Newens Teahouse-luxurious afternoon high tea

Located in starhill gallery, Newens teahouse is smacked right in the center. This is baby Bing's first time having high tea (last year he slept throughout). It will probably be some time for our next visit as YTL platinum plus  membership is being phased out.

                   
Tada. Our rack of high tea set. Yummy sandwich to start with-smoked salmon, scrambled egg.

The next level is warm and hearty scones-original and fruity eaten with a dollop of fluffy cream and rich strawberry jam. We finished up with a cripsy Portuguese eggtart.

To top it off, perfectly shaped macaroons with a huge punch of sweetness. Red velvet muffin with chocolate drops. A citrusy cream puff. A well balanced apple tart. Finally, everyone's favorite moist chocolate cupcake drizzled with molten dark chocolate.

To enhance the flavor, we savoured their signature tea. Brew with the exact temperature and timed to produce the perfect cuppa.

All of this accompanied by live harp performance. The ultimate stress buster. Would have been better if my toddler could stay still for a while longer.

We rate the experience 8/10 ! (the only downside is the hefty price tag)

Complete travel guide to Ipoh featuring Traveloka

A must stop for those who loves cheap and yummy food, Ipoh is a heaven for foodies like Ryan and I. We drove here to visit our close friend Victor. That's way before we had baby Bing.

Read vkeong.com for a complete list of must eats in Ipoh. Ipoh bean sprout steam chicken with rice noodles or more commonly called 芽菜鸡 is definitely a must eat! There are so many restaurants selling the same dish along the street to reflect how popular it is. Bean sprouts grown in Ipoh using the hydroponic method is extremely juicy and crunchy. The chicken, on the other hand, is so smooth and fragrant. This combination and flavour is just so heavenly. All these yumminess at only half the price of the usual price in KL or JB or kuantan.

Among the few famous restaurants.


For those who visit Ipoh, the location of accommodation must be central enough as this is where you get all the good food. Instead of the old fashioned hotel booking by calling or through the hotel website, there are a variety of third party websites which offer much more attractive price tags. Traveloka is a relatively new player in the market. And I use Traveloka because it's reliable and the price is competitive.  There's no hidden price or extra charges. If you download their app on your mobile, there's even more exciting deals awaiting you.

The heritage hotel Ipoh is great if you fly to Ipoh because it's a mere 3.2km away from the Sultan Azlan Shah airport. Not only is it good for family and leisure stay, it is often the choice for corporate gatherings. In cases of medical tourism, the KPJ specialist hospital and public hospital are also within a stone's throw away. The bustling town center is also only 2.4km away.

I love the design of the hotel which has an open area in the center, enable visitors to visualize the dining area. It also makes the whole place looks much more grand and spacious.

The room itself is cosy. Fluffy mattress and pillows invite a good night's rest. Cleanliness is also up to par. Hotel staff is friendly and efficient, responding to calls readily and timely.

 After a busy day, relaxing in the bathtub is definitely a great way to wind down. One can also visit the gym if one would like to sweat it out. They also have a spa center for those who wants ultimate relaxation.

How can the heritage hotel go without nice food?

The wonderful Ramadan feast spread on display. Mouthwatering indeed!

And look at their weekend high tea set! One is spoilt for choices because you can choose from 40 items.

Besides enjoying scrumptious food and pampering yourself at heritage hotel, one of course must also visit the other attractions!

This is an official guide of where to visit @www.ipohcity.my

There's a huge variety of attractions ranging from nature, theme parks to architectural delights. Enough to cater for various needs of the travelers. I haven't explored all these places and each of them has a great story to tell. For example, who would have thought that Malaysia has a castle?

 Kellie's castle fits every bit of the bill and has its own set of haunted stories, with the possibility of the existence of secret passageways and hidden chambers.


I'm missing Ipoh so much and can't wait to revisit the place already! For those who wants to visit by air, Traveloka also serves as a one stop center which facilitates in flight and hotel reservations. Let's cuti cuti Ipoh this holiday by booking with Traveloka@Heritage Hotel Ipoh!

JW Marriott KL, luxurious weekend staycation- hotel review

We got a free night at Marriott bukit bintang complimentary of our second year of ytl platinum membership. Baby Bing first time staying here and he absolutely loved the place! Staff was baby friendly and approachable.

Our room was on level 11 which overlooked the busy bukit bintang street.

We got free upgrade to their newly renovated executive deluxe room. Bing was so happy exploring the room the moment he stepped in! Plenty of room to burn some toddler energy without my 100% supervision. The TV was at least 50 inches-even bigger than our own!

What else to ask for when you are provided with this fluffy king bed?

We got a square bath tub and a rain shower just next to it. Time for some baby bubble bath :)

Egg shaped sink and a separate makeup area with a magnifying mirror that zooms in my horrifying aging face.

As Marriott is still under renovation, we got to enjoy our gym, swimming pool and kids room at the adjacent Ritz-Carlton hotel. Bing enjoyed himself so much and we would love to return again!

Overall enjoyed the stay very much. The only downside was perhaps of the noise due to the ongoing construction. But we were informed before assigned our room.

We rate it 9/10!

Palm Garden Hotel Putrajaya- Spacious and homely- Malaysian hotel review

Palm Garden Hotel is located just next to IOI mall. It is also adjacent to Le Meridien and Marriott. Stayed overnight to attend my specialist placement meeting.

First impression-relaxing and laid back. Spacious. We booked deluxe King sized orchid room. It's as big as a studio. With enough space for baby Bing to run around without knocking into things. Despite the extended bed, Bing just wanted to snuggle against mommy when he slept.

