Ant-Man

I had no expectations when walking into the cinema hall to watch Ant-Man. All I gathered from the synopsis is that protagonist will be shrunk so small to be the self-titled hero. I had to watch this movie as part of completing the MCU journey.

Paul Rudd is Scott Lang, an ex-convict who discovered a suit that shrinks one into the size of an insect but greatly increases his strength. The suit was invented by Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) but the technology was intentionally protected from the world for fear of its devastation. Scott eventually became Ant-Man & together with Dr. Hank, they must protect the technology from landing to the wrong hands.

CG is amazing, showing the audience a glimpse of ants' perspective & how it's like living as a size of an insect. It's a blessing that CG has improved tremendously over the years, allowing comics' vision to become reality. It makes watching a superhero demonstrating its power more surreal & a joy to watch.

The good thing is, it's this type of underdog Marvel titles that never fail to surprise me. Ant-Man turned out be pure, good fun without any emotional baggage. Initially, I had qualms about casting Paul Rudd as a superhero. Boy, I'm proven wrong. Rudd's acting shines so well through his comedic skills. After all, I see no harm in having an extra pair of twinkling, charming eyes to stare at throughout the movie even though Rudd is not exactly the most attractive superhero actor.

Marvel Studios has again succeeded in putting up another less popular character, garnering positive reactions from comic & non-comic fans. Great job, Marvel!

Image credits to:

MoviePosterDB.com

MTV

Ticklish Ribs & 'Wiches @ Sea Park, PJ

Tucked in a row of shops next to a bank is Ticklish Ribs & 'Wiches serving pork ribs & sandwiches. I wouldn't known it existed until our ex-colleagues suggested that we have a mini gathering there. When WL & I arrived, our friends have already helped themselves with some sandwiches & ribs.

Their signature dish is the BBQ pork ribs with house-made Ticklish sauce. One bite is more than enough to tell how well it was cooked. Marinated & grilled perfection, the meat is absolutely tender & delicious. Served in a metal bucket, it is best enjoyed with a bottle of beer with friends.

With an array of sandwich options, I settled for You Braise Me Up - a slight fatty loin simmered in sauce.Totally sinful & heavenly~

One of our ex-colleagues bought Once You Go Black for his son to try out. The little boy was kind enough to share half of the sandwich with me because he was already stuffed from gobbling up the first batch of pork ribs. The meat slices were taken from the leaner part of the pork, grilled to a darker tone with sauce that gave sweet & salty flavours. Due its lean texture, the meat is slightly rough hence not really my cup of tea. It's still delicious, nonetheless.

Asked for a cup of mocha to satisfy my sudden caffeine craving but was left disappointed. Coffee is definitely Ticklish' forte. Served in a glass jar instead of a cuppa, the coffee was mild & less aromatic. Now I know what to stay away from whenever I'm in Ticklish.

Ticklish is a nice, decent haunt for PJ residence to gather, snack/drink & chat the night away. Not family friendly if you plan to bring a group of young children for peaceful dinner. It's loud, lively & "strictly for adults". Rating: 4 out of 5.

Address:

No. 5, Ground Floor

Jalan 21/11A, Sea Park

46300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7865 9126

Opening Hours:

Tuesdays to Sundays

Lunch 12:00pm - 2:00pm

Dinner 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Jurassic World

We all know Hollywood is running out creative juice when there are so many announcements made to reboot movie classics of yesteryears. My worst nightmare began when the Jurassic Park franchise is not spared. I was adamant about watching the new dinosaur-themed movie in the cinema but decided to give it a try anyway.

Titled Jurassic World, also the name of the new theme park, continues 22 years later after the incident in Jurassic Park III. Pressured with the demand for new attraction to keep visitors excited, the research team at the Jurassic World lab has created a genetically modified dinosaur carrying genes from various predatory dinosaurs & modern-day animals.

Little did they realised that the creature turned out to be exceptionally intelligent & managed to break loose from its captivity, causing havoc at the theme park. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), a Velociraptor trainer is called in to save the day. I must say, though the plot is predictable, watching the movie brings back many good childhood memories. The dinosaur CG is so impressive that it provides a breath of fresh air to the new & old audience alike.

