Grand Imperial Sunway Pinnacle

Wanting to have some grand and delicious Chinese cuisine? Boasting a huge ball room and private suite, Grand Imperial is the place to be if you feel like splurging.

Grand Imperial Restaurant Sunway Pinnacle
101 Pinnacle Annex, Persiaran Sunway, Bandar Sunway
Official website https://grandimperial.com.my/pinnacle-sunway-grand-imperial-restaurant/
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GrandImperialGroup/

Updated visit in 2020 during RMCO.

We managed to savour our dinner in a private suite so we can dine in ease without worrying about running children. Note that sealable plastic bags were available to safekeep our face masks.

Look at my happy children running around and yelling "lanterns!"

Peking duck spring rolls, minced pork tofu, steam prawns, hotplate salted fish fried vege and I must say their fried rice was super impressive!

Dessert: Almond milk, sweet potato puff with sesame (must try!), mango strawberry dessert soup and osmanthus jelly. 

Below was our first visit in 2018. I think my photography skills have improved a lot in the past 2 years.

Appetizer is mini anchovies coated in tempura powder and fried. Gives a popping sensation when one bites into it. Taking it with the peanut makes me wanna eat it nonstop.

Peking duck

But the duck actually hailed from London with such cripsy skin that I couldn't find any fat underneath and tender meat that came off the bone easily. We have the luxury of the duck slices cut and readily wrapped in warm steamed popiah skin with refreshing cucumber and spring onion. Just need to pop it into the mouth to relive the goodness.

Duck noodles

The whole roast duck is then prepped in the kitchen to produce this noodle dish. I like how soft the meat is in contrast with the slightly chewy thin noodles fried at the right heat in caramel sauce.

Spinach and bean curd skin soup

Never thought of this interesting combination. The beancurd skin is soft enough but not falling apart. The spinach adds on to the sweetness of the soup together with the gochi berries. Great choice for cold weather and young children.


Fried oyster mushrooms

Coated and fried till golden and cripsy outside, it's also flavored with salted egg, the trend in Asian dishes recently. The salted egg made the tempura batter less dry and adds on to the texture. I can never resist fried oyster mushrooms, let alone one that's plated so nicely.

Baby French bean rolls

Another elegantly plated dish. The freshness and crunchiness of the lightly blanched bean, wrapped in cripsy and salty bacon. The exterior lightly dusted with some chicken floss. A very creative combination that looks so good in terms of colors, as well as winning in the taste.

Grilled pork chop

This may look like a simple pork chop but look deceives. Marinated and grilled to perfection, the meat is so juicy, soft and tender unlike any other pork chop that I have ever had. Maybe the secret is the Spanish origin of the pork?

Steamed tofu with pork belly

Another dish that children will love. The tofu is silky and soft that baby Bing finishes it all by himself. The braised pork belly is so soft that everything just melts in the mouth. Marinated so well that all the flavors are fully infused.

Fish cake

At a glance I thought it's cripsy like crackers. But it's actually fried on the outside but soft like fish ball on the inside. Nice springy texture. The dipping sauce tastes kind of like green curry but a stronger hint of mint. Yum!


Our verdict 9/10! Delicious food made with lots of care and effort but the price tag is equally high. Want to spend and eat like a King, try Grand Imperial out.

Affordable lunch sets at Samwon Kitchen Kuantan food review

Friday lunches are usually the best lunch that we can have during weekdays thanks to the longer lunch break. Have been wanting to try this place out. Finally gotten the chance to date Mr husband! This place was converted from a Japanese buffet restaurant.

SamWon Kitchen Korean Cuisine
Address A137, Jalan Haji Abdul Haziz, Kuantan
Phone +60 9-531 6996
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SamwonKitchen/

Love how spacious the dining area is. Bright and inviting too. Sam Won only serves their lunch sets during the busy lunch hours. It's a great selection of satisfying Korean food. We didn't have too much time otherwise would have tried the Korean BBQ.

Kim chi stew with rice

My all-time favorite. Fiery and appetizing kimchi stew with fresh squid rings, prawns, silky tofu, egg and a very generous portion of kimchi, capsicum, spring onions and brown onions. Finish every single drop of the soup even though it's spicy. Wallop the bowl of rice down in no time.

The Korean fried rice set is enough to fit two. The equally hot kimchi colours the dish dark red. A huge portion of brocolli, kimchi, onions, spring onions and chilli stir fried with slightly sticky rice. It's made perfect with a sunny side up egg which has a half cooked egg yolk. My favourite way to have eggs!

All Korean dishes also come with a great selection of side dishes. Macaroni in mayonnaise, preserved brinjals, kombu, kimchi (just can't get enough of it!), dried fried seaweed and preserved cucumber. We didn't even ask for refill because we were so full after the two dishes.

Each set also comes with a complimentary glass of fruit juice. Freshly pressed, not cordial. We had apple and orange juice respectively.

Our verdict 8.5/10! Lunch set great for value and equally yummy. Shall be back for their BBQ in no time.

