable for use in massaging the whole body by breaking and expelling wind in the body)

2. Ia juga boleh memecahkan lemak di dalam badan dan menjadikan bentuk badan lebih langsing (It can also break up fats in the body making the body more slender)

3. Membantu mengatasi masalah selulit (Helps to overcome cellulite problems)

4. Membantu mengatasi sakit perut akibat senggugut (Helps to overcome stomachace resulting from menstrual pain)

5. Sesuai untuk ibu yang lepas bersalin (Suitable for mothers who have just given birth)

6. Sakit otot dan sendi (muscles and joint pain)

7. Kembung perut dan sakit belakang (Stomach bloatiness and back pain)

It is:
- Tidak berminyak (Non oily)
- Mudah menyerap (Easily absorbed)
- Untuk kegunaan luaran sahaja (For external use only)
- Sesuai untuk seisi keluarga (Suitable for the entire family)
- Jauhi dari kanak-kanak (Keep out of reach of children)
- Tidak sesuai untuk bayi (Not suitable for babies)

Actually my sister-in-law (SIL) who was using the product introduced it to me and I have found it to be somewhat effective in No.2, 4 and 7. I have not noticed any significant improvement in my celullite. I have not applied it to any sore muscles to test its efficacy. I did not use this product immediately after giving birth either.

A word of precaution. The first time I applied it (around my stomach, waist and back areas) it felt really hot, like a burning sensation (from the menthol in the ingredients, I guess), especially if you really take the time to massage it in and not just slap it on like normal body lotion. But after a few applications, it's either the menthol has escaped from the tube (hehe does that happen?) or you just get used to it and it no longer feels as hot as the first time. I guess feeling the heat actually makes people feel convinced that it is functioning. So, because of this, be careful when applying it, not to get it near any "sensitive" area(s). And after applying do wash your hands before touching your lips (to apply lip balm) or eyes and especially before touching young kids. The lotion is white in color with the slightest hint of orange and does not stain clothing.

The other thing that hits me is the smell of ginger. It's pretty strong. So if you don't want to let anyone know you're using it, then it's best to use at night before sleep, and not walk around the living room or office after that. Otherwise someone might quip, "eh, what smell is that ah?". Hehe. I only use it once a day, at night before bed. Mustajab also has a lime flavoured lotion (limau purut), which functions similarly to this. I've not tried it because it was out of stock at the time.

Ingredients: Ginger oil, aqua, lemongrass oil (cymbopogon schoenanthus), 1-Hexadecanol, glycerine, grape seed oil (vitis venefera), glyceril stearatete, acefylline methylsilanol mannuronate, methyl salicylate, triethanolamine, carbomer, menthol, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, CI 19140

Results: I've noticed that my waist is no longer as "thick". I don't know is it due to the lotion or because I've started doing some sit ups and toning exercises as well. Maybe a combination of the two? This was in the middle of using the first tube. I am now on my 2nd tube. I do use it liberally, and massage it around til it has been absorbed. Also, I feel that I experienced less back pains, especially when nearing my period. I rubbed it onto the base of my backbone as well. I also use it on my thighs (occasionally only when I'm not lazy) and nowhere else.

Price: Retails at B$9 for a 130ml tube at all Mestari Jaya counters (there's one near Hotmart in Kiulap, inside Giant and Perindustrian Beribi) and I've seen it at Supasave Beribi (near the medicine area), for B$11.xx (can't remember exactly).

Would I continue to use it? Yes. I might want to try the lime one next.

Rating: 9/10 (point deducted for the strong ginger smell)