Jurassic World is definitely not award-winning material but it does the job well to keep audiences entertained. There are some scenes that pay homage to the old Jurassic Park movies which is great & goes to show the production team acknowledge the fans who supported the earlier films. I'm a little miffed that the female lead, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) was not given enough credits for her outstanding performance. Go watch the movie & you'll know why she deserves more mention & praise.

I'm pretty sure you don't want to miss out on Chris Pratt striking THE pose that has been garnering viral attention on social media. I know you wouldn't...

Image credits:

MoviePosterDB.com

Screen Rant

Ichiban The Izakaya, 1 Utama

If it wasn't for Groupon, WL & I wouldn't have discovered a hidden gem in 1 Utama. Ichiban The Izakaya is the hidden gem - a Japanese restaurant & bar tucked at the corner near the Rainforest. With a Groupon voucher worth RM200 in hand, we didn't hesitate to order as much as we could. After all, it was my little sister's birthday & she deserved a big treat from us.

WL ordered his usual chicken katsu don that came with a striking balance of meat & vegetables. One spoonful said it all - the dish truly didn't disappoint.

I called for a bowl of garlic rice rather than a main course just so I can reserve some "room" for other treats in the menu. Nom nom...did I mention the rice was incredibly appetizing that I was tempted for another bowl? Guilty pleasures...

Ichiban has a few selection of pork skewers that sound pretty tempting. And we couldn't resist ordering 2 of them to try - asparagus wrapped with pork bacon slices & grilled pork. The juicy pork slice with crunchy asparagus wrapped in between was simply irresistible.

And of course, we wouldn't miss out on tender, no-nonsense pork skewers to satisfy our big appetite.

The restaurant has a wide selection of maki but we picked those that we believe wouldn't go wrong. Not a bad choice, indeed. The ingredients were fresh & seasoned well, even though the sushi rice was slightly mushy.

I ordered a side dish to try - cold tofu in sweet sauce but it wasn't as good as the earlier dishes.

My sister went home with a happy tummy, so did WL & I. Groupon is certainly the right place to discover good restaurants that might have missed our radar. Izakaya is one of those places...Rating: 4 out of 5.

Address:

G362, Ground Floor

Rainforest Zone

1 Utama Shopping Centre

Lebuh Bandar Utama,

Bandar Utama

47800 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7732 1686

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Pho Vietz, Atria Shopping Gallery

The newly renovated Atria Shopping Gallery has finally open its doors to the public & it's now back, bigger than before. I could barely recognize the exterior when our car approached closer to the building. Atria seemed so vast next to the old shops that stood longer than the mall itself.

Just barely months after its soft opening, Atria is already 80% occupied with majority food & beverages tenants. It's a pity that it didn't have a cinema but on 2nd thoughts, it wouldn't have worked anyhow because there are already malls nearby with cineplexes ie Tropicana City Mall & 1 Utama. At least Atria has assures its shoppers will not go hungry after a long day of shopping.

Most of the restaurants are situated on the lowest floor but there are a select few taking space on the upper floors. Pho Vietz occupies a spacious lot on the 3rd floor & what's surprising to see that the restaurant already has a good crowd. Without further ado, WL & I quickly settled to order some food.

I picked their house specialty - pho, loosely translated as beef noodles.

The pho came in a generous bowl of beef slices & rice noodles. Broth was flavourful, well seasoned with herbs & spices to bring out the Vietnamese taste. Slurping in the rice noodles was a joy as the it was thin & smooth in texture. The beef slices have a pungent taste which makes every bite a little difficult to take in. Otherwise, the pho would have been excellent.

WL ordered claypot pork belly stew that came with a bowl of rice, soup & an appetizer.

I took a sip of the gravy for tasting & it turned out a little salty for me but WL seemed to take a liking for stronger flavours. It was tasty, nonetheless. Plus the fat from the pork belly helps elevate the aroma & in the gravy. Another plus point for Pho Vietz!

For the price averaging around RM18, the food is quite worth every cent you pay for. Portion is good, in fact, quite generous to some extent. Taste wise, it fits the generally picky Malaysian palate who is pampered with a plethora of food choices. Definitely a place to worth several visits each time you happen to make a trip to Atria. Rating: 4.2 out of 5.

