Month: June 2019

Friday, 28 June 2019

Yesterday the vigilant guard at my condo’s car park intercom-ed our unit at 11-ish p.m. to inform that my car had a flat tire.  The next day I checked the tire and though it looked slightly flat, I had no time to bring it to the tire shop to get it checked as I had to bring Cass to ISEC @ Mid Valley for an eye check up to see if she has Lazy Eye, as suspected by our optician. So I skipped driving and took Grab to Mid Valley. I still  went about driving around my neighborhood in my car with a half-flat tire 🤫

This morning I brought my car to the tire shop. Upon removing the left front tire, the mechanic and I saw a huge shiny nail embedded inside the tire. How nice! 👿 Thanks to whoever did it intentionally or to whoever conveniently threw the nail onto the road.  Let Miss Karma hunt you down now. She’s known to be very bitchy and vengeful 👹

While waiting for the mechanic to seal the holes on the exterior and interior of the tire, I went to PappaRich to have brunch alone.

This is how much I eat each time ~ only half or even lesser portion of whatever that I order. The other remaining portion of the food is always doggy-bagged home for either Sherilyn or Cass for lunch.

My principle is to eat almost anything that I want but only dig till I’m 60% or 70% full.  This way, I don’t have to worry about a bloated tummy.

When I hit 40 years old 6 years ago, I found that my digestion and metabolic rate ain’t as efficient as it used to be when I was younger. Those days I can splurge on buffets and high teas every weekend, didn’t need to exercise and still not gain weight. These days I can’t overeat, or consume too much meat. As long as I am 50% – 70% full, I’m good with no discomfort, acid reflux or belching.

After picking up Sherilyn from the tuition centre, my  next task was to go to school to collect Cass’ report card, fetch her home, get her lunch, drop off Sherilyn in school and later in the evening, I have night duty as well ~ fetch Alycia and Sherilyn back from school. Then drop off  Sherilyn at the gym for her Muay Thai class, get some stuff from the night market and then go out again at 8:30 p.m. for my final round of chauffeuring duty of the day. Tough life huh?

And to make life even tougher, Maria our part-time helper has already gone on leave (2 days earlier) and we will be maid-less for the next 3 months 😭  We’re still unsure if our previous part-time helper, Annie is going to come back to help.

Tomorrow will be another busy day for me as well as for the girls. I will be crazy busy doing school runs, starting from 7 a.m., on a Saturday! Next week is going to be another even more hectic week. Oh God, please give me the strength!!

No. of times viewed = 19

HFM’s Breakfast

The clock is ticking away to the day that Maria, my beloved part-time helper of 7 years goes on a 3-month maternity leave ~ only two more days with us  😭

Though Maria can’t do much strenuous work lately, we still love having her around in the evening to help us wash the dishes and do other light chores.  We treat her like she’s one of the family members and our 3 girls adore her… more than they adore me! But that’s OK and I don’t get jealous.  Maria gives me a sense of comfort whenever she’s around. I can just leave the house to her to clean up and go out and I will surely come home to a spic and span and clean house, every single time. I hope she’ll keep her promise and return to work for us in October 🙏

My breakfast for the last few days ☺️

Sherilyn’s homemade pie crust with papa’s homemade pandan kaya. So yummeh!!

Tucker’s gourmet caramelized onion crackers with papa’s homemade pandan kaya and a wedge of Mozarella cheese.  I always eat some protein with my carbs to slow down the release of insulin / spike in blood sugar.

Tucker’s gourmet crackers are  made from non-GMO ingredients and yeast-free. They’re pretty low in carbs too.  Goes well with Western soups, curries, jams and even good on its own.

And my mid-morning breakkie with the hubs yesterday:

One of the best pork noodles in KL can be found at Sun Sea kopitiam at OUG, where the morning market is. The coffee shop is kind of unkempt and run down. It’s very stuffy and hot to sit inside, so we sat outside and still had to sweat it out to enjoy our bowl of piping hot pork noodles.

What’s so special about the pork noodles is the broth – it’s infused with the umami sweetness of seafood. We heard that the seller adds seafood into the broth, to add depth and flavors into it.  Outside the coffee shop, you’ll see foreign workers peeling tons of prawns and squids.

