Star Trek Beyond

When it was confirmed that J. J. Abrams will not direct the 3rd installment of Star Trek due to Star Wars commitments, I was quite disappointed. Just when he breathed life into the franchise with great casts (not necessarily newcomers), we have to put up with Abrams departure.

As if the news wasn't enough, UIP broke the news that Justin Lin will be taking over Abrams' place. Boy, I was worried. Justin did a great job for Furious 7 but I really couldn't imagine him directing a sci-fi movie, not when his credentials consist of mostly horror movies & an action movie.

Boy, I was worried.

My sister & I had to watch it with our own eyes & so we gave the movie & the new director a chance.

So, how did the movie fare?

Village Roast Duck, The Gardens Mid Valley

I'm probably not the best person to advise the latest food joints or restaurants that opened its doors at Mid Valley area because I don't hang out there as often as I used to. But when I bumped into one that is pretty good, I need to share it to the world even if I'm not the first one (probably not the last) to write about it.

Village Duck is a restaurant situated on LG at The Gardens Mall, and seems to be constantly bustling with crowd. We stepped into the premise & gave it a try since WL was craving for duck. The orders soon came quickly with the wantan mee first.

Independence Day: Resurgence

Who would have expected that Independence Day will have a sequel 20 years later? Exactly two decades later, the Independence Day: Resurgence is scheduled to premiere on June 24.

Credits: MoviePosterDB.com

Tonkatsu by Ma Maison, Main Place Subang

It was a busy Monday this week but WL & I still found some time to whet our foodie appetite. When you're feeling down & exhausted after a long, work day; what better way to make you happy than treating yourself with some good food?

We drove separately to Tonkatsu by Ma Maison at Main Place, Subang. WL tried it before & thought it had decent pork dishes that are worth my drive there.

Captain America: Civil War | X-Men Apocalypse

After months of hectic weekends & a tensed final week, WL & I were finally able to take a breather after our wedding last week. And to be able to go for a movie marathon on a Saturday like we used to, gave us a sense of comfort.

New journey

In 3 days, we will embark on a new journey as lifetime partners...

#waynewedsmei2016

Opus Bistro @ Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar

I'm not a huge fan of birthday parties or celebrations, as I prefer to spend quality time with my loved ones. Which is why WL & I went for dinner at Opus Bistro, tucked away at Jalan Bangkung, one of Bangsar's neighbourhood to celebrate my belated birthday.

We arrived early & the restaurant was still empty. We quickly ordered an appetizer, mains & a dessert before other customers started pouring in. Our appetizer, Classic Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken was served minutes later. We dug in with our forks & took the first bite, but was slightly disappointed that the dressing was not enough & the chicken rather dry. It surely wasn't a good start.

Mak's Chee Authentic Wonton, 1 Utama

Everyone has been raving on social media about Mak's Chee wonton noodle store which just opened at 1 Utama. It serves Hong Kong style wonton noodles that are springy in every strand. The news must have spread real fast because there's always a long queue waiting to be seated.

We were curious & decided to join along the crowd already lining up at the entrance. Even more intriguing, the restaurant was operating at half capacity that day. Meaning probably longer than usual waiting period.

Sigma Mrs Bunny Travel Kit Makeup Brushes

In my previous post, I revealed that I was a makeup newbie & wasn't the best person to look for beauty advice. As my number of vanity products grew, I thought of investing a good set of makeup brushes. A lot of beauty gurus swear by their sacred tools as it helps them achieve their best looks - be it for day or night, even on special occasions.

I did a quick search & checked out a couple of YouTube videos, even enquire at a few beauty boutiques. It turns out there are 2 types of brushes - natural & synthetic fibers. Natural fibers are made of animal hair & more expensive. Synthetic fibers are made of nylon or other man-made fibers & cheaper than its natural counterpart.

