Islamic Steakhouse: the new best old place in Bangi

Birthday girl with family. 

Salam all, Ramadhan mubarak!

I know its Ramadhan and you'll feel like strangling me for this post, but I haven't written in so long I've been wasting energy doing other things -- and most of them just annoy my husband.

We went here last Friday night for Iman's 7th birthday; how time flies! The first time we met she was a chubby baby who peeked shyly at me from under her eyelashes. Now all we do is gossip and shop. Not to mention the serious discussions over where to sleep every night --next to Mama of course but will Mama leave her for Abah in the middle of the night? the biggest problem in her life to date. What bliss to be seven.

Seoul garden: k-pop buffet

Birthday boy is on far right.

Let's get one thing straight: Seoul Garden does not serve soul food. That would be zikir and lots of remembrance of The Creator; or in my husband's case a whole round of Mufti Menk lectures. No. We went to Seoul Garden for Hafiz's birthday. And with five paying souls, birthday boy eats free.

PappaRich: Appropriately priced with a touch of class

Reflecting on our reflection. 

I am reviewing PappaRich for the PRU13 Election Day. Because we went there for breakfast after voting, and it felt good. To do the right thing. For once. (I've never voted before).

The bridge: Work YES. Ceramah NO. Lol..

Mazlan showing off his finger.

You've probably been to Old Town right? Well PappaRich is a step ahead of Old Town. The place is comfier, the food is tastier and the service is better. And I have been to a lot of Old Town's and PappaRiches. And PappaRich surpasses Old Town every time. So I am not going to review Old Town (for now). All I can say is the laksa at Old Town is awesome, but lately the servings have been getting smaller and colder (slow). And that has turned me off. Not to mention the outlet at Cyberjaya and Paradigm Mall makes you order at the counter and pay up before they even serve. Do I look like I'd run out of the place when I'm done? Or the guy standing next to me? Yes? Well, no trust no love no order food anymore.

The steamed chicken. 

Le chicken rice. A+

Back to Pappa's, the best thing to order here is anything that comes with the steamed chicken. It is tasty and tender and the watery sauce they put on it is yummylicious even as I bet you a hundred ringgit it's just monosodium glutamate with a dash of soy sauce. I have tried all the breads too. Roti kaya, roti telur, roti sardin telur, roti canai, roti curry and roti susu pekat. All are good. Go for it. 

(Not so sure with the western dishes though. I wouldn't go that far. I have yet to find a good chicken chop dish that is not hanyir.)

Much thanks, Pappa. For allowing us to eat first and pay later unlike your equally glamorous sister-kopitiam where "taking our time" does not include paying. We trust you will keep on serving good steamed chicken. You can trust we will be back for more. If not soon, on the next election day for sure--albeit four years from now. It will be the new tradition for the family. Vote and... "Pappa's?" "Ok". Mazlan would love that conversation. It is so short it's sweet.

Next review insya'Allah: Papa Johns. Oh..., how I have missed thee.. 

This is a shima recommended restaurant! Go!

PappaRich
all over Malaysia

Cleanliness: A+
Food: B++
Price: approx RM35++ for two. Thanks abang :)
Satisfaction Level: A
Service: A
Atmosphere: A

Hard Rock Cafe KL: for my birthday!!

(Click on pictures to enlarge. Credits to Mazlan Mahdi for the awesome pictures).

Checking out the (expensive) menu.

I guess I am penning this one down more for the memories than the food. Because definitely HRC serves great food. That goes without saying. 

I've been to all the HRC on the east coast of the united states, and several in Europe just for the sake of the hurricane glass (takder keje I know). But somehow when I landed in KL back in 2007, my HRC-glass collecting days were O-V-E-R. The adventuresome little voice inside me now sees life through more sensible lenses. Collecting HRC glasses doesn't bring any worthwhile benefits. Time to move on to more interesting stuff, -- like cameras. Or the hot PMO who's been sending me facebook messages. 

So, essentially, this is my first visit to HRC KL.

My Apple crumble. Which I wouldn't have ordered
if I knew there was cake coming...

Armand and Qayyums Burger. One each.

Mac and Cheese with Garlic Bread. From the kid's menu. Iman's

Fish and Chips. From the kid's menu. Shima's.
She thought she was on a diet. 

Here's what we ordererd: fish and chips (A-), beef burgers (A++), pasta (A), and warm sensuous apple crumble splurged with fresh vanilla ice-cream (soo good its sinful). 

Towards the end of lunch, after everyone had dutifully paid the restroom a visit and popped their balloons ---a kind little lady dropped by our table and made everyone balloon hats and balloon bracelets (I don't know if she's commissioned to do so or homeless)--- this pretty waiter suddenly appears carrying chocolate cake with lighted candles and asks me to stand up on the chair. 

Then he shouts really loudly: birthday girl in the house!!! (or something like that anyway) and suddenly the entire restaurant was singing happy birthday at the top of their lungs like I'm their best friend and they owe me money. I was blushing light peach under my BB cream; it was an extremely embarrassing moment. Standing on a chair reminds me of that day I didn't finish my maths homework, so it wasn't really a huge honour. And Mazlan recorded the entire scenario. But he's going to burn it on a DVD and keep it in a box under his bed because his wife looks too cute on camera on her 26th birthday.