KarRatz Cafe Kuantan halal food review

Great for those who are really hungry and are looking for great Malay or Western food that's of decent portion and nice atmosphere. It's conveniently located just opposite to Mahkota Gold Club Center.

KarRatz Cafe
Address A15, Lorong Indera Mahkota 14/32
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KarRatz.ent/
Phone +60 12-900 3245
Opens Tuesday to Sunday 12pm to 12am

The menu here are all named using different cars. Fairly unique and interesting. The decoration is really striking and cool using a huge mural depicting cars. Various car parts are also used in the cafe as decorations. Funky and attractive.

Putra

A fantastic spread of Malay rice dish. Fried whole pomfret coated lightly with salted flour with soft flesh and cripsy skin. The ulam tastes like rocket salad with chunks of cucumber, slices of tomato. Dip the fish in either Birdseye chilli with soy sauce, sambal belacan or curry gravy. It's quite spicy and appetizing.

Fugu Z aka Cheeza

A great Western choice. It's a generous portion of crumbed chicken chop topped with delicious melted mozarella cheese that warrants a cheese pull video. The sauce is tomato based with capcisum and onions. Side dishes are fresh garden salad dressed with thousand island sauce, a greath scoop of mashed potato, as well as coleslaw.

Golf

A great choice for young children. Baby Bing enjoyed throughly the macaroni in eggy creamy sauce with slices of sausages, diced capsicum, thin mushroom slices and chicken breast pieces. Not too forget the two juicy beef balls! Easy to eat and Bing managed to finish three quarters of it in no time.

Celica

A highly recommended dessert by KarRatz. Homemade brownie that's very chocolatey but slightly on the dry side with a great selection of nuts. Crunchy and dense. And goes very well with the lightly textured cream and strawberry. Particularly love the vanilla ice cream which is mixed with peanut butter and chocolate. Yum yum!

The drink selection is also a combination of Malay and Western choices.

Soda herbs

An exciting combination of soda water, mint leaves, lemongrass stalk, lemon slices, plums and lychee. This creates a whole new flavour which is sweet, slightly sour and refreshing.

Iced coffee

A lovely glass of black coffee with the popular evaporated milk great for coffee lovers on a hot day.

Our verdict 8.5/10. Many exciting menu choices and stay tuned for the upcoming ramadhan buffet menu in mid May! Efficient service and great tastes! 

Teratai Chini Shell Ouch halal food review

This is such a hidden gem in kuantan town area. Cheap and fresh seafood that's yummy at the same time too. Owned by a young couple who vows to only deliver the freshest seafood to their customers and conveniently located just opposite to kuantan river.

Teratai Chini Shell Ouch
40, Jalan Teluk Sisek Kuantan
Opens Tuesday to Sunday 5pm to 1am
+60179000729
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/terataichini/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tcshellouch/

Believe it or not, the owners actually travel everyday to Rompin as well as Kamunting to source for the freshest ingredients. They refuse to serve frozen seafood and are willing to throw away seafood that's no longer fresh. Unfortunately that also means that we have to wait till July each year to savour fresh crabs because it's not the season at the moment.

Rehydrate ourselves with this huge watermelon juice for the couple. At just RM10, we were provided with freshly pressed watermelon juice which we only managed to finish half and have to pack the other half. Very generous portion.

There are 3 choices for the shellout sauce. Original spicy sauce, butter sauce or black pepper sauce with the former two more popular. From a two person set to a 4 person American lobster set, it's a luxurious spread.

We ordered set E Ratah. It came with a generous portion of green mussles, lala, cockles, prawns and squid. Yummylicious! We decided to go without the rice because we just want to fill our stomach with seafood.

The original sauce has quite a kick! Spicy, full of flavors and rich. So the watermelon juice really comes in handy. Very appetizing and make us want to gobble everything up. One is expected to eat using their bare hands and the table is already layered with a plastic sheet which you can also double up as your tapao sheet haha.

The butter sauce, on the other hand, is very different. Combined with curry leaves and some birds eye chilli, it has a much milder buttery and thick creamy texture. It's fairly filling though. The seafood is cooked to just the right time so it's still tender and juicy.

Their Mee Goreng basah is also tasty. The noodles are springy, sauce made from soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili flakes. Love how they also put in some fresh seafood on there.

Overall verdict is 8.5/10! The freshness and the taste and of course the price beats everything else.

Vogue Clinic Treatment Series- multivitamin drip

As a doctor, I have used intravenous multivitamin drip for severely malnourished patients who are ill and of whom recovery is likely to be slow and gradual due to poor nutrition. But this is my first time having the drip myself in the quest for beauty.

Vogue Clinic
Address 36-3, Jalan 30/70A, Wisma Rapid, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 KL
Phone number 018-234 2128
Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/vogueclinickl/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/vogueclinickl/

What's a multivitamin drip?