Restoran Sun Sea OUG Pork Noodles
(Beside OUG morning wet market)
Jalan Hujan Rahmat,
Taman Overseas Union Garden (OUG),
58200 Kuala Lumpur.

No. of times viewed = 49

Parklife @ The Sphere, Bangsar South

We went to The Sphere again to have lunch last Sunday and did a joyful cafe-hopping eating marathon, hopping into three different eateries and ending at the Aeon food court to get takeaway for the girls for dinner. This is my ideal kind of Sunday as good food is the pulse of our life; and Sunday is the only day of the week that our family can have lunch together.

After lunch at Home Noodle Vermicelli Kong, we segued into Sunbather Coffee (again) for our second round of lunch and just as we were planning to leave The Sphere, Parklife caught my attention.  The very enticing colorful vegetable salads displayed next to the glass windows were like magnet to my eyes. I’m a sucker for colorful vegetable salads, especially if beets, pumpkin and egg plant are involved and what I saw was my kind of meal and I told the hubs that I wanted to get some of the salads for dinner.  To wait for the staff to pack my salad takeaway, hubs got everyone into the cafe and ordered cakes, coffee and tea. That’s our second round of dessert after our main course!

The hubs ordered a slice of decadent carrot cake and a slice of super delish gluten-free very chocolaty chocolate cake. I love both the cakes as they ain’t very sweet.  The homemade granola bar was a tad sweet for my liking though.

I chose Set A (RM23), comprising of a choice of 3 types of healthy salad. I chose steamed beetroot with apple, feta cheese and caramel walnut; roasted shiitake and oyster mushrooms and Palestinian cauliflower.

Parklife is a hive for healthy eating that emphasizes the pleasures of playful alluring vegetable recipes. Looking as much a farm as a park, this perky venue is a labour of passion by Penang-born chef Ling, returning to his homeland after decades of honing his craft everywhere from London to Moscow to Osaka.

Mediterranean vibrancy meets Middle Eastern vibes throughout much of the fare here. The bounty of Parklife’s harvest is spread out as a cornucopia of colourful salads for customers to view before ordering, while proteins are prepared to order in the kitchen. This place is definitely a place where I’d love to return for their healthy salads and decadent cakes.

Parklife
Unit 5, Level Upper Ground, The Sphere, Bangsar South City, Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Daily, 10am-10pm. Fresh meals served 1230pm-230pm, 630pm-830pm.

No. of times viewed = 544

The Best Summer Vacation Apparel

Summer is the best time to go a vacation. If you’re thinking about where to spend your summer vacation, how about a relaxing beach or a low-key island?

If you’re going on a vacation or getaway, you have to bring the right clothes along for a stress-free holiday. Consider packing some travel-friendly summer vacation dresses.  I’ve curated a list of options that are lightweight and easy to fold up. Whether you’re on a long plane ride or exploring a new city, these designs will be comfortable and stylish.

When I go on a summer vacation, I like to pack along clothes made from fabric that dries up super quickly so that I can wash them in the hotel bathroom at night and wear them again the next day. Chiffon, polyester, nylon and thin breathable cotton dry the fastest. They are thin and space-saving.  Denim and dense cotton dry the slowest and take up a lot of space in the luggage bag too.

This Sexy Sling Floral Printed Backless Asymmetric Vacation Polyester Dress from Maxinina is light and thin. It’s suitable for the beach, outdoor and indoor on hot summer days.

Michelle Obama recently wore this breezy cotton midi dress with boho flair during a family vacation in France. The dress was just perfect for sightseeing; it was Pinterest-worthy. This is the type of outfit you’d save ahead of your upcoming getaway in order to remember to pack certain essentials.  Check out Michelle’s white sneakers too.  Who says you can’t pair sneakers with dresses?

Michelle Obama's Dress and Sneakers in France 2019
Photo credit: Popsugar

You can find similar midi flair dresses at Maxinina at a fraction of the price. Check them out below.

When going on a summer vacation, remember to pack along your swimsuit or bikini for the Insta-worthy beach or pool shots!