My HRC birthday cake. Just the right size. Because we were STUFFED.

As we left Hard Rock Cafe, we stopped by the HRC souvenir shop and Mazlan got me a hard-rock glass as momento to this memorable afternoon -- adding one more glass to my collection. In return, I got him a Zippo HRC lighter even as my brain screamed you're encouraging him to smoke. Never mind. I love him just the way he is. In sickness and in health. Insya'allah.

Love ALL, serve ALL.
Makes me feel all warm inside.

So love all, serve all, is the catchphrase at HRC. Try going to Hard Rock Cafe KL in your yellowish bullet-ridden singlet and green quack slippers and see if they'll let you pass the door. Make sure you record the entire scene and send me a copy. That will teach them for making me stand on that chair.

Me and Balloon woman's friend.

Before food.

Hard Rock Cafe, 

Kuala Lumpur

Cleanliness: A

Food: A (all American-food)

Price: I am guessing approx RM400 for entire family. Thanks abang. If we went to KFC for my birthday I would still have been happy. Well maybe not as happy but still happy laa....

Satisfaction level: A (my family rocks!!)

Service: A (waiters were nice)

Atmosphere: A 

posted from Bloggeroid

Le Chouette Macaron: awesome cake makers~~

Mazlan's and Shima's wedding cake. May Allah bless our marriage. And yours!

I am an unconventional girl: I don't bother for sophiscated furniture if the room isn't comfortable. I won't fall for a rich fella if we have nothing to talk about and I don't really care for pretty fondant cakes if the inside tastes like a twinkie.

So this is one very extraordinary cake shop I am recommending, because I am very sceptical about cakes. A cake usually looks too good to be true but taste so mediocre you feel you've been ripped-off in broad daylight. Or they taste too good to be true but looks too mediocre to place on a tray for your future mom-in-law. But Le Chouette's seems to have got it covered. Our wedding cake was awesome. It's got breadth and depth ---like a good lecture on a good day.

Bandung: Kampung Daun (hint: it's not a kampong)

(Click on pictures to enlarge. Thanks to my hubby for the awesome shots).

Welcome Sign to Kampung Daun

There's this restaurant in Bandung that is totally different than what we are normally used to. When we go and eat out, it is usually inside a building or outside on the premises or maybe in a foodcourt. Well this restaurant is completely different: its a whole kampung. You eat in little gazebos, and when you're done, you get to sleep there too. Until you feel like leaving.

Ana Ikan Bakar Petai

The literally awesome menu.

This dining experience actually occured over Deepavali. After watching the kids tire themselves out at my parents house the entire afternoon, we thought we would take them out and watch them go crazy at some other innocent location. There are only two restaurants in Bangi that I know of that has a playground area for kids (please let me know if there are others): McDonalds and Ana Ikan Bakar. After the Gaza episode we are done with McDonalds --for now at least. (Put that french fry down, now). We headed to Ana Ikan Bakar.

Tokio :: we love it!

The GBS girls loving Tokio. 

This is how much we love Tokio. Since my last review, we've gone back time and time again and tried out new stuff. And we never tire. Tokio is where we hang out when we have a 3 pm lecture or faculty meeting (as oppose to a 2 pm one, cause that would only mean mamak or CFC). You seriously can't rush a Tokio lunch. It is hanging out, catching up, brainstorming and free advice session at its very best. So anybody in need of any counseling can join us. Usually we're at the corner table. Females only for now please. We can't handle male problems. 

Al-Ulfah: Arabic Food, Rocking Malaysian Flavour!

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Mazlan's 

Awesome mint tea!

Al-Ulfa is this little restaurant by 7/11 Ampang. The tagline: Arabic Food, Malaysian Flavour! Mazlan had been going on about the place ages. He took me there approximately 5 months after he first mentioned it, so now I kindoff have a rough idea of how long it will take for him to do something once he's set his mind on it (i.e., approximately half a year). That means we'll hit Legoland sometime in April 2013. And I should be getting my ring sometime next month. :P

Buffet @ Pullman Putrajaya

Click on pictures to enlarge. The pictures are awesome :)

Mazlan's kambing-saturated dish.

I know you guys love buffets, so against all odds and all the rainy days this December I thought I'd stick this one in. This was a dinner buffet excursion at Pullman Putrajaya on 30th November 2013. And to sound crazy, Pullman is only 5 minutes drive away from MMU if you follow the road to Dengkil (take the Putrajaya exit right before Dengkil exit, and keep left all the way).

For a restaurant parked under a world class resort, the price was not bad at all: only RM60++ per pax. And to spare you the shocking finale, the '++' is RM15. Thank you to my personal banker and fellow diner for the awesome treat. May Allah reward you endlessly for your generosity.

Here's what was available that particular night. It was a TGIF night, by the way, which was why I was smiling so broadly in the picture. Not that work has never been so exciting in my life (it is, as usual), but I am done with undergraduate lecture, and now only have to deal with mature students who give me less--shall we say-- challenges. Hooray~~