Kungfu fighting panda is back!

Monday, May 30, 2011


What more can I say? This is by far the most entertaining film of the year. This story picks up from where it ended without causing much confusion to audiences like me who missed the first instalment.

It's so damn hilarious yet the storyline is well told. I'd say that finally there's a 3D animated film capable of matching works of Pixar; unlike most films which only contain so much humour that they become lame, meaningless & most importantly, forgettable.

I won't bother providing a synopsis this time or risk spoiling the excitement. Just go enjoy the movie...I'm sure you do. Do try 3D if you don't mind forking extra bucks cuz the effects are pretty good.


Pic courtesy of Movie Poster DB.com

Porto Romano, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Sunday, May 29, 2011

After our movie night out, me & WL headed out of One Utama for dinner. We came across this website which mentioned about Porto Romano which serves Italian-Mediterranean dishes in the heart of TTDI. We decided to try it out since the restaurants & cafes in One Utama no longer appeal to us.

Both of us were not familiar with the location & depended on WL's car GPS to lead us there. However, the GPS directed us to a house instead of the restaurant which left us puzzled. One call to the restaurant to confirm that we were actually close by but have ventured to the housing area. We should instead head back to the old IBM plaza area.

Stepping into the restaurant on a first impression was a pretty cosy & intimate ambience despite its rather small premise.


The lights used were deliberately dimmed to give way for more light source from the candle on each table. This calls for a candlelight dinner. =) Sweet...


Nevertheless, we didn't order much from the menu cuz we were pretty stuffed from munching McD nuggets while watching Kungfu Panda 2 earlier. More on that later in the next post. Therefore, we called for 2 dishes only - Porto Romano Spaghetti (house specialty) & Calzone (half moon pizza). The first dish was pasta which consist of shrimps, squid & mussels. The presentation wasn't very neat & the abundance of sauce soaking up the pasta led to questionable taste.


Taste wise, it wasn't as bad as it looked. I liked the fact that the slight spiciness from black pepper in the sauce adds excitement to the dish. It's disappointing that the seafood weren't fresh & seriously...why only one piece of mussel? :/

When the next dish was served...


...we were intrigued. It's half the size of one pizza folded into half with stuffings in it. On 2nd look at the crust, it didn't look mouth-watering cuz the surface just seemed too dry. If you're wondering what's on the inside, it contain turkey ham, cheese & wild mushrooms. One bite of the half moon pizza didn't give us much excitement as compared to the pasta. It could be due to the weird taste from the ham or the crust lacked moisture that spoilt the entire dish.

The price range is pretty normal when compared to other Italian dining but it wasn't worth it for us cuz we were left dissatisfied. I mean, food's worthiness very much depends on how much it can provide us pleasure while charged at reasonable price.

Address:
Porto Romano
8, Persiaran Zaaba
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur

Contact:
03-7710 0509

Opening Hours:
11:00am - 11:00pm daily

Links:

First class pizza

Saturday, May 28, 2011

It was another Saturday afternoon when me & my family had to ponder about what to eat for lunch. My aunt had a sudden craving for pizzas & not wanting to buy the usual food take-out ie chicken rice, noodles, mixed rice you name it - got me to place the pizza order on the phone.

I ordered our personal favourites - Aloha Chicken & Classified Chicken in NY Crusts, onion rings & chicken wings in barbeque sauce - waited for approximately 20 minutes until the delivery guy came knocking at our door. I was surprised by the different pizza packaging box the minute he took them out of his heating bag. So this is what Domino's been hyping about - not just "First Class" pizza but "First Class" packaging too.


For those of you who're unaware, Domino's has launched 3 new flavours namely First Class pizzas in conjunction with the upcoming movie, X-Men: First Class. The new flavours which consist of Tuna Extreme, Chicken Perfection & Shrimp Passion feature the new pesto sauce.

I haven't tried any of them as it can be pretty pricey due to the surcharge for different sizes. Anyways, it never occured to me that Domino's would apply the First Class packaging design to all pizzas, not just its First Class range - which I felt the box is particularly cool but...on 2nd thoughts, may not be a good colour for food.

Little machine, vacuums like a monster

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Ever since our vacuum cleaner came to a halt & was no longer functioning (no thanks to my cousin bro), I haven't laid hands on one since February. Hence, my weekly regime of vacuuming the carpet & the tiled floors around the house was temporarily suspended.

Although we have another water-based vacuum cleaner which weighs almost 4kg, I refused to use it not only due to its weight but the fact that its on/off switch is a nuisance. I reckon the switch isn't functioning properly too & causes the vacuum cleaner to power up & down uncontrollably, leaving me very irritated when I was in the midst of spring cleaning.

