A weekend back to nature featuring Tadom Hill Resort Banting

Having enough of staying at conventional hotels? Looking forward to some outdoor adventure? That's exactly why we headed to Tadom Hill Resort at Banting recently.

Tadom Hill Resort
Kampung Labohan Dagang, 42700 Banting, Selangor
Website https://tadomhillresorts.com
Phone 012 – 5225728
Email info@tadomhillresorts.com

Tadom Hill Resort is all built with bamboo originating from Malaysia and Indonesia. It's philosophy is of self sustenance. Dato Lai carefully explains that all buildings there are made with bamboo. The leftover bamboo used in construction will be either turned into compost or charcoal. 

Bamboo charcoal has multiple uses which can be used as dehumidifier, compost and BBQ material. It can also be used to make soap and decorative artwork!

On-site charcoal making. It takes only 3 hours to burn bamboo into charcoal but this needs to be cooled overnight in the oven to room temperature before use.

Awesome lake view.

In the evening, the still lake gives such a great reflection, just like the famous mirror lake in NZ.

We were given a warm welcome by Mr Nazmi who showed us the way to the western bistro as we arrived during dinner time.

Fish and chips. I love how soft the fish is inside the crunchy tempura batter.

Black pepper chicken chop. The food here is actually cheap for KL standard. Only at RM10 to 15 per set.

We spent the night in an awesome bamboo hut. The hut can easily fit more than 2 adults. The futon is comfortable. And the room is neat and clean. We left our luggage at the far corner in the room. Towels and wet clothes can be hung outside the room. 

The accommodation here so far is not air-conditioned but because it's surrounded by the forest, it's actually quite cold, especially in the wee hours of the morning.

There are communal showers and toilets. I like how clean they are kept even though it's shared. And there are rain showers! The male and female washrooms are housed separately. There is no water heaters though so it can get fairly chilly at night.

Breakfast service started at 8am. It's a spread of local and western food. From nasi lemak, rice porridge, mee siam to toasts, cereals and scrambled egg. A good variety to suit different tastes.

During the weekend, they have live bands. Local artists play popular Malay pieces. Even someone who doesn't really follow Malay pop and hits could also recognise some of the songs. Baby Bing was so upbeat about the whole thing and was dancing along with the songs.

We spent the morning hanging around the resort people watching and playing football with baby Bing. Ryan then went an exhilarating flying fox across the lake but baby Bing decided to nap during that time. Would have loved to try out the ATV though. Instead we spent some quiet moments in the hut until lunch hour.

Tadom Hill Resort serves their signature bamboo rice set for lunch. At only RM10 per set, it's definitely value for money! Rice wrapped in aromatic banana leaf and baked in short segments of bamboo. Served with ayam berempah (spiced fried chicken), curry gravy and sambal (a wonderful concoction of chilli and sweet onions). Have this with a glass of cold syrup drink. Perfecto!

Watch this short YouTube video about all the water activities- jumping platform, swimming, bamboo rafting. The flying fox cable goes across the lake to the far end.

We had a really great weekend at Tadom Hill Resort. Would love to return in a bigger group in the near future. Looking forward to more luxurious room options in the future (connecting rooms for family, ensuite and air-conditioned rooms under construction).

Fun T shirt designing featuring Printcious

It's always enjoyable to customize gifts. Because it gives a personal touch and it's of course one of its kind. I have tried making mugs, puzzle and throw pillow. Love them! 

I have given them to my parents as Christmas gifts, sister in law as her engagement gift, aunty as a random present and hubby as our anniversary present. This time round I would love to try T shirt design online using Printcious. 

Check out my previous Printcious post here. I have had good experience with Printcious service and they have performed up to expectations.

I would like to try with a photo taken during the recent Chinese New Year celebration, just using my mobile (I have used similar quality photos before this and it turned out with brilliant resolution). This is the time of the year that everyone will dress up and smarten up for reunion and family photos. 

Hubby's birthday is coming up soon end of this month and Printcious comes handy again for some cool gifts. If you remember, I have given him a customised throw pillow with a photo of our small family taken in front of Edinburgh castle. That was last year! How fast time flies. Hubby is a family man so I'm sure he will be happy to get a gift with our family photo on it.

Creating this T shirt is easy.