You’ll get some inspiration from what Selena Gomez and her friends wore at a bestie’s upcoming nuptials – white swimsuits for a beach bachelorette bash.  Selena opted for a high-rise textured bikini that puts the bootay on display.

selena gomez white bikini bachelorette

Selena wore a sporty snap-up bikini top while hanging out poolside. You can shop similar at Maxinina.

image
Photos credit: Seventeen.com

I am SO tempted to get that snap-up white bikini top that Selena wore!  A similar suit costs no more than $30 at Maxinina and this online store has super gorgeous sexy swimwear for women that will leave you drooling! 😉

No. of times viewed = 21

Durian For Breakfast

Here’s what I had for my mid-morning breakfast today.

Two seeds of Durian ‘kampung’

And four slices of Meiji oat crackers slathered with papa’s delicious homemade pandan kaya.

Lately, I can only tolerate durian ‘kampung’ well without the adverse side effects that I get whenever I eat Musang King.  With Musang King, I am sure to get a burning throat within minutes of eating, thrown in with stomach discomfort and diarrhea as quick as several hours later.  The burning throat sensation would persist for a few days and I would feel sickly and heaty.  I can’t recall suffering from these side effects when I ate Musang King years ago.

Last week Sherilyn suffered from diarrhea and tummy ache for several days after feasting on a few seeds of Musang King. And the hubs is now nursing a sore throat after indulging in some premium Musang King early this week.

Creepy right?

Fans of Musang King, please don’t shoot me for being a party pooper!

See the trend? I’m pretty sure it’s the side effects of the chemicals and insecticide that these premium durians have been tainted with. A few fruit sellers whom I am very chummy with confirmed this recently. So no thanks. I am so done and over with Musang King and all the premium species.

I’m sticking with durian ‘kampung’ from my regular organic vegetables seller and from trusted fruit sellers who are upfront with me on which durians have high levels of insecticide.  With durian ‘kampung’, I don’t suffer from any side effects, except feeling a tad heaty when I overdo it.

Do you get similar side effects from Musang King too?

No. of times viewed = 36

Summer Dresses

Let’s talk about summer dresses now that summer is here 🌞👗💃🏻.  I am sure you’re raring to bring out all your summer clothing stashed deep in your closet.  But if you need a few new pieces of summer casual dresses to wear for a holiday or hang out with your girlfriends, dresssure.com has a nice collection to check out.

Below are a few of my favorite summer casual dresses from dresssure.com which will be great to wear when it’s hot as hell outside!  These summer casual dresses are perfect for casual as well as semi-formal. You can wear it to the office with a jacket over and straight to the cafe or club for a drink, or for a stroll at the park and comfy enough for just about any leisure activity in billy boiling temperatures.  I wear similar dresses in our hot country to just about anywhere 🤩

 

Thanks to these fabulous summer dresses, you’re going to look chic while feeling really cool and comfy in them.
There are lots of elegant sexy party dresses online from dresssure.com as well from off-shoulder pieces to one-shoulder, spaghetti strap, maxi, bodycon, sheer, lace and chiffon for this summer. Check out some of those pieces here:
Specially for Health Freak Mommy blog readers!
Get a USD5 discount off your bill when you shop at dresssure.com.
Just key in discount code BLOG5 during checkout.
Happy shopping!  😉

No. of times viewed = 21

Sanitary Napkins Enriched With Negative Ions (Anions), Nano Silver and Far-Infrared Ray

Approximately 15,000 or more sanitary pads are required by a woman in her lifetime. It’s terrifying just to think of the amount of toxins already absorbed by my body over the years from the harsh chemicals used in these sanitary pads! Some brands of sanitary pads that I use cause itchiness and skin chafing at the groin area. This prompted me to Google for alternative healthier brands of sanitary pads and that’s when I found Lavender. I ordered the complete range from day pads to night pads and panty liners to try and love it!

Lavender is a brand of feminine hygienic sanitary pads embedded with Negative Ions (Anion), Nano Silver and Far-Infrared Ray chip. These sanitary napkins are enhanced with natural substances which improve and provide additional benefits to women’s health and wellness.

