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!

Vogue clinic treatment series- advanced aqua peel oxyfacial

Time to pamper myself again at Vogue clinic! I spent 2 hours enjoying an advanced aqua peel oxyfacial away from all the work and babysitting. Thanks Mr hubby for settling baby Bing and allowing some me time :)

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 is advanced aqua peel oxyfacial?
It's a process of hydrating and oxygenating the skin in order to cleanse, nourish and brighten the face.

What's the benefit of aqual peel oxyfacial?

- Non-Invasive & No Downtime
- Hydrate Skin for dewy effect
- Removal of Dead Skin Cells, Sebum, Impurities
- Black Head & White Head Removal
- Demodex Folliculorum Removal
- Improvement of Acne Skin
- Skin tightening
- Skin Nourishing & Hydrating
- Intensive Skin Whitening

Just in case you wonder what's Demodex, it's a skin mite that's thought to worsen acne. I have written about it here previously.

Go through the steps of the facial with me and you will understand why it's really easy enjoyment.

Step 1 Deep cleansing

Lie down in relaxing background music for a good and thorough cleaning that removes all traces of makeup residue and impurities on the face. The face is then steamed for 5 minutes to open up the pores for the following treatment.

Step 2 Blackhead aqua suctioning aka aqua peel

Using gentle suction, this creates a vacuum that instills an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid) solution into the pores directly which is then sucked back, bringing all the blackhead and impurities with it. These solutions are widely used for exfoliation, hence being named as 'peel'.

Step 3 Manual blackhead extraction

Our lovely nurse at Vogue Clinic is very gentle when she extracts the blackheads. Instead of using a rough extractor which may leave scars (a big no no!), she uses a needle to pick up these nasty stuff. It used to be a dreaded step during facial, but at Vogue there's no pain at all!

Step 4 Vogue Signature Volcano Bubble Mask

Excuse my funny face :p so puffed up and looking like a cloud. It's similar to a foaming cleanser only it's better because it rejuvenates the skin and cleanse it at the same time. The bubbles formed are a result of reaction with oxygen which deliver antioxidants into the skin. It felt as if something kept crawling/touching my face and popping away. Interesting sensation.

Step 4 Icy cooling pore tightening gun

After all the washing, cool down the skin and shrink the pores with this cold gun that feels just like a cold compress.

Step 5 O2 injector gun

Now my face can never be lack of oxygen again with this high concentration of oxygen infused directly. These are age defying treatments that I need so badly as I have a busy schedule as a full-time doctor, part-time blogger and full-time mother.


Step 6 Ultrasonic wave hydroskin penetrator

This low frequency ultrasound wave ensures serum is able to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin.

Step 7 hydrating blue LED light mask
It actually has 4 colours and make me look at iron girl :p This is a very detailed explanation on how it works.

LED Light Therapy are wavelengths that are able to pass through tissue up to 1 inch deep. Red and near-infrared have beneficial effects on cells by “kick-starting” them into immediately creating more ATP (cellular energy) and increasing DNA and RNA activity. Red light LED stimulates the fibroblasts that produce collagen, which gives young skin its plump look.  LED machines can also minimize fine lines and wrinkles, treat sun-damage and stretch marks, and reduce redness.

Red LED Light
Red LED Light, featured on Dr. Oz and one of Hollywood’s top beauty secrets, has the ability to reach down into all the layers of the skin where it rejuvenates, stimulates collagen production, prompts cellular repair, and increases circulation promoting a more vibrant and youthful complexion.  Red LED lights work synergistically to deliver optimal skin rejuvenation.  This combination of LED lights is ideal for deeper lines and wrinkles, scarring, promoting a more even skin tone, and burning fat.

Blue LED Light
Blue LED light has been proven to have powerful anti-bacterial properties that have the ability to kill the acne causing bacteria, P. acnes.  It prevents and treats  acne.  Blue light also helps to purify the skin, stabilize oil glands, and sooth inflammation.

Orange LED Light
Orange light helps to revitalize the skin.  It has been shown to bring vitality to dull and lifeless complexions.  Orange light is good for bringing a glow to the skin for special occasions.

Yellow LED Light
Yellow light reduces the appearance of redness, swelling, and inflammation.  This color of light is beneficial for Rosacea and treating burns such as sunburns.  Also stimulates the production of red blood cells in the skin and is effective in treating abnormal pigmentation (hypo and hyper), improving lymphatic function, and stimulating circulation.

Green LED Light
Green light is absorbed into the skin where it has a calming effect.  It helps to lighten hyper-pigmentation spots revealing a brighter complexion.  The calming effect also has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe the surface of the skin.  Green LED Therapy is used to treat dilated capillaries, sagging skin around the eyes, under eye circles, hyperpigmentation and sun spots, even sagging breasts.

Purple LED Light
Purple LED light therapy increases cell regeneration.  It decreases the telomeres of DNA in the cell to essentially bring it back to a stem cell-like (brand new cell) state so that it can divide and create new cells.

