Dear Dad:Entry 1.

Hi Dad, 

It's been 2 months and a week now since you're gone. I can still remember vividly from the moment I received the phone call from sis. 

That one call that made my heart sank and tears rolled down my cheeks uncontrollably as we rushed to Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Upon arrival, I was waiting impatiently for your ambulance to arrive and tried to calm myself down as much as I could. 

The moment you exited from the ambulance with mom running towards us, I couldn't take it for I knew you were in pain because of the stroke. You were still conscious then. 

An hour went pass and we got news that you were in coma. It was shocking to know that as we left you to the hands of the doctors there, thinking that they would try their best to keep you conscious. They said, "A specialist will come to you soon to explain your dad's condition."

We believed, because we did not have a choice. Two hours gone passed us in a blink of an eye and after chasing for the specialist to meet us every half an hour, he finally arrived and all he said was, "Your dad's in a very critical condition. There was a brain hemorrhage and we won't be able to perform any operation on him."

Our heart sank again. While everyone was in a lot of pain, I tried to fight the pain and prompted further questions to understand the condition based on what I managed to gather through the Internet and some friends of mine. 

It was and will be one of the most painful moment in my entire life. I was in anger, frustration and feeling lost all together. I wished I knew how to deal with stroke or anything that we could have done during the brain hemorrhage. I wished my brains were fast enough to make a judgement call to bring him to another hospital immediately for a second opinion.

God didn't allow me the opportunity for you were already taken away from us on the second day when you were placed into the ICU. 

I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything in time which could have saved you. I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with you, I wish I did. 

I'm sorry for everything that I have done or not done enough. I know you're in a better place now, watching over us and protecting us from above. Please grant me the strength to continue looking after the family and keep them together for as long as I can.

Goodnight dad, I love you.

Adrenaline!

Weekend's here and I can finally breathe a little!

In fact, it's gonna be a super duper long holiday till next week for me. Though it's not like holiday = no work at all but well, it's better than nothing. :D

Heading off to Pulau Kapas in Terengganu tomorrow night and I can almost smell the sea breeze already. The last time I've been to an isolated island was exactly two years ago man!

In the meantime, have a good Raya holiday and I will definitely share my experience at the island just to let you guys envy a little. :p 

Okay bye!

Where to get McD's Cendol Ice-Cream?

Hi guys. I NEED to share this because McD Malaysia's FB and official website sucked as they did not mention where to get their new flavour - Cendol ice-cream!

Thought it is available in all McD but turned out we were wrong. The one in SS2 doesn't serve this.

After some scrolling through 72633771 FB comments and stalking via Instagram, the boyfriend and I deduced that you can probably get it 1 Utama's McD.

Went there tonight and we were right! So damn right! People were actually lining up for it.

Taste wise, it's not really cendol-ish. It tasted like grass jelly but generally, it's more of gula melaka than cendol.

Anyway, with some comments that I stalked online, the Cendol-flavoured ice-cream is probably available in McD that are in shopping malls only and stand-alone McDs don't sell them. So yes, if you want it, go to one of the malls and if you are too lazy to hunt for one, go to 1 Utama lah okay!

 

Cheers! 

Roller Coaster Emotions.

These two weeks have been rather fruitful for me. Great experiences. New business wins. The feeling of wanting to keep pushing myself until the end. It was all good, really. The moment when you know you're doing things right or correcting the wrongs just so you can go further.

Not until I stopped for a bit every now and then, where I started wondering where is the end, or if it will ever exist. I started thinking what happened to all the things that I've always wanted to do even since a few years back. Taking the MBA. Heading back to the UK. Traveling alone. Living life on my own.

What has changed in my life that stopped me from pursuing my own wishlist? Where has my determination in achieving something gone to besides trying to fight for my career breakthrough?

I felt like I'm already almost at a point of losing my identity and I just feel... lost in my life. I started questioning myself what's stopping me.

Was it my family? 

Was it my relationship? 

Was it my current job? 

Was it monetary issues? 

Or was it just me? 

I'm confused not because I don't know the answer. In fact, I know the answer better than anyone else. I'm afraid of what's lying in the future. I'm afraid that at the end of the day, whatever that I'm fighting for myself will affect my current life. I'm afraid of hurting anyone while I'm in the progress of moving forward. 