I find Lavender sanitary pads thin yet absorbent and very comfy to wear. What I like most about Lavender pads is that they are made from non-caustic soft materials (Hydrogel and cotton). It gives me a peace of mind to know that the materials are not made from recycled paper pulp and contains no caustic soda, bleach, softening agent and deodorizer. These robust chemicals are harmful to the skin’s acid and alkaline balance, and can cause to the propagation of microorganisms and infusorian and other skin disorders.

Interesting Facts On Negative Ions or Anions, Nano Silver and Far-Infrared Red

Benefits of Negative Ions or Anions
Often nicknamed as ‘vitamins of the air’, anions have a myriad of benefits to the human body such as energizing the body, improving sleep quality, activating different enzymes in the body, strengthening the body’s immune system, among others.

Benefits of Nano Silver
Nano Silver will not expire and has been used for the treatment of medical ailments for over 100 years due to its natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It can kill more than 650 types of bacteria within minutes and it has the most powerful anti-bacterial effect due to its strong penetration into the bacteria structure. Its bacteria killing effectiveness is hundreds of times more than normal silvers and are used to treat burns, trauma, infection, purulence, acne, skin diseases, gynecological diseases that are caused by bacteria and fungi.

Benefits of Far-Infrared Ray
Far-Infrared Ray is able to promote cell activation, blood circulation and pain relief.  The Far-Infrared Ray contained in Lavender’s sanitary pad’s functional 3-in-1 core chip will help to regulate the overall body cell and stabilize a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Why I Choose Lavender Sanitary Pads over other brands of sanitary pads?

COMFORT LEVEL –  In comparison to the traditional fibre or rough cotton surface, I like it that Lavender sanitary pad surface is made from softer, thinner and more comfortable sterilized cotton. Strontium Ferrite is added to the anion-chip to prevent various diseases and vaginal itching. It is bio-magnetic and activates the body’s bio-currents.

AIR PERMEABILITY – Unlike most traditional sanitary pads that do not take into account the danger of bacteria multiplication and gynecological diseases, the base of Anion sanitary napkins is permeable to air but not to water.

WATER ABSORBING ABILITY – The surface’s absorption of fluid is three times greater than that of a traditional sanitary napkin. This is possible because there is sufficient hydro gel (from Japan) to hold the fluid in instead of letting it back flow or leak from its sides. So this means the pads are great for heavy flow days.

HEALTH PROTECTION – It gives me a peace of mind knowing that the anion strip inside the cotton helps to prevent gynecological diseases. As it is chemical free, it does not raise the optimum pH of the vagina, i.e. at 4.0 and 5.5.

SAFETY PACKING – Aluminum foil is the material used in the packing of Anion sanitary napkins as it is safe and hygienic. I like it that the packaging can be reused as it comes with a resealable flap that’s easy to pull. This makes it safe and protects it from dampness, mildew and fungus.

SAFE GLUE – Industrial glue is used for most of the traditional sanitary napkin’s base. Although its glutinosity is reliable, it leaves behind residual benzene inside the underwear which sometimes cannot be removed. This residue can cause diseases and endanger the user’s health. But the glue used on Anion sanitary napkin is edible glue and it is non-toxic.

Where To Buy Lavender Sanitary Pads?
These sanitary pads can be ordered online at https://www.pro-care.com.my/

The Lavender sanitary pads collection includes the Day Use, Night Use and Panty Liners.

Recommend Retail Price:
Lavender Night (290mm) 8pcs/pack @ RM14
Lavender Panty Liner (155mm) 30pcs/pack @ RM15
Lavender Sanitary Pad for Day (245mm) 10pcs/pack @ RM14

There is also a special bundle pack that’s beautifully packaged and perfect as a gift.

Lavender sanitary pads and panty liners are hygienically machine packed in an aluminum foil packaging that’s resealable with an easy-to-pull sticker flap.

While checking out at the pro-care.com.my website, I stumbled upon a contest where I’ll stand a chance to win a beautiful Swarovski charm worth RM149 when I purchase Lavender sanitary products.  Contest period is from 1st July through 30 September 2019.  It’s pretty simple to take part. Just purchase Lavender sanitary napkin products, fill out a simple form and upload the receipt of your purchase.  For more details on the contest, click here!