Upload the photo to the system. It's quite fast and took less than a minute with Unifi wifi.

Add on some memorable texts befitting the occasion.

If you don't feel very artistic, feel free to use one of their ready made templates. They are fairly unique and awesome in their own way. Even with the templates, one can still tweak it to perfection.

There you go for some t shirt printing online, made in Malaysia! All within a few mouse clicks and in the comfort of your own home. What's more is that there's a sales going on at Printcious right now! 30% off across their range of products.

Besides providing customised t shirt printing in Malaysia, Printcious also handles corporate t shirt printing. This gives me an idea where to order family day T shirts this year.

Now the order is being processed that I can't wait to receive it. My previous experience was that it would take about a week before I receive the product. So it will come just in time before his birthday.

I feel excited to see what comes into the mail over the next week. Will definitely share the joy of receiving the present in the next post. And of course Mr hubby's precious reaction.

Side note: maybe I should throw hubby a birthday party this year. He hasn't had one since uni days. You know how popular photo booths are in parties recently? Everyone loves to have an insta worthy moment nowadays. I came across Photo booth rental while surfing the net for portable photo booth rental. What do you guys think? Great party idea or too much of a hassle?

Energy booster and gastritis reliever featuring G-Storm 360

It's not easy to juggle hectic work schedule and also caring for young children. Irregular meal schedules sometimes make my gastritis play up.

Those who have gastritis will understand how terrible the feeling of reflux and heartburn is. So bad so that I nearly got myself admitted a few years ago. And got myself an upper scope and ultrasound.

Why do we get gastritis?

The following can all play a role in causing or exacerbating gastritis- acute stress, certain painkillers called NSAIDs, steroid use, alcohol, tobacco smoking and also Helicobacter pylori infection.

Most gastritis resolves with symptomatic treatment. Conventional treatment includes medications to reduce the acidity in the stomach. In rare cases, ulcers can form which can possibly cause life threatening bleed.

Read more about gastritis from Mayo clinic.

I have gotten the chance to try G-storm 360 which claims to boost energy levels and relieves gastritis.

G-storm contains 22 powerful ingredients. I'll explain a few of the key ones.

Goat's milk- claimed to be hypoallergenic and great for those with sensitive stomach. It's full of protein and calcium. Great for the bones!

Photo from Google

Mint- I really love the mint flavor! It promotes digestion, also acts as carminative. This eases indigestion and relieves bloatedness.

 Photo from Google

Black seed also helps to alleviate indigestion and heartburn, bloatedness and diarrhoea.

Photo from Google

Aloe Vera is good for those who have constipation as it regulates bowel movement.

In conclusion, not only is G-storm great to boost energy levels, but it also relieves indigestion and gastritis. The ingredients are plant based so it's suitable for the whole family to consume including expecting and breastfeeding mothers.

What about the taste?

Absolutely tasty! Unlike fresh goat's milk, it doesn't have the musky odour which puts many off. It's sweet with a hint of mint. Reminded me of mint chocolate. The milk powder also dissolves easily in hot or cold water.

I haven't had very bad gastritis recently but I find that G-storm gives a warm feeling in the stomach after consumption. And my bowel habit is also more regular.

I have made a short YouTube video about G-storm 360 here. Enjoy! Let me know what do you think about G-storm here.

Those interested to know more can visit Dr Zara's (Ellvita's founder) Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011343483525

Steroid free adjunct to eczema treatment featuring Renoskin serum

After a whole week of braving the dry winter at Osaka, baby Bing developed a cute pink tinge on his cheeks. But have a look closer, it's not cute at all! Because the skin is so dry that he's got eczema on his face :( and the so called ruddy complexion is due to inflamed and itchy skin.

Poor boy! As a doctor, I'm well aware of the standard eczema treatment. Besides using soap free shower gel or aqueous cream to bathe, one should keep the skin well moisturised. There are two main types of moisturiser, cream or oilment based. The cream type is more readily absorbed and provides moisturise to the skin. Oilment, on the other hand, prevents moisture from escaping the skin surface.

For the inflamed areas, the standard of care is to use steroid creams for short term. Now there's lots of bad vibes about using steroid especially in children. When used sparingly, it's almost side effect free. Read more about eczema/atopic dermatitis here. 