Address:

T08 & T09, 3rd Floor

Atria Shopping Gallery

Jalan SS22/23

Damansara Jaya

47400 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

San Andreas

It's been a while since we last saw natural disaster or end-of-the-world related movie themes since 2012. I could clearly recall during my schooling days those movies were common because the themes were trending at that time. Seeing the trailer of San Andreas brings back familiar feelings of nostalgia.

Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the plot follows a fomulaic script - a man with a decent job possibly going through a separation/divorce, disaster strikes & the man reunites with his family to brace through tough times. The movie is very predictable & corny, it's no surprise that you'll roll eyes more than you can count. Or barf at the sudden outburst of the cheesiest statement.

CG is amazing, a no surprise these days considering the vast improvement in technology. The old disaster movies were obviously no match for San Andreas. Albeit impressive CG, the depiction of a tsunami hitting San Francisco in that scale does seem unrealistic.

And to ride a boat over the rising tsunami is even more exaggerated. How can this be possible? Only in the movies.

Whatever it is, San Andreas is quite an enjoyable movie if you put aside all the illogical stuff in the movie. Just don't expect too much out of it. Somehow, Dwayne Johnson does kick ass in this kind of movie, which is a plus point.

Image credits:

MoviePosterDB.com

Tech Times

slipthroughmovies.wordpress.com

Manmaru Udon, Mid Valley

WL & I had made plans to visit the KLPJ Wedding Fair held at Mid Valley Convention Centre over the weekend. Psst...psst...wedding bells are ringing. Anyways, I'll reveal when the time is right. It was close to lunch time & we were not even half way done with visiting all the booths. So we decided to take a break & grab a quick bite.

We were at lost of where to eat because there are so many varieties, yet none of it tickled our fancy. Then, we saw Manmaru Udon tucked at the corner next to Amarin Heavenly Thai restaurant. Without further delay, we walked in & took our seat. I called for tempura udon while WL picked teriyaki chicken udon.

About 10 minutes later, the waitress came to serve our orders. I was a little hungry & started slurping over my bowl of noodles, totally forgetting to snap a photo of it. Here is how the udon looks like. I'd must say the udon is springy & of premium quality. It's only a pity that the broth didn't turn out as delicious as I hoped. Or could it be the fact that I wasn't that hungry & affected my judgement? *shrugs*

On the other hand, WL's dish seemed to look more appetizing with the juicy teriyaki chicken slices arranged nicely over the dry udon with onsen egg. The noodles were seasoned with the same sauce from the teriyaki chicken. I took a strands of udon to try & it was more tasty than my dish. But, I wouldn't conclude it as being very scrumptious but at least better than mine.

The price is average; typical of a mid-price restaurant food. With such superb quality noodles, it was a pity that the seasoning was a disappointing. Not that the food was exceptionally bad as some improvement will help the restaurant to a long way. I'm giving a rating 3.5 out of 5.

Address:

S-045A, The Boulevard

Lingkaran Syed Putra

Mid Valley City

59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Contact:

03-2201 1663

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

TVC Shoot in Taipei

On Tuesday morning, I was called in to my boss' room as soon as I came in for work. The next thing he said took me aback. I was asked to fly to Taipei the next day for a TVC shoot, a trip that he was supposed to go for but has now become my responsibility. I was stunned for a moment & wasn't sure whether to feel ecstatic or angry about the news.

Not surprisingly, I flipped at the thought of the last minute trip & made a huge fuss to my boss. "Do I look like a backup who can stand in at any time just because you couldn't?" I thought to myself angrily. In the end, I made a sacrifice & took the earliest flight to Taipei.

The trip was made more interesting with the people that I was bound to work with. Plus, Taipei is a great city despite my limited proficiency in Mandarin. The city is clean & well-planned while I'm all praised for their people's politeness. Since I'm already there, I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to visit Taipei 101. Seeing the skyscraper looming in the background got me excited.

Work wasn't exactly smooth sailing but at least, it was completed. For the rest of the short trip, the experience was nothing short of great fun. We stopped by at Taipei 101 first before it closed for the night. The admission ticket cost NT$500, more costly than entering our Petronas Twin Towers. To be able to take the world's fastest elevator up to the top floors, why not?