Lavender X Swarovski

No. of times viewed = 144

Baking Queen Bakes Pies

Sherilyn played ‘masak-masak’ again yesterday.  This time she baked an assortment of pies. Actually she made the dough a week ago and kept it in the fridge, waiting to find a day that she’d be free to make the pies. She’d also cooked the salted caramel sauce,  sliced the apples and marinated them with cinnamon but after several days in the fridge, they turned bad and I discarded the apples. Yesterday she prepped the apples all over again. What a waste of money!

I’ve invested quite a bit of money for all her ‘masak-masak’ ventures in the kitchen. And I think it’s money well invested. Now she can cook and bake for the whole family.  Who knows, she’ll even be a cafe owner or a restaurateur one day, eh?  😁


As you can see, the each pie spot a different design on top. This girl had a fun time designing the pie tops and creating fillings for them. Some turned out looking professionally executed while some of the pies look a tad distorted 😆 Whatever the design, the pies tasted superb, like they were produced by some upscale cafes.

Sherilyn puts in so much time, patience and care into all her baking projects.  During Sherilyn’s younger days, I suspected that she may have ADHD as she was hyperactive, mischievous and couldn’t sit still and focus in her studies. Baking and dancing have quelled my fears. She can spend hours on end doing things that she loves.

 

From top clockwise: blueberry pies (filling is made with fresh blueberries and lemon juice), pies with no filling for Cass and me coz we love plain pie crusts, apple pies, pesto cauliflower and pesto tomato pies.

No. of times viewed = 21

Our Saturday, 15 June 2019

Sherilyn spent almost the entire Saturday working on some models for her school library for Library Week that starts today.


Model of The Lost City of Atlantis ~ not perfect but not bad either, considering she did it single-handedly in half a day. The towers were sprayed with bronze color spray-paint and she still hasn’t cleaned up the stains she left outside the house.

And in between working on the replicas, I forced her and Cass to help me set up an Ikea clothes rack that just arrived from Lazada  😆

Thank God for a very right-brained child who’s very good with her hands and another who loves Lego and fixing puzzles, the Ikea clothes rack was assembled in under half an hour.

1KEA RIGGA Clothes Rack White Adjustable Height with Shoe Rack
I’m pretty satisfied with this Ikea clothes rack that only costs RM89 and comes in smooth, matte finishing good quality steel.

I’m going to conclude this post with this new song by Lil Dicky that got Cass and I absolutely  hooked on it since last week.

Lil Dicky returns with this ridiculous, yet entertaining single about the planet Earth called “Earth.” He’s assisted by a jing gang of famous musicians and celebrities, which makes this song even more appealing.   Justin Bieber arrives first, as a baboon whose “anus is huge” (yeah, you can roll your eyes like I did when I first saw the lyrics). Ariana Grande is a zebra, while Halsey is a lion, Zac Brown a cow, and Brendon Urie is colorfully, “…A fat, fucking pig.” OMG. Strike that, OMFG (had to blink my eyes when I first read those lyrics) 🤣 The absolute nonsense continues with Hailee Steinfeld, Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart and that’s just the first verse. Then comes Adam Levine, Charlie Puth, Sia as kangaroo, Miley Cyrus an elephant, Megan Trainor and while Lil Jon loudly shouts, “What the fuck? I’m a clam.”

I can’t stop replaying this song over and over again and singing it along with Cass since yesterday 😆 It’s a very cute song that sounds like a kiddie zoo song but errr, it’s kind of x-rated for kids as you can imagine all those wicked humor and more! I had to explain to Cass what cum is 🤩


No. of times viewed = 13

School Holiday Movie ~ Aladdin

On the first day of the recent school holidays, I took the girls and the mil to the cinema to watch Aladdin. I had read about the 2.5 to 3-star rating and reviews on Aladdin by some movie critics before watching the movie but undeterred by the poor reviews, I went ahead with the movie. Aladdin used to be one of my favorite childhood Disney movies and still is.

Aladdin is a classic story exquisitely made with an immensely talented cast. For me, watching this was like watching one of my favorite childhood films come to life.  I left the theater feeling like a kid with a silly grin on my face while chatting non-stop with the girls on the movie. Disney never disappoints and this time, Aladdin has aced it.