The active ingredients in parentrovite are
ascorbic acid/ vitamin C
pyridoxine, nicotinamide, thiamine, riboflavin/ vitamin B complex
glucose monohydrate/ sugar

This multivitamin drip had been used widely in hospital settings so I can be reassured that it's approved by the ministry of health. Generally speaking, it's very safe except a minority may develop allergic reactions towards it. As with any intravenous drip, please make sure it's from a reputed source. I have seen one too many ladies buying these online without questioning much. It could be potentially dangerous because it's given straight into the bloodstream heading to the heart.

How is it administered?

A small butterfly needle (less painful than a cannula because it's longer and bigger) was inserted into a vein by a trained nurse or doctor after the skin was sterilised by alcohol swab. Air bubbles were carefully removed from the line before the 100ml drip was connected. The whole process took about 15 to 20 minutes. No pain or discomfort when the drip was going in.

What's the potential benefit for the skin?
Vitamin C
It's well proven in the literature that vitamin C protects the skin from sun damage and reduces the effect of sunburn. It has antioxidant properties that mop out free radicals which eats up the elastic structure of the skin.

Vitamin B complex
Nicotinamide helps to retain moisture in the skin which rejuvenates the skin, making it supple and lightens uneven skin tone. Being an anti-inflammatory, it also soothes dry and irritated skin.

Read this article from WebMD all about the essential nutrients for beautiful skin.

This drip treatment is different from the much hyped up and negative news from the New Straits Time about gluthatione drip.

How frequent is it recommended?

Dr Teo from Vogue Clinic recommends having the drip once a week for about 5 sessions to achieve the maximal effect.

There you go, myth busted for multivitamin drip.

Disclaimer: the opinion given is merely a personal experience and does not constitute formal medical advice. Please seek your medical professional's advice before any complementary therapy. Always ask for certified professionals before proceeding with treatment and stop if discomfort or side effect ensues.

Tappers Cafe Food Review @Jaya One PJ

Founded by a group of Malaysians in their 50s to 60s, the influence from the colonial era was still strong. This gave rise to Tappers cafe inspired by popular snack bars headed by Hainanese chefs who were experts in both local and Western cuisines. This franchise can also be found in Malacca and Ipoh.

Tappers Cafe
Ground floor, Block D, Jaya One, Petaling Jaya
Phone +60 3-7955 1689
Official website
http://www.tappers.com.my/
 page https://www.facebook.com/tapperscafemalaysia/

On this lazy Sunday morning, our small family of 3 woke up late just in time for a brunch at Tappers. Met Micheal and Florence who are the masterminds behind the delicious menu. The new breakfast and lunch menu have just been launched! Lucky us.

Really enjoy hanging around and looking at these old schooled framed photos. Very retro. The baby-boomers will relate easily to the decoration and food. It's not easy to choose from such a great variety of dishes that's very much affordable even for students. We ended up over ordering :p

K-pop chicken wings

Started snacking on these delicious chicken wings. It looks very spicy but looks can be deceiving. It's actually on the sweet side, sticky and finger licking good just like the spicy keropok that we had in school.

American breakfast

A hearty selection of 4 pancakes, sausage, chicken ham and 2 sunny side up eggs. Can easily be shared between 2! The pancakes are really commendable because they smell heavenly buttery, are light and fluffy. They also go very well with the maple syrup which is fragrant and just has the right amount of sweetness.

Salted egg chicken burger

I would say this new item in the menu is a must try! Just looking at it is enough to make me drool. A cripsy chicken fillet still juicy inside layered with this generous cheddar cheese and salted egg sauce. The lettuce gives a refreshing twist to the dish. The wedges add on to the calories that's well worth to have though.

Soysauce chicken with rice

This old timer is great for those who is craving for comfort food. Sweet soy quarter chicken marinated and braised till tender and falling off the bones with extra sauce available for dipping. A serving of rice that's soaked in the same sauce. Yum yum!

Hainanese chicken chop

This is a great example of Asian and Western fusion. 2 pieces of chicken fillet with skin coated with a crunchy layer of tempura which is then drizzled with tomato based sauce and green peas. The sides are boiled potato and carrot chunks. Have it fast to enjoy the full flavour!

Spaghetti carbonara

Another all-time favorite that's also popular with children. You can never go wrong with a generous portion of spaghetti cooked in wonderfully thick cream sauce, mushroom slices, chicken ham and lots of cheese powders and more upon request! The only thing is that I would really love to have more sauce because it's good!

Mee Siam

Together with nasi lemak, one can easily call Mee Siam the Malaysian breakfast choice. This classic dish with a Thai origin is vermicelli fried in spices, tamarind and fermented soy bean, goes well with a fresh squeeze of lime and the fried tofu squares.

The choices of beverage at Tappers cafe are a combination of traditional or modern ones.

Capuccino

This is a very decent cuppa even for Mr hubby who's particular about his coffee. Craving of the day satisfied with this warm cup of coffee.

Cookies and cream milkshake

Always have to order something baby Bing will drink. The whole thing just tastes like cookies and cream ice cream and we both down every single drop. But obviously not a great choice every meal because of the calories.

Our verdict 8/10! Love the ambience, family friendly, a wide variety of menu to satisfy everyone's appetite and cheap. Can't wait for the kuantan branch to reopen!