None of my family members bother to buy a new lightweight version to replace the old one. Desperate to keep my room at least dust-free, I purchased one yesterday.


This little thing turned out to be quite a monster despite its compact body & small capacity. It's lightweight & strong suction power allows vacuuming carpets & floors in no time. And the bright orange...so cute! Me likey~ Retailing at RM269, what more can you expect?

Initially, I was contemplating the new bagless model also sold at similar price. However, the thought of having a smaller dust compartment & having to clean the clogged up dust really turned me off. I've a penchant for convenience so I guess sticking back to the dustbag model would be a better option.

Zombies, mermaids & Blackbeard

Thursday, May 19, 2011


Here you go, a brief review on being the first to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in Malaysia. Watching a full length movie in 3D was kinda interesting but I'd have to admit it was quite an agonizing experience.

All of us were required to surrender our mobile phones & cameras prior to entering the cinema hall; a compulsory rule to adhere to for all preview screenings. Then we were given a pair of stylo-mylo 3D glasses to put on in order to enjoy the 3D effects. At first, it was comfortable when the movie began. Thirty minutes later, my ears started to ache due to prolong wear. I ignored the pain & continued watching but trust me, the pain became unbearable.

As for the movie, it was good to see Johnnny Depp reprised his role as Captain Jack Sparrow & not to forget some new characters added to the plot keep audiences interested. It was no doubt entertaining but somewhere in the corner of my mind kept on bugging me that this movie lacked the sparkle. It lacked the exhilarating feeling that I always had when watching the previous instalments. If At World's End is your least preferred choice, On Stranger Tides is not any better.

If you're considering to watch 3D, don't even bother cuz the 3D effects were not impressive. To be honest, I was disappointed after having to endure the pain of the glasses pinching on to my ears & eye fatigue for 2 hours. Thank God, it was free! Oh yeah, the mermaids were uber hot~


Pic courtesy of Movie Poster DB.com

Pirates ah-hoy!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The good thing about sponsoring movies - the privilege to watch it first before anyone else does. Please don't be envious...the movie will premier this Thursday anyways. ;)


The special screening is gonna be in 3D~ Woot!! It's my first time, can't wait~ =D

Canoodling, Bangsar Village II

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Almost every Friday night after work is reserved for private dinners with WL. We would either go for something a little lavish or hit the hawker stalls for more affordable treats. This time, WL decided to bring me to a restaurant that he had been wanting me to try. And there we were, hand-in-hand heading towards Canoodling at Bangsar Village II.

This restaurant was recommended by his friend & upon arriving, I'd have to say that the entrance is pretty fascinating.


This restaurant is very concept driven & incorporates a colour theme from the decor right down to the utensils used. Yellow is their choice despite it being a difficult colour to mix & match - they have embraced it well, keeping it chic & contemporary.


The kitchen adopts an open concept with stainless steel upholsteries installed. Indeed clean & sleek. Me likey~


The one thing which caught my attention was the white piece of paper spreaded across the table. Apparently, customers are encouraged to doodle on the paper with crayons provided on each tables. After doodling, customers can opt to upload & tag the Canoodling page. Seen here is WL attempting to become an artist & his doodling outcome. =P


Now here comes the food choices...basically, Canoodling serves noodles only as their main course - be it Malay, Chinese or Asian style - the dishes are infused with some Western flair. Like I said, it's not your typical noodle restaurant. So what was my order, you asked? Being a traditionalist at times, I got myself a bowl of pan mee with anchovies, poached egg & dried chilli flakes cooked in dry style.


Whereas WL ordered braised duck & ginger noodles. This dish is pretty worth it considering the duck drumstick given. =D


The taste? Well, it's not great but for some reason the dishes tasted pretty unique. My pan mee texture is springy & yummy despite the anchovies tasted too salty for my liking. WL's choice was not bad but according to him, it wasn't as good as before. Originally a slightly soupy noodles had for some odd reason transformed into thicker gravy. Hmm hard for me to judge if it was delicious.

We ordered some side dishes as well - fried chee cheung fun & fried calamari. The chee cheung fun was pretty interesting cuz it tasted like char kuay teow while the fried calamari was mediocre. Perhaps the squids weren't too fresh leading to softer texture.