For those who abuse topical steroid, they run the risk of developing topical steroid withdrawal after discontinuation of use. The public has great fear of this. But this is more common in those who use it more than 12 months on almost daily basis at moderate or high potency. And it's not seen in those who used their prescribed medications according to instructions. The treatment is to go cold turkey and the skin reaction will go away on its own. Read more about the reaction here.

There's an increasing availability of steroid free products for eczema though such as Atopiclair. Potent steroid is best avoided on face and lip areas.  So, this bottle of Renoskin serum came just in time to the rescue!

Firstly, this product is registered under MOH，observing strict compliance to GMP in order to ensure quality control.

Let's look at the ingredients in detail.

Virgin olive oil

Photo from Google

Great moisturiser, good to maintain skin elasticity and loaded with skinfood such as vitamins A and E, as well as antioxidants.

Virgin coconut oil

Photo from Google

  I have written at length about using Virgin coconut oil in this previous post. Not only does it moisturise, it also  has antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

Rosemary essential oil

Photo from Google

I have just learnt that rosemary is not just good to make aromatic roasts! This gives a soothing woody scent to the serum. The keyword here is carnosol which carries powerful antioxidant, antiinflammatory and healing effects. It calms and has been proven to reduce stress levels.

Renoskin also doesn't contain harmful ingredients like paraben and mercury. Read more about harmful ingredients to avoid in skincare products here.

I love how aromatic the smell of the essential oil is. Even though it's oil based, it's absorbed rapidly and not greasy at all.

This is how his face looks like before starting Renoskin. The skin surface is actually rough to touch because of the inflammation.

The happy baby Bing after using Renoskin for two days. I applied only on the affected areas twice a day. His skin has returned to his smooth baby skin.

I would advise using Renoskin as an adjunct to conventional eczema treatment. If symptoms are severe or baby also has signs of skin infection, please seek proper medical advice.

This is how to get your hands on this great product:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/renoskin_official/
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/RenoSkinHQ/
WhatsApp:
http://www.wasap.my/60164907155/renoskinblog

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. Stop if discomfort ensues.

Miraculous skin booster featuring Celebeaute Tx

I was just viewing Queenzy Cheng's new CNY hits and I realised that she's becoming younger by the years. This is one of her new hits. 

Such radiant and flawless skin making me envious given that we are almost the same age. Is it just due to excellent makeup alone? Soon I discovered that she's been consuming Celebeaute Tx.

Most of you by now would have noticed that I really have sun kissed skin. Not that I don't like my complexion but age and sun exposure is really catching up with me. These fine lines and crow feet! Instead of applying anti ageing skin product all over my body, isn't it easier if I can just drink it instead?

So I have started to try Celebeaute Tx. It's formulated by a certified nutritionist using active ingredients from independent laboratories compliant to GMP. The ingredients are used in the most bioavailable form and at the clinically validated dosage in order to optimise the effect.  Read here to refresh your memory about how to choose the correct supplements. 

Celebeaute Tx is so natural that when it's submitted to NADRAC, it's not required to register because it's classified as food, not medication. It's also stated clearly that it does not contain any steroid or illicit drugs which is a common fear that many have. It's also safe for pregnant mothers.

Let's analyse these skinfood. I won't elaborate too much because there are lots of studies quoted on their website. The point is there's growing evidence that these ingredients are good for skin.

Nutroxsun (grapefruit and rosemary extracts)-
powerful antioxidant and offers UV protection.

Sakura Extract-
also an antioxidant (anti ageing), antiinflammatory, whitening, smoothen the skin, encourages collagen formation. The holy grail for Japanese skincare products!

Rose petal extract
- rich in polyphenols (whitening) and prevents melanin deposition, lightens uneven skin tone

Birds nest extract
- rich in glycoprotein, amino acid, epidermal growth factor to promote youthful skin and fair complexion, moisturise the skin

Acereola extract
- strong antioxidant and loaded with vitamin C, reduces blemishes, lightens skin tone and pigmentation.

After reading all these, I can't wait to try it out! Since one can already start seeing the effect after 2 weeks, just in time to look good for CNY.

A sachet every morning before breakfast for maximal absorption.

The attractive rose coloured nutritious drink. The taste has a hint of sourness mixed with the sweetness of the berries with the fragrance of rose.