The world's fastest elevator truly didn't disappoint, rising from 5th floor to 89th floor in 37 seconds! The ceiling of the elevator lit up with bright LED lights, reminiscing the starry night sky as the elevator rose to the upper floors. The sound effect & music made us felt like shooting up the stars. Awesome!

In order to reach the observatory deck, we had to climb 4 flight of stairs to arrive at 93rd floor. I'd have to admit the view was not the most stunning night view as one part of is pitch black (I believe that's the hill horizon). Nevertheless, it was still nice to witness Taipei's bustling night life at such high altitude.

Next, we descended back to the lower floors. The rest are mostly souvenir & snack shops; theatre rooms to view video recordings of the skyscraper's construction & its pyrotechnic fireworks on New Year's Eve. Here is the mass tuned damper that keeps the Taipei 101 at bay during typhoons & earthquakes.

Our tour did not end just yet. Not wanting to miss Taipei's famous pasar malam, we took the cabs to Shihlin Night Market. It's considered the cleanest night market I've ever seen in my life. Although I ended up with empty hands, I got to try out their pricey cut fruits. Their pineapples are the best - so juicy & sweet, not acidic at all. Taking a stroll at the night market felt quite safe because I didn't feel like I was being followed & pickpocketed. That's not to say there's no risk at all, but the people are generally nice people.

On our last day, we had lunch at this artistically designed restaurant right next to our hotel. You wouldn't believe that it's a restaurant because it resembled an art museum. The food was a little pricey but tasted pretty good.

When we packed our bags & headed to the airport, we left with heavy hearts. The city is so clean & the toilets are fantastic - squeaky clean & futuristic XD. Did I mention that almost any building you set foot on has free high-speed WiFi, with no password? I'm coming back for you, Taipei. That's for sure. I guess I should rest my case for being angered by the last minute trip. Anything to have great travel companions to fill in the bitterness.

Go Thai @ SS2, PJ

It was day off today & took the opportunity to complete some of the tasks off my to-do things to complete over the long holidays. I got a hair cut at a Korean salon, then had lunch with WL before heading back to his home for a rest. At night, we decided to try out this new Thai restaurant at SS2 called Go Thai.

Go Thai occupies a small space at Jalan SS2/24 which is a row of shops nearby the popular durian spots. When we arrived, the restaurant was already filled with dinner crowd. We took our seats & ordered our food. I called for kuay teow soup while WL opted for braised duck rice.

The kuay teow is rather interesting because it's not the broad type of flat noodles we usually at hawker stalls. The noodles are narrower in width & slightly translucent in colour. It came in clear broth with pork balls & fish paste. The portion is a little small by Malaysian standards but at least the taste is quite authentic.

WL's braised duck rice came in small portion too but nevertheless, it tasted pretty decent. The amount of duck slices were miserable, although miserable, had some vege & half piece of boiled egg to complement the dish. Not the most ideal but better than nothing.

Go Thai is definitely a family restaurant because the premise is not spacious & the air ventilation is poor. In fact, it would be more comfortable to sit at the pavement outside the restaurant. It's the kind of restaurant that promotes a quick fix to a hungry stomach. I'm giving this restaurant a rating of 3.8 out of 5.

Address:

187, Jalan SS2/24

Seksyen 22

47300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Contact no:

012-2891922

Opening Hours:

Tuesday to Sundays 11:30am - 9.45pm

Avengers: Age of Ultron

The thought of waiting for the The Avengers sequel for 2 years was exhausting even though Marvel's Cinematic Universe (MCU) has already planned a line-up of comic movie release each year. When it's finally shown in theatres, did it live up to the anticipation? Yes & no. Here's why.

If you've been following the MCU, Age of Ultron picks up from where Captain America: The Winter Soldier left off when SHIELD was destroyed but another Hydra team led by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker secured Loki's scepter & is seen experimenting on the Maximoff twins. The experiment gave the twins extraordinary powers - Pietro Maximoff with superhuman speed while his younger sister Wanda Maximoff can manipulate minds & project energy.

The Avengers raided the Hydra base & recovered the scepter. Tony Stark & Bruce Banner discovered an artificial intelligence inside the gem on the scepter & secretly use it to complete Stark's "Ultron" defense program. Things turned awry when Ultron became self-aware & turned against the Avengers, stealing the scepter. Ultron is set on course for world domination & annihilation. It's up to the superheroes to save the human race from extinction. The movie was progressing well but the complication began Joss Whedon tried to inject many subplots into the already crowded movie.