Both brush types have their own benefits depending on the makeup products used. For beginners like me, it would be best to start of with the synthetic ones. My resources showed that Sigma brushes are popular among amateurs & pros as well due to its affordable price. However, this brand is not easily found in Malaysia because no retailers carry them. While there are online agent on Facebook taking orders, I wasn't convinced with the authenticity & resorted to checking out Luxola & Hermo.

Laneige Two Tone Lip Bar & Watery Cushion Concealer

Some of my colleagues think that I'm pretty good with makeup. Truth to be told, I was a late bloomer & only started dabbling with makeup until recently. Well guess what, I am a bride-to-be & I needed to be sure that I look my best daily, while counting down to my big day. It's fascinating how life changing events can push a person to do things that he/she would've never imagined doing, or just too lazy to care about previously.

Enough of my past makeup history. I have been eyeing this Laneige Two Tone Lip Bar long enough last year & was hoping to treat myself one for Christmas. Alas, I was too slow because the product sold like hot cakes & went out of stock for weeks. When it was restocked, I jumped at the opportunity to grab one & add on another Watery Cushion Concealer into my shopping bag.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Am I the only one who thinks the latest Star Wars sequel, The Force Awakens was not as good as I hoped for? Not that I have any expectation nor claim myself to be a Star Wars fan, the start to end of the film seemed so...familiar.

Victor Frankenstein

November is one of those boring months to catch a movie in the cinema. One glance at the movie listings & all you see is horror & spooks genre, a spillover from October. Perhaps Victor Frankenstein was deemed timely & appropriate to ride along the Halloween theme. With James McAvoy & Daniel Radcliffe heading the movie, I assumed it shouldn't be any worse.

The Porki Society @ Sea Park, PJ

Tucked in between a row of shops; just a few units after KFC at Sea Park, PJ is a modern cafe-style restaurant called The Porky Society. One glance at the store will leave you to assume as another hipster cafe frequently visited by youngsters nowadays. But take a closer look, the little twist comes in a form of a Thai food eatery.

There are not much to offer in the menu but it does make it easier for us to choose. We ordered a bowl of soup noodles to share before starting our "eating frenzy". The portion turned out to be surprisingly small despite its price at about RM15. And the noodles were nowhere to be seen unless being scooped out.

The broth was good & the rice noodles were silky smooth. It's a pity that the portion is way too small. We called for another appetizer, pork skewers for sharing. Yet again, the size is small & rather expensive. The herbs used to marinate the meat was aromatic & the taste resembled our local satay. Pretty good.

Now the main course is the focus of the entire meal. WL & I ordered different pork dishes - grilled pork with signature sauce & pork omelette rice. My omelette rice didn't turn out as expected. I would've imagine a nice silky. smooth egg omelette covering a bowl of fragrant rice with pork slices as complements. Instead, the omelette was served in strips only, not the full egg. I was disappointed. And those pork slices? They tasted exactly the same as the skewers, which no doubt came from the same source.

WL's grilled pork with signature sauce didn't look too good either. The pork chop was soaked in sauce & the taste was overwhelming. And a tad too spicy I'd must say. Overly sweet, salty & oily, all jumbled in one hot mess. It was all pretty hard to take in.

The entire meal turned out to be over RM50 which sadly, a price not worth a 2nd visit. There were so many misses on all the orders that made me deflated, considering my fondness for Thai food. Indeed, it is not easy to find good & affordable Thai food in my homeland. I'll just have to satisfy my cravings in Bangkok after all.

Address:

No. 10, Jalan 21/19

Sea Park

46300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7865 1968

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Tuesdays

12:00pm - 3:00pm

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Thu-Fri

12:00pm - 3:00pm

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Sat-Sun

11:00am - 10:00pm

Morganfield's, Sunway Pyramid

We'd like to call our dinner just now a celebratory occasion with WL's family. To be honest, it is only a regular gathering before his 2nd bother & family flies back to Beijing. Morganfield's at Sunway Pyramid was the preferred choice for a fatty, pork feast. Some of us arrived earlier & took the liberty to order first. Glad that some orders were taken earlier as minutes later, the dinner crowd started streaming in. In half an hour, the restaurant was packed.