The verdict: Aladdin is everything a remake should be. Absolutely stunning and colorful cinematography, talented actors, amazing musical numbers, beautiful vocals and show stopping choreography. Will Smith is just naturally hilarious.  Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott were perfect as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, and Will Smith pulled out a fabulous performance as the genie, making the role his own without copying Robin Williams. Aladdin is a complete triumph.

After watching the movie, Alycia and I are now even more obsessed with A Whole New World!🤩

Our lunch at House of Pok just before the movie:

The prices of the mix and match set meals are very affordable and food is pretty good.  But be sure to be at the restaurant early to secure a table. We had lunch at 11-ish a.m. and got a table without waiting. Other times, there’s always a bee line outside the restaurant.

After the movie we went shopping at Mr DIY.  While I was looking at some stuff, Cass was checking out some note books at another aisle. After we left Mr DIY, Cass told me that whilst she was at Mr DIY, a teenage girl came up to her and asked her if she’s going to watch a movie, to which she replied that she had already.  When we were on the escalator, Cass suddenly realized that her Harry Potter book wasn’t with her. She checked her bag, I checked mine, checked with the mil and the other 2 girls and none of them had her expensive Harry Potter book.

I suspected that the stranger who came up to Cass may have errrr… ‘charmed’ Cass and taken the book while chatting with her.  Not overreacting here but the mil’s good friend got ‘charmed’ by an unsuspecting woman at the PJ wet market recently and when she woke up from the spell, she realized that all her money was withdrawn from a few banks! Mother of all nightmares!  But Cass was convinced that it wasn’t the stranger who stole her book. “Mum, I was NOT under a spell. I know what was going on ok!” Cass kept telling me  😆

We went back to Mr DIY and checked all the aisles that Cass went to, we checked the floors, the escalators and then went back to the cinema and asked the staff to help us check the cinema that we were in to see if the book was there. And the book was indeed left behind in the cinema. It had dropped onto the floor!  My careless girl!   But we couldn’t get the book back immediately as a movie was ongoing.

The funny thing is that before we left the cinema, I had checked the seats that we sat on to ensure that nothing was left behind. I have a habit of looking back at the seats and floor whenever I leave a restaurant or just anywhere. But this time, I had overlooked the floor. We couldn’t see clearly anyway as it was still pretty dark inside the theater after the movie.

I only collected the Harry Potter from the cinema staff yesterday, i.e. two weeks later. Aladdin will be one movie that Cass will remember for life because of this particular episode after the movie.  She loves all her novels, especially the Harry Potter series and was devastated when she realized that she had lost one of her most treasured books.  I believe my scatterbrain girl has learnt a good lesson!

No. of times viewed = 35

Bridesmaid Dresses 101

There are many things to consider when choosing your bridesmaid’s dresses. You need to consider the most flattering shapes, the color scheme, the theme. the venue and whether there is a one style fits all solution. It can be a challenge appeasing all your bridesmaids but it’s not that difficult if you know just the right place to shop for bridesmaids dresses.

Whether you’re choosing burgundy bridesmaid dresses or bright, glam colors like metallic gold and silver, remember that your bridesmaid dress should match the rest of the wedding theme.

If burgundy is your favorite color and you have this color in mind as the wedding theme color, BMBridal carries absolutely pretty bridesmaid dresses in this hot color, as seen in the photos below.  Warm and romantic, burgundy has proven to be the a coveted shade in recent, cooler months – especially with bridesmaid dresses and weddings.  Because this color is so gorgeous and rich on its own, I suggest having your bridesmaids carry neutral-colored bouquets to really let the gowns pop!

If you want a relaxed and romantic wedding, you can let your bridesmaids choose their own dresses. But the more formal the wedding, the more similar the dresses of the bridesmaids should be.

If you’re thinking of getting all the bridesmaids wear the same dresses – this concept is quite outdated. If you want to organize a perfect bridesmaid group, you should choose the dresses according to each person’s characteristics and body shapes. As long as the main colors and themes of your wedding are determined, your bridesmaids are free to choose their gowns.