Me before starting to consume Celebeaute Tx. So tanned with so called sunkissed skin. Lol

After 2 weeks.

After a month during CNY. Overall glowing complexion but I'm not sure whether I'm really that much fairer :p these are my face without makeup hehe

These are their websites for your perusal. 

Website www.celebeaute.com 

Facebook page www.fb.com/CeleBeaute  

Instagram www.instagram.com/CeleBeaute

Of course there's a discount code for all my loyal fans. Hurry because it's only valid for 3 months until May 2018. Quote and get RM15 off your first purchase from www.celebeaute.com ! 

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 product certification before proceeding and stop if side effect ensues.

Authentic Thai food featuring A Lemongrass (LG) Thai Restaurant Kuantan

It's not easy to find genuine Thai food without adapting to the Malaysian food culture. One is immediately transported to Thailand stepping into LG. All the restaurant staff are imported from Thailand albeit fluent in Malay. After more than 10 years in the food industry, they hold onto their authenticity.

A Lemongrass (LG) Thai Restaurant
B346& 348 , Jalan Beserah
Kuantan
Opens Monday to Friday 5pm to 1am
Saturday and Sunday 4pm to 12am
Tel +60 9-568 6354
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lemongrassthree/

Originally a bar, now LG has transformed into a family friendly restaurant with indoor non smoking dining area. The neighboring Chill and Grill also belongs to the same restaurant, serving as the outdoor area which permits smoking and beer drinking. I particularly love their artistic wooden table at the outdoor section.

The current chef had experience cooking in a hotel back in Thailand. So we were expecting some pretty plating.

Entree- fried chicken wings

Our intention was to introduce their famous pandan chicken unfortunately they were unable to source for screwpine leaves big enough to make the dish that night. But these chicken wings are equally appetizing. 

Fried at low to moderate heat, the whole wing was cripsy without a distinct fat layer. Dip this in sweet Thai chilli sauce for an enhanced flavor. Great for sharing over a pint or two.

Thai seafood salad (Yum Talay)

It's an art of its own. Beautifully carved tomato with deveined prawns perfectly cooked and curved like blooming flowers. 

Combined with blanched squid pieces, julienned carrot, chopped parsley, lemongrass. Refreshing with a hint of fish sauce.

Thai fish lettuce wrap (Miang Pla Too)

A very unique dish. Barramundi fillet coated with flour and deep fried until golden. Wrap a small piece of fish in the lettuce, adding roasted peanuts, lime pieces, onion, lemongrass, ginger and dried shrimp.

Drizzle this with sweet tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce based gravy to complete this one bite wonder. All the ingredients just went so well together to create this special flavor.

Thai fried rice with shrimp paste (Khao Kluk Gapi)

I love how the shrimp paste made the fried rice tasted so close to the traditional Chinese glutinous rice.

Mix this with shreds of fried omelette, stir fry pork pieces, mango slices, red onions, raw long beans, fiery bird's eye chillies and dried shrimps. Again, such extraordinary dish that we would definitely have over and over again.

Thai pineapple fried rice (Khao Pad Sapparot)

This popular Thai dish is great for children because it's sweet and not spicy. Pieces of fresh pineapple, hotdog slices, cashew nuts and mixed vegetables were stir fried with cooked rice. Then presented in the original pineapple shell. All time comfort food. If you would like a touch of spiciness, feel free to add some bird's eye chillies.

Chicken green curry (Gang Kiew Wan Gai)

The green curry here is on the more watery side. One would never go wrong if chicken slices are added. Chunks of brinjal and cucumber complemented the curry so well. A splash of coconut milk is a must for green curry.

Not only does green curry go well with rice, it also matches glass noodles very well.

Clear Tom Yum with seafood

Without the usual red broth, this clear Tom Yum looked deceivingly benign. One sip to reveal the same amount of spiciness and sourness. Combining chicken slices, fresh prawns, squid and chicken pieces, it's very appetizing indeed. Good to warm the stomach.

Have all these wonderful Thai dishes with freshly pressed juice- we ordered orange and pineapple.

Verdict- 8/10! All the cravings for Thai food satisfied! Authenticity is guaranteed. Ingredients are fresh and price average. What more to ask for?

Watch this short video about our dining experience at A Lemongrass Restaurant.