Finally a soothing head and neck massage. My weekend could never been better! Tempted to try it yourself? Contact Vogue Clinic today :)

Kad Ceria for federal territories in Malaysia

I have good news for KL people! Have you heard of Kad Ceria? It gives you so much discounts so you definitely need to know about it. The cost of living is going up exponentially and there's no way it's coming down anytime soon. But your voices are heard! There you go, a simple analysis about Kad Ceria by the government for the people. Kudos to KL town council for this initiative!

The official website is
https://kadceria.kwp.gov.my
Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/kadceriakwp/
Who can use it?
All residents in the federal territories of KL, Labuan and Putrajaya.

Who are the merchants that have participated?

There are over 3490 merchants involved! That sounds insane to me.
Card holders can enjoy up to 70% discounts for participating outlets. Those who want to rent the chosen facilities from the KL , Putrajaya and Labuan Town Council will also get it at a discounted rate. From supermarket such as KK, eateries like Kenny Rogers and book stores such as Borders, Kad Ceria all has it covered. Who doesn't love discounts?
You can find the whole list here. Obviously I cannot believe listing everyone here :p


Since it's that good, how do I get one?

Simply get onto this page to check your eligibility.

Can you believe that 51096 people have already signed up for this but you have just heard about it?

After submitting the application, you can also check the application status online.
Approved applicants can then collect their card with their names printed from these following offices. It's very convenient because KL alone has more than 5 centers available for collection such as Kepong, Cheras, Bandar Tun Razak and Bukit Bintang.



As if having discounts itself is not attractive enough, there's also Kad Ceria carnival.
Official website
https://www.karnivalkadceria.com.my

This means one can even use Kad Ceria to get discounted rates for joining various activities such as

Sports events like Amona street soccer challenge

Leisure events like coloring competition for school aged children

 I personally think that this is a positive step of showing how the government wants to take up social responsibilities and help the people to deal with the unbearable living cost. The various activities organised also create a sense of belonging for the people of KL to stick together. Too bad I'm not living in one of the federal territories! But those eligible should definitely get one!

How to achieve financial Independence featuring Ubis Academy

I have always been interested in the area of investment and financing. But you may ask, hey you are a doctor! It's not enough just to know about my own profession though. Things that determine how the economy works is fundamental to help one to achieve financial independence. I had the opportunity to attend a Fintech vs currency war talk held by Ubis Academy recently. And I would like to share with you all about the following interesting facts about our current economy and how to use it in our favor.

Ubis Academy is a college that offers financial education to create entrepreneurs. They have short term courses ranging from weeks up to 12 months and offer interesting courses like Professional diploma in applied finance. These are part-time courses which means that you only need to attend classes every fortnight or so. But these are very practical real-life scenarios being played out during the classes.

Ubis Academy
11-12 Menara Sentral Vista, Jalan Abdul Samad.
+60 3-2711 4292
Official website
http://www.ubisacademy.com.my/
Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/ubisacademy/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/ubisacademy/

The following are a few interesting concepts introduced during the talk.

A successful entrepreneur Robert Kiyosaki said, "a rich man does not worry about money" because he doesn't depend on the paycheck or pension financially. He does that by making sure a steady cash flow of passive income from his business ventures. Watch him on YouTube explaining why getting a job is for losers.

How good is the thought of waking up knowing that your pocket is full and you don't have to worry about how to fend for yourself and your family? What about not having to think about expenses? What about an impromptu overseas trip? For one, I'm a full-time doctor and always carry this guilt when on holiday because my colleagues have to cover my work when I'm away. And I wish I can stop calculating my budget which sometimes kill the fun.

Most graduates go through this predictable course. Got a job, bought a car, got married, bought a house, gotten a few children. We, unfortunately only think about investment later in life. Ubis Academy seeks to introduce this concept of importance of using investments to cover expenses and loans. That includes investing early, maybe even before one starts to have steady income.

The speaker Mr Partiban also explained how us the Ninja generation can earn something out of nothing by fully utilising the concept of FinTech aka Financial Technology. Do you even know that Cradle Fund exists in Malaysia to encourage youngsters to come up with more FinTech ideas? One of the main components of FinTech involves the use of social media replacing conventional banking services.

He further concluded that due to the currency war in which giant economies, in the effort to reduce national debt, deliberately devalue their currencies resulting in dumping of currencies into young economy like Singapore and Malaysia. This is at the expense of a much higher cost of living. Thus investment becomes even more important.

Does this sound mind boggling? I find that these are very practical advice and financial planning for individuals and families. And Ubis Academy is offering a series free of charge at the moment. If you want to know more in depth and become a trader or broker, enrol into one of their courses and become inspired by these important facts that is not taught by the textbooks.

Gotten this book about cryptocurrency after the talk. Gonna be my bedtime reading for the next week :)