If you’re a bride on a budget, check out BMbridal for the perfect bridesmaid dresses. With hundreds of fashion essentials and unique fashion insight, this site is the best place to find trend-led bridesmaid dresses at affordable prices.  There’s no need to worry about the sizing of the dresses as there is a Custom Measurements feature at the site where you can key in your specific measurements and the dress will be customized to your measurements.  Isn’t this just awesome?

With a bit of clever sale-hunting, you should be able to nab beautifully designed bridesmaid dresses for your girls that match the quality of your own!

No. of times viewed = 27

Mac And Pesto With Baked Salmon

On the day we returned to KL from Ipoh, we were too lazy to get out of the house for dinner. The mil wasn’t in the mood to cook as well after all the unpacking and rearrangement. So the alternative in-house chef volunteered to cook Western food and I left the masak-masak task to her. Sherilyn takes every opportunity to play masak-masak to perfect her culinary skill.  Most times the food tastes so good, sometimes even artisanal, that cooking seems like a total child’s play to her.

Here’s what the chef dished out:


Macaroni with homemade pesto (which Sherilyn made a week earlier), baked salmon with lemon seasoned with dried herbs and grilled tomatoes.

Her two sisters were totally awed with the dish and gave a 5-star rating for the presentation and taste!

No. of times viewed = 49

J’s Gate Dining and The Tokyo Restaurant @ Isetan, Lot 10

We spent half our day at Lot 10 on the first day of Hari Raya on 5 June 2019.  My bon viveur hubs has been wanting to bring us to J’s Gate Dining @ Isetan, Lot 10 to savor the best of authentic Japanese cuisine since their launch early last year but only has the time to do so today.  All his staff are on leave and his kitchen will be closed for a few days before they all work on full steam again next week.

J’s Gate Dining is the Japanese food lover’s one-stop haven to enjoy 17 of Japan’s best authentic cuisines featuring superior Japanese ingredients and hospitality. Depending on what your liking and cravings are, you can pick any of the outlets to appease your appetite.

With so many outlets to choose from, we were really spoilt for choices and it was pretty hard to settle on one or two. Finally my gourmand hubs settled for Umai Sushikan (for sushi and tempura) and Osaka Kitchen (for teppanyaki).

Umai Sushikan
Umai means ‘’delicious’’ in Japanese and sushikan is sushi.  Only fresh ingredients handpicked by the team from the fish market (air-flown from Japan) are used.  The sushi and fish that we had were indeed very fresh and these don’t come cheap either!  The bill came up to over RM300 for only 6 dishes that came in small portions!

Below: Grilled premium cod fish flown in from Japan and this piece of cod the size of half my palm (or maybe smaller) costs almost a hundred Ringgit! So expensive that I ate the super sour pickled spring onion 🤣

This is one restaurant that we’ll probably only try once. It’ll cost the hubs an arm and a leg to feed our 3 hungry piranhas (with a bottomless pit) till they’re well fed and satiated at this restaurant.  Even with two teppanyaki sets ordered from Osaka Kitchen, the girls were still hungry!

Osaka Kitchen
Osaka Kitchen is known for their popular signature Osaka dishes, including okonomiyaki and yakisoba which features food cooked on an iron griddle in front of diners.  The ingredients are also sourced from Japan, including the finest quality wagyu beef.

Osaka Kitchen is situated just opposite Umai Sushikan. For orders above RM200, patrons at Umai Sushikan are allowed to order food from other outlets. Thus, we ordered a beef teppan set and a pork teppan set. Each set comes with a meat, stir-fried pea sprouts, salad, appetizers, grilled avocado with cheese and ice-cream (matcha and yuzu flavors).  The bill at Osaka Kitchen is over RM200.

After lunch we segued into The Tokyo Restaurant for their signature cheese cakes. Hubs has been wanting to try the much raved about “best burnt cheesecake in Malaysia” (it seems) available at Tokyo Restaurant and finally he has the time today.  And indeed, one spoonful of this super smooth and creamy, oh-so cheesy cake sent me to cake paradise!  If not for the price, I would have sent in another order for the Classic Burnt Cheesecake and Matcha Cheesecake.

The original famous Classic Burnt Cheesecake @ RM 20 is Tokyo Kitchen’s signature 6th Avenue Cheesecake. The cake is served with a scoop of silky smooth whipped cream.