I'm just afraid to change.

I won't lie. I'm struggling internally and while knowing that this has been bothering me for quite a bit, I don't know how to express it. I feel almost breathless and it's worse when you know this can only be settled on your own. 

I once heard from someone that it's good to be alone because then, you know there is nothing that will stop you but yourself. You know there will be no one that you need to care for and just do whatever you like. At least by being alone, you know you won't be able to hurt anyone.

I didn't understand it back then. I guess I do now and perhaps, only to be able to shut it all down will be a way forward for me.

Mother's Day Celebration @ #ByHalf Cafe, Sri Petaling.

Was googling what to eat for Mother's Day and came across #ByHalf Cafe (it also means By Having A Little Faith) while I was web-crawling for food. Made a booking for 7 only a day before via their Facebook page to celebrate Mother's Day last week during dinner time with the family. The cafe was rather easy to find as it's in Waze but the difficult part was to find a parking slot because that area is getting more packed than ever. -_-

After rounding for a few times, finally gave up and parked at the private parking place that charges at RM 2 for the first hour and RM 1 for each subsequent hour. What a rip-off!

Arrived at the cafe and the place was rather quiet probably 'cause it's location isn't as strategic. On top of that, the cafe has very limited tables but it's quite cosy. 

From where I sat.

Order here please! 

Placed our orders at the counter and paid on the spot. Good thing is they accept credit cards (Visa, Master AND Amex!), but the only menu that you will ever encounter is the board behind the counter. So if you're unlucky, you may just meet a bunch of people who end up hogging that area deciding what to eat. Lucky enough for us though, the only one hogging that place was my family during that time. :p 

My Iced Latte (RM 11): Wasn't that good. Could only taste bitterness and isn't that aromatic. 

Sister's Green Tea Latte (RM 12): Taste was very mild and she didn't like it. Requested to add in more green tea powder and the barista was very kind to make a new one for her instead. Thumbs up on the service. 

Youngest Bro's Passionfruit Peach Earl Grey Tea (RM 12): Taste was so-so according to him. 

The boyfriend's Iced Cappucino (RM 11): I preferred this over the Latte because it's slightly sweeter. 

Mom's Chamomile Tea (RM 12): Don't remember what brand was it but do you think it's slightly overcharged? :/

Anyway, the place is so small that the kitchen is actually an open-kitchen concept. As you can see, the team is relatively young. However, you can actually see and taste the passion that they have in cooking because the food felt homemade and it tasted authentic to my palates.

Busy preparing the food for us. Looks like there's only two main chefs there. 

Pumpkin Soup (RM11.90): Very, very buttery but it was lacking the pumpkin taste. 

Mushroom Soup (RM11.90): This was quite okay, though it would be more fragrant if there are more variety of mushrooms blended together.

Sister's and YJ's Smoky Ducky with Sundried Tomato Pasta (RM 16.90): The taste was not disappointing at all with medium-sized duck meat slices. I actually liked it. 

Brother's Salmon Salsa with Poached Eggs and Spinach (RM 21.90): Substantial amount of salmon, topped with salsa and toasted bread at the bottom. Would give it to them for the portion but my brother said the taste was nothing memorable. 

Dad's Honey Glazed Chicken Bathed with Lavender (RM18.90): Dad didn't fancy it (then again, he prefers Chinese over Western) but I did as there were hints of Lavender taste without overpowering the dish.  

Youngest Bro and Mom's Grill Chicken with Marinara Sauce (RM 18.90): Mom had no complaints about it but the youngest bro actually thought it was too small. I tasted it personally to and I think the taste was alright but then again, what can go wrong with Marinara Sauce right? 

Finally, my Calamari with CousCous (RM 29.90), which I waited for at least 30 minutes and when my family is done with their food. Though the taste was quite bland, I liked it cause it's not filled with artificial seasoning or some sort. Also, the calamari was decently sized. Definitely better than Nosh Up's where it really sucked. 

Lastly, a family photo together!