Overall, the food is okay considering the price averages at RM9.90 per bowl. I normally wouldn't expect a restaurant at posh areas like Bangsar Village to charge such price cuz it would probably be around RM12.90 or higher. If you're up for noodles, do drop by this place. It's a pretty cozy place to hang out, trust me~

Address:
Canoodling
2F29, 2nd Floor, Bangsar Village II
No. 1, Jalan Telawi Satu
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur

Contact:
03-2287 1566

Opening Hours:
11:00am - 10:00pm daily

Links:


P.S. I think the owners are opening this restaurant soon next to Canoodling =D

Hong Kong Dessert @ SS2, PJ

Saturday, May 14, 2011

I'm not a big fan when it comes to tong sui & I cringe each time when being asked to eat a bowl. Nevertheless, I still can make it an exception when sharing it with WL. Hours earlier, we had a satisfying dinner at KFC SS2. Burp~ The night was still young & both of us were reluctant to head home early. And I had a sudden craving for tau foo fa & just had to lay my hands on it again after eating it yesterday.

We went to the same place last night at Hong Kong Dessert, SS2 but I've forgotten to take some pics. So now I'm sharing with you my experience on the desserts that we both ordered


My choice was a soya beancurd sweetened with palm sugar powder, instead of sugar cane syrup. For RM3.50, the portion is pretty huge which is quite affordable. The texture is soft & very smooth which are important elements of a good bowl of beancurd. My only issue is that the palm sugar as substitute is too sweet for my liking. Hence, I still prefer the good 'ol sugar cane syrup with ginger.


WL ordered a coconut milk with sago & pomelo. Of course, it tastes sweet & fragrant but it's nothing extraordinary. Just another dessert to indulge after a sumptuous meal. The price is okay for the portion given, in my opinion.

Well, if you ask me...I would consider dropping by for a quick dessert once in a while. The desserts served are not something to die for & they're a little pricey for ordinary desserts. Anyhow, the larger portions & an air-conditioned shoplot more than make up for the slightly high price. Just don't expect too much or else you'll be disappointed.

Address:
Hong Kong Dessert
36, Ground Floor
Jalan SS2/63
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

Contact:
03-7873 0148

Opening Hours:
2:00pm to 2:00am (Weekdays)
12:00pm to 2:00am (Weekends & Public Holidays)

Ridiculously fast & furious

Saturday, May 07, 2011


Yeah, yeah. I know you've been groaning cuz this movie franchise is getting tiresome. But who can resist watching it when it's one of the summer releases? Besides, its simple but action-packed storyline is not too difficult to consume, no? Better than movies like Priest, for instance.

I went to watch with WL without much expectation in mind. I mean, you watch this kind of movie for entertainment & not taking it too seriously. There's not much of racing in this fifth instalment as the creators try to inject more rich plot, focusing on the characters' emotions. And it's pretty fun to see several main characters from the Fast & Furious series coming together as a team for a major project within the movie.

If you're unfamiliar with the series, Fast Five is loosely based on the timeline shortly after Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) was sent to jail by cop, Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker). The latter with the help of Dom's sister, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) rescued Dom from prison. Just bear in mind that Dom's girlfriend, Letty (Michelle Rodiguez) is already dead in this movie.

Some of the dialogues are pretty cheesy but quite funny too. There's even scene where two cars are dragging a bank vault on the highway! I'm not revealing any further in case you haven't watched yet. Bet you'll enjoy it anyhow. Just remember to not take it too seriously. =)

Oh my Thundergod~

Sunday, May 01, 2011

It's the Labour Day weekend! What better way to spend the much deserved holiday for us workaholics out there? That's right, catching a movie at the local cinema~ Me & WL started the weekly movie marathon by watching the first summer blockbuster, Thor.


The movie turned out to be alright...not great but not that bad either. The plot was kept simple within 1 hour 55 minutes but we felt the ending could've been better. It was a tad too simple, really not what we expected. Perhaps the ending should showcase a war between two realms - Thor with the help of his warriors joining hands with his father to battle Loki & Loafey with the other Frost Giants. Maybe the comic wasn't written as such, huh? *sighs*

Anyways, who can ever forget the yummy-licious actor with the hottest bod & sexiest gruff voice ever? The rising star, Chris Hemsworth is the God of Thunder with his "heavenly" body in the movie.


For the first time, WL has the same taste as mine when it comes to men. LOL. I guess my baby is envious cuz there's no doubt Chris is a real charmer. His beautiful eyes & gorgeous capture hearts of many who saw the film. And we were gushing all over Chris~ Omg, so bimbo-fied. =P

The movie may not be great but it wouldn't hurt if there's an eye candy as the lead. Besides, this movie is purely for enjoyment & it's not trying hard to be Oscar material. The movie was still fun to watch, anyhow. =D

Gimme a hammer!! Rawrrr!
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