The Yuri/Macha Cheesecake @ RM21 is the bomb for matcha lovers. It’s over-the-top delicious, like heaven in my mouth!!  Both Sherilyn and I are matcha lovers and couldn’t get enough of it.  The cake is made with artisan 100% stone-ground aromatic macha powder sourced from Niko Neko, the matcha powder specialist.

Gateau Chocolate cake @ RM18 is rich, very chocolaty and surprisingly not cloy and sweet. Very nice!

Classic Tiramisu @ RM18 looks perfectly executed and tastes just as perfect as the other cakes.

The next time the hubs brings us to Lot 10 again, I think I’ll skip the main course and jump right into cakes at Tokyo Restaurant.  I’m willing to sacrifice gaining a pound or two for these killer cakes and then go on a diet and workout extra hard for the next one week just to get my cake fix!

The Macha Latte is one of the best I’ve tasted besides the one we tried at Sunbather Coffee recently ~ the milk to macha ratio is spot on, I don’t get the heart palpitation and tea drunkenness that I usually do after scarfing down half a cup of it and it’s not sweet. Love it to the max!

I now know what cake I want for my next birthday  😊 😋  Thank you darling. I know you secretly read my blog posts 😉

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Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS), Ipoh

After lunch at the celebrated Thean Chun kopitiam, followed by a walk down the famed Concubine Lane, we went on a jaunt around Ipoh city, with no specific destination in mind. There were 9 of us in the MPV.  Whenever we’re back in Ipoh together, hubs and I love going for a spin in the car traipsing the roads of Ipoh to see what’s new in town and to go down memory lane in our beautiful hometown.

After buying pomelos at Tambun, I casually mentioned to the hubs that since March this year, entrance fee into the Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) in Meru has been free. And he said OK, why not have a short visit to MAPS then since we are now on holiday and there’s nothing to rush?! The girls were thrilled! What was supposed to be lunch has now turned into a fun-filled half-day adventure at a theme park. We were all so NOT prepared, wearing only slippers and sandals with no sunscreen lotion and all.

Poised as Asia’s First Animation Theme Park built at the cost of RM520 million in Ipoh, Perak, Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) was set to be the most exciting dream destination for everyone.  With over 40 attractions in 6 thematic zones, MAPS was opened in 2017 with an initial entrance fee of over RM100 per pax.  Due to the choking entrance fee and the fact that not all the attractions are opened yet, the turnout was tepid, resulting in the entrance fee being scraped off effective March 2019.  However, you’ll need to buy coupons for all the rides in the theme park.

On the day that we were there, which was a Sunday, we had expected a mad crowd like Sunway Lost World Of Tambun. But there was surprisingly no crowd. Just  moderate number of visitors but not crowded. If you’ve been to Universal Studio Singapore and you’ve given it a 5-star rating, you can expect to give MAPS a 3-star rating. This is a place where you’ll only give it a one-time visit unless all the attractions are open and unless it’s more ‘lively’.  The place is very clean and spacious but it just lacks the animation, vigor and oomph factor.

The very first ride that attracted the girls when we walked into the theme park was the electric bike.  At RM15 for 15 minutes, the girls went on the electric bikes many rounds. But for noob electric bikers, the girls found it hard to maneuver the bikes initially.

Koong koong teaching Sherilyn where to place her foot on the bike when she first shared the bike with Alycia.

They just couldn’t balance themselves on the bike and finally they got a bike each and problem solved!


Sherilyn performs a hand stand in front of the upside down building.

The girls and I got excited when we saw Tealive in the theme park!  Boba tea (sans the pearl jelly for me) is one of my guilty pleasures currently 🥤😉

MAPS entrance

Our RM150 worth of coupons were not fully utilized though the girls went on umpteen number of electric bike rides, roller coaster rides, fun rides, bumper car ride, game stalls, etc and we had to give away the unused coupons to two lucky visitors  when we left the park. Again, we were caught in the rain towards the evening and had to leave abruptly. This seems to happen to all our theme park visits from Ocean Park Hong Kong to Sentosa Island Singapore, Gardens By The Bay Singapore and Lost World of Tambun!  It just had to rain on our parade every.single.time. 😟

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HEALTH FREAK MOMMY