Though some of the food didn't have lots of tasting notes to begin with, but I believe the food served was supposed to be on the healthier side and this is great start for my family because they really need to start eating healthier. :p Didn't get to try their desserts cause we headed to Inside Scoop instead. If you'd like to try some of their dishes such as Beetroot Pesto Pasta, Pumpkin Sauce Pasta or some other dishes that I have or have not tried, feel free to head on to their cafe!

#ByHalf Cafe

No. 20, Jalan Radin Bagus 6, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur. 

Opening Hours (closed on Tues): Mon, Weds & Thurs (11am - 10pm) | Fri-Sun (11am - 12mn)

Tulip by That Latte Place @ Sunway Pyramid, Selangor.

Hello hello! It's been a busy period and still is actually but I finally have some time to talk about Tulip by That Latte Place. Just so you know, what I'm about to share is non-halal because it serves my favourite - pork!

Just so you know, this is a relatively new place as it's opened last December, which is an expansion from That Latte Place in Ikon @ Taman Connaught. 

It's a very family-friendly cafe as they have a kids-friendly corner for the younger ones while the adults can enjoy a cuppa coffee and dine in at ease. 

More snapshots of the rather spacious interior. 

The concept of this cafe is different from its original one in Taman Connaught where heavier menu is served here aside from cakes and coffee. 

Some of the cakes available in the cafe.

More cakes! 

Also, when I say heavier menu, it's really heavy as their mains are mostly pork (also, it's 'cause we had the review really early on a Saturday morning :p).  Anyway, we had quite a number of dishes and drinks to try so without further ado, presenting you the first dish! 

Signature pork-chetta (RM 25.90): This dish is prepared fresh daily and there are only very limited number of servings as each roll of pork can only serve 8-10 pieces max. Though the taste was pretty decent with the right amount of saltiness, it would have been better if it's crunchier. 

Oh-My-Ribs (RM 35.90): I personally loved this because the sauce they've used was very different. It has a tangy taste to it instead of any usual BBQ sauce that usually goes well with ribs. On top of that, the meat wasn't even tough so yes, super love this! 

Bacon Baked Egg (RM 18.90): This was not very memorable because it was just tomato sauce with meat and bacon, baked with eggs. 

"Siu Yuk" Egg Ben (RM 19.90): This was alright, slightly better than the Bacon Baked Egg but thought the taste wasn't very memorable too. The only plus point was the sauteed mushrooms and siu yuk. :p 

Combo Bruschetta Melts (RM 23.90): This is a combination of bacons, mushrooms, salmon bits and cheese. Not my kind of dish and the taste was rather bland. 

Creamy Salted Egg Carbonara with Crispy Battered Chicken (RM 18.90): This is something new that will be made available in the menu soon. My only recommendation is to have more salted egg as I could barely taste it. 

Besides having a few spoons from each of these dishes that is really sufficient for 5 diners, we were also served with a variety of drinks:- 

Mocha (RM 10)

Iced Coffee Float (RM 10)

Hazelnut Mocha Nutella (RM 10)

Iced Salted Caramel Milk (RM 9). 

The drinks was alright and I quite like the iced coffee float because though it's bitter, but the ice-cream did give a hint of sweetness into it. I do feel it was rather odd to pair the pork dishes with coffee though as the taste didn't seem to gel well for me but it may work for you. Who knows? :) 

Last but not least, a photo with Priscilla, the owner of Tulip who shared that everything is made from scratch including the sauces, patties and even the bread. 

Overall, I do think that the ribs deserve a two thumbs up and the winning point was really the sauce. If you'd like to give it a try, below are the details:- 

Tulip by That Latte Place (Sunway Pyramid, Marrakesh Lane) do park at Blue Zone/ near Sunway Lagoon's main entrance as it's pretty near to the cafe.

LG2.88, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall Jln PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Opening hours: 10 am - 10 pm daily 

Summer at 17°C Cafe @ Cheras.

Good news Cheras kaki-s!

There's a fairly new and decent cafe which is only 10 minutes away from me finally! After 352857394 years of waiting, there's now a new place for Cheras people to enjoy some decent cafe food. Thanks to Cally, we were introduced to this place.