The first appetizer came in a form of bacon wrapped meat balls, deep-fried & served with lettuce leaves. No doubt a really wholesome meat ball & rich in spices but the taste was a little too peppery. First bite might seem exciting but the excitement waned off quickly after several bites as the meat ball leaves a hot, burning sensation to the tongue.

Next, onion blossom, an alternative to onion rings, arrived in such large size that I wished we weren't too greedy to order 2 plates of it. The onions were crispy & fried to golden brown perfection. But it is just too large...

Now the moment of truth. The first plate of Hickory BBQ Spare Ribs was placed on our tables. We quickly snapped photos of it before our growling stomach takes over. Boy, it sure did taste juicy. So succulent & heavenly...

One plate of pork ribs sure ain't enough to feed so many of us. We were greedy enough to try out other flavours & called for 2 more pork ribs. Twenty minutes later, the waiter came out from the kitchen carrying 2 freshly grilled ribs to our tables. One of it is no doubt called Garlicky BBQ Spare Ribs for its strong garlicky aroma from the chopped garlic & sauce sprinkled on the top. Though grilled perfectly, the sauce gravitated to a slight spicy aftertaste which didn't fancy me after several bites. But still good, nonetheless. Just personal preference.

The last plate of ribs sure has an interesting name - The Naughty Spare Ribs. Oh yeah! How naughty can you get after devouring it. XD Well, I'd must say the the ribs certainly lived up to its name. In fact better than Garlicky BBQ in my opinion. The ribs were marinated with a combination of soy sauce, lime, lemongrass, ginger & chilli padi which surely brought up the heat to the next level. Awesome!

Not to forget the last dish of the night that we ordered to share from the steaks & chops section. It was Pork Schnitzel, the name for 2 juicy pork loin chops battered with bread crumbs & fried to golden brown. Served with mashed potatoes, garden veggies & mushroom gravy, it is quite a wholesome & hearty dish to end the meal with a bang.

It was enjoyable porky meal & I bet we'll opt to fast & refrain from consuming pork for at least 1 week. Overwhelming with pork, which is the sole purpose of visiting Morganfield's, but clearly a satisfying one. Obviously I wouldn't recommend indulging yourselves with all of the above too often. Rating 4.5 out of 5.

Address:

OB.K8, Ground Floor

Sunway Pyramid

No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15

Bandar Sunway

47500 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-5612 9028

Opening Hours:

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

Hungry Bunch, Sunway Pyramid

It was another usual Saturday that WL & I have our weekly dates, whether it is spending quiet time at home or walking hand-in-hand in a bustling mall. This time, we were out for one specific reason. To continue our hunt for a pair of wedding bands. We went to Sunway Pyramid for a change but ended up hungry & exhausted, yet had no clue about what's good to eat. We passed by Hungry Bunch a few rounds & finally walked in.

From the menu, everything looked so gorgeous that we want to try it all. Maybe because we were partially starving. The waitress took our orders & we waited patiently, hoping the food will arrive in a jiffy to feed our growling stomachs. After 15 minutes later, there is no sign of our orders arriving. We motioned for the staff to check our orders & then only the mushroom soup finally came out from the kitchen.

The soup was not warm enough & tasted a lot like Campbell canned soup. Okay, not a good start. WL's sausage breakfast set came but it did look sad & pathetic. The dish could not even pass WL's less picky taste buds. It must have tasted pretty awful.

My eggs benedict was not any better. The eggs was overcooked instead of a runny yolk - the essence of a perfect poached egg. Choosing a slice of white bread to accompany the dish made the plating looks cheap & unappetizing. And unsurprisingly, the dish left much to be desired.

Not feeling any satisfaction, we decided to give their dessert a chance. We picked banana split & it was served in vanilla & chocolate ice cream on each side of the dish with a banana sliced half in the middle. The ice cream tasted okay & obviously supplied by ice cream manufacturers, so it wasn't bad but not great either.