It was still an enjoyable movie with no less of the slapstick humour we've gotten used to in the prequel. Age of Ultron is more intense than before & sets the precedence for the upcoming Marvel movies scheduled for next year. There is no post-credit scene this time as reported because Whedon felt not even his new idea could top the shawarma scene back in The Avengers. I shall not reveal more as it's always more exciting to unveil the MCU connection yourself.

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Nosh Up @ Jaya Shopping Centre, PJ

WL & I bought early bird tickets to Avengers: Age of Ultron at TGV Jaya Shopping Centre. We had to make sure we are well fed before sitting through the movie for more than 2 hours. I was craving for egg benedict while he didn't have any idea. So he agreed when I suggested to try out Nosh Up which is situated on LG floor.

Stepping into the restaurant gives a comforting feeling; the kind of of place that the owner welcomes you with arms wide open. The decor is whimsical & charming combined with some artistic strokes adorning one side of the wall.

And I was impressed with the mantra on the other side of the wall. A true statement of how to live life! Me likey...

WL & I ordered egg benedict - grilled chicken for him, smoked salmon for me. The food truly didn't disappoint. So scrumptious & flavourful. At RM15+, the portion is huge & so worth it.

Did I say the hash brown is awesome? You can taste every bit of mashed potato, unlike the store-bought or processed type filled with lots of starch. Absolutely fantastic! If we had more time, I would've stayed longer to try out other mains. Would definitely return the next round. Rating: 4.7 out of 5.

Address:
Lot LG-26, Jaya Shopping Centre
Jalan Semangat
46100 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.

Contact:
03-7931 8988

Opening Hours:
Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Enorme | The Delle Coffee & Tea @ Centrestage, PJ

Friday finally came when I needed a hangout session with friends to wind down after a long work week. WL suggested to try out a new restaurant at PJ Centrestage, Section 13. Then, head to a nearby cafe for our caffeine fix. Read below to find out our gastronomic journey.

Enorme

Enorme is a newly opened restaurant which serves non-halal Italian cuisine & wood fired pizza.

WL & I were already starving when we arrived at the restaurant, what's more to wait for the rest to join in. We ordered portobello for starters. It's actually a deep-fried battered duo portobello served with sauteed chicken strips & sliced onions in au jus. This is the first time I've ever seen such huge portobello mushroom & I thought the texture would be rubbery. I was wrong. It tasted fantastic!

We ordered a single serving of zuppa di funghi - rich mushroom soup with a scent of truffle oil. It was indeed rich & flavourful with the right texture & consistency.

The main highlight of the night is the pizza we ordered, hence the name Enorme for their signature enormous pizza. We picked 2 flavours to combine - tonna mornay & carbonara. And when I meant enormous, it was no joke.

The pizza tasted awesome, only if you have enough company to help finish it. Otherwise, the pizza gets cold quickly & the crust becomes dry & hard. What's more, the leftover tuna part started to turn stale & slightly fish. Not something you want to put in your mouth when it's no longer warm.

Overall, dinner at Enorme was quite an enjoyable feat even though the flavours gravitated towards saltier taste. Price can be slightly steep after GST has been implemented. Nevertheless, the restaurant is worth to be added to your to-visit restaurant list. Rating 4.4 out of 5.

Address:

P-G-20, Podium PJ Centrestage

No. 1, Jalan 13/1

Seksyen 13

46200 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7661 0651

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 11:00pm

The Delle Coffee & Tea

There's a saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So is The Delle Coffee & Tea. You'll be pleasantly surprised how similar their logo is compared to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. But rest assure, the decor is nothing like the latter. it's a modern place adorned with black painted walls & funky posters.

I ordered mocha from the barista & was served with in mint-coloured cup & saucer. How outstanding. A nice brew it was - aromatic with a just the right level of sweetness. It was unfortunate the cafe was rather warm because one of the air cond broke down.

The Delle Coffee & Tea is a cosy place to hangout with your friends if you are around PJ. Ain't it fun to add another cafe to your coffee haunts?