Huge bathroom too with attached bathtub. The hotel is a bit old but well maintained.

Wonderful fish ponds along the corridor.

Buffet breakfast. Mostly Malaysian food-nasi lemak, fried kuay teow, rice porridge, baked beans, chicken sausage, omelette, Danish, croissant, bread, fruits, coffee and tea from the espresso machine.

Overall, comfortable. Friendly staff. Well maintained. Affordable. Will consider staying here again.

Verdict 7/10

Polpetta cafe- it's raining meatballs

No plan is always a good plan. We were heading to PJ for a meeting. Searched his off-peak app and discovered this hidden gem Polpetta in Petaling Jaya.

The cafe gave us a very homey feeling. Baby Bing was absolutely in love with the tic tac toe set.

The cute soft toy hung on the door also functioned as the door bell.

The menu was laminated. Guests then placed their orders using marker pens provided. Much more eco friendly then handing out papers.

This was our mixed meatball with extra helping of mashed potatoes and classic tomato sauce. To our surprise, We loved mushroom ball the most, followed by beef ball then chicken ball. Huge juicy balls with flavors permeating our palate. The tomato sauce had the right punch of herbs as well.

We also ordered kaya toast for baby Bing. Toast was cripsy and I think kaya was homemade :)

Staff were also friendly and enjoyed playing with baby Bing.

Cosy environment and good food. Price mid range. Spent RM20 only. Got 25% off with offpeak app. Shall visit again with friends. 

Rama V fine Thai cuisine

After a not so satisfying dinner, we were craving for more. En route back to hotel, we drove past Rama V. It's reputated as the best Thai restaurant in Malaysia.

Spacious interior with a nice tropical garden and fish ponds within. Baby Bing had so much fun exploring the place.

The food was indeed superb! Pad Thai with fried tiger prawn. Such an ordinary dish but they made it so extraordinary! One can't help but devouring the dish even though we were already half full. The combination of fresh squeezed lime and peanuts brought out the flavor even more.

I have never really like roast duck that much because  it's usually fatty. Rama V really changed my opinion as the skin was so crispy and fragrant without fat! Duck meat was also marinated to perfection.

Victor used his entertainer food voucher so we got this vegetarian green curry for free. The gravy was so appetising that we had so much rice.

Ramadhan buffet spread on display :)

The dessert was the much celebrated red Ruby crystals or thap thim krop. Crunchy water chestnut coated with soft and chewy sago coating. Together with slices of fresh jackfruit and coconut milk, the flavor was just heavenly.



Spent RM130+ altogether. A bit pricy but the taste and portion was worth the price tag. A must visit!

The essence of health and youthfulness- clean water

As a doctor, people often ask me the secret of health and youthfulness. It's very simple : healthy diet and exercise. This had been well tested throughout centuries. This is why I really support Jamie Oliver's food revolution. 

Eating well is the foundation of good health. Supplements and detox sessions are expensive plus they don't work and they run the risk of damaging your kidneys and livers. Period. And clean water is the absolute essence to eating well. Unfortunately tap water in Malaysia and Singapore are not fit for consumption prior to boiling or further filtration.

World health organisation places utmost importance in water sanitation. One too many death resulted from consumption of turbid water, especially children suffering from gastroenteritis in under developed countries.


I chanced upon this water filtration company- Cleansui on Facebook. It's a Japanese brand. Hands up who drives a Japanese car here. We absolutely love Japanese products right? As with all other Japanese brands,  cleansui emphasizes on research and technology. This is the technology behind the filtration system.


This is a very easy way to get clean water still rich in minerals without boiling. The product of filtration- clean water! No more crowding your bench top with water bottles.


So you might say there are so many other brands out there. Why choose cleansui? Personally I find the versatility of the products attractive.

There is your standard table top water filter for landed properties. An outdoor filter is optional.

Given that more and more live in high rise buildings,  cleansui also provides an alternative table top water filter that comes with a washable membrane pre-filter.

There's your normal water jug with a filter cartridge changed regularly.


If you think it's too bulky, they have one designed just for individual use. This is great for students or those who work on the go.


There's also a portable version that is good for travelers. Just fit to any tap, then tada clean water! No more worries about water quality anywhere.


For ladies, this filter is just the right one to get the perfect facial cleansing! We often spent thousands on facial treatments or products. But if the water used to clean our face has impurities, all these will go down the drain.

A clean shower for everyone at home :) This also makes sure 99.9% of chlorine in your shower water is removed before use.

                                  


The price is also very attractive. It is comparable to water filters made locally.

So why don't we all just drink bottled water instead? Given that we are all too familiar with funny odor and color in our tap water sometimes. Read this interesting article from the Star- the case for tap or bottled water.


I'm sure you all have made your decision by now. Click this cleansui page and get the right water filters for the health of your family members!

GG seafood- freshness in a pot

 This is the topic of the town recently. Just opened on 3 June. GG seafood gave out quite a few free sets but I didn't get any. Still we decided to try it out with my cousin.

Layout simple and enough space for our kids to run around. Staff friendly as well.

We ordered fried grouper with tomato based soup. This combination goes really well. Will appreciate other options as well because kids can't really take spicy food. One set can feed 3 to 4 people. Other seafood included were clams, prawns and lobsters. Freshness guaranteed. However the fish was too cripsy and there wasn't much flesh for the children.

Side orders:
fried mushroom coated with salted egg. Just the right amount of punch with generous golden egg yolk coating. Will be better if slightly less salty.

Fried chicken coated with fermented bean curd. No more description needed. Yummy!

We were also offered a 40% discount as it's the opening week. The bill amounted to RM150+. Might visit again depending on the price tag and occasion.