Our overall experience at Hungry Bunch wasn't exciting even though the price is affordable. There are other restaurants which taste much better with the same price point. The only praise I have for Hungry Bunch is the friendly staff waiting at the entrance welcoming the customers. Sadly, the food is not worth returning for. Rating 3.5 out of 5.

Address:

Lot F1.75, F Floor

Sunway Pyramid

No. 3, Jalan PJU 11/15

Bandar Sunway

46150 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-5612 5974

Opening Hours:

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

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

Tom Cruise is back with the latest instalment of the Mission Impossible franchise, called Rogue Nation. Familiar casts such as Simon Pegg & Jeremy Renner except Paula Patton, reprised their roles from Ghost Protocol.

In Rogue Nation, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) sets out to prove the existence of the Syndicate, an international criminal consortium operating in rogue mode. Faced with IMF disbandment & blamed for Austrian chancellor's death, Ethan is now a fugitive of CIA. Undeterred by the recent incidents, Ethan is determined to shut down the Syndicate once & for all.

I hate to admit that the plot wasn't as engaging as Ghost Protocol but the action scenes definitely deserved much applause. Although exaggerated, Cruise actually did most of his own stunts especially the daredevil scene of him hanging over the plane's door while the it takes off. Rebecca Ferguson took on the role as Ilsa Faust is the new female character in the movie. Sadly, Ferguson & Cruise lacks the on-screen chemistry even though they are supposed to be allies. But I'm glad the screenwriters didn't make them a couple. Else, that would be disastrous!

I think I do enjoy this movie to some extent, but not the most show-stopping one in the franchise. It wasn't as memorable & I could barely remember the plot. Rogue Nation fell slightly short of my expectation. Anyhow, the only reason that kept me watching is because Cruise still looks so darn good looking in his 50s.

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Antipodean Cafe, Mid Valley Megamall

Many people have been raving about how great the food is at Antipodean Cafe at Bangsar that it made me very eager to give it a try. WL was lucky enough to dine there for breakfast, citing that the owner was rather arrogant by disallowing customers to sit & wait at their tables if their family or friends arrived later. Thankfully, the food was pretty good.

When they opened their new branch at Mid Valley Megamall, I was curious to whether it would live up to the expectation. WL & I managed to get a seat before the lunch crowd swarmed in. One thing for sure, dining at this branch may be a less pleasant experience because it is an al fresco style in typical, hot Malaysian weather. Space is rather limited too which means you will need to wait quite some time especially during peak hours.

I ordered my usual favourite brunch - eggs benedict with bacon. When it arrived, I was impressed. Just look at the large, gorgeous poached eggs topped with hollandaise sauce. Loved it that they served it with wholemeal bread.

WL always fancies Big Breakfast & picked bacon to complement the set. Besides bacon, other meat choices are available as well - chicken, beef & pork sausage. The set comes complete with silky smooth scrambled eggs, toast, hashbrown & mushrooms. I nibbled a few pieces of mushrooms & it tasted fantastic.

Breakfast ain't complete without a cup of good coffee. My mocha was served in a small glass with a mismatched saucer. Although I personally preferred mocha to be served in a ceramic cup, I couldn't resist the coffee art beautifully done by the barista. Coffee was aromatic with the right balance of milk, bittersweet cocoa powder & syrup.

Antipodean Cafe no doubt live up to my expectation of a well rated premise. This might not be the HQ but it stood out well on its own. Staffs were friendly & welcoming, and it's more than enough to pacify my inner frustration with the fact that the location is not ideal. Since their new outlet will be opening soon at Atria Shopping Gallery, I have an alternative location to hopefully indulge in the same quality in a more comfortable environment. Rating 4.5 out of 5.

Address:

G(E)-011A, Ground Floor

Mid Valley Megamall

Lingkaran Syed Putra

59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Contact:

03-2202 3411

Opening Hours:

Sundays to Thursdays 7:30am - 11:00pm

Fridays & Saturdays 7:30am - 12:00am

Link:

www.antipodeancoffee.com

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