Address:

C-06-17, Menara C

PJ Centrestage

No. 1, Jalan 13/1

Seksyen 13

46200 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7611 0307

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 9:00am - 10:00pm

Fast & Furious 7

Many wonder how the filmmakers will wrap up the partially completed Fast & Furious 7 when news broke out about Paul Walker's untimely death. Production was put on hold & the script had to be rewritten to retire Walker's character, Brian O'Conner without forgetting his legacy as one of the protagonists in the Fast & Furious franchise.

I almost thought they'll never be able to complete so soon but here they are proving me wrong. The theatrical poster was published in black & white, resembling a tribute in memory of Paul.

The plot picks up from Fast 6 mid-credits scene, a snippet of a man calling Dominic Toretto while Han Seoul-Oh (Sung Kang) was seen in the background stucked in his crushed car from a crash earlier. The mystery man identified himself as Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), an older brother of Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), threatens to break Dom's team apart to avenge his comatose younger brother.

In typical Fast & Furious style, Dominic's remaining crews team up with a covert ops team led by Mr Nobody (Kurt Russel) to stop terrorist Mose Jakande (Djimon Hounsou) from obtaining a computer program in return for a favour to hunt down Deckard.

Now, the rest of the plot is predictable - no less of high adrenaline, vehicle chase & testosterone-filled fighting scenes. The previous two Fast & Furious sequels had iconic action such as dragging a huge vault around town & Dom flying airborne over a bridge to catch hold of Letty falling off from an explosion. Furious 7 is even more death-defying than you could ever imagine. You'll see cars skydiving off a plane & a supercar crashing through 3 blocks of skyscraper.

What sets Furious 7 apart from its previous instalments is the poignant tribute scene towards the end of the movie. We all know that some of the scenes were not Paul himself; it was merely a CG version of his face & voice with his brothers, Caleb & Cody as stand-ins. Although Paul may not be those award-winning actors, it was still heart-wrenching to see that he's no longer part of the team. The filmmakers' decision to retire him nicely was smart move to give Paul a proper closure to his legacy as an actor & philanthropist.

They say this movie can make even the toughest man cry. For me, I felt the pain & loss even though I didn't shed a tear. The ending was beautiful, more so with such a beautiful tribute song by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth. RIP Paul...

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Good Food & Co, Jaya Shopping Centre

WL & I were rushing to get a quick bite before our movie starts in an hour's time. He knew that I've been wanting to try Good Food & Co since the last round we passed by before heading to TGV. We went in, took a seat & called for waitress to take our order.

WL was feeling rather stuffed from his late brunch while I wanted to fill up my stomach with some food because our movie will be in between lunch time. Tortilla wrap with tuna was new on their menu & that caught my attention. Seemed like an ideal dish & not too heavy.

When the tortilla wrap arrived, I was a little disappointed that it looked plain. One bite at the wrap kind of changed my mind. The tortilla was thin & crispy; the sauce that complemented the tuna was fabulous. Too bad the tuna offering was stingy for me. So whole wrap seemed a little empty, hence lacked the mouthfeel.

I read in other blogs that Good Food & Co is also famous for shakshouka, also known as baked eggs. We ordered it but it was unfortunate that we had to cancel it as 20 mins cooking time was required. If we weren't rushing for a movie, I wouldn't miss the chance to try it.

This review is purely based on my own opinion on one dish. It doesn't represent other dishes served by the cafe. Furthermore, I was satisfied with their friendly service & their concept of not charging service charge - good service should be free. I shall save the rating for their signature dish in my next visit. If you happen to be at Jaya Shopping Centre for a movie, you'll not miss this quaint little cafe.

Address:

5.02, Level 5

Jaya Shopping Centre

Jalan Semangat

46100 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7631 5156

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Saturdays 11:30am - 9:00pm

Sundays 12:00pm - 9:00pm

Shokudo Japanese Curry Rice, Taman Paramount | Coffee Me Darling, SS2

It was another girl's night out again on a Friday night after work. There were more people this time although some of us couldn't make it. The plan was to have dinner then only head of for after-meal coffee.

Shokudo Japanese Curry Rice, Taman Paramount

Our friend recommended to try out this restaurant which just opened at the neighbourhood. They serve a variety of Japanese curry rice using different meats. If curry rice doesn't tickle your fancy, they also have a choice of udon or other appetizers for snacking. Obviously it's a must to try their main selling dish, the Japanese curry rice. I picked the pork option & here's how it looks like.

I personally don't fancy Japanese curry rice in general because it lacks the spice & hotness that we Malaysians are accustomed to. Hence, this pork curry rice was no surprise. It wouldn't be fair to judge that Shokudo's cooking is bad, perhaps other patrons may find it tasty. Price is affordable so I'm not complaining. I shall try the udon soup on my next visit. Rating: 3.7 out of 5.

Address:

No. 9, Jalan 20/13

Taman Paramount

46300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7863 0922

Opening Hours:

Tuesdays to Sundays 12:00pm - 10:00pm

Coffee Me Darling, SS2

We decided to move to another place since Shokudo wasn't a good place for chit-chat as it was too noisy. The same friend recommended Coffee Me Darling at SS2 which is 10 mins drive away. A perfect quiet coffee spot tucked away in between a row of shops. It was almost 10pm but I still couldn't shy away from my usual mocha addiction.

When my cuppa was served, the coffee art was the prettiest I've ever seen. It resembles an angel, or so I thought it was. Nevertheless, the mocha was okay. Cocoa flavour was present but it was a pity the coffee aroma was slightly mellowed.

Well, that didn't mean the caffeine wasn't strong either. I couldn't fall asleep that night when the caffeine effect kicked in. Although the shop has a tight space, it's still a nice & quiet hangout place because voices from other patrons don't echo around the walls. Rating: 4 out of 5.

Address:

153. Jalan SS2/24

47300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

017-377 6101

Opening Hours:

Tuesdays to Sundays 11:00am - 12:00am

Life after April 1

The much dreaded GST is finally here & somehow I sensed the guidelines were still unclear albeit many print media's efforts to published info from the government as comprehensive as possible. The Star rolled out a very simple graphic to paint the lives of Malaysian after GST to remind its readers which goods or services are standard rated or zero rated.

One look at the shopping list released by the government & compared to the graphic above, the reality is not that simple. I found out not all essential goods are exempted. Cooking oil is zero-rated but do not blinded by the general categorization because it only covers cooking oil derived from palm based. Any cooking oil besides palm oil ie olive oil & canola oil is taxable.

The confusion doesn't end there. Sugar is also an essential item which is zero-rated but it is only for granulated sugar. Processed sugar which includes castor sugar, icing sugar & brown sugar is subjected to GST. I'm not surprised that the list gets even more complicated when for flour products. Price of baked goods is bound to soar at the expense of GST. Dessert & pastry lovers, you might feel the pinch & need to think twice before indulging in extra piece.

As I scrutinized the list to sea produce, I couldn't believe my eyes. Only selected fish are not taxed while most shellfish products are in no way escaping GST. And guess what? Lobster is ZERO RATED. Yes, you read that right. Of all things, we don't need to pay tax for such premium seafood. I don't know whether I should celebrate this. There are many other important items that deserved to be on the zero-rated list. How double standard can the list get?

I noticed that quite a number of hawker stalls took advantage of GST as an excuse to increase price. First of all, why should they even pass on the 6% tax to consumers when the ingredients they buy are not taxed? Secondly, most of them have not reached the annual revenue threshold of RM500,000 to be legally required as GST-compliant retailer. Unless most of them didn't declare their true earnings before GST, the 6% GST is not applicable to these petty traders.

In short, I have been a responsible taxpayer ever since I entered the employment market. I certainly wouldn't mind paying a bit more tax to fuel the economy & fund infrastructural development. But so far I failed to see how the taxpayers' money have been put to good use, none other than paying off national debts caused by a few selfish, corrupt officials who unashamedly spend lavishly for personal satisfaction. I love my country very much & I don't wish it to go down the drain far too soon.


Image credits to The Star

Cinderella

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Cinderella's teaser trailer a year ago. "Has Disney completely gone out of their mind?" I thought to myself. Why on earth would they turn a predictable story into a life-action movie? Another one of Disney's money-making strategy?

I had to see it for myself how Disney did justice for one of my childhood cartoons. Truth to be told, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the movie albeit its predictable plot. The screenwriters stayed loyal to the original cartoon plot but added in some subplot in a sensible manner. My only irk was that some characters seem to be killed instantaneously due to a similar cause - disease. Forgive my ignorance. Perhaps having a plague or an incurable illness is common in those days when medical treatment is nowhere advanced.

Plus point for skipping songs & not turning the movie into a Broadway-ish song & dance film ala High School Musical. I can live without those cheesiness. At least the plot made more sense & thankfully did not emphasise on the idea of love at first sight.

The blue dress was gorgeous but somehow didn't struck me as "this is the dress I want to wear on my wedding day" kind of dress. And the most pivotal moment when the fairy godmother made Cinderella a pair of glass slippers, I was left slightly deflated at the sight of it. For some reason, the shape didn't look quite right. The arch was made at a steep angle which probably didn't provide good comfort when worn. Nevertheless, the glass slippers seemed to have an upgrade - with butterfly embellishment so it still didn't look too bad.

Original glass slipper from the cartoon

Upgraded glass slipper from the movie

Somehow I felt amused to see most of the familiar faces among the casts who also appeared in popular TV series such as Game of Thrones & Downton Abbey. Richard Madden as the prince looks exceptionally charming as he did as Robb Stark. But I don't remember seeing him having eyes so blue that it looked rather artificial in this Cinderella movie. And a little creepy too.

Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable watch to feed you hungry movie fans during a non-blockbuster period. The ballroom dance scene is definitely a sight not to be missed. If you want to relive your childhood memories of Cinderella but in a more matured approach, this is the movie for you.


Movie poster courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Barn Thai Restaurant & Bar, Plaza 33 PJ

It was girl's night out yesterday even though only 3 of us among my gang of friends since high school managed to make time for dinner. We preferred somewhere nearer since we were all tired out after work & for some of us, traffic jam on a Friday night. Off we went to Barn Thai Restaurant & Bar at Plaza 33, PJ.

At first impression, Barn Thai gave the vibe of a upper class Thai restaurant with a nice ambient serving a wide variety of Thai cuisine. Indeed, flipping open the menu said it all - the price point is definitely higher. Without further ado, my friend ordered the familiar dishes she tried & asking the waiter to serve the food soonest because we were starving & it was already 9pm. Furthermore, there wasn't much crowd in the restaurant to begin with.

Chicken green curry was served first & we started digging in. The gravy was rich in flavour & appetizing but somehow something struck me as less...Thai? Shoot me if you disagree but I couldn't understand why the curry didn't taste that authentic to me. Or maybe I didn't get to taste real Thai food during my previous trips there.

I made sure we ordered something less spicy because I didn't want to aggravate my occasional skin problems. I've got everyone a seafood fried egg noodle for sharing. Flavourful & fragrant, that's who I would describe this dish when I popped a forkful in my mouth. And no short of seafood too. Yum!

The rest of our dishes were as follows - (from top) crab cake, minced chicken clear soup with glass noodle & egg tofu and clear seafood tom yum.

Crab cake was nice but I seriously loathed the crab shells that got stuck in the meat cake. And it's unfortunate that I'm not really a crab person so no matter how good it tasted, I just didn't know how to appreciate crab meat. To be fair, the crab cake was done well. The chicken clear soup with glass noodle was an enjoyable dish; more like a warm, comfort food for the stomach. It's probably the kind of soupy bowl of noodles you would slurp up on a cold, rainy day. However, the clear seafood tom yum, albeit a less spicy one, was still too hot for me. In fact, it tasted peppery & burning hot due to the cili padi in the broth. Again, NOT a fan of overly spicy food that makes me sweat & tear.

In summary, there were some hits & misses among the dishes we ordered. And it wouldn't do justice to Barn Thai if I stated my verdict is a less favourable experience just because I couldn't tolerate spicyness. From the perspective of price, I think the meal was pricey & the overall taste didn't really surprise me. I think my friends would've thought otherwise but this is just purely my two cents. Rating 3.8 out of 5.

Address:

Ground Floor, Plaza 33

1, Jalan Kemajuan

Section 13

46100 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7932 2233

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Saturdays 11:45am - 1:00am

(Closed for breaks in between dining hour)