In case you're wondering where this is, it's Summer at 17°C Cafe at Connaught Avenue. No, it's not the usual Taman Connaught that most of you are aware of for the long-ass night market. It's nearer to Cheras Sentral. In fact, if you're familiar with where Econsave is, you'll be able to find this place quite easily or better yet, type Wings Cafe Connaught Avenue into Waze and it will take you there! 

Interior of the place. Super spacious and cozy. 

Huge artwork of the bear. Looks like it's hand-drawn. 

My favourite artwork there. 

Since it is quite a new place, they have very limited choices of main dishes for now. Though I was a little surprised at the pricing where it's on the higher side, especially when it's in Cheras (Cheras people are not as generous and it's proven through some expensive brands that wanted to expand themselves here, ended up closing down WTF), I had my thoughts reserved for a while more.

They serve all-day breakfast. 

Some mains that sounded quite interesting. 

More mains. 

Three different spaghetti dishes. 

Coffee, tea and other signature drinks. 

As the choices were limited and it was still quite early, we decided to order 2 dishes first to be shared among 4 people. 

Salted egg yolk spaghetti with pan fried prawns (RM 18). Decent portion and there were a few medium-sized prawns to complement it. In terms of its taste, I would personally prefer it to have more curry leaves to make it more fragrant. 

Summer Asian Chick. (RM 19). It's basically sweet and sour chicken chop with cheese and poached egg. Portion was alright too and the chicken was very juicy. The sauce was done right but my personal favourite was the croissant for its buttery taste. :p 

Sat there for about an hour plus before the boyfriend decided to order another dish to try, given that their food was pretty good. 

Finding Nemo (RM 19), which is smoked salmon (there were about 3-4 long slices) with poached egg. For a price like that, this is a pretty good deal. Me like! 

By the end of the meal, we tried their cakes too.

Hazelnut Praline (RM13). I don't remember if it's coffee or chocolate taste but the texture is quite soft and it wasn't too sweet. 

The Lady (RM 12). My personal favourite. Earl Grey flavoured cake with butter cream. Yums. 

Found out that the cakes were not personally baked by them, rather, it was from a homemade bakery. Also, it was surprising given that the area is pretty dead, there were quite a number of tables occupied in the late afternoon. Though the food and environment is quite satisfying, I won't be heading back there anytime soon until they add more choices into the menu. However, if you'd like to try some of the food that is already available on the menu now, here are the details:-

Summer at 17°C Cafe (Opposite Econsave Len Sen)

A-G-1, Connaught Avenue, Jalan 9, Taman Bukit Cheras, Kuala Lumpur

Opening hours: 11 am to 7 pm

Hail's @ Damansara Uptown, Petaling Jaya.

In the recent months, there are quite a number of new cafes booming in Damansara Uptown. So on one quiet and random night (not so quiet when there's me actually), paid a visit to Hail's, a cafe that sells soft serve ice-creams. 

Placed our orders at the counter and waited for them to be served to us. While waiting, here's a few photos taken using my lousy Samsung Note 3. Picture quality is.. meh.

The coziest corner in the whole place.

Choices of soft serve ice-creams. So colourful man!

Other desserts too, if you like.

Drinks to quench your thirst or if you wish to stay awake for the rest of the night. 

I must say, there is something unique about their soft serve ice-cream flavours - Pink Peppercorn. :D Don't be deceived by the word peppercorn, it's actually a type of dried berry with some peppery after taste.          

Pink Peppercorn (RM 8.50+) - Very minimal pink on it but the taste is just wow, though I do think that not everyone will like it due to its after taste. 

By the way, they also have Black Sesame flavour, which I didn't get to try! :( When we finished the ice-cream, our waffles was served.

Back to Basics with Sea Salt French Butter and Homemade Gula Melaka Sauce. Nothing to shout out about this cause it was quite a let-down for me. The texture and taste was too light for my liking. :/

Anyway, I would give it to them for their colourful and unique ice-creams, though I've yet to try SoftSrve. Wouldn't go back for the waffles though. If you'd like to try, feel free to visit them at:- 

Hail's Soft Serve

No.28 Jalan SS21/58, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening hours: 11.30